My Road to the 2017 NORRA Mexican 1000
The Biggest Adventure of them All
1,300 + Mile Off-Road Race through Baja Mexico
This is a wild husband and wife team preparing for 12-months to race a motorcycle through some of the toughest terrain on this planet, Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. We have never raced a motorcycle before so this for sure will add to the adventure. Hang on here we go…
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Of course, skip all the dribble if you like and just check out some photos
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Everything seems to be coming together. All the new parts are installed, cables, breaks, chain, sprockets and I'm waiting for the damper kit to arrive. Our good friends Kim and Richard lent us their motorcycle trailer for the race, so no worrier there, Clyde's Customs were kind enough to paint the wheels, fabricate new cool looking fenders and mount the new tires.
Sunday my Buddy Rick helped me with some finishing trailer hardware in his luxury heated garage. We are so lucky to have good friends who are fired up and wanting to help. It feels like the entire community is on the team and has our back.
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I’m ready to load the bike on the trailer to bring it to the local Honda shop for some final prep. I kick it a few times. It backfires on a kick while I hear and felt a loud 'Crack!'. Now I have no connection between the kickstarter and the motor. I Broke The Engine Again! (ARE YOU KIDDING ME!) I push the bike up the hill and onto the trailer.
I have just over 4-weeks before I head down to Mexico. This is not good! I try to keep calm but I am freaking out inside. My mind tells me "Nothing can stop me now" But I need a solution and a solution fast. The motor has to come out and be taken apart to fix whatever the H broke inside. Then there has to be the available part. I releave my panic by telling myself I can always race the 1975' DT250, I put in a new motor and new tires last Fall. All I would have to do is bearings, cables, chain and sprockets. But the XR400 will be fine, there are good sources for parts for the XRs...AHHH!
This is Adventure Maximum, I need to pull a rabbit out of my hat.
This is what broke, a sheered counter-shaft, ouch.
This is Jake the magic man, or at least I'm hoping he can pull out some magic.
The XR400 Motor
One tire mounted with the Bib Mousse. Thanks all for telling me to run Mousse. I want no flats in Baja.
The triple clamp is in
My original plan was to go without the damper and count how many bikes I beat who had dampers. I rode all my life without dampers and convinced myself I don't need one. Then of course my crew chief, cavegirl, read the safety concerns you guys posted here. So now I'm running a damper. When we plan a mission safety is always at the top priority. Thanks you all for all this important information you are spewing out on this thread and all the others, absolutely fantastic and we appreciate it a ton.
The fork seals will go in next. I like it. Jake is doing a fantastic job making sure everything is up to Baja standards. Its all about the mission, the goal, the plan and the team effort
I walk into work Tuesday and find this.
This new car is super fast, Aaron wining 1st and 2nd in his last two races. The front spoiler is carbon fiber and feels like a chunk of stone,
but I'm sure it weighs nada.
Home from work I start getting my stuff together. The excitement is reaching a boil.
The bike is done. I need to break it in and vet everything out. Oh darn...
The trail starts less than a mile from our cabin. I ride in the shoulder to protect the new knobbies.
The trails are wet but in mostly good shape with just a few areas of ice and old snow.
The XR400 is running like a new bike. So far I don't even notice the damper. I have it at setting '2' so it may not be doing much at that setting.
Now I have to get the navigation equipment attached to the handlebars.
Just some more pics of the bike build, for the fun factor
The Rally bracket finds a good place.
I make a mark where it feels good. And check, and check and measure... Its got to be right, I have only one shot.
The mounting brackets hole spacing is critical.
I write software all day every day, whacking something with a hammer now and then feels good (wink)
I don't like the bolts I'm using. their gong to jam up anything I mount.
Perfect fit
Oops! can't have the GPS bracket on the left where I need to spin the road-book reader
Now that is looking gook, and there is plenty of room to mount the Stella race box.
Mandatory shakeout
I was concerned the homemade roadbook reader would sound like a shaker box and nothing would stay true. So far so good
A fantastic March day in the north
I like what I see
The iPhone compass is a little dim but I think it will be brighter when I hookup power.
And I could actually read the roadbook, I was concerned I may need to install a magnifying glass.
I am happy
Next i need to hook up the power to the GPS, iPhone and to power the Stella race box.
And replace the mounting bolts with beveled heads then countersink the holes.
I can't place the compression relief perch where I need to. I can work the relief by just pulling on the cable, so i'm cool. In the mean time Jake is looking for a longer cable.
Oh Yeah!
The steering head damper: I cannot believe the feel. Someone wrote on this thread that it is like auto pilot, thats a good way to put it. All the navigation stuff mounted to the handlebars is a non-issue, the crap gets deep, the hammer goes down and the bike just goes. I needed to go into town for some bolts and that means 10 miles of pavement, so i take the DT250.
The same trails on this bike without a damper, wow what a difference.
Almost exactly 7 miles away on back roads the throttle cable brakes. The break is right inside the carburetor, so nothing to do but push the bike and park it, than hitch- hike / or hike home. Luckily only a mile push and a 1/2 mile hike, the first truck picks me up for a few miles, then the next first truck turns around and takes me all the way home, its our friend Jim, How lucky!
I never like the hexagon spacer axial design, to many parts, too heavy and too many points of failure to go wrong. The shake-out ride proved that. Plan-B: Replaced with thinner and lighter threaded rod.
Locktite and a lock washer, we will see.
Today my legs are toast. I’ve been out hammering it the last few days on the bike but for only a couple hours or more at a time. My cross country race training was peaked only 6 weeks ago and I have been hitting the legs hard at the gym sense. I guess that shows there’s nothing like doing the real thing…
All is good, I still have a lot of electrical work to do on the navigation equipment so today is the day.
Battery Connection
Sam wants in
Dual USB 12V charger, one for the GPS and one the iPhone. First tin the metal chunks on the adaptor by first scrapping the metal and using flux, i like to use a file to scrape it otherwise a screwdriver works..
On a new design building two units is not a bad idea
This is looking good...
Ready to install
Flip the switch and bingo, we got power!
Now that was fun!
Everything is coming along with the bike. Yesterday I ground down a case guard so I can fit a T16 front sprocket if I want to use it. I drilled a hole in the nav platform to mount the Stella antenna. I don’t like mounting it to aluminum but that is what other riders did, so we will see. I still have to mount the Stella satellite antenna, I think that will get taped to the front fender, but I’m waiting to see what other riders are doing for that.
I did try to put some cool graphic decals on the bike yesterday but that failed, nothing would stick to that plastic tank, even after spraying clearcoat. A bummer but the least of my concerns for sure.
My meal plan: This is what will follow me to each day’s finish point.
- A propane camp stove will be with my camp stuff.
- First thing each morning a large bowl of oatmeal, can of prune juice, beef jerky, mixed nuts, one cup of instant coffee and lots of water.
- Each day during the race I will carry 2-cliff bars, 2-protien bars and one espresso gel shot. I will carry 2L of water in a camelback, plus maybe a bottle of sport drink.
- After the race, I have protein power to make a milk shake, beef jerky, mixed nuts and before bed I will do a bowl of Bran Buds.
- I believe fish tacos are provided to racers during and after the race, otherwise I will seek out potatoes and beans and tacos.
- Lots of water all day.
That’s it, yesterday I packed four days’ worth of the above supplies with my tent and sleeping bag and some camp cloths. This will be given to the race tote drivers before the race. I’ve never done a 5-day race before either, so we will see how this plan works.
It’s four days now before we take off for Mexico. I can feel the Anxieties rise inside me, cavegirl is feeling it also. I didn’t think it was going to be this bad. I need to count on my tried and tested pre-race relaxation techniques to get me through this. I just need to keep cool, keep nourished and hydrated and concentrate on taking care of last minute details. I know everything will be much better once the race starts.
This morning Heidi is looking straight into my eyes more deeply then I ever seen. Eyes as wide open as they could be, wet with intensity. “Have a good race. Be safe. Be smart. Ride fast. And you come home to me..,.!” We kiss like new lovers. A few last looks and words I’m off.
Down the dirt road we live on I see smoke coming from behind. I look and look and look. still smoke. I blow it off thinking its condensation from the cold. Its running good. I just never remember seeing that before. Ten miles later charging up a giant hill in cruise the trany kicks down. The engine was turning over four grand. More smoke and this time it looks blue. I feel like I stare at the smoke forever before I wake up and kick off the cruise. The trany shifts, the Rs and smoke preside. My mind is refusing to think this plan is not going to work. So I drive on keeping the Rs and speed down. I pull into work forty six miles later, the smell of burnt oil is undeniable, just like the smell Heidi always smells and complains about.
My mind was spinning, its either a new used truck or a new tranny. I like the idea of another truck, that’s what I do, buy cheap trucks an fix them up. Then it kicks in “I need a proper registration and plates to get into Mexico” Now it looking at a transmission. If that’s the problem. I’m on my third transmission on this truck and what I hear the 02’s Ford Explorer has the worst transmission ever. I’m on my third.
it was a fabulous day at work besides the distraction.
Leaving work at 5 I take it cool. I remember to turn off the overdrive and take side roads most the way to Minneapolis. No smoke but at one point when i was going up a hil in cruise the tranny stuck at around 4 grand again. I kicked off the cruise right away and proceeded into the big city keeping it at around sixty. Luckily most of the traffic was done so i didn’t jam anyone up. Anyway, I stop for supplies in Baldwin and I smell burnt oil. And its not motor oil because that’s full and looking good.
I email Hipster about my concern. He fires right back ‘This could add to the adventure” Ha, just a reminder why i love doing crazy stuff like this with Hipster. This wouldn’t be the first transmission or mechanical problem we’ve had together, not even close. We rode from Wisconsin to Copper canyon Mexico, Sturgis, Dominican Republic off-road, and thats not including all the multi-marathom XC-ski seasions we did, there's a lt of breakdowns in there (evil grin). This seems so natural like it's obviously the next thing we got to do.
I took care of last minute things Friday after work in Minneapolis, Sierra trading post has Camelback bladders so I shoot for that first thing Egan Minnesota near the airport.
The next morning Tommy is ready, rain or not this is the start of Epic, nothing will stop us now.
The trany is performing perfect. I remember now this happened once before after a trany service, smoke and freak out. These Fords have a weird sealed transmition thing where therer is no dipstick.
Chatten like school girls we never noticed the fuel gauge, Oh geez, won't let that happen again
Tom and I discuss camping strategies all the time. I don't like my pillow. Tom is showing how small his blue pillow folds up.
We see a sign from cavegirl at the campsite. It must be a sign...
Stay tuned for more fun in Baja Mexico…
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