Yeah there was no way I was putting my bike I just spent a packet on through this river, they had a dry loop if you did not wont to do the wet one and I was there at the river taking photo because my bike had probs so I just took photos all day, only about 20 riders out of 63 took on the water crossing and most of the 20 did not do it next time around
to much carnage.
As for can you take a old bike out and just ride on the day, YES so long as it is Pre 85 and has a light front and back working or not it does not matter OOO but no moto-X bikes allowed.
You dont need any rego as the events are held on private propertys, if you need a 1 day liecense there available for $20.00 plus entry fee normally around $40.00 to $50.00 and thats it your in there is no checking of bikes or any of the other race normal things you go threw, I can tell you, that you will have a blast the bikes might be getting on in age and I guess a lot of the riders, but they dont hold back
everyone rides to there ability and some
a normal bike day out
.
Here is the ride report of the day at Harrow Vinduro 26th of July 09.
HARROW VINDURO REPORT.
For once the long drive to Harrow, half way between Adelaide and Melbourne , wasn’t the hardest part of the event. Getting through the flowing Glenelg River was.
When the course was set out, it was bone dry, just sand washes and on local predictions wouldn’t be any different in July. Wrong. The river had been rising 50 mm a day for the previous four days. Shin deep became knee deep, and that is over the head of a pre 1975 bike, and over the cases of later models. That would have been OK if the bottom had been firm, but as soon as you spun the back wheel you sank like the Titanic.
The next problem was the sheep. On Lachlan Turner’s thousand hectares roamed huge flocks of these land maggots, and the mongrels ate the cardboard arrows and knocked down the stakes in the bare paddocks.
Neither of these problems were anticipated and caused frantic re-routeing and last minute bridge building. Neither terrifically successful, but the ‘dump you when you touch it’ bridge of old fence posts gave the assembled photographers great action shots. Frantic re arrowing above hungry sheep height got most riders on course but quite a few still missed the scraps of bunting tied to bushes or trees. True, the marking out materials were too varied but once the tracks had a bit of traffic things smoothed out.
Anyway, the Saturday fang around the classic scramble track between 3 and 4 pm gave entrants the chance to set their bikes up and have a play with mates. Then it was into the Parc Ferme for the overnight wait for the dreaded Cold Start Test on Sunday morning.
All 63 entrants went off to the Hermitage Hotel; a quaint, cramped 1898 structure; and were served a great two course meal for the bargain price of $15. The food was great and all drank and dined well but cleared out by 9pm to the roaring fire back at the track, pretty soon much snoring took over.
Thankfully the weather was kind to us and the cloud kept it frost free and almost warm; well, compared to the 0 degree mornings previously. The start time was moved forward to 9am so we could shut down earlier to let everyone get home before midnight. The local Harrow Progress Assoc. set up the brekky/lunch van and did a good trade once the CSC Sec Ray Atkins got on his favourite tool (the PA) and got everyone up and moving.
The course was drawn ‘battle plan’ style on the whiteboard and I managed to confuse everyone with the alternate ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ courses. The start area was like a bunted maze with the Accebis banners provided by Ballard’s Off Road, but necessary to record the ‘special test’ loops (purely for personal benefit and bragging rights) and the time taken on the enduro loops.
As predicted, chaos reined at the river crossing no more than 500m from the start, and the wise elected to do the dry loop (once I got them pointed in the right direction). You have to hand it to enduro riders; they love a challenge and soon the different three man teams entered started helping each other through the sandy bog holes. Dead bikes were lining the far bank but all managed to get going again one way or another. Then it was off into dry sand washes, off camber rocky slopes, a swamp section and all the usual obstacles as well as top gear blasts across the hills and ridges. The intuitive and directionally gifted found their way to Rod MacDonalds Route Check over the far side of the course about 12 ks and 30 mins away. Well, if your bike was running fine which not many were by this time.
Then it was ‘blind man’s bluff’ through to the second river crossing ( not quite as wide, just as deep) and the return trip that linked up with the dry loop. If you made it around one loop of the full course you were doing really well, two laps of it earned hero status, but those hard core nutters Team Misfitz (Jimb. Fitzy, Gunny) did 4 laps. Jimbo couldn’t shut off his Husky as the kickstart gears has stripped so just sat idling in the Parc Ferme for his teammates to get their act together for another lap.
The rest of the field took the common sense line and flogged the dry loop repeatedly. The Mclean brothers did non stop laps on their TS Suzuki and old IT. Juz and Neil rode the wheels off their Maico/KTMs (after Juz had to weld the end nut back on his 400 KTM rear engine bolt overnight – a bit like ISDT cheating!).
Team Rachelle Photographics (R on the Chinese bike, helper on the new Husky) rode around the course and were the only non competitors to do the wet loop. Very brave as R is vertically challenged and camera gear expensive, and helper was in runners!
While I expected a noose would be waiting for me at the finish most of the diehards actually liked the challenge. You are a weird lot, I love ya all.
The prize pool was as deep as the Glenelg and we have to thank Colin and Dave Robbins at “Riders Edge’ Bell St , Heidelberg for the goodies. The boys are setting up a repair shop 5 doors down from their retail outlet so take your drowned top end there for a checkover.
The ‘master of the dark arts’, Paul Stacker threw in some goodies too, so if the problems are more serious, Stackers will sort it. Paul’s experience is a valuable as his jokes are poor. You have to love the phone answering technique inherited from father Keith.
Not forgetting the grand man from Penrith NSW, GB. He threw in a jacket won by Team Bent Forks member John Cassidy and a whole lot of useful little odds and ends to sweeten the pot. I recommend keeping his catalogue in the toilet for a little visual shopping and circling the goodies you NEED so the loved one can surprise you for being a good boy.
OK, the winners were:
Oldest bike and rider; Peter Ellard and his 1972 Husky 250 WR.
Most original bike; Chris Cormack with his IT with all the chain coverage paraphernalia still on it.
Furthest distance travelled; Canberra resident Mark Boddy’s Team Penrite Oils, the other two members, Nathan and David told they were going and that was that.
Rarest Euro bike; Tim Embleton’s Moto Villa 1981 125, the only one in the country. Ask him for the story.
Rarest Jap bike, Miles’ SL 350 twin, what an anchor, but he does ride BSAs too.
Best pre 1975; Jamie of the flannelette shirts and poor little 100 SL. He was big enough to tuck it under his arm and carry it across the river.
Best pre whatever; Charles Walker’s XR 250, neat and quiet too.
Only Girl To Complete The Course With Three (?) River Crossings; ….guess who.
Best MX to enduro conversion, Kristen Cahill, sponsored by Sean Hamilton.
Most laps done; Juz and Neil and especially brothers John and Mark O’Brien.
And of course The Misfitz; sterling effort.
Other notable efforts were the photographers. Mick Williams
www.endurobiketalk.com did a great job, and Tony T the Pro from SA captured some beauties.
Well, the next Harrow Vinduro WILL be better, I promise.
Cheers,
D.
