I did it!

I had a great weekend.  I raced my KTM Sunday, my first MX in many years.  I loved it.  Nothing like head to head racing (as you know).  My goals were to have fun, not crash, finish the race, and beat somebody.  I accomplished all of them.  I finished all four motos and even had a bit of energy left over (motocross, the most strenuous sport in the world).  In the plus fifty class I came in last (wow, some of those old farts can really go!) but they were probably on open class bikes too, but in the 250 sportsman, which I think is more competative, I beat 2 guys!  I was real excited.  My starts were all pretty bad, need to practice lots more.  Only got 2 short practices and none on the starting gate.  In order to make a really good start, I have to pop the clutch at about 8 grand and hang on tight while it wheelies for about 50 feet.  When I practiced that at Sears, I either got too much and had to back off, or too little and boged it, so I decided to do first gear starts this time, especially as I didn't know what efect going over the gate would have, which means I have to shift imediatly which of course takes more time.  I was real timid about jumping out into the first turn in the middle of the pack too, but by the fourth moto I was almost in the middle of the pack going through the first turn.  Quit a rush going into the first turn with screaming bikes all around you.  I loved it.  I wasn't really moving till about the halfway point of the thrid moto when I mostly transitioned from front wheel steer to rear wheel steer.  Then I really noticed my speed picking up like crazy.  Then I passed a guy and really had to push it to keep him behind me, then I passed another guy and started to panic cause I had two guys on my tail.  I need to figure out how to how to make the transition from trials (slow) to MX (fast) quicker so I will be able to jump on and go right from the beginning.  Just practice I guess.   It has so much power!  Power was never a factor.  When I was in the right gear at the right time and gassed it, it took of like a rocket.  I was breaking way way way too early for every corner, and late getting back on the gas.  And in the wrong gear lots of time.  This was the first time I have really ridden this bike except for puttin around a couple of times at Sand Hill and Sears to get it broken in, so that added to the learning curve too.  Practice, practice, practice. Trials I can practice all the time, MX takes lots more space, preferably a track.  And woods riding and trail riding difinitly don't get up to speed like MX.  Since the race all kinds of memories have been popping up in my head that I had long ago forgotten, little techniques that I used to know and do, long storeed in some corner of my brain covered with cobwebs, now reserfaceing at odd moments, and I am going, 'oh yea, thats right, why didn't I do that'.  I can't wait to get back on the track.

Oh yea, the bike ran perfect!  I was so pleased with my work.  It's soo cool when a project comes to gether.  Now I am anxious to start another project.

More than you ever wanted to know, right?  Guess I got carried away.  Can you tell I loved it?  I guess raceing is another drug just like chemical abuse, speed, power, sex, money, gambling etc.  Once you get a taste of it, you want more and never get satisfied.  I got a taste of it 35 years ago and never got enough then and have always wanted more.  For a few minutes Sunday after my last moto I had enough, but it only lasted a few minutes then it was back and I want more.