Tuesday night after hours, a
group of ORC staff members headed for the mountains as soon as the
five o'clock bell rang. The loop was 25 miles of rocks, whoops,
silt, sand, and anything you can think of. Before the ride, I
installed Moto-Master front brake pads (their full-metallic
compound), to see if the squealing would stop. And surely enough,
it did just that. Some of the trails got pretty tight and twisty;
if the brakes were going to make some unwanted noise, that was the
time.
April 6th - An Afternoon with Nick Pearson, Chuck & Ron
Sun:
The four of us left from Chuck's garage to head up
to an area called Hidden Valley. Hidden Valley is just that...in
the middle of nowhere, no telephone poles or any sign of
civilization. The terrain was the usual Nevada style: fast, rocky
with silt, sand dunes and more rocks. Moto-Master Brakes: At the previous testing
session during and REM race behind the Nat'l Glen Helen track, the
front brake developed a squeal and chirp, more than likely from
overheating, which causes the brake pads to "glaze". But we were
not running the Moto-Master pads designed to operate with the
rotor. The brakes, front or rear, did not make one noise during the
afternoon ride. This was without sanding the pads to remove the
glaze. I wanted to completely figure out the reason for the
squealing at Glen Helen; which apparently was because of my abuse
of the front brake, and the fact that the course was very tight,
not allowing enough heat to dissipate. The next step will be to
sand the OEM pads, and head to a tight course to replicate the
situation. I have run into this problem many times; often it is a
matter of keeping the pads and rotors clean of any build-up. I will
also install the Moto-Master pads to continue testing.
March 31st - Glen Helen MX:
Fastway Pegs - After
installing the 5mm (shortest) inserts in the pegs, the feel is spot
on, much better. With too much grip, they almost felt a little
restrictive, but now with the alteration, they are great. Moto-Master Brakes - The REM track was used for this event,
which is a much smaller and tighter MX track than the course used
for the Nat'l . In the first moto, the brakes began to squeal from
glazing, I assume. Also the fact that the rotors probably weren't
getting enough air to cool them down due to the tight track. I will
take the pads off and sand them with an 80 grit paper to see if
this solves the problem. One possible problem is the fact that I'm
not using the pads designed to be used with the rotors. I'll
install the correct pads and keep this section updated with
results. FMF Exhaust - A holeshot in the first moto (against 426s,
2-stroke 250s, etc.) proved the exhaust to be great for
out-of-the-gate power. It was close, but I stayed on the gas long
enough to get out in front and stay there. Although the track was
relatively tight, there were great sweeping berms that allowed the
throttle to stay wide open; the extra top-end was much appreciated.
The second moto didn't net as good of a start, but within 3 turns I
was in the lead. Many 4-strokes don't quite have enough "motor" to
get out of a tight, sweeping corner, but the FMF exhaust helps keep
the RPMs up. TM Designworks Slide-N-Guide Kit - I debuted TM Designwork's
great chain slider, chain guide and roller kit. The OEM chain
slider is pretty much worthless; the chain can wear through the
slider in as soon as 10 hours of riding time. The TM Design slider
is nearly 3 times thicker in all the right spots, freeing up one
less thing to worry about. The chain guide is make of a
plastic-like material which will take the shock from any rock or
foreign object much better than an aluminum unit. Look for a full
review for May. Factory 909 Products - The Project CRF was supplied with
Factory 909's extra-sturdy levers, and the Force grips. After a few
falls (hey...it happens to everyone) the levers have held their
shape like new. The new half-waffle Force grips are a great idea;
they have a built-in stainless end-cap to keep the grips looking
new. So far, the levers, grips and bar pad have held up 100%. A
full review will be coming soon, check the schedule in the Left
Colum of this series.
March 16th - Lake
Havasu City WORCS, Round 2:
Fastway Products-
Evolution Series Footpegs - It takes a little time to
get these dialed in to suit one's riding style and needs. I had the
taller teeth in the back and outside row, and the shorter, 5mm
teeth in the front. At times they almost seemed a little too
"sticky". After this race I will install the shorter, 5mm inserts
in all of the positions. The Case and Brake Saver survived
without any problems. I installed a 14t countershaft sprocket on
the bike which required a little shaving on the Case Saver to allow
for enough clearance, but intend to remove the 14t for the stock
13t. PC Racing Pro-Seal Kit - After the race the PC kit proved to
do it's job just fine; the airboot remained clean. Fasst Company Anti-vibration Inserts - I will be
continuously praising these brass handlebar inserts. Big 4-strokes
rumble and vibrate, its just a fact. The Fasst Company inserts tame
the vibration saving your arms. Like I said in the review, the
bar-ends add a great feeling of security. FMF Titanium Exhaust - The Lake Havasu round of the WORCS
series brought the racers a brutally rough course filled with
whoops, rocks, silt, sand and even a little mud. Rough conditions
over the duration of an hour long race can bring forth faults from
nearly any product, except the FMF exhaust. All the brackets, bolts
and components stayed in perfect working order. Moto-Master Brake rotors - The rotors held up with no
problems. GPR Stabilizer - Stabilizers of any kind are a great asset.
The GPR has worked excellent from day one. Randy, the owner of GPR
installed the unit himself, along with the nice bolt-on post
(compared to other manufacturer's design where the frame must be
drilled and tapped....not a good idea). Look for a full review
coming soon.
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