2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

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2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by MoonStomper »

Last year I wrote about the VCHHS races (a long-established hare scramble series here in Virginia) that I started doing near the end of last season. It was so fun I decided to shoot for running the whole schedule in ‘21. Well, here we are going into the third race this weekend and I plan to try and document them as we go along, hopefully make it through the season....

Race #1 - Joe Loyd Memorial - gloriously dry and fast - documented here...

viewtopic.php?f=136&t=23217&start=340#p214851

Race #2 - CVTR @ Charlotte Court House, VA - it was a mudder...
With plenty of rain saturating the course late in the week this tight and flatter course proved to be a real handful. I ended up with a decent mid-pack start with about 25 guys in our 50+ C row of the morning event. I was daydreaming when the flag fell, and was a beat short on my reaction time,but the engine fired first kick and away we went and made it into the woods without going down.

The sloppy conditions dictated a focus towards just not making mistakes and trying to stay upright. I told myself in the first mile of the seven mile lap that my goal was to be conservative and look ahead for the bottlenecks and just be consistent. I saw a lot of guys getting thrashed by attacking really hard, just wasting energy.

The rut proved to be the best line with consistent traction so I tried to pick the ones in front of me that didn’t have bikes in them and made a lot of passes that way. If I had to opt for a non-rut ride around it was like riding on ice. Mostly it would work but sometimes it would screw you up.

Choosing those lines outside of the rut was a risky proposition as it was like hitting a greased pan and you could be sideways in an instant. More than once it sent me into the shrubbery for an unwelcome entanglement.

In one of the fast straightaways I overcooked a dogleg and ended up surfing into a clear cut and got stuck off the trail parked on a huge stump. Overall though I managed to progress while conserving my energy and by the end of the lap found myself in third. Would like to have seen the white flag then, but we were scheduled for three laps. This next one would be a real bear - or rather a greased pig!

Knowing you are in third is a mixed blessing. You feel the pressure of twenty other guys behind you that want that position and you guess that the guys in front are beyond reach. It’s sort of a tenuous position really because you have more to lose than to gain. But somehow I managed to hang in there and made some strong moves in the bottlenecks that really paid off in places where I made errors on the other side and didn’t get passed.

The bike ran great - just saw a little steam towards the second half of the second lap. Just after I noticed this my son passed me on his KTM 144 SX and he was still flying. I watched his start in 200 C and he was second into the woods and I knew he was having a good race. Could we both earn a podium? I tried to follow him but stalled her on a root in a rut that I had just cleared and ‘POOF’ he was gone. Inspired though by seeing him I redoubled my focus and kept her moving up the trail with leaders passing this might be my last lap.

As I finally neared the scoring tent I crossed my fingers and looked up to see the checkers. The scoring screen had me still in 3rd place too. My best ever finish on a dirt bike. 68th overall for the morning out of 165 finishers (about 68 DNFs). I was pretty smoked and glad not to be heading out for another brutal lap where they might find me late in the night.
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My son, Henry finished 2nd in class and earned a 6th overall for the morning event. This was his last race on the 144, he’s moving onto a 200 for the next race. Everyone is pushing me to takeover his 144. It is lighter, turns faster and is super quick, but I really dig my green KDX. His ‘08 KTM 200 XCW is a BEAST though.
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During the race I snapped the plastic mounting fins on my headlight fairing, so I’m planning to replace the bolted mounts with the Acerbis rubber straps to give some flexibility there. I have rewelded the fins again and hopefully they hang in there. Last night I swapped in a JT 49 tooth sprocket (was on a 47 - stock ratio) and added a Jeff Fredette chain guard. Chain is still pretty dang new and went on fine. Was concerned I’d be too short but it measured right and should have to tighten it up after shakedown today.



After the race I met a guy from the 200 C class who was racing his KDX, he’s been at it awhile and loves his KDX. He has his GoPro videos on YouTube.
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Race #3 - Knockdown @ Charlotte Courthouse ... coming up this weekend.
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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: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by Slick_Nick »

That's awesome! Keep repping the KDX!
'00 KDX 220R
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Re: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by doakley »

Outstanding, Moonstomper! Please keep writing these up; I really enjoy reading them!
Good luck this weekend!
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Re: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by SS109 »

That 144 might be lighter but I think the KDX can do everything better IMO. If you want lighter, just build yourself a hybrid!

That said, keep ripping the green machine! Congrats on the 3rd place finish. Don't worry about thos other guys behind you. Just race your race and let the good finishes come to you. Riding smart is the best race strategy as you found out.
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Re: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by KDXGarage »

Great story and a great finish! Congratulations.
Thank you for participating on kdxrider.net. :bravo:
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Re: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX Green in the Orange Sea

Post by MoonStomper »

Race #3 - Knockdown @ Charlotte Courthouse ...
Over the past couple weeks I’ve driven to Montana and Idaho and spent a lot of nights in the truck. The drive was beautiful though and I saw a lot of wildlife, including bald eagles, mustangs, buffalo, elk, big horn sheep, antelope, turkeys and pheasants. I even got to ski at Lost Trail Pass near Anaconda, MT on their last day. I got home just a few days before the next series race and made some minor tweaks to the bike before getting a little seat time.
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Bob Marshall National Wilderness near Kalispell, Montana

After a night of heavy rain just a couple hours west of the race venue, I was expecting that the second race at Charlotte Court House would be another mudder on tight trails through dense saplings. The tropical deluge surging up from the Gulf prevented us from loading up the night before as usual. Instead we waited for morning and rolled out early. Happily, my wife Annie was able to join my son Henry (200C) and I (50+C). Rolling north on I-81, the redbuds were in bloom as we came down from the western Virginia mountains into Roanoke, where early spring was in full effect. When we finally arrived at the venue south of Lynchburg, we discovered that the previous night’s storm had mostly missed the trails this time. The fields were not a quagmire and there was no standing water!

The crowd seemed a bit smaller than the last race held here, and the trails looked like they were going to be in great shape. When I unloaded the KDX I gave her a kick to start warming up and she kicked back and busted the inside of my ankle right on the joint. Of course, I had broken my rule about starting my bike without riding boots on and boy did I pay - four days later and I’m still stiff and sore, she really got me good. From then on I felt just a bit off. The night before I didn’t get to bed early enough and didn’t sleep great worrying about everything not being packed and loaded, nervous I would oversleep, and I also forgot to start hydrating like I normally do. I didn’t eat my usual breakfast either, we grabbed sausage, egg and cheese biscuits along the way and probably too close to the start time.

While warming up the jetting seemed way off - no power, bogging and just bad. I rolled over to my buddy and he grabbed his screwdriver and got ready to crank the air screw when his son astutely observed “choke’s on”. I can tell I am just not with it today. I pushed in the plunger and pulled off, she ran clean.

When the flag finally dropped for my class I was better prepared than the last race, I actually watched the flag guy, was ready to go and managed to start first kick to get off the line. I got to the round hay bale right-hand corner about 5th and then accelerated to the woods on the inside line arriving 4th into the single track. Felt I was in good shape with about 15 guys in our group (though it seemed like twenty-five). However I just felt anxious and tight as we barreled through the woods. I was sitting on the bike and just wasn’t comfortable and didn’t feel strong. I didn’t have the energy to stand and get on it like I usually do, my legs felt weak. So I thought I’d try and hang in there and maybe get into it as I went along.

After the long first lap I entered the scoring tent in 9th and didn’t really feel any better, the one time I thought I’d started feeling racy I ate $%&#. The bike was good though and the 49 tooth sprocket I’d just installed (from a 47) seemed to be an improvement as I was able stay in 3rd gear a bit more. My second lap did feel a bit quicker (42 seconds), but my legs never improved and forcing myself to stand didn’t really help. Towards the end of the second lap I was passed by the leader (200C rider - a fourteen year-old kid) ripping through on a KTM super-mini like a rabbit being chased by a pack of beagles through a briar patch. I tried to follow and just watch him a moment before he pulled out of sight. He was smooth!

As he pulled away I knew this was my last lap and I was probably 2 miles or less from the checkered flag. I charged for the finish and worked to keep my son from lapping me this week. I knew he wouldn’t be far behind the leader. I made some minor mistakes and lost some time, but generally took good line choices and managed to stay on where I’d dumped her in a cross-rut earlier. After dropping left out of the tangled saplings into a short mud-rutted downhill road section I got across a tight right-hand creek crossing with a long climb out up some side hill and near the top I stalled out with lazy clutch work. Weakly I kicked three times without starting. Another rider rolled up behind me and passed me on my high left side, just squeezing past - it was a ‘T’ number- I was being passed for position about 300 yards from the end with only tight single track woods left to run! As he pulled away I finally mustered a better kick and she roared back to life - the chase was on, but I was fifty feet back.

Standing on the pegs now I gave her the juice and hunted down my prey who surged ahead darting through the trees, closing here and there, but knowing time was running out I focused on my task. At the very end I sharply closed the gap, but was half a bike length too short to slide into the chute and sneak past. I looked at the video board disappointedly - 9th Place. Not a great effort, but overall it wasn’t a terrible day. The course wasn’t muddy, I didn’t break anything this time and I mostly stayed off the ground except for one double ping pong off some trees during my first lap when I cross-rutted as I opened her up. That one hurt, and took what wind I had out of my sails. Hopefully, I’ll be more disciplined with my preparation next time and take better care of myself before the race.
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At least I wasn’t lapped by Henry this week and he managed a 5th place in 200 C with his new to him KTM 200xcw.
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After the race I pulled the scoring trailer back to Giles County with me for the next race at Kairos Resort. If you haven’t ridden here yet you should come out, real mountain single track and real rocks and roots.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Let the good times ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
‘99 KDX 220 / '03 KDX 200 - @%@ '18 Trek Slash 8 @%@ ‘22 Rieju MR300 Racing

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Re: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by KDXGarage »

Thanks for the excellent report! Keep at it. You will get 'em next time.
Thank you for participating on kdxrider.net. :bravo:
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Re: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by MoonStomper »

Charlotte CH Race... start

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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: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by SS109 »

Good shot!
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Re: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by MoonStomper »

Race #4 - Kairos... @ Glenn Lynn, Virginia

Oh the HORROR known as the ‘muddy hill’...

Tomac won and I was jazzed. The week leading up to Kairos was dry, and I took the opportunity Monday to preride parts of the old home course, and hammer a bunch of other challenging trails over there including the A/B stuff. I felt really confident and my setup was working good, but it wouldn’t matter. Even though Eli Tomac, the young stud son of the World Champion all-round mountain biker, John Tomac won at Atlanta, it wouldn’t matter. The weather forecast changed late in the week and Saturday was filled with rain. The course handles rain pretty well along the established trails, but the new ones and the areas off the main line would be soupy.

This week I had my hydration/nutrition game on, so I felt good, but wasn’t excited about the potential for troublesome mud.
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Some last minute starting line coaching by my twenty year-old mentor, Trevor Jones / Go Race Suspension (2020 VCHSS 250 A Champion - and third consecutive generation of the Jones family to achieve this feat) helped me pull off a really good start - in spite of a slow reaction time- that put me into the woods 4th.
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All I really wanted was a top 5. I quickly settled in and tried to just crank out a consistent and error free first lap, with plans to go into attack mode the second and third laps. Things went according to plan until I met the hopeless chaos of the ‘muddy hill’.

Then I rounded the corner and saw a herd of water buffalo nervously watching down on a smoking war zone of screaming bikes and fallen riders across the fifty foot wide wooded and lumber strewn steepish hill. In the smokey haze I noticed a hole in the racing line through a gap in the static group of timid riders and went for it, aiming for a narrow crease going up the right side of the main line. I steadily accelerated down to the foot of the hill, slipped up into third and rolled on throttle. The mighty 200 screamed as I slipped the clutch and boosted up the hill on the clear line - chunks of mud and leaves flew like shrapnel. As I neared the top, I saw a large wet tree limb lying across my path between two trees. As I aimed for it another bike above me and to my left fell backwards and across the choke point. Nowhere to go, I had to stop.

From here I was just another unwilling victim to gravity with no traction to stand much less move up. The subsurface was heavy, wet, orange clay and slick as grease. Long story short - I lost ten minutes here and wasted a lot of energy trying to pick up my bike and helping another rider who offered to help me - though we did get him out, mine was just too far down and I finally sent him on his way and wished him luck. When I finally got to the scoring tent at the end of the lap I was 11th of 12 in the ‘T’ class and pretty sapped. Pressing on into the second lap I found myself making mistakes and choosing bad lines. Then, someone was yelling to get by and I got out of the way in a bad spot, dropping my bike again. So much for having the good day I’d planned for! Then I got stuck in a wet wheel chock on another bad line I took through a rock garden when the best line was blocked and I got passed by four more riders.

Then someone else yelled to pass, I took a pullover line to let him by as I pointed at the prime main line for him to use it, he followed me instead and kept yelling.

CLICK...

I got fired up. At that point I snapped a little bit and started riding my bike. If I give you the racing line to pass and instead you follow me and keep yelling - it just boils my blood - even if I am a whipped dawg. I cracked the throttle, threw. some. roost. and started passing riders and choosing better lines. As I approached the muddy hill again I planned to just nail the main line and just get it done. As I lined it up, things looked good and I knew I’d make it. Then suddenly, less than a third of the way up, I cross-rutted and almost dropped her. Momentum left me like the top scoop of an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. I could feel the sticky mess on the backs of my fingers. ‘Muddy hill part DOH!’ I just found myself laughing incredulously! I lost less time here than before, but still gave back all I had just gained. When I finally rolled through scoring I took the checkered flag and finished in 9th.
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Definitely not happy with my result or my luck, but that’s racing. Funnier still in that I took third in the last mud race a few weeks ago. Still managed to have fun though and my son took second in his 200 C race, so he has moved up to second in points. I think I’m in fifth somehow. Somebody in scoring must need math lessons.
Last edited by MoonStomper on 09:19 pm May 07 2021, edited 1 time in total.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Let the good times ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by MoonStomper »

Race #5... Blue Ridge @ Martinsville, Virginia

From muckety mud to glorious dustydust dust... COUGH

Honestly, to tell you the truth, I was pretty sure on Monday I wasn’t planning to race the following weekend. If there was any chance of rain I would have just called my dispatcher for a load to Utah and packed my mountain bike. Just not feeling it. Depressed almost. I wanted a break from mud.

My new shroud graphics came in mid-week. Not happy with what I could find online, I’d designed them myself for my ‘03 KDX 200 about 6 mos ago and had put off getting them printed because I had other mechanical priorities on my list ahead of them. Then Henry upgraded bikes mid-stream a couple weeks ago and needed new number plates. So I indulged my dreams of a modern looking KDX and got them printed and shipped out with his stuff. Thanks to Matt at CorMotoGraphics.com for working with me on these. They support our VCHSS racing series and are quick getting stuff done, even for us amateur wannabe ol’dads.
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The new graphics went on easy, and I figured were good for about five more horses. Maybe I’d race after all, the weather forecast was promising.

Martinsville sounded like my kind of course, it had tight, upsy-downsy trails with some WOT and flow. On Saturday before the race I shook her down on my neighbor’s farm where the boys had built a pretty challenging practice course. This was my first ride in the dry since going from a OEM 47 to a 49 tooth ring. During this ride I figured something out with that twisty thing. I discovered that if I pull it real far back and use that lever on the left hand side - the KDX morphs into a rocket-sled when pointed up a steep hill climb. I practiced this new technique a number of times and liked the sensation.

This felt like a new secret weapon. I knew what I had to do Sunday. I eased her on home and cleaned her up and loaded her on the truck.

SUNDAY morning was a blur, HB didn’t have his act together, and neither did I. I forgot some basic things like WATER. We got to the event and checked in, unloaded and started getting ready. HB told me that our AA racer-buddy, Trevor Jones had broke his GasGas and was asking if he could show up and race my KDX in the main event? What? An AA ace wants to race my nearly antique 2 smoker in the premier main event class? Well HELL YEAH! Good thing she was dressed for the part.

Then during late warm ups after lining up in the T line she fouled a plug. I pushed past all of my competitors - of course they had no tools to spare. I’d already loaned my kit to a buddy having issues (I’d never need it - “KDXs are bulletproof”), no idea where my plugs and wrench now might be. Panicking just a little I found some help, and slipped another plug in there. Back on the line and nervously relieved, a few waves already on course, kick. FIRE. REV REV REv Rev rev rrevv booooggggg bog bog OH %#@K

I push her out of line and to the back with a sense of disbelief that a perfect day was going to be wasted. My friend, neighbor and racing mentor 50 A racer and B Champion, Tracy Gray runs up and says, “Again?!?”

My buddy that I loaned the kit to sees me from his row and shouts that the kit he borrowed is in the back of my truck. Tracy takes my bike and I sprint - with my helmet still on - towards my truck a quarter mile or so away - After a hundred yards of feeling old, I see a guy going in my direction on a four wheeler and he gives me a ride. After finding the kit in the bed of my truck, he gave me a ride back. I whip out the Kawasaki socket wrench and flip it to Tracy, he already has found a fresh plug from someone, thankfully, because my spare is gone. In a flash, it’s in, I’m on and she fires first kick, I thank Tracy and spin around blasting back up to the start line. My ‘T’ class is long gone and I see I’m already a wave or two behind. The Marshall sees my T number and waves me on through. I charge into a dusty maelstrom, sparing no horses, oh Sacred Mother of Horsepower don’t fail me now!

Into the single track I immediately catch and pass other racers, the throttle is cracked and I’m on a MISSION. I remember being surprised at how quickly I caught the first T number and how slow everyone seemed. My mouth dried quickly, and became sticky like Elmers glue. I didn’t care. I soon caught more T’s and many others, passing wherever I could and yelling as I approached. The course was fast and very dusty in many places outside of the dark woods where the dark moist dirt gave a me a chance to breathe clean air.

At the end of my first lap, I rolled into the scoring chute wondering where I might be in the order. With 15 guys in my class, I checked the monitor as I rolled through scoring... ‘99T, 11th...‘ ... I had a lot of work to do. How far ahead might they be?
My second lap flew by, as I continued catching and passing other bikes along the tight and technical course. There were some open roads that had whoops and holes that were challenging to navigate in the thick dust. The sunshine was direct and blinding as it reflected off that red Franklin County dirt. Passing became harder, and it became a matter of timing, yelling and aggression.

The KDX was running great though, and the harder I ripped it the better she ran. I was amazed at how much power was there in this very stock old bike. A few times I got in over my head and was lucky to save her.

There was finally a rider that I caught who wouldn’t give room to pass (I think he was in 200C?) After yelling and not getting a response I settled in and started working on making a pass. He was just fast enough out of the corners that I couldn’t square him up when I showed him my fender. There weren’t many inside lines that I could sneak by, though I tried many, some were way slower. Finally, he got jammed up on a lapper and I squeezed past putting the slower rider between us. I set my sights on the next guy a little irritated that he’d cost me so much time. The next guy was just as hard to pass. I tried yelling with no success and started looking for some way around when I jammed myself up overshooting an inside line and getting stuffed into some saplings. As I worked my way out my previous nemesis ripped on by. DANGGUH!!!

I immediately got on his wheel and went back to work. He caught the other guy and found a way by as that guy made a mistake - I snuck through with him and stayed on his wheel. As we caught other riders he would just sit and I impatiently yelled, which caused them to let us both by, but my throat was really dry and I was really tired of pushing this dude. Finally in a fast technical section while I was beginning to think of putting him in the woods he made a big error and high-sided into the trees. I didn’t even look back, as I ripped on the throttle and feathered in some clutch. It was time to LET THAT KDX EAT.

Now in the last half of my third lap and I wanted to get all I could. I knew those old bastards in my class would be getting tired and sitting on their ugly orange-sickle bikes. They didn’t know a green monster had been turned loose behind them in the woods.

I flew up on a T rider and snuck by clutching through a wide corner and ripping her wide-open and sliding up in front of him on the exit. I could tell he was surprised and I could hear him trying to pick up his pace behind me. The next guy in my class wasn’t far ahead and I closed on him really fast going down a steep and rough hill. My old mountain bike skills really pay off and I yell on approach carrying speed - he wisely edges over and turns his head as I blasted by. I think I heard him protest when he recognized I was in his class. We were now near the end of the lap and I knew we had a few technical turns to work through leading up to a really good fast and rough steep climb with a switch back half way up that I felt really strong on. I needed to be conservative through the approach and then light the fires and rocket up that hill.

As we swept into the tech section I could feel them breathing down my neck. After dropping into a drainage and around another corner, I saw a T rider just ahead. I had to get to him and sneak by before the hill. As I quickly closed in, I saw my chance as we rolled into a tight spot that opened into a short open area - I yelled to pass and surprised him, he moved over before looking back giving me just enough room and I blasted by just as we entered the short straight double track leading up into the ’One Mile Hill’ that climbs up to the finish. It was rough and especially rooted in the apex of the climbing turn before the hard left switch back that was covered in deep powder.

Jamming down on the foot brake I slid in sideways and rolled open the throttle while very slowly releasing the clutch. I left a sandstorm of dust hanging behind me in the air as my Garacross churned up the fine, soft and powdery track. Can’t catch what they can’t see. The KDX howled in protest and I dipped my toes over the pegs and raised my elbows as I stood over the front end. We rocketed up the hill and sailed over the water bars without looking back.


In a flash I entered the tape chute and found the checkered flag with a rider rolling up behind me, but too late. I slowed to a stop as I crossed the beam and checked the monitor... ‘99T, 3rd’, I rolled out of the scoring chute and came to stop kind of in disbelief. The three riders in my class rolled up behind me and one seemed kind of mad that I had broken up their little party. He said, “I owe you one”, and I replied, “really? What for?” He claimed that I fooled him by yelling at him to pass. I told him that I caught him so fast that I didn’t pay attention to his number and was being chased, so I just wanted to get by clean since I was way faster at that moment. Then I told him that I had started two waves back with my plug issues at the start.
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I finished less than a minute behind P2 and another minute behind P1. Now tied for 3rd in points with a lot of work to do. The guy I’m tied with was the guy complaining. Guessing next time he won’t be so easy to pass?

My son won his race in 200C and managed 2nd overall for the morning event and didn’t lap me! He is in the points lead now for 200C, but he didn’t beat the kid who has won all the other races. He DNF’d after crashing out.
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Our friend, Brandon Jessup with the KDX finished 9th in this class too, his best yet.
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Last edited by MoonStomper on 08:25 pm May 08 2021, edited 7 times in total.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
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: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by MoonStomper »

MAIN EVENT @ Blue Ridge... KDX #17AA and Trevor Jones

Trevor arrived shortly after my finish to get ready to race my KDX in the Main Event. It was SHOWTIME! He brought fuel and she was was thirsty too so I topped her off. We slapped some number stickers on and he threw a leg over. It was going to be pretty exciting to see her run in the AA top shelf fast boys class.

Kind of neat seeing a green KDX on the front row of a main event, neater still when it’s YOUR bike.

He had a conservative start, but I expected that since he’d literally only ridden this bike once before at my house for maybe ten minutes.
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After his first lap he was 8th (last in class), but then moved up to 6th on the second lap and finished in that position with four laps of the 12+ mile course.
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She started to run out of fuel towards the end of the third lap, (didn’t remember to start on ‘Reserve’), but managed to get gas at scoring.
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Out of 135 racers, T-Rev pulled out a 9th Overall for the Main Event, not a bad day’s work for a super fast twenty year-old kid with an eighteen year old stock Japanese trail bike in a field full of newer Austrian, Italian and Spanish race bikes.
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Turns out that the new shroud graphics push an additional 16 horsepower.
Last edited by MoonStomper on 08:46 pm May 09 2021, edited 3 times 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: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by SS109 »

Damn, I love how you tell your race stories! You have a flair for writing my friend. :supz: Good job on the racing. Keep riding smart and you're going to finish well for the season.

Curious, what caused the fouling problem? Literally, the only time I've ever fouled a plug on the KDX was when I forgot to shut off the choke and I still got over 6 miles before it died!
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Re: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by MoonStomper »

Thanks for the compliments! We suspect she’s due for a top end. Runs great when up to temp because everything is expanded. Seems like compression is down a little when cold too. We are checking her out and probably going do a couple little extras while we are in 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: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by KDXGarage »

Great write ups and a great result!

Old dude had his chance. You gave him a head start. They do call it racing, right?
Thank you for participating on kdxrider.net. :bravo:
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Re: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by doakley »

Outstanding write up! You have some serious writing talent, not to mention racing talent. Congratulations on both!
Oh, that old guy you passed, just whip him at the next start so he will need to pass you!
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Re: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by MoonStomper »

UPDATE... post race motor tear down

After the race T-Rev took my bike home to clean and give her a tuneup as thanks for getting to race her. He found a very small radiator leak and fixed it. Then we talked about the fouling issue and decided it was probably overdue for a topend (I haven’t done one since I’ve owned her).

So with T-Rev volunteering the professional labor and me buying the needed parts - he dug in. I’m running campers across the country until late next week so this works fantastic for me.

First thing he found was a broken power valve... one of these is not like the other (three)!
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Yeah, that left hand one is broken in three parts.

Probably the source of the loud and ugly noises I’ve been hearing and what was really behind the lack of power I thought I was imagining.

Since he’s already in there and motivated, I gave him permission to do a few other extras per Jeff Fredette’s recommendations. She’s gonna really purr when we’re done.

- Boyeson Radvalve
- Lightly used Gnarly Woods pipe (cheap on eBay)
- Turbine Core 2 spark arrestor
- Upgraded piston etc.
- Updated jetting

Only downside is I’m going to have to learn how to ride her all over again! But now maybe I can make the passes I want to make whenever I want to make them.
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Let the good times ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
‘99 KDX 220 / '03 KDX 200 - @%@ '18 Trek Slash 8 @%@ ‘22 Rieju MR300 Racing

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Re: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by SS109 »

Bummer about the sub-valve but awesome that your getting the bike in better shape than before.
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Re: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by KDXGarage »

Congratulations. You didn't even have to push it back all the way to the truck to learn the lesson on not working on a bike before heading out into the woods. :-)
Thank you for participating on kdxrider.net. :bravo:
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Re: 2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

Post by MoonStomper »

UPDATE... when you need something, go to the source!

As has been mentioned all over, there is a parts shortage for pretty much everything these days. Then, if you are lucky enough to find what you need, some places (RMATVMC for example) won’t ship anything expedited because their shipper is “three days behind”.

This can be a problem.

However, if you are driving an average of 11k a month somewhat randomly about the country you might have an ace up your sleeve. Saturday night I learned that my engine builder was finding that several items we needed were on back order at his usual sources. Though I could find some things from Rocky Mountain, a phone call uncovered the disappointing shipping snafu.

When I realized the dire straits I was in, I was in South Dakota heading east from a delivery in Helena, Montana. I realized I needed to make a bold move and gamble on a side trip south of Chicago to Beecher, Illinois and visit The Man. I punched the address for Fredette Racing Products into my GPS and started looking for a nearby rest stop I could pull into the night before my arrival. I knew he opened for business at 8am on Monday, and I planned to parked outside his door when the lights came on.

Not sure of which time zone he was in I decided to guess ‘eastern’ and hedge my bets.

That morning I sniffed out his shop’s location in the Illinois countryside and rolled down the lane beside a neat house to a huge steel building in a back lot surrounded by old Geo Trackers in various states of disrepair. No signs were visible and the lights were off. I searched for some clue that I was in the right place, I listened for the sound of a pump shotgun chambering a round...

Then I noticed a small pile of used dirt bike tires near the side door - I was in the right place!
At that moment a figure appeared and cautiously approached my idling diesel truck, he was eyeballing this dude in a cowboy hat with a mountain bike in the bed. I rolled down my window as I recognized this was indeed the person I was looking for.

Before he asked who I was looking for I spoke up: “Sir, I think I’m in the right place, but in the wrong time zone!” His face lit up.

I then introduced myself and he remembered my name from our conversations on the phone and by email, and he invited me into his shop where all of the magic was kept. I was so excited I forgot my phone (so no pix).

As he turned all the lights the green KDX fairings with yellow number plates and blue USA six days helmets along the walls revealed themselves. This was a place I could spend an entire day, and never soak in enough of the energy that radiates from the person and contents within. It was lucky that I got there early because he announced that he had an appointment at 8 and we had time to gather what I needed. He had EVERYTHING I was looking for. We exchanged stories, parts and a check, and as I left he brought out a few really cool stickers for me to carry home.

The ol’KDX 200 is going to have a new attitude here by the end of the week, thanks to Jeff Fredette and I can’t wait!
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
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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