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/127686
was going. the motor always had enough on reserve to provide a blast of po wer, and the sus pe nsi on would soak up the obstacle w ith ap lomb. Admittedly, the considerable weight and kicked-out front end made the bike a bit of a handful in the few tigh ter sections, but it was an absolute barrel of monkeys on 99% of the course truly an amazing motorcycle. I ended the day 22nd, climbing to 14th overall, and took full ad vantage of the day off in Ely by sleeping in until W:OD. Comp etition Susp ension's Ja ke Thompson rebuilt the suspen sion and Wayne tinkered on th e b ik e, w h ich still hadn't missed a beat. We considered switching to the prototype Dunlops that my faster teammates were using. but Ogilvie wisely pointed out that I had not yet suffered a flat, and that it was better not to mess with success. Day Five was broken into two shorter special tests, which gave us a chance to mount fre sh tires (and go to the bathroom) during the break. Earlier in the week, Ogilvie had lectured me on shifting more smoothly when accelerating away from the gas stops. "Just back off a little bit," he had laughed. "1 saw both your sidepanels when you left my pit today ." But after hours of solo riding. it's hard to control your adrenaline when you see a group of specta tors, a fact I proved when I overshot a tum and went through a rib bon at a Day Five pit. The move was witnessed by Alberto, an old friend ' from Italy w ith a fla ir for the dramatic. "Creeeeess, I see you at the peet," he said that night, an appreciative look on his face. "You are Champion. Veeerry Champion." Apparently, Alberto didn't agree with Ogilvie. I was 23rd in the first test and 22nd in the second - good enough to maintain my 14th-overall placing. With just a lOll-mile loop out of Mesquite on the final day, I figured I should be able to preserve my position, but I awoke on Day Six with cram p ed hands and pumped-up forearms. Luckily, a later-than-usual start gave my dad time to massage the blood back into my hands, but I still couldn't feel my fingers for the first 25 miles. I rode conservatively until the final 10 miles, which were run down a twisty, deep sandwash. The air was hot and still, and manhandling the big XR sapped a lot of energy, but I was having a blast. After all, I was almost to the finish! My second tip-ov er of the rally filled m y mouth with san d and sl ow ed me down a bit, but I arrived at the finish 19th on the da y, my cov eted 14th place still intact. Olivier had completed the week's 170D miles an impressive four hours and two minutes ahead of me, and teammate Chuck Miller had beaten me despite the fact that he had to cha nge a moto r and was slapped with a two-hour penalty for receiving outside assistance during a special test. Still, I'm more than pleased with myresuIt. Since participa ting in the N ev ada Rally, the question I've gotten mos t often is, "Wo uld you ride it again?" Racing the even t with Team Hon da is something 111 n ever forget, so I'm always tempted to answer in th e affirma tive, but th en I remember so methi ng and re consid er. "I'm glad I did it once," I say, "But I mad e myself a promise on a fast dirt road on Day Three. I' m stri ctly an enduro rider from now on," It's been over five weeks since the finish, however, and my resolve is alre ad y starting to crumble. Who knows what I'll think in another 11 months? After all, I alread y ha ve my motorcycl e driver' s license, , You know, now tha Ll think about it, those wo men at sign-up never did check ~ for that thing. . . .. ~+~ ,,~ -f'Q ~ ~ +.., .oft.: "+4' e. ~ "'Q. c:., .<>" VIEWFINDERS lie f7.f4} 54Q • 7738 OVERNIGHT CAMPING FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILV RACEI3 RACE., SA T.NOV. ~1It SAT. NOV. &h 8:00 10 10:00 T:30 TO ' :30 SA.T. NOV &h 12: 00 SA.T. NOV6Ih 10:30 to 11:30 OUADSALL SIDEHACKS ALL UNCLASSIFIED DUALSPO~T-MOD~~D &fA/L TO : STEVE CHASE 24572 SUNDANCE MAlL TO: PAT MeOONALD .2240MAHAC T. SAN JOSE. CA. 0012 ! (40') 227· 3227 LAGUNA HILLS, CA • • 'O~ (714) 043 - '04~ MAIL TO: CHRIS & JOANNE CORY 15480 ItOX'OItD ST. SYLMAR . CA . 8U,U I"'POT - '5<0 IrfAIL TO: BOB & SUE SO LOING 2 30 21 MAONO LJA. GLEN VALENCIA.. CA. 8 13 54 (80") 2ga- 2"2a RACe I , RACE" ~ /JUII. NOV ." "Itt 7;00 ro . :00 ;? ",lNn to 2:00 VETS ALL (30 - 30) VINTAGEICLASSIC DUAl SPORT - STOCK SUN. NOV• • ttI ' :30 to 10:30 SUN. NO V.tJlh tUW TO 1:00 SENIORS ALL 140 - H I MAGNUM ALL (~. 00) 125 ALL ALL 2~ALL ~!WO "'EN Al L f'~ _ALL :;-'''MAIL TO: DENNA JENKINS , 454155 25th sr, E. 'lSe LANCASTER. CA . 03535 (100)7U - '~14 SUN N OV . 8th 1:30 TO 2:30 RUN WHATYA BRUHa PRO. SHOOTOUT SUP. SENIOR ALL ( flO UP) MAIL TO: 808 • WEND V 81SHOP MAli. TO:JOHN HUTCHERSON MAIL TO: VAN ISAACSON 14 40 MOTANA AVE. BUENA PARK. CA . 00 02 1 (714)730. ' ' ' ' ' '."'0 f. TECHNOLOGY , SUtTE 108 IRVINE. CA. 02711 OEElttJANK DR . LAKE EUZl8ETH.CA. 03.532 (7 ' 4) 4113. Oll. (10 0) 7 24 - lI U 1/":'; • ~.A~~~~.~ _ ~ ._ . _ Q.F.ElCAL..ENIlU! F ..oRM . . _ . _ . _. _ . _. _ RACE . _ ._. _ . _ AJJM . _ . , . _ :{,1,11 -:- /~ ~ C 1/' .NTltY:.../ll8I1.IIAT:J.QH. ~. _t 4,..1 :I~I~ E ~:':: : : t :~:~ :~ 'b~.::.:~~ ,e o" Oel.:Z1. 1aU ~ _ ~~ : k' M.n 145 ,Id .r gal. lor rid. r on l'j)PDa l (PLEASE PRlNTJ Namc : .O~~ ~~D~~ _ ~ E __... .pk.do. :.. lnl"•• p., (Inckld •• .. . n l ry 1$5 ~ Od~:1 o;~l = c: :a~~ ~~5 : ~C:: '._:e·. :":n C . , R AMA Memb.rsh lp re Qy t, . d (no • • cep- dons) "'gc : _ _ T.'cphol'lcl-J --£~::I:~~~~~ ~n~rio ~~~·.Tt::i.':~~I:: _&ony'" .. Adr.5.: Hpa...hlJJttW'r dela." Offt c lal Entry fon'n(.nuy fDrm ,equlr.d ~p~~~ ~:~:,nd City. . . .ie.Zlp: Ma llenlry to applicable Ud.d ,.ce chalrm." wt Itl 3 •• IfCIUblSponaoftlo) : ---------------------,~~~'dV:~:~::~io~·~:o"n":~:.·:nd 'upar '.hIO,. Muat have L D••howlng proof o' aga .1 r.gl.lr.,lon. 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