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/127825
RIDING IMPRESSION have his doubts. It was cold out, our bikes were dripping with morning dew, the line at signup ran two loops around the pits and the guy leading the rider's meeting said the course was laid out by his 87-year-old grandmother who was crippled with arthritis. That's when I began to worry, because I knew what this really meant, but I kept my fears to myself and, again, assured Mark that he'd have a "great" time. "See, if an 87-year-old grandmother can ride the course, then so can you," I told him. He was ready to go. I had prepared Mark for his first enduro to the best of my ability. I had told him what to expect on the trail, what kind of equipment to wear, etc. I thought of everything. Well, almost everything. TIle last I ever saw of Mark was about two feet off the start line. While I was out having a blast on the awesome singletrack trails, and even zeroing a couple of checks, I couldn't help but keep wondering what might've happened to him. Then it hit me. "Did 1 tell him about the WR's rather annoying habit of fouling plugs?" I asked myself. "Oops." After already fouling a plug on the start line, Mark got a few miles into the event when the WR came to a halt again. He kicked and kicked and kicked. Nothing. Luckily, he had one more plug on him. A few miles later, braaa, braa, bra, br... He begged a plug off a passing rider and continued on. Mark's ride officially came to an end, two plugs later, at the bottom of a long downhill I (Above) Few changes equal big Improvements for the 1997 Yamaha WR250Z. (Below) The ultimate grand prix bike? If It's not, it's close. The Yamaha WR250 is race-ready out of the crate with its large gas tank, wide-ratio transmission and MX-type power and handling. By Kit Palmer r 18 t was supposed to have been a fun weekend. I had talked fellow Cycle News editor Mark Hoyer - basically our resident street bike guy - into competing in his first enduro. ot just any enduro, mind you, but an AMA ationa! Enduro. The word "national" had Mark a little concerned. After aU, he was relatively new to off-road riding, but I told him not to worry. He'd compete in the "C' class, would not have to ride the dreaded third loop and I'd put him on a good off-road bike - the Yamaha WR250. It would be fun. And besides, I needed someone to drive up to the event with. Timekeeping? .Again, not to worry, I told him. I would handle aU that. "Just follow me," I said. He liked that. Anyone who's ridden an enduro, or pretty much any off-road race for that matter, knows that it's usually an a11weekend affair, as was the case for us. We loaded up, drove all day Saturday, arrived late that rught, unloaded, slept in the back of a cold van and got up as soon as the hosting club's first prerunner fired up his bike Sunday morning. At this point, Mark was beginning to