Idaho 100

I went down 3 times in that silt, uh, er, "grass" track and Jake almost ran me over. Good times.

Conditions were very good. Had rained the week before and saturated the ground well. was just starting to get dusty but were also many places that were perfect coffee grounds.

So Saturday right before check one my bike died a few times unexpectedly. I was like WTF but push started in and kept rolling. Get to first gas with only like 6 minutes, fuel up real quick and take off, get about 500 yards and she is dead again. Jake pulls up and I say GO! Ha asks me if i need anything and I say no, GO! He takes off. I try to kick start it and nothing. Since my last Lectron changes this bike will start if you look at it wrong, super EZ starting. Look down at the clear float bowl (brilliant in this situation) and full. I swap the plus real quick and it looks perfect, clean and lean looking. Try to start it and nothing. Attach the old plug and ground it to the head to see spark, dead, nothing. Shit. Seriously I drove 8 hours to ride 35 miles of a 240 mile ISDE ! I'm pissed. Pull the tank as everyone files by several guys stopping to ask if I am OK. Wiggle all the wires, make sure everything looks intact etc, try to fire it and nothing. I am boiling mad at this point. Take the coil off, clean all the contacts, twist the spark plug wire into the coil and cap, reinstall it, try to fire it and nothing. Figure my day is done. One more try Kelly... do the coil thing again, mess with the wire, starting to think maybe it is the stator. Try it again, Bing bing bing first kick sounds great! Toss my bike back together, almost ride off without my hydration thing and get back on the trail 15020 minutes down. I ride angry. I pass probably 20 riders, on a mission, head down and pissed. Focused and charging I go through the 3rd and 4th special tests feeling fast. At the end of the 4th special there is some chick standing there in a wife beater handing me a beer? "Want some?" Hells yes I say as I am still pissed. Chug the beer in like 4 seconds, hand it back, yell thanks I needed that and took off down the transfer road. As I roll into check 2 I see Jake leaving so I know I have got almost all my 15-20 minutes back. This is a gas check and I know I am late. Yell "how far to next gas?" Someone says about 35 miles and big loop over a tall mountain. Fark, look down and say F-it I'm going. Roll through the check 1 minute late and gain 60 route points and again on a mission. freaked out about gas and wishing I have filled all the way up on first gas I still ride hard figuring this is going to end one of two ways. Sure enough take us up over the tallest mountain we do all weekend and and passing a lot of people. Do another special test and roll into gas 3 look down at my tank and WTF? I still have over a gallon in there. Freaking Lectron is amazing. With the stock carb I would have been out of gas long ago. It had to be 60 plus miles between those gas stop (1 and 3). Impressive. And I am like 14 minutes early for my minute. Gas up look for Jake and he is like "Kelly! i thought you were done" He was pretty surprised to see me. Was great seeing his happy face and getting back on time and finally getting a short break in a long frustrating day. Made it tot he end and felt good. Went and looked at the results, saw my 2nd place finish and was pretty happy after the day I had.

Sunday I felt GREAT. Bike was working great as it did all weekend. Jake and I railed past a bunch of guy to get to first check (35 miles in) 22 minutes early! Took a nice break, have some good conversation, saw Tugsy there, all good. Roll out and there is a special right away. I take off all cocky and go to jump a log, get sideways and fly off the trail at speed and have a big get off. I'm fine, see Jake rip by looking down at my int he gully like WTF? remount and manage to rip up a big bank and back on the trail right in front of another guy I had been passing all day long. Sutre he was not pleased with my maneuver but hey, I;m having a great weekend need to keep on time. Me and another dude on a Husky 125 that is fast dice it up some after i catch him but he is faster than me and I let him by after he let me by a mile earlier and he looses me. I am going along pretty good but rear brake feels really odd. Few corners later brake is gone. I had jammed the rear master when I crashed. crap. Try to fit it but thats not going to happen. Limp to the next check with no rear break on very steep terrain and my day is done. I;m made I did not get to do the hole 240 miles but hey, i am not broken, I ride 12 miles out for almost 70 for the day and I'm done. Load up my stuff and am out of there by 2:30. Stop by to see my moms grave site in a semi nearby town to my route home, take a nice meandering drive through some of the most beautiful country i have ever seen and make it home about 12:30 am, long freaking day but feeling good.

Bike report. I had been setting my bike up for many rides before getting ready for this event.

suspension.

Had TBT revalve the rear last fall. Added a stiffer rear spring and was pretty happy with it. Did gold valves to the near horrible 45mm zokes and that was good but springs were not. Got some fancy special progressive 42-50 over 9' of travel fork springs from Richard at House of HP and was very impressed with the performance. They handle race speeds well but still soak up most everything. I am super happy with than as is. the TBT revalve is good, the gold valved and fancy fork springs are very good. Felt hero. Very happy.

Lectron carb:

Been doing a lot of testing and configurations leading up to the ISDE. I ride at 50-2200 feet elevation typically. Came up with my own rod configuration Lectron duplicated and modified slightly for me. Ran it twice before the ISDE and was super impressed. Also running a custom PJ tube which is shorter and makes it come on later int he throttle opening. This combo has been absolutely PERFECT for me. Start first kick hot or cold, runs perfect bottom to top. I mean seriously there is nothing I can think to do with it at this point. Get to the ISDE and we are at 4100 feet int he parking area and going up to 8400 feet. Go ride a pre race test loop, bike runs absolutely PERFECT. Money, do nothing to the carb. Bike ran fantastic all race, never missed a beat, pulled hard everywhere, passed people on huge long deep hill climbs, was amazing. I couldn't have been more pleased with my WB165 and Lectron. Simply amazing combo.

tires:

Motoz Enduro ST frnt worked great. Motos Enduro IT rear choose for durability was OK but did not seem to hold all the well when leaned over in the loose stuff of which there was lots. Not a bad tire but was not awesome like the front. Worked good not great.

Pillow grips:

Liked them. grippy so you don't need to hold on tight and seemed pretty comfortable.

Mechanix gloves:

Suggested by Norm here and I liked them. No pal seam so dont rub you wrong, fit as gfood or better than many moto gloves. Will continue to use them and buy them at my local hardware store. :>)

Risk Racing Palm protectors:

Did not run them, found they kinda cut off my circulation and felt OK but not something I wanted to test out and seemed to make my hand pump up. Hands did fine without.

My tendonitis elbow:

Felt fine while riding, could hardly pick up my boots after. Weird. More advil please, I'm old.

great time with great people doing a great event. Met some CH bros I have chatted with for years, had some great conversations.

will be back.

Great pix from Jake and the home crew...

Found a pic of Rob...



awesome pic of buddy Pete



Pete is very fast



buddy James also very fast



buddy Scott yes, fast



Pete saying rock on...



me (slow :>) at the end of day one...

Pete and I looking over the "grass track" before the event

No the guy that beat me smoked me. We both should have been in the A class. Still 2nd out of 22 40+ guys at a national Qualifier when I am almost 49 so at the old end of my class... I'll take it. Entered B class as I did not think my elbow would let me make A route times. My plan is to come back in 2 years and do well / try to win in the 50+ A class.

I think it was the spark plug wire. After it worked I was scared to touch it and just rode. Will look into it.

Great job on your race win for 2015 Motosportz!!! Robertaccio just said he forfeit . Now you don't even have to go lol

I wiggled some stuff up there too. Might have been it. Have not looked at the bike other than washing it.

That was too EZ.