[hasslbri]

Hey guys,

I just got back from the Duquette National Enduro in Minnesota. I had my first real enduro on my 515 FSR. (I have taken the summer off from racing for the most part) Weather was sunny and 70 with a slight breeze. The course was about 75 miles and had about 8 tests with the longest just short of 14 miles. I rode Open A class and dropped 69 points for the day for 6th place in class. All in all it was a good solid day. I had one slight wash out in a tight sandy downhill, other then that I kept it on two wheels. My usual ride is a 300st, so I had some unknowns coming into the race. I did stall the bike about 4 times throughout the day, but when pushing that hard all day, I was bound to make a few mistakes. The race, by Minnesota standards, was pretty fast. All the tests were in single track, but for the most part, it wasn't real tight, mostly 2nd and 3rd gear. The bike worked great all day and really excelled in the tighter woods with quick turns and hard dirt. The only place I was really uncomfortable was when we rode the last two tests backwards from ealier in the day. The ground was so dry that it pounded the dirt into silt and with the bigger bike, the was a tendency to push in the soft stuff. Not a big problem, just had to watch yourself at speed. Another thing I worried about was the motor and the weight and how it would effect me over the course of a long day. Well I am happy to report, I finished the day actually better/ stronger then I started it. The weight and beast of a motor does beat you up a bit in the chop, but was unbelievably managable in real world enduro settings.

All in all it was a very possitive ride on the big bike. No coolant lost, no broken parts, no broke bones. Thank you Straight Arrow Enduro Riders!

Brian Hasslen