DirtQuake USA 2016...Part Two...

Back tracking a bit...(still fighting that "Bully" photo application that is trying to make my life miserable... day before taking off for Washington state I had to perform a clutch swap on my little Honda...fortunately I had a donor parts engine that was seized up, but contained a practically new clutch assembly to replace the rusted up one in the bike.

For a moment or two while still in Oregon looking for that State Park, we were a bit lost. After seeing a giant Golden Eagle and many deer...and driving past more Christmas tree farms than we knew existed....we came to "Triumph Corners", where as our friend "The Interplanetary recluse" pointed out..(in another part of the web...).any turn was a winner.

Not a winner...is the "Bully" program that came with my current computer, I mentioned a few times in the previous post. I think the answer will be buying a new digital camera (which I was due for anyway...) and installing the photo  program that comes with it...anything has to be better than what I'm dealing with here...enough of that....let's see where it will let me go from here.

I may have posted this already....a shot of the Cowlitz river that passes near the race track at Castle Rock.

On a morning hike along the river the morning after we arrived, came across a sign (could of sworn I'd snapped a pic of it...oh well.) that said that the area was in the process of being restored to a more natural state. When Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980, it sent all kinds of debris down this waterway. There were huge log jams, and tons of ash, and mud. Gary of Sideburn Magazine said that even the race track was enveloped in the mess. Engineers have been dredging the river of debris for years, and dumping it upon an area that was once a beautiful natural area. They are now working on restoring these natural areas. I was unaware of the history of the effect of  the St Helen's eruption on the local area the first time I came through 2 years ago at the first DirtQuake US. 

There are lots of Hollyhocks along the river trail..(my new favorite flower)

While hiking along the trails I noticed what look like bike tracks, and eventually we came across an area where river dredging debris had been dumped in hills and mounds, one area looking like a crater full of ashy sand, or was it sandy ash? Knobby tire prints all around, so evidently it appeared to be ok to ride in this area. So after taking care of a few little jobs left on the bike, I spent some time dirt biking and "race-tuning" the bike for it's track time. This part of Oregon reminds me of Northern California 40 years ago...when no one cared about kids on dirt bikes....

Decorated the bike with some Toria Jaymes stickers, she is the artist that did the artwork for posters and shirts for this event. Brightened up the drab flat black paint...

Rode the bike around over a few days to charge up the new battery...it was running really well...not bad for what was a fifty dollar parts bike. One area that was a bit concerning was the suspension...ended up putting a couple equal length sockets in the fork tubes... with some oil, which stiffened that end up. All we could do with the rear was jack the preload on the rear shocks to the stiffest setting, which actually made a big improvement....  bike was ready, wasn't so sure about myself at that point.  It was good to get out on the trails with it, and slip and slide around a bit. The old reflexes were still there it seemed...even did some wheelies...haha!

With futzing around with the clutchpack before we left California, I didn't get around to welding up a "steel shoe" or "hot shoe" for my left boot...no matter with the low power of this bike getting too sideways on the track probably wasn't going to be a problem.

Another water fall video, since I've now located them and have figured out how to post them...maybe?

Castle Rock Raceway is a quarter mile track...not quite as intimidating as a mile or half mile track...but the pros manage to get enough speed up with their higher powered bikes. My biggest fear wasn't the speed I might attain, or even sliding out...it was the fear of getting hit by another rider. I had motocross armor...a full face helmet, and motocross boots. After playing around on the river trails I felt better about attempting the race. I had actually played around on this track two years ago with the same bike. Other than that, it has probably been close to 20 years since I'd gotten sideways on bigger more powerful dirtbikes.

Another track side shot...to be honest I didn't take a lot of photos...being busy with my bike and all.

This fellow who goes by the handle "Buck Harness", was one of my competitors in the "Inappropiate Streetbike class". A 60 cc Yamaha moped you say....sure, with a 125 cc motocross motor stuffed in the engine bay...He worked hard to get it going, even replacing the crank seals in the campgrounds, and tried to get the jetting sorted with what he had available. I believe he made it through the practice and first rounds of eliminations, only to seize up in the second round...oh well, he had fun trying. 

Some pictures of some of the more serious race bikes and pro bikes follow..............

A nice Triumph

Don't F up, again it says....

XR 750

A serious looking Triumph

My Crewchief Rick, checking out some "Hooligan class" racers...a Sportster , and one of the new water cooled 750 Harleys.

A better view of the Harley XG 750 Street based flattracker. Its water cooled and has over head cams and four valve heads. Harley is now developing them for racing.

 2 more Sportster based Hooligan racers.

The Roland Sand's Indian Scouts, again. Indian is going to produce a racing version of this motor.

Found out I'd be racing against this KTM.... a two wheel drive version, with some wild graphics. (yes I was passed by this one as it lapped me...) all for fun now...

Think we'll go out with a video ....and call this the end of Part two....be back with a third and final installment for this post. This may or not be some Pro 450 class racers, I believe that is what it is. Gives you an idea of how quickly they get around a quarter mile track.

Oh yes, I have a link to Sideburn Magazines sideblog, over there to the right side of your screen....over there somewhere....click on it, Gary just posted some pics of he Chopper class race, and has posted many other pics from the event....

  

  

Dirt Quake USA (3) 2016... Part One

Just got back from a roughly week long 1300+ mile round trip to Castle Rock Washington to attend and participate in the third American version of Sideburn Magazine's Dirt Quake.

A long trip, so we did it in two days rather than one.

First day....

Somewhere in Oregon along Interstate 5, we were being pelted with rain and hail. We, being Rick Willis and I, in a new to me 1998 Ford Explorer. Rain was predicted for both days of the event at this point...so we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into...

Rick went along with me two years ago for the inaugural DirtQuake USA, and was nice enough to be my "Crewchief" again. Rick and his wife are avid bicyclists, and have spent a lot of time in the Pacific Northwest and I was lucky to have him along to be my navigator as well.

The 98 Ford...packed to the gills with gear, and a partially dismantled Honda 100 (inappropriate road bike class "racer"). The idea of DirtQuake is to see real pro racers in action on the track the first day, and then on the second day provide beginners a chance to get a taste of dirt tracking in a hopefully fun and safe manner. 

By the end of the first days driving,  we began thinking that our plan to camp out at a State Park about 45 miles past Albany Oregon was starting to look like a bad choice. From the view on the freeway, the mountains ahead looked like they were engulfed in a rainstorm...so we opted for a motel room in Albany. (setting up a tent in blowing rain didn't seem appealing...).

By next morning the weather had cleared, so we drove over to Silver Creek State Park, known for it's many easily accessed waterfalls. This is the South Falls.

(This is an addition to the original post...found some of he waterfall videos...if it works)

A view from behind the falls, many of them had trails into the caverns behind the falls. I seem to not understand how picture transfers from my phone- to computer- to the blog here, works...have some videos that don't seem to want to post here...so some "stills" for now... just had a thought about that, this computer organizes pics in an area that seems to be one of those "bully programs"...that seems to be there to make life harder than it needs to be....be right back. Back, and pissed off, it seems this "Bully" program is worse than I realized...arghh! This is a new computer to me , and up to now I was thinking it was ok...but , not having total control of my own images is a bit dis-heartening....forge on...soooooo....what I am having to do, is e-mail my own pictures from the afore-mentioned "Bully program" to myself and save them to a folder I've created for that purpose. Now to see if I can post them here....here goes...

Aha! it works....a real pain in the caboose...but it works.(it remains to be seen if I'll be able to do the same with my video clips)   This is Thor of See-See Motor Coffee Company. He has teamed up with Sideburn Magazine for the third year running to put on DirtQuake USA...which is an offshoot of the original Dirtquake's in the UK. In the background is Castle Rock Raceway....so you can see we made it to Washington State, and for the moment it had quit raining. This was on a Wednesday, and the event was still two days away....so we were among the early arrivals.

The little blue boat hides an old Honda ATC 90 three wheeler. The USS Newton, which pays homage to a real boat from last years DirtQuake US that ended up being towed on land behind a pickup truck...and ended up sending a few over zealous revelers to the hospital to be patched up. Fortunately no real serious injuries. The first year this same chassis masqueraded as a Pizza...

Was a pizza, now a boat....

The original Newton, has been relegated to a children's play area where it thankfully stayed for the duration...

Eventually the very spacious campgrounds areas would be filled with all manner of campers. Rick's "true ten by ten foot pop up shade and rain cover" and my giant dome tent established our pit and campsite...close to the track, and close to the porta-potties. It did rain off and on, but fortunately it quit before both days of racing in time for the track to dry sufficiently.

The next day we unloaded my play racer... a 1970 SL 100...that had to be dismantled to fit in the back of the Ford.

Even with occasional drizzle, it wasn't bad under Rick's pop-up shelter.

It didn't take too long to put on a new front tire and reassemble the bike.

Here are Skooter Farm Dave and Gary Inman of Sideburn Magazine setting up their accommodations for the event.

Roland Sands Hooligan racers based on Indian Scouts.

Some more Hooligans, that were lined up for a magazine photo shoot...Modified Sportsters and the one on the end is a newer  Harley Street750 water cooled.

The Cowlitz river flows by the race track.

This will be a good point to end this...part one....our tent aglow with an ice cream cone nightlight, from "The Pippa and Ike Show". Click here for link----------> Gifts for children...(and adults who refuse to grow up?)

Will be back with more, maybe some video...remains to be seen if I can wrest control of my images from the "Bully"...

Dirtquake US number 3 is in 9 days!!

The plan is....not to panic, at least not just yet...a lot of stuff to get ready by the 13th...when we plan on leaving. We, being my good friend Rick Willis...who is crazy enough to do it again. He was my mechanic 2 years ago at the first DirtQuake US. He was ready to go last year as well, but due to circumstances beyond any control...

Flashing back two years, here is Rick looking fit and ready to join me in an adventure to Washington State with a borrowed pick up truck...and a not quite yet finished bike...

There is a lot of beautiful country to see on the way. Our plan this year, is to get 45 miles past Albany, Oregon....where we stopped 2 years ago...and camp at a park that has the "14 waterfalls trail", and hike that. 

When we do get into Washington State, I want to look up this gentleman, and insist he have dinner on us...for all the kindness he extended us. Half an hour after meeting him at a local corner gas-groceries-and gun store...he came by the track where we were trying to work on the bike...and invited us up to his place nearby...and extended the use of his shop and tools. He is a local racer and was racing one of his bikes in the real racing that went on the day before our amateur fun racing. 

Need to get back here and figure out how to post a link to the Post from two years ago....or not.

Rick Burchett is the gentleman's name. Turned out he's an old friend of the Halbert family. Sammy Halbert is my favorite racer on the Pro flat track circuit. 

Yeah...still have a few details to attend to on the Honda SL 100...this year in the "Inappropiate street bike, Class". Also need to cobble a "Hotshoe" together. Save some wear and tear on my left boot.

Oh yeah, and remember to pack shaving gear...so I don't end up looking like an old Hipster...

maybe next post...some pics of my "shoe" welding attempt.

Stalled projects, current projects, upcoming projects...and long term projects.

Don't mind me folks....just doodling here..looking through the "Picassa web album" here at my blog, and sort of picking out various pics as a reminder to myself....

A few years ago I picked up this bargain of a Kawasaki Ninja 250...ran into a bit of a paperwork hassle at the Department of Motor Vehicles...and the shop I purchased it at is now gone...call this one...stalled, going into long term... 

Years ago I bought the CX 500, more out of curiosity than for any other reason. The CB 550 I bought in a bid to relive a CB 500 I once owned. Rode both of them for quite a while as commuters. The exhaust system on the CX expired and it started giving me electrical headaches. For awhile I had entertained the idea of going the Café route with it, but then CX's became the "in" machine to customize and has killed my enthusiasm to go that route...

The CB 550 had a hard life from previous owners...it started burning oil...the head gasket had given up...it now has been taken apart..Both of these moving into "long term project" status...

An older pic of one  my SL 350's, as it was briefly a Cáfe bike...my wrists decided the Dunstall clip- ons were too severe.        

A more recent picture of the SL 350...it is currently stalled...

Everyone should have a Triumph Cub project. Have owned this several years now...must be a long term project...I have most all of  the parts I need. My intent is to build a pre 65 trials bike with it.

Oh yes...my long neglected, long term Norton 850 Commando project...this is a head to replace the one with a stripped out exhaust port thread. Thinking of going to a Triumph style slip on header system to alleviate further problems here. Of all my bikes, this is the one I miss the most. It once belonged to an American serviceman stationed in the UK. The engine was built by Mick Hemmings years ago. The head was supposed to have been ported to a racing spec with a camshaft to suit. I have never had it apart to confirm this...but by seat of the pants testing, it did seem to run stronger than other Commandos I've ridden. Eventually my friend Denis and I want to do some comparison testing on a flow bench he has purchased.   

A very out of focus shot of my Honda SL 100 play racer at the inaugural DirtQuake US (2014) have quit using that old Kodak, and most of my shots are with the phone these days... this bike is current status and with any luck will be participating in DirtQuake (2016).

An XR 200 R...current status as well....needs some work in the lighting department. It is street legal. Bought  it last year to participate in a desert run, known as LA/ Barstow to Vegas....maybe try again this year. Been riding it around town a bit, knobbie tires and all...

This picture represents a long term project moving into current status...parts purchased on E Bay  for my !971 CL 450...( guess I've always liked Scramblers, before it became hip to...)

Mine is just like the one in this old Honda advertisement....

Oh man this pile of rust represents a very long term project of mine. A 1957 Triumph pre-unit done the hard way. Taking a very badly chopped bike back to stock. Started with an incomplete basket case I traded a perfectly good running Honda S 90 for back when I was just out of High school...and then the chopped bike I picked up at a San Jose BSA Club show around ten years ago. it's pretty much all there...just some assembly required....

Another long termer...sitting in my shed is a Spitfire Scrambler that needs some magneto attention. I bought this one when you could get them for 200 dollars...ahem, a while ago...

An upcoming project... a much modified Sportster..

And another upcoming project, a slightly modified Kawa 600...

Just for fun..a VW powered experimental aircraft my father and I built in the 70's. Yes powered by the same motor as the VW Bug in the neighbors driveway.

OK , think I've doodled enough...next time, reportage of amateur racing preperations...