Blogs

By markj, 12 September, 2005

Meningie Camp

A good turn up despite the weather forecast with Welly all the way from the Hill. A few early evening showers saw some set up just in time for the rain to stop.

1 arrival sat morn saw 9 riders head out in sunshine, with some dust as the area has not had a lot of rain. We took the reverse of the usual route this year for a change which gave us a different perspective. A fast pace as all were sand savvy saw lunch at Tinty early without incident.

A longish lunch & off again down a different track for a while parallel with the railway line – interesting when a train came along – some thought who’s passing in this difficult spot?! More quick paced riding saw us back near camp around 2.30pm, with the thirsty bikes short of fuel as usual.

By markj, 3 September, 2005

Salt creek camp

A large number for this popular camp this year, with good weather forecast & 3 families taking advantage of the cabins to make 19 ½ riders for Saturday (Jeff took son Ben on the back) & 5 wives & various kids & 3 dogs.

New guy Dennis was on a brand new 650 berger which all were interested to see. Started on time at 0930 & 1k later Paul was down in the gloop, didn’t know what had hit him – slippery stuff that clay.

5 k’s further on & Jeff had to remount the pillion pegs for Ben as they were slipping around. Great tracks in excellent conditions saw lots of very enjoyable riding get us to lunch at Tinty with very few incidents, apart from Ben getting well bounced around in the woops & Jeff having to work hard to try to give him as smooth a ride as possible.

By markj, 22 August, 2005

Cape York trip 2005

PARTICIPANTS:

DAVE BURGESS – BACK UP DRIVER
ADAM BURGESS - “
JUSTIN ORMANDY XR400
GORDON CARLYLE 550 BERG
CHRIS KNIGHT KTM450
BRETT TUCKER DRZ400
MERV TUCKER DRZ400
JEFF VINCENT DRZ400
ANDREW SHEP DRZ400
MARK JARVIS DRZ400
DARREN COATES WR450
BRIAN MCGINLEY KTM525
DAN CROFT WR400

Tuesday night 5/7/05 we packed up the cars at Chris’s – there was plenty of room as lots of stuff was taken on the planes by those flying up. Brett’s bike was padlocked at the rear sprocket so we had to lift it everywhere as he didn’t leave the key!

Wed 6/7/05 Chris left home at 0730 with 5 bikes on ute & trailer & got to the Bourke caravan park at 2000. I left work at 1600, got lost twice on the way to Burgo’s, took half an hour to load all the contraband luggage (extra [small] crate, bucket, huuuuuge air bed, bbq plate, shower etc – most of which didn’t get used!). Burgo got us lost on the way to Burra, where we had to replace a trailer bearing. Got to Broken Hill at 0100 & caught up with Welly & bed at 0200. Up at 0600 & away, checked out the bike shop at Cobar & got to Longreach at 0100 (1500k’s for the day). Bed at 0200. Chris stopped near Winton at 2100. No dramas next day with Chris at Cairns just in time to get Brett from the airport at 1840. We got to Cairns at 2100 & set up. Picked up Adam at the airport at 0100, bed at 0200. Justin arrived at 2200, his car was using LOTS of oil.

By markj, 4 August, 2005

Swan Reach

27 eager starters arrived at Springton on a beautiful winter’s day to partake in their favourite pastime. Many were eager to hear how the Cape trip went from the only 2 participants who went who were allowed to ride again a week later (me & Burgo). After we all caught up with each others’ news 26 dirt riders headed off on time at 10am (Neil sloped off home on his motard kitted DRZ). After 1k we hit the dirt. Back roads & back tracks offering great views over the attendant hillside vistas took us to the clayton’s accommodation hill (namely cook’s hill). Thence to great roadside tracks not too whooped out & real creek crossings with water in them (it is the middle of winter after all). A DRZ suffered the renowned blubbering after whoops from a little water in the carb (undo that pesky 17mm drain plug at the bottom of the float bowl occasionally). At a regroup Stoney rang the shop to verify plenty of food & fuel on hand for lunch. More top back tracks eventually got us to a series of wombat holes where a couple of riders thought it was the lunch stop & tried to act like a wombat (eat their roots & leaves by endoing head first down their burrows). I think it was one of those XR4 riders who earlier had crashed in a gully & winded himself (obviously riding a little over his head). Headed for town then for lunch & fuel, with some bikes low on fuel as we had done a fair few k’s (mine probably needed a bit in order to make it to the end of the ride as I hadn’t refuelled since Mossman!).

By tiago, 29 July, 2005

"It's up to the horse's shoulders". Ride Report.

It was a long time ago since I took my bike for a ride. I raced two enduros, one was a two day race, that I made a big mistake in the first day and broke my toe on the other day, and The last enduro was easy, with slippery terrain and easy and large trails. Jeep wide trails....

Last weekend I was called by a friend inviting me for a ride on a trail at a city not far from here. Another friend called inviting me to ride the old and good Zombie Woods trails, but just at that weekend I had to go to my parent's home town (1400km round trip, 870mi) and could not ride. Lucky changed two days, when Eduardo (rides a 84 XL250 with a 317cc overbore) called me saying that we could ride up to Porto de Galinhas (a very beautiful and tourist oriented beach, just google it...) where Beto would wait for us with beer and a barbecue. Beto has a house there and have a F1000 (a F250 truck variation), so he would drive there with his bike and return with us. Great!

By racingmx, 15 July, 2005

My Lucky Day

There are certain hours when fate sneaks up behind you and flat-out boots you in the backside and says, “Here. Take this.

By racingmx, 4 July, 2005

Top 5 Riding Songs

While I’m far from a music aficionado, who doesn’t like to listen to a few good songs on the way to the track, something to get you rocking? I’m assuming plenty of other guys have considered this (girls, as well, if you want to be politically correct), but I’ve thought of strapping my MP3 player to the top of my helmet so I can listen to whatever I like while I ride, and I say the top of my helmet as I figure that’s the least likely spot to suffer damage in the event of a wreck, which I do often.

I’ve seen my fair share of riding/racing videos, including The Great Outdoors: Another Perfect Season, which I believe ranks up there with one of the best racing videos made, and whoever edited the film did a fantastic job of compiling the soundtrack. What I’m trying to say is, certain music just makes you want to throw a leg over a seat and bang it up through the gears.

By racingmx, 27 June, 2005

Water Boy

When I’m at the track, I can deal with ninety-five degree weather (that canopy I paid $100+ for is worth it’s weight in gold when the mercury starts to climb). I can deal with dragging myself out of bed at six in the morning to load the truck with my bike, the plastic storage box with spare parts, the bike stand, the gas can, the toolbox, the cooler, the chairs, the canopy, and everything else I might need. I can deal with traffic on the way to the track. I can deal with paying tolls and six bucks a gallon for hi-test fuel. I can deal with flat tires and I can deal with ten-year-olds passing me on 85cc bikes. I can deal with the agonizing roost from a 450 four-stroke. I can deal with embarrassing spills and endos. I can deal with separated shoulders and dislocated ankles, although I cannot deal with sixteen-year-old track maintenance kids spraying me with the water hose.

By simon, 26 June, 2005

Adelaide Motorcycle Expo

I dropped in to the Adelaide Motorcycle Expo on Friday and took some snapshots while they were setting up.
Click on the pictures below to zoom in!
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[image:5002] [image:5003] [image:5004]
[image:5005]

By racingmx, 21 June, 2005

The hands that follow the eyes

I’m convinced that one of the largest keys to speed in motocross and supercross--and road racing too, I suppose, although I’m yet to throw a leg over a street bike--are the eyes, which follows the old adage, “The hands follow the eyes.