I just signed up for an Enduro. The last time I ran one was in 1974. I was 17 years old. My son and a friend are riding with me. Scrub Pine Enduro, Nov. 10. Anyone have any tips and experiences you would like to share?

 

With only one hare scramble under my belt previously, I've done a 1 hour hare scramble and a 90 mile enduro, since I got my KDX about a month ago. Both times at about the 3/4 point of the race I remember thinking to myself, "Thank god I'm not on my KLX." About 5 minutes after thinking that at the hare scramble I caught up to a guy in an XR650, and couldn't get past him.

You'll be fine on the KLX, just more tired than some of the others, when it's over. Remember, anyone could do it on an XC300. Only a tough as nails bad *** would try it on a street bike.

 

1974...funny thing, that was my first enduro...I was 23. Don't worry about making time or the competition on this one...especially riding with other relative newcomers. Concentrate on finishing and only worry about not hour'ing out.

I'm assuming you're riding a short course of some kind...maybe? I was stupid in my first enduro, and a buddy and I thought we'd get all we could for our money by riding long course...a bargain, eh?...LOL! Well, we survived, and that's what that enduro turned out to be...survival and not hour'ing out. I've raced many endures for decades since and competed at a state circuit level back in the 70's, 80', and early 90's. I like riding for fun now...on my pace.

As far as the KLX is concerned...unless you're riding the Blackwater 100 or some other suicide run, you should be fine on a short course event. Heck, back in '74 at my first enduro I was riding a '74 Kawasaki F7175 street/trail bike...and my buddy was worse with a '74 Kawasaki Big Horn 350 street/tail bike. Even back then those weren't the bikes for a long course Texas state circuit enduro. The only reason we finished and survived was because we were young, tough, and dumb.

The KLX will be like a full-on race bike in comparison...LOL! I still ride our local dirt club's ranch on my KLX where we just had a national enduro this year, and it can handle everything out there. Our club's enduro has the reputation for being the toughest in the state, but the KLX is good enough to cover everything out there...just not at real race pace. You should be fine.

Drink plenty of water...don't skimp. Carry a 100cc bladder Camelback if necessy or take advantage of all water stops provided by the sponsoring club. I don't care how mild or cool the weather is...drink a lot and often.

If you're not in the saddle a whole lot at this point, use some Bag Balm, Vaseline, or some other butt protection for sliding around on the saddle during the race...or...wear a decent pair of bicycle shorts under your riding pants. Either way you'll be glad you did.

 

Is a timekeeper or isde format? we do both here but most are timekeepers. Can give ya some tips if you never ridden one.

 

I've only ever ridden 1 amateur enduro - a 12 hour event - on my own. That was on my Husky though, not the KLX.

TNC's advice is good - unsurprisingly. I was quite surprised at how thirsty I got - and by the time you're thirsty you are already dehydrated. So drink, even if you don't feel thirsty.

You cannot be too fit! I wish I had done more sit-up's and squats to strengthen my core and thighs before the event. If there's a decent exercise to help with arm pump too it'll be worth doing. I really struggled with inner thigh cramps from gripping the bike between my thighs, and arm pump from holding on too tight. So if you can keep telling yourself to relax while riding you'll do yourself a favour. With my poor core strength I could have done with a nice big kidney belt for a bit of lower back support.

Try and scope out the event conditions before hand and have the right tyres for it. I thought I'd be OK with just some intermediate tyres (Pirelli MX eXTra X's) but it turned out to be pretty muddy and slippery - so some more appropriate tyres would have helped. And for whatever tyres you select to run, have a good idea of what the best pressures to run on those tyres in various conditions is. I tried playing with tyre pressures (dropping them) during the event which was less than ideal.

Have plenty of spare gloves and goggles. And if it's wet and muddy have a few hand towels to keep on your belt in case you fall and muddy your hands - you can wipe them on the towel and keep decent grip. I changed gloves and goggles every lap so my girlfriend could clean the old goggles and try and dry the wet (from sweat and falling) gloves in case I needed them at the end. It makes a BIG difference having clear sight and clean dry hands/gloves. Every glove/goggle change my girlfriend also made me drink and have an energy bar or sweets which was useful otherwise I probably wouldn't have.

If it's very dusty you want to consider changing your air filter at some point during the event. Another trick is to use a filter sock (you can even use a cheap swimming pool filter sock sprayed with filter oil) that fits over your air filter which you can just quickly whip off when it's dirty rather than change the whole filter. Of course, this will mean you need quick access to remove and replace your seat to get to the filter, so you might want to try work something out on your KLX.

The last thing you're going to want to do at the end of the event is pack up and drive home. So have an assistant(s) to help you with this. They can help you with food/drinks/massages through the event, pack up at the end, and safely drive you home. You're going to want to climb into comfortable clothes at the end and more than likely sleep on the drive.

If it's hot, ask your assistant to have a bucket of water to toss over you to cool you down if you need it. If it's cold, you aren't going to struggle as your riding will push your temps up and keep you toasty.

Make sure you have prepared your bike properly well before hand. Check tighten all visible bolts and loctite them if appropriate. Make sure your swingarm, linkage, steering stem, and wheel bearing are well greased. Have your chain nice and clean and well lubricated before the start, and make sure the slack is correct. I found by the end of my even my chain had stretched a bit, but on the 250 that's probably not going to be as much of a problem. If you can, try and do a fresh oil service on your forks and shock - it's surprising how much better the suspension works when hot from working hard. Make sure your battery holds charge nicely and is fully charged before the start.

Be aware of the rules of the event and what the course etiquette is. I knew I was a slower rider so when I heard bikes behind me I made sure to get out of their way ASAP. Most of them really appreciated it and acknowledged it. I got stuck behind one or two riders who were not considerate and it was very frustrating. Knowing the rules will also mean you'll have everything you need before the start and won't need to panic trying to find the correct kit. We had one guy scrambling to find new hand levers because he had chopped the ends off his ones which wasn't allowed. And if they do bike inspections try and get that sorted as early as possible so you can relax at base rather than stand in long lines waiting to get to the front.

Go to the toilet before the start so you aren't caught short during the race

Most importantly try and enjoy yourself. Be realistic about what you can achieve - for me it was just to finish regardless of position. Laugh when you fall off, and congratulate yourself when you do something well.And tell us how you go! Good luck mate!

 

Oh, the other things is making sure you carry some basic tools, wire, zip-tie's, duct tape, etc and know how to use them. I got wire tangled up in my rear wheel which took a while to get out with my multitool, but would have ended my ride if I didn't have a multitool.

Common things to break/need fixing or adjustment are clutch cables (having a 2nd cable running along your current one for a quick swapout is a good idea), and punctures (mousse will avoid this, otherwise heavy duty tubes are better than standard ones). Some slime in the tyres is good for small puncture prevention, but pinched tubes will need a swap-out and reinflation so a CO2 tool would be useful. You'll likely be toot tired to use a hand pump properly without leaving yourself absolutely buggered.

Having a quick-fuel system will help with refueling, and make sure you have more than enough fuel for the whole event. I refueled every 2nd stop but your milage might vary.

 

Thanks all for great comments, tips, and suggestions and I will put many to use.
This is going to be a timed event, 140 miles over two different laps. I have been told that it is a "rider friendly" course. That said, this will be the farthest I have ridden off road since the last one in 1974. My goal is to complete the course and not hour out.
Because I am familiar with the area, though never rode it, I anticipate the route to cover mainly sandy/sugar sand and some wet swampy terrain. The area has fire roads, fire plow cuts (these can be tough) and some single track. All terrain that I ride all the time. I have mastered the sugar sand and can still tuck and roll with the best of them when needed.
If all goes well and the KLX holds up well, I'm going to do a Hare Scramble in the spring.
I'll let you all know how I make out.

 

I just received my Enduro registration info from the event sponsor. The distance is actually 70 miles over two separate laps not 140 as the web-site said.
I don't know if I am relieved that it’s not 140 miles or disappointed that it’s not 140 miles. Either way my prep will be the same and my goal will now be making a good show as opposed to just finishing.

 

Be relieved. Unless the enduro is just a bunch of dirt roads...which I doubt...you'll have plenty of action at 70 miles...and maybe wishing the finish line was even closer...LOL! I did a 150 mile enduro once, but it was a 2-day in two segments. Truly going at competition pace for 70-100 miles is tough on the kind of terrain that most enduros take place on. Have fun.

 

you will like the scrub pine, it's a fun event.
You can sign up as a Dual Sport entrant if you want to and your time is not counted.
If you do that, you leave on the last line and won't have a bunch of A,B,C riders up your *** in the tight sections.