I was told “Oh Just a trail ride” --Taupo Trail Blazer
I was told “Oh Just a trail ride” ---- Suzuki Trail Blazer
I was goin to Taupo for a 50th birthday bash at the Wairaki hotel. My mate Sean Donnelly was coming up from Wellington (I originally come from there). He called on Thursday asking me to bring the CR so we could meet seeing Taupo was ˝ way for each of us. And go out for a Saturday trail ride in an event that was on at the same time. “Shit don’t know if the Missus would go for that” I said as she was not planning on having bikes involved this weekend, (she’s a bit ante bikes since I wrote off the VTR1000 a few months ago). I asked what the ride was he said “Oh! Was just a trail ride”. To my surprise my good wife was agreeable, so we took the Ute and the Cr250 at last minute instead of the car.
If any of you know the name above Sean’s a very very good post classic racer, rides MX and has a son that’s also very high up in the senior MX ranks riding with Mr King’s Subway team. I was a bit worried I’d be involved in something way outa my depth. I’ve always had road bikes. But with MX, I’ve only done 2-3 years on a Kawasaki 250 F11, I owned new when I was 20 or so, then a 25 year or so break and only bought the 01 CR250 a year ago so I could go out with the kids and that’s been about my lot with Moto-X. I’m OK on the road can peddle along average to pretty quick, but Moto-X is a completely different kettle of fish. So was a bit concerned with getting into something with riders of this caliber.
Well it turned out to be the “Suzuki Trail Blazer” 2 day event. Bloody looked like 500 or more bikes. To my surprise we pulled up to the “Phil Turnbull Motorcycles” Marque an Sean got out say hi to all his mates. Shit I was thinking, I better do the kiddies track these guys are far too good.
Well we got the bikes out and got set up. I changed my suspension setting from the last Woodhill (sand) ride to general MX setting (quite a bit harder) as I didn’t know quite what to expect. I said to Sean I was just gonna do the 10k loop, but when him and his mates took the 40k loop buggered if I was gonna pike out in front of those guys so was off on my first 40k I’d ever done. Well the terrain was quite similar to Woodhill not sand but trees and loomy fine sorta dirt and my front was far to hard, so was fighting the bike quite a bit. I think the more modern KTM execs, the YZ and WR’s the other guys were on might be a bit more forgiving if you screw up the suspension settings. Well what a bloody good ride, lovely tracks etc. We where goin so fast on some of the roads between tracks the CR hit a bump and got a big tank slapper on. Fuck me! That was scary flat out in 5th. But I have learnt it’s a damn good bike and most times if you leave it to its own devices and just sit there and go with the flow it sorts itself out pretty well. And all was ok again with only a 20m wobble before I got control again. Quite often I’d be resting on one of these linking roads while blasting along in third or forth to see Donnelly on his back wheel for ˝ a K’ or more playin Mr wheelie king!! “Bastard” I’m gonna learn to do that, at that speed, one day. Some of the trails where just magic, with the morning heat raising a mist about a foot deep, an thick on the ground. Could hardly see the trail in some places with the chill morning air and mist. And with me breathing so hard the bloody outside of my goggles would mist up for a second at each breath as well. All the while, braking as late as I dared, givin it heaps outa corners and goin like a mad shit everywhere else. The guys stopped and I caught them up at about the 15k mark, didn’t look like they’d been there to long either. So I got a screw driver off one and softened the front a couple of clicks and it was better but still pushing into corners and a bit of a fight to ride. They where warming their hands on their mufflers! I was quite warm enough thank you! Off we went again. I started first and went off early, till I heard them getting pushy behind. So I let them past. This was the best faze of the loop for me, great fast trails and quite technical sections. About 25k (they had brilliant marker signs showing how far through you where) the guys had stopped for a breather. As I rode up to them I decided to carry on rather than stop so as not to hold them up to much further on. So past I went, was getting tired, but pushed like hell so as to not let the others catch up to quick and think I was to slow. I came upon a bit of a straight bit through the trees and was starting to hear their thumper exhausts in the distance behind me. So into third I went givin it heaps. I landed a bit wrong over a dip the front twisted and the back came round a bit, then the whole bike bounced up into the air and onto the berm which was about 300mm higher than the track. There’s now bloody big trees about 2 meters away, and I’m standing on the bike, flat out in 3rd, crashing through the fallin branches and pine needles about a metre off the track. Oh shit I thought I’m not gonna hit one of those big fucken Pines at this speed. I’d been off the track full noise when road race karting quite a few times so just did the same thing kept the power on a bit and tried to guide it back onto the trail. Hoping there was no fallen branches big enough to trip me up. And then there was this tree that didn’t look like it was gonna jump outa my way. I was just about to jump off the bike and let it crash when I realized I was goin to get hurt if I got off at this speed anyway. Funny how many thoughts you can think in a split second under pressure. So I did what I did before, just had faith in the bike and missed the tree by a few inches. Bloody lucky the guys weren’t close enough to see that lot. As it wasn’t very styly that’s for sure. That made me regain my sanity, I slowed a bit, and let the others past. Shortly after we came up to the 30k marker. Just rode fast as I could, but steady from here on. I was getting pretty shagged. At the 5k to go marker, I was so friggin tired I just sat on the bike and let my kidneys take a pounding. Finally came out of the exit directly opposite our trailer. Jumped off the bike and pretended to be as fresh as the other guys although I don’t think I fooled anyone! And that was my first 40k loop ever!!!!
The Phil Turnbull guys had a barby going under their marquee and we had great sausages and hamburger patties in bread. Oh they where so good!!. A big thanks to the good guys at Phil Turnbulls for feeding a Honda Rider! Then a couple of cans of Red Bull and I was ready to tackle the bike set up.
Sean made an adjustment to his YZ450 sag, and they went and did a 10K loop. I stayed (needed the rest). I got Dangers suspension setting sheet out and softened the compression and firmed up the rebound on the front as per his Woodhill sand settings as the terrain was closest to that. Then tackled the rear sag, as Sean was now back to help. Danger had already told me I needed a 5.2kg rear spring so the 4.8 STD one I’d set was wound up very hard and the rider sag was still too much. I had a little bit more adjustment about 20mm on the winder but decided to leave it alone as the rear was harsh enough now. So I just softened the clicker by a couple. Boy do I need a 5.2kg rear shock spring for a 01 Cr250 Showa shock, Please anyone!
The guys where off on the 40k again but I knew I would be too tired this time so I tackled the 10k. Well between the suspension changes and the fact that the 10k was more open and faster with just a few tight sections. It suited the CR and me much more. It was a blast, flat out 2-3-4 gear, clean off the ground at speed over some humps, accelerating hard off the shoulders of the corners. Shit I wish the bike had of been like this for the first 40k loop with the others. So I went back to Sean’s trailer after that loop and softened the front another click as the rubber ring, gauge thingy, Danger put on was still a bit high in the front shock leg showing I still had a bit of travel I could use. Then went and did another 10k loop and the CR250 and I was best we could get on the day.
Sean was back by then and he talked me into a final 10k loop. I went hell for leather to try and prove I could do o’k as I was riding as the lead bike. There where a few slower riders to get past and he didn’t pass me until the last quarter when I was shagged. I’d slowed as I’d promised the wife I wouldn’t come back hurt or to damn tired to enjoy the party that night. Bloody hell it was breathtaking smoking it through the woods. We packed to leave at about 2.30pm. Sean had just done the Australia outback cross country thing, where they do up to 300k per day. He’d done a fast 100k that day and said he was "feeling it a bit". I’d done a 40k and 3 x10k loops. 70k for the day so was feeling ok about managing that much distance. Found out from his wife later that night he’d commented to her that I was going quite quick on the last 10k loop we rode, so that just made a great day perfect. Still managed to party to 2.30am before my sore mx legs, back and shoulders decided they needed rest and I hit the wall.
It was a great day and a great well organized trial ride!!! There must have been at a guess 500 plus bikes there but the trails where free from major congestion. I understand there where more new trails for the Sunday ride as well. But I had a hangover to deal with Sunday.
What a brilliant day!!
On a Motorcycle you're penetrating distance, right along with the machine!! In a car you're just a spectator, the windshields like a TV!!
'Life's Journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out! Shouting, ' Holy sh!t... What a Ride!! '
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, Must say the track was easier than the Saturday one (Did that one a month ago).
Originally Posted by Danger
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