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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125625
The Polish Pickl e By B1ll Zaremba • Hi Ed, how would you like to go riding on tile Fourtb of JulY, and it woo't cost you a tb1ng." There was a monemt of silence on tile otber end of tile phone. "What do you mean It woo't cost me a tb1ng?" "Well I gol tb1s back." I said slyly. "ADd I need some one to ride as my' partner." "HACKl" He shouted back. "YOU MUST BE COMPLETELY OUT OF YOUR GOURD. NOBODY IN HlS RIGHT MIND WOULD EVER TOUCH ONE. FORGET IT." "It Isn't tbat bad at alL" I came back. "All you have to do Is just sit tilere, I do all tile work. And besides your bike Is down." "Well." There was a pause 011 tile .otiler end. "Good, I'll pick you up friday about 5: 30." Before Ed could say another word. "See you." HangIng uP tile phone quicly, I ran In to tile kitchen. "Whats the grin 011 your face?" My wife asked me as I came running In. "It looks like you just found a hundred dollar bill." "Better than tbat." I sa1d going out the door heading towards the garage. "I got me a monkey." "A MONKEY." I beard her shout as she came runnl.rIC alter me. "You are not going to bring any pets borne." I looked at her and started to laugh. "I'm not bringing any monkey home, I got Ed Thomas to ride sldebac:k." l'Oh," She said. "Just make sure." out In tile garage I did some cbeck:lng out of tile Pollsh P1clde, tile name which I had given the back. Witil all the Polish jokes going arOUDd It seemed like a good name. Sure hope Ed doesn't back out, I kept tb1nJdng to myself. l'.,e had tile hack since April, but to find some one to ride In It was some tb1ng else. Three days had gooe by and I hadD'theardfrom Ed. Tb1s was a good sign. Tomorrow would be tile big day. As I drove uP In to Ed'S drive way. "You're late." He greeted me. "Just a little." I said. He loaded bis gear and we were 011 our way. The drive to Hi- Vista was easy, as tilere was not much traffic out tb1s early In tile morning. All the way out I kept telling Ed tbat It would be a ball and tbat tilere was nothing to riding a back. All Ed did was to nod his bead and look at tile back In tile back d tile truck. We arrived at tile pit area which tile Desert Turtles MC had set ~. It was more tban a hour bilfore tile run would start. After unloading tile back from tile truck we got ourselves ready. "Here use tilese." I said handing Ed a pair of knee pads. "What's tilese for? For praying?" He asked. "Maybe." I replied. It took 3 or 4 kicks to get tile back started. After the bike had warned uP, Ed started to climb In and sit down. "Ob, I forgot to tell you ed, you have to give the hack a little push, then climb In, it's easter on tile clutch. "Push?" He sa1d climbIng out of tile back, "You didn't say anytb1ng about pusbing." After a 11 ttle push Ed was back In tile back and seating b1mself. "That wasn't so bad, was It?" I asked. We set off down the road which ran tbru tile pit area. Right a way people started laugb1ng and pointIng towards tile Polish Pickle. After leaving tile pit area I kept on the roads to give Ed a clance to get tile feel of tblngs. After clasing uP and down tile road a few times, I shouted over to Ed "Time to stand, I'm going to bit the rough stuff.. • Before Ed could reply, I beaded for tile rough. I didn't know If Ed's reacl1011 was tbat fast or If It was tile dip we bit for In OIIe move Ed was standing and hanging On. Riding back Is a guessing game for tile monkey when tilere Is no trail to follow for he las to work wltiI tile pilot. ADd It takes real team work. We headed to tile pits w:Ith , HARLEY-DAVIDSON ~ Rapido 1..... G1~. D.IIY", Sportsw Harley-Davidson of Oceanside 216 VI~ Del Mon'. Dee~nslde, ~"Ioml~ (714) 757-7510 HIGHEST TUDE". 231 N. AuIIeI• •,. . . . . . . . . C... . . . . (n4) 53S-~3Ot BIKE TRAILERS NI.' Used . One, two, & tII_ rail IIICldeII $149.95 • up S-d 'or Info. Arap Dill. Co., 223 W. Ca.loo Real, M_v1a, Calif. 91015 Torsten Hallman RaCing, Inc. ";s Space ONLY $6.50 per week Call <213> Ask fir Tom 423-043t salt. #102, w t Coast 0111. 'or .. PENTON Motorcycles Tonlen . H~lIman lP.cl~1 deslcn & r~clnc equipment lealllers U.s. Dlsl. for T.. ".borc Mot...croSl tlr.. For dealer Info. write or c~1I 5345 Tlmken St., L~ Mesa, C~I. 92041 (714) 460-1402' PRE-DRILLED KNURLED EDGES Ed baag1Dg 011. At tile riders meetlDc we were told tile backs would go arOUDd cbec:k oumber 2, because tile trail would be too marrow and sU!ep_. The startiDg line was about 3 miles from tile pit area aloog tile edge of tile road. We weould be beading east for tile start. Mounted 011 tile froot of tile back Is apressurlzedwater bottlemarked 'plckle Juice.' "What's In tilere?" Ed asked. "Three parts Gator Ade and one part vodka. Want a sbot before taking off? It w:Il1 quench your tb1rst and relax you. Here take a sbot." I said, banding Ed tile end of tile hose which ran from tile bottle. "Not now, may be later." Ed replied. At tbat moment tilere cames tile silence before tile start. The drop.. '. ".\.~//'(-:::-"; /.,7' '.' 'v . , ::":.'Y,~~ I . '>--2::.:'<. /, / , :f~ Ing of the banner, tile roar of tile engines. After 3 kicks tile Polish Pickle came alive and on It way. The dust was bad at first but alter a few miles It was clear as tile last of tile big bJkes went by. We were not the first off the line but we sure wasn't last. "STOP" Ed shouted over at me. Before I could bring the hack to a full stop. Ed had removed the clamp on the hose which was connected to tile pickle juice and took four large swallows. "I hope tb1s will relax me." Outside of taking two passes at one of tile bills before tile first check we were doing ok. Not many words were spoken between us. About 15 minutes out of check one It happened. It happened so fast all I could remember was tbat I was on tile ground w:Iti1 tile back 011 top of me yelling, "Get It off of me." Ed came running lIP from about 20 feet away shouting. "You ok, you ok?" He lifted tile back to get tile weight off me. "Yeah." I said crawllng out. We both got together and righted tile back. After a quick inspection d both bodies and machine every tb1ng checked out, except for tile bars which were no looger running at tile proper angle w:Iti1 tile front wheel. Now would tile "Beezer" start? After splttlng back a few times It fired uP. "Waft, I want another shot of juice, when I start to fly I want to be relaxed," Ed stated between sIPs. With a little push from both of us once more the Polish Pickle was on It's way, tb1s time a little slower. Weweremaklugour own course now for the main trail had CImRTrl DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED Write 'or FREE IIter.tule is ready to race. P. O. lOX 621 CAL '2640 ~ Sf/1ft vJE I'!f.ADE. s17.oo to $23.00 ChnItnecI StaiI!ltSs-Sfeel CSpolles - 31¥ eadl :S GARDEN GlOVE, -. ~.;..-:::> made of duraluminum NOITH AMERICAN IMPOITS narrowed down and also .... becnming more choppy. You lave to give Ed lots d cred1t, be was doillg a real good job for bis first time out. He only weigbs 137 pounds and be really las to bang out to keep tile wbee1 down. We were still cutting our own trail when we came Into a real w:Ide sand wash. By laving Ed bang way out tile back and getting my self as tar back on the seat as possible we got tbru w:Itbout too much trouble. Ed didn't even have to push once. At tile end of the wash we started uP a narrow trail which looked more like an English Trials course, winding It' s way uP tile canyon. Ed looked over at me and spoke. "They must be kidding." "I don't know," I replied, "But It sure looks like pusb1ng time." ~_._,'_.~ ~ . A ~-- WRON& 7iI~ We came to a stop and were trying to figure tile best way to approach tb1s traU. It looked like our work was really cut out. We were gettlng ready for tile task tbat lay ahead when we beard someone yelling. Farther UP the trail was a member of tile Desert Turtles shoutlng:_ "Hacks go around, you can't get tbrough~ Ed shouted back. "Didn't see no markers." "There at the bottom of tile trail, go to your lett," He answered back. We turned tile back around and beaded down tile trail and found the way to get around check number 2. The marker lad heen knocked down. We bit a road which gave Ed and myself a chance to rest for tile first time. It was also tile first time Ed got to use the seat In tile back since we lad lett tile startiDg line. The bJke was beginning to handle squJrrely going around turns. Before we could slowdown to find out tile trouble It happened again. OnlY tbIs time the Polish Pickle landed in tile middle of tile biggest bush you ever saw. Botil of us started In Ianghl ng. After a few minutes of rest and sipping on pickle juice we removed tile bike and were moving again. In the distance we SIlOtIed check number two, 011 top of a mountain, which made It easier to pick uP tile course ooce more. ArriYlng at cbeck number tbree, one of tile checkers there pointed to tile rear tire; It was flat. This was tile reason the hack was notbandl1ng. To leave check tbree we had a choice. To go over the hW which led from the check or go around. We decided to go around. One of the members from tile Desert Turtles pointed the way. Before leaving tb1s check, once more Ed and I took a few sips of juice and were on our waY. It really didn't matter that we had had a flat tire since check two. What really mattered was that we were having a ball. Check tbree was six mUes from the finish, and we knew we could make It. Off In the distance we could see tile pit area. As we got nearer I looked over at Ed and said. "Hey Eddie, we made It." "We sure did, we sure did." He replied w:Itb a big grin on his dust covered lace. When we bit tile road leading to the finish. you would have though we bad won the race. The peoPle were yel11ng and waving. It sure made you feel good In side. The desert season Is over now until September. But Eddie and I w:Il1 be back w:Ith the Polish Pickle and TWO bottles of PICKLE JUlCE.