2021 VCHSS Series - KDX in the Orange Sea

[KDXGarage]

AWESOME!!

[MoonStomper]

UPDATE... engine rebuild...

Last night I brought the Fredette Racing Care Package over to the Go Race Suspension Voodoo Dojo and we started burning incense and chanting incantations. Smoke whirled, lights flashed, there was much whirring and buzzing while the stereo pounded every thing from Biggie Smalls to AC/DC.

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... Existing dual stage reeds...

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... The legendary and revolutionary Boyesen Radvalve...

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... Power valves including the broken one...

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... Future KDX Legend, Trevor Jones port matching the cylinder. This KDX has been assigned as the backup machine for this first year AA rider, and 2020’s VCHSS 250A Grand Champion.

[claybo]

I gotta say...I love reading your stories. Great job! Keep 'em coming!

[MoonStomper]

UPDATE... she’s back together

Just got home from the shop, opened a beer, took a shower and eased (snuck) into bed... it’s 1 am and everyone is asleep, but... SHE RUNS!

... setting the Wiseco Prolite piston, after carefully indexing the rings...

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...bolting on the head...

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... setting everything into place and checking and rechecking those rings..

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... she literally fired up on the first kick and idled...

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... had to take her up the hill for a short test, like whole ‘nother animal now, I don’t even recognize the mid to top end power she has!...

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Further testing and possibly a jet change tomorrow. Look for another report by Saturday. Racing Sunday!

[KDXGarage]

Uhhh, what was your break in procedure??

[MoonStomper]

We just started it and warmed it up a little, took it up and down the hill a few times pretty gently. Opened it up just a bit, but it was dark, and really late, so just enough to make sure everything is feeling right before shutting her down. Today we’ll start doing heat and cooling cycles to seat her in. A little more each time. Felt like she’s a little starved for fuel up top, so may go back to the other jet and see what that does.

We are following this basic guideline...
http://blog.wiseco.com/proper-engine-b ... -a-rebuild

[KDXGarage]

"... had to take her up the hill for a short test, like whole ‘nother animal now, I don’t even recognize the mid to top end power she has!..."

Usually, the heating and cooling is done before hopping on and taking her for a rip. :-)

Check the KIPS rod seal that is in the early pic. Also, as I have been joked at before , you may want to check that chain tension.

[MoonStomper]

Will do on the advice... we didn’t really rip it just kinda gave her a quick blip or two after we’d done some early heat cycles, but even those brief glimpses were eye opening. Just took a peak at what might be there and quite honestly it was frightening! Finished doing the heat cycles today and she is now FULL ON. The jetting turned out to be fine, so she’s per FRP specs. That needle really works too. No low end bog and easy to modulate. Will check the KIPS seal, good catch and thanks for the note!

We also rewelded the lower left radiator bracket that was broken on one end, that was helpful. Always unplug your CDI before welding guys! Thankfully I remembered! One other thing of note. Obviously, having the bike only since last August, this was the first opportunity I’d had to dig into the KIPS components and actually see how it all works and moves. It’s pretty cool, but now I fully appreciate how important it is to get in there and clean up the valves. Mine were baked and caked, and some softening with the parts washer and meticulous pick work like a dentist scraping plaque got everything clean and new looking again. It’s actually quite enjoyable as labor goes.

... new problems... looks like I can probably save some weight by removing everything below the handlebars, front tire doesn’t actually reach the ground anymore, maybe I should get longer forks?...

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... these are pix of my 16 year old son as he struggles with the fact that this green machine may indeed rival his KTM 200 XCW...

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... my Pirelli Garacross really struggled to hold traction in the dry grass, in 4th gear as you hit the power band, if the front end didn’t come up the back tire would spin out, trying to find the right balance was a challenging game...

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[SS109]

Break in procedures always crack me up. It doesn't have to be complicated for something especially as simple as a 2T. I just heat it up a bit, gently ride off until fully warm, and then do hard rev and then immediate deceleration in only 2nd gear using only engine compression and repeat. Do it about 10 times, park, and inspect for any leaks. No leaks? Rings are broke in and it's time to rip! Been doing it this way for years on 2T and 4T bikes with never an issue.

[MoonStomper]

Ours wasn’t heavily regimented. Raced it today and it RIPPED, it’s way more fun now and capable of winning if I can manage to just hold on. Race report coming this week.

[MoonStomper]

Race #6... Graves Mountain Lodge@ Syria, Virginia

You thought Blue Ridge was dusty? HOLD MY BEER

After a week that had me hurrying home from Montana, picking up crucial go fast parts from a legend along the way, a day watching my daughter’s tennis tournament (she finished her season with an 8-0 victory and undefeated singles record) and then spending a long evening rebuilding my motor - I was too beat to race. I decided to not race and just sleep in instead.

... NOT. Saturday was packed with tying up all the many loose ends, tightening bolts and trying to find some 93 octane in a 70’s-esque gas shortage. We drove to my folk’s farm in Middlebrook in time for dinner (after taking pictures of my daughter going to prom) to cut Sunday’s drive down to just an hour and had ribs off the grill. Went to bed at 9:30 and immediately fell asleep.

Sunday we arrived at the race and found a spot near 63L, Brandon Jessup and his green/purple KDX. He and PJ were wound up! We exchanged course notes...
“What’s it like?”
“Dunno, rocky? Looks dry too - lots of dust!”
We had NO IDEA.

My son was going into the race technically as the points leader in 200C, he was pretty revved. He wanted to hold on to it, but needed to beat the 2nd place guy to do it, something he hasn’t come close to doing yet. This guy is 13? riding a smaller, but super quick bike (Husky 105). He also rides the Super Mini class and usually has already run laps of the course before HB even sees it. This kid is second in points in that earlier class. HB has his hands full, but is enjoying the challenge, no pressure. I always remind him, ‘there’s always someone faster than you, but if you can put it all together, and maintain focus, it can be your day’.

...HB got the start right, he NAILED the hole shot!

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Pulling away...

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Cell phone video from our buddy Mason...

2nd place bike got primo chest cam footage...


The dust, baby head rocks, and bottlenecks took their toll, but he managed to earn a second place finish with four laps and slightly extended his points lead over third. The third place rider is another very fast, but humble young man (16?) on a new Beta 200 from Harrisonburg that he really likes racing. I met his dad Sunday since they parked next to us. Great folks, hopefully we to get to know them better as the season progresses.

My start was somewhat less auspicious...
I’d done a bunch of practice starts on Saturday morning with my neighbor (Tracy) in his pasture. I learned that looping out was now a SERIOUS potentiality. The new power bands we installed were the extra thick red ones and they even came with a warning label and three pages of boilerplate. If I get the kick right she jumps off the line like a quarter horse out of the gate; I’d better be on the tank with elbows up and nose over the fender. Sometimes I don’t find TDC though and have to reset and give a second kick.

Issues I’m having: OEM starter lever might be wearing out, she’s canted away a bit and more noticeably slippery with my new Tech 7s. I triple wrapped some zip ties on the end Sunday morning. This actually helped. Tracy suggested a starting block for my short legs, he brought me a suitable rock when I lined up. He really wants me to do well.

I had lined up to the far right so I had a sharp right hander first, mainly because the better left line was crowded with the more experienced guys.

When the flag fell, my anticipation was fair, but I’m such a rookie and had missed setting up on TDC again!! I need more practice with a rock! A quick second kick got her done though and I’ve never experienced a cannon ball ride before, but let me tell y’all...

WHHHOOOSHHHH!!! WHAT A RIDE!!! The wheel came about 6” off the ground and she charged forward with a rush, I wasn’t last and I entered the right hand turn behind mid-pack and into a cloud of dust and noise...

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Rolling her into the dusty corner, inside line to the apex and aggressive throttle off the corner, accelerating to track out and set up inside to square off the sharp left hander - inside another rider, early in, drifting and late out, billowing dust, setting up the next right around another round bale, thick dust, couldn’t see much, focused on a helmet I could just see in front and closing till it moved right, on the brake and leaned her in, too late off the front and almost washed the front in the brown flour - foot down, saved her, pushed off and back on the brap handle...

Filing into the rocky choke point as we sped out of the field I found myself in the top 6 or 7? Who knows??!!! The thick dust did its thing and filled my mouth, I tried to swallow and started to settle in. I set my sights on the next rider found space and roared by.

My plan was to actually attend the start this time and try to race from the upper half of my class. Aggressive, but patient and start off on the right foot, things were going well enough and I was making moves, passing a few more in my class. Working our way through the old grassy, orchard, there were sharp turns, ditches and dusty off camber sweepers, and long, wide off-camber straights that suddenly turned down into wooded steep and narrow single track with surprises like stumps and logs. I’d worked up to about third I think before we got tangled in a series of bottlenecks. The first few I was able to take advantage by just shooting through gaps and lucky anticipation of other riders helped to improve my position.

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Then I got to one bottleneck that I should have packed my lunch for. It was down in a very shallow creek. After gassing myself trying different lines with limited success, I finally got out by climbing across a rocky, steep bank. Feeling pretty blasted, I proceeded with decidedly less enthusiasm. As I rounded a left hand corner I was met by oncoming riders from my right that were coming up from a bypass that had just been installed behind the bottleneck I’d just left. I was shocked as I saw riders from my class rolling up. After all the punishment I’d just endured they were getting a ride around. This realization kind of lit me up and I got back on the gas.

Because of the many bottlenecks I never had any real battles or races within the race like before. It felt more like a soft enduro with some spicier sections and then just long dusty sections where if you could just see you know you could rip it. This course with the dry conditions just never got any real flow going, and I had no idea where I was in the pack. The scoring trailer didn’t have their monitor operational so even after a lap I had no idea how I was running.

At one point after looping out on a creek bank (the cool water felt nice), I managed to get up onto the trail and was so gassed that I actually leaned my bike against a tree and laid down for a minute. While I laid there and breathed deeply I contemplated the meaning of life, important stuff like... why are there bottlenecks?, and why didn’t I pack a beer in my cooler for after the race?

In the end I managed three laps and was the last rider in my class on the lead lap. There were twenty-two starters and two DNFs. Scoring later showed me 7th on my first and 5th for the final two. Even got a neat fifth place trophy to hang in the shop. I’ll take it. Wished I’d had this KDX running this well at the previous race though!

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[KDXGarage]

Congratulations! Thanks for sharing.

[doakley]

Congrats and thanks for the write up. Please keep them coming and keep punishing those orange pumpkins!

[SS109]

Right on! You're getting stronger out there. I expect a podium next race!

[doakley]

KDX on a podium, I want to see the photo!!

[KDXGarage]

You're not going to get any better physically, so you better get better at riding. Your fitness above others has carried you this far. Practice, practice, practice will be needed to get up on the podium.

[SS109]

KDX on a podium, I want to see the photo!!

Ok... Jordan Ashburn, 3rd overall, SEER Cliffhanger Extreme Enduro on a KDX!

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[MoonStomper]

Race report for the April Fools at Oak Ridge will be coming, no podium for me this time though, actually was as high as 6th for two laps and ended up 7th. Only a couple minutes out of 4th place. Just pushed too hard late and made some costly mental errors. Fun race though on a fast course and prime conditions.

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[SS109]

Get'r done!

[doakley]

You're not going to get any better physically, so you better get better at riding. Your fitness above others has carried you this far. Practice, practice, practice will be needed to get up on the podium.

I would agree. Your physical condition seems to be good (although that is something that can always be better!). Maybe find an MX course somewhere for practice. Especially good if you could find a good MX coach to work with you 1:1. Focus on corners and ruts, not so much the jumps. A good MX coach is worth every $$ you spend. If it is truly 80% rider and 20% bike, you should be spending 80% of your time and $$ on the rider!
Dang I wish I could race the VCHHS! I always wanted to race that series. You go get 'em!