| #380 | |||||||||
|
|
5 Hour Reliabilty Trial
Tommy called a ride out Metros as it been a while since he'd been there.
10 guys showed up and with little fuss apart from no one knowing where the trails where or where to go, we set about heading off.  Usual Metro start point Mick was volunteered to lead first off so away we went. A wrong turn not far into it and we were more or less back to where we started 10 minutes later. A bit of discussion & it was decided just to go on. Next bit, dead end, so back track a bit, onto another track that just happened to be my favourite part. THE WHOOPS! It wasn't that bad. Getting them out of the way at the start is a good thing. Now the title name starts to come in. We have a bit of a regroup then the boys set off again. I'm waiting as corner man for a bit and when I see Pete coming up as sweep, he puts his hand up, so off I go. I get up the road a bit and wait for him again, hear the fabulous starter motor of his whirring in the distance, see him coming then take off again. Second thoughts, was he waving me on or not? Stop & he's calling me back. Marios DRZ has died back at the last regroup. Pete goes back while I go one to let the leaders know what's happeneing. 10klm's down the track I come accross them coming back, so it's everyone back to the stranded Mario. During this there was a bit of confusion with the corner man system. I can't stress enough not to leave your corner, & this is a great example of why. Everyone needs to know where everyone else is & how to get to them or back to them, so again, never leave your corner. I don't know how long we were pissing about trying to get Mario going again, he kept blowing fuses, wouldn't bump atart. wouldn't tow start, nothing worked. We weren't far from the cars so a couple of the lads go and get a decent rope for the tow back to the cars. While they're gone, I send a small group on a recon mission down a disguised trail. Report is good when they get back. The tow rope has arrived, a DRZ is mentioned to tow the other back to the cars, my name is metioned so I pull the trump card. It's my birthday so I'm not doing it. Wrex puts his hand up & after a bit of a struggle getting the dynamics sorted we all head back to the cars. Wrex gets ride of the day fo the big help. Mario was heard to mention that he'd rathe ride whoops all day than ever get towed again it was that hard. The Hog Award has been resurrected!  Metro  Metro  There goes the Hog Award! After seeing Mario off & a refuel we head back to where we were to have a looky down the recon trail. Nice little track that leads to some other little tracks where DRZ incident #2 happens. Wrex is out in front getting in the groove when he pulls over all of a sudden. He's lost his gear lever! Luckily he has a spare but with no bolt. Tommy goes back a couple of hundred meters & joy'o'joy finds the missing lever. A quick bolt on, Mick does another reccy and we head off onto some other trail that's "just over there somewhere". Yay!, we get back into some riding, some more of wherethehellarewe, Pete points us in the general direction of the Hill Climb area out the back somewhere, Mick leads us onto another trail which happens to dissapear. Good thing there's still 4 DRZ's as "TRACTOR POWER" now comes into play. 9 bikes 3 feet apart from each other & we can't see shit. Everyone is pulling flora out of brakes, spokes, sumps... everywhere. Finally find a road again and make it around to the big puddle that has previously swallowed many a bike. *cough Col Mc cough* The lead rider is humming and hawwing, so I take off around the main bit and my bike drops into a puddle above the sump! Long legs are no good when your feet are level with the seat but I walked it through with no dramas. Pete should have known better being a veteran of the area and heads straight into the deep bit. Seat deep water, Pete paddling his legs like a duck in a hurry but he makes it through OK. Everyone is over the other side except Wrex. He's going to have a go at the deep bit! I'm thinking the last thing I want to do is dewater a DRZ but 1st gear on the rev limiter, a bow wave to sink the Titanic legs working like a second duck he makes it through with a hearty Yeehaaaaaaaa.  WREX and water  WRex coming out of water  Metro Pete puts his hand up now to lead us out to the hill. These trails are great, a bit more used since the last time any of has have been there & the guys love it. The Hill! It's not as big or as hard as I remember. Everyone makes it up easily, even Roley who only had to stop once on the way up. A quick stop at the top and it was asked if we could go back the way we came as it was too much fun & the other way gets a bit boring with a road section.  Metro Back at the big puddle & incident #3 is about to happen. Wrex is arse deep in the side track puddle and the DRZ won't start. He pushes it out, drains the carby, does the Mick trick 7 hits it a few times. The bike starts but has no power when you use the throttle. We get it running enough to get him back on the road. Time to head back. Into the goat track leading back to the cars. Everyone is tooling along nicely, Pete leading, Wrex needing a run up at any small hill, thena quick stop. It's not working for Wrex so he & Roley head over to the main road for the easy trip back. Pete says he doesn't know the way back, so we tell him just to go the way he thinks & we'll see what happens. He finds a mint trail that's not been used much then it's #4. This time it's not a DRZ, it Pete. He's knocked something and the disc guard is hanging off his bike. Cable ties are the best thing invented. Oh No! the whoops agin, but if you know where you're going there are no whoops on that bit. :-) Back onto the main road & back to the cars. All up around 70klm's in the 5 hours out there. Was a great day & thanks to everyone for a team effort in helping Mario, Wrex & everyone for helping out leading, sweeping & generally having a fun ride. That's what it's all about. |
