Ya know those guys that ALWAYS say,”It’s the bike!” or “It didn’t do very well in the shoot-out”...?

Heck yeah man!

Put blinkers a horn and mirrors on it before Mammoth.

str8line wrote:

Put blinkers a horn and mirrors on it before Mammoth.

Well, I do have a line on an L...actually for 2021 it’s called an RL...because Honda’s allllll about the R!
I’m gonna plate this bike eventually...but, in the near future....

What do ya think it’ll look like with a 2020 R-WE tank and shrouds and some “MX kitting”?

How’d your airbrakes work?

^You are right about Honda and Rs. Have you seen the latest top of the line sportbike? I shit you not: CBR1000RR-R.

Run what ya brung. Congrats Manny

Exact bike I was asking about not too long ago. Thanks Manny.

This is the shit that brings us together. Moto and off roaders. Very nice.

Johnny Ringo wrote:

How’d your airbrakes work?

Superb.

Some guys had commented of “fogging” and this morning in practice it was cold and humid...I got a little “fogging”’along the top of my view; but, not too bad and I didn’t need to pull out the dual pane lens.

Is that Donnell's in KC?

tuttle425 wrote:

Is that Donnell's in KC?

Just outside...

Independence, MO...home of Harry Truman.

Great Shop, Amazing People.

tuttle425 wrote:

Is that Donnell's in KC?

TeamGreen wrote:

Just outside...

Independence, MO...home of Harry Truman.

Great Shop, Amazing People.

Yeah, that's the one. Why go there when you're all the way out in California? Just curious.

Good job, your story doesn't sound too unusual to me. Get a horn and enjoy!

tuttle425 wrote:

Is that Donnell's in KC?

TeamGreen wrote:

Just outside...

Independence, MO...home of Harry Truman.

Great Shop, Amazing People.

tuttle425 wrote:

Yeah, that's the one. Why go there when you're all the way out in California? Just curious.

They had a leftover ‘19 on a special Honda deal and Xs were/are virtually un-obtainable out here. Besides, Bart’s made some amazing deals for lots of friends all over the US.

Great ride representing us 50 plus riders. I went threw KC today on i70 , 12-28 mph at times. Snowing roads where Icey 3 degrees and windy. Lucky your bike wasn’t transported today. Because chance of the driver not making it.

TeamGreen wrote:

Well, today was the 1st “Road to Mammoth”/Mammoth Qualifier & my so-called race-bikes were in various states of tear-down/rebuild...etc.
Soooooooo...
I took my Straight-Outta the Crate CRF450X to Pala...and raced it. On the main track with all those hair-ball jumps and combos and rollers...ALL of which were awesome...tho, it’s not like I aired all of them or got the Style-Super-Star award; but, I was able to get around the track at a decent pace. Oh, and, I was in the fight for the hole-shot in both Motos (have you seen the drag race that they call ‘the start’ at Pala?) & out on the track I held my own where it mattered. Because, this bike is soooo easy to ride. It’s got as good/better “chassis balance” than most MXers I’ve ridden lately. Sure, this bike IS heavier than a “Legit MXer” & it can be a handful if it “swaps” on a landing (aka landing “cross-rutted”...I may have pooped myself a coupl’a times, today!); but, damn...it was FUN & ya gotta see the look on a guys face when ya beat him at an MX race on this...


Any-ways, the point I’m trying to make is this: ALL these damn bikes are GREAT BIKES nowadays. So, go get your ride on!

Manny
2nd 50+ B (AMA)
Road to Mammoth Qualifier #1

ps-I’m thinking I may have to race this thing at Mammoth

A shout-out to Johnny Campbell for developing a true “do all” dirt bike and a GIANT THANK YOU to...
Bart at Donnell’s Motorcycles for selling me this bike for a great price and getting it out to California.

Way to go Manny! Too cool! - Leon

Who won?

Sprew wrote:

Who won?

A Fast MoFo from San Clemente

Passing people at Pala on my bike with a license plate is always fun! Old gear and old bike with a plate and can keep up with or be faster then most is gratifying.

Dude I’ve seen you ride, I’m not at all surprised you did well no matter what bike you rode. That Honda is pretty awesome though...

Congrats!

Brent wrote:

Dude I’ve seen you ride, I’m not at all surprised you did well no matter what bike you rode. That Honda is pretty awesome though...

Congrats!

Thanks! I love just focusing on form & when I -rarely- get that right...? The speed comes...but, that wasn’t happening at this race...at first...

On Saturday, in practice, I was COMPLETELY INTIMIDATED by the track...you know...The Main Track at Pala?! So, during a break, I was watching the 2nd Timed Practice/Qualifying Session at Orlando SX on Peacock in the van...Ricky was commenting on the technical aspects of the track and saying...

“They need to just let the track ‘come to them’...”

There it was! Straight outta the GOATs mouth and it made my weekend. I just needed to chill, focus on my form &...”Let the track come to me.” I went back out and had a great session, picked up a few more jumps, nailed some turns and left with a smile.

So, Thanks RC!

Good job Team Red 😀

Man, there is a photo I wish I took, but didn't have a camera. Local race last year (SRA GP at Glen Helen) and there was a guy on an old XR-200. Drum rear brake, jeans, long sleeve T, but he was out there on the big uphills and downhills.

Fast? No. But I saw him smiling after the race and my thought was "That guy just kicked ALL of our asses today. That is what it is all about."

Good job, Manny.

Shane Watts rides at one of our local tracks in UT and he straight up hauls ass on his 150 xc-w. Just practice days so can’t say he’s waxing everyone but he certainly looks like the fastest dude

He was such a bad ass in the late 90’s early 2k’s

This reminds me of being in northern Michigan at a pretty jump filled fair race in around 96 or 97 and Kelly Smith showed up riding an XR400 and destroyed everyone. First time I’d seen a 4 stroke being ridden like that. I like to think I was there when he was getting a head start on thumper era.

I don’t think people understand shootouts or criticism.

For example, the 2021 Honda CRF-450 was ill received by the public because most testers were very transparent and forward with its issues but I think all of them went on to say it is a better bike than the previous generation. All the comments I read by users online was that the bike was a busy and Honda failed because it wasn’t a perfect bike without issue, even though it was better than the previous bike!

People love to harp on the negatives of anything, bikes being no exception.

This is why I decided to try a Suzuki, according to some it should be close to impossible for me to pass anyone

Nice work out there!

Very well done, Manny!

There's a video on youtube of some guy hauling ass and clearing every jump at some track on an XR650L.

And also, I'm sure the bike is more important the more skilled you are but more about suspension and geo being set up properly.