Posts
29086
Joined
11/25/2008
Location
Thru-out, CA
US
Edited Date/Time
2/19/2021 6:55pm
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.
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.
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”?
The Shop
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.
Independence, MO...home of Harry Truman.
Great Shop, Amazing People.
Pit Row
Congrats!
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!
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.
He was such a bad ass in the late 90’s early 2k’s
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.
Nice work out there!
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.
Back in the mid 80s, I raced an XR200 (that was given to me for the weekend by Camden Honda) at The Baylands Grand Prix in Fremont, California. I remember being amazed at how "balanced" the bike was and couldn't get over how that little engine would scream. On the "Drag Strip" I remember that little thumper beat the hell outta A LOT of "Big Bikes" going down the pavement...man...that little motor could SCREAM!
So, on top of my 1st "thanks"...thanks, again, for getting me to go down memory lane and reminescing about a really fun part of my life and those amazing days in the CR Support Program. Good times. Very...VERY...Good Times! That era turned me on to "Thumpers" ...XR 350s and 500s and eventually the 600s...in the words of David Lee Roth...
Those were the Good Times.
Damn Good Times.
Thanks,
Manny
Post a reply to: Ya know those guys that ALWAYS say,”It’s the bike!” or “It didn’t do very well in the shoot-out”...?