[Paul FaheyMember]

Hi Krusty

I wear 661 armour over a singlet. Had to wear the singlet as like LC4skin I was getting Nip Chaffing on longer rides. I have had my armour for 4 years now and it has saved my skin on many occasion. I tend to have a fair few unco-ordinated moments when I ride. I think its a late starter thing – really have to think hard about everything I do and often the mind does not co-ordinate with the body fast enough!!!

Over the 661 I wear my jersey and then back pack and bum bag. I found the more you ride in the set up the more it just becomes part of the process, it becomes habit and you dont even notice its on.

Only issue I have found with wearing singlet or shirt under armour is that as I sweat the singlet gets wet – no real problem if you keep riding. However I find that when you stop for lunch or something similar on a cool day ride you cool off and the wet shirt/singlet gets really cold and it can really chill you off. In colder weather I recommend that you carry spare shirt and ditch the wet undergarment into your backpack prior to the chill setting in.

My bad experiences with 661 (1996 version, red & black), keep a close eye on the zippers – they corrode also the spine protection armour is held on with a pop rivet system and the inner centre of the pop rivets rusts and eventually the rivets give way and the spine protection segments just fall off (one at a time). If your lucky they fall off while you pull your jersey on or off and you gather a collection of them in your riding gear bag. I havn’t worked out a suitable method to reapply them yet. In the family we bought five 661 suits and all five have suffered the same condition. You just sweat so much doing the sport that any gear close to your body must be rust and corrosion resistant – an oversight (possible diliberate) in the design by 661 – why couldnt they have adopted wetsuit type zippers and corrosion resistant pop rivets? However other than this the suits have been great and I wouldn’t ride without one. The netting holds all the armour in place. And the shoulder protection is ready good and I dont believe the same protection is available from roost guards and obviously not from simple elbow guards.

As the kids have grown out of theirs we have been able to swap a few and have been required to buy some replacements. The new version of 661 has a really long back protector. In my opinion way too long, it also seems weighty and hangs down low on your back – not sure I like the new format. For my eldest son who is reasonably tall it was way too long and touched the seat when he sat on the bike which he didn’t like it. Fortunately we were able to find stock of the old red and black model at Ballards and we are paying greater attention to the fasteners.

Good luck with your selection, get it, use it on the trails you know and get really comfortable with it before you take on an all dayer.

Im with Mal 5.1 – I dont know how you got all that gear on under the suit. I would recommend wearing it over the top of the armour next time and i am worried that if you got all that gear under it then you probably have the wrong size.

Unit

PS Kids wear a rash shirt under theirs to stop rubbing etc.

[Paul FaheyMember]

You must have been very lucky. I had put down my name and my two sons names months ago never even got a phone call or email from KTM, spewing!!! A couple of weeks ago got a random email from a local dealer but no invite, asking me to put my name down for a 350SX, how did they get my email address, i wonder – doh KTm MArketing Australia. A little bit pissed (read jealous)given your story. I would have dearly appreciated the opportunity to ride the bikes back to back. I had put down for the 450exc, 400exc and 300exc. Did I mention how pissed I am.

Really happy you had a great day, interesting to hear your comments about the 250excf. I am really pissed.

Unit.

[Paul FaheyMember]

Hey Mick

Looks like a nice day out. Sorry to hear about the leg. I remember a similar incident when I stuck the leg out to save a fall. I ended up with a lovely shade of purple at the back of the knee. X-ray later revealed a compression fracture on the top of my tibula. Hopefully you didnt suffer same result. Good luck with that one.

It was one greasy weekend, I think it rained every night last week and again last night. The water traps are as deep as they have been in a long time in Cowarra. The mud really greasy, you know its bad when you change to 2nd are your still not moving – a great day for compression slides. :blink: :blink: I have to learn to loosen up in these conditions, I just hang on way to tight :ohmy: :ohmy:

I guess this is an opportunity to really get under your wife’s feet, so that she will be happy to send you out riding. 😆

Unit

[Paul FaheyMember]

Hi Mick

I just cant do it! :angry: :angry: :angry: Have promised the assistants some riding time, before next week at HVMCC. Have a great time.

Huskybloke, be sure to let us all know what sort of bloke you end up? :laugh:

Unit

[Paul FaheyMember]

TB – on the basis that I hang on to the 06 450EXC can you throw my name on the list (if I splurge on a newbie I will be broke). Main timing issue for me will be HVMCC race calendar (kids), I should be able to work around other matters? I hope. A couple of months to organise will be great. Any idea of what the average spend would be? I need to start counting the pennies. Unit

[Paul FaheyMember]

Thanks for the replies!

Strucky, it would be great to come for a spin with you and maybe swap bikes if you feel confident letting me have a spin. I will PM.

Hatto and Ollie – thanks for the parental advice – “What the hell you changing for!!!”

Austblue – cant find reference to mapping switch for 06 model, any suggestions? Anything past the basics and I am a little lost.

Unit

[Paul FaheyMember]

Thanks for the replies. I did pay attention to Mick and Moose out at HVMCC watching the kids do their thing yesterday and have been doing a little homework on the Green Machines.

Austblue to be honest I haven’t considered a map switch for the 450, probably due to the fact that I didnt consider the matter a possibility. I will do some home work.

I am considering changing bikes. I have limited experience with other bike except kids 2 stokers, I hate riding them scary little beast all or nothing. The KTM was my first dirt bike and as I am contemplating a change I figured a downsize might be desirable. Hence the topic.

However it seems that the 450 is really a good alround bike. Can be ridden at a plodders place but can be more than you can handle, can get you into trouble real quick and out of it if your lucky. But hey, thats what makes this sport do bloody exciting.

I will research the mapping, thanks Austblue.

Another option is to keep the KTM and spend some money on suspension and get the bike dialled in for me and my riding style and maybe a mapping switch.

Unit.

[Paul FaheyMember]

Thanks for the quick reply – I look forward to any input from Kram or Strucky.

[Paul FaheyMember]

Great video guys. It is great to see that the hill gave others some pain too.

As to the greasy valley section (first loop) I can still remember backing off and the rear sliding under compression. I had a big panic and grabbed a handful of front brake, the result a front and back wheel slide and no sensation at all that I was slowing down. Luckily the slide was lengthy enough to allow me the opportunity to think and let go of everything. Back on the gas a bit and relieved to get myself out of what was certain to be a “full body slide” without the happy ending. Hey, the ground had moss growing on it :huh: :huh: !!

Unit

[Paul FaheyMember]

Hey

I am with Mick. I would love the opportunity to have a look around Taree, but I just cant do it this weekend.

Unit

[Paul FaheyMember]

I have a 06 KTM450EXC. I have had it since new. It is great and so far no trouble what so ever. I bought it as a beginner, my mates told me I had to get a 450. I read the articles searched the net and decided this was the bike for me, plus I liked the look of it (very important – I figured they were like road bikes and you didnt spend the day throwing them on the ground). I have found the Kato to be great. The power is there but you dont have to use it. I can plod around on it (most of the time) but I know it can do heaps more than I can. I had to fit a thermo fan to it as it would boil in really tight stuff when the going got slow and heavy; no problem ever since. Parts are expensive in AUS so I tend to buy major non emergency items from US which is great while the dollar is 0.85US at least (Sorry sponsors). But often the parts can be 60% of AUS price but the wait is usually 10 days. There is plenty of after market stuff available on the net so it is always easy to find some bling if you are interested.

I have not ridden many bikes but what I have noticed is weight. The lighter the better. It is just so much better on a light bike particularly if you have a tendency to spend a bit of time on the ground with them.

Via my kids I own Honda, Kawa, Suz, Yam, and Husky in the 85 to 125 sizes. I have to say that the Honda’s have stood up to their child beating better than the others.

After owning such an array of bikes at the one time I certainly can support the concept of having all the bikes from the one manufacturer. I can remember going to Louee and having to purchase $150 worth of different levers before I left. Never mind if you wanted to keep pads etc etc.

On bike sales there does appear to be very cheap new KLX450R’s available – check them out.

Good luck with the acquistion process.

Unit

[Paul FaheyMember]

Hey Corey8

I set off into the bush on the first lap of the second loop. Your dad had taken off before us like a man on a mission. I enter into the single line only to see a headlight coming my way. What the? The KLX pulls up and goes am I going the right way??? Yeh Sure I reply. Then I off charging up the hill thinking I doing all right only to be passed by your dad like I’am standing on the sidewalk. Your dad goes hard – good on him.

Regretfully I have my kids overtaking me up hills and now your dad!! Hey what the hell Im still having a heap of fun – and I dont want that golf cart either. Not yet anyway.

Unit.

[Paul FaheyMember]

Hi Again

Just wanted to add that the poker run with loops was a great idea. It enabled everyone to ride at their own pace, allowed you to experience the terrain and conditions a couple of times. The format gave you the opportunity to inspect the loop on lap 1, get confident on lap 2 and completely stuff it up on lap 3. Familiarity breeds contempt. How can you make it up those hills twice in a row and then completely stuff it up on the last lap? (Only good thing is that by the time I got to them on the third lap the camera man had packed his bag and gone home )

I rode the day with Tim505(?) and John. We all enjoyed the day, Tim had nasty off landing on his head on the 2nd afternoon lap :blink: :blink: . I came around the corner and found him staggering around rearranging a strategic placed 3″ dia log that had taken out his front wheel and sent him head first into the dirt. (thanks to all the guy’s who pulled up to make sure all was okay).

The day was great and the riding crew just brilliant. I ventured off in the morning fairly anxious, this was the first time I had ridden with this many people. I recalled the the disclaimers and “this is not race” warnings. I had figured there was going to be a lot of bar banging and argy bargy, but my experience was great. A good bunch of blokes having a great social ride day. Well done.

Unit

[Paul FaheyMember]

A great ride in great conditions, mixture of greasy slippery valley floor, single lines, rocky up hill climbs, twisty tree sections and red clay descents. It was my first old bull ride and what a great way to be introduced. Thank you to the management; I can only assume how much time and effort goes into getting this type of event organised and then the stress on the day.

To the Old Bull Riders thanks for the consideration as you passed, I am definitely no racer. Special thanks to the guy on the KTM who walked down the hill and gave me a push.

To the Kitchen Staff – thank for the great sausage sanger. It really hit the spot.

Whilst I didn’t meet many of you on the day, to busy riding, I will be back for more and hopefully get a chance to put more names to faces.

Unit.

[Paul FaheyMember]

Hey, took a little excursion over to the south of broken bago forest last weekend and had the pleasure of trying to climb one of those wet and greasy red clay slopes (Unfortunately I can’t call it a hill, but for the amount of slipping and sliding that I did it could have been Everest. I am sure my attempt wasnt a pretty sight from behind – lots of peddling going on and going nowhere in a hurry (sorry no pics).

Since then it has rained almost every ever second day which means that its probably going to be pretty damp next saturday. Given I’ve got 60% tread on the rear can you guys in the know give me a heads up on whether a new rear tyre would be a good idea. Particularly given the chance that 40 people have already trail blazed the slope before me..

I am thinking that it might be a good time for an earlier than normal tire change..

Unit

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