Age and the lack of wisdom that comes with it.

 In 2010 I almost won the Pro class overall championship. Almost only counts with horse shoes and hand grenades though. With my deflated head and empty tank of motivation I took a break from hair scrambles. I raced the occasional one, mostly the fun Grand Prix ones like the Oklahoma Gold Rush or the Florance Grand Prix in Kansas, But I thought it might be fun to return to the WEBE Racing series that I chased with such vigor nearly 15 years ago. Why not the sand whoop strewn season opener in Farmington New Mexico. It was always one of if not always the toughest track in the series. Maybe a soft return in the  open A class or hell why not the 40+ class and bring my big ol XR650R for laughs. After a whiskey and a brief talk with my wife about not being a sand bagging bitch I found myself signed up in the Pro class but somehow I was still thinking I was going to race the big red pig. I have just recently got the ol beast back in order after it was last raced in 2006 in the Baja 1000 where we finished after 32 hours. It was then left derelict  and disassembled outside for many years before finding its way into my care. So there I was lined up on the front row with all the young fit pro riders on a bike/rider combo with 100+ pounds over the rest of em when the green flag waved signaling the start of the dead engine start. By the time my big ol kickstarter was through it's stroke most of the electric start modern zippity do da pros were off in front of me but I took a wide line on the first turn swooping across a 30 yard wide flat groomed sand wash and passed a handfull and then I sent the big red pig into orbit: smashing whoops, galloping across the rock gardens, and completely  engulfing the large sand dune hills. Of course I did some big fat spread eagle no-footers over the jumps near the spectators as usual. The 30 minute lap times had me planing to make a pit stop on the 3rd lap. I had fitted my ol quick fill dry break fuel tank receiver into the stock XR650R tank, requiring much mesaging with a heat gun and my big fucking hammer (Just the handle). This is a mod I have always wanted to do since I hate the the feel of the big oversize tanks on the allready oversized BRP.  My out of shape and over eager ass found a rhythm after the stomach cramp side ache went away I was in the top 10 over all at the half way point about ready to make my much awaited pit stop when I felt the dreaded rear end slug squirrel wiggle that can mean only one thing; A flat tire....  10 hours of drive time, weeks of anxious, race prepping, only to have a failure that could have easily been prevented. I knew that rim lock was not holding but I hoped the new rear tire would not let it slip. As Mr. Know-It-All used to say: "You really should have known. " 

It was pretty fun though.

Not this time Jesus

FAME!

 

After 15 years of tiresome word belching and random self involved rants this blog has finally hit the big time! I made the "Top 30 Dirt Bike blogs"! I am tearing up. Ok now I better give them money...

Pikes Peak Hill Climb | Full TV Show

2007. I started in 2008. It was a good time to be there.

Lands End Hill Climb 1941

Now known as the 3rd oldest continuing race in the USA behind Pikes Peak and the Indy 500, The Lands End Hill Climb was a big deal. And it still is; to people like me it is the highlight of my year. Not just because of all the Motorcycle class wins or the champaign spray podium celebrations alongside legends like Zwart and Dallenbach. It is in the decomposing volcanic gravel, the dust, and the twisting turning road itself. It is the best race course I have ever known. Unlike Pikes Peak and the Indy 500, there is very little material about the race. I have found zero info at the local Grand Junction Museum of the West. Despite being won by Louis Unser, there is little to be found on Google. The race was a huge race but WWII put it on hold and the Colorado Hill Climb Association didn't bring it back until the 1980's. My good buddy Peter told me he had a friend who had some old photos and programs. I asked and was so very fortunate enough to have them lent to me. Today peter dropped off a manila envelop with these photographs inside, along with the 1940,1941 programs and other interesting bits. I will scan them and share them here with all as I hope to not only preserve such outstanding history but hopefully inspire a younger generation to build some race shit and keep this awesome past time alive.

The owner of the photograph's grandmother posing next to the 2nd place finisher car. Check the penmanship written on the back of the photo below. Amazing. These building's concrete foundation's still stand at the start line. No more big cottonwood trees though.

 

Age cage, caged rage

 This weekend was the one year anniversary of bringing this Wells Coyote serial number 13 home. If you remember I traded a bike from my boneyard for it about the time my homebrew race car was completed. I have managed to keep it under tarp and out of mind (for the most part), but unlike a catholic altar boy; its been untouched. Though the car has a vast history of being fondled, flogged, and unfortunately even molested; I rescued it from a trailer park in arizona from some wheeling dealing cousins, where it was being sold for dune buggy sand rail scrap. before that the O'Maley brothers Rodney and Earl bought it for cheap only to rob it of all of it's good bits for their own Coyote cars. The Johnson brothers raced it in CHCA before that but they never did well and are no longer on talking terms with one another. Ownership before that is not clear but it was raced at Pikes Peak in brilliant shape by the one and only Martini Racing Steven. And more that several others before that.  I will have to post some pictures because it was a beautiful car. Anyhoo, It is just another refugee project in my yard among many but worthy as all hell and get up and go. Especially after taking my homebrew out to my back roads yesterday and having a proper go at driving the Homebrew Hayabusa car. I saw 165 mph on the highly inaccurate speedometer, I floated connecting corners like a drifter's dream, and probably lived more in 15 minutes than the I have in the past few months. The chase of thrill and ability to harness a machine is something that fails to dwindle in my increasing age. The excitement of driving a vehicle of construction more or less of my own is beyond words. It is my life's manifest from an early age. A dream chassed many an entry fee over. Many miles and broken down vans, sponsor paid air fair, bride's maid to a championship, and dreary daunt of task completed no matter the danger at hand. I live the life best liven given my place in this universe. Best I know to anyhow. I often wonder what for and I don't know any answers but I know it sure is fun seeing my little one wonder what she will do...

WWBHD

What would Bob Hannah do?

He has a way of telling it straight. He probably does not have a colorful group of friends, though I could be wrong. Opinionated people are engaging to be around when they share the same opinions as our self. Different opinions are like different periodic elements. Some do interesting things when mixed. Without all the elements we wouldn't exist. And isn't it truly interesting to learn. To leave your comfort zone. To expand your understandings and grow as a human. It is but I will probably just stick with fixing up pieces of junk and racing them.
 

It is a good thing this picture is blurry because my welding can hurt your eyes with or without an arc flash. I stay true to my nature: It is better to be more go than show.

After 25 plus years of welding and preaching about learning and growing I still have not learned how to weld as good as I want. Mostly because I lack patience in the preparation phase. But I can fill gaps with the best of them!

Life is full of rot. Rotten sumbitches are everywhere. Hell, most of our great green planet is rot of one kind or another. Maybe the most important thing I have learned is to pay little attention to the negative rotten crap and instead invest your energy and attention to what is positive. Cut out the rot and find the good. Have a little faith in the universe providing whatever it is you need. You might have to look far or work hard but if you focus your energy and hold the cigarette lighter just right, you can light farts like a flame thrower.

Pic of a cool photo I saw hanging in a barn full of motorbike engines I found.

2024 Colorado hill climb racing. 3rd in Super Spring with the Homebrew car and another Motorcycle class championship.

Peace be with you all.

Roosevelt Sykes Kickin' Motor Scooter (1963)

Captain's log. Steamy hot peanut log.

 Whenever I get bored and find myself a project it seems like multiple geysers erupt like a drunken game of Whack-a -Mole at the bowling alley arcade. The 1976 YZ125 was an unnecessary task to take on with all the race cars and motorbikes I have kicking around like a heard of hungry cats scratching at the door of the crazy ol cat lady, never mind the customer's proper bikes that pay my bills. Fuck I'll be damned if I ever give in to the conformity that is modern capitalism. My punk rock has become my bastard shop projects and the old wreck of a YZ125 is as good of protest as anything else I can conjure up. Frank showed up and built me a stairway. That re-instilled my faith in fellow man. John showed up to sort out his Champion XS650 that he lovingly lay in my deadbeat hands for a five year plan some couple years ago without any progress. The only expectations are for it to be an operating race bike again and today I did manage put some head wind in between the fork tubes. It will be spinning laps in no time now. Thanks John. He also set me straight on getting the SonicWeld framer back to semblance with a air cooled 250cc form my bone yard in lue of the XS650 I comically envisioned shoehorning into the little frame. And yes the fuckedalltohell YZ125 engine is back together. But will it run....

Frank Lambick; He has built more stairs than anyone I've ever known. ...That I know of. Thanks amigo. Sidenote: I have the Xr650R performing hideously well. I am dreaming of an off road race near you...

I tried out a SKF Speedi Sleeve to repair the pitted crank shaft surface but it caused excessive drag on the seal. Might be a good fix for a bigger displacement bike but I need this lil' bitch to scream like a mad banshee so I found a seal with a 1mm smaller ID and turned the crank down.

The Head was wicked pitted and squish was .060" so carved a bunch off and eyeballed my own ideal dome.

The 1mm smaller diameter crank shaft seal surface, nice and smooth.

John opted to not run one of my 750cc built engines since he allready had a nice 700cc engine. He wanted to go electric ignition so we fitted up this sleek setup. Did a rattle can job on the gas tank and all of a sudded we got a race bike in the shop that I am giddy to spin some laps on. It ran pretty darn not bad up and down the old highway in front of the shop today :)

The next itch to scratch...