Jack Frost Fun Run - HVD Oxford, MA - 11/3

[tls25rs]

Probablygl get there around 11:30. Had to get a bike running. Hopefully I'll catch you guys between loops!

[Chippertheripper]

Husky or yz?

[tsorfas]

Yup, send me your address I'll stop by on the way back

You are the best! Shoot me a text when you leave 5089812400

[tls25rs]

Husky or yz?

YZ and running a little later than planned.

[tls25rs]

Finally made it. Where you guys hiding?

[McBiggity]

good time. Lot of people. Good to meet some new faces. Wish I had more time to stay and do another loop.

[JettaJayGLS]

Shit that was hard.

Awesome day guys, I've never ridden in a group that large, good times for sure.

[MarkMarine]

Guys, I have to thank all of your for waiting for me, and especially Joel for not only waiting on me but helping pull me out of the pricked bush I launched myself.
I had a great time, and it just proves we have the best group of people at NESR. Most of you had never met me but were willing to wait for me to bash myself of rocks, bail in the mud and loam, and lug along.
I love riding that area, and the event was great.

Oh, and alpinestars gear is awesome. I had their neck brace and A-8 body protector, and I fell directly on the crown of my helmet, on a rock. And while I have a sore ankle, nothing a little ice won't fix. The gear was comfy, didn't restrict my movement and worked. All I can ask for, I spent more on gear than I spent on the bike but I was well worth it.

[typeone]

had a blast! they did a really good job with the course although the main loop was pretty short. a bunch of it we ride backwards, few sections I didn't recognize. good stuff. I've got the GPS if anyone wants it.

great riding with you guys! weather ended up purrrrfect.

[gregp]

Hey! It was really nice to finally be able to put some faces to the screen names! For me, there just didn't seem to be enough time in the day. Shortly after meeting Chip and Clinton, the conga line was kind of jacked up as riders waited for an attempt at the hero section hill. I juts went straight, and stayed on the main loop.
I had some chili with the guys that I rode with, and we hit the trail for another loop. I am sorry that I did not get the chance to spend more time and ride more with you guys! My knee's had all but given up by the 4th loop.

[typeone]

ditto... great to meet you, greg!

247 riders yesterday

[Chippertheripper]

Yeah, good times for sure. 247 paid riders, not to mention all the family members and the rest lingering, what a turnout.

Let's not do this every two years, lets make it a little more frequent. Cheers.

[McBiggity]

I need practice. The 125 reminded me how much I suck at dirtbikes

[gregp]

You know, whenever I start to feel like I am getting too old for dirt riding, all I have to do is show up at one of these fun NETRA events, and I am suddenly commiserating with a whole bunch of older guys who, like myself, have sworn to keep doing it as long as we are able to. I used to think that I was pretty fast in the woods - Not any more. Those days are long gone. Now, I am completely satisfied to just finish an event, and make it back to the truck. I still consider myself very capable in the woods, and I can make it up, over, or around pretty much anything, but I no longer have the stamina and speed that the younger guys have.
My 350 was definitely too much bike for yesterday's ride. I was wishing for a 125 about 10 minutes into the first loop. At one point, we stopped on the trail, and a young, 20-something guy on a newer YZ-125 was drooling over my bike, and asking me how I liked it. He asked if it really had 40-something horsepower. I responded that my bike was "only OK", and he was surprised at that. I told him that he already had the best bike for New England, and that the grass is not always greener on the other side. When we parted, I'd like to think that he felt good about the bike he had. Clinton - Your bike has got to be phenomenal for New England trail riding! Just speaking with you about it got me thinking about getting another 125.... One of the older guys I was with had a 2000 KTM 200 that had been lowered significantly, and the suspension has been valved much looser. I sat on it, and gave it the seat-bounce test, and started thinking that my stock components have to get re-worked ASAP. The lowering was also very nice. At 5'-7", with a 30" inseam, I just might go that route.

[tls25rs]

Let's not do this every two years, lets make it a little more frequent. Cheers.

Amen brother!

I have so much fun getting together with the group and just having a fun day of riding the trails (wish I had gotten there earlier yesterday). Yeah the bigger the group the more stopping and making sure everyone is together but the back and forth and bench racing during those little breaks can be enjoyable too. Worst case we break off into smaller groups and meet up in the lot.

I know most of you are out but anyone is welcome to join us Saturday at the Hop/Ev riding area in Weare NH this coming Saturday, meeting in the lot at 9:00AM and on the trails by 9:30AM.

Joel

[typeone]

Clinton - Your bike has got to be phenomenal for New England trail riding! Just speaking with you about it got me thinking about getting another 125.

it's straight-up-awesome in those conditions (to me). look around for a 144! you'd be surprised how much torque they actually have for a little bike. excellent OEM kit.

i should have let you take it out for a spin but the day vanished fast. the more i tune it, the more i love it. the Lectron carb was a big step forward this season. super smooth, huge MPG savings, always consistent. the stock Mikuni was a nightmare.

my suspension needs a refresh but if you pushed down on my seat you'd think the shock was broken COUCH. both ends were worked over by Hall's.

the last thing i'm tweaking on it is the analog ignition. it's great that it's not MX-hyper, but it's pretty old tech with a heavy flywheel, a hair more snap would be nice in the open stuff. a tiny fan of the clutch from 2nd > 3rd lights it up but i know i can eliminate that slight dip. i'm going to try lightening the flywheel ever so slightly before changing out to CR ignition parts + a FWW. (CR has more aggressive curve, light flywheel)

i love riding that bike!

[JettaJayGLS]

I need a second (okay third) bike for the woods.

Let me know when the 165 is for sale too

[Chippertheripper]

Greg, check out c-cycle in ct. That's who did my stuff, super reasonable, and the guy KNOWS the ne woods stuff and the newer ktm boingers.
EVERY plated dirty is a compromise. Smaller and lighter is definitely better in the woods, but if you need to ride out of your residence, it's tough to get where you're going on any 2t over the pavement. It's just miserable. I'm still pretty convinced the 350f might be the best all arounder, at least on paper.
You're out there doing it and that's what counts. As Clinton sort of touched on yesterday, the webz offer too much for consideration sometimes. The best bike to ride is the one that's parked in your garage, whatever that may be.
Now if I could just take those words to heart...

[Fast_Eddie]

There is a Husky 144 like Clinton's on NEDB right now if any of you guys are serious about looking for one. If I still rode the woods instead of MX, I'd be all over that bike.
I've ridden every model bike in this thread and even at my 190 lb weight I was still fastest on Clinton's WR165 or my old YZ125 in the woods.

[typeone]

there's 2 more on CraigsList, 3K. guys have been building them up from 2004+ models. popular bike out in the North West (true single track)

Eddie, i've made some more improvements since you rode it... lower comp head, thicker base gasket, leaner metering rod, shorter power jet tube, colder plug w/tighter gap. running mint on 93 pump, no more race gas. dialed the grunt/snap back in without it.

[MarkMarine]

Just got back from precautionary x-rays, and I am pretty sure (with the experience I have reading x-rays, not a medical doctor but I did stay in a holiday express) I didn't break anything! Foot is tender and black and blue today, but I'll prob be up for a ride this weekend

The positive thing: I did this when I was first road racing and learning to go quick on the track, but landing in the woods is much softer than the asphalt track. For me it's always a steep (painful) learning curve, but I get it pretty quick I'll be keeping up by next year.

So, HOP-EV, definitely maybe. Anyone have some suggestions on where I can take Julie? Something nice and easy where she can just learn to handle the bike, and not get too frustrated.

[gregp]

Smooth, semi-flat, beginner-friendly spots are tough to find in MA, and getting tougher every year.
BTW - I really was looking forward to riding the Toy's for Tot's closed course event in Freetown in a few weeks, but at yesterday's event, I ran into an old friend from the Springfield MC, and he told me that Freetown was *brutal* on body and bikes. He is an "A" Enduro rider, and he loves riding, but he had no reservations in telling me that he and his newly crowned Champion son were *not* going to attend that event. That says a lot!
So, does anybody here ride in Freetown? Can you confirm or deny the conditions, or tell me what it is like?

[Kurlon]

If you're up for a long drive, when Hemonds MX in Maine is holding open practice on their old track, it's perfect for beginners. Long, flowing, all jumps are clearly marked and all are tabletops with lots of room for error. MX101 in NH is fun, bit closer, has a peewee track that is good for putt-putting on to figure things out, main track is more challenging than the old track at Hemonds but it's all rollable while learning.

[Chippertheripper]

I do. It's no worse than anything you rode yesterday.
It does break bikes and humans racing, but you shouldn't be pushing that hard on a trail ride.

[gregp]

Thanks, Chip! OK, I think, then that I am still going to try to make it - weather permitting.