Minnesota Motocrossing - a skip-work and ride report
IRKurt
(www.minnesotamotocross.com) and Jeff Howe, (www.trakcontrol.com) both of who I
am sure you all know from this newsgroup. Also there was Peter's brother,
Peter3 and a few other folks. We met at the Plainview, MN track --
hard-packed clay (blue line corners) and pretty fast with table-tops and
smaller doubles.
What are these RMD veterans like? Both Jeff and Peter are genuine good people.
I look forward to riding with them again soon.
Peter is to be listened to when he posts about jumping. He's one of those
riders who has that style in the air that makes any type of jump look really
fun. Big air, perfect arc, noses in for a two-point landing on the downramp.
I sit there in awe… Peter is as nice in person as he is in this newsgroup.
I got to ride his RM250, a bike that was really nicely set up, and with
suspension you'd kill for. (More on that later).
Peter3, PP's son, was there with his CR250. He's posted a couple of times to
rmd. Peter must be very proud of Peter3. Nice guy and an excellent rider.
Peter3 took off on Jeff Howe's YZ250 and was absolutely flying on the thing.
Toward the end of the day, Jeff got his bike back, I think. :^) Funny how well
certain bikes "just work" for a person.
Jeff Howe knows suspension. His company, Trak Control did the work on Peter's
RM250. Both Peter and I could not believe the difference between a
decently-adjusted stock setup (my KX) versus his RM's, which Jeff had redone.
In short, the difference is phenomenal. My KX's forks will wear you down
after a couple laps. For me, usually I get arm-pump. I have them adjusted
pretty softly, for the woods riding I have been doing mostly lately. When you
ride the KX, without knowing how good it could be, they seem plush. They are
soft enough that when you land from jumps, you pay the price with the forks
bottoming. Peter really noticed this, as he was flying my KX further than I
dare.
Okay, Switch to Peter's bike with Jeff Howe's setup. The forks are actually
plusher with the choppy stuff, (braking and acceleration bumps, high speed) AND
they do not punish you when you jump. It was so cool.
My confidence level went up a bunch of points on Peter's RM, and I realized,
yes, sometimes it is the bike keeping you from trying certain jumps or
obstacles, you just know it is going to hurt too much. If you know that the
feedback from the suspension is going to be good, you get braver. Sometimes
it is the bike.
I rode Jeff's very nice YZ250 also. He sets his suspension up firm. However,
it was still less tiring than my "plush woods" set up….. Hmm… I noticed,
also, that I didn't get arm-pump on either bike.
Lucky me, I got to have Jeff, evaluate my suspension and he watched how I was
using it. He knows exactly what I am looking for now. The forks would be
at his shop today, but I am trying to make a decision on my bike situation. KX
is either going to become a full-on woods bike or a full-on Mxer. This
compromising is hurting too much! The woods guys wonder how I can stand such
an mxer in the woods. The mxers wonder how I can stand such a woods bike on
the track…
Well, we had a day of riding our arses off. We got to swap bikes, YZ, RM, CR
& KX comparisons. Interesting to do that.
What you've probably wondered most -- Lawn Chair evaluations:
Jeff had a Craftsman folding chair red/black with a cup holder. Extra points
for the shade provided by the EZ-up.
Peter had aluminum framed lawn chairs, stylish and comfortable. Peter had a
cooler full of water easily accessible in his trailer. Extra points. Lawn
chairs are a toss-up.
We grilled dinner and bench raced for another hour or so before leaving. It
happened to be one of those perfect Minnesota summer days where daylight starts
blending into a breezy evening. We were at a place I enjoy most, doing what I
enjoy most and I'd met some great new friends. I didn't really want to leave,
but eventually did.
Needless to say, I was glad I took the day off work.
Kurt
DirtCrashr
>Jeff had a Craftsman folding chair red/black with a cup holder. Extra points
>for the shade provided by the EZ-up.
>Peter had aluminum framed lawn chairs, stylish and comfortable. Peter had a
>cooler full of water easily accessible in his trailer. Extra points.
>Lawn
>chairs are a toss-up.
>
Now this is the kind of in-depth technical evaluations that have been missing
from all the RMD ride-reports lately!!
Sounds like a good, hearty time and FUN!
DirtCrashr
'97 KTM 300 MX/C '95 CB1000
CERA, D-36, BRC, CORVA, COHVCO, HHORA, AMA and FOLMA
Shocknut
Personally I would take that over a raceday any day. I think maybe I've
finally outgrown the youthful exhuberance for racing. Just riding the track
is SO much fun on a weekday when there is not so many people there. I had a
blast.
Told ya my bike was stiff Kurt! The faster you go on it the better it
works, that could be why Peter3 likes it so much since he's faster than the
rest of us.
Jeff
"IRKurt" <irk...@aol.comremove> wrote in message
news:20010806135428...@nso-ma.aol.com...
> I got to go riding with a couple Rmders last Thursday; Peter Patton
> (www.minnesotamotocross.com) and Jeff Howe, (www.trakcontrol.com) both of
who I
> am sure you all know from this newsgroup. Also there was Peter's brother,
> Peter3 and a few other folks. We met at the Plainview, MN track --
> hard-packed clay (blue line corners) and pretty fast with table-tops and
> smaller doubles.
>
> What are these RMD veterans like? Both Jeff and Peter are genuine good
people.
> I look forward to riding with them again soon.
>
> Peter is to be listened to when he posts about jumping. He's one of those
> riders who has that style in the air that makes any type of jump look
really
> fun. Big air, perfect arc, noses in for a two-point landing on the
downramp.
> I sit there in awe. Peter is as nice in person as he is in this
> it was still less tiring than my "plush woods" set up... Hmm. I noticed,
> also, that I didn't get arm-pump on either bike.
>
> Lucky me, I got to have Jeff, evaluate my suspension and he watched how I
was
> using it. He knows exactly what I am looking for now. The forks would
be
> at his shop today, but I am trying to make a decision on my bike
situation. KX
> is either going to become a full-on woods bike or a full-on Mxer. This
> compromising is hurting too much! The woods guys wonder how I can stand
such
> an mxer in the woods. The mxers wonder how I can stand such a woods bike
on
> the track.