Posts
467
Joined
3/20/2019
Location
San Diego, CA
US
I read all of these posts about this brand broke and this brand didn't or this rider abused his bike. It all makes me laugh.
Every one of those bikes from yesterday were totally trashed and abused. Mud racing destroys motorcycles factory and privateer. All of the clutches were fried and all of the engines worn out from overheating. Chains, sprockets, brake pads, rotors and cables wasted. Lots of suspension surfaces scored and seals blown. I really feel for the privateers, a lot of then don't have the resources to rebuild everything after just two races.
Every one of those bikes from yesterday were totally trashed and abused. Mud racing destroys motorcycles factory and privateer. All of the clutches were fried and all of the engines worn out from overheating. Chains, sprockets, brake pads, rotors and cables wasted. Lots of suspension surfaces scored and seals blown. I really feel for the privateers, a lot of then don't have the resources to rebuild everything after just two races.
Suffice to say, the conditions were a bit extraordinary yesterday. Chatting with one mechanic, he said that pretty much anything around the engine or cooling systems melted. Radiator hoses? Melted. Wiring for the GPS? Melted. Gaskets? Melted. There were even engine parts that bolt onto the side of the cylinder that had sort of welded themselves into place.
That was not your average mud race.
Was it because they prepped the track differently? All the dirt they brought in?
The Shop
I took my old truck mudding a few years back and ended up replacing the entire front suspension and all wheel bearings.
I have quads come into my shop having stupid things like radiator fans and chains being replaced because they thought a deep mud hole was a good idea.
Its not worth having watery sandpaper in my bearings and axles.
Me thinks that these guys need to learn to back it down a notch and not just pin their bikes until they explode.
I think the difference there would be how deep the tracks are dug. The amount of mud and how it forms on the bike could be lot different between gncc and a national. That’s just my guess. Combine that will the more flowing riding style of off road and bikes would tend to last longer. Even I ride a lot different on a Mx track then I do in the woods.
Pit Row
Video!!! Skip ahead to the end and listen to my poor bike.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHtGtVllo2E
My favourite track.
A lot of rain.
I get the bike out and fit mud tires.
I watch the pros paddle through the ruts.
I put the bike back in the trailer.
I ride for fun, and fun alone. It didn’t look like fun.
(I was leaving in a few days for an extended work trip to the US. I didn’t want to miss out on $100 000 worth of helicopter training, because of hurting myself, not having fun.)
I’d guess those pro bikes at LL’s would never be raced again. Maybe used for practice bikes/parts?
To make a surface actually less resistant to water filtering in and creating mud they'd need to excavate a foot down then use vibratory compactor in 6" lifts. That would remove the pockets that fill up with water during rain and creates deep thick mud.
Post a reply to: Mud races and bikes