AHRMA & ITSA VINTAGE TRIALS DICKSON 2007
Posted by Tony Down at 11/11/2007 2:45 PM and is filed under Vintage Trials,AHRMA,RV'ing,ITSA,Trials 
AHRMA & ITSA VINTAGE TRIALS DICKSON 2007
2 days to get the show on the road and then its “make or break” Dickson for the last 2 day of
the season. Lots of thoughts on the A over T problem….. could be stance, too much weight on the
front, too much weight period!...... so over to the shop and measure everything and think back to
the only other bike that chucked me over the bars….. the SM 325 Bultaco in the Miller Hi-Boy frame!!!
It seems the ideal distance from spindle to peg is about 37-38 and I’m at about 35 and also my
preferred ht is about 11-12 and not the Miller 14!!! Some frantic pleading and lots of Mister Nice
Guy are required and the task is to persuade Barry to drop everything and reconfigure the rests
where I want them…. He agrees. Another superb job. No time to try them as loading is under way
and we need to make Amarillo on day 1 which is a quick 745 along I40.
Wednesday, and we leave nearly on time and have an incident free run to the planned destination
and join about 20 other coaches all lined up in Walmart. With all that distance we have slipped
through 2 time zones so its quite late on arrival local time.
Thursday and out of Texas and into OK which was fine until OK City where the roads are in an
awful state of repair and are throwing us about all over the place…. More of that later but as an
aside we amuse ourselves with “songs of the route”…… well it is Route 66 so that’s a start then
Amarillo, Oklahoma, Memphis, etc, etc. We also take the Route 66 trivia challenge and get a pretty
reasonable score. Out of OK and into AR which isn’t much better but after a while the road
improves. Does anyone live here?
Eventually decide the eyeballs have had enough battering for one day and elect to stop at
Walmart Forrest City. Just 240 to go on Friday morning so enjoy the drive and cross the Mississippi
at Memphis and then the long tree lined drive to the planned exit. Clearly Nobody lives here…..
it’s just trees!
Very strange! Mile after mile of trees and no people or exits to any towns? Eventually our exit
looms and when we do get off there is “Redneck Land” all NASCAR and bib overalls here!!
Wander through backroads to the start and get settled into our parking zone…… going to be
fun getting out of here. Ed and Evelyn are in situ and a bit of a surprise, Jim and Travis are down
from Utah. Travis is riding Jim’s BJ rebuilt TY and Jim is riding the James….. the BJ James? ….. so
that answers the question as to what Bob’s plans are. I assume he thinks I will get an arse
whupping and he will take Trialsmaster points. We will see!!
Much talking and looking as the trials norm and then a standard Friday night with steaks etc and
a few drinks. On opening the trailer Brenda’s bike has taken a tumble thanks to OK and AR roads
and has a broken perch and a damaged fender and throttle rubber.
Saturday and its time to go riding. A good turnout and 25 sections a day to contend with except
you only ride a dedicated 10 which in my case is 5 of the “B” and 5 of the “C”. It seems a good
concept as despite miles of ribbon there are no split markers in ANY section so it’s very straight
forward.
My First ITSA Section
ITSA TIGHT! But ITSA CLEAN!
Off to our group’s first section which is a B. Being the new boy on the block I watch and see how
everybody does. Mikey P has a dab, which was close to a five and then Merlin drops his bike. I
sail through for the clean and we are off to the next a series of up and downs across a gulley
very reminiscent of sections in my youth without the rain and mud. Next section another B across
a hillside of roots and loose up the climb back to a similar adverse and final climb. Down to the
“Infamous Creek” and here we actually have some mud, goop and running water! We have 4
sections in here and the first doesn’t cause any problems for our group. The next one cost me
the round as it transpired but was very cleanable on any other day. First attempt catches me off
guard and a triple dab effort is not pretty. Mikey suffers the same fate and Merlin, on a strange
line, runs the tape round his axel nut without breaking it for a miraculous clean!
Up the creek we have a cul-de-sac section up some slippery slabs turn at the top and back down
to the start. Tricky in parts but everybody through without error. The last in the creek has some
tempting lines but those that try them get in all kinds of trouble so wise man takes what appears
to be the hard line and pushes through with good doses of power.
3 to go, so up and out of the creek with me on 3, Mikey on 4 and Merlin on 5. An uphill twister in
the dry which rides easier than it looks and then 2 fairly simple in and out the gulley sections to
complete the loop.
Loop 2 starts badly with a dab on the opener so I’m now level with Mikey and then its even
Stephen all the way back to the creek where Mikey cleans the problem child along with Merlin
and I lose a 5 when I stall the engine. So at this stage I have gone from first round leader to third
with a total of 9 against Mikey’s 4 and Merlin on 6.
Loop 3 and I ride well until the creek where determination doesn’t help and I collect another 3
losing 11 in all on this one section. Everything else clean! Mikey and Merlin clean it but pick up 2
apiece elsewhere on the loop so final scores are Mikey 6, Merlin 8, and yours truly 12!!! Although
I’m very happy with the riding position I’m not pleased with the score!
Patiently waiting for the famous “Pig and Pie” as advertised it turns out that the P&P is actually
just the concession stand and there ain’t no bar-b-q here mister as the owner of said
establishment has gone home and the venue has now become the famous “Poke in the Eye”……
no matter, Evelyn and Brenda combine forces and soon we are round the campfire drinking heavily
and eating bangers and beans.
DAY 2
From the Sidecar Fred as Minder
THE TIGHT TURN ON 1 (A STUDY OF FORM)
All’s well Saturday night and then Sunday is here and off we go again. Section 1 is a difficult “B”
and has quite a lot of experts in all sorts of trouble. It is exceedingly tight between the trees and
for once I’m forced to use the clutch and get through for a dab. Section 2 is a fairly simple wander
through the trees and now playing the “energy” game I’m nibbling a bar of tasteless cardboard
every 3rd section. 3 is a fun up and down the sides of a gulley and no problems here. Down to the
Creek but this time we have a twisting double hillclimb before a steep downhill to an adverse turn
before the exit. With the new footrest position it’s difficult to find the rear brake so ease it off and
then just keep it under the boot. Along the Creek bottom (man, there is a lot of potential here!)
and back up the hill to a simple ride up the gulley with a choice of meander or straight up exit. I
take the latter after more tasteless chewing and all is well. Our next section is 6 which has some
sneaky downhill turns in the loose which will require back brake and clutch and I get it just right.
Back down the hill to 7 which has 2 very different lines and I elect to take a high line across a
double fallen tree followed by a drop into a gulley and then an uphill wriggle to the ends card.
8,9 and 10 are all fairly simple by our standards so finish the loop on 1 along with Mikey and Merlin
on 3.
Lots more cardboard and with a mouth like the “Billposter’s Bucket” stop for Gatorade.
Loop 2 and with this new regime let’s concentrate on the problem children….. 1 is tight so use the
clutch, 4 has that steep downhill so use the back brake. 6 is brake and clutch and 7 has the double
problem of the trees and the drop. With a lot more chewing I clean the entire loop! Mikey has had
enough and lent Merlin his bike who loses 2 more and Steve Glinski changes bikes and loses 1 on
an old Greeves Scottish.
More bars and Gatorade and off for the last loop. From an awful entry I’m all fingers and thumbs
and take a dab on the first hill and then descend clutch in and wall of death the first corner and up
to the tight turn in the trees which I crash through removing skin and branches in one fell swoop
but escape with a dab from an awful attempt but that’s all folks and the total for the day is 2 for
me an unexpected 6 for Steve Glinski and 8 for Merlin. Well that’s another win so now I’m on 5
apiece with the Guru and my total is now 132 to Bob’s 116.
I wonder what the results will show??
By now my sudden cold is beginning to set in and by the time the giant rig is reversed out of the
trees I’m feeling quite poorly. We make it back to Forrest City in AR unaware of Evelyn’s disaster
on her steps.
2 uneventful days of driving and we are home for a few days before the Napa Adventure
Tony Down
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