First Hare Scramble on the WRR

Did my first Hare Scramble this past weekend. It was muddy and exhausting but I had a lot of fun. There was an issue with my transponder so it didn't record my last 3 laps. Not really a huge deal as I was doing it for fun. But it would have been nice not to show up 3rd from the last spot with 1 recorded lap. Especially since I was pushing so hard after my second lap crash. Another rider stopped suddenly in front of me on the single track section and I slammed into the back of him. We were in a deep rut so I could not avoid him. My back wheel lifted up and then over to the side and this sent me flying over the bike and slamming into a tree. Which resulted in some bruised ribs and getting the wind knocked out of me. I was in a bit of pain and it hurt to breath the rest of the race. I'm still having trouble taking a full breath today. Anyway, not counting those laps added insult to injury. But I'll chalk it up to a learning experience and make sure my laps get recorded at the check points in the future. Here's a few pics.

I only managed to take a few pics

Passed tech and ready to go.


At the start




After the race

Trav: Did you consider taking the big tank off for the race ? Just thinking of the fatigue influence with the extra weight.

Looks like you had some healthy competition too.

It IS all about having fun. By the looks of the bike, it looks like you did that !

Unfortunately, and she'll chime in soon, that amount of mud is barely two-wheeled foreplay for SheWolf.

If that's your aluminum carrier in the first pic, what brand is it and how do you like it?

I'm looking for something similar instead of buying another trailer.

X-Racer wrote:

Trav: Did you consider taking the big tank off for the race ? Just thinking of the fatigue influence with the extra weight.

Looks like you had some healthy competition too.

It IS all about having fun. By the looks of the bike, it looks like you did that !

Unfortunately, and she'll chime in soon, that amount of mud is barely two-wheeled foreplay for SheWolf.

I only had 2 gallons in the tank to start with. It might even have been a bit less. The Safari feels like a small tank compared to the IMS 4.7 I had on there.

Yes, there were definitely some fast guys in the group. But I never judge the bikes, just the riders. I passed a lot of orange 2 strokes as well as some bigger CC bikes. Of course I was also passed by a lot of them as well. But then I had a little 125 blow past me like I was standing still. You just never know.

Fun is the only reason I ride. That's what it's all about for me. If it stops being fun I'll stop riding. So far in 25 years, that hasn't happened. Edit: And this little bike has provided more fun than any of the bikes I've owned previously. That's a pretty healthy list too.

Mud is fun to a point. But there were some sections where it was so deep there were bikes stuck and it was almost impossible to get through. It starts to lose its appeal.

Arkmage wrote:

If that's your aluminum carrier in the first pic, what brand is it and how do you like it?

I'm looking for something similar instead of buying another trailer.

Yeah that's my aluminum carrier. It's a cheap one I got from Harbor Freight about a year and half ago. I've used it to carry a DRZ400, XR650L and the WRR all up and down the north east. It's worked OK but does have teetering issue on the center support. THe bike isn't going to fall off or anything. But it upsets the ride a bit. I'm currently having a buddy of mine build me a new one that's completely welded steel. When finished it will weigh the same as the aluminum one and be much sturdier. I should have it next week. I'll post pics when I get it. If you have a vehicle that can use a hitch carrier, I think it's the way to go instead of a trailer.

Now THAT'S what I call diving in! I dunno...I'd rather get stuck in the mud with the bike than with the quad. For some reason, even if I have to swim my way out of a hole dragging the bike, I can't help myself. I'll jump on the bitch and run through it a second time just because.

Those deep, deep mud sections take so much energy to get through. Riding for an hour and half straight as fast as you can, all the while having trouble breathing and fighting exhaustion, makes the mud suck. If it's just a weekend ride with buddies, then I'm all about it.

Here's some pics when I got home. Complete with an extra 15 pounds of mud...well it's almost dry so...dirt.

Found a couple more pics

battling the much lighter and faster 2 strokes


A bit blurry. I guess I'm just to fast for the camera.

Well, I raced in my second Hare Scramble last Sunday (10/23). I was able to finish this time with no crashes and I didn't come in last. I paced myself for the first 2 laps, had my fastest time on the 3rd lap but my slowest lap on the 4th. Overall I'm happy with the results for my first complete HS and the WRR did great. The only thing limiting me is.....me. I consider myself a pretty good rider but need to work on my endurance a bit. There were riders that were able to complete 5 laps where I was only able to complete 4 in the allotted time. So that's my next goal..complete 5 laps. It seems impossible to me right now but that's what I'm going to shoot for. I'm only doing this for fun, so it may be a while before I can actually do 5 laps. But at least I have a goal to achieve next season.

The course was 10 miles long and had a nice mix of wide open MX style jumps and corners, deep sand as well as tight single track through the woods. It was much nicer than the last one I did. But then again, it was dry and there wasn't any mud to contend with.

A couple of pics

Out of curiosity what is the "allotted time"? Four 10mi laps sounds pretty good to me.

LOL..my bike and or trailer is in half your pics.

RattTongue wrote:

Out of curiosity what is the "allotted time"? Four 10mi laps sounds pretty good to me.

90 minutes is the length of the race. Ideally you want to run 19-20 minute lap times. The real fast guys run them in about 17 minutes. If you do laps in 20 min. you'll get 5 laps in. But that is way easier said than done. At least for me. Also, I'm not talking about Pro's here either. They are obviously much much faster and sometimes run a longer course. I finished 124th out of 165. It's not a great finish, but I'll take it considering I'm not on a 2-stroke light weight race bike, it was my 2nd ever hare scramble and I'm not in endurance shape. I'll be looking to improve that next year. But for now, I'm happy.

Nice! I ride for the same reason. My first hare scramble was also a bit muddy. Clay mud. I think my bike weighed double after the first lap. What an ass kicker. When I finished (2 laps, 95 of 117, fast guys did 3 laps) I felt like i finished my first marathon (Ive never run a marathon, but if I do, and finish, I think I will feel that same way!). When I got home my niece and nephew scraped the clay off my bike and made figurines which I let dry and still have today. Big personal accomplishment for me to finish that race. I'll never forget it and I don't think I can think about it without smiling. Congratulations to you! I like the all white wr. Which hare scrambles were they?

awesome stuff!

i've been watching this guy comment on the harescramble series up north

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snfJEypUlS0

its kinda of neat. i can't wait to try it myself.

@Martin.
Check out ECEA.org. East Coast Enduro Association clubs host harescrambles, enduros and dual sport rides in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New York. Great group of friendly riders will walk you through the easy process of entering an event. So easy. Sooo much fun! Pretty much all you need is a bike boots gloves goggles helmet race fee ($40) & AMA membership. Go to ECEA.ORG , check the schedual, find an event and ask questions in the Forum and somebody will have answers quik. Do it! You won't regret! Also there is an intro to enduro class at Trapani Motorsports Aug 14.

Edenswolf wrote:

there is an intro to enduro class at Trapani Motorsports Aug 14.

i'm aware of that site actually! i went to it a couple of times so far.

got any more info on this class? looks like they're only 40miles away from my house



quick edit - i called the dealership and the guy said he'd get back to me about the class. hopefully its in the evening

This "class" will be geared towards enduros but the same clubs also host dualsport rides and harescrambles. Hope to see you at an event. http://www.ecea.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=28235&pid=135602&st=0&#entry135602
On Thursday August 14, Ocean County Competition Riders (OCCR) will be hosting an Enduros for beginners course. This will be a discussion of the basics of enduros including everything from bike requirements, what to expect during an enduro, a brief overview of check types and timekeeping as well as enduro etiquette and tips to help enjoy the event. The idea is to reach out to casual dual sport riders and potential enduro entrants that have been considering competing, but have been unsure of how enduros work.

The timing of the class is an effort to get as many new riders as possible to enter the Beehive Enduro on August 24th. The attached two page .pdf is meant to get new entrants enough information to participate in their first few events without overwhelming them with the full rulebook. I am trying to get the Parts Unlimited rep to attend so there may be some giveaways for new riders.



Enduro Basics.pdf (97.96K)
Number of downloads: 13



Date: Thursday August 14th (with a potential for a second date if necessary)

Time: 6pm until all questions are answered

Location: Trapani Racing, 529 Route 9 Waretown, NJ 08758

www.trapaniracing.com

The ECEA licensing test can be found here: www.ecea.org/info/eceatest.pdf

i'm going to bring my bike, hopefully people can tell me what to do or not to do with it