The main thing to remember about these types of races which is just as important as speed if not a little more important, you want to make sure you pace yourself so as to not get tired before the end of the race. I have learned that no amount of trail riding really prepares you for what you go through during a harescramble. It is about the endurance since the races usually last an hour or two. Another thing that is really important - keep yourself well hydrated. You would be wise to invest in a water bag (like a Camelback or something) mix your drink inside the bag 50% Gatorade and 50% water. That will keep your muscles from cramping... Good luck!!

 

The camel back is a must if this is like a cross country race @ 1 hour plus you will be glad to have it.

 

Welcome to racing markdf. I am just getting back into racing again, but this will be the first time on a quad. Let us know how it goes if you get to race. I have been wanting to mx my new (to me) zilla and may look at a scrambles also, they are fun. Good Luck.

 

Thanks once again to all. I went and purchased racing gloves yesterday and today I bought a camelback. One other question re: suspension.

My girlfriend and I will be racing my Vinsons so I know we won't be competitive with sport quads BUT:

1. I'm thinking of removing the racks to make the bikes lighter
2. I have the adjustable shocks (front and rear) set to the softest settings...Should I bump these up a notch stiffer?My girlfriend told me last night that her biggest fear is the bump steer and having the handlebars wrenched from her grip. Any tips here would be appreciated.

The race is Saturday and there's a 30% chance of rain. It's a 45mi. loop out in the desert. The race coordinator said it's very rocky and turns are tight and it will follow a few washes for some vertical up and down riding. The last time this course was run, it took the winner 1 hr. 40 min to complete it. So the camelback advise is good stuff. Thanks.

Any advise on the suspension would be appreciated. If I survive, I'll be sure to post a summary of our experiences.
Thanks for your help.
Mark

 

Well all I can tell you on the suspension, you don't want it so soft that it trails and doesn't turn very well, but at the same time you don't want it overly stiff either. Just go with what feels best to you.

 

My advice is. Since its next to Little Sahara, before going home, take a ride over to the dunes, you may or may not see them from where you are at. Would be a shame to pass up some of the better dunes in the US.

 

Better check to see if atv's are running. Some races don't allow quads in Utah. Pace yourself and be ready to be sore for a week. Arm pump will be the first thing you notice. I'd go soft on the settings. Pack a pair of channel locks and make it stiffer if needed on front. Have fun....

 

I checked with the promotor, quads are running after the Novice bikes. 1 loop not to exceed 45 mi. I guess these races go in any weather? It's supposed to snow tomorrow morning!

Any other advice for a first timer?

Thanks,
Mark

 

Well, my goals were to finish and not place last. I accomplished both. I took 17th out of 26 quads. My girlfriend and I had the only utility quads on the line. The rest were sport bikes; raptors, Z400s, a Banshee, a few Honda 250s, etc.

The quads were the last class to run after all of the motorcycle classes. Each class started about 1 min. apart. The "smoke bomb (?)" was about 400 yds away, dead engine start with the starter holding up a banner on the ridge 400 yds away. When he dropped the banner I started quickly, popped it into high, and opened the throttle. I had a great start. I started off 4th but as we approached the ridge, huge whoops and the utility suspension almost killed me. I was on pure adrenaline. I ended up at the top of the ridge around 7th. After that, I realized I just couldn't keep up because of my suspension.

But what a rush! By mile two, I realized I better pace myself ( as someone suggested here ) if I wanted to finish. My left arm had fallen asleep, and my throat was dry as a bone. I never did get arm pump though. I had no idea this type of racing would be so physically demanding.

One thing I sensed right away was that the terrain limited the sport bikes ability to go full throttle. My Vinson kept up on the terrain where my suspension wasn't outclassed. I did almost kill myself about 5 times though. Each time I learned a little more and by the 10 mi. mark I was accelerating where I could, slowing where I should, reading the terrain much better. I let the sport bikes pass where it was obvious I couldn't keep up.

About the course....
This race is a motorcycle national hare and hound scramble. The course is basically single track and the promotor is kind enough to let the ATVs run on it. I had my GPS on in my pocket and it recorded a distance of 41.8 mi. (loop). We started around 5200 ft. and the highest elevation was a little over 7300 ft. Needless to say, the course was extremely narrow. If I wasn't being scraped by trees, I was running over knee-high sagebrush, single track whoops, or avoiding high rocks. The ID tape on my helmet and front fender were scraped off by the second checkpoint. Luckily I still had my pie plate number on the front bumper. The race officials said this course was the toughest of the yearly circuit. Just my luck!

At the higher elevations, it snowed a little making the track muddy and slick. My goggles fogged so I rode without them for a while. I passed a few motorcycles that were going slow in the mud. I noticed there were quite a few motorcycles either stopped or off the course down in a gulley, etc. One DS650 broke an A-arm on a rock and his front wheel was horizontal. He had rented it for the race!

The course took us down into a number of dry washes that were very twisty, rutted, and very rocky. These dry washes are like chutes that are anywhere from 6 to 15 ft. wide and 10 to 30 feet deep. There's very little room to maneuver and they meander in whatever direction the spring runoff drained. Once I had to get off my quad and help a 250 Honda get off a rock he had high centered on.

I hit a tree in one of the washes as I was trying to avoid a large rock. I hit another rock that popped the plastic on my right footpeg up and over the peg. I also accidentally ran over an orange course marker and it wedged between my transmission case and foot peg. The trees scraped the left front rubber axle nut cap off the wheel. And the tie rod ends on both sides were very loose by the time the race was over. The course also crossed these washes at a 90 degree angle quite a few times. After almost killing myself the first few times, I learned to lighten the front end as I went down and hit the throttle on the way up. I kept looking at the instrument panel, waiting for the engine light to come on. I beat the crap out of that Vinson. It's an impressive machine.

I had to jump off the bike twice as I thought it was going to tip. Once when going down into a wash which was about a 5 ft vertical drop, and once when trying to go around a boulder in the middle of another wash as I climbed up the side of it. My girlfriend Michelle did roll her Vinson and had to wait for someone to help her turn it upright. The bike wasn't hurt though.

There was a creek crossing that looked pretty bad. When I reached it, a sport quad was driving up and down the bank looking for a way across. He found a way and I followed but he left the course and we ended up on the fireroad. I followed him a ways and realized he was off course. When I turned around, about 3 sport quads were following me so we headed in the other direction down the road looking to pick up the course. I stopped short and found my way back to the creek and then found the course. They should have disqualified the rider I originally followed because it turns out he had taken a short cut by taking the road. When I was back on course after the creek crossing, I saw that it eventually snaked it's way up to an intersection near the road where I first turned around. The GPS track I have shows it all too well. Oh well, I had the satisfaction of knowing I followed the course.

One other thing that really taxed me were the whoops. My Vinson could take them if I slowed down considerably. By the end of the race, I was beat. I can barely walk today. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] But I want to do it again. I'm hoping they have a utility class next race, otherwise, I'll have to buy a sport bike. And I'll be in better shape.

Equipment.
My helmet is too big. It kept pushing my goggles down on my nose. I will have a chest protector for the next race. I have a large scrape across my chest where a tree got me. Thank God for full face coverage. My chin hit the handlebars on a mis-timed whoop. I won't overdress. Sweat was dripping from me most of the race. I'll try to find something to keep my goggles from fogging up. Any ideas? I looked at the spark plug after the race and determined that I had my Vinson jetted just a little too rich. I'll lean it out before my next outing.

Thanks to all that took the time to help me and that gave me good advice (pace yourself, use a CamelBack, etc.) This was a real adventure, having never experienced any type of motorsport racing before. We both thought it was a challenge physically and an adventure to complete such a contest.

Mark

 

That is a great story and you did very well.. My hat is off to you!!!