2014 Welsh 2 Day Enduro

VERi members Kristen Cahill, Mike Harding and Steve Baker have all left for the UK to race in the twin shock class of the international Welsh 2 Day Enduro where they will be mixing it up against the modern bikes and sidecars.

Nigel from the UK says...

Your guys did not have the best of luck in Wales. I only got to talk to Steve and Kristen briefly on the Wednesday at signing on. It was one of our splash crew who provided the drinks can for the kickstart repair.
Despite the rain on Thursday evening, this years Welsh was considered one of the easiest for some time, Andy Elliott (HVA Factory) recons it was the easiest Welsh he has ever entered.
We had Nine riders, three in the Vinduro class, and six in the modern. Two of the Vinduro class finished, Dave Wanless went out with a holed piston on his Husky. We had three finishers in the modern bikes, the other three houred out. All the guys who had never entered before found it tough.
Tell your guys it was a very valiant effort, and i hope to meet them again, with more time for a chat.

Thanks to Nigel for the photos.

Hope our boys don't read the bit about the easiest Welsh event ever; ED

Steve reports in...

Well after a fantastic performance on the 1st day the second day started off bad and just got worse for all of us.

The boys in the background eagerly await their start time

Mike started well in the morning picking up the pace and feeling more comfortable the second day with the long ruts and slippery surface but after a long very straight and flat out fast fire road.

Kristen (209) & Mike (210)

Mike went back into the single bike tracks and this is where he used one of his nine lives. The front axle broke and his wheel fell out! When I caught up to him he had managed to push what was left of the axle back through and walk the bike out.
Kristen houred out after a great performance on day one getting used to a bike with a real flat spot in the mid range it took him a while to master.

We were all laughing about how good the conditions where and commenting that the Welsh was like the film the good the bad and the Ugly he had only experienced the good and the bad and would have to come backed to experience the ugly well after the rain on Thursday night he got to experience the ugly! Kristin has just woken up and told me it hurt to sleep! Doesn't seem keen to come back.
My tales of woe started when I got to the final check on day one waiting for my minute I went to start the bike and the kick start stuck down. So I pushed through the check and we then had 20 mins. to work on the bike, done an air filter and oiled the chain then pulled the gear lever off to get at the kick starter to discover it was loose and had slipped around the spline no worries pulled it off and reset, tightened it up and got to the Parc Ferme in time. Cold start in the morning was OK with the bike starting second kick set off on the trails and catching the the 3 who where leading in about 30 minutes. As I am riding there is a fallen rider who is stuck under his bike so I stop, Lay my bike over and go and give him a hand to get him out, go back to my bike give it one kick and sure enough the kick start slides round the spline again.

This time I know I'm buggered as the kick starter was tight on the spline, the guy who I have just helped then tells me he DNFed yesterday and was not even in the race. Smoke was coming out of my ears! Now I had to try and bump start the bike on a greasy single bike track, got it going but had the kick starter pushing my leg out so was very uncomfortable trying to get back in the groove. Arrived at the first special test but could not go hard-as because if I stall it would be next to impossible to start it again.
This test was a fuel stop as well so I pulled the kick start off and sent some one to find a coke can, made a sleeve and put the kick starter back on and lost 9 minutes. Off I set staying on time for the next check. Then I came across Mike walking his bike out after his broken axle disaster when another 200 m past him and fell over stalling the bike, no problem! Kick started the bike and same thing again, kick starter goes round the spline, no chance of starting the bike where I was so Mike and I where both pushing our bikes out of the trail onto the gravel road. 8 mins later bikes on its side and I am pulling the kick stat off as it was no use to me. I get going but have lost another 20 mins sorting this out.

Having to ride the bike knowing you can not let it stop changed the way I had to ride which meant I lost all my momentum, I then became a wobbler. Got to the second special test and went straight in, got to the lowest part of the track and run out of petrol, get towed out back to the start to top up the tank go back in to finish but told I am out for receiving out side assistance. Well may as well push on, by this time I have fallen back into the modern expert class so am trying not to get in there way as I am now out of the race. Then just when I'm traveling along OK I arrive at the bog of hell. When you see experts are stuck you know you are going to have problems. Game plan: get off and walk the bike through, get through first bit, able to ride the next bit and out I then stall the bike. Marshall comes over and tells me there is another 2 miles. Only way to start the bike is to turn it round PUSH it through the bog of hell into the only field in Wales that it is on he side of a hill but flat!

Felt like I pushed it a mile before could find a slope. Got the bike started then had to turn round and ride back through the BOG OF HELL for 3 miles. I then arrived at a hill that was covered in loose wet rocks. Had it not been going up it would have looked like it was the road taking straight back to hell with no 200 dollars for pasting Go!

Pushing on I then run out of petrol again and just by luck who should come along but Kristin. Quickly get some fuel off him and as we are both out decide to ride together, fill up at the next fuel stop and then make our way to the last special test. Get there to be told we will have to wait until the championship class had gone through, we decide to miss it and go back to the finish and have a beer!.

Steve

For a PDF with results click here