Which organized events will a KTM 640E work decent in?

[Piston]

I am brand new to the world off road riding events. I didn't realize there were so many events in my area until I really started looking into it (about 20 years late I might add!)

I went through as many sites as I could find to get the dates of enduros, hare scrambles, turkey runs, dual sport rides, short course racing, and J Day events. I'm pretty positive I'm limited to dual sport rides, but I wanted to ask if I could use my 640E for a turkey run or enduro? I thought for sure it would be perfect for "enduro's" since it says it right in the name, but after looking into it more, it looks like no one is using anything that big and heavy.

Am I limited to just the dual sport runs? I know I need a smaller bike to really get into this, and I "almost" bit the bullet and bought slowkemit's 200xcw which is the bike I really want, but with my 2nd son on the way, it looks like I'm going to have to wait another year to add a bike to my stable.

I'm by no means a great rider, but I'm pretty open to trying anything. I've had this bike for 3 or 4 years now and mostly only use it off road.


As a side note, I couldn't find a single website or calendar that listed most all the events in our area, so I made one on google calendar. If anyone is interested in a fairly complete schedule for 2014, let me know since I think I can "share" the calendar somehow.
Also, if there is already a schedule like this, please post a link for me. I'd like to attend quite a few even if it's just to watch and get introduced to the events.

[Chippertheripper]

You really aren't limited by anything but the size of the bike. You can run any event on it, but they'll all be workouts.
If anything you can run MORE events because it's a plated bike. So yes, the enduros, tr, ds, scrambles, short courses, and jdays are all wide open for ya.
I haven't seen a calendar like that. I'm sure, looking at the doc, it's overwhelming. There literally is something going on every weekend in the region.

[maxim_X]

As chipper said you can enter any race. Personally I would avoid a hairscramble with the bike, 2 + hours at race pace through a gnarly course without a break is hard enough on a normal dirty toy. I've seen some xr650's on both enduros, which are races with street sections, and turkey runs, fun rides with street sections. Come down and check out a couple of different races and see what the courses are like. Maybe we will see you out there this year.

[nhbubba]

I feel like I need to try one of these "turkey" runs. I'm a turkey.. I should fit right in.

I'm interested in your google calendar.

[wheelieman14]

Personally, I'd suggest starting off with a Dual-Sport ride or Turkey Run on your KTM 640E. I recently plated my newer '04 KDX200 to make an attempt back at riding Enduros, after almost 23 years since I seriously competed in the dirt ('90-'91 NETRA "B" Veteran class on '89 KDX200). DS & TR will be an absolute blast, while riding in the gnarly New England woods with "hero sections" for both Enduros & Hare Scrambles will most likely have you asking yourself, "what the heck am I doing out here on this heavy bike". There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, as Scott Summers rode incredibly well on his big thumper back in the day. My son is in the process of getting his XR400R converted to be street-legal with full CT registration & seriously thinks he is going to whoop me on my little KDX200 in the dirt. I expect by the end of the summer riding season, he will be wanting a KTM 200 pure-bred woods bike, if he can afford it.

As expensive as Road Racing has been over the past 14 seasons, I'm looking forward to getting back out in the dirt for relatively inexpensive days of checking out New England trails. Just hope that my 55 year old body doesn't take too bad of a beating so I can return back to work on Monday mornings...

[maxim_X]

I feel like I need to try one of these "turkey" runs. I'm a turkey.. I should fit right in.

Nothing to it but to do it.

[MHenry600]

Another thing to look into with a bike like that would be NASA Rally MOTO. If you know anything about stage rally racing with cars, its basically that but on bikes. For specific events, one would be Black River Stages in the fall. You can YouTube some videos to get an idea.

[gregp]

With a KTM 640, I would stick to only Dual-Sport rides - usually advertised as being for "Big Bikes". I have ridden late '90's KTM 620's in Turkey Run's, and it can be done. It just is not much fun unless you have a body builder's physique. I would never recommend entering a NETRA Enduro on a bike that big.

[gregp]

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...gid=1810561702

[Piston]

...You can run any event on it, but they'll all be workouts....
....There literally is something going on every weekend in the region.

I'm sure I'd be exhausted after only a short period of time on anything more than easy singletrack. That bike get's REALLY heavy to pick up after a few drops! It's good to know I can actually TRY most all of the events though, even if I'll regret it after doing so.

One of the reasons I've waited so long to get into this, is because I honestly didn't realize there was so much riding available. I grew up riding the woods near my house, but most all of that is closed down now, and I figured why spend all the money on a nice dirt bike I can't even ride. Now after actually doing some leg work, I see there is a whole lot more available than I ever realized. I'm pretty excited to at least watch a few events this year, and hopefully participate in some as well, even if I really do suck at it.

As chipper said you can enter any race. Personally I would avoid a hairscramble with the bike, 2 + hours at race pace through a gnarly course without a break is hard enough on a normal dirty toy.

I'll definitely take that advice. I'm more concerned with just trying some rides/races out, let alone finishing them! I'll save the legit racing for when I get some experience under my belt.

Come down and check out a couple of different races and see what the courses are like. Maybe we will see you out there this year.

You'll definitely see me out there at some point this year. I'll be the guy with overweight pig of an LC4 with big tank and a rear rack
I'm going to try to make the Bill Hallsen Memorial Turkey Run on April 27th this year. I just need to make sure I leave enough time to get my bike to Moab by the 3rd week of May.

I feel like I need to try one of these "turkey" runs. I'm a turkey.. I should fit right in.

I'm interested in your google calendar.

So I'll see you at the turkey run on April 27th?

Try this link for the calendar, let me know if it doesn't work
https://www.google.com/calendar/embe...erica/New_York

[Piston]

Personally, I'd suggest starting off with a Dual-Sport ride or Turkey Run on your KTM 640E. I recently plated my newer '04 KDX200 to make an attempt back at riding Enduros,

I'd love to go with something smaller, unfortunately though for now, the big beast is all I have. I may try a Turkey Run and say "F this" and never go back, but I seriously doubt it haha. Chances are better that I'll have a smaller plated 2 stroke next year, and then hopefully really get to make some races. Maybe I'll see you out there!

Based on nothing more than internet reading, and looking through the NETRA rule books, I really think I'd enjoy enduro's the most out of everything. I enjoy technical riding more than racing, although from what I understand so far, I'd still be behind the clock on an enduro anyways.

Another thing to look into with a bike like that would be NASA Rally MOTO. If you know anything about stage rally racing with cars, its basically that but on bikes. For specific events, one would be Black River Stages in the fall. You can YouTube some videos to get an idea.

Thanks for the tip! That sounds pretty fun. I googled NASA Rally Moto but didn't come up with anything, only rally cars. Do you have any links?

With a KTM 640, I would stick to only Dual-Sport rides - usually advertised as being for "Big Bikes". I have ridden late '90's KTM 620's in Turkey Run's, and it can be done. It just is not much fun unless you have a body builder's physique. I would never recommend entering a NETRA Enduro on a bike that big.

Greg, I'll keep that in mind. I definitely don't have a body builders physique.

Thanks for the link to the calendar! I haven't figured out google docs yet.

[Chippertheripper]

The lc4 can do anything.
I will own another.

[nhbubba]

So I'll see you at the turkey run on April 27th?

Try this link for the calendar, let me know if it doesn't work
https://www.google.com/calendar/embe...erica/New_York

Strong maybe. That's the day before the first TTD of the season, which I'm still on the fence about.

Calendar worked. Thanks for that.

[Piston]

The lc4 can do anything.
I will own another.

The ole' LC4 can handle it, it's me that will have the trouble!
I do love the bike, and really have no plans to get rid of it. I just put an FCR carb on it and had Cliff's Cycles go through and service everything for me. I had been putting it off because I wanted to do it all myself, but after never finding (making) the time to do it, I just brought it to them. Actually, that's a big part of why I'm a lot more interested in this stuff now, I started drooling over their bikes in the showroom and haven't stopped.

[MHenry600]

Thanks for the tip! That sounds pretty fun. I googled NASA Rally Moto but didn't come up with anything, only rally cars. Do you have any links?

Yeah, here's a couple. I was on my phone yesterday when I posted, and I was too lazy to put up a couple then. The down side to these events are that they cost a little bit more than the local HS/Enduro/Turkey Run events. Also, most of them are a bit of a drive from our area, the closest one being Black River Stages in upstate NY.

This one is from Sandblast in SC, but will give you a pretty good idea of the general event.


Here's one from BRS from the same guy as above. A bit different terrain, but same idea.


And one from RallyWV, on a DRZ400..



Even if you watch some of the car videos, most of the stages are exactly the same, but the bikes run a couple hours ahead of the cars in most cases.

Another event you might be able to look into are hillclimbs, mostly in VT. I'm not sure on the tire/wheel requirements on whether you'd need a street type tire (pretty sure you do), but MaxBMW supports a couple moto hillclimbs a year. Again they are events that cars are running too, like Mt. Philo, Mt. Ascutney, etc. There should be a couple threads on here even if you search for them.
Here's a video from Mt. Burke:

[ZX-12R]

I feel like I need to try one of these "turkey" runs. I'm a turkey.. I should fit right in.

The NE Classic Charity Trail Ride is coming up on June 14-15. Back to back 100+ mile days of mostly trails that aren't normally open to trail bikes. There were a half dozen of us last year and it only took as about a mile to get separated!

http://www.cff.org/Chapters/newengla...13&Event=26356

[Chippertheripper]

^ that is a fantastic event. You could bring both bikes, Colin, do the big bike ride Saturday, and the turkey run Sunday.

[nhbubba]

And camping (in June) in between.. yahdoode.. lets do it.

It just so happens I just outfitted the trailer to carry two bikes.

[SVRACER01]

Wirelessly posted (GS3)

I feel like I need to try one of these "turkey" runs. I'm a turkey.. I should fit right in.

The NE Classic Charity Trail Ride is coming up on June 14-15. Back to back 100+ mile days of mostly trails that aren't normally open to trail bikes. There were a half dozen of us last year and it only took as about a mile to get separated!

http://www.cff.org/Chapters/newengla...13&Event=26356

I really want to do that event but its the beginning of bike week and I only get 1 day off that week. Itll be tough to get one of those first 2 weekend days days off and if I do it will make the rest of my week very long.
Ill have to try to make this happen.

[nhbubba]

Dibs on back marker for team NESR.

[SVRACER01]

Wirelessly posted (GS3)

The schedule for that isnt very clear. What event(s) are run on what day?
if I somehow manage to get one of those days off it will be just that...one day.

[SVRACER01]

Wirelessly posted (GS3)

Those nasa events look like a blast. 1 problem I found was in the rule book. "No 2 strokes"

[ZX-12R]

The first day is for registration and camping access. The second and third days are for riding with an optional riders banquet on the second day. They have a northern loop of trails on one day and a southern loop for the other.

[Piston]

The NE Classic Charity Trail Ride is coming up on June 14-15. Back to back 100+ mile days of mostly trails that aren't normally open to trail bikes. There were a half dozen of us last year and it only took as about a mile to get separated!

http://www.cff.org/Chapters/newengla...13&Event=26356

That looks like a great time, I'm bummed I won't be around for it.

[Piston]

Wirelessly posted (GS3)

Those nasa events look like a blast. 1 problem I found was in the rule book. "No 2 strokes"

Is this common in any other organized rides/races? I'm hoping that my next bike will be a (plated) 2 stroke, although I've never actually ridden one. I figured it would complement the 640 quite nicely, use the the 640 for the more dual sport oriented rides, and the smaller 2t for EVERYTHING else.
Is there any reason I should be looking at a smaller 4 stroke instead? (specifically for technical woods trail rides/trailblazing, and enduros/hare scrambles)