first race on ds450 mx

[ml450r]

I raced the Moquad race at elk river mx this weekend. There were only 4 in the A class. I took a 1-1. Honestly, I would have taken a 2-2 behind Johnny Hale, but he had a get off over a small single into a corner. He had me covered:ermm: :) .

The bike starts off the gate much better than I thought. I was still about 2.5 seconds off the lap times I ran on my honda but I felt better on it. The front end still feels "darty" or "twitchy". I am rather impressed with it overall. I just have a Rossier pipe and filter with the pink wire cut. The bike easily lifts the front end in fourth gear when I was needing to get over the rough stuff. I just need to get the rear spring changed out to get my ride height down to give the bike more stability.

I will let you know how Pell City goes....:uhoh:

[ml450r]

pic

[ml450r]

honda

[crixal]

1-1 = win?

[ml450r]

I meant first in both motos, so yes, first overall.

[crixal]

i see. well, good job! do you have anymore pics?

[ml450r]

not any good ones :(

[ml450r]

bad start on honda in open pro ended up second.

[TNT]

I think it's amazing you could even keep up with Hale on a practically stock DS. I bet he's got a 520 in that Hon of his, he's still riding Hon right. I seen Hale run mid pack nationals in Pro am last year, he's fast!

What is the Elk Moquad race, what series?

We could have gone put Trev in he probably wouldn't win against you two but at least try hard :eek2:

So where the Snapps there? You'll probably line up against one of them in the Production A Cory or Pro-am Chase if you run it at PC. What class you running the DS in Open or Production?

Do you think a steering stab will take out the twitch?

Watch that bottom aluminum skid it's not as strong as steel on your HON and the new YFZr. We were bottoming out at 7 1/2 ride height stock shocks 165lb racer. I coated ours with a tough liner to ward off rocks, etc.......You could try and slow your rebound down to were it doesn't cause problems on the track, that way you can keep the shock travel up lower your quad for more stability and traction. The springs will wear in time too.

[JH Racing]

Terry my honda is a legal 450 always has been

[TNT]

Originally posted by JH Racing
Terry my honda is a legal 450 always has been

Oh I didn't know we run Open classes TQRA/local so any size is legal. You just one fast dude then! And our bench mark. :D

[ml450r]

Moquad series
http://www.district18.info/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2462&start=0

I am running 450A and open A at pell city. I had a Gibson stabilizer on it. It's cranked all the way up. I am not sure what to do. I was running 6 degrees of positive caster, just seemed to beat me to death.

By the way, I was down 2-3 seconds a lap to Hale.

[DGS]

Well done,

Nice pics and glad to hear all went well..!!!
Whe u refer to positive caster, do u mean top a-arms forward or back..? Positive to me means forward and if so, that might be whats beating you up..? Try it with the top a-arms set further towards the rear of the DS..!!

Good Luck...

[TNT]

Thats not a very good stabizer, where did you mount it behind the radiator.....they cant take heat, the oil, it won't work....Other wise put your caster back up to like 7-8 degree POS(as long as it turns decent your ok) and loosen the stabilizer up so it doesn't tire you out then go get Hale.....lol! Just kidding JH... :D

DGS ML is running w/some of the fastest guys in the states he knows pos/neg caster. :D

[DGS]

DGS ML is running w/some of the fastest guys in the states he knows pos/neg caster. :D [/B][/QUOTE]

I know he knows, thats why i am asking if pos is forward and neg backwards..? I am not sure so ask people who know..!! I am used to the term forward and backwards and wanted to know if i am correct in saying that.. So I know what you guys are talking about when u say pos and neg..

Sweet......

[ml450r]

By positive, I mean the top further to the rear in relation to the bottom.

Yes, the stabilizer is right behind the radiator. I thought it fell off in the second moto because it felt like it quit working, I wonder if it was because the fluid got hot.

[DGS]

Thanks ML...now i know...

[TNT]

Originally posted by ml450r
By positive, I mean the top further to the rear in relation to the bottom.

Yes, the stabilizer is right behind the radiator. I thought it fell off in the second moto because it felt like it quit working, I wonder if it was because the fluid got hot.

Dude theres your prob, yes the fluid gets hot hyd fluid expands 10x faster than air then all that expansion locks it up making it hard to dampen...So you have to put some heat tape on it or don't run it at all, try it with and without I may be wrong but that may be why you had to run cranked up all the way.

[ml450r]

I just got the stabilizer on for this race, it seemed to help until it got warmed up....:(

[ml450r]

Just uploaded a short helmet cam video from the race. The batteries were going dead and kept shutting off about a lap into the race.

I only got a little of the race on the Honda and the camera was aimed to low, must of hit it putting my goggles on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkB39D_f8zM

It may not play yet, it takes a little time to process.

[bugmenot2]

I know all the Can-Am pros are running the stabilizer up by the handlebars.

[TNT]

Originally posted by ml450r
Moquad series
http://www.district18.info/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2462&start=0

I am running 450A and open A at pell city. I had a Gibson stabilizer on it. It's cranked all the way up. I am not sure what to do. I was running 6 degrees of positive caster, just seemed to beat me to death.

By the way, I was down 2-3 seconds a lap to Hale.

I had not heard of this series, put it on our schedule. Maybe we make RD 2 in Cole Camp 4-11 bout the time our DS is done. Is that a good track? Maybe we'll go NE instead of So TQRA/Oak Hill that weekend? TQRA had a record turn out last RD of 240 entires.

Seen Chris Fry on the forums, last I heard he had a bad head injury is he back racing? So does Jason and his bro do this seires? Heck who knows maybe we throw my 19 yr old rookie in with you fast old guy's on his new DS he may just surprise you all and take all your money......lol! :eek2:

What classes you run? I guess we'd run the pro-am and 16-24, was 16-24 a full fast class? Who all runs those classes? What four in Pro-am?

BTW- Good luck this weekend....Go get em! :macho

[ml450r]

Chris Frye is David's dad. David had the injury, he is racing again. He won the 16-24 class. The moquad doesn't have a huge following. There were only around 50 riders at that last race. The track in cole camp is owned by Chris Frye. The track is ok, nothing spectacular. That is where i went and practiced when I first got the can am.

I ran the A class on the can am and the proam on the honda. Jeff Robbins was at elk river, he won it.

[danhung11]

Dang Merrill.... you give up on the old "Red Wings"? I didn't see Marshall on the gates... he still giving it a whirl?

Dan

[ml450r]

No not giving up the honda, just giving her some rest..;)
Marshall doesn't race much anymore. He has raced 3-4 times since he last one the CAATV series in 2006.

[danhung11]

Originally posted by ml450r
No not giving up the honda, just giving her some rest..;)
Marshall doesn't race much anymore. He has raced 3-4 times since he last one the CAATV series in 2006.

Is there a website that has the series you are running? Wouldn't mind go to check a few out. It's always good entertainment. ;)

[ml450r]

http://www.district18.info/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2462&start=0


The moquad info is on d18 above. Other than that, I am racing the Garrison Classic at Grain Valley on May 31, and the nationals.

[danhung11]

Originally posted by ml450r
http://www.district18.info/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2462&start=0


The moquad info is on d18 above. Other than that, I am racing the Garrison Classic at Grain Valley on May 31, and the nationals.


Garrison Classic huh? That's a classic for sure. I am surprised they still run quads out there. Still the same track? I haven't seen that since your helmet came video.

[ml450r]

They run quads once ayear, The Garrison Classic normally has a couple hundred entries, fun day and for a good cause.

[ScottB125]

Those are some nice results, esp. with a stock quad.


There's another guy out there doing really well on a stock CanAm....Austin Wilson. I met him at his track and saw that he placed third at Village Creek and 5th at Cooperland in the TQRA series.

Do the stabilizers help that much with getting the shat beat out of you? I'm far from a pro, but can generally hang with the weekend warriors.....for a lap..lol. Mine just seems to beat the hell out of me. I've set the sag and sofened it up, but it really doesn't help with the bumps.

[TNT]

A good stabilizer does wonders. The Precision has separate adjustments for running straights and turns, very nice stabilizer but cost $5-600. If you take care of them they last for several seasons like ours. I took ours off our YAM got the mounting bracket conversion for the DS and am running it low. Talking with the owner out at Precision I got it to work on the new 09. Yes it's behind the radiator but I heat taped the front of the mounting bracket since it will transfer heat to the oil body and reservoir due to conduction from the frame. I also put a wall up of heat tape in front of it. Precison makes a "pro" model now that has an expansion chamber so when the oil gets hot it has a place to go, you can run it low without the heat tape. The 08 pro's like Natalie had to rig it up high to keep the heat off I guess or maybe he preferred it up there, others I know ran it low last year. If that oil gets hot though or you use a bad cheap stab it can wear you down, give you arm pump!

Merril please shoot me info in the Garrison Classic Race, never heard of it and can't find it by google search. Thanks!

[ml450r]

it's nothing special. it is a benefit race for Mike garrison, he is a dirt bike rider that is paralyzed. Grain Valley is a MX track about 10 minutes form my house. They let quads ride on it once a year, this race. There are only about 20-30 quads there, they run an open and a pro class. We used to have to race with all the dirt bikes a few years ago before the quads were plentiful enough to have their own races, so i see alot of guys I know.

The closest atv mx track to my house is about 2 hours.

[TNT]

Looks like our friend Merril did decent on a stock Can AM....9th in 450 A right behind another can-am and 22 in Open A. Better get to working on some more mods if your going to compete at Nationals with all those beefed up Hons, Suks, Yam's....lol! He was pretty much one of the only Can amer out there, very little KTM too...

Heres the results. http://escoremx.tracksideresults.com/results/atvamx/2009/class.asp?s=1&c=99&e=2

[ml450r]

in 450a I took 3rd in my heat. In open A I took 4th in my heat. 450a is going to be a challenge. I had a guy land on me in my heat, that class is a little too wild for me. My starts aren't so well on the can am yet. On the other hand, I pulled the holeshot and won in plus 30A on the honda.

[TNT]

How the heck you get home so fast....lol! You at the track. Hear the turn out is down 776 entires....

[ml450r]

I am at the hotel on my lap top. The track is rough, the stock suspension isn't quite what I thought it was. The PEP"s may have been a good investment for you. I am going to have Johnny fix my stockers this next week probably. I need alittle more torque for that first turn. I haven't watched the videos I have yet, but I will get them uploaded and share.

[TNT]

You clearing the elevator jump? So you made the mains tomorrow...what time is the pro race? Good job!

[ml450r]

Thanks,
yes on the elevator, its easy, everyone is hitting it. There are 5 triples on the track, only hit 3 of them. Can't hit but one racing though because there is always some one in the way coming through the pack.

Yes I amde both mains. The pros race at 12 and 3

[TNT]

Well I think you did great this weekend Merril for a brand new quad w/ pipe and pink wire cut in the A-Classes against some modded engines I'm sure. Open A, 4-6, 6th overall and 450 A, 3-12, 12 overall.....Good job! Get er dialed in more and you'll be on the Can am podium in no time! Oh and lets not forget that contingency money they offer! :D

[ml450r]

http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/ii457/ml450r/?action=view&current=PellCityopenA2.flv

This is moto 2 of open A, I lost all my 450a aqnd first open A video. My laptop crashed. I have some plus 30 video to.



http://s551.photobucket.com/albums/ii457/ml450r/?action=view&current=pellcity30a2.flv

[ml450r]

http://www.atvriders.com/gallery/2009-ama-atv-mx-02-amateur-race-photos/pages/905P0631.html