The objectives are always modest: Don't Finish Last. However,this year my long term aim was to get out the bottom quarter to somewhere in the middle. The Ts185 had been modified for longer suspension,TS125X forks and a 75 TM125 swingarm.The lock-up in Wales proved to be no more than the kickstart idler gear, but still required a full engine stripdown and rebuild to sort out.
Me and Mark return to Middle Hills and by some El Nino phenomenon England has been dry for 2 weeks. Grrrip -that's what we want.
I have faith in the bike -power although perhaps at least half of the other bikes (17/18 gee gees) was proved adequate in Wales, and suspension improved over last visit here. We get going and as my watching mates told me after -caution was indeed flung to the winds.Was it the whiskey the night before?!... It was grand, battles soon developed for a lap or so and I had a ball with a Maico, a Ts250 and Glen's XT250. A reversal of normality developed as I began hunting the next guy each lap, prey became predator. I discover what that right hand lever is for -yes the front brake is pretty useful as you bomb downhill into each corner! Keep ripping and only one fall,one stall. It felt so good it's like you're concentrating but not too hard -let it flow (maan!). Dinner break and the chain gets adjusted -a bung put in the (absent) revcounter drive,airfilter re-attached and 'Oh yeah the front feels loose' too right, the headset lock nut has been spinning like a breakdancer. The fool is fuelled up and the afnoon sesh goes even better than the first.
Results are posted, ooh eck..Out of 25 in the 250 MX class I come 8th, that's like a podium to me! From around 60 riders (490 Maico's and 500 Tribsa's et al) I'm 18th overall and fastest trailbike. Ok not exactly trophy time but top 1/3 on an un-tuned TS185, I'm chuffed.Over the season, within Midland Classic club riders I was placed 4th in 250 Motocross :-)
As a kid when I used to go and watch the Golden Boy of school on the latest YZ, I would go home to my £10 Puch moped fieldbike and think,well I'd love to do something like that. 30 years later, I kinda have....
Vid here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G5ohUkdxdc
