YZ426F Rider

Those Tech-10's may very well have just paid for themselves I won't even trail ride without my chest protector...one look at the shoulder plates and you'll know why.

I got in 17 laps. Made an executive decision coming through the checkpoint at 5:45 to not start another lap as my blistered hands had been on fire for the last five laps. Funny thing is that I wasn't all that tired (I think because my hands kept me riding pretty mellow). Oh, well, live and learn...next time I'll wear gloves with some palm padding. I guess that's what happens when you have a desk job...

I was there also and yes, there were some bikes that were definitely loud...I would feel like a goon riding a bike that loud. Dumb. On the upside, I actually was impressed with how few bikes were excessively loud compared to how many bikes were there, and when one of the really loud bikes revved up in the pits they would get looks...looks of "who's the spode?", not looks of "wow, cool exhaust".

Yeah, that last hour I was doing nothing more than getting in laps, there was no racing involved...team riders were blowing by me and I was just trying to stay out of their way! I'd like to go over with you that weekend but the Grizzly HS is that weekend down at Riverdale. It's an ORP event.

Sorry to hear about your ankle Hopefully it gets healed quickly. Keep in mind that as a new rider you are most likely expending about twice the energy as an experienced rider. As you get more seat time things you are now using major muscle groups to control will be handled by body position, balance, and fine motor skills without you even thinking about it. Also, as you get experience you will make less mistakes that require correction.

The link is not working for me...

Because there is always going to be a spode out there that thinks he will be a faster rider by having one or two more HP out of his 450. Until the sanctioning bodies get serious about exhaust levels there will always be somebody with a loud race system that doesn't bother to change it when they go to Taneum/Reiter/Saddle Mountain/Tahuya.

That's what I'm worried about...only next time the bill sponsors will keep Kline's name off of it and instruct him to keep his mouth shut so they can fly under the radar with it.

That is a big change in bikes! A 125 is a screamer and on a motocross track they are run at very high RPM (10K) to be at peak power. For trail riding you don't need to be as aggressive but you still need to get 'on the pipe' when you need power. The key to riding a 125 is to keep fresh rings in it and also to change out the piston once in awhile...how much all depends on your riding style and how often you ride. Rings and pistons are a part of regular maintenance with a 125.

It was a blast! At the 4-1/2 hour mark my hands were pretty wasted (blistered) so I went up to the ambulance crew and they wrapped them up with some gauze then I covered that up with duct tape and went back out, but at a much slower pace.

I was a little worried with all the rain on Saturday but it turned out that Sunday's weather was great and track conditions were perfect. It's kind of interesting how many bike parts you see around the course in long races like that. I saw an entire silencer, one complete handguard, a trick gas cap breather with an anodized cap, and several random pieces of plastic. I didn't get your names but I want to say thanks to the guys next to me that acted as my pit crew...that was a huge help! Pete #636

Aside from all the training...you have to pace yourself. You can't ride a HS like a motocross race. Take your time, ride YOUR race. Ride hard, but ride easy...does that make sense? In the second hour you will find yourself passing lots of dudes. THINK SMOOTH.

How is the weather?

That nails it right on the head. I have the T2 on my RM...it looks really nice and having the four different (two mounting holes and then offset risers that can be turned around) mounting options is nice. I have never been able to tell the difference between forged/cast or stiff/flexy triple clamps. But then again I'm a hack.

At least you don't have to stop, get off, lay the bike down and drag the front wheel around until it is pointing the way you want to go like I do on my 426. Just kidding, that thing rails. I have not ridden an '06 or '07...I'm afraid to because I know that once I do I won't be happy with my 426 anymore. I sat on one at the dealer and it felt like a 125.