Surviving Harescramble: Preparing for Your First Year of Racing [4K/60FPS]
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- čas přidán 23. 05. 2024
- Walk through how I prepare for every harescramble dirt bike race. See what I'm thinking as I am racing down the trail... and when I'm crashing too!
The race series I frequent are:
Missouri Hare Scramble Championship mhscracing.com
Hillbilly Gran Prix hillbillygranprix.com
Midwest Offroad Events racemore.net
Black Jack Enduro blackjackenduro.org
00:00 Intro
01:32 Bike Choice
02:52: Bike Setup
06:56 Riding Gear
11:55 Race Recon
14:09 Race Day Countdown
20:34 Race Time
42:22 My Mistakes
43:26 My Crashes
52:50 Closing
The Stopwatch I use: Casio W800H-1AV Classic Sport Watch a.co/d/9HCKhj8
Race Class: C Vet
Action Camera: DJI Action 4 - Auta a dopravní prostředky
I raced enduro back in the late 70’s early 80’s and I never realized how good of a shape we were really in, knocking out a 5 mile run before breakfast was a real ass kicker. Rolling out at 4 am, loading the bikes and gear, we were dedicated. I think of trying to ride a 100 mile race now and it seems impossible that I ever did. I’m pushing 60 but I’ll always love trail riding there’s just nothing else like it. Definitely get in shape before you saddle your 500 up, you’ll need it.
Lesson 2, braking on motorcycles works this way. %70 front brake 30 for the rear. Actually the rear is mainly for rear wheel steering, the front is for speed control. Practice 1st gear in grass, apply front brake till it locks up, get a feel for that and regaining control. Then gradually try locking up front brake while moving forward in 1st gear and see how far you can push the front tire as it slides, letting go just when you start to lose it. Do this repeatedly till you get used to the feeling and learning how to recover. Now find a tree or a parking cone or similar and practice using rear brake to slide the rear out to line up the bike for a corner, pulling the clutch in as you apply brake and gradually twisting throttle and release the clutch with engine revs to power out of the corner as you line up for new direction. After this you should be wearing out front brake pads at a 2 to 1 ratio over the rear pads.
Lesson 3 bars too wide to go between trees: gas it slightly to lighten front end and quickly snap the bars either left or right depending on the need, as you pass between the trees and straighten bars as you pass through. Timing is the key here. Alternatively you can essentially make a small turn between the trees. What I mean is aim for the base of one of the trees and lean bike into that turn as you twist the bars. In a leaning turn you essentially narrow the bars by making them more vertical. Do this slow speed until you get the hang of it. A stabilizer really shines here if you happen to clip one of the trees, by taking the force of the deflection away from turning the bars, essentially preventing a tank slapper-groin impact situation
Good ride! Couple of quick tips. Drink electrolytes before the race and after. I like Pedialite adult sport lemon. Invest in a steering stabilizer, Scott’s is the best and most adjustable. It will help with arm pum after you learn you can relax your grip on the bars, and don’t cut the bars down. You lose leverage and you have to compensate for the lost leverage by tightening your grip and inducing arm pump. Try lock on grips like Odi and I like the pillow style for comfort and grip. Use your knees to grip bike between your legs. Too much tire pressure. Try foam inserts or Tubliss. I use tubliss with 7 lbs front and 5 rear. Much better traction and less deflection. Take hydration pack even if you only take 8 oz of water. You will be amazed at how revitalized you will be after a sip of water just a few minutes into a lap or even more so later. I pack the bladder with ice and use onlt straight water, but to each their own. Don’t eat heavy morning before race, eat high energy food like peanut butter-chocolate, bananas. I drink a Yahoo or 2 before the start. Amazing drink right there. I use a bag balm in my butt crack to help eliminate chaffing there, I sit on bike too much lol. Make sure suspension sag is set correctly or respirng bike if needed. I back all the clickers all the way out then start by adjusting in till I find what I like, which is on the soft side. I ride Yamaha so I have the advantage over the WP stuff lol. You need to practice your log crossing skills when you can, whatch some videos such as Shane Watts has. CZcams has lots of skills info for our type of needs. Enduros are a great way to learn to be a better cross country rider, and how to think while riding and read trail and terrain. Learn to scan for and see alternate lines while riding at speed. Look as far ahead as you can see constantly. Speed is your friend, when I doubt gas’s it. Spinning wheels act as gyroscopes. Go to some riding classes if available near you. Ride with people that are faster than you are. And remember there will always be someone faster than you are lol no matter how fast you get. And enjoy your ride, most importantly
Hey thanks for uploading this. I'm new to riding and just started doing some Enduros and I've been learning by watching other peoples videos and my own personal recordings. It's hard to find someone that doesn't swear left and right throughout their videos so I just wanted to thank you for not doing that as it means a lot to me. That ending with all the crashes is more like how I ride. Lol I spend more time pulled over to the side letting people go so I'm not in their way than I do actually racing. There are some seriously fast people out there. That's ok though 'cause I'm learning and I'm just thankful to be able to ride at all. Thank you for all the tips. I've met some guys at the races that were kind enough to teach me some things that have made a huge difference. I look forward to more of your videos; good luck, stay safe and most importantly God bless you.
Thank you for the kind words. I recently joined a local private ranch with singletrack trails everywhere. Prior to this I only really ran singletrack in races. So hopefully this will be a major improvement for me.
Interesting, I raced in the Forward Motion Series 2003-2005 in my early 40s. My heart rate went up watching this.👍
Honestly man the guy on the dual sport bike around 53:34 was wrong for not letting you by or giving you enough room. You were significantly quicker and faster. It was more his bad than your bad. But that’s racing. Good job man. You’re a great rider with a great attitude.
Thank you! Yea I try not to get frustrated but I was definitely getting impatient and it caused me issues.
Long moto socks will eliminate the back of the knee chaffing from knee pads. I started racing Harescrambles last year. Mostly quads with a few bike races during the season. I'm loving it! Can't wait for the 2024 season to start.
Thanks for the tip on the long socks! I may give that a try if I get sick of the tights.
I have watched alot of your videos and the MO series in general. Very lucky to have rhe series you do! I keep wanting to do some hare scrambles racing and get away from the track(getting old)...big thing for me is the intimidation factor and getting chirped at by faster riders and bottlenecks...about half way thru your video so far...things I have taken away so far- your wife is a genius with reusing the same Hawaiin Rolls tray/bag after making the sandwiches! Your prep makes perfect sense to me, even forgoing a practice lap especially when muddy...I think you should embrace/practice logs my friend, you have a killer skid plate. Question- are you running foam in between the frame and skidplate to prevent mud/dirt build up? I like your demeanor and hope you do this more and race next year, still chugging away watching. Wish we had this sort of series in CO.
Thanks for the comment! At the 100 miler race, I, being an entry level rider was out there with Pro level riders at that particular race (typically we are separate) and there was no issues with the Pros passing.
When everyone gets jammed up I find it most interesting/fun because you have to be quick and decisive about line choice and not necessarily fast to get out of those situations.
I don’t run any foam between the engine and my skid plate and never have on any bike in the past (my dualsports). I haven’t ever had mud build up ever in that area though very bad either though.
The biggest risk with harescrambles is trees which is why I’m also pretty careful. From what I remember with MX… MX feels more like a race in the classic sense. Out here I’m just mostly against myself and anyone that passes or is faster I just use it to practice getting faster myself through following them.
My first year, and first time on s bike in 7 years. I appreciate the video. Honestly I should have signed up for trail rider. You guys in c30 are fast!!!
Have you checked out Hardwood Hills Ranch in Macomb? I’m not sure how close you are to it but I just got a membership there so that should really help me. Before HHR I never rode singletrack really ever except races.
I race Missouri hare scrambles, I would recommend the MXC series, there is a non points race new years eve at flying w ranch, great video, keep up the hard work
Do you have a link or info? I have never heard of MXC.
Cool video! Enjoyed the commentary. I've raced plenty of scrambles in my day but still liked the vid. Gave you a sub. Have a fun and safe season!
Great video for beginners and its explained so newer racers can understand it all. Ive been in and around racing my whole life and experienced riders forget what its like just starting out and a lot of lessons are lost in translation.
Excellent video man!
Excellent advice and video, very informative thanks. 👍🏻👍🏻
Glad it was helpful!
Great content. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you!
Another enjoyable video, J. I have just found, and am really enjoying your videos & shorts. Thank you.
Look fwd to riding w/ you guys again sometime soon, after I mend.
Thanks again for the vids.
Best,
~SpeediE~
Thank you! I’ve been checking out a few of your videos as well and really enjoy them.
This video is entertaining and should be very helpful for new harescramblers. Great job!
I hope so! Thank you!
Nice riding, im hoping to get into next summer, looks like so much fun.
You’ll enjoy it for sure!
63 years old been racing since 1977. Two things I have to have anymore is a camelbak and a Rekluse clutch
Excellent video thank you! Will be joining NETRA for the first time 2024!
You’ll have fun!
Awesome vid dont see many vids for bigger riders. What would bikes would you recommend for a guy 6'1 295 for hare scrambles
Would definitely recommend the Enduro Engineering Clutch Cylinder Guard and Radiator Braces. Good video!
Thanks for the tip!
Just started theses in 2022, Got an Action 4 as well... making videos for the same reason you are... Great video.
Tip: Turn on your camera before pressing record at the start of the race. I believe it gives more time for stabilization to “initialize”. Here a video of the last time I hit record from a powered off state. The whole race was shakey but the video was set to 4K/60FPS Horizon Balance. Link: czcams.com/video/wDCS2x48mRw/video.htmlsi=5MhDOKDEv3xOFYet
I really would like to ride a hare scramble in Missouri. I grew up riding around the K.C. area. I really like the action 4. I have kind of figured out the settings I like through trial and error.( it's my first action cam) I subscribed to your channel. Do you record in 60fps and Horizon balance on? Hers a link to a short video i shot of some highlights of on of my hare scrambles I rode in..czcams.com/video/MXsWXpiePWc/video.html @@myhobbyvideos
You should slide your clutch master inwards on the bars so you can more easily use your index finger to pull the lever, have it line up near the end of the lever more leverage and your finger wont slide cause ittl rest against the ball of the lever.
Watch Stf compound videos, Simms brothers in Indiana, great riders at the top of their field around here. Matt is now riding a new Husky 300
Replacing the front AT81 with a Dunlop 34 will make your suspension feel so much better.
how do you like that little bike trailer. was thinking of getting one like that and modding a bit.. just wonder how much they bounce
It’s honestly really great. It’s a 15 year old trailer that was like $800 or something new. The paint finish looks better than a lot of 3 year old trailers from modern times. It doesn’t bounce around. Make sure the mesh is thick. My mesh has a few cracks around some welds from stress but it is not an issue at all. I would like a small enclosed trailer but the downside is I lose how well this light weight one pulls. Make sure with any trailer you have an anti-rattle attachment for the hitch. I haven’t always used one but now that I have-they work so well.
I think it’s interesting how high people run there tire pressure. I do the same series you do and I run 13 in the front and 12-13 in the rear. Yes I do get flats but I have bought ultra heavy tubes and they seem to last.
I’ve always been hard on rims. Even on ATVs with rockless motocross tracks I would bend rims. I run 15psi front and 12.5psi rear mostly to protect the rims. I’ve never had a pinch flat but when I look at my used tubes I can see indicators that they’ve been pinched sometimes.
@@myhobbyvideos Throw a Platinum Nitro Mousse in the front. I run them front and rear, but the front is more important. Much better rim protection and never worry about flats if you let it eat through the rocks.
@@OtisFlintI’m trying to resist as I do like my tubes and don’t like the price of mousse. I’m sure I’ll get some mousse soon enough though as I’ve been thinking about the protection they will offer.
Race mx most my life..broke my hand really bad in arena x last feb... haven't ridden since I think scrambles are going to be my way back in
Little bit less intense than MX but the risk with harescrambles is the trees and unpredictability of what’s around each corner.
Video looks great. I’m thinking of upgrading from my GoPro 8. How long does your battery last?
About 1 hour 15 minutes on 4K with Horizon Balance Stablization. 1080P I think is closer to or more than 2 hours so I hear but I’ve never used it in that resolution. Be sure to get DJI care as it’s cheap with the initial purchase and protects your investment if you ever damage it.
I use a hydration pack, but that's because I'll ride for 8 hours in a day haha
Dude I have the same set up lol my 450 exc acts as my back up when my 23 300 fouls a plug on the Starr line lol.
My 23 TX300 has a BR7EIX and hasn’t fouled a plug since installing that one. Admittedly the bike also got better running at about 20 hours too. Have you tried an iridium plug yet? I fouled mine up real bad once. Bike was lurching and smoking like a chimney but the iridium refused to fail and it cleaned up and got to running good again.
@@myhobbyvideos what ratio are you running your premix?
@@barnescycle I am using the manual recommended 1:60 using Motorex
@myhobbyvideos thanks for the information and help on that I've been running 50:1 so I'm going to go back to the 60:1
Great video. What kind of camera setup?
It’s a DJI Action 4 mounted under the visor. I actually recently posted a short showing how I have it mounted. Favorite Action Camera Mount #action4 #dji #dirtbike
czcams.com/users/shorts6m-cntX5z4E?feature=share
Mind if I ask what settings you have your camera on?
4K/60FPS Horizon Balance
Recommend standing more and squeezing the bike with your legs. Help your arm pump.
Thanks! Anything helps for sure.
Do you know who tp199 is? The evs guards
Yes, it is Travis Pastrana.
No tear off's in the woods! Carry a micro fiber in easy reach unless you are on private property and they want to pickup your tear off trash.
A few tips...
1) Mousse bibs will give you both more traction and better rim protection than 15psi in a tube.
2) Grip more with your legs to reduce arm pump. Squeeze the bike. After a hare scramble the insides of my knees are bruised, but it saves the forearms. I can ride fast with pain in the knees, but arm pump forces you to slow down.
3) On those hill climbs with loose rocks, get your weight further back. On loose hills, traction is the limiting factor, not the wheelie, so with loose rock hang your ass off the back.
4) With a nice perpendicular, dry log, you can be a whole lot more aggressive. Wheelie right into that bad boy. Just don't do that on an angled, wet log. I've done that a few times and always find myself suddenly flying through the air, sans bike. 🙃
Do you ever ride at Chadwick?
The closest I’ve been to Chadwick is Hardwood Hills Ranch. Never Chadwick though. It’s further away for me.
If you don’t listen to nothing or skip ahead just please please get the pickle juice and have it ready to drink asap after the race
For your arm pump, try a week gluten free leading into a race
You freakin lame-O why didn’t you model all the gear for us 🤣😂🤣😂
🤣😂🤣
Where in Missouri do you live? You said you go to Flat river/ St Joe's. I go there a bit every year. I live close to OFALLON Mo,
I’m near Rolla.
Excellent video man!