Eric Smith

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Viewing 15 posts - 1,366 through 1,380 (of 1,588 total)
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  • in reply to: Hillend Adventure Tour & oh what an adventure #120414

    Eric Smith
    Member

    micknmeld wrote:

    Quote:
    What a pleasant surprise!!! I went out to Moose’s place to pick up my bike and found it in his shed all nicely washed and looking a treat!!
    Good onya Moose!! What a good fella.

    Mick, did he also fix the broken headlight, taillight and polish the scratches out for you? ;)

    in reply to: Hillend Adventure Tour & oh what an adventure #120402

    Eric Smith
    Member

    Poor little blue, she’s flat at 115. Spent a bit of time in the twisties above 100 when I was right on it, particularly as we came back from Capertee to ZZ on the run up over the hills, that was great. But for highway running I was only comfortable at 85-95 and even then I have the scars to show for it! Amazing the heat that must have been coming from the radiators!:ohmy:

    Funny, I mentioned it to Mick, my offsider at work who has a WR450, and he said he has felt that heat before on highway runs with his bike. Maybe I didn’t feel it because of the high ambient temps? Dunno, doesn’t matter either really!:side:

    I’m just not fit enough to take on 15km of flogged single after 450km of riding over two days! I’m a fat lazy bastard, I know, that’s why I’m an Old Bull!! :laugh:

    in reply to: Hillend Adventure Tour & oh what an adventure #120395

    Eric Smith
    Member

    chris72a wrote:

    Quote:
    Hey Ecks, would you have preferred that ride on your ex-banana or the WR, just curious is all.

    Chris.

    Yeah, tough question Chris, I have been thinking about it since I got back. I’d say the banana actually, but just for the longer legs on the transport sections. It wouldn’t be as good on the rougher steeper bits but on balance the longer legs would make it my preference.

    My secret handshake ride 2 weeks ago though… no contest. I could have done it on the banana but I’d still be catching my breath two weeks later!

    But I do miss the RG3 suspension. When business picks up I have to get these forks done, they bottomed out twice both days and shouldn’t have. The rear seems OK. *shrug*

    in reply to: Hillend Adventure Tour & oh what an adventure #120392

    Eric Smith
    Member

    Seriously mate, I was on my way but there were others who were faster is all! You’re a hard man to pick up a loaded banana on a hill! :woohoo:

    in reply to: Hillend Adventure Tour & oh what an adventure #120363

    Eric Smith
    Member

    Yeah, you only had to look at where they were and the situation they were in to see they were tossers. Never knowingly get yourself into a situation you can’t get out of I say!

    That was a bastard of a fall for Boulder there too. Impressed that he got up with no help – the supertanker must have been low on fuel or he wouldn’t have been able to lift it!:laugh:

    in reply to: For Sale: O’Neal pants, Size 34 #120349

    Eric Smith
    Member

    ROFL!!!:laugh: :laugh:

    Ah, classic! So I’m not going quite as mad as I thought! I ordered 34’s and assumed they were – obviously never looked to see!!

    Still, couldn’t have been arsed trying to send them back and get the right ones sent here so you’re welcome to the bloody things! They might fit you if you let moose get in them with you!!:kiss: 😆

    in reply to: Hillend Adventure Tour & oh what an adventure #120324

    Eric Smith
    Member

    Trailboss wrote:

    Quote:
    Nice report on DBW ECKS, must say Champ I thought it would be lucky to stay there but I was wrong. I love seeing the Old Bull sticker kits and web address in some of those pictures, you da man

    TB

    I figure a ride this good had to stick there, regardless of the stickers. Its not like I actually gave the website in the text anywhere, so I thought it would be safe.

    Especially since a few of us now have commented on it, makes it a legit DBW report! (That’s how I see it anyhow!:lol:

    in reply to: Hillend Adventure Tour & oh what an adventure #120307

    Eric Smith
    Member

    Tiny wrote:

    Quote:
    yeah looks ugly;) :laugh:

    It was ugly before I burnt it! The burn made it FUGLY!:laugh:

    in reply to: For Sale: O’Neal pants, Size 34 #120292

    Eric Smith
    Member

    My call is they will fit him all over – and touch him nowhere!:laugh: :laugh:

    in reply to: Hillend Adventure Tour & oh what an adventure #120305

    Eric Smith
    Member

    Geez, I thought my knee was getting a bit warm there…

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    Stings a bit! :laugh:

    in reply to: Hillend Adventure Tour & oh what an adventure #120295

    Eric Smith
    Member

    Cheers Chris, if you can get a chance to chase that for me I’d really appreciate it mate!

    Everyone needs to get on DBW and brag about how good a ride this was!

    in reply to: Hillend Adventure Tour & oh what an adventure #120289

    Eric Smith
    Member

    I did a ride report for DBW here:
    http://www.dirtbikeworld.net/forum/showthread.php?p=772839

    Rather than adjust it for the OBT crowd, here’s the report as it stands. Anyone else who is a DBW member feel free to chuck a few more pics etc on my thread!

    Zig-Zag – Hill End Dualsport ride 31 Jan 1 Feb 2009

    Myself and a few other DBW’ers heard about a ride from Zig-Zag to Hill End, staying the night at the pub and returning by a different route the following day. The ride was posted on another site (Old Bull Trailriders) – but since most of us are members of both sites I reckoned you’d like to see the ride report here as well!

    Kick off time was 8am Saturday, which meant leaving by 5am… alan met me at my place, we hooked his trailer and bike to my ute and we headed off.

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    The starters lined up, about 15 in all with bikes ranging from a KLX250, DRZ400’s, XR600’s, XR650’s one KTM530 (alan) and two WR250F’s – one of them mine!

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    We headed off using the cornerman system and straight away it was apparent that DUST would be a problem. The usual two methods of coping were employed – either sit up close to the bloke in front or hang right back behind the dust. Because of the varying skill levels of the riders there was quite a bit of overtaking going on as cornermen picked up the pack and worked their way forward.

    We headed to the Lost City for a quick break and some piccies:

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    Then we headed off again, on to Blackfellows Hands Track and a few other places I didn’t catch the names of!

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    The leader wore the polka dot jersey.
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    Next we headed out to Capertee and our first refuel. The servo was probably not expecting a crowd like this lot!

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    Mick feeding his face! (And what a face!)
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    Next we headed bush, again I don’t know the tracks and the locations, but it was great stuff. Tight twin track which opened up at times, but generally 3-4th gear with rocky hills, river crossings and beautiful scenery.

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    Beautiful scenery:
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    Mick had an incident with the XR trying to burrow under the track…
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    But was soon underway again:
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    While waiting at a gate as cornerman, I had plenty of time to snap a couple of generic location shots… the boys behind had a flat to deal with – one of many for the weekend.
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    Looking forward:
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    Looking back: (Someone should write a song about that! RIP Slim.)
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    And then it was back on the bikes, with the occasional rest before heading to Yetholme for a splash-&-dash then back through Sunny Corner and onwards towards Sofala.

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    A brief stop as Sofala pub where many of the lads partook of the cold beverages on tap!
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    Sofala is old, man…
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    About 2km from Sofala we stopped for a swim – actually most swam, I ended up trying to stop my bike from shocking me as I braked… wish it had worked!

    Here are a few of the boys pulling in past my corner at the swimming hole:
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    Parked in the shade of the bridge about to have a swim
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    Then we were back on the bikes for a blast into Hill End. Well, for those on bigger bikes it was a blast… for the 250’s it was a long haul!

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    Everyone’s a bloody tourist!
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    Scenery
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    Love this, the sign says “Please enjoy your visit to historic Hill End.”
    Well, OK then…
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    One of the DRZ’s failed – suspected carby problem. Good thing we had a trailer really! At least he can say he rode it into Hill End!
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    A few injuries: Those are splinters in his foot!
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    Tiny won the Training Wheels award for his supermoto-style get-off right in front of the Hill End pub!
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    TB’s XR650 was diagnosed as terminal with the countershaft flopping in and out about 5mm… not good!
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    Plenty of photographic evidence of this because he was giving anything that wasn’t a Honda so much crap!
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    Work also started on the stopped DRZ – it was to prove a non starter for Day 2
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    It was about now that I discovered that I had pretty bad heat rash on the inside of my left knee. Turned out it was more than that, but I will explain later on!

    We lined up for a meal – some had great meals ($12 lasagne was awesome and the $22 T-bones were worthy of Fred Flintstone) and others choose poorly (Chicken schnitzel – tiny and overcooked…) and the odd cleansing ale!

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    Some team members disgraced themselves, naming no names (moto) but the next morning most of us were up early for the 7am breakfast that turned out to be 7:30am.

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    Mind you, the dining table for brekky was nicely laid out!
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    Then we loaded the broken bikes onto the trailer and ute and the group headed off at a bit after 8.

    Is that a Honda on that ute??
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    Had a smooth run back to Sofala, except for one flat (Chicken’s XR600). Eagle on the KLX decided at this point that his ankle, damaged in a fall on Day 1, was too sore to ride on, so the bike was loaded up and the list of DNF’s grew by 1.

    Fixing Chicken’s flat at Sofala
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    Chicken was leading day 2 after TB’s bike failed.
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    Eagle’s foot:
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    We now pointed the bikes towards Kandos and made our way there along a couple of backroads and the railway line service road. Most of this running was not much fun on the little 250, buzzing along in top gear, but the bigger bikes were well suited.

    On the railway service road heading for Kandos
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    As we pushed on, Crash hit a nasty washout on his XR650. His mousse front wheel had recently been respoked with heavy duty spokes and suddenly the wheel turned into a shattered mess, with 8 spokes broken and the hub stuffed. The XR on the ute was turned into a parts bike, donating a front wheel, and we got him back on the road. Refueled at Kandos and headed back the way we had come along the railway service road to Capertee for fuel and lunch.
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    Then it was a fairly quick, no nonsense blast back to the Zig Zag carpark, slipping up a well worn (almost worn out) single trail just to stuff the unwary, unfit and unwilling! I think I was all three!

    Anyway we arrived back safe and sound, minus Champo on the TM300 (Flat front, couldn’t be bothered fixing it that close to the end so stuck it on the trailer).

    While it was not really a ride for a WR250F, I had a great time… although now I have a burn on the inside of my left knee! As I was riding along at highway speeds, the heat of the day combined with the heat from the radiator was enough to slowly cook me where my knee guard ends and pants start. Nice!

    It was great to meet some new friends and ride some tracks I’d never seen before. Thanks to all involved in organising, leading and sweeping. I don’t think I’ve seen a bunch of blokes consistently smiling and laughing over a whole weekend.

    This was my version, but others were there and have their own versions and are welcome to add their part to the story.

    What a great ride!

    in reply to: Hillend Adventure Tour & oh what an adventure #120282

    Eric Smith
    Member

    Wow, what a great weekend!

    Firstly, thanks to the OBT team who sorted everything out. It was as well-organised a ride as I’ve seen, so full credit for that!

    Special mentions to:
    TB for the ideas and leading day 1
    Chicken & crash for leading day 2
    Tiny & Boulder and anyone else sweeping – bloody well done blokes!
    Support crew – started off as Tracy & moto and ended up as a bus full of them!!
    Another for Tiny for his supermoto effort and then riding home solo the next day. Hope you’re alright champ!

    Pats on the back go to:
    Eagle – great effort, especially once your ankle was buggered, we could all see how bad that was mate and we all know it hurt! Respect for riding on till early day 2!
    Whiterocket – for filling me in countless times on day 1… then changing your ways day 2 and being nice to me all day! Must have wanted a lift home or something!
    Moose – mate, I like youe style! If you didn’t have a grin on your dial it was because there was a durrie or a drink shoved in it!
    Tracy – for putting up with not just moto but another 15 hairy smelly dirty blokes all weekend!

    Things to be remembered:
    TB’s bike failing after all his bad-mouthing KTM’s and anything not a Honda! You would have thought that might have settled him down a bit, pulled him down a peg or two, but no!
    Moto’s effort at getting into bed at 1am… then moping around wounded all day Sunday!
    The bloody mosquitoes!!!!!!!!!!!! Geeeeezus!!!
    How hot was it that night?????
    The size and quality of the lasagne for dinner – huge and great!
    The size and quality of the chicken schnitzel for dinner – miniscule and piss-poor!
    Crash’s front wheel disintegrating when hitting a large washout at speed – well OK, maybe disintegrating is a touch strong but 8 spokes broke and the bike was unrideable afterwards. Lucky for the “parts bike” on the ute eh TB?
    The 5km of single track at the end… as if I wasn’t completely stuffed already, this just finished me off completely!
    How about the effort of that hilux?
    How about the effort of Boulder at the same spot – and he got the banana back upright by himself! Top stuff!!
    While I’m at it, how about Boulder sweeping all day with no starter on the DRZ. Those things are a bastard to roll-start, so another top effort!
    Both WR250’s went strong all weekend. Although the top speed wasn’t up there with the bigger bikes, the little buggers kept on buzzing along, trouble free, right to the end!

    Photos to follow. I’m a bit annoyed with myself because I got bugger-all photos worth mentioning…. mostly because I was having too much fun and riding!!:laugh:

    in reply to: Zig Zag – Hillend Jan 31st/1st Feb #120204

    Eric Smith
    Member

    Tomorrow sunshine!

    Have a good one tonight!

    If anyone else checks in tonight, be good and I’ll see you tomorrow!

    in reply to: Anyone fancy a go? #120202

    Eric Smith
    Member

    You bugger! You’re making it hard for me to show how much of a clown you are!! From now on if you edit one of my posts you owe me a beer – and a good beer, not bloody VB or such crap!:laugh:

    And since I’m a fair minded bloke, every time I edit one of your posts I’ll shout you a beer as well! ;)

Viewing 15 posts - 1,366 through 1,380 (of 1,588 total)