Enduro Weekend
I went to my first motorcycle race a few weeks ago in NJ. This is what prompted me to go to a motorcycle school. I have been ridng dirt bikes for over a year and a half. I am 24 and live on my own. My parents would never let me have a dirt bike because they said it was too dangerous. So once I moved out and I could afford it I bought one for myself. While trailriding one day in central NJ, I came across about 4 guys out trailriding themselves, and they offered me to join them, and I gladly said, “yes.”These guys were obviously experienced as to the way they negotiated threw the tight trees and up an over obstacles. None the less, I gave it my best to try and stay with them. They all would stop and wait for me from time to time and were very encouraging. This actually was alot of fun, and they took me on some really great private trails that I would have never found on my own. After some twenty miles of riding we were all talking and they were amazed to learn that I just started riding a little over a year ago.With this said they mentioned an upcoming Enduro the following weekend. I had never heard of an enduro before this. I researched it that night and found the location and what not, and figured why not give it a try.
I showed up the day before on a Saturday to sign up and gather as much info as to what I was getting myself into. Turns out, both the people at registration were very friendly as were all the competitors camping in a near buy field. While there signing up I seen this info for motorcyle schools and picked up some of the info.
So what could I expect? Turns out and Enduro is a timed event where you are expected to traverse particular sections of the course at a certain mile per hour pace. And you are penalized for being late or early. You have to come to checkpoints on the course at your perscribed time. Along the way there are rest breaks to back on time and replenish your body and fill up with fuel. Still not understanding what I was about to do, I tryed to goto sleep in the back of my van on Saturday night. I was assigned number 44D. Which meant I would be the fourth rider on #44 which leaves at 8:44 am. There is four riders to minute, and the first group leaves at 8:01. So I get to the start and find the other guys on my number, and introduce myself. I see that two of them have these RLR Motorcycle School stickers on thier helmets, so I figure that I will try and follow them, since I have no timekeeping equipment.
Well it was an interesting day, it rained almost all day which made it very muddy. I twas long and tough, the total ground miles was 78. So as you can guess, once I reached the finish I was very tired. So I got changed out of my muddy riding gear and cleaned up, to go up to sign-up to find out my result. I guess I must have done ok, I finished 4th in c-250. A class with over 26 competitors. The competitors are broke down into classes by skill level, age, and bike size. AA is the pro riders, A being the just under pro, B is ameture, then C is beginners. I rode C-250 since I am a beginner and I ride a KTM 250 2-stroke. So I waited around to recieve my trophy, and then drove the hour drive home, and I am hooked. This Enduro thing is fun, and there is another race in two weeks, and next weekend I enrolled in the RLR motorcycle school to help with my riding skills. RLR website in case you are interested is www.rlafferty.com Thanks!!!!!!
About the Author
Motorcycle instructor with a story of a newbie.
Tags: Enduro
