This was the last race of the yr and to me, it was a success at least and a very good time and way to spent 1 weekend a month out of the year. Racing my Husky was pretty cool but it might have taken a backseat to watching my rider do so well race after race on the 250cc 2t bike. 2t bikes here are a minority racing here and he whipped numerous 4t Japanese bikes each race. Myself, I never got on a podium (1st - 5th) but did get close once at the Dumaguete, Negros mudd race ... Not alot of jumping compacted the finishing results. A little more effort and it would have happened. My 08 WR250 rider, Ayen, got third overall for the season in the Open Enduro class, I think and will verify this and his overall results on the Husky in other classes later. I was very pleased with his overall riding on the ~stock bike, yr 1. In this last race, he really shined on it and looked very comfortable. I'll also say he raced very smart on the all year with the next race always in mind. These races are a 2 day event and here are some pics in a random, maybe not so logical, order. Starting gate on Day 2... It was a little muddy but not too bad ... Track got almost bubble gum sticky before the day was over. This was one big long SX type track. Must have been 5 0r 6 long lanes full of various ~rhythm jumps. Plenty of the SX type corners at the ends of the lanes. I saw the Husky rider more than once be on the rail here and then come off that line and make a pass or pick up a bike length on a rider... RV2 style ... He's still got some gas in his tank I think for next year, 2014. I'm thinking he'll ride a TC250 4t next yr also. Another side view of the lanes and a takeoff ramp on the back side.
Pre-race activities ... We all gather to stretch and do some dancing before race ... Its a crowd and racer favorite Parked my 010 TC250 and 08 Wr250 bikes over at the other Husky racer tent. Funny story with the 65cc bike. Seems another ktm rider in the 65cc, bike broke. So he rode this 65cc Husky in the race. He had never even sat on this bike before the race. He's also the champion of this class, so this will be another test of it the rider or the bike? He got a very bad start on the bike ... Maybe out of the top 10 and guess what is in front of him? 98% orange bikes ... He passes them all up to 3rd place and on the last lap goes for 2nd place in a corner and falls over. In any event, point proven the Husky can be driven by the orange bikes even at this age. Husky Open Enduro bike and you can see several brands of bikes here. Broke my plate off in small 1st race fall-over.. (spy photo of under-development KS)
More pit photos. Day 2 Open Enduro gate. That's my friend Ronnie with the bull horn ... Word is he might have a older model(90s) 125cc Husky. It be really cool if I had a 125cc bike I could just pimp out on the fly to the young racers here and watch the fun they generate on the track.
Just the last race of this 2013 race series. I'll race again next yr also for their 2014 SX series that starts in January, here in Cebu City. Maybe they'll use this same track. Not sure on that. But if the same track is used, maybe we can practice on it during the next month. I get a big kick out of riding a track like this when no one is on it except friends practicing on it. Anyone who reads this and wants to come over and race these guys, I'll provide you with a bike for free and we split the prize money you win. You can keep the trophy. Same deal I offered last yr to foreigners and same deal I offer the local riders. These guys really like seeing us race the local guys!
Let the smoking begin! This is first lap stuff. You can see the KX guy doubling past Ayen. That's OK as the KX guy is part of our gang also. He's 15 yrs old and has ridden my 2t bike in the past also and might ride for me more in the future. He's not gonna beat the 08 WR250 with Ayen on-board but will have a top ~5 finish maybe. First lap corner entry. Exit same corner. Looks like my good friend Alex (#214) making a pivot move on the inside. Alex is a very good trail rider and racer but that 125cc bike of his just does not have the horses to run up front in the Open class.
Second lap. You can see the crowd is thinning ... Young KX rider is still hanging with Ayen. As I've said before, we all race each other all yr, for yrs around here, so all is really under control here. Top 2 riders are out front, this racing here is for 3rd position. These guys are stone cold hard on knowing how to manage a race, during the race to get the best finish possible with least amount of risk. Lap 3 and Ayen is sitting alone in 3rd place, as expected. Now he can protect his position and save himself and the bike. We use this formula alot during the year.
Here's a few pics of me riding my 2010 TC250. I'm probably sitting in about 10th place... I'm doing very few doubles so I'm loosing ground quickly to the guys out front. But was having a good time racing my friends out back. The guy in the pic with me was doing several of the big doubles but I'd stay with him in the corners. He finally crashed and broke his collar bone as he doubled past me on lap ~5 or something. Next lap he was ahead of me at this point. These guys should know I don't slow down during a race a finish at about the same pace as I start. So our race is not over till the flag checkered flag waves. This is racing 101 on display. If you can't rail the corner and double out at speed, protect the inside line. No different than racing anywhere on any scale or class. This is one big a$$ table-top I'm going over here. I cleared it once during the race ...
Whew! Glad it wasn't your last race ever. How many laps total and how long do the races last? Nice year end review Ray. Your generosity is amazing. Even though you don't know the language, you seem to fit in nicely there.
Here's a few shots of my rider, Ayen, riding his 450 4t. He just got this bike half way through the season and started racing it instead of my 2t in some of the classes. Thats about ~5 races on that bike and I'm here to say, he looked very good on that bike this last race. Maybe he's catching on to the 4t? He still ride my 2t very well when he entered the enduro class race. I'm pretty sure he will ride one of my 250 4t machines next yr. I've got a couple other young riders who will get on-board the 4t also... So I hope I can pull this racing saga off next yr again. That's him in second on that berm. He's ~about as good as any here in the corners. He made a couple of those square-off moves in those berms to pass riders. Ayen chasing one of the Godfathers of racing here, Pepo Rubi. You can see the cool track here. Seems these guys through the yr keep making the track safer and safer and maybe pointed some of it towards the lower class racers (like me) to be able to ride safe over jumps even when screwing it up.
Not in the Open endure class because that is the top level for enduro bikes. -- But there is alot of politics in the other classes, same as anywhere. All Kopiko races pay $ for finishing 1-5 places. So its for fun but it also pays the bills for many. The organizers can push riders into higher classes and it does happen from time to time. There is no shortage of riders at these races, but at the smaller races around the island, some one who can ride as well as Ayen will have to be forced into the PRO class to help put enough racers into a moto. Sometimes the top finishing riders will split the purse in a case like this.
Thanks on your kind words and I have only bikes here to occupy my time. So this web site is about as good a place as any to spend time and it better than most web sites ... There is alot of easy to read info here on alot of topics about bikes in general and ESP the Husky brands of past and present. And don't let this thread fool ya, I'm a trail rider and do these races for a good time. And to learn how to jump a bike. These are really cool tracks with 30-33' jumps in several places. After returning to the woods after seeing these jump faces, nothing is gonna look very big as a jump. The VET motos I do are usually about 7 laps only ... I wish they were a little longer as I don't get so tired as some guys I race against and I don't back off till the finish ... Part of the winning formula here is to, (1) get a good start, (2) put in a couple hot laps to separate your self from the pack;this means to double as many of the jumps as possible as this is the separating factor between VET riders, (3) slow up as much as possible and protect your position and no mistakes like falling over or killing the engine. For me, I do all the top 3 but I push to the end and might can pass a couple on the last lap . As riders tire, they also crash or stall bikes... -- Their PROs do 20 laps or so ... Other classes do 12 laps or so... -- Most of the people in the cities know English pretty good... In the mountains where I trail so much, not so many can speak it so I have to use sign language and a few key terms to get directions or whatever from these guys. But believe me, foreigners overall are treated very very well in most all cases till you prove you have the wrong attitude about being in this country. Did you notice the Hungarian flag flying behind the starting gate? That's for a Hungarian guest rider that is here. This attitude exists about everywhere here.
It was a little muddy the first day of racing. This is Executive (VET) B racing. The Husky is one of the few 2t bikes in here. Ayen got 3rd place I think... Gate pics on day 1 are just whoever lines up first for entry into the staging area. Apparently, the 08 WR250 was late to the staging area because I highly doubt Ayen wanted the dead-outside gate. Day 2 staging is by finishing place from day 1. I have a video of this start I can post later but Ayen jumped out the gate, cut across the straightaway and was maybe inside the top ten on the start. (That gate holds 20 and looks like an extra rider out back.) -- This is lap 2 (3?) into the race and the Husky maybe in 7th place guessing that there is probably 2-3 riders way out front and this is the 1st pack of racers behind them. This is the last podium places. A few laps later and the crowd is thinning towards the front.
Ray ray. My name is Lewis Stewart and I currently race for Husqvarna indonesia and am the 2013 indonesian intentional motocross champion. These races sure do look fun! You mentioned that the first round of the 2014 championship starts late jan. I am wondering who I could speak to about racing there? Promotor/ husqvarna team???
Hi Champ and thanks for considering this place to race ... Race time will probably the 25th & 26th of January but no official word yet. These tracks are big SX type tracks... pretty cool to ride and safe and nothing overly big now ... Seemed like after the first few races last year, the size of the jumps slimmed down each week as the season progressed. And there are some speedy little rhythm sections from time to time.. I'll send you a PM after this with some people you can call and get the real scoop. These racers here are red-hot currently because they just finished the season a couple weeks back and start racing again on the same track this month. I think Glenn Aguilar won the PRO open class again with a couple younger guys giving all he wanted at the end of the season.
Thanks ray ray. Yes mate I have received your pm so please reply once your free. Thanks again for the help. I have also spoken to Glen a little. Seems like a really good guy. Hopefully I can make it over there and race!
