KDX in National Enduro Series

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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by KDXGarage »

You keep healing up!
Thank you for participating on kdxrider.net. :bravo:
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by doakley »

Aye, aye, Sir!
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by MoonStomper »

Doakley, how are you healing Sir? Hope you are continuing along and enjoying steady progress.

A buddy of mine wants us to go down for the Sumter Nat'l Enduro in February. Any advice for getting signed up? I know it's like trying to buy tickets for a rock concert and difficult to get in.

Thanks in advance for any tips you can offer.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Let the good times ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
‘99 KDX 220 / '03 KDX 200 - @%@ '18 Trek Slash 8 @%@ ‘22 Rieju MR300 Racing

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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by doakley »

Moonstomper, sorry, just saw your post. ALL entries MUST go through Livelaps.com . There will be NO on site registration this year. However they have raised the limit to 900 entries this year. Go to national enduro.com or livelaps.com to enter. I believe the entry date is 1/6 at 8PM. If you want your desired row, or close to it, be poised over your computer at 7:59 (seriously). The first 500 or so spaces will go in about 10-15 mins.
Have your AMA number ready and a PayPal account set up.

Live laps has a practice registration so you can get comfortable with the process before actual registration. I’ll be working the event this year and hope you will look me up there. 910-471-77one zero. Txt probably best.
Perfect event for a KDX woods bike. Very tight!’
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by doakley »

Soooo... What’s the Old Guy Racin’ doing in the 2021 National Enduro Series? Can’t race any more, can’t even ride (yet). I decided to volunteer at some of the closer events doing whatever I can to help. Time for a little pay back!
I’m really looking forward to this. I’ve helped out at some HS races but never an enduro, much less a National. No clue what they will have me doing. Maybe helping at a check point or a section start? Maybe parking vehicles? Maybe picking up trash? I don’t care, whatever they need.

I’m really hoping we can get some KDX participation this year. Our bikes were made for this type of event and can still be competitive. First race is in Sumter, SC again, on Feb 7. This course is in the Sandhills region of SC so expect plenty of sand (not as much as FL). Because the trails are in a mature state forest there is a mix of rich soil in most of the sand giving ideal traction. Not known as a mudder even if it rains. In fact some rain is desirable for best soil conditions. No big hills but a few gullies. If you like tight, bar squeezing single track, this is your race.
Go to nationalenduro.com for more info.
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by doakley »

Here's the 2021 AMA National Enduro Schedule. I've ridden most of these. As they come up I'll try to add my impressions of each course and facilities.
ALL of them are excellent opportunities for you to go out and test your self and your trusty KDX or just to sign up with some buddies on the same row and enjoy a nice, well organized, trail ride. A stock KDX 200 or 220 is well equipped for these events; or, you can do like some and create that $5000 "updated" KDX if you like. Either way it is a blast to ride in these and if one is relatively close to where you live, you will not regret giving it a try!

Y'all keep brapping!

Old Guy Racin' (ret)
2021 National Schedule.JPG
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by MoonStomper »

Thanks for the tips Doug! Hopefully see you there.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Let the good times ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
‘99 KDX 220 / '03 KDX 200 - @%@ '18 Trek Slash 8 @%@ ‘22 Rieju MR300 Racing

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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by doakley »

Moonstomper, check out round 3, in Arrington, VA. Right in your backyard isn’t it?
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by MoonStomper »

Yeah that’s not real far - near VIR I think. We’re close to Blacksburg. Planning to hit Sumter though - the course videos look interesting.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Let the good times ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
‘99 KDX 220 / '03 KDX 200 - @%@ '18 Trek Slash 8 @%@ ‘22 Rieju MR300 Racing

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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by doakley »

Well, horse feathers! Looks like I'm having one more operation which means I won't be able to volunteer at the Sumter National Enduro in February.
In case you guys missed it, online sign up via livelaps.com has been delayed until 1/13 at 8PM. They must have had some computer issues or something; don't know.
I had promised a summary of the course and facilities so here you are:
From my earlier post:
This course is in the Sandhills region of SC so expect plenty of sand (not as much as FL). Because the trails are in a mature state forest there is a mix of rich soil in most of the sand giving ideal traction. Not known as a mudder even if it rains. In fact some rain is desirable for best soil conditions. No big hills but a few gullies. If you like tight, bar squeezing single track, this is your race.
Go to nationalenduro.com for more info.

As far as facilities, primitive camping is the way to go. The nearest motels are 15-20 miles away. They have a clubhouse with covered tables and usually serve a Saturday night spaghetti dinner to benefit a local kids' charity (Burnt Gin Camp). You could find yourself sharing a table with some of the top pros in the Enduro world. Also typically serve breakfast. Parking can get tight in the main area quickly but there is an overflow area across the dirt road so space isn't usually a problem.

You guys from up north don't kid yourselves. It can get uncomfortably cold at night this time of year in SC so bring your warm sleeping bag! I camp in my race cargo trailer (too cheap to buy a camper) and usually wind up running a small generator all night to stay toasty warm. Can't race well if you don't sleep well! Sorry I'll miss you this year and hope to hear about a large turnout of crazy people riding old KDX bikes!

Y'all keep brapping....

Old Guy Racing (ret)
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by MoonStomper »

Sorry you can’t make it Doug!

So yeah the sign up for Sumter was a real cluster. Had everything ready to go and at 8:00 started clicking but every time we got ready to pay for our selection, PayPal would crash and give a 505 error. After 6 minutes trying to get me and my two buddies on the same row, but getting errors I finally got through by trying to register myself and even had a verification in my account, but my buddies didn’t get through. Then the system completely shut down and they canceled all of the entries.

So we’ll try again next week I guess. Any advice for row selection? My buddy is A, his son is B and I’m C.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Let the good times ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
‘99 KDX 220 / '03 KDX 200 - @%@ '18 Trek Slash 8 @%@ ‘22 Rieju MR300 Racing

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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by doakley »

I prefer being up front in Sumter, somewhere in the first 10 rows (3 was our lucky number). The sandy soil can develop significant whoops and breaking bumps so later rows can be a bit rougher. The trails are generally well marked and ridden in by the club. Having said, the rear rows have the advantage of all the hot lines are well marked!
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by andrew825 »

Any race updates? I'd love to hear how you liked the changes you made to the bike, especially the EFM Autoclutch!
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by KDXGarage »

andrew825, welcome to kdxrider.net. Thanks for joining us AND... participating! :-)
Thank you for participating on kdxrider.net. :bravo:
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

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Andrew 825, welcome! Update on Sumter is due to some problems with PayPal, entry was delayed until 8PM, Jan 21st. Basically the surge of entries overwhelmed PayPal’s systems. This time it is set up so your requested row is held while you are waiting on PayPal instead of assigning a row after PayPal confirms your payment. Ought to work?

As far as how I like the bike changes, I really like them. The bike is an incredibly effective woods bike. The only thing that might make it better would be to put the motor into a KX 125 frame but I’m just not up to building a hybrid. Not sure I would notice the difference anyway.
The Autoclutch I absolutely love. Sometimes I did miss being able to pop the clutch if coming out of a corner in too tall of a gear, but never a problem. I was never that good with the clutch and the EFM made up for a lot of mistakes. I seldom stalled the bike any longer, even when dropped. It made tight woods much easier.
The left hand rear brake takes some practice before it becomes intuitive but offers much finer control, especially downhill.
Speaking of downhills, the EFM free wheels downhill unless you punch the gas just a bit to get the clutch engaged. That often took more balls than I have on a steep hill so in that case I had no engine braking. Had to learn a different way to ride downhill.
Last thing on the EFM, if you do not make the hill and have to stop, you’d sure as hell better have two handfuls of brake locked down. It only takes one experience of freewheeling backwards down a hill, especially with trees or rocks, to figure this out!
I put a lot of money, time and thought into this bike. If I had to pick the most important mod, it would be the suspension. I don’t know much about tuning suspension components so decided to use a suspension pro to revalve and customize for me. Worth every penny!
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series - SUMTER 2021

Post by MoonStomper »

Well after the SNAFU from the first attempt at signing up for Sumter that collected everyone as casualties in the ditch, we got another crack at it Thursday night. Our strategy was my buddy and I would each try to sign our self and our son up and request row 30. We sat at the kitchen table with laptops fired up and ready to go at 8:00 with pointer finger hovered over the button. It took me longer than I'd hoped because I couldn't immediately recognize the class my 15 YO son fit into, but after 1:15 seconds or so I hit the SUBMIT button. We got a confirmation for row 142. My buddy and his son submitted about five seconds earlier and they snagged 127.

In by the skin of our chinny chin chin!!!

Had about a 6 minute wait for Paypal, but no real issues.

So with that I placed an order at RMATV for a USFS approved silencer for my son's KTM 144SX and new rear tires for both bikes and my buddy's KLX 250S that I'm tuning up this winter.
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Everything arrived by FedEx Sunda - hopefully mount them after work one day this week. We decided to ride Sunday at Kairos and loaded up the bikes after a late start.
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Upon unloading I discovered that my rear shock had puked and felt like a pogo stick with a loud clunk at the top. DANG!!!! Pretty disappointed to miss out on riding, but we live 20 minutes away so not as bad as it could be. I texted my shock doctor and he replied right back and asked me to bring it on in and he'd have it ready by Monday afternoon - he just rebuilt it a couple months ago. It has SKS seals in it, so to have this problem now is pretty weird, but obviously something got into it. Sometimes STUFF happens!

I feel pretty lucky that I discovered this BEFORE he left for Florida on vacation for a month and not AFTER unloading at Sumter!!!

Tomorrow is going to be 62 degrees so I am firing up the power washer and will get her all cleaned up, pull my linkages and re-lube everything. Probably install new swingarm bearings and that fresh meat (MT 16) on the rear. I've got a lot to do and have to be ready by Sunday because I have a work trip the entire next week to who knows where. This racing stuff is a lot of dang work and stress, no wonder they have to pay the pros to do it!
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Let the good times ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
‘99 KDX 220 / '03 KDX 200 - @%@ '18 Trek Slash 8 @%@ ‘22 Rieju MR300 Racing

BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA USA
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by KDXGarage »

Good luck!
Thank you for participating on kdxrider.net. :bravo:
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by doakley »

MoonStomper! You da' Man! Wish I could go meet you but had to bail. Please take some pics and post them up. It's just not natural for me not to be at Sumter!
BTW, the weather looks about perfect. some light rain, just enough to tack up the sandy soil, and then no more than a 50% chance of very light rain Saturday. Lows in the upper 30's Saturday night then almost 50* F and climbing by the time you start on Sunday. Darn near perfect. Keep a spare pair of dry gloves and a second pair of goggles loaded with tear offs at your truck just in case you run into more rain than expected. Or bag them and tie to your gas can if they use a gas stop trailer. I always liked to have something to eat at the gas stop too, PBJ and/or a banana was my favorite. You'll be surprised how much better you'll feel if you eat a little at the gas stop. Damn, I hate missing this!!
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by Goat »

Good luck to y’all and the kids!
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

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Whoo Hooo! Just ordered the taller, firmer seat foam from Jeff Fredette and this custom seat cover from Factory Effex. Gonna have the nicest KDX nobody rides!!
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