Page 4 of 19

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 11:41 pm May 01 2019
by B737driver
KDXGarage wrote: 10:59 am May 01 2019 WOW! Thank you for continuing to take us along your incredible journey.

That is an awesome picture of the older gentleman out there at the race! (him, not you, you're not as old as you try to trick us into thinking). :mrgreen:

+1 couldn't have said it better.

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 08:52 pm May 03 2019
by treelimb
Excellent read to the point I shared it with my wife. I worked the Cherokee National last year and man,it is hard to fathom how good some of those riders actually are. My hat's off to you and your competitive nature. We got my KDX into the shape it is now just so I can race a little.national enduros are a loong way off however-

Congrats on your success.please keep the posts coming.

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 09:28 am May 04 2019
by doakley
Thanks, treelimb. You aren't the guy who put in the bridge over that deep ravine in the first section are you? Haha, somewhere I've got a pic of my bike at the bottom of that ravine after I ran it off the slick wet bridge! See you down there in a few weeks I hope? Look me up, I'm on row 2 this year.

Doug

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 08:05 pm May 04 2019
by Molly's 70
I like it! :bravo:

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 01:55 pm May 06 2019
by KDXDave
Hi Doakley, I loved reading through this post! I also have an EFM Auto clutch that was slipping until I had a talk with Gary at EFM. He gave me the name of a machine supply in LA that sold me 12 10,000 inch spacers to be installed under my clutch basket.....I installed one set of 4 or 6 (can't remember) shims and it's worked perfect for 5 years or more now. If you sent your old clutch basket to EMF to make into an auto clutch most likely when you drop out all the fibers and steels you'll see these 4 or 6 hex heads at the bottom of the clutch basket; the shims (one set at a time) go under those hex heads. It lifts the whole basket up engaging the plates quicker.....Call Gary he'll explain.....IT"S WORTH IT! KDXDave

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 06:03 pm May 06 2019
by doakley
Great tip! Thanks, Dave! I bought my EFM used so still have my original basket. I was planning on pulling the plates out before the next race just to measure them to see how much wear I have after two races. I’ll make sure to note those hex heads while I’m in there. I guess Gary will hear from me one more time!
Thanks again.

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 09:01 am May 09 2019
by doakley
Let's talk race strategy....
Here are the NEPG season results for my class last year. Anybody see anything noteworthy?
2018 Season.JPG
2018 Season.JPG (17.72 KiB) Viewed 27180 times
Anybody recognize the guy who finished up 7th last season? C'mon! surely you older guys at least recognize Richard Burleson, "King Richard",
eight-time National enduro champion! Eight time ISDT (now ISDE) medalist! Back in the day, Richard Burleson was virtually unbeatable. Yes, this is the very same Richard Burleson whom I've had the pleasure to meet (and be passed by) at a couple of enduro events over the years. When he shows up, everyone else is competing for SECOND! He only rode in two events last year but won them both, thus the 7th place finish. So here's my observation:
Do you think any of the guys 1-6 could beat King Richard, even though they are undoubtedly good riders? Hell no! But they all rode more events and thus wound up with more series points. And THAT is the secret! The fastest guy doesn't always win the series. Sometimes you have to enter enough races to accumulate points. And that, fellow KDX Riders, is my master plan! Ride as many events as possible, as competitively as possible and NEVER quit! Ever see a NASCAR driver come back out on the track after missing a bunch of laps for a mechanical issue? He cannot win but he CAN accumulate all important points towards the championship.

So one month from today I'll be off to Greensboro, GA, for the Cherokee National Enduro. I have a checkered past at Cherokee. It is the very first enduro I ever rode, though I didn't finish that year. (I think it was 1972?) It was a full blown mudder and my un-trusty Kawi 175 let me down. Last year, despite running off a bridge into a 10-15 foot deep ravine, I had a pretty good ride. They tend to have pretty long transfer sections with lots of time between sections which benefits an old, tired rider like me!

The journey continues!

Old man racin'

Richard Burleson is known more as **** Burleson but this website will not allow me to enter **** as his name.

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 10:49 am May 09 2019
by KDXGarage
Dickk Burleson

I remember that name from the 80's.

Attendance is important in a series! I say that as I look over at my fourth place state overall trophies in the beginner classes of MX in 2015. :mrgreen:

Keep at it!

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 10:53 am May 09 2019
by KDXDave
I just reread the whole thread again and what a great adventure! Two sayings come to mind with this story...The first is what I told my wife early spring "95 when I returned to riding after badly breaking my lower left leg on Labor Day 1994. "Life is for the living" if I don't get back on now it may never happen again! The second one I came upon a few years later but is really turned into my mantra "Men do not quit playing because they grow old, they grow old because they quit playing................." Thanks for sharing your journey! KDXDave

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 03:32 pm May 09 2019
by rungrandpa
KDX Dave I just read your post from my recliner with ice on my broken foot. Thanks for the sayings.

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 04:12 pm May 09 2019
by KDXGarage
rungrandpa, heal up soon!

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 04:17 pm May 09 2019
by doakley
Sorry about the foot, rungrandpa

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 06:21 pm May 15 2019
by VTMTcowboy
Such a great read and certainly inspiring for someone such as myself who hopes to be riding as long as the 80 year gentlemen you rode with in Louisiana. We are all routing for you; and keep crushing it!

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 02:44 pm May 29 2019
by doakley
"IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS'

I guess in racing, as in life, it can often be the 'little things' that sneak up and cause problems. A good example is when I was riding in the Alligator National enduro earlier this year. I had loosened my left hand rear brake lever to rotate it out of the way for something, I don't remember what.
I was sure I had remembered to tighten it, but NOPE, I did not. The result was about half way through section #2 the lever started falling down out of reach because the clamp bolts vibrated loose. I stopped a couple of times to finger tighten them but the tool to tighten was in my camel back which meant stopping and stripping out of a lot of gear to get to it. I just struggled on, distracted by the loose brake lever, stopping when necessary to finger tighten again when it got so loose I couldn't find the brake lever. This slowed down an already slow rider! Imagine the surprise of the guys who were enjoying watching the race from the back of their pick up when I pulled over and asked if anyone had an 8mm wrench or a pair of pliers handy! My fault for lack of proper bike prep prior to the race.

Modifying and updating a 20 year old KDX to be competitive with modern bikes opens the door for even more "little things". I have KX250 forks from the time when Kawi ran the brake line under the fork instead of wrapping it behind the lower fork tube as on "modern" bikes (and a stock KDX too!). To solve the problem of how to attach the KDX brake line to the fork guard I've fabricated a plastic tab riveted to the fork guard. It worked sorta, but has failed me twice now so I recently fabricated a new bracket out of aluminum stock that will hopefully be a little more durable.
Bracket 2.PNG
Bracket 2.PNG (605.25 KiB) Viewed 27095 times
Another "little thing" popped up yesterday while I was doing some bike work. I have a left hand rear brake set up. Lately I've noticed I am loosing brake fluid in the master cylinder. It's a very small leak and hasn't affected the rear brake yet, but just another distraction on the trail when I should be giving the ruts, roots, rocks and trees my full attention! Yesterday I noted through the site window the fluid was low again. (I've never found the source of the leak.) When I took off the cap to fill the cylinder, this is what I saw:
LHFB master cyl..jpg
LHFB master cyl..jpg (99.16 KiB) Viewed 27095 times
See that little gap between the gasket and the edge? I wonder if that is another "little thing"? Dunno' but I paid more attention to seating the seal this time before tightening down the cap for sure!

So....the next event on the NEPG National Enduro schedule is June 9, the 53rd running of the Cherokee Enduro in Greensboro, GA.

Y'all comon' down and let's show off some green machines!!!

Old Guy Racin'

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 03:46 pm May 29 2019
by KDXGarage
Maybe it was not leaking there. They CAN be tricky!

Remember, blue Loc-tite. :-)

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 03:49 pm May 29 2019
by doakley
Bought blue Loc-Tite yesterday!

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 07:05 pm May 29 2019
by KDXDave
If this is an old clutch actuator Rocky Mtn sells the replacement bellows; I think that's what your picture is? RM's number is 131307001013 it's called a "bellows for reservoir '98". Buy two b/c Magura doesn't make any rebuilding stuff for the older units. .........If it's new Magura sells it........KDXDave Although KDXGarage has it right figure out where the leak is. If it's coming from the actuator you can nurse it along for a while......

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 07:18 pm May 29 2019
by doakley
Thanks, guys! It’s a Nissin unit but I haven’t started looking for repair parts yet. Actually thinking of switching my Magura hydraulic clutch system over to a LHRB unit with a new custom made line.

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 11:16 am May 30 2019
by KDXDave
YEP! One braided SS line from the clutch actuator to the the master on the rear wheel. Easy simple...Pick a hot day to install be ready to bleed all the way through. I use a good gas check valve like on your gas tank to bleed without open and closing the rear brake...good luck Dave

Re: KDX in National Enduro Series

Posted: 11:28 am May 30 2019
by doakley
Yeah, that’s how it is rigged up now. I just don’t like the Nissin stuff.