I might have to change my mind?

Amazing to ride that beast in a National enduro. From what I can tell got next to last in PRO class. But finished 116 out of 495? Wow.

Maybe special riders can do special things on these beasts. This was a national, guys didn't finish on proper dirt bikes. In my other post about Tom Asher and his GS attempt at the Knockout endure, he might do better than I think. Not winning by no means but respectable.

He did ride that beast, in the mud and wet rocks, he passed Jeff Vincent and Scott Holzheimer during the race.

From a friend that raced event, SPEECHLESS.

Redefines being up for a challenge? Old folks used to ride HDs and Indians in those enduros. What's the big deal? Anyone yet run a marathon backwards? Anybody ever do a BB1000 on a 200cc dualsport?

woodsguy said:

Maybe special riders can do special things on these beasts.

Click to expand...

I think the key is the rider. The level of experience these guys have from hours of riding is incredible. Most of us work 40hrs. a week plus while top level riders ride and train everyday.

I'm not saying that this level of rider ability is unobtainable by the average person., it just takes a lot of commitment.

The other aspect is who provided the bike. These manufactures and top level teams do a lot to these bikes to give advantage to their riders. I was at Joe Gibbs Racing MX shop a couple weeks ago and every bike they have has $8,000-$10,000 worth of titanium parts to save weight. I know this bike is still huge but probable not the same as off the showroom floor.

Still very impressive.

Lafferty's bike was basically a stock bike. It is not like KTM has one off race-prepped 1090s sitting around. Also he is an ex-professional rider that is 15 years past his prime. I am sure he is in great shape still but not like he was when he was a top pro racer back in the day.

I have had the pleasure of watching Lafferty ride in his prime, although only short glimpses as he passed me in the National Enduros I was riding then.

One thing that helps with the bigger bikes is if the rider is of bigger stature as well. Lafferty fits that bill too. He is tall enough to create the proper leverage it takes to race a bike like that. Mostly just pure talent though, no question.

bwdmax said:

I think the key is the rider. The level of experience these guys have from hours of riding is incredible.... very impressive.

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I think you're right. Maybe a lot of recreational riders think they are pretty good, but I know myself to be mediocre at best. The gulf between the top riders, even the ones who are long past their prime, and the average recreational DS rider is pretty wide. They deserve the accolades they receive.

I think a lot of riders could do this, just not finish so high. The logic would be in diminished expectations and less pressure on the rider. That he rode the heck out of it is what astonishes me.

Johnf3 can correct me, but even though this are restart instead of time keepers you probably still have to keep from houring out. So even average Joe would have to have some pace.

Since we are talking about Mike Lafferty, here is a good story. Seven or eight years ago, we hosted a National Enduro. At time, MAV TV was televising the national enduros. So, to cater to the TV crew, we put a little section in on a bluff/mesa half a mile from camp. It had a nasty uphill and then a drop off a ledge onto steep single track about 30 feet down to the bottom of the bluff. It was not a straight down drop--you could easily ease off the ledge and connect to the single track. Made for good TV.

I was working the uphill section helping the common folk up the hill. Lafferty was on a 70 Degree Husaberg, the last year he rode that particular bike (I own one still). He flew up the uphill, traversed the top of the mesa/bluff. and headed for the ledge.

He NEVER let off. He flew off the ledge, went 30 feet out and perfectly landed on the last bit of downhill single track and was gone in the blink of a eye. He was a true 30 feet in the at at the top of the ledge, and jumped 30 feet out as well.

One of the more impressive things I have seen in an off road race. Enduro riders don't have the reputation that SX or MX riders do as far as big air, but I guarantee you that they can air it out with the best of them. If you don't believe me watch some old Kurt Caselli videos. If Kurt were alive today he would be all in the middle of this recent "race the big bikes" craze.

Yes, you can still hour out in a restart enduro. It is harder to do now because we give enough free time to make sure everyone, within reason is able to start each test section on time. However, there are still riders that fall behind enough that the free time is already gone. At that point, the hour out scenario comes into play pretty quick.

And what's amazing about that, he probably never seen it before, unlike s/x, there's no practice lap!!!! I watched Rodney Smith and and another Team Suzuki rider at Barnwell mountain in the first GNCC they had there. As you say, those boys are on a way higher level!

woodsguy said:

And what's amazing about that, he probably never seen it before, unlike s/x, there's no practice lap!!!! I watched Rodney Smith and and another Team Suzuki rider at Barnwell mountain in the first GNCC they had there. As you say, those boys are on a way higher level!

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Yes I remember that year. I was not there at Barnwell, but Randy Hawkins rode the GNCC that year at Barnwell (or maybe it was the second GNCC at Barnwell) since him and his mechanic/driver Dale were passing through to the west coast. I think I told this story before, but I was riding out of the Yamaha shop here at the time, and they came through Lubbock early the next week, so a group of us all took him riding at LTR. Just a trail ride with a few club members and Randy. Turns out I also was able to ride a couple Nationals on Hawkin's row as well over the course of a few different years. He probably wouldn't remember me now I am sure, but at the time it was pretty cool.

2004, Rodney Smith and Mike Kiedrowski(sp).

'04? Hard to believe its been that long. Time flies.

Lone Star
Gilmer, TX - Round 1
Super Sr A - Class Results
Place Nbr Name Hometown Brand Laps Elapsed
1 201 Terry Mealer Palmetto, GA YAM 4 02:01:19
2 502 Billy P Smith Alvarado, TX HON 4 02:03:30
3 210 Thomas Ebersole SINKING SPRING, PA KTM 4 02:05:55
4 208 Frank Erbe Newton Falls, OH YAM 4 02:08:39
5 910 Terry R Flynn MOAB, UT HON 4 02:11:20
6 406 Jerry D Nichols Plainnfield, IN YAM 4 02:13:07
7 942 Dale Parriott Moab, UT KTM 4 02:23:44
8 941 Arthur Donoho Fruita, CO KTM 4 02:25:42
9 888 Larry Hunter Royse City, TX YAM 3 01:53:20
10 808 Bryon L Kibby Battle Creek, MI KTM 3 01:54:49
11 637 William R Vaughan Huntsville, TX HON 3 01:57:37
12 273 Jonathan Rentschler Chardon, OH YAM 3 02:08:30
13 311 John Dunn Wallingford, CT GAS 2 01:08:23
14 625 Thomas Johnson Round Rock, TX KTM 2 01:29:46
DNF 938 Chris Hardy Houston, TX KTM 0 00:00:00
DNF 503 Glenn L Brady Huffman, TX KTM 0 00:00:00

Woodsguy in at 11, way over my head in an A class!

Lone Star
Gilmer, TX - Round 1
Pro - Class Results
Place Nbr Name Hometown Brand Laps Elapsed
1 031 Rodney Smith Antioch, CA SUZ 6 02:51:51
2 010 Mike Kiedrowski Saugus, CA SUZ 6 02:51:53
3 001 Barry Hawk, Jr Smithfield, PA YAM 6 02:51:55
4 007 Steve Hatch Scottsdale, AZ KAW 6 02:52:24
5 559 Ryan Hughes Temecula, CA KTM 6 02:54:32
6 004 Robbie Jenks New Straitsville, OH YAM 6 02:54:45
7 012 Chuck Woodford St Clairsville, OH KAW 6 02:55:27
8 016 Scott Summers Petersburg, KY HON 6 02:55:51
9 005 Fred Andrews Salem, OH SUZ 6 02:56:35
10 112 Russel Pearson HENDERSON, NV YAM 6 02:57:01
11 017 Brian Garrahan Boulder Creek, CA KTM 6 02:57:35
12 009 Doug Blackwell Parkerburg, WV SUZ 6 02:57:49
13 187 Cole Calkins East Sparta, OH KAW 6 02:58:09
14 008 Randy Hawkins Travelers Rest, SC YAM 6 03:03:00
15 714 Doby Leonard Bluff City, TN KTM 6 03:05:00
16 111 David Pearson Panaca, NV KAW 6 03:06:36
17 015 Nathan Kanney High Falls, NY YAM 6 03:06:40
18 388 Jim Sen

Notice top 3 guys seperated by 4 seconds after almost 3 hours!!!!

woodsguy said:

Notice top 3 guys seperated by 4 seconds after almost 3 hours!!!!

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Hawkins was never a GNCC guy, but he was not all that fond of the GNCC loop at Gilmer back then.

Good find on the results. I never remembered Ryan Hughes running GNCC, much less on a KTM.

11th in a National GNCC is pretty impressive. Nice ride.

I was racing STORM over 50A back then, although I won 2 events I wasn't really an A rider. But at GNCC they want you to run your local level, no way was I a National level A rider. Not to mention being totally over whelmed by the moment, lol. I've done a few National enduro's but not the same thing by any means. They feel just like a regular event stress wise.

Not to mention, in morning race over 50A was front row, so 550 riders behind me!!!! But so glad I did it and finished.

woodsguy said:

Lone Star
Gilmer, TX - Round 1
Super Sr A - Class Results
Place Nbr Name Hometown Brand Laps Elapsed
1 201 Terry Mealer Palmetto, GA YAM 4 02:01:19
2 502 Billy P Smith Alvarado, TX HON 4 02:03:30
3 210 Thomas Ebersole SINKING SPRING, PA KTM 4 02:05:55
4 208 Frank Erbe Newton Falls, OH YAM 4 02:08:39
5 910 Terry R Flynn MOAB, UT HON 4 02:11:20
6 406 Jerry D Nichols Plainnfield, IN YAM 4 02:13:07
7 942 Dale Parriott Moab, UT KTM 4 02:23:44
8 941 Arthur Donoho Fruita, CO KTM 4 02:25:42
9 888 Larry Hunter Royse City, TX YAM 3 01:53:20
10 808 Bryon L Kibby Battle Creek, MI KTM 3 01:54:49
11 637 William R Vaughan Huntsville, TX HON 3 01:57:37
12 273 Jonathan Rentschler Chardon, OH YAM 3 02:08:30
13 311 John Dunn Wallingford, CT GAS 2 01:08:23
14 625 Thomas Johnson Round Rock, TX KTM 2 01:29:46
DNF 938 Chris Hardy Houston, TX KTM 0 00:00:00
DNF 503 Glenn L Brady Huffman, TX KTM 0 00:00:00

Woodsguy in at 11, way over my head in an A class!

Click to expand...

Wow small world. 3 local people from this list. You, Chris Hardy (mcrider) and I think might be the same Glenn from Huffman I know. He was racing AHRMA enduros a couple years ago, not sure his last name though.

What year was this Rob?

_

2004, you are correct on Glen Brady.

Wow, that went off topic. haahaahaahaa

Anywho, I've been thinking today the fella on the BMW would probably have finished much higher if on a more suitable bike.