My Motorbike Obsessions is going racing! Someday, after I figure this thing out...

Welcome back friends! I hinted about what was going to happen in the last couple of posts. Last Saturday was the day for it all to come together. I have made a change to the racing plans and decided to take a different branch on the motorbike racing tree than I originally planned. Last Saturday I went out and bought a professionally built race bike that was actually raced by a pro racer. It isn't meant for the street, but it is just as much fun. Sit back and let me take you on this ride!

A Honda carrying a Honda. Kind of like those Russian nesting dolls, but for motorsports. In the back of my Honda Ridgeline (best truck ever!) is my new (to me) 2006 Honda CRF450 Dirt Track race bike. I have been working this deal for a couple of weeks now. Thanks to my tax return and my understanding wife (love you babe!) I was able to get this beast. It is a little rough around the edges and a bit battle worn, but that just means it has character. It is riding on 19" rims front and rear with Mitas Flat Track tires. It has been lowered and the suspension has been tuned for my height and weight. I bought it from Jim Wood of Southland Racing Products. Jim has been building Flat Track bikes for a while. A quick internet search of his name and you'll see. I was refered to Jim by Eric Bostrom as Jim builds most of the Dirt Track Motocross (DTX) bikes around these parts.

Slapping a big ole chunk of change down on the table for a bike I've never ridden had me a bit nervous. Trying my hand at real Flat Track racing had me double nervous. I figured that I'd better just jump right in with both feet. SoCal is blessed with numerous Motocross tracks as well as road courses. and outdoor kart tracks. One of the local tracks has a full sized short track for practice sessions. I drove right over to Milestone MX Park after buying the bike to turn my first honest Flat Track laps. Here I am after I successfully unloaded the bike without dumping it or hurting myself. Definitely a winning way to start my new race career. The day was sunny, clear and very bright. Not much shade was available in this part of the track, but I didn't care. I was fighting the butterflies in my stomach hoping I didn't make a fool of myself with the few other people that were there.

I said it was a pro's old bike didn't I? Here are the graphics to prove it. The bike even has a tech inspection sticker for AMA Pro Racing telling me that this is a legit pro race bike. It has been tuned  for my super newbie level of racing. Jim gave the bike a once over before I got it as well as reset the suspension for my weight which was a bit more than the former owners. Does this Flat Track bike make my butt look fat? Anyway, like I said she is battle scarred and looking like she is fresh off the track. The pits and scrapes just reminded me of how cool this type of racing is and of the level of trust that one must put in their fellow competitors when you get to banging bars on the dirt.

I'll have to change the graphics out once I get my own race number. I'll also need to come up with a maintenance plan and a list of things to do to get it ready for the track. It is a much simpler bike than even my little Ninja. I figure I can probably disassemble the entire thing in a couple of hours. I may just do that so I can see the condition of all of the bearing and other moving parts. On the right you can see the front tire assembly with its conspicuously missing brake set up. I got one from Jim so that I could do TT races as well as proper Flat Track. I only reached for the missing brake lever three or four times when trying to decelerate into my pit area. I'm sure that urge will go away with more seat time. My tires would last a pro one race and a few practice sessions. That means they might last me the whole summer as I get up to speed. Tires will be the biggest expense just like any other race machine.

The under slung exhaust is cool looking and keeps the bike quiet enough that I didn't even need to wear ear plugs. All of the plastics are worn with a few cracks. That suits me fine as I'm sure the bike will end up on its side a time or two as I learn the ropes of going fast while turning left. The engine has good power. These 450 cc dirt bikes are good for around 50 bhp. My little ninja is only good for 36 bhp right from the factory. The gearing is 14/49 and I was told that this is pretty short which is good for the practice track that I was at. I'll have to amass a collection of sprockets and chains to accommodate different tracks and conditions. The motor's power was very manageable and since it is a 4-stroke single cylinder bike, it was easy to engine brake to help control my corner entry speed. I only kept the bike in 2nd gear so I could start to learn its idiosyncrasies, but it felt fast for sure.

With the front brake attached I can make the bike a bit more multi-purpose. I could take it to an MX park and ride the smaller tracks meant for beginners and Vets (old farts like me) and practice my TT skills. I can also take it to the kart track and ride it supermoto style even with the 19" wheels. The flat track tires will give me plenty of grip on the kart track asphalt. One thing I think I'll do it try and get a second and third set of wheels so that I can have knobbies and full 17" supermoto street tires to go along with my flat track tires. That will let me really ride the bike at the track more often than doing track days at Chuckwalla or one of the other SoCal tracks. That flexibility of riding and the very near location of some of these tracks was one of the driving forces behind this move. Track days at Chuck are long and expensive. If I start racing then they are longer and more expensive. With a Flat Track bike I can stay more local for much less. More bang for the buck and a greater chance to get my young family involved in the sport. Speaking of the Ninja, it is for sale. If you're local it is a good deal for someone getting started in track days.

My new traveling set up worked a charm. The ramp is the same one I've had for loading the Ninja onto my trailer. The MX stand is new. I bought it without realizing that the bike's underslung exhaust keeps me from using it, but it proved useful as a step into the bed of the truck when loading the bike up at the end of the day. It was so surprisingly easy to load and unload that I think I could do it with the Ninja just as well. The FZ is a bit too porky to get up the ramp without help though. The Ridgeline's built-in tie down points made strapping the bike a breeze. I couldn't lift the tailgate up and I couldn't see out the rearview mirror, but it was easy to get the bike home. I didn't even notice the bike until I was changing lanes and had to use my side mirrors to see behind me. 

Here is the Flat Track at Milestone MX Park. It was made to be the same size and shape as the local race track Perris Auto Speedway where the Southern California Flat Track Association (SCFTA) does their races. From what some of the other riders at the park told me it is a tough track. It is as hard as concrete covered in dust and marbles. It dries fast after being watered and gets slick. It will be a good track to practice on. Going to the MX park is like riding in a skatepark. You scope out the curves, pick your line, wait for it to be clear and ride. You don't snake other riders and you share. Easy enough. You can see some jumps in the center. Some clubs put on races here and they have made the jumps for TT racing as well as regular Flat Track. It makes for an extra challenge.

On the left you have the first turn from the track entrance into the first corner. Even though this track is considered a short track and the whole track could fit in a football field, the dirt and track conditions were different in each set of corners. One was hard and loose while another has a bit of a blue groove forming in spots. The right picture is turn four coming up the font straight. I kept it slow and steady with lots of gentle throttle control and only a few dabs on the rear brake. I could feel the bike get loose on me in some of my later sessions. I did get a hand cramp in the first session as I was gripping too hard on the control due to nerves. I tried to play with my lines a little to see how the track felt. It seemed faster and more grippy on the inside and a bit loose and powdery on the outside. I fell in behind a few of the other riders to see their line selection and body position. I kept my elbows up and my man bits high on the tank. The bike handled perfectly and the suspension set up was spot on. After the first tentative lap I knew I had made the right choice and all doubts were left behind.

Well I could go on for ever, but I have a bike to maintain. I got to get a hot shoe and sort out my gear choices. I need to put together a plan for practice and when I'll start racing. Lots of fun is ahead for the My Motorbike Obsessions Race Team. I can't wait to show you, my family and friends and most of all myself what I'll be doing with some extra time on the track. Stay tuned for more. Ride safe!

Blue