Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125797
A Beginner.'s Guide to Enduros By Larry Langley United Racing Association Safety Director Been thinking about riding your first enduro? Read on, this article is for you! Getting ready to ride an enduro can be broken down into three basic functions. Bike preparation, rider preparation, and supplies. Bike preparation: It doesn't matter how good of a rider you are, if your bike is not running properly you won't finish. So make sure the bike is in good tune. This includes points adjusted, timing set, plug gapped properly and oil changed if you are riding a four stroke. Replace any parts if needed. Lubricate and adjust the chain and all cables preferably with a special chain lube available at all cycle shops. If you have grease ,fittings, buy a small grease gun and lube reguarly. Clean your air filter. If you have a paper filter it would be better to replace it with the Filtron type which offers superior filtering, especially in dust. Check your tires for wear and pressure. If your bike is equipped with street tires spring for a set of trials or knobbys. Street tires just don't hack it in the dirt. Adjust and wire your spokes together where they cross. This will strengthen them and preven t a spoke from flopping around if it breaks. Tigh ten all nuts and bolts and use Loc-tite to keep them from vibrating loose. Most enduros require at least a muffler or silencer and some require a park arrester. Check the event requirements and be sure your bike is equipped properly. To be serious about enduros your bike should be equipped with a reset type speedometer. A lot of bikes don't, though, as they are just out for the finishing pin. Rider Preparation: Try and be in at least fair physical condition. During the week get out on a bicycle and ride for a . few miles or jog a couple of miles a week. Since our local enduros are usually held in the desert be prepared for hot riding especially in the summer. Wear loose fitting clothing and buy a good helmet, boots, and gloves. Take one or two canteens of water or Gatorade along. You would be surprised San Antonio MX By Rita Gunter SAN ANTONIO, TEX., July 23,1972It was a beautiful day, and the Motosport Park track was in great shape, due to the rains oj the night before. San Antonio rider, Billy Beck (Pen) won the first. 100 Junior heat. He lead this race all the way. Dick Reed worked his way up from fourth place to second on his trusty Bultaco. First place in the 125 Junior heat was taken by Jim Knight (Yam) without a great deal of trouble. Richard Pitcox (Pen) took second just ahead of AI Gardner's MCB. Swift little Steve Wise (Pen) won the first heat (as well as the at the number of riders who ride an enduro or race without taking any water along. This is a NO NO! You can mount the can teens on your bike or carry them on your belt. If you opt for the belt I would ·recommed the plastic canteens over the aluminum in case you fall mucb easier on the hipbone. Supplies: Parts to take along should include spare plugs, tire repair kit, a small hand pump, or get a kit that includes a couple of C02 cartridges which will blow up a tire each. I've also seen advertised a mini-pump that screws into your spark plug hole, and, by operating your kick starter, it will pump up your tire. I don't know how they work but it seems like a good idea. Also include a couple of master links, tools that come with the bike, a small roll of duct tape (it will fix almost anything), a couple of small tire irons, and my favori te, a tube of GE Silicone Seal. This stuff will even repair a leaky gas tank and is almost as good as Loc-tite in keeping nuts from vibrating loose. Now you're asking where you are going to carry all this stuff. It's best to use a canvas bag to carry it all. Check your local army surplus store for on.e that will suit you best, and secure It fmnly to your bike. Bring along a good wristwatch so you can check your pace from checkpoint to checkpoint. Your bike is ready, tools and parts packed and loaded, and you are in shape, now what? Pick an enduro that will offer terrain and times that you, as a beginner, can cope with. At first stick with organizations such as URA, SRA and such. They are Beginner and Novice oriented. Do not ride a AMA District 37 enduro righ t off the bat. They are usually pretty hard Jor a beginner to complete. It would take a complete article to go into the timekeeping required in an enduro but my suggestion is to look around the pits and locate a rider who has a hat full of enduro finisher pins and ask him to explain how. Believe me, motorcycle riders are the friendliest people in the world and they will go out of their way to help a beginner out. So, armed with this basic advice, all you have to do is get out and do it! Have fun! second and third) of the 125 Senior class. Ln fact, all three of the top three positions were exactly the same in every heat. Wise was first, followed by Tom Stoffel on a Suzuki and Bill Law (Pen). The bout between Billy Beck (Suz) and Clark McCurdy (Yam) in til\, 126-200 class was quite interesting, with the first place position changing hands several times. Clark bobbled once and got behind bu t made up for lost time by passing two riders at once when he went flying over one of the jumps. This super-show was to no avail. Billy took first anyway, leaving McCurdy second place. A tigb tly packed bunch of riders fell into the first corner of the 250cc Junior's first heat, each intent on ~ w Z W ..J (.l > (.l • Kent Howerton who won the Open Senior class at MOlosport Park shows his winning from. The second heat of the 126-200 class was a follow-the-Ieader type race with the riders being spread out allover the track. Billy Beck finished ahead of the others with Gary Miller second and Clark McCurdy third. John Jernigan led the second mota of the Open Juniors for a couple of laps but then Robert Smith zapped around him, taking first for himself. Jernigan finished second, followed by Jarrell Lambert on his Yamaba. Kent Howerton took first place in the se.cond heat of the Open Senior class after a struggle with Steve Foster. Steve was left with a second place after Kent managed to pass him and stay in fran t. Frank Peebles fmished third. (Diatrlbutlln Wonted F... TIle "Cool L1..... of MotorcYcle RKin. Lubricants.. Finest Quality, Fastest 5ellina. BacKed By solid rfle.rch, UnIque MerchandlSl"l- Agr't'SSIve AcNerttsu"C. Out- ~;t~~~~bl~ ~s::: ent Now Exc.nd.,. throuIt't IIIIIectiwe _ Paler. ConloCt ..... Termalene DIvision. The Bel Ray Co. P,O. Box526, Farmtftldale. New Jersey 07727. coming au t in the number one slot. Beaver Spring was the lucky one. He came out ahead of the pack on his Suzi bu t lost his advantage when he was passed by James Morris (Yam) and then K. L. Castle. Morris took first, Castle second and Spring third. The best race of the first mota of the open Junior Class was 'between Charlie DeRago and John Jernigan. They were dueling for the third spot position and Jernigan won. He finished Robert Smith, who finished fiTSt, and .Roger Wiley. Super-swift Kent Howerton (Yam) won the fiTSt heat of the Open Senior races. Steve Foster and Frank Peebles cam in the number two and number th~e positions. WH TI HONDA oc:;c:;~ Motorrycle T~i1ers WHITTIER HONDA Complete stock 14324 E. Whittier Blvd. Whittier, Ca. 90605 ~fc:;;~r~~~ John's Racing-C ydes Sales Service Parts Accessories Porting SERVICE ON All MAJOR BRANDS OF MOTORCYCLES r---------------- I 714 646-4655 I or 646-2428 I 2255 HARBOR Blyel.: COSTA MESA, Callf.l L- .,.... 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