Red Bull Last Man Standing - Post #2

It's been a while, but I promised more of the Red Bull Last Man Standing race. So, here are some pictures that my buddy Matt took at the race. Enjoy.

John's '76 YZ125 Project - Post #2

John has made some progress on his 1976 Yamaha YZ 125 project bike. He's pulled the top end off the motor and removed the broken ignition. It looks like the top end is in okay shape. It will probably require a bore job and a new piston. He said the ignition was a challenge to remove, but patience and persistence overcame the bond that the flywheel and crank have developed over the last 32 years. John's next step will be several hours of cleaning, degreasing, and corrosion removal. I'll post more pictures as I get them.

Above is the ignition before disassembly.

Here is the left side of the motor after the ignition parts have been removed. You can see that John has some corrosion to deal with, but it looks pretty good for a 1976 model.

Finally, here are the ignition and flywheel parts removed from the motor. These will most likely be replaced with new or salvaged parts.

Red Bull Last Man Standing

Let me start by saying that it's so much better being there and seeing it in person. You get to experience the sounds, smells, and heights of the impossible climbs that these technicians of the sport are able to conquer. And, there is something very gratifying about cheering for a rider struggling to get up a nasty hill, especially when you can see that the roar from the crowd is giving him (or her) the extra drive they need to succeed. I said "or her" because Maria Forsberg, the WORKS Women's Champion, finished 84th out of the 100 competitors.

This event is one that I definitely recommend attending. The group that I went with had an amazing time. In future posts I'll include pictures and commentary on the event.

My friends' project bike

My friend John has a 1976 Yamaha YZ 125 that has been stored in boxes in his garage for years. He's finally decided to make it an active project bike, so I'll be posting updates and photos of the rebuild process.

Here is a little preview. The top picture is not his bike, but it's what it should look like when he is done. The rest of the pictures are all of his parts that one day will be a working bike again. Check out the rear sprocket that is dished out (bottom picture). I've never seen one like that, so it may be hard to find.

'08 Supercross Season Begins!

Anaheim 1 is in the books. The first race of the season was an exciting mud race. This was James Stewart's first race after blowing out his knee during the Outdoor season. He went down in the first corner of the main event and had to fight his way back up to second behind Chad Reed. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the season.


Here are a few things that I found noteworthy at the season opener:

- Monster Energy is the new title sponsor of the series, replacing Toyota. Since they are putting that kind of money in a sport I love, I may have to try their drink next time I need extra caffeine. Plus, this means more Monster Energy Girls at the races!

- Thor is running new TV commercials and I like them. They are kind of witty dream sequences with Villopto and Reed. I'll post them later for your enjoyment.

- Mike Alessi has moved from KTM to Suzuki. I was kind of glad to see him struggle a little at the season opener since he left KTM once he had some success. Of course, the only reason he was at KTM and not one of the big four factory teams is that his team manager/dad is such a cocky dick that none of the other factory teams wanted to touch him. Hopefully, he is learning a little humility.

- Nick Wey is on a KTM this year in the 450 class. Nick and KTM managed a top 10 finish. As you can probably tell, I'm a KTM fan, so I'll be rooting for Nick this year.


I haven't watched the "Lites" class race yet, so I'll comment on that later.

What's to come

So, I guess I'll give a preview of a few of the topics that I will be covering here. I recently reacquired my old 1985 Honda XR100R that I raced my first enduro on back in '86. I'll tell the bikes story and preview what I plan to do with it now, which I'm sure will turn into a long term project. I will also give a report (including photos and videos) on the 2007 Red Bull Last Man Standing, which is an extreme endurance race held here in Texas. Then, my plan for this blog includes reports and opinions on Central Texas riding areas, and whatever else comes to mind. Please check back regularly and give me your input.

First Post

For my first post, I'm going to put up a picture from a few years back. It was taken on a 3-day ride in Colorado. We stayed at Taylor Park Reservoir, and rode about 350 miles over the three days. Later, I'll have to find more pics and tell some of the funnier stories from that trip.