Third Hare Scramble - Pipsico VHSS - another mudder

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MoonStomper
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Third Hare Scramble - Pipsico VHSS - another mudder

Post by MoonStomper »

So with only two hare scramble events left in the season, and our MTB WVEnduro Race Series all wrapped up a few weeks ago - my 15 YO son Henry and I decided early last week to make the 5 hour drive east to the Tidewater region and give Pipsico VCHSS a shot. After all, the weather was looking great for the weekend - 60's and cool after two full weeks of bluebird days. The sandy loam trails down there would be AMAZING after all the mud we saw at Rattlesnake. Besides - we want to make a run at chasing points next season and gaining experience now will help us later when those precious points are adding up.

FRIDAY, we saw the forecast promise a slight change - just some showers possible Saturday... had to do some last minute work on H's KTM - rear brake had seized up requiring a bleed and an adjustment - he had adjusted the free play out and it had caused the problem. A reverse bleed and he was back in business. Afterwards I got to go out and rip up some steep, freshly brush hawged hill climbs on my neighbor's farm and do some practice starts, hard acceleration, hard braking and cornering work. Ol' KDX was feeling GREAT!

SATURDAY evening while driving east, we passed through some scattered light rain and saw a raging green-yellow-red dragon on the radar springing up and charging up out of the Gulf - Sunday was going to be a SLOG. The bad omens were lining up too with my (ranked) college football team down at Wake Forest laying an egg as we listened to the calamity on the radio. We arrived after dark and made camp with our buddies, got tarps up, rugs down and got somewhat prepared for the worst. We cooked a spaghetti dinner on the trusty old Coleman gas stove around 10:30 while making last minute adjustments to our shelter as the sprinkles grew heavier and went to bed around 11. Fortunately I had stashed my ear plugs where I could find them - the generators from our RV neighbors went all night long and so did the rain.

SUNDAY MORNING, it was nice to see that the sandy terrain at least seemed to drain well and the rain - though steady - remained light or drizzle only - not FULL-ON DELUGE like at the Rattlesnake. Our buddy's 19 YO son was getting ready to race for the 250A Championship on this afternoon. He would be charging through the ruts laid by his grandfather and dad who had won their own championships here at Pipsico Boy Scout Reservation over the past 20+ years.
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Well, let me just skip ahead here - in the afternoon race he got the hole shot and after three laps had built a comfortable lead - going into the fifth lap he was up over 6 minutes. It had been a tight points battle versus a super fast kid who had won every points championship since he started back in minis. Trevor continued to fly around the course and was the only rider in his class to finish five full laps, everyone else bailed with one to go. Trevor Jones (Go Race Suspension) might be a kid that goes to 'the next level.' He's moving to 250A Expert next year, and he has grown a taste for hard enduro too.
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Back to the morning event for us much less speedy 'C' class types...
Trevor's dad, Tracy made some recommendations for race adjustments to my son's KTM 144SX (chain too tight - air pressure too high) and the KDX (too much free play in clutch) and Trevor offered some start advice (line up over here - get the hole shot and and don't worry about what's behind you, stand on those pegs, ride loose and have fun!!) ... He definitely follows his own advice.

Henry fired off in the 200C class ahead of me and got a solid start - easily inside the top ten and looking good.

Shortly after, us 50+ C guys got our shot. It was a larger class than what I've seen so far with eighteen bikes. All were orange except for a Beta, a black Yamaha, a blue one, a Honda and my Green Machine.

At the start I learned that adjusting your clutch just before the race isn't maybe such a great idea... I got a good kick, she lit off, grabbed some throttle, let off some clutch (just like I practiced on the farm) and up came the nose (not quite - like I practiced), my feet came up for a split second, I dropped the nose and managed to snag third - but lost my momentum enough to fall into the top of the bottom third of 18 riders heading around the turn. On the video - my reaction time was top 5, and my get off was top 7, but by the time the wheel came down I was getting beat. Need more practice and better clutch set up for next time. I'm aiming for hole shots though - I know this bike can do it - and well. Looking at the others - I can see I'd beat them all in a drag race if I snapped off a flag drop like I'd practiced. This KDX wants to FLY.
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Around the corner on the inside and into the woods I immediately passed some guys, was getting good drive and just taking what opened up, there were four different lines and I had taken the most direct route to the collector. A loud 4 stroke dude on my back wheel crept up kind of close - I think it was the Yamaha. I took a left hand open rut turn a little late on entry and shut down the apex at a tree just as he tried to sneak by my inside. He punched his fender into the back of my thigh and his bars went into the tree - locked up his front wheel and went down, but had me jammed up and stuck bars into the side of the tree, fender and wheel to the outside. I stalled it trying to jerk free and lost a few spots as riders went around - but quickly fired off and hauled a$$. 'Evers!

The first hill climb was a little steep and intimidating - on approach I saw the riders stopped and gawking - I just found a hole and blew on through. KDXs are built for these hills. 3rd gear and lots of throttle - modulated speed and grip with clutch - stand on the peg nose over the fender - man she flew up those hills - it felt incredible!

Moving through the woods the mostly sandy loamy soil was punctuated with random slippery spots, but I had good drive - nose wanted to push - my fault, I need to lean forward more. I fought this on and off all day, more as I got tired. Out of position toward the end I was working too hard, sloppy with incorrect posture which led to falling over in ruts and some minor wrecks and more tired. I did focus on standing on the pegs a lot more though and that really helped with the faster up/down characteristics of the trail. Lots of deep holes, and turning ruts. I found myself getting the hang of looking through the ruts, slowing down on entry, setting the angle, crack on the edge, and then blasting out by rolling on the throttle. It felt really good when I got it right.

The second hill climb was twice the size of the first and steeper with exposed roots on the main line and a right hand turn at the top. As I approached the gaggle of wide-eyed wildebeests sizing up the challenge and watching the melee of crocodiles and failed attempts of fallen riders and bikes on the main line, left and right, I made a quick look and went around, eyeballing a fresh line to the right. With a little luck and no hesitation I could gain positions here - I pointed and pulled the trigger. I passed a nice KDX #11H parked with his k-stand down at the bottom. Half-way up the hill I met the rider as he had decided to assist others and he grabbed my front wheel to lend a hand. Nice young guy, we talked about our bikes as we breathlessly and unsuccessfully struggled to gain the top. Six tries later I realized this wasn't working. We both went to the bottom and looked for a better solution.

From the bottom the left side was looking more promising and I waited for one rider to clear then took the initiative, BRAAAAPPPP - SUCCESS! I knew I'd lost a lot of time here and needed to get to work. A little while later with new confidence and momentum I popped over a big log and looked up to see a familiar KTM and its rider parked up against a tree - both looking forlorn. A broken chain was under the bike and my son told the rest of the story... he had gotten up to insight of the 4th place guy, (his buddy) and was following another fast kid's lines as they were moving up through the field with visions of a top five finish. The bike was flawless and he felt he was on his best ride yet. They had chased down and passed the 4th placed guy in the points battle who was chasing our friend, but losing ground and left him behind. Then he tried to double this big log - was short and as he cased it the chain snapped. Later turned out to be a failed master link, failed because the chain guide wasn't modified to accept the X-ring chain I'd installed. Later in the day with an O-ring master installed and to get out of the woods, the chain popped again - this time damaging the slave cylinder - he had to get towed out. Parts were ordered that night from RMATV along with an Enduro Engineering Slave Guard - he should be back in business by Friday for Sunday's last race of the season. I'll open that chain guide up with some washers - hopefully that solves the wear issue. I hate it for him, but like I told him: we're racing this year to learn lessons that will feed us next year. Sometimes the mechanic (dear ol' dad) needs to learn as much as the rider and it's a steep curve.
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After passing him I got back after it and let a marshal know 73L had a broken chain and was off the course.

Finishing my lap the course got really good then turned really bad, from sandy loam perfect traction to sloppy mayonnaise and unpredictable ruts. Entering an open field that would normally be full gas I slid almost sideways but stayed upright. This happened numerous times where having traction and not having traction changed within twenty feet of trail. I constantly focused on my form, but often lost focus and tried to ride faster than my skill level which caused mistakes and wrecks. Fortunately the ground was soft and the trees hit were only saplings. Several times I had to suddenly put a foot down and was instantly reminded that knee braces are a God-send.

Later in the lap and again on my second I approached carnage strewn, steep hills with muddy wildebeests lock-kneed and looking down, I would punch straight through and LET'ER EAT!!! The KDX made me look like a hero (7.5 psi in the Pirelli rear tire didn't hurt either). This strategy served me well as some folks that had been riding more conservatively (SMARTER than me) had previously rolled past as I picked my brown n'green machine up out of a rut. They got left behind for good. There was this one girl who passed me several times (as I lay in the ditch) with her sitting smuggly on her black Yamaha 4t. I got beat by some fast ladies this day, but thankfully she wasn't on the list.

Passing through the scoring zone I got the white 'one-to-go' flag and tried to refocus on just getting through my last circuit with minimum stupid mistakes and unforced errors - my energy level was high. This time I managed the big and sketchy hill climb on the main line and nailed it first try. The rest of course was better in some spots and worse in others. Sometimes I was better in places and worse in others, but the KDX just kept chugging. If I stalled her from poor clutch work she'd fire first kick. I found with my stock gearing that it managed the mud best in 3rd gear with smooth throttle inputs, jamming the rear brake to set into the ruts and smooth roll-on power out. Near the end of my last lap on the last big climb there was a real crowd of riders and people watching the chaos. I saw a hole open as I rolled up and went in hot. Had my best climb of the day and gave her a little extra in third all the way. That was very satisfying and turned out to be the difference as I managed to finish 9th just seconds in front of 10th (a guy on a black and very loud Yamaha 4t) out of 18 with two DNF's. I almost lost it picking up steam just 50' from the finish chute with my front tire slamming a root in a rut as my left hand slipped off the grip - I don't know how I saved it. LUCKY!!!
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What a day! I'm almost afraid to look at the forecast for Hill Billy Hare Scramble in Rural Retreat next weekend, but at least I won't have to drive five hours and camp!
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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: Third Hare Scramble - Pipsico VHSS - another mudder

Post by doakley »

Great write up. I felt like I was right there choosing lines with you! Keep up the good effort.
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POST RACE CARNAGE UPDATE...

Post by MoonStomper »

SUNDAY NIGHT I ordered the replacement slave cylinder for Henry's KTM to replace the one damaged when his chain clip failed (my fault and I figured out why). Those parts were supposed to arrive yesterday by UPS, but the gasket coming from Utah won't be here till Friday so I am in a 'hold' status on that project. I went ahead and prepped everything to do the swap and make sure I hadn't missed other damage.
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While doing this Henry moves my bike over against the climbing wall (my kickstand is off for racing). As he did so he commented, "Dad, your steering is ROUGH!"

Great. This job has been in my head since I bought the bike in August. I had hoped to put this off until November, but as I took hold of the bars I realized - this is priority number one - everything is crunchy and stiff. A result of the sand from Sunday, and all the rain and mud, two days of her sitting in the rain on the rack, probably some less than pro power-washing on my part and whatever maintenance the previous owner failed to do.

I grabbed some tools and began the task of stripping her down with careful reference to my Cyclopedia manual to make sure I didn't miss something. Thankfully I am familiar with most of the steps having replaced my shot front wheel bearings last Friday night (another last minute, pre-race operation Doakley!!!!) and have had the other bolts off for cleaning and loctite application.

The upper bearings weren't bad - I probably could have salvaged them with a thorough cleaning and re-greasing, the race looked good too, but there was sand in there and if I'm going to do something that takes this many moves just to get to it I'm going to just do it right the first time. I got to the lower bearings on the steering stem and saw they were pretty well toasted. I set to work and got everything off. A few squirts of WD-40, a little heat from the torch, and careful application of concussion persuasion with a hammer and a flat head screw driver got that stubborn lower race off with patience mostly intact.
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This is the first time I've taken my forks off. They feel really smooth. I pulled the boots and am cleaning all that stuff while I am in there. I think I'll use some grease on the upper and lower ends where the hose clamps hold the bellows in place, hopefully this helps seal some of the water and grit out that I usually find in there after washing. The bellows are still new. I wish I could go ahead and take them to Travis at Go Race Suspension for his upgrade work while they are off, but it will have to wait till after the season. He has done magic on the conventional KDX forks for my friends. He has some pretty cool, proven tricks up his sleeve that he pioneered over the years for the valving that I'm pretty stoked about. My buddy Fred just got this treatment on his KDX forks and he says he is blown away at how much better they are. It's killing me.
If you have a WR, he pioneered some stuff for it that really put Go Race on the map - doesn't hurt that he tunes Graham Jarvis' stuff for him too. https://www.go-race.com/travis-jones

...
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Before I got done - (after dinner) I went to RMATV and ordered for Friday delivery the Tusk steering stem bearing kit I need along with a few other OEM parts I noticed were absent from their proper places during disassembly. One of the black rubber cone-shaped dampers was missing from the handlebar mounts (upper triple clamp) - that might be nice to have! I ordered four new ones, the remaining one on that side was pretty well thrashed. Really glad I noticed this. Got the washers too - what the heck. Also ordered an extra chain quick link to replace the extra I had that's now going back on HB's chain. We are using the Primary Drive X-chains on both bikes and I really like them, but man they are wide! I'm adding an Enduro Engineering case guard on his bike so I don't go through this again if he loses another chain.

After another long night in the shop (I did eat dinner with the family and watch a few episodes of my wife's favorite evening Netflix show ('The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.') - which is REALLY good by the way!!! Agent Coulson is one CHILL badass... the epitome of great leadership under pressure (center).
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... sorry, I digress... I went through all my front end parts and carefully cleaned and prepped them for re-installation, including steel wool/WD-40 on dirty cast aluminum and loctiting bolt threads. Hopefully my parts are all here by Friday evening. Friday night and Saturday morning will busy with two bikes to race prep and reassemble and test!
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~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
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: Third Hare Scramble - Pipsico VHSS - another mudder

Post by KDXGarage »

MAN! Thanks for taking us along. I appreciate it!

You are correct. Let this year be practice for next year.
Thank you for participating on kdxrider.net. :bravo:
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