Ok, guys. I've been gone awhile so please forgive my absence. I was in Castaic, California competing in the Rawhyde American Adventure Motorcycle Challenge. I spent a few days taking my mom up the coast on a rented BMW K1200LT for mothers day, then hit the Challenge for three days of competition. I hate to self-toot, but if I don't tell you, who will. I won the danged thing! Yes, overall. I borrowed a KTM 950 Super Enduro, a bike I'd never ridden before and gave it my best shot. My class included bikes like the HP2. After three days and around 6000 points earned, I came out on top by 10 points. Who'd a thought it? Of course it wasn't a race or anyting, but something like 30 elements including sand pits, logs, a teeter-totter, suspension bridge, off camber turns with uphill climbs following, the list goes on and on, put a strain on the brain for sure. 100 plus degree tempskept the heat on as well.

Check it out at www.rideok.com. There is a link to the Challenge on that site. I'm still waiting to wake up.

Bill

 

As a fellow okie let me be the first to say congrats! You must be like the guys that fly passed me on the trails at Draper on bikes that weigh twice what mine does.
I sold a small bike to a guy that I met at Draper that said he rode with a guy that had a klx250s that was FAST. Looking at the mods on your bike I've wondered if you were the guy he was talking about.
Anyway, very cool man, maybe one day our paths will cross.

 

Congrats Bill, that event looks like it was a lot of fun at a very reasonable price.

I was looking at the rules and my ktm adv was too SMALL for the event .. lol.

What was your overall opinion of the super enduro......is it really the ultimate off-roadtwin?

Owen

 

Wow Bill, that's huge. How cool that must have been. You make us all look good. I just watched the movie Dust to Glory a few days ago and I gotta hand it to anyone that entersevents like this. CONGRATULATIONS BILL. Its a privileged just to know who you are man.[sm=icon_cheers.gif][sm=smiley20.gif] Hey you got any pics? I mean you probably didn't have time to take any, but did anyone else?

 

It's having guys like you on this site that make it the coolest forum ever! A huge congrats from me! Especially to accomplish that on a bike you weren't used to. Thanks for sharing.

 

Great job, Bill, congratulations! In looking at the event details, it looks pretty tough, especially on a big bike! And when you factor in all the other great riders that I'm sure were there, and you did it better than anyone else. That's huge!

 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

 

Wow guys. Thanks. I was as surprised as I could have been. As you said, there were some really good riders there. Al Jesse with Jesse bags is one of the coolest and most focused riders I have ever seen. I think he got third overall on his X Challenge. Chris Monroe was a pro desert racer. Jack Penton didn't compete, but he rode the suspension bridge and crashed. I lucked out and cleaned it...twice! But I think Jack rushed it a bit, perhaps hot-******* for the crowd.
Sand traps! OH MY GOSH! Try rushing into a 18" deep sand pit, doing a 180 degree turn and slamming the bike back out without dabbing, falling or nicking the course markers. Now, do it in under 10 seconds for extra credit. I made it clean in 9.2 seconds on that beast and never touched a boot. Prayer? That's my secret weapon, guys and it worked for sure. I wondered who had those bars because it certainly wasn't me. I ride ok, but not that danged good.
I dabbed three time all total in three days. All were what I call "dumbass dabs." They weren't even in hard elements, but I just felt the urge to dab and dab I did.

The KTM was absolutely unbelievable. Talk about overkill though. It's like taking a Minuteman missile to a streetfight! That bike is so fast it'll make your head spin. I ran with several HP2's and in an all out drag race, they didn't stand a chance. And that was with me managing the throttle trying to keep the front end down. It is insane! But over the top fun.

Oh! I swapped bikes with a new friend on an HP2 so he could ride the Super Enduro. A KTM 950 Adventure lost it in front of me on a fire road at about 35 mph. I had nowhere to go...bear in mind, I'm on a borrowed, $20,000 HP2. I swerved to the right and thought I'd missed him. Huh-uh. I felt an impact on my left boot and went airborne. I biffed at the edge of a nice cliff, but managed to stay up top. When we picked up the HP2, oil spewed out of a two inch slit in the left valve cover! We patched it with a JB Weld tootsie roll (gott'a carry one of those from now on) and rode down I-5 at 100 mph for 30 miles trying to make the riders meeting. I had 12 PSI in the KTM's tires. I have a whole new respect for a high speed wobble. All I could think of was how long the grease spot would be if I lost it.

I have so many stories from this event that I don't even know where to start. Some will be told in Adventure Motorcycle/Dual Sport News Magazine and also in Ride Oklahoma Magazine. Rider did a little story this month about Jim Hyde's woman's rider course, but it was a far cryfrom the Challenge. It was a great time for all, I'll assure you. But then most rides are, aren't they?

Bill

 

"Bill was representing Ride Oklahoma at this event. He was initially supposed to ride a 2008 Kawasaki KLR-650 but the factory bike was late arriving, so KTM stepped in to provide him a 2008 950 Super Enduro."

What a stroke of luck that was, eh? Congrat's, Bill.

 

Luck was running like Niagara Falls for me that week, Dean. Actually, the KLR's were there, but I couldn't find anyone with the keys. My new friends were about to ride out on their HP2's and were razzing me to come along. Robbie with KTM was just sitting there by his truck. I talked to Paul Krause, Paris/Dakar racer first. He introduced me to Robbie and the rest was history.
By the way, if you ever get a chance to talk to Paul, he's one cool guy. He has done it all, including winning some Baja races. At 42, he's still hard as nails and rides like the wind. I want to be like him when I grow up. But hey. I'm ten years his senior! If I haven't grown up by now, hope is looking dim for it happening in this lifetime!