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Finke 2013

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This topic contains 8 replies, has 0 voices, and was last updated by  James Rookyard 12 years ago.

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  • March 13, 2013 at 9:39 am #102499

    James Rookyard
    Member

    I just had my 40th birthday :dry: and my wife gave me an entry into the Finke Desert race! I am fairly concerned as the only race I have done in the last 12 months has been yellow mountain.
    So I am after any advice on bike set-up and how the race is run. My bike is a 2012 FE450 husaberg. I am keen to get the suspension serviced and set-up for me and also want to know what gearing to run.

    March 13, 2013 at 9:45 am #238114

    Wayne
    Member

    Hey Jimmy,
    Put ‘Gibbit’ into the search section & all his posts for last years Finke assault will come up. Maybe you could PM him – he might even be doing it again this year – now he’s been bitten!!!
    Crash

    March 13, 2013 at 10:13 am #238120

    Nick Jackson
    Member

    Great present Jimmy and happy 40th ,as Crash said Gibbits thread puts you right at the race it’s a cracker :)

    I’m looking forward to following your experiance too !!

    Enjoy

    Nick

    April 3, 2013 at 5:39 am #238115

    nathan
    Member

    Sorry Fellers. I haven’t been on here for a while.

    Here is a bit of my Finke Preparation. Not boasting, but this is a must read for newbies to Finke as that is why I wrote it.

    http://www.obtrailriders.com/index.php/forum?view=topic&catid=26&id=117797

    And my ride report/tutorial

    http://www.obtrailriders.com/index.php/forum?view=topic&catid=2&id=129409

    I was all set to go out this year until our air con unit decided to crap itself……twice.
    It knocked a massive hole in my Finke buget. 2014 will be my next assult on the Finke track.

    Could be interesting on the new bike.

    image-1.jpg

    image.jpg

    The whole Family.

    image-2_zps1c99c846.jpg

    April 3, 2013 at 6:18 am #238116

    nathan
    Member

    My best advice is to NOT try to ride like these guys. The desert will bite you and bite you hard. There has already been one death this year practicing for finke. Take it easy Training, Pre-Running and Racing.

    April 3, 2013 at 11:22 am #238985

    James Rookyard
    Member

    Thanks for the links Gibbit.
    I have just pulled the forks and shock off the berg to get them set up with heavier springs and have fitted a steering damper. Any suggestions for gearing? I am still running one tooth bigger on the front from yellow mountain. Thats good for 140km or so without ringing its neck. Will this be tall enough for fink?
    Fitness is going to let me down.

    April 3, 2013 at 11:18 pm #238117

    nathan
    Member

    As I said in my ride report, I was going to run 15/45 gearing, but after pre-running with 15/49 I decided to stay with that. It gave me more grunt in the woops and there was only a couple of times during the race that I was looking for another gear. Standard gearing for my bike is 13/49. So I went up 2 teeth on the front for Finke.

    It’s hard to say what gearing you need as mine’s an MX and yours an enduro and I don’t know your riding ability. I think I was good for about 150km/hr with 15/49.

    Finke is not as fast as it used to be and I would say that being able to do 140km/hr should be ok.

    The best thing I can suggest is to take a 14t and 15t with you and do some pre-running when you get out there (i had as much fun pre-running as I did in the actual race) to determine whats best suited to you. Don’t go too small on the back if you can help it as you will then run the chain too close to your swing arm and wear out your chain guide.

    Gearing is resonably inportant for Finke. If you go too high, the bike won’t pull through the woops as well, which can wear you out. If you go too low it will be screaming and you will be overtaken in the faster sections.

    April 4, 2013 at 1:59 am #239035

    James Rookyard
    Member

    Cheers Gibbit, I will try a couple of teeth smaller on the rear as well.
    I am planing on riding from Finke to Alice on the way up. A couple of mates are riding up from here and we are going to meet at Finke and do a pre run together.

    April 4, 2013 at 3:40 am #238118

    nathan
    Member

    Sonds good, that’s what I did too. Just remember, south before 12pm and north after for pre-running.

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