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| This skidplate took a lot of abuse but saved my engine case and frame. Thanks BRP! |
Race Report: ECEA Round 8: HMDR Shotgun Enduro
WER Rider: Zack Huberty
Bike: KTM 200 XC
Result: A-200 3rd
Point Standings: 4th
Before the Race:
Prior to the enduro, I spent a lot of time getting my bike better set-up for the rocks. After the RORR Enduro, I had a good half hour phone call with Drew Smith at WER Suspension and he gave me a list of possible set-ups and changes to try to get the bike to better handle in the rocks. His main focus was re-distributing the weight on the bike instead of stiffening the front or rear. With this list of suspension suggestions, I headed up to our club’s enduro location to dial in my suspension. In the morning, I attended a club ride with a couple other club members. After the morning trail ride, I went back out by myself to get a better feel for the bike. This riding was perfect practice for the enduro because the HMDR enduro uses the other side of the mountain. At the end of the day, I felt a lot more comfortable in the rocks and I felt ready for the HMDR enduro.
Report:
The 8th round of the ECEA Enduro Series brought riders to the mountains of Delano, PA where the HMDR crew promised a better ride than last year. I headed up to the race alone early Sunday morning prepared for a tough one. My dad opted to not go because of how tough the race was last year. After signing up, I headed to the starting line. The start of the race began with a nice warm-up section that included woods trail and a small grass track. The first section was the same as last year and ended with an emergency check which all 4 of the riders on our row were able to get a 0-0 which is rare in the ECEA Enduro Series. The next section of the day was the least rough of the day and the most fun of them all. It consisted of creek crossings, roots, and some muddy spots. This section however is a gamble for most riders. Like last year, the section turned out to be only a check-out which left those daring riders with scores better than the AA riders. If there is one thing I have learned, it is better to be safe than sorry. My line headed into the section a minute early as we creeped through until we were not early anymore. We soon realized that we would have to push hard as there was only a check-out. I was able to ride smoothly through here and my Kenda Triple hooked up great.
The race only got more technical and tricky as we continued on through the day. We rode through very rough sections with high weeds and shrubbery that left it almost impossible to see what was around the next corner. The trails were wet, slimy in places, and the rocks were big. This area was a lot more bony than what I rode on my club’s trails. These technical sections left my arms burning, but I held on strong until the end of the sections. I was able to ride well through these, but it was in no way a good ride. One of the dangerous parts of the day was a creek crossing that left me tank deep in water and mud. Luckily, my DT-1 triple layer filter kept all of the water and mud from getting into my carb. The sections only got tougher throughout the day as the rocks were relentless. This was definitely one of the tougher ones and I regret not trying a trials tire for it. My Kenda Tires kept me hooked up all day but the trials tire seemed to do the unthinkable for riders.
At the start control to the final A/AA section, I put my head on my handlebars as I struggled with exhaustion. I was just tired and I had enough of the rocks. The last section of the day consisted of lots of boulders, a stump field, and some off-camber trails through the woods. I made my way through the first 2-3 miles of the section with minimal problems. I got to one boulder section where I tried to get across the tops of the rocks only to get stuck on a boulder. The bike just stood off the ground as the boulder acted like a MotoConcepts bike stand underneath my skid plate. After getting unstuck, I continued down the trail. I was then faced with another obstacle which was a wall of a rock that angled towards a tree. We were forced to go between the rock and tree which was sketchy. With some help from a club member, I made it through but the rock broke/bent my rotor guard into my rotor which bent my rotor (I discovered this later). The final obstacle of the day was a mammoth of a hill where riders were just waiting at the bottom. I took my turn and struggled to get up the hill as my bike started to steam and club members helped push me up. I became so tired that a father of my buddy helped get my bike over the peak of the hill. From there on, I was in survival mode to the finish.
At the end of the day, I was surprised to see that I had placed 3rd place and I was happy that I lost by less than the previous race to the first place finisher. When I looked at the score cards, it was obvious that I had lost to second place because of my mishaps in the final section. I am happy this is the last tough rock ride of the year, and I am looking forward to the other ones to come. I am hoping to put in more solid rides and close in on the first place rider at each race. I will be doctoring up my bike this week as it needs a new rotor, rotor guard, and pipe… Ouch….. my wallet hurts.
Once again, I could not have done all of this without the support of my family, especially my dad for his race support, as well as my sponsors which are Johnny Limp at Torc1Racing, Drew Smith at WER Suspension, PowerSeal USA, FMF, BRP, EKS Brand Goggles, P3, All Balls Racing, Galfer USA, Sixsixone, Kenda, N-Style, Vertex Pistons, AXO, DT-1 Filters, AP Brakes, Motorex, Acerbis, Matto Cycle, MotoConcepts, Renthal, Clockwork KTM, and Topar Racing.
For more information:
Check WER Suspension out at Facebook “Works Enduro Rider (WER)”
Check Zack Huberty out at Facebook “Zack’s Racing”
Check-out Zack Huberty at http://zackhuberty323racing.blogspot.com/
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