Rieju & GasGas Legacy Riders Club Forum

heres a little report for ryan brown,he races netra enduros in the A light class and no doubt will earn AA this year,his screen name is ryno on this site,he races a gasgas 250,great job ryan,enjoy

Quote:

Day1-- Overview
Lost rear brakes in 1st special test(after coming down off the mountian, thank God). My mechanic (me) forgot to tighten rear pin before impound. Luckly I had a little help rounding up some new pads and pin before the 2nd extreme test only to find that the front carrier was bent and the pads would not slide all the way in to get the pin through. Sat for a 2nd pretty frustrated and then took my side dykes and cut a portion off of the copper backing off so they would slide into place. (rode 2 days like that). Completed 2nd special test and when trying to make up some trail time I proceeded to face plant just before the 3rd special test that relegated me to visorless and bleeding but at least I gained a fan. Just before completing the 1st lap I noticed radiator smoke coming from the top of the right radiator and had broken the nipple of the of the burp can and was loosing pressure. Folded over both hoses on the catch tank and ziptied them closed. (rode 2 days like that). Made it the the 2nd check in at exactly 15minutes late and was able to ride another lap. During one of the tranfer section monster hills I was pushing the bike up screaming it and noticed radiator fog shooting out of the right side of the motor and figured I had smashed my water pump but it turned out to be the pipe had smashed back into the water pump radiator hose clamp and it was dangling broken (not unclipped, if your familiar with the gasser clamps, but broken). Struggled with trying to get a hose clamp on it but couldn't because the pipe was pushed too far back and then I used a zip-ty to clamp the hose. (rode 2 days like that). Got back to the 3rd check in and was 45 minutes late and was told my times wouldn't count but I had the attitude I was going to get my moneys worth and rode a 3rd lap anyway. Basically every muscle that is used to operate a motorcycle was crapping and in places I had never cramped before---pure torture--- but figured I would be spectating the next day so it didn't matter. I rode back to camp and undressed and was sitting in the lawn chair when some fellow riders on my minute asked why I wasn;t getting reading for impound. I just thought I was done because I had timed out but they informed me that I had 20 minutes to get to impound or I wasn't riding the next day. ie (I didn't know the rules). I did a rear tire and fixed the pin that was in the rear pads because it was a little to short and made it to impound! (CRAMPING)

Martin Griff saved me that night, with a few very good tips and I prepared for day2 wondering why I was going to torture myself again!!!

Day2
Much less drama and was starting to figure out the trail pace and had my dad running water up to me before special test 2 (cross test). I was drinking 100oz packs in about 20miles and only had 2 trail side pee breaks all day. At the beginning of check3 (1/2 way) I was 4 minutes late and in pure survival mode. A guy from New Jersey(Dan Mc Caslin) was on my minute and we just kept swapping each other lead to follow for the last 2 laps and I know that I was thinking that all I had to do was check into lap 4 and not be 15minutes late in order to keep going. We pushed each other and were giving each other high fives after the special tests, super nice guy. My dad asked me going into the last lap how I was feeling and I say "pretty bad but only one lap left" He says back to me. " That's exaclty what the other guy was saying to his friend". We were both shot.

Another real cool thing that I'll remember, before the last special test of the 2 days I was sitting on the start block of the Extreme test when I looked up and Brooks Hamiliton was standing there and gave me a single head not of encouragment. I knew thats all he could do, me being on the wrong brand and all but it just mellowed me out and I think that might have been the smoothest I went up the extreme all weekend. Real cool!

I know this was a long post but that pretty much sums up the 2 days of experience.

Lessons learned:
Europeons stand up ALL the time and by the end of the 2 days I was riding special test not even sitting down and my times reflected it.

FIM tires do not respond to clutching and wheel spin but prefer to be lugged in bad situations.

Thanks for all the support and not sure if I'll do another one but at least I did one!