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Esperance Ride
I was heading down to Esperance on Boxing day and thought it would be funny to call a ride for the time I was there.
As luck would have it, it wasn’t funny and DazzaM and CRF Richard answered the call. In a vain attempt to find some tracks Richard and I went out on the 27th towards Wylie Bay dunes. We found some awesome single track but it wasn’t long enough to make Crusty Ride. It did have lots of sand and a big rock at the end. The next day we went South towards the Mile beaches. 9 mile, 11 mile, 13 mile. These are some of the most awesome beaches with the dullest names. The group gathered and introductions made. Eric was a local on a beautifully prepared 300 KTM but he has red running through his veins and looked longingly at Richards CRF. DazzaM had been a local and was remembering some of the tracks on his 200 KTM smoker. Richard was and ex local and dragged his son Dylan along. We took off towards the Plumb Pudding Dunes. The sand down this part of the coast sucks the power and I would have loved to have the 440 kit installed. I had a one ride old Michelin front tyre and was struggling. This is by far the worst tyre I have used, it’s back to the Maxxis from now on. Eric took the lead and took us to a ledge looking over the ocean. “Wanna have a go at suicide?” Suicide was a huge sand dune starting at the beach and reaching skyward. My thoughts are…..why would you call something suicide if it was fun! But we were there and the challenge was set. We had to take a track to the beach and cross some boulders to reach the small beach at the base. Rule number two, never look at a hill climb too long. Eric blasted the 300 at the hill. Third gear flat. Cruised to the top and disappeared. That didn’t look so hard. DRZ, third gear, flat out…….. two thirds the way up left me looking for an exit and thankfully found a ledge to bail out onto. I soon shared this space with DazzaM , CRF Richard and Dylan. Later I found that this was lucky as when Eric disappeared over the top he discovered the other side was air. Flying over the bars only to be bitten by the 300’s chain and rear wheel. He now appears with a black, burnout mark across his back. This is one of a few times the KTM would try to kill him. Eric took us to a beach on the Western side of Butty Head for a quick regroup. Dazza was showing how good the 200 smoker was a good choice for these tracks. Dylan was whinging that he we were too slow and holding him up. Richard was refusing to come to terms with the sand but making a good effort of staying out of trouble. I was spending a lot of time bulldozing corners with my front tyre. We were all having a ball. Thanks to Eric for leading the ride. Thanks to DazzaM, Richard and Dylan for making it a fun ride.     |
