Ok. DOES ANYONE THINK A VINSON WILL STAND A CHANCE IN A LOCAL HARESCRAMBLE WITH SPORT QUADS?

 

Well if that's what you're into, and you do like Mickey Dunlap said. Then your answer is yes.

 

Vinsons stand a chance in a hare scramble. I raced mine at the Cherry Creek National Hare & Hound (Utah) scramble in May this year. I placed 17th out of 26 riders. This was my first race. I was the only utility quad there. Everyone else had sport quads. I don't know what the courses will be like where you live, but the hare scrambles I've raced are in the desert on rocky, tight motorcycle trails with few stretches to open the throttle. These races are dead engine starts, and if your Vinson is tuned properly it starts immediately without throttle after you warm it up. The start is probably the most dangerous part of the race. Everyone is sprinting for the first turn. Be careful here. If the race is long enough, you'll have plenty of time to catch and pass the riders you would normally beat anyway. And, if someone comes up behind you and it's obvious you can't hang with them, find a spot to slow a little and let them by.

The biggest drawback of my Vinson was the suspension. I couldn't take the whoops like the sport quads. Other than that, the second most important thing is acceleration, and one intangible......how far you're willing to let it hang out. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] A lot of riders had much faster quads, but weren't willing to take the physical pounding. These type of races are very demanding physically, especially on your legs (quads). Find a exercise (like cycling) you like to do that will strengthen your legs at the same time building endurance in them.

And some great advice I received from more experienced riders: finishing last is better than not finishing. There will usually be someone that doesn't finish.

Most importantly, don't forget to have fun. I was in a very bad accident my third race and I'll probably not race again, which is a shame since I really liked it. But I lost sight of the fun aspect and did things I shouldn't have attempted for my experience level. Control the adrenaline you'll feel. It's a powerful thing. I couldn't control it.

If you're just starting out, don't worry about having a modified motor. Ride your Vinson as much as possible so you feel very comfortable on it. This will give you confidence to tackle the obstacles on the course. Get your suspension set up properly, even if you have to buy custom shocks. A properly tuned suspension will allow you to ride faster over the course with less fatigue. When your skill level gets to the point where the motor is holding you back, then get the big bore kit; or a sport quad.

Hope this helps. Good luck with your Vinson.
Mark