Vindurouk Hot Trod 2013

On what bike?

steve wrote:On what bike?

The 1973 Yam  

So what's the verdict cat how did it go?

HI Steve, it's on the 21st & 22nd September........gimme a chance:) 

So how did it go?
Any pics?

It was a wonderful weekend apart from my gear change lever decided to jump ship and dissappeared for good  

Long drive up to Wooler, found the Percy Arms Pub (B+B) dropped our stuff, and then drove just a couple of minutes to the track to have a looksie.

Giant beer tent was up for the signing on, weekend's band entertainment along with a bar and quite a few riders already there for the night, tents,vans,motorhomes....bloody chilly!

Scrutineering in the morning where they gave everyone their numbers (already printed on yellow backgrounds).

Saturday's riding started at 2pm, ride for an hour, break for an hour and then ride for another hour...pretty much a Hare+ Hound scenario. Track was around 12 miles taking in moorland, forestry and hay fields for some wide open throttle.

Sunday was the traditional time card enduro though it started at 10.30am.


On Saturday, after I think 4 laps, I noticed my gear changing was all to cock and looked down to see the gear lever wasn't how it should be, well as I wasn't too far from the park ferme I kept going (was in second gear at that particular point) and as I tried to go up the box, the gear lever had worked itself off the shaft and disappeared. I carried on and did two more laps stuck in second to complete the first hour...not nice.

Back in the pits, I asked around a few chaps (one guy had an 84 XR350 as a spare bike---tried his gear lever but no joy) and another guy who had a bike shop said he'd bring a gear lever in on the Sunday for me to try.

Sunday, the bike shop guy brought the gear lever and that was the wrong shaft size.

So out of the blue the land owner and organsier of the event who was riding suddenly turned up (I think word had got around that the little old XR250 was in neeed of help!) He had some old hondas up on his farm and he'd brough a gear lever for me to try. The splines on it were a little larger than mine so I had to hammer it on and then tighten the pinch bolt as much as possible. It looked okayish and felt pretty good.

Started my first lap in the time trial and that went fine, came back to the park ferme as I was early and looked at the gear lever and bollocks!  It was starting to loosen it's grip on the shaft. Tried to tighten up the bolt but the problem was the splines on the shaft had smoothed over so I was f..ked:x 

All in all, the people there were genuinely friendly and helpful, the weather was great all week end, the course was a joy to ride (it was different on both days).

I only took a few pictures, the Hot Trod organiser has an official dvd made of the racing and quite a few photographers to document the racing.....these will be available soon I hope.

Hot Trod 2014 here we come.......must remember to pack a spare gear lever.

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One of my friend's I drove up with....his chain snapped and recovery

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Nice looking IT,s them.

Good report cat. I think I will have to give this a go next year   

Cracking report cat, unlucky with the bike prob's but looked a good weekend