Monday morning dawned grey and drizzly, the loving wife planned to visit the inlaws, she gave me and Connor the choice of going with her or going riding out the bush. What a no brainer!!
We couldn’t load the bikes quick enough!! As we were kitting up behind Timbertown the rain got heavier and appeared as though it was setting in, no worries we were going riding no matter what.
As Connor is only 11 years old and not the most confident trail rider,I had some easier trails in mind and the slower pace also allowed me to notice more trails that I normally ride past.
The conditions were in my book perfect, with no dust and a bit of mud here and there.
We did some tight single trail in the flatter sections of forest untill we were both warmed up then we headed towards Bago and our first hill climb. I found a trail to the top of Bago that I had come down once and as it wasn’t that steep I thought it would be a good challange for Connor, he got to the very top were there is a rather steep section with a big rock sticking out, he hit it in second gear and as he neared the top I could hear that he was loosing power and the little KX dropped out of the band and chugged to a stop, not good on a near perpendicular hill. Connor then fell over and tumbled a few times before coming to a stop. He asked me to get his bike to the top as he was a little baulked by the hill. I took the little KX down the trail a bit so as to get a reasonable run up at the hill and I had it in first gear and pinned when I hit the bank and some serious clutch slipping was required to get my fat arse up the hill on the 85,it wasn’t pretty but we got there!!
After that we just cruised around trying some new trails and having a great time. We headed towards Blue Creek Dam and rode around some rain forest areas, Connor had another not enough revs moment going through a creek in a gully and dropped his bike, all that was sticking out of the water was the front end, thank God it didn’t get any water in the air filter and it started easily.
Down a trail I hadn’t been down before we came a cross a really snotty gully and as I had already started down into it before I realised how slippery it was, I was committed and had to go through, while at the same time trying to signal to Connor to stop at the top as it was going to be hard enough to get the BRP out,let alone two bikes, unfortunately he had already followed and was stuck half way down on this greasy grey clay that you could hardly stand on.
After getting the BRP to the bottom I found a place it would stand while I could help Connor get back up the way we had come, as the other side of the gully was rutted to badly for a kid on an 85. I all but busted my arse man handling his bike back up the hill while trying not to slip arse over head. Once it was safely to the top the hard part was to turn the BRP around and get it back up the hill. The pig is a very reliable bike and starts easily for a XR,but do you think it wanted to start in that shitty gully, I had to kick it about hundred times before it started, by then I had shed my helmet, gloves and camel pack and was all but rooted. Once it started the challange was to get it up the hill back to where Connor was waiting, the clay offered no traction, so I tractored her up through the bush and made it first go, it was a pity no one, other than Connor saw this fine effort as I even impressed myself how well the pig got back up the bank.
After that I decided we had enough and we headed back to the car. The more I ride with my son the more his confidence grows and the more fun he is to ride with.
I can’t wait to get out there again with him,
