TTR250 Does MX!

[Fladdem]

It was my last bosses birthday on the 22nd, he hired the track from 10am to 3pm. He invited me along, so the TTR got to stretch her legs for the first time in a while. After high-siding on the 14th, I got onto the internet to sort me some bits, just about fitted them in time for the day. Got my new tyres fitted and the bike prepped at about 10 o' clock on the Thursday.

The bike seemed to coping alright until I started getting my confidence up and getting faster towards the end of the day then the suspension definitely needed beefing up. Power-wise, I would put my quite modified 263 on par, or maybe slightly more, with a bog standard 2002 WR250F I rode while there, just heavier and less well suspended, annoyingly, I nearly bought that exact bike two years ago after passing my test. My ex-boss Ian's Cosworth built ex race bike CRF250R, 2013, was a totally different animal, it's hard to believe that my bike technically has the larger engine.

To start the day, I left my drive way turned right, turned right onto the main road and low-sided changing into second on my shiny new knobblies, scratching my brand new hand-guards in the process and bending my handlebars. Today was going to go well... Fortunately, I bought some new bars and hadn't fitted them, so I strapped them to my rucksack and fitted them when I got there.

Going round, on my first lap everything was going well.

https://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag134/Fladdem/MX%20Day/10572173_281460488724499_1660646351629656841_o_zps7a7807af.jpg

I then crashed on my second lap, busting the rear right indicator lens and disconnecting the headlight wires.

https://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag134/Fladdem/MX%20Day/10517939_281610508709497_5631993304837245343_o_zps23d8eb81.jpg

https://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag134/Fladdem/DSC_00161_zps48e8fcff.jpg


I tested the suspension as I got more confident in the bike.

https://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag134/Fladdem/MX%20Day/10428153_281473372056544_6511064373269963812_o_zps41a10981.jpg

A heavily Shopped picture my mate played with

https://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag134/Fladdem/MX%20Day/10547803_281834888687059_4625063962777665748_o_zps66ecffa5.jpg


https://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag134/Fladdem/MX%20Day/10499443_281834032020478_2247095574753564254_o_zpsbfd93601.jpg

So in all it was going OK.

https://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag134/Fladdem/MX%20Day/10644470_281610432042838_2413357306354164922_o_zpseface74f.jpg

Ian then offered me a go on his Honda, dearie me. Here he is on it.

https://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag134/Fladdem/10452947_281461332057748_1738740604889415703_o_zps62edd60c.jpg

That was taken round the back of the section coming up, quite fitting that that pallet of doom happens to be in the shot.

Coming round to the last difficult section, left hander, drop-off, about one and a half bike lengths, then another drop-off and another couple of bike lengths, right hand berm.

Somehow, coming off the second drop-off the throttle was opened by me, I was then chucked backwards, opening the throttle more. Guess where this is going? All of a sudden I was full throttle coming into this tight-ish berm... I panic and let go of the bike as we go flying up the berm straight on, the bike goes off down the track somewhere, luckily it was just me left riding at this point, so no one around to get hurt by 100 and something kilos of flying metal. I am flying through the air and see a pallet stood up-right for no reason in the middle of the soft grass I hoped to land in. My brain slows down and the wood is coming at me in slow-motion, I know this is going to hurt.

I go smashing through this pallet. In some ways I'm lucky that the bruising and damage is all down the inside of my thigh, suggesting I landed astride the pallet and somehow escaped damaging the nether regions when landing. My gear was covered in splinters but mostly did it's job, the left elbow pad is all scuffed up and I have a reasonable bruise underneath it, so hate to see what it would have been like without armour. I lay there for a while thinking my leg was broken. I'm dramatic like that. Eventually, I got up the nerve to hobble back to the pits, with some assistance and have a look, a massive graze down my thigh, my right knee swollen to twice the size, and bruising immediately. Luckily, I'm twenty and am still mostly rubber.

https://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag134/Fladdem/DSC_00131_zps895c0fd1.jpg

I took this photo on the 29th, so a week later and it still looks like this. As I'm typing this, my limp is starting to become less pronounced and the scabs on my knee are beginning to fix themselves and the bruising has shrunk down to just the knee area.

https://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag134/Fladdem/P8220195_zpse281e5ad.jpghttps://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag134/Fladdem/MX%20Day/10517939_281610508709497_5631993304837245343_o_zps23d8eb81.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Still, I have the itch now, I am seriously debating getting a proper off-roader, probably the wr250f or a KTM EXC 300 to compliment the TTR. For anyone interested there's a ton of photos here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.281453662058515.1073741899.155113228025893&type=1

I found I kept smashing my knee off the front indicators when cornering, between the top of the cap and the bottom of the thigh muscle. Which is why my leg isn't as high/forward as it should have been.

Thanks for reading!
____________________
Current:1991 Honda MT50 (Soon to be a H100/MTX/MT5 hybrid), 1976 Honda Cub C70, 2005 Honda Varadero 125, 1993 Yamaha TTR250 Open Enduro , 2010 Road Legal Stomp YX140, 1994 Honda CRM 250 MK III, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, Stomp T4 230, 1984 Honda H100s, 2009 Sym XS125K
Past:2003 Aprilia RS125, 1982 Kawasaki GPZ550(FREE BIKE!)
I'm having more fun than a well-oiled midget.

[ian505050]

cough , cough, wr250F for sale

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=294557

[Fladdem]

Why must you wave that in my face and tempt me so?

It hurts to say that it is just too expensive for me at the moment. I've just started work for Honda and currently most of my wages are going on tools. The first months wage was great, I only needed a basic toolkit, which I had, but now the others are starting to get a bit peeved at me pinching their tools all day.
____________________
Current:1991 Honda MT50 (Soon to be a H100/MTX/MT5 hybrid), 1976 Honda Cub C70, 2005 Honda Varadero 125, 1993 Yamaha TTR250 Open Enduro , 2010 Road Legal Stomp YX140, 1994 Honda CRM 250 MK III, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, Stomp T4 230, 1984 Honda H100s, 2009 Sym XS125K
Past:2003 Aprilia RS125, 1982 Kawasaki GPZ550(FREE BIKE!)
I'm having more fun than a well-oiled midget.