As I'm rather enjoying the whole messing around on two wheels thing, thought i't treat myself to a pit bike. We've got a great pay and play MX track with a load of land for just roaming around on for just £12 a day locally and they also race these (when fitted with Supermoto wheels) at a few local kart tracks in the evenings... just need the different wheels for that.
Behold, 140cc of hilarity....
4 speed manual, geared for acceleration rather than top end.... pretty entertaining and loves pulling the front wheel up. 86cm seat height so actually not a bad size.
Got a pay and play lined up last week of Feb so ran it in along with one of my mates who also bought one over at my mates industrial units last weekend. Just another oil change and we should be good to go.
Just got to keep a lookout for the supermoto wheels and we shall start hitting the kart tracks in the spring too.
Funnily enough it is also a 4x4 pay and play site although they usually separate 4x4 and bike days. Look up Whaddon MX and 4x4. they do sometimes let bikes in on 4x4 day to use the MX specific bit.
Now that I have the disco back I'll be going to my local p&p site at some point when I'm back from holiday etc. but maybe a trip elsewhere could be fun too!
Oil now changed and a magnetic sump plug in place. All the MX gear I've ordered has arrived...
Alpinestars tech 7 boots (bought slightly used but very good condition so a high quality boot for less money than a new budget boot)
Upper body armour
Knee and shin protectors
Mx helmet and goggles (better periferal vision than a normal lid)
Over jacket and trousers
Gloves
The point of which means I'll be riding it like I stole it while hopefully not smashing myself up too badly when I inevitably bin it
Used this in anger for the first time today over at Whaddon with a couple of mates.
Started off the day finding it VERY tough going, such a different set of techniques to road riding. I certainly wasn't quick. Binned it a couple of times and was finding it frustrating. We then moved away from the general track and explored the farmland. Started to get the hang of it a bit more, relaxed on the bike a bit more and picked up a bit of speed.
After lunch moved to the full on MX track, jumps, drops, tight and also sweeping corners. My mate followed me round and pointed out I was riding in too much of a road style, keeping my foot on the pegs and leaning with the bike rather than hoiking a leg out and drifting it. Back out to the open farmland for more practice and to try the things my mate had pointed out.
Back to the main MX track and it all started to click into place. Ooooosh! Picked up some good speed and was now getting the back end round getting air on the jumps and chucking it round, more with a leg out. kept pace with my much more experienced mates in the end and was able to start racing them round the track. Absolutely loving it now, can't wait to get back in two weeks for another session and work on getting quicker still Loads and loads to learn still but I'm at a much better start point for next time now.
Pic from the end of the day...
I do feel like I've been hit by a truck now though lol
So, sitrep after yesterday's antics of several hours abuse...
- need to get some spare inner tubes due to tearing the valve out of the rear one. Luckily my mate had a spare so didn't end my day.
- need to stiffen up the rear suspension as it's bottoming out on the rutted bits (it's adjustable)
- need to adjust the bars and levers to make riding standing easier for the real rough stuff.
- one of the rear plastics got pulled off on one of my "incidents" might replace it one day but not too bothered for now.
- chain needs adjusting.
- will change the oil again.
- clean and re-oil the air filter as it was dusty as hell out there.
All easy jobs and only a few pennies to spend. Ran really well all day without complaint from the engine/box. Not too bothered about the cosmetic stuff, just want to keep it mechanically spot on!
Jobs all sorted and ready for another thrashing tomorrow
Just ordered the large wheel upgrade (17" front 14" rear) to turn it into more of a proper dirt bike than a pit bike. Only £65 delivered and I expect to sell my wheels to recoup some. Won't be here for tomorrow's session but should be for the next
Quality day today, was pretty wet so a different ball game on the track. Proper hard work to stay on the bike but awesome fun. Took a gas BBQ with us so had a nice break at lunch for some banter and a BBQ....
pics
Mine having YET ANOTHER inner tube (i'm hoping my bigger wheels will help stop my habit of destroying the rear tyre )
Bike trailer/mobile BBQ
mmmm
end of the day...
no major offs today, no damage (other than innertubes)
so just another jet washing, clean of the air filter, oil change, chain clean/lube and the fitting of my new wheels and we will be ready to roll again next month.
Don't forget up my way on bank holiday Monday at donnington park it's the start of the BSB season , i can't go but my mate & his new bird are going up , he's just got to make sure she doesn't fall off the back of his Aprilla !
17" front, 14" rear. Just need to fit them now, should be more proper dirt bike than pit bike with these on...
Got my eyes in these next once the seller confirms spindle size so I can start messing around at the various kart tracks that do pit bike racing in the evenings
MX is great fun and a reasonably cheap Motorsport. My 13 year old daughter and myself both ride, she wants to start racing and was having coaching until the local council sold out our small CIC track and robbed a load of kids of their safe legal fully insured place to ride.
Headed to Whilton mill kart track today as it's pit bike supermoto night on a Tuesday. Great little track and some good knee down racing action going on.
In summary, I've just ordered the 12" wheels with slicks. Hoping to be taking part next week
So, stiffened up the suspension, gave it a service and got the slicks on!
Had my first taste of pit bike supermoto last night. What a laugh! Learned a load and still much to learn. Had 5 20 minute sessions. Binned it on the first due to cold tyres (lesson learned) but got quicker with each session even getting some overtakes in near the end. All stuff I can apply to full size track biking later on.
I'm nowhere near proper quick yet but it'll come. Need to work on body positioning and turning in harder/faster (my mate who races 500s does this as practice and was observing/advising me yesterday so I've got plenty of advice to put into practice)
We have, new front and rear discs and rear sprocket so I don't have to keep switching them between supermoto and mx wheels.
New front sprocket to change the gearing to give a bit more top end speed.
Crash bobbins should arrive soon (requested to be fitted to a all bikes at the kart track to prevent Tarmac damage)
Also need to fashion fuel and oil catch cans out of some G+T cans and a drip tray for under the engine .
Also got some second hand one piece leathers on the way so I don't trash my nice road ones. They survived my last off so don't want to push my luck. Wanted some leathers that I don't mind bouncing down the Tarmac in beats taking it easy..
bit of a 3.14key temporary modification carried out today. One of the rules for going on track is to have an undertray to catch the oil etc if the engine craps itself. You can buy proper ones for about £35 which i'll do at some point but for now I made one out of an old fuel can (which is allowed)
Also got to fix on a catch can for both the carb and crankcase breathers (old G+T tins will be used for this ) Also fitted the new front sprocket to give me longer gearing for a better top end as I was hitting the limiter in top far too often last time.
Then it's just the crash bobbins to protect the tarmac which I already have here ready to fit.
We shall be back up to the track on the next Tuesday evening with decent weather.
So, engine and box good. BUT I was struggling to get any quicker. My racing mate was still advising but no matter what I did, I couldn't get past the fact that when cranked right over it felt terrible, like it was going to just slide away from under you (which it did at one point). Just be confident was the advice and it'll grip. No matter what I did I couldn't get past it. So my mate takes mine out, comes in after a lap and declares it unridable at speed. Turns out the damper has lost all it's oil and therefore is not damping AT ALL. so you get on it, lean it over and it just skips as it only has the rear spring to control it. Took my mates bike out, much much better....
so, one of these is on order, along with some EBC pads for the front and some thicker fork oil for the front forks...
we will make a competent track bike out of this yet. The adjustable shock means I can soften it for MX riding still and the 15 weight fork oil i'm going to use should still give some off road compliance but a much stiffer front end for track.
Now, time to put the big wheels on for MXing on Sunday
Seat and bar height on slicks is about the same as my CB500 which is surprising...
Another quality days mx ing. Really picking some speed up now on the track. Bit of wheelie practice today too still more to learn but getting stood up on the bike and sliding it around well now. Getting more used to just letting the bike move around under me now. Pic from today....
bit of a 3.14key temporary modification carried out today. One of the rules for going on track is to have an undertray to catch the oil etc if the engine craps itself. You can buy proper ones for about £35 which i'll do at some point but for now I made one out of an old fuel can (which is allowed)
New damper has made all the difference. Had a great session on Tuesday this week at Whilton for some supermoto action. getting some excellent pace on now.
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