[RoyMember]

GaleyKTM300 wrote:

Bundy,

…..I figured we just ride consistently all day and we end up were we end up. I knew there had to be Pros ahead of us and I was right , starting with the lads in 7th!

……… Funny getting to the top and seeing red faced riders looking at you in awe/ disbelief/ respect. GO THE 300’s.

Pretty sure the pros started at 6th Galey. Definitely no pros in the team that cam 7th anyway.

Not sure what it says about me but it did make me feel better to see people suffering on the hill. Made it somehow feel like you were not alone in your own suffering. Also felt like you were passing somebody too which always lifts the spirits.

I hated that off camber rough shit just after the hill though. Grew to hate it more with every lap.

[RoyMember]

Galey,

I didn’t realise it was you at the time but you blokes were on our hammer all day. There was nothing between 6th and 10th (give or take a few places) in pairs. We were in 10th at some stage (around lunch I think) during the day. They had score sheets up during the day. Somehow we worked our way back up a bit but the way I felt I’m not sure how.

The team who came 6th was a 19ish year old girl and her dad from Cairns. She represented aussies at the last 6 day and is doing the AORC series. Rides a postie for work as well.

Did you blokes do two laps at a time or what strategy did you use. We went two at a time all day, same as last year. The girl and her dad went to single laps in the arvo and this is when they caught us so maybe that would be a good strategy. Just wondering what others (pairs) did.

STM,

Loved those pebbles and I loved those hills. They were the best places by far to get round people.

Passed a bike in one of the bog holes. Up to the seat in mud and no rear wheel at all. No tyre, no rim nothing. Not sure what happened but it didn’t look good.

Anyone looked at their air filter yet. I haven’t been game to pop the lid.

[RoyMember]

Thanks Mike, Wazzup and TB. Well done to everybody who finished. There was noticably less bikes circulating at the end of the day. It was only my 5th time on the bike since last years 12 hour so I was stoked with the result. I was also the slower and least consistent member of the team by a fair margin. I rode with Scott Michell and he finished with a 3 lap stint as quick as his first two. One of the few times I have ever seen him visibly tired though which made me feel a tincy bit better.

The main concern was that the age of the opposition seems to be getting visibly younger each year. I did feel like an old bull. I’m sure one of the teams of 4 on the podium, you could have added up all 4 of their ages and still get a number less than that of Scott and mine added together.

I’d thoroughly recommend this race to anybody of any ability. If you want to go hard it will play with your mind and your body. If you want to have a fun day out you can. It is a great atmosphere and nobody will harass you for riding at your own pace. There is the full spectrum of riders there from the first timers to a race to the top level pros and they all just seem to fit together with no pressure to perform. It’s all about the smile on the dial.

Unfortunately it’s probably my last go. It’s just too far from home. My only advice is that if you go as a team of two make sure you have a pit crew. You will be too tired to do anything other than feel sorry for yourself by around 8 hours in.

[RoyMember]

Rocket,

Not sure I can help as my 09 has a standard pipe but I use a whipps guard. Best investment I ever made. You can bend them, so they are not unbreakable, but you can bend them back. Not sure if whipps still make them and not sure if they fit a non standard pipe but it would be worth a call. http://whipps.com.au/

I got mine in 08 and I thought at the time it was dear but I don’t anymore. I think it was of the order of $450 with the skid plate as well but don’t hold me to it.

Roy

[RoyMember]

Hello again all.

It was a good event. Conditions were the complete opposite of last year. Dry and dusty was the order of the day. Course was very rough by the end. There were some good challenges and single trail. We managed to come 7th out of 62 in the pairs and 30th out of 190 odd outright. Very happy with that and very sore to boot. We just managed to beat the bloke who won ironman. Blows my mind how tough the ironmen must be. I was that far gone at the end of the day I could only drink 2 beers before hitting the sack. Then I couldn’t get to sleep until my brain had re-ridden two laps of the track. The pit crew reckons I did 3 laps in a row in my last stint. We were only doing two each but apparently I had lost the ability to count.

A bit dusty at the end of a long day

[RoyMember]

Not so sure about the KTM being better for tall people. I have a 2009 KTM and feel like a hunch back riding it when standing up. I had a 2003 yamaha WR 250 and it felt fine. The KTM feels better sitting, the yamaha better standing.

I’ve tried bar raisers on the KTM but found I kept washing out the front end on corners so got rid of them. I’ve had to replace my bars a couple of times and from memory the ktm bend is one of the highest already. I don’t think it is as high as the Pastrana but not far behind it.

I have never worried about lower pegs higher bend as the difference is always sub 10mm. How much difference can that little amount make to how it feels.

[RoyMember]

TB, what protects the screen from point load impacts (ie if you fall on a sharp rock). I guess they can’t put anything there other than those stick on films otherwise the touch screen part won’t work.

[RoyMember]

One for the farmers out there. The new form of advertising. Had 7,000,000 views in the first month.

[RoyMember]

My plan would be:

1) get new stickers under warranty if possible. Don’t put them on and save them for when you sell the bike so you can bling it up then for a quick sale.

2) Get onto ringmaster and get new sticker kit. I’ve had ringmaster on my bike for 3 years so far. They are good quality. I even put them on myself and they still worked.

3) Don’t ride your bike without stickers. Scratched plastics look shit and once scratched you can’t just hide the scratches with a sticker. The sticker won’t stick very well to a scratched surface and it will look lumpy if the scratches are deep. I’m pretty sure stickers are cheaper than new plastics.

[RoyMember]

Done. Thanks Iva for letting us know it was happenning.

[RoyMember]

The dakar was single cylinder wasn’t it. In which case I just answered my own question as the 800 is a twin cylinder (I think) so it can’t be the de-tuned 800 version.

[RoyMember]

So is the 650 still the 800 engine de-tuned?

[RoyMember]

Aaron wrote:

I smashed myself on the log behind those sleepers.

Was that when you were racing me or was that a different crash!

[RoyMember]

Excellent video Gibbit. Glad there is no footage of me in the enduroX arena although I didn’t end up quite as bad as the one bloke you did show. It was fun in there. It’s a pitty there have been complaints and it can’t be held again.

Conditions should be pristine this year after the rain. I was pleasantly surprised last year. I never had high expectations as I thought it would be overcrowded, poor riding and just a piss up (not that there’s anything wrong with just a piss up). Turned out there was hardly any rider blockages on the loops, the riding was great. The hard hills could have been a bit harder but in saying that we found a quarry that had some fairly steep banks and I didn’t try them so can’t complain. The only tip I have is find out where your mates are camped before it gets dark.

[RoyMember]

Sounds like a great adventure. Here’s hoping you still have the same hairstyle.

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