Quick little run around some of Fox Valley Off Road in Ottawa, IL
Bike: 2006 Husqvarna WR250
Rider: Andrew Gore
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Category: News
Saturday Ride @ FVOR
Saturday went pretty well with testing the bike, and getting some good seat time in. We rode from about 10:30am until 3:30pm. Aside from the changes on the bike, I made the decision to try just a roost guard instead of my complete pressure suit. I was quite glad I did, as the temps were hitting the mid 90’s. I got so much better air flow over my body and honestly in the woods, didn’t feel any less protected. Though I’m sure I’ll feel otherwise the next time I crash hard. 
The riding area is a combo of a mini MX track, and some very sporadic woods trails. There is absolutely nothing defined in there, and is 2-way traffic. Though it could be called 360 way traffic, as the way the trails intertwine with each other, you could run into someone from any and every possible direction. I shouldn’t complain though, as it gives me a good idea of the random trails they may tie in for harescrambles there.
The real downside is that it is next to impossible to ride the same exact course twice. I could try all I wanted, but yeah just not happening. So what I ended up doing was alternating between a few hot laps on the mx track, and then duck into the woods for a bit. I found that doing 5 laps on the mx track was like doing an hour in the woods. I found though as the day\heat grew, that it got to me, which will be addressed with more\better pre-race hydration. I guess I just haven’t been drinking enough water, and I felt it.
On the upside of all this, I really like how the bike was feeling. I felt strong and planted on it at all times. I had installed some CR-Hi bars that put me in a much more relaxed position while standing. The grips I installed gave me some blisters on my thumbs, though that could also be a product of my body sweating profusely and the gloves slipping on my hands. I may ditch the pillow-top pro-tapers and go back to the half-waffles that were on the thing stock.
Check the post below for footage: http://andrewgore.net/?p=590
-Andrew
PS – More footage on the way.
Fox Valley Off-Road 6-9-12
Quick little run around some of Fox Valley Off Road in Ottawa, IL
Bike: 2006 Husqvarna WR250
Rider: Andrew Gore
Continue Reading →
Another tough day at the races
The morning started well, a good breakfast, followed by loading up the truck and getting off on the road. The weather reports showed that rain wouldn’t be a factor until the later evening, and the sky seemed to echo the same. We arrived at Fox Valley Off-Road in time to see my friend head up to the starting line for his earlier race. Just as the flag was dropped, the rains came.
For the next 30 minutes, the rain poured down. I made the hike down to registration, and despite my better judgement, thought “this is gonna be fun”, handed over my AMA\District cards and money and get signed up. About 40 minutes into the rain, it let up a bit, so I got myself geared up, thinking it’d be raining for the rest of the day. As I finished gearing up, I saw my friend riding up to my truck. I thought it was odd, as it was only 45 minutes into his 90 minute race. He looked spent, and said the hills were terrible, and it seemed they were cutting some of them out.
My time came to fire up the bike. The sun was beginning to show itself, and the rain had all but subsided at this point. I did some practice loops on an oval next to the pits. The XR felt good, but definitely wasn’t the Husky I would have rather of been on. Starting an older 4-stroke is a little different than it’s newer 2-stroke counterpart, but it was what it was, and I was glad I was able to make it to the line.
The starting line was just slop. As soon as I set my feet down, the mud caked onto my boots. It was more of a soft and squishy clay than a wet dirt type mud. I knew it was gonna be hell, and really wished I had the Michelin S12XC tires over the tires the XR had on it. I knew the tires wouldn’t shed the mud as I needed, but it was what it was. I got my game face on, and when the flag drop, was thrilled to have the mighty XR fire up first kick and pull me off and away. From what I gathered from the start, I managed to take off in 2nd or 3rd place.
Things got more and more sketchy as the course went on. My tires instantly caked in with mud. No matter how much I spun up the rear, the tire wasn’t shedding the mud. I did my best to keep the tips Shane Watts gave me in mind, but it grew more and more difficult. There were really only 2 real hill-climbs in the race, and they were pretty mellow. Unfortunately, if 1 person gets hung up on one, it messes you up pretty quick and its just a domino affect. Each time this happened sapped more and more energy from myself.
First lap wasn’t pretty at all, and the 2nd lap wasn’t getting any better. In normal conditions, this track woulda been easy, far too easy. Unfortunately my bike was going all over the place. No matter how fast I’d push myself, the front tire wouldn’t shed the mud and slipped around like a sportbike tire in the slop. After running through timing and scoring, I found myself coming to an off-camber section. Earlier laps I went high and shoulda stayed a bit lower. This time I messed up, went low and upon doing so, spun out, casing the bottom of the bike into a tree. Nothing major, but by now, the sun was out and me & the bike were feeling the heat.
My body was over-heating sitting on top of the air-cooled beast. The bike for some reason was being a royal PITA to start, and I was stuck in an odd precarious position on the trail. I managed to push the bike into a position where I could kick the thing. Unfortunately due to all the mud, the kick starter would continually stay down after each kick. Suffice to say, I was at my witts end. I saw my buddy who raced earlier standing on the trail by where I was. He was getting a good chuckle out of my situation. I set the bike down (gently mind you), and walked off a couple feet to cool myself from the bike. I needed energy to get the bike going and get up and running.
Unfortunately when I got back to the bike, it was no easier to start. This seemed odd, as normally even when hot, the bike would start 1st or 2nd kick, every time. After plenty of kicks, I finally fired it up, only to hear an awful tick coming from the head. At this point I cursed the day 4-strokes were born, assessed my situation, and realized at this point I wasn’t having any fun. I was frustrated with the bike, myself, and the mud. I knew I had to just call it before I hurt me, the bike, or anything else.
I rolled back to the pits, feeling defeated, but better as soon as I got my gear off me. We loaded up, and made our way home. I accepted the day for what it was, and looked to ways I could improve things. So despite the race itself being a bit of a letdown, it was at least a continued learning experience. So things I learned:
1. If there is ANY chance of rain in the forecast, bring the enclosed trailer. Gearing up in the front seat of a truck is a pain. No thanks.
2. Invest in some mud tires. It’ll cost a little bit to have them on hand, but they really could change the outcome of a race.
3. Warm weather gear needs addressing. I need to find an alternative to the pressure suit. I like the protection, but it’ll make me over-heat in a hurry.
4. Don’t invite family to first Harescramble of the season…..especially if it’s gonna be a wet\soupy one. They got to see me get tossed from the bike as I crossed over a tall log by the timing\scoring section. I’m sure plenty amusing for them. haha
All in all, not a terrible weekend. I got to inspect the XR, and it was good I stopped when I did. One of the tappet nuts came off and was floating around in the head. Thankfully it caused no damage, and I was able to fish it out of the head. I’m ready to go back for another one, but will feel much better being on my Husqvarna.
I’ll post up pics when I get them from my Dad.
-Andrew
Sponsors: The ones who make it happen.
I’ve realized that I haven’t gone too much into detail in regards to my sponsors. The ones who really help me out and make a lot of this racing nonsense possible. I can’t thank them enough for all they do. Check them out.
This is my fathers Injection Molding & Mold Making company. He opened up shop in 1994, and has managed to weather difficult times in manufacturing that have taken out others. This hasn’t happened by accident. The quality of work produced at Three R Plastics has spoken for itself. Not always the cheapest on the block, but the level of service that is provided consistently goes above and beyond customer expectations. If you’ve got a unique product you’re looking for help bringing to the market, or just need something machined up for a bike project, Three R Plastics will get it done for you.
I was introduced to John & Terry @ Economy Cycle when I first got back into motorcycles just after high school. I was all mixed up in vintage 2-strokes, and they helped set me straight. John & Terry provide incredible service to the local motorcycle community, and are an invaluable asset to the vintage 2-stroke riders. You name it, they’ve got (or will do whatever to get) for you. They’ve continued to support me through my various competition ventures. I look forward to a continued partnership with them in the years to come.
Helmet-Hook was the result of me continually dropping my helmet while on off-road rides up north. I’d either twist my mirror in a funky way, or come out from a restaurant to see my helmet cracked onto the ground. The Helmet-Hook is so nice and convenient that I can keep one mounted on my race bike, and not have it ever get in the way. Just one of them simple things that made me say “Why didn’t I make this thing sooner?”.
On top of the above sponsors, my family continues to be invaluable to me. I’ve got an incredibly wonderful wife who continues to motivate me to not only continue with training and proper nutrition, but also encourages me with my racing. Simply put, she’s amazing.
-Andrew