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Topics - VintageBlueSmoke

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General Two Stroke Talk / VBS Race Report 11/13/2016
« on: November 13, 2016, 03:53:15 PM »
All,

I've missed the reports. I wish I had a better on for you.

Today was the last race of the 2016 OEC Championship (island championship) season. We had to move it back to accompany the riders competing in the regional championship which was rescheduled to our date. However, even with jumping through hoops, the rider numbers were down. Fortunately, the top three were at the track to make it interesting and it was a beautiful sunny day.

For me, I just needed to show up to win the MX2 championship. Because I lost the Honda, I had no chance to overtake the 250 YZ of Antonio Gil for the overall (elite).  Truthfully, after the CR blew, I wasn't focused on the Elite class and still don't know how I finished for the year. I wasn't racing the regionals so these guys had a lot more to lose.

Before practice, my intention was to get my son on the track with his Husky Boy 50, but I couldn't get it started so I sent him out on his Oset while I worked on the Husky. When it started, I chased him down to swap bikes but slid out trying to bar drag a corner and crashed. Road rash on the left forearm. It wouldn't be the last crash of the day.

Headed on out to practice. The track was holding up really well and although there was dust, it wasn't too bad. The biggest complaint was the low sun. That made turns 3 and 9 completely blind. on the other hand, I really love the changes I made to the track last year. I make incremental changes every race, but the track now has so much promise. It is fun. If you are an AMA pro, you won't like it too much but if you are a kid learning or have realized that you won't ever be an AMA pro, this track is for you.

Unfortunately, practice didn't turn out great. About 8 laps in, I was having a ball low sliding into the corners and dropped the handlebar on my foot. What followed was the rest of the bike falling on my knee and bending it in a way that knees don't bend even on insects. I got up slowly and finished practice but I was sore. On the plus side, I did some practice starts and everything was smooth. I usually start well and the competition was watching. They don't like their open class bikes losing the holeshot to an old guy on a 144 which has happened almost every race of the year.

Unfortunately, I must have used up all my good starts in practice. When the Moto 1 gate dropped, I had a good launch, but drifted into the rider to my right. I had to let off and couldn't catch the leaders. I just cruised the entire moto and finished 3rd overall and 1st MX2. Pedro (KTM 350) and Sergio (Hon 450) took one and two with a big lead over me.

After the moto, we went to the bar to bench race. Pedro doesn't drink but Sergio was feeling happy and buying beers for the gang. I warned them that drinking would only make me faster but they bought another round of beers. We all (except Pedro) started with at least 4 in our bellies. Moto 2 gate drop and I launched perfectly but again I drifted right. This time, however, Pedro drifted left and when a 350 4-stroke smashes into a 144 2-stroke, the smaller KTM loses. I went down, skidding on my head for several meters and ended up with more road rash to match my left forearm. I got going again (the little KTM never stalled) and charged after the leaders but I could only finish 3rd overall and 1st in class.

I want to wish everyone heading to Faial for the final Regional race the best of luck and can't wait until we kick off next year.

VBS.

[EDIT] Just got the overall results for the year. By just cruising to third and not running down the leaders, I was passed for 2nd in the points. Pedro Vieira beat me by 2 points. So for the year, 3rd place Elite, 1st MX2.


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Open Forum / So.. the Spark Arrestor Conspiracy
« on: September 20, 2011, 03:18:13 AM »
So I was laying there in a pool of sweat, feverous due to pneumonia, and started down a path of thinking that disturbed me even in my delirium. You engineers/specialists out there can correct/educate me further in due course.

So I was thinking, in the days before reed valve engines, a lot of fuel went wasted into the expansion chamber and out the exhaust as un-burnt or still burning fuel. In places like California, this was a potential problem with causing forest fires so someone discovered that if you put a metal screen over the end, it would get hot and ignite the un-burnt fuel. Genius in its simplicity really. This small screen kept millions of acres of land on the very brink of closure, open to off-roaders nationwide. But then came the reed valve. This ingenious device in 1974ish eliminated much of the un-burnt fuel flowing into the exhaust. Then in 1980ish came the exhaust valve or "Power" valve. In my mind, these two inventions together should have eliminated the need for the "Spark Arrestor".

So then there was a couple of hours (days, weeks?) I went on about how the spark arrestor is like and afterburner on a jet and wondered if there was any measurable "thrust" and how you would make a machine (dyno) to test it...but that is another story.

So dragging myself back to the original thoughts, I started thinking about why, if I was correct, do we still use this device and my thoughts turned dark. Did I just uncover a government/OEM conspiracy? Every one of us (in the know) knows that government motorcycle exhaust and spark arrestor approval is a racket. There is no (expensive) approval process for auto exhaust, only your states emissions and sound level test, but for motorcycles, there must be the government stamp and for Spark Arrestors, that includes the US Forest Service. To get authorization to use that stamp is an expensive process and your prospective customers HAVE TO PAY IT to ride on public land. Government and OEM's (to include any well funded aftermarket industries) built a business model around it and jumped in bed together. So much money changed hands that it would be silly to stop it just because is was no longer necessary. You know, like wired telephones, NTSC Television, or NASCAR. We, as a people are reluctant to change. (I'm one to talk, I've got 13 vintage motorcycles!)

So here I am, flush and weak, my bed smelling like a gym and me worse, banging on my laptop a small sample of what goes on in my head when most other people floating through time and space, seeing god, or visiting dead relatives. 

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Vintage Two Strokes / [WANTED] '86 Honda CR125 right Crankcase Cover
« on: June 06, 2011, 01:49:50 AM »
I'm looking for a right crank case cover to finish my '86 Honda CR125 project. The Honda Fish lists it as COVER, R. CRANKCASE 11340-KS6-000. Any information or leads would be appreciated.

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Silly question, I know. Last weekend I was trying one of my bikes for the first time. About a year ago, I bought a Can-Am MX6 400. It was very pretty but you could tell the resto was done with a rattle can. I unloaded it from the trailer, started 1st full kick and headed out for practice. Then the paint started melting and burning on the pipe. That lead to my new pants burning through to my knee.

Back at the truck, I realized that my new MX pants didn't have leather on the inside of the knees. I called my wife and had her check 3 more pairs at the house. None of them had leather. One pair was my MSR Goretex from 1991!

That got me thinking, when did they stop putting leather on the inside of the knee? Do any new products have them? Shopping for me is basically 'online' only so it is virtually impossible to tell unless it is in the description. Does anyone have pants with leather on the knee?

Now where did I put my keys...

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