Try one on the KLX I have ridden a couple H/S events on my KLX and have been somewhere above the middle of the C riders. My buddies all have KTMs and I can hang with them. The KLX isnt the ideal bike by far but it will work.

 

That is probably what will happen. I'll ride the KLX until I find another bike.
If I can ever get a title for my KLX650, I'll have something to ride to work, if I break the 250.
But that said, having recently dropped the bike, and the number of times I fall trail riding, lighter is the priority, that and lifting weights! And a steering damper!
Better hit the weights hard, as that is the cheapest option for now.

 

Exactly, workout, Cardio will also help you immensely. I try to ride my mountain bike once a week , especially during peak riding season, it's a great cardio workout and it reinforces many of the skills you use on the mcy. the other thing that will help is simply more practice on the mcy. Each race will improve your skills.
Dan

 

You're on the right track. Steering damper is a luxury item and on a budget there are other priorities, IMO. In my experience, racing is primarily a cardio event. Prepare your heart to pump at the top of its range for extended periods of time. The best thing you can do to prepare is:

1) Simulated race pace on a decent loop - do it fast for 2 hours straight, no stopping, just like a race. You'd be surprised how much stopping a lolly gagging around folks do "trail riding" vs what happens when racing, if you've never raced before.

2) Run, row, elliptical, etc - get in shape, make sure to keep your heart rate up in the higher zones (170 bpm or so for me, with occasional sprints that take it 190 - 200). If you don't train in the right zone, it really won't help you during the race. Wear a heart rate monitor during your race so you can use those results on what to target for when you train. My average heart rate during a race is usually around 180 bpm with peaks around 200.

3) Hydrate. A lot. Not the day of, but the week before the race.

All those can make your race more enjoyable by preparing you for some of the physical aspects.

Lighter bike definitely helps. But is not a requirement, especially if your goal is to have fun vs win. Of course, it's always more fun to do better, beat your personal best, beat your friends, beat the guy next to you, etc. Other folks don't care so much about that and just like getting out and riding "an organized trail ride where they encourage you to go fast." At a race you will find that there are all types, skill levels, conditioning levels, seriousness levels, etc. My recommendation is to go to a few and see where you are at relative to the other folks in your class, but don't necessarily go in with super high expectations. And then remember that with a little conditioning and practice and learning how to race (vs trail ride), you can improve a lot more. I can still remember my first race - it was an eye opening experience.

Check this guy out:

Riding an entire enduro circuit on a +400lb KLR - ADVrider


Also, here's a good, humorous look at hare scramble racing, this is actually a pretty accurate experience that most folks that have raced can relate to:

 

You guys know how great a forum this is when you get guys, at least two bikes and a few years, removed, still checking in. Mr. Nobrakes is one of the KF "OG's"
Brian that vid makes me feel a lot better about some of my riding. I think most people are hesitant to get into "races" because they think they will make fools of themselves. I was fully committed to making a fool of myself in my first race ( honestly I've only done two actual races, but next year my buds and I are doing more) but I ended up doing pretty well. A video like that brings the "race" back down to earth, makes it look do-able. That guy is hilarious with all that commentary. LOL
I passed it on to my buddies. Thanks,
Dan

 

Haha, yep, great forum for sure! You guys rock!

And yes, racing is kind of addictive. I heard it once described as making a heroin addiction seem like a vague taste for something salty. Lol That first year I did 1 race. The second year I did 2. The third year I did 20. :-) This past season I did one National Enduro which was a blast, followed by a 15 round hare scramble series in VA that just finished up a couple of weeks ago, and a couple of out-of-series races here and there on off-weekends from my regular series. But racing a whole series is a pretty big commitment in time and money, so next season, I'll probably do more dual sporting and the occasional race here and there to mix things up. I like variety. :-)

Racing has other benefits, too. Here's a photo I took of my camp site at Round 13 out of 15, with the Milkyway lighting up the place. I think I slept better that night than I could remember in a long time!




They gave out cool trophies at that race. I just wish it came pre-filled.

 

You got that right.
Get going on the weights now. That should be your priority. Cardio is secondary, and should be used to support or augment a good resistance training work out. Especially if you're racing a KLX, you'll need all the strength you can get

 

Thanks for all the input.

I've watched a lot of guys racing videos and can't believe how many people sit down all the time. I stand for gravel, I stand in parking lots, sometimes on the road(the seat is hard and I'm 130lbs = no dent in the seat), and always in singletrack. I'm seated if I have to restart after a dirt nap, but stand as soon as the bike starts rolling.

People complain about the suspension, I can feel some limitations. I definitely want a revalve in front and definitely something in the back. I want them both to feel a bit more plush. The front springs are just about perfect for me. I've used close to full travel doing 10-20mph through a rock field when I went over some rocks about 13" high. Didn't notice them until my skid plate was bumping over them. That was with the compression way soft. I'd like to back it in some and have better valves like I mentioned.
The rear is too harsh. Don't know what to do or how to explain it, time for some research. And a stop at the local ex-mx racer mechanic to help make sure I've got my sag set correctly. I think I might actually need a softer spring in there? Or send it out and get it done right?

The biggest struggle will be the bleeding green problem I will have.
Think I found a weekend job for the winter and I can take vacation and work with a buddy at a food factory for a couple of weeks straight(doubling my pay might be the extra cash infusion needed for a new-to-me bike). Cash, it comes and it goes, I figure buckling down for six months and I should be close to having enough for race fees, tires, and a transport vehicle worked out. Going to get rid of my truck and wagon in favor of a small van or little truck. No interest in a trailer for hauling (I'd still like one for local hauling). They are just something else to go wrong on the way to or from and the extra tolls can really suck.

Back to the standing while racing...I need a good bar riser.
I'm ordering cables and bar risers so I can stand more comfortably. I only sit trail riding when I get tired...and that's because my bars are too low and I'm in too deep a crouch for too long. And that is usually after 50+ miles of hard singletrack and bad class VI roads(you know it's bad when you start finding Jeep bumpers and aftermarket suspension parts). The guy I ride with (the naysaying KTM rider) is always through faster and cleaner, but he has ridden the trails he takes me on for years, me just once or twice, and he's never far ahead. So I believe the bike is more than capable, it just needs some stuff, much of which is related to the bleeding green.

Most of the real riding limitations I have are my own, not the bikes.

So I'm just starting back into my old habit of push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups twice a day. I used to have crazy muscle endurance (needed it to rock climb and mtn bike race) and want it back. I start slow and just keep adding reps when I can. If my muscles are too shot, I take a day and ride the bicycle or xc ski.

And the ultimate goal is fast off-road fun, then even faster fun.
It isn't about winning for me. Just getting fast enough to keep up and pass some people and finishing a race is what I'm after.
And I want to get comfortable going fast in the dirt. Fast enough eventually to go and ride in Baja and have real fun racing a Mexican 100 or 500 or similar. Or find out I'm happy just getting out there and knowing I possess the skills to get in and out of anything I want to ride with relative comfort.

 

You've got a great attitude, racing has got your name on it! There is no way you are not going to have a blast at your first race, and many more to come (I predict).

Do you have a race picked out to jump in? Is it coming up soon perhaps?