Good Stories and Hard Lessons Learned-"II" (AMA VMD 2012)

NQ1965

NQ1965

PR Elite
I have been out of town since last Tuesday so you'll have to bear with me rehashing Vintage Days.

Last year you guys may recall my post on hard lessons learned when I cooked my top end. This year went better. But still some hard lessons learned.

1st).. I rebuilt my forks on my 82 YZ250 two weeks before the race. Race day, practice, forks were bottoming out. When I came back in, I bumped up the air pressure a couple pounds. 1st moto, much better......That is till half way through and I blow a fork seal. I had to run the next 3 motos with air and oil blowing out.

2nd)... I attach my GoPro to my helmet. I knew it didn't feel exactly right when I snapped the camera in the enclosure. I turned it on while on the gate. After moto.......GoPro enclosure still on my helmet, back cover hanging wide open with no camera inside. My son later found it just off of the starting line in the grass. We guess that it only got run over only couple times. :)


3rd)... I pass DMX153 crashed in a corner. Shortly thereafter Dave pass's us back. I had no problem with that. That is until I saw this Picture.
Picture shows me coming into a corner sitting on my ass, while he's up and in the charge position. No wonder he's faster than I am.

These things I will never forget!

IMG8687-X3.jpg
 
My lessons learned:

1) Forty-five minutes of total time, broken down to 9 minute intervals, is not a good training program on a "non-current" bike.
2) 200lbs. on an overbored 125 with maybe a "little blowing around the yard" does not help in my inability to keep a 1980 YZ125 on the pipe.
3) 4 days and "traveling back and forth" from home isn't conducive to having any energy left on race day....oh, and all the beers consumed in those days aren't really helpful either.

Anyone want to trade a decent 1980 YZ125 (132) for a Saturday vintage bike? Maybe for a Penton and a little cash? ( I want to become a member of the POG cult).

Next year, one class per day....2 days only.
 
Looks like you guys had a great time this year. I'll need to plan ahead better next year so I won't kick myself for not going. But I was on vacation the week before this year's VMD and my daughter's birthday was one day and her party the other day that weekend.

Kurt, those Pentons are cool and their owners seem to hang around with the Husky folks. But isn't 200 lbs. on a 125 normal?

Mike, how was the HS course?
 
The course was actually pretty good. It's actually surprising that the woods area there at Mid-Ohio has some really good terrain for Cross Country/Hare Scrambles racing. It's definately not GP stuff though. Some very tight sections throughout. But they have some nice little hill climbs and creek crossings. And they reverse the course direction each year.

The last couple years they would throw the flag and you would begin with a trip around the MX track, and then to the woods. But they only did that for the Non-Current and modern class guys this year. Vintage and PV had a hair-pin turn, then straight to the hills.

If you'll remember, it was cloudy and cool that day. So the temps were really perfect for an hour long race. The water in the creek crossings wasn't very deep and yet the trails were moist and manageable.

Had a blast. My KDX175 delivered me to a 4th place out of 15 in my class, and we had some good race action in the woods to look back on.

IMG5889-X3.jpg
Photo credit: AMA- James Holter, Corey (thanks).
 
Mosher said:
My lessons learned:....oh, and all the beers consumed in those days aren't really helpful either.
Click to expand...

I don't buy this Kurt! You see, most of you guys that were just hanging out, hucking it up with brews and laughter all weekend, did well and podiumed.

I'm rethinking my whole training program now. A little slow catching on sometimes but I figure it out eventually. :)
 
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