Hare and Hounds 17th Ocotober?

[G]

Anyone interested in doing a hare and hounds on 17th October – bit south west of Bristol, quite near the coast so is going to be Sandy.
Standard three hour format, most laps you can – not as wide variety of terrain as others, but looks like fun and there should be a decent turnout generally.

Ok... It’s the Weston Beach Race , thus the advanced warning.
Been there to watch a few times and it looks like good fun. While you do get world champions like David Knight there, also seen plenty of people on pit bikes and even c50/c90s in the adult race! So, regardless of skill, if you’re on a proper bike you’re certainly not going to be the slowest .

[ben_wheely]

Is it still going to run this year ? Considering the mayhem that happend last year. I know it is advertised ....
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Rides: '05 Yammy WR290-F

[G]

I'm presuming it is, as it's advertised - presumably with further reduction in starting fun (I'd love to have done one when they had the whole field starting at once ).
Haven't seen any regs up, but haven't tried to look too hard either.

[ben_wheely]

Yeah i guess. You planning on entering yourself ?
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Rides: '05 Yammy WR290-F

[G]

Yea, I reckon.

Will have to see a bit nearer the time, but always wanted to give it a go and don't see any reason not to (well, do see quite a few, but that's another matter ).

Might take my 690 for a 'challenge' .

[J D]

Might offer marjay some cash to take a look at my kdx, get it running sweet as i really am taking my time getting offroad
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m0l0t0v wrote: Chris, just so you know, JD is a nutter

[Will87]

Kind of kills bikes does it not?

[FURBAR]

And hares a hounds is besides a pub .. ?? what ...
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Fuk um !!

[G]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hare_and_Hound_%28motorcycle_race%29

You do need a very decent clean afterwards and reasonable prep beforehand - ie definitely a decently refreshed air filter etc.

[FURBAR]

Sounds fun and tiring ...
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Fuk um !!

[G]

It's confirmed as definitely on.
https://www.wbruk.com/
Tempted to enter, though it is quite expensive/a fair bit of hassle.

Anyone want to come and play?

[Dom]

I definitely would not be playing, but every year I mean to go along and every year I forget about it. Hopefully this year I can break the habit and make it over there to see what all the fuss is about.
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Photos and that

[G]

[Dom]

[G]

Bloke on the front of this mag seems to be doing ok . KLR650 doesn't isn't a million miles off weight wise and I've seen them doing it!

I've seen people doing it on C90s (I could lend you one, if you'd like) and I bet they have proper enduro bikes too!

When I've gone down before, I've just gone down to watch the Adult race on Sunday - starts at midday or something, so plenty of time to get there.
However, if you wanted to make a weekend of it and I did (very much up in the air) do it, might be able to get you a free all-in ticket.

[Dom]

[G]

I'm entered for this now by the way - will give you a shout nearer the time if you're still interested Dom - and work out what I'm doing etc.

[Tango675]

Heard about this I think.

Is this the one where only a few guys could make it round without digging and pushing?

Looks fun to watch...
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Somebody give that windup merchant a torque wrench..

[G]

It depends on the weather - wet weather means serious carnage!
A video from 2008 (most recent for a decent length race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS9yPM2zkg0

A bit wetter year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPCQkV7Ylnw

First went to watch in 04, missed the start - the first corner we stopped to watch at included a large pond of water in the middle. A couple of people were trying to dig bikes out and there was a bike abandoned mostly submerged in the middle, which had a barrier plonked infront of it to stop other riders hitting it/suffering the same fate!

Quite common for spectators to hop over the barrier and lend a hand to a stuck rider.

Oh and David Knight confirmed... not often you get to 'race' with a current world champion!

[Bendy]

We do like to be beside the seaside...

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3523115/bcf/PICT0380.JPG

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3523115/bcf/PICT0389.JPG

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3523115/bcf/PICT0428.JPG

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3523115/bcf/PICT0461.JPG

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3523115/bcf/PICT0473.JPG

(Weston '04)

[Dom]

[G]

Extra rambly for this one!...

Turns out a beach race isn't ideal when you're not great at sand or ruts.
Last time I had sand at an enduro I was getting more confident, but certainly wasn't 'floating' across it like the fast guys were.

As I kinda expected, when the bloke I got my KTM300 from said "oh, it's never not started before", that wasn't quite the truth and I eventually a friendly security guard took pity on me and helped a bump start. At least his claim that it always started fine when out riding was true and didn't have any problems after that.
So I missed the start, which was unfortunate, but relatively small numbers this year.

Started off pretty weakly, but got a bit faster as it went on - same as usual.
Stopped after each of the first three laps; 'fighting' the bike too much.
Went out for the third lap after turning down the offer of fuel, only for the bike to cut out as I opened I up on the main straight - tried to push it over the closest jump/dune, but couldn't manage that, so had to walk around - about ten minutes in total to get back, glad I hadn't gone further!
While I wasn't going much faster (tried to up the pace a couple of times, while it does make it easier while it works, not so great when it doesn't), got my 'second wind and stayed out for three laps. Was contemplating another lap, but the clutch was feeling dodgy - quite hard trying to work out if it's actually slipping when you're riding on sand!
Not long to go, so went out for another lap anyway.

Rather than the quite concerning bucking about at high speed (never quite had the 300s throttle pinned, but was fast enough to be 'concerning'), I was limited to maybe 40mph in fifth gear. Foolishly I carried on down the mile long or so straight, leading to the inevitable not quite making it up the first decent sized 'dune' - no way I was going to make the rest of the course, so had to push it off, coming out right at the end.
Stopped by a designated recovery point for a bit, gave up and pushed it down the beach to see another bike being loaded. As the driver went to get in I started a run (as best you can while pushing a rather sandy bike after two and a half hours of riding), but the 4x4 pulled away just quicker than my outstretched hand could reach to tap on the window; my leg getting knocked by the trailer's mudguard as he speeded up.
Luckily he noticed in his mirror or someone else in the car did as he did stop a little way further on and get my bike on the trailer - emotional roller-coaster for the day - total dejection of the mile long slog back to some serious relief!
Had to ride a few miles back to the campsite at about 20mph in top after; was slightly worried some of the many police around would stop at the sight, but was fine and got back ok.

Other thoughts:
Keep your weight far back on the down-slopes and try and get on the power. Not for the slope generally, but the random bits of soft sand at the bottom - most spectacular crash of mine of the day was when I hadn't done this and went flying over the front, followed by my bike that landed across my body.
That was the second time that happened; I learnt the lesson then .

2 stroke 300s are nicely flexible - first gear did me for most of the course - lots of bottom end grunt to keep going on the slow stuff with a smooth transition to on-pipe flying. While top gear meant I was at least an 'average' pace on the back straight and it was fear not lack of power that determined my speed

Definitely the faster you go, the more the bike 'floats' and the less you have to fight it. But of course the caveat that it can still easily go wrong, but at higher speeds, if you don't know what you're doing! Had plenty of occasions where me and other slower riders were all over the place, while a fast rider would zip through holding a nice controlled line with minimal effort.

As ever, use berms and the like for acceleration - one of the few places it seems you do have as much grip as you'd want.

Another obvious one is to get all the speed you need at the bottom of the hill and keep the gas on - a couple of times I hit soft sand or chose a dodgy line and had to go back down the hill to try again.
On that; as with mx and enduro, line is very important and of course is related to where there's grip, good riding etc, rather than on black-top, where it's all about outside-apex-outside lines generally.

I got some pro-grip 'xl roll' goggles. Very, very good. I always thought they should make them with a strip the entire height of the goggles (so a bigger lens that goes over your nose more); they don't, but these do offer a useful extra that's a lot less irritating. Easily had clear viewing with the pull of a toggle.

Cheers to Bendy for driving my new race truck (very nice to have decent living and garage accommodation) and Dom for bringing my rucksack back/generally being around if stuff was needed .

Oh and I was number 283 and had two yellow washing-up gloves inflated tied to my camel back, if anyone was there.
Marjay got some pics, which are up on facebook, I'll let him link to them if he feels like it.

[MarJay]

[ben_wheely]

Well a very well done to you for being there and doing it

Never rode on sand before but i imagine it can be very sketchy, and i guess you always need to keep momentum. How was the front end ? Did it ever try and wash out under you on the corners ? not the rutted parts of course

Seen a few pics, looked very wet in places. Seen a pic of a CRF where the whole back wheel was submerged in the sand/water

You run on proper sand tyres ?

Apperntly Mr. David Knight got in 22 laps
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Rides: '05 Yammy WR290-F

[G]

Compared to other years it was pretty dry. There were a few abandoned bikes in deepish watery mush, but again not too bad compared to other years. Helped by only 500 or so riders rather than 1000 for the main race.

Sand can be pretty 'sketchy' - a lot of it is just letting the bike do it's own thing.
Corners you use berms where ever possible to stop either end sliding out. Noticed a lot of riders tanking a bit of a 'triangle' style - so they cut across ruts, almost stopped, then accelerated again in a straight line.
I had a few near washouts and think I did end up down once too while cornering (bike landed on my right foot which is a bit dodgy anyway).

I had wet mud/sand tyres. Not quite a sand paddle for the rear, but not too far off. They were the Maxxis 7308/7307, this is the rear which is more obviously a 'sand' style tyre.
https://www.maxxis.com/Repository/Images/MxCross_SM_Rear.jpg
With the fairly 'favourable' conditions, I didn't find it was too big a problem getting going - sure it was spinning up a hell of a lot, but generally I still managed some forward momentum too!