Picacho Creek Hare Scrambles Feb 17/18 2018

[KTMJACK]

Originally Posted by KooLaid

It's knocking at slightly above idle rpm. It goes away at idle and at higher rpms (Or I just don't notice it at higher rpm). I bought it used and was informed that it would eventually need a rebuild and included an oem piston kit and head gasket. It was time. I'm told by another shop that these yz450f tend to need a new crank also. It was desert raced regularly before I got it.

If it have a aluminum skidplate take it off and see if the noise go's away

[KTMJACK]

I rode the course last week and it will be a dusty race
the C course will be 4 miles long from what i can tell the B-A-AA will be twice as long

[KooLaid]

Originally Posted by KTMJACK

If it have a aluminum skidplate take it off and see if the noise go's away

Interesting. I do have an aftermarket one installed. I will need to try that.

[KTMJACK]

Originally Posted by KooLaid

Interesting. I do have an aftermarket one installed. I will need to try that.

I had a Yamaha 450 years ago and i took the motor all apart just to find nothing wrong with it . I was told to take the aluminum skidplate off and
that was it

[byke]

Super good idea, Jack. Without the foam between the motor and skidplate, my bike sounds like it has rocks in the bottom end. I'm used to it now, but at first I stopped a dozen times on the trail certain it was about to grenade.

[MotoJP46]

Originally Posted by rebekahlynn

Nice, I got mine from https://www.decalmx.com/

When you ordered your decals, did you use the smaller script option? It makes the letter smaller in relation to the numbers

[MotoJP46]

Just went to order backgrounds and their cheapest option to ship is nearly $16, I’ll keep my eyes open.

[rebekahlynn]

Originally Posted by MotoJP46

When you ordered your decals, did you use the smaller script option? It makes the letter smaller in relation to the numbers

No I kept them all the same size. The only guidance in the rule book for the letter is minimum height.

[MotoJP46]

Originally Posted by rebekahlynn

No I kept them all the same size. The only guidance in the rule book for the letter is minimum height.

Thanks!

[rebekahlynn]

Originally Posted by MotoJP46

Way to go!

I just got my D36 card, now it’s time to order backgrounds. I’ll be kicking off with the Leoni Meadows HS

Hope you're aware of the date change for Leoni HS? Flyer is out...

http://ama-d36.org/=W=/D36/2018/Cros...uth//flyer.pdf

[MotoJP46]

Originally Posted by rebekahlynn

Hope you're aware of the date change for Leoni HS? Flyer is out...

Just recently I did, good catch though

[rebekahlynn]

both lines look fun! too much to hope that the blue line is for C women?

[Hammerstime]

I hope you guys & gals have been practicing your dead engine starts. much easier to pass people at the shotgun Good luck & be safe this weekend

[rebekahlynn]

So who ended up racing?? I ran in C women and took 2nd. It was tough though, I won't lie.

Here's my FB write up and pics:

Today was my first race of the D36 season. It was at Picacho Creek and I had to leave my place at 5am to get there by 7:15, my race start was at 8am. It was a 7 mile course and I got three laps in. It was also my first race in C women (vs beginner women).

The first lap was pretty brutal. There was a steep, super dry, loose climb right after the start and people went down creating a pile up. I don't have the legs (height) to push through aggressively when moving 2ft at a time so a couple of the girls from my class got out in front of me. I was able to regain 2nd place soon after that but then I tipped over in a deep silt area cus I took a line through the deepest part and lost momentum. So while I was getting my bike back up those same two girls went around the silt (I didn't realize that was even part of the race trail!) and left me in the literal dust. I probably tipped over like 8x that first lap. I only got four hours of sleep last night (bad decision, I know). When I scanned in at the end of the first lap it said I was in 4th place.

The second lap was much smoother because at this point there weren't any clogs and I kind of knew what to expect from the course. My right hand had gone numb partway thru the first lap though and I couldn't do much with it other than keep on the throttle the rest of the race. By the end of the second lap I was totally praying I was slow enough to not get a third lap . I was dying-tired and my hand was numb and some of the features were intimidating. I just did not want to do a third lap. But when I went through at the end of my second lap I was in 3rd place and got waved on to continue. The 3rd lap was probably my most focused and smooth though my lap times for 2/3 were almost identical. I was out there with probably 75 other bikes and only vaguely knew what the girls in C class looked like. But there were B girls in the mix so I was never sure if I was getting passed by a C or B girl.

Race details: Whenever I hit a particularly crappy or intimidating feature (a steep drop off; an abrupt turn over rocks into a sharp, short, upward climb that makes your bike want to loop; a bike stopping rut) I would talk to myself about what was right before it. This works, in theory, to make my next lap smarter. Well I warned myself out loud about a thick branch that I slammed into with my head the first lap, and only managed to avoid it the final lap. I did avoid the big rut laps 2 and 3. There was a hole I almost throttled my way into, all three laps, despite having warned myself the prior two. I'm still fine tuning my warning system

So after 100 minutes of racing I pulled into the finish and placed 2nd normally I would poo-poo second place but this race was really hard and though I was love-hating the ride I pushed through. I heard one guy did one lap and bailed, saying it was too hard; there were a decent number of dnf's (did not finish).

Remember when I said, "how hard can a Hare scramble be after riding Clear Creek and Baja". Well, this freaking race was like riding Clear Creek and Baja combined for 100 minutes, lolol. Fuck me. I hope the rest are just a little easier. Please?

Tl;dr: placed 2nd out of 7 women. Tired.

[Mistico]

Excellent job Rebekah!
That's a tough/fun course.

They get a little easier once you calm down and learn to relax a bit more, but yes, the first ones are friggin brutal.