AHRMA VINTAGE TRIALS SANDIA 2007
Posted by Tony Down at 11/11/2007 12:01 PM 
Categories: Vintage Motorcycles, Rocky Mountain Trials, AHRMA, RV'ing, Vintage Trials, Trials
Categories: Vintage Motorcycles, Rocky Mountain Trials, AHRMA, RV'ing, Vintage Trials, Trials
AHRMA VINTAGE TRIALS SANDIA 2007
Next venue is Sandia and conditions are as the name implies…. SAND. Well that’s fine by me
just like mud without the water. I’m running a beginners trials school once again so we set off
on time on Thursday morning and apart from the driver’s mirror coming loose we arrive incident
free with 5 bikes including all the “Rothman’s Hondas”.
just like mud without the water. I’m running a beginners trials school once again so we set off
on time on Thursday morning and apart from the driver’s mirror coming loose we arrive incident
free with 5 bikes including all the “Rothman’s Hondas”.
The ROTHMAN'S Collection, 929RR, 250RTL and 260 TLM
Steak supper and plenty of wine. Plenty of moto-crossers here and I have never understood why
they camp like ants all on top of each other?
The trials school goes well in the deep egg timer sand and the Trialsmasters decide that section
1 is impossible and even with the alterations it’s going to be a superb ride for a clean on the 1 & 2
lines. We have some new ground over the road by the landfill but now at the eleventh hour some
petty Hitler is making a Hoo-Ha about nothing saying we cannot cross the road as it will interfere
with the trucks entering the dump.
1 is impossible and even with the alterations it’s going to be a superb ride for a clean on the 1 & 2
lines. We have some new ground over the road by the landfill but now at the eleventh hour some
petty Hitler is making a Hoo-Ha about nothing saying we cannot cross the road as it will interfere
with the trucks entering the dump.
A good band of checkers attend the checkers school and seem to have plenty of questions and
join in wholeheartedly with the demos.
The trial gets underway on time and the storm in the teacup re: the dump has been resolved.
Starting at 1 I enjoy a super dab while boiling my soft egg! Section 2 should have been easy but
2 dummies wander into my line and block my path and I end up shouting at them to get out of
the way, I escape with a dab an elect not to claim the baulk and re-ride.
Section 3 looks fine and I’m in on a perfect line. Up and around the first tree and then disaster
another A over T!!! I hit the ground on my head sunglass lens and elbow. Now this is getting
ridiculous…. 3 trials, 3 A/T all very similar, there is definitely something amiss here!!!
Oh well, get the proverbial in gear and ride the rest of the section perfectly. Section 4 has a
series of tight turns around bushes on banks and this goes well for a clean. Sections 5-9 are
across the road and are in some deeper sandy gullies. 5 has a long downhill wander and an
awkward gate at the bottom and then follow the wash uphill before a rubble blast to the exit.
Lose 1 on the tricky gate but should do better next time. Over to 6 with another downhill entry
then follow the wash up and round a tree to either a tight turn on the flat or an adverse crossing.
Plan on the adverse and all goes well. 7 is yet another downhill entry with a turn in the loose
before a quick uphill into a tight right hander in the powdered chalk then recover before a simple
turn to the exit. Plenty of room for error but no hint of the A/T in the turn and through for the
clean. Just 2 more to go, and 8 seems simple enough and rides like it looks. 9 again looks harder
than it rides with a quick uphill from the start then a quick down and up into a right hander on
crumbly dirt into an uphill rubble burst…. Love it!
First loop gone and 8 lost which of course could have been 2! Loop 2 starts with the powder
sand and despite a good ride I give up a 2. Section 2 isn’t much better and I take the final turn
too slowly and pay the price in the soft egg timer sand. Clean the disaster zone of 3 with a
waving leg and ride well through 4. Back to the other side of the road and give up another dab
on 5. 6 goes well and despite a much better line on 7 need a dab to correct a line error in the
powdered chalk. Cleans on 8 & 9 result in a 6 point score for the loop.
Out for the final lap after a fun ride round the cross country course and having seen the speed,
or lack of, the mind hankers back to ISDT days? Will he do it again?? OK forget that back to trials
and with a different line I’m through 1 for a dab. Finally clean 2 and no more problems with 3.
Make a goofy mess of 4 and escape with a lucky dab. 5,6,7,8 and 9 all go to plan and even clean
5 on a different line so a happy sprint back to the finish with a last lap score of just 2. Overall 16
for the day which was the best on the 2 line by quite a big margin so I’m well pleased and another
20 points is in the bag.
Brenda gave it a brave go but the heat and lack of practice told in the end and 1 lap was the
sensible and correct decision. We will get there one day. However the ride was good enough for
Second Place in the Beginner division…..WELL DONE!
A nice Barbie and lots more drinks to hydrate after a pretty warm day. Bed, but not for long as I’m
awake to the sound of rain and wind. The bus is blowing around in a gale and the auto awning
system hasn’t detected the problem so along with many others time to lash down the ship.
The Full Line Up
Damm that sure is Pretty! ....and the bikes are nice as well.
Saturday and with help from all Team Rothmans is over to the display tent and set up stage
center. A proper breakfast later and after watching the so called “motor-cross”….. man, if I couldn’t
do better than that……. Well dream on….. maybe next year. Back to the Honda tent and spend
most of the day watching a variety of roadracing events……No, no, no!
Rocky Mountain Contingent.... Steve,Hugh, Ed, Wolfy and yours truly.
Quiet evening and now it’s Sunday and time to leave with our overfill grey tank and empty fresh
water. Flying J fills all and no problems today with the dumps. Air pressure also corrects itself after
dumping….. don’t ask!
water. Flying J fills all and no problems today with the dumps. Air pressure also corrects itself after
dumping….. don’t ask!
Approaching Flagstaff here come de rain ! well will they, won’t they? Holly Moly they DO!!!!!!!!
So now we have a chance depending on what the Ginder does. 2 rides on his home turf and then
Hollister. He has 5 wins and a second to my 4 wins, 2 seconds, 2 thirds and of course the throw
away fourth. Points wise it looks good on 149 for me and 116 for Bob but on count back I’m on
125. Only wins will do!
Tony Down with Brenda who rides today!
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