KDX in National Enduro Series

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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by Goat »

Haha! Gotta do something with all that gas money in your pocket right now. Hope it’s feels good when you get back in the saddle.
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by KDXGarage »

Nice foam and cover, doakley.
Thank you for participating on kdxrider.net. :bravo:
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series - Sumter 2021

Post by MoonStomper »

Just got back in town after a 2,000 mile week delivering campers and got everything packed and loaded for tomorrow’s race in Sumter.
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The route sheet was just released and looks like Russian to me... http://www.serma.club/routesheet.pdf
Can anyone break this down for a new guy? I’m racing 50+C, my son is 200 C, and the other guys are 200B and 50+A.

We hope to get down there tonight and stay at the nearby Army base. Here at home in Giles County, Virginia we are expecting 4-8” of snow tonight. That will be fun to come home to.
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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 »

Sure: here’s all you really need to know. There are 6 sections or “tests” but “C” riders only ride 4. (You can ride them all if you want but they will only score the first 4. Don’t worry about keeping time. Just be sure to pay attention and start ON YOUR ROW. When you finish section 1 immediately ride to the start of section 2. Look around at the rows and get back in line ON YOUR ROW. If you are really late and your row has already left when you get to the start of the next section, just push your way up to the front. The race crew will wave you through when you get to the line. Do NOT be shy, yell “excuse me” and push through! Do this for each section until finished.
You do not have to worry about arriving early! Not even the fastest pros arrive early in the nationals!
Always be sure to get back in line when you reach the start area if the next section. THAT’S where you rest, not at the end of the previous section.
Forget about keeping track of miles, time, etc. just ride as fast as you can making sure you keep some energy available to finish. Follow the arrows, ride hard but smart.
It’s really like a four lap hare scramble for you, only each lap is different.
BTW it looks like the first 1.9 miles is “free” time, just a transfer trail to the actual start of the first test. Treat it as a 1.9 mike warm up. The race actually begins at the 2 mile point.
Good luck!!
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by doakley »

Oh yeah, your “B” rider does 5 sections and your 50+ A. Rider does all 6.
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by MoonStomper »

Awesome instructions Doug - that is exactly what we needed! Getting up to head over there now!
Thank you, Sir!
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Let the good times ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: KDX in National Enduro - Sumter 2021 Race Report

Post by MoonStomper »

Our first Nat’l Enduro was a real educational experience. So different from hare scrambles and really fun too. Dodging the snowstorm here at home in SW Virginia for a couple days was a nice bonus, although the WX in Sumter wasn’t exactly balmy.

We got into town late Saturday evening and stayed at a hotel inside Fort Jackson instead of camping at the venue - it probably rained a few inches that night. Being on base helped me sleep like a baby knowing the bikes were secure. Up early, we grabbed biscuits and coffee at McDonalds and got ‘screwed at the drivethru’.

Check in at the race was relatively easy, hard to justify an extra $40 for transponders that we don’t have plans to use again though.

After unloading we had plenty of time with our high row assignments to get ready. We watched the pros take off for their starts and then turned our attention to race prep.

It felt good to throw my leg over the bike with the intention to get a full days’ riding in for the first time in weeks. She fired first kick and I took plenty of time warming her up.

My ‘03 KDX 200 sure sounds different with the FMF Turbine Core 2 spark arrestor I borrowed from my buddy Fred bolted on there! I’m planning to buy one for our Colorado trip later this summer - it was nice trying this one out for the race. There were no spark arrestor or decibel tests (as threatened on the race flyers) performed at the race - because of the rain? I don’t know.

The temperature was in the lower forties, and was only expected to climb into the mid-fifties so I think the near sea-level altitude affected my jetting very little - I made no adjustments.
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After chatting with some racers down from deep-frozen Minnesota, we kitted up and rode around the venue getting into race mode. Our row was 137 so we had plenty of time.
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My son and I finally lined up and when we got to the pre-start line realized we only had one other guy instead of 6 or 7. When our number popped up on the screen we took off at a fairly mellow rate, taking the opportunity to feel out this foreign, sandy-loamy and rutted terrain. The other guy passed us when we hit the dirt road and disappeared.

We finally rounded a bend and saw a crossing guard (LEO) holding traffic, he was waving us to turn left - or that’s what we both thought he meant! After running down the road following ‘race‘ arrows we realized we weren’t close to where we were supposed to be and finally got straightened out and directed to the start gate.

Instead of starting on time with our assigned row we jumped in front of row 146 as the marshals waved us through (thanks again to Doug for those instructions!). We immediately began learning how to corner in sandy ruts and allowed our bark busters to earn their keep!

We managed to pass a few and got passed a lot, thankful for the many freshly cut line options that appeared at the last second allowing us to bypass ruts already filled with stuck bikes. It was mayhem out there in places.

I started to get in a groove and began learning the lessons that would help me have a really fun day. Once I learned and trained my brain and reflexes on the rules of front braking in sand, I rode more and picked my bike up less!

The whoops were really fun and my bike was actually pretty fast through those long sections and I caught a lot of folks by ripping it while hanging low and off the back in 3rd and 4th gear (stock 13-47). Then I would enter the turns, mess up my timing and bounce off trees, off course and sometimes crash. Riding in control while trying to go fast is a complex equation. Sometimes though I got it right and that was definitely more fun.

Through it all though my KDX was a willing and eager steed, I never felt like it was outmatched. We passed a lot of orange, red, white and yellow on the course. I thanked her for starting on the first kick when I stalled her (not clutching when drilling rear brake) or hammering into a large tree.

She pulled happily in third and speedshifted easily when asked. The straightaways were a scream and I caught folks there just hanging it out. If I pushed back and low there was little head shake and steady throttle in 5th/6th kept her mostly straight. In the very tight single-track my bark busters with the new FRP flags earned fresh battle scars and protected my hands from being shredded by the local flora/fauna. I’d SMASH trees and notice in the corner of my eye that it was still hanging in there.

Since we had arrived late to the first start gate I just attacked each section aggressively and didn’t take any breaks. Mountain bike strength and fitness transfers here even though I currently don’t have enough of either.

I kept managing to stay in front of row 147 starts till the end so I felt like I was doing okay. I did consistently get passed by a really fast young dude on a KDX that was clearly having fun, he’d always give me a friendly hoot as he passed. When he passed my son the first time, Henry thought I had miraculously learned how to ride fast though the whoops and his head was spinning till he realized it wasn’t me!

He said that he’d follow the guy as long as he could but the guy was just so good he couldn’t keep up.

At the end of the four required stages I was pretty pumped and decided to go ride the fifth just for fun. But immediately I realized that I was getting tennis elbow from my boxing matches with too many trees and this exceptionally muddy stage not much fun. With discretion being the better part of valor I found a road and pointed her back to the truck.

I survived!!! Once back I realized how really smoked I was. My son pointed out that my bike wasn’t completely unscathed either as he noticed my rear fender had broken off at the weld where I had repaired it when he ‘wheelie tested’ it a few months back.
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Happily, we all finished and after slowly and deliberately changing clothes and loading the truck we headed out for some ribs and cokes, and caught kickoff for the Brady Bowl before finally heading back into the great white north.
Last edited by MoonStomper on 10:37 pm Feb 08 2021, edited 1 time in total.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
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 - Sumter add-on

Post by MoonStomper »

Hans and Franz about to lay down smoking fast times in the B and C classes.
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Before the race, pretty chilly and wet!...
HB and me
HB and me
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Number plate stuck on and looking good...
Number
Number
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~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
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 Goat »

Sounds like a blast. Good job!
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by doakley »

Outstanding, Moonstomper! What you neglected to mention was you finished 12th out of 26 in your first National Enduro! That is excellent! (Especially since you "spotted" the rest of the field 10 mins by starting late!) Congratulations! I hope you'll ride some more of them. It is a lot of fun travelling to the different locations and experiencing the various terrains.
Y'all keep brapping!

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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by KDXGarage »

Excellent report AND results! Congratulations!
Thank you for participating on kdxrider.net. :bravo:
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by MoonStomper »

Thanks Doug! It’s now Tuesday night and I’m still wondering what color that dump truck of bricks was that ran over me.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Let the good times ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by oldmankdx69 »

Looks like another KDX rider got "hooked" on riding the enduros. I always enjoyed being able to ride the single track that you normally could not ride because it was private land. My last enduro I "houred out" but continued to the finish because I was still having fun. I came there to finish and have fun, didn't care where I finsihed in the standings. Moonstomper, looks like you did both. Good report and results. Bet you can't wait till the next one. Look forward to your next report. Good luck!!!
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by doakley »

Oldmankdx69, nice thing about the Nationals is you can’t “hour out”. Fastest rider wins but as long as you keep riding you are scored.
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by oldmankdx69 »

I guess I was thinking about the old way of scoring an enduro. It was really just a saying about how slow I was. The last enduro I rode was in 2016 and it was run on the "restart" format. At the last check they ask me if I was ready to quit and I told them I would quit when I finished the run and got to the truck. Was wore out and sore, but had a BLAST. For me those were the good ol' days!!
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by bufftester »

Yeah, not a lot of true time keeping events anymore. We still have a couple here and there, but most have gone tot he Sprint format like the nationals. There's a lot to be said for having to manage a route sheet, multiple speed changes, secret checks, etc, etc all while trying to ride fast and stay on course. It's a lot of work! Even with the newer computers I always ran a roll chart as backup. Rallying still uses road books (bigger, fancier roll charts) almost exclusively. If you've never raced that format it is a fun diversion.
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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by MoonStomper »

The true time tests you speak of sound like my current career hauling RVs out of Indiana to all points. Trying to manage my DOT logbook, delivery times, duty and driving windows, finding cheapest fuel on route, while balancing timely oil changes and other maintenance, holidays and family time. Sheeww !!! Sounds like work!!! I just want to twist that throttle and HANG ON!!!!
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
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 »

Haha! Probably one of the main reasons they quit running them that way.

Time to move on to round #2 in the National Enduro series. One of my favorite runs is the Cajun Classic held in Forest Hil, LA, on April 25th this year. The enduro is held on a former WWII army base, the past home of the 101st and 82nd Airborne. As such it is almost entirely woods single track. Even the transfer sections, often dirt or secondary roads in many enduros, are some of the best single track you'll ride. No resting in the transfer sections! I recall the terrain being more variable than I would have thought in LA.

The camping is in the shade of a thick, mature pine forest, also different from most races who typically use open field for camping. Honestly a lot of guys with campers park along the sides of the forest roads sometimes making for tight passes navigating your rig past them. But those of us with cargo trailers, vans, etc, were able to pull into the relative seclusion between the trees. Made it feel more like a camping trip with friends.

We also found some absolutely excellent Mexican food in the local roadside restaurants.

Who's up for a truly unique enduro experience??

Y'all get to brapping!

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Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Post by MoonStomper »

Dang that sounds like fun!!!! I just left Lincoln Nebraska yesterday where it was 2 degrees. On my way to Ocala where it will be 80! In Tennessee now, 30 and freezing mist. Louisiana sounds like some great riding right now!
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Let the good times ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: KDX in National Enduro - Sumter 2021 Race Report

Post by UwharrieWelding »

MoonStomper wrote: 11:03 am Feb 08 2021
I kept managing to stay in front of row 147 starts till the end so I felt like I was doing okay. I did consistently get passed by a really fast young dude on a KDX that was clearly having fun, he’d always give me a friendly hoot as he passed. When he passed my son the first time, Henry thought I had miraculously learned how to ride fast though the whoops and his head was spinning till he realized it wasn’t me!

He said that he’d follow the guy as long as he could but the guy was just so good he couldn’t keep up.
Hey moonstomper! That "young" guy on the kdx was me! Hahaha. I was on row on 148 and as you noticed I was having a absolute blast. Everytime I caught up to you and seen that kdx rear fender of yours it brought a huge smile to my face. Haha. I was helping 2 of my buddies out of the mud hole on test 4 when you and your son came by and he had a little fall in the mud. Next time I see y'all at a race I'll come say hey. Any more enduro plans for y'all this year?
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