Defending Our Stories

As a freelance writer, contributor to many off-road publications and former magazine editor, one argument from readers/consumers that always seems to come up is that magazine editors are sell-outs. Or I should say, their machine comparisons or “shootout” results are based on advertising dollars. They say, “Read the story and then check the ads…that usually determines the shootout winner.” Never has this been more wrong in terms of my work and the work of any of the magazines from Affinity Powersports (ATV Magazine, ATV Sport, UTV Magazine). Since 1998 – my start – I’ve followed the lead of many honest, true magazine leaders and ethical journalists like Glenn Hansen (former Suzuki exec.), Chaz Rice (now with Can-Am), current ATV Magazine Editor John Prusak and many others.

An industry friend of mine, and former co-worker, recently brought this to light in a Q&A he did with my buddy John Pellan at ATVscene.com. Pellan asked KTM’s Chris Vogtman (a former magazine editor himself) what he missed most and doesn’t miss about being in the ATV magazine field.

Here’s the Excerpt:

(SOURCE: ATVScene.com)

“What don’t you miss?

“I don’t miss people constantly saying the shootouts I took part in at ATV Sport and ATV Magazine were brand slanted and advertising biased. I can’t speak for the other magazines, but the editorial staff at Affinity Group always put out and continues to put out unbiased articles with sound data backing their results. Testing machines and anointing a shootout winner was always a difficult task. No matter what, a reader with heavy brand loyalties would get offended. And, now that I’m on the other side, I can’t say I blame them [Laughing]. But, I felt we always did it the right way at Affinity Group, and I have seen firsthand that they continue on that tradition when KTM is invited to their shootouts.” — Vogtman

“I couldn’t agree more. As a matter of fact I made reference to this the other day when I pointed out ATV Magazine’s killer Utility 4×4 Shootout that Bill Lanphier wrote. I rode all but one of those big utes and their feature was spot on and completely unbiased in my opinion.” — Pellan

I also bring this up because a recent ATV Magazine article was under attack from forum users for a couple errors and what some readers called a “bias slant” or “conspiracy theory.” The errors were addressed and a correction will run (as that is what a magazine does when it makes a mistake). Above all, Vogtman’s quote sends the message that these mags don’t fluff it up, don’t create unfair results and do provide legitimate content that is often backed by the ATV manufacturers, all of which attend the annual ATV Trials testing event (and many rode WITH the test team). Do they agree with every result and editorial conclusion? Of course not, but they respect the results as we respect their partnership in the industry and participation in the event. It’s mutual respect and that goes a long way. I firmly believe that both Hansen and Rice would agree with Vogtman’s assessment, as they too have seen both sides and know the value of editorial integrity.

GNCC Pro ATV Results: 2010 Round 2

Well, two rounds are complete and the points race is extremely tight in the 2010 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Pro ATV class. With the action from the opening weekends of racing in Florida and Georgia, which saw Chris Borich win the opener and follow that with a second at Round 2 in Georgia, I’d bet the entire season goes this way. As expected, reigning champion Chris Borich is on top on his Suzuki, but Yamaha’s Taylor Kiser has the same amount of points (55), but is listed in second. Kiser, who ended Borich’s nine-race win streak, won for the first time since the 2009 Florida opener (13 races).

Right in the mix are Can-Am’s Adam McGill and multi-time GNCC champion Bill Ballance, who is racing what is said to be his final full season. McGill, his first season on the DS450, is 16 points behind and made the podium in Florida. For McGill, he hasn’t won a pro overall since Round 10 of 2008, but continues to challenge for the podium. Ballance reached the final stair of the pro podium in Georgia and now trails by 18 points. Can-Am’s other pro, Chris Bithell, sits comfortably in fifth, is just three points back of Ballance and 21 behind Borich after his twin top five showings.

Round 2 Movers:

Up: was stuck in eighth place after the first lap and still in sixth with one lap to go. However, the highly skilled racer kicked it into another gear and moved into fourth.

Down: Bithell led the race for the first three laps, but fell fell to fifth on Lap 4 and could not regain any positions. Brent Sturdivant dropped from ninth to 15th and then couldn’t finish the final lap.

Biggest news to me thus far:

1. The biggest surprise is seeing less than 20 pros line up for the races. There were 16 in Florida and just 15 in Georgia. Meanwhile the Pro-Am class has had 23 and 24, respectively.

2. I guess this one shouldn’t be a surprise, but … Walker Fowler might want to move to the Pro ranks now! The proven racer may be young, but he finished eighth overall and beat 8 pros in the process. Sure, in Florida he had a rather uneventful ride, but that’s racin’.

3. Brandon Sommers, currently in 11th, is out of the top 10 in points. I know he has the skills and I expect him to climb the ladder and get back in the top six.

4. Jeffrey Pickens has been a pleasant surprise on his Yamaha with two seventh-place runs. He’s a crafty GNCC vet, has the speed, but can he remain consistent?

5. Where are all the Hondas? Four pros ride “Red,” but have failed to crack the top five at either event.

Top 10 XC1 Pro  Points (2 Rounds complete)

Rank, make, number, name, total points (wins)

1. SUZ 001 CHRIS BORICH, 55 (1)

2. YAM 002 TAYLOR KISER, 55 (1)

3.  CAN 003 ADAM MCGILL, 39

4. YAM 004 BILL BALLANCE, 37

5. CAN 013 CHRIS BITHELL, 34

6. YAM 015 JEFFREY PICKENS, 28

7. POL 010 JARROD MCCLURE, 27

8. KTM 005 BRYAN COOK, 26

9. YAM 012 JOHNNY GALLAGHER, 26

10. YAM 007 DONALD OCKERMAN, 23

For complete results and individual classes, visit www.gnccracing.com.

Growing Up Empty? Kids Without Quads

It is really a shame that my son and daughter, 7 and 6 respectively, can’t learn to love the sport that paid my bills that last decade, developed life-long friendships and given me a career others call the greatest job in the world. I’ve traveled the world and ridden OHV trails in almost every state and love to interact with nature in this manner. I’ve shared a tiny bit (two small backyard rides on an older loaner vehicle) of the ATV experience with my two young kids and loved every minute of it. Seeing them smile and learn to ride was an experience I’ll never forget. It’s also one I’ll have a hard time every reliving since the CPSIA legislation went into affect. I can’t even get the appropriate sized (50cc) youth quad for them to ride. This also means I can’t test the machine for publication (online or in a magazine). The restrictions also prevent me from aiding the industry and its manufacturers (and ultimately the consumer) by showcasing the machines and each vehicle’s strengths and weaknesses.

I’ll never let them ride a larger displacement ATV because they are too little, have too little experience and it is unsafe and irresponsible. This CPSIA lead ban needs to be reworded or rewritten to exclude ATVs and other small displacement OHVs. I can understand protecting my eighth-month-old son from ingesting lead-coated baby toys, but to eliminate family interaction and joy in both my life and my kids’ is unfair and unsafe.

That’s why I’ve taken the step to contact member of Congress and let them know why they need to alter this legislation. I signed the petition at the Indianapolis Dealer Expo, but don’t want it to stop there. I’ve also contacted members of Congress on my own. I no longer want my kids to miss out in the sport I love.

Here’s are some key points the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC) said we nee to point out to our members of Congress:

Excerpt from Russ Ehnes’ article in the NOHVCC newsletter:

“Enthusiasts and other stakeholders should reinforce three key reasons why youth ATVs and motorcycles should be excluded from the CPSIA’s lead content provisions:

1. The lead content poses no risk to kids. Experts estimate that the lead intake from kids’ interaction with metal parts is less than the lead intake from drinking a glass of water.
2. The key to keeping youth safe is having them ride the right size vehicle. Kids are now at risk because the availability of youth ATVs and motorcycles is limited due to the lead ban.
3. The lead ban hurts the economy for no good reason when everyone is trying to grow the economy and create jobs. MIC estimates that a complete ban on youth model vehicles would result in about $1 billion in lost economic value in the retail marketplace every year.”

You can also check out this info from the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC). Here’s how you can let your voice be heard. Visit Stop The Lead Ban and do your part.

2010 GNCC ATV Pro Class Results – Round 1

It looks like Chris Borich is still the rider to beat in the GNCC XC-1 Pro ATV ranks, as the Sunbury, Pa., racer won the opening round of the 2010 GNCC series in River Ranch, Fla on his Suzuki.  Mounting a come-from-behind charge, Borich passed his way into the lead on the final lap and never looked back. Out of 16 pro riders, Borich was in fifth place after lap one and still “stuck” in fourth place as late as lap three. However, the reigning champ kick it up a notch after that moving to second place and then first on the final lap.

Multi-time champion Bill Ballance earned fifth aboard his Yamaha. Ballance’s teammate, understudy and Florida-native, Taylor Kiser finished second on the YFZ450X (roughly a second behind).  The Can-Am tandem of Adam McGill and Chris Bithell finished in third and fourth, respectively.  McGill ran a great race aboard his DS450, leading the first four laps and earning the third stair of the podium.

Other notables: The top Polaris rider was Jarrod McClure in sixth. KTM’sBryan Cook, in his debut race on orange, earned 10th. The top Honda rider was Brent Sturdivant, who took 11th. Brandon Sommers – overcoming his sickness, earned  12th in front of Harold Goodman, who has said he compete at all the GNCCs this season. The biggest position changes during the race were recorded by Johnny Gallagher (from 14thto eighth) and Donald “Big D” Ockerman (Holeshotwinner; third place on lap one and ninth at the end). For the complete Round 1 wrap-up, click here!

For complete 2010 Can-Am GNCC ATV racing results, visit GNCCRacing.com

Westgate River Ranch

River Ranch, FL – Round 1

XC1 Pro – Class Results

Place Nbr Name Hometown Brand Laps Elapsed

1 001 CHRIS M BORICH SUNBURY, PA SUZ 5 02:05:14.437

2 002 TAYLOR M KISER ALVA, FL YAM 5 02:05:15.843

3 003 ADAM K MCGILL WEST UNION, WV CAN 5 02:05:17.656

4 013 CHRIS P BITHELL IRWIN, PA CAN 5 02:06:10.359

5 004 BILL V BALLANCE SMITHS GROVE, KY YAM 5 02:09:51.953

6 010 JARROD M MCCLURE KASKA, PA POL 5 02:13:55.171

7 015 JEFFREY E PICKENS UNIONTOWN, PA YAM 5 02:14:44.359

8 012 JOHNNY F GALLAGHER AURORA, OH YAM 5 02:15:28.515

9 007 DONALD S OCKERMAN MARSHALL, IL YAM 5 02:17:04.171

10 005 BRYAN COOK CASAR, NC KTM 5 02:17:44.203

11 149 BRENT STURDIVANT MONTROSE, WV HON 5 02:22:06.937

12 006 BRANDON SOMMERS MILLERSBURG, OH YAM 5 02:24:09.250

13 708 HAROLD L GOODMAN ROMULUS, MI HON 5 02:36:00.484

14 040 CRAIG A BOWMAN LEBANON, IN HON 5 02:39:50.875

15 023 TODD S DEMAREE VERSAILLES, IN SUZ 5 02:40:01.093

16 330 SLOAN JACKSON LEBANON, IN HON 3 01:33:47.140

The morning podium consisted of two women and one talented Super Senior class racer. Lexie Coulter won the overall on her Can-Am. The Suzuki mounted Glenn  Pritchard took second ahead of another Women’s class racer in Jennifer Albright. See more Amateur results. Levi Coen (90 Mod 12-15) won the youth division.

Quick Tip, cure those annoying rattles

Here is a quick tip for those of you running any type of skid plate or other bolt on parts that contact the frame.

Isn’t it annoying, you installed that new set of belly pan and a-arm skid plates and now your machine sounds like a pissed off bumble bee at anything less than full throttle.  Well here is a tip that comes from our own ATV magazine forum.  Before you install those skid plates, go to your local hardware store and pick up a short roll of a single coated closed cell foam tape (such as 3M’s 4516, but any cheap brand will work).  I suggest getting the thinest you can find but thickness doesn’t matter all that much. 

Start by test fitting your parts and noting where the skid plates contact the frame or any other metal to metal area.   Mark these areas with a magic marker.  Take your tape and stick it to the frame in the areas you marked.  Install your skid plates sandwiching the tape between the frame and the skid plate.  Presto! you vibration woes are now a thing of the past.

This tip can be used anywhere you need to isolate vibration.

Lashing out, valve adjustments a brief introduction

I got inspiration for this article from a forum topic that comes up every now and again, valve adjustments.  The specific question or issue from the forum member was about his quad being increasingly harder to start and performance was declining over time.  Of course this is a broad issue as there are many factors that can contribute to the problem at hand, but it was mentioned by a member replying to the thread that some (or all) of the problem could be attributed to valve clearances (lash) being out of the specified range.  It got me to thinking, “How many people actually know that valve adjustments are part of routine maintenance”.  In this article I will go through some of the basics and importance of routine checks for proper clearances of the valve train.  Since there are many different variations on valve arrangements and designs each with strengths and weaknesses, I will just focus on the most common designs.  Being that the end result is the same I will spare the in depth procedure for each type.  Always consult your service manual for proper procedure and tolerances for your engine as each engine is slightly different.

There are three common designs of valve train adjustments used on most ATVs

Set screw and jamb nut: It is only found on engines that use rocker arms that ride on the cam to actuate the valves.  It is most commonly found on low performance type engines found in “play quads” where reliability and ease of manufacture and maintenance are high priority.  It consists of a set screw and jamb nut that is located on the end of the rocker arm that pushes on the valve, by turning the screw in or out to adjust the clearance between the valve stem and the tip of the screw then locking down the nut sets the proper clearance.  The big advantage to this design is it is simple and relatively easy for anybody to do and not necessarily requiring any special tools.

[Read more]

Common questions answered … well sort of

We get frequently asked questions (FAQs) all the time, just like all those performance shops and manufacturers. I’ve tried to compile a few of these to let you know our thoughts or answers. These FAQs are in no particular order, I just wrote them down as they came to mind.

Which model is your favorite?

Surprisingly, there is no straight answer. We feel it varies from person to person and depends on what type of riding they want to do, where they ride, how they ride, experience level and budget. And fortunately we don’t necessarily need to buy ATVs as we partner with the manufacturers to test their products. Yes, we try to ride every model and form an overall opinion, but even then it’s hard for us to select one model. Certain models from each maker we think have proven (or will prove) themselves are: the Raptor 700R for its versatility; the 250X and its SportClutch feature for the entry-level rider; the Renegade 800R X for its look, 4×4 and exhilarating acceleration and speed; Suzuki Z400 for its reliability and fun factor; the KTMs for their racy look and performance skills, the Arctic Cat Mud Pro 700 for its warranty and bogger makeup; Kawi’s KFX700 for its unique configuration and sound; the Polaris Outlaw 525 IRS for its comfort and ground clearance or the RZR S for sporty UTV enjoyment. Even then, each editor and freelancer (based on their size, experience and handling desires) may have their own favorite for a specific track, riding area, environment, etc. That’s why we do shootouts and comparisons and factor in everyone’s thoughts.

How do I get your job?

The first thing you need to do is stay in school. A journalism or writing major and experience at either a magazine or a newspaper are strong positives. Act and dress professional (even if you’re a kid at heart) and have a love for ATVs and off-road powersports. Other skills that are important include, photography, public speaking, Internet knowledge, public relations, marketing and a team attitude.

You have the best job in the world, right?

Most would think so, but it’s not all about riding and racing quads. We spend lots of time writing stories, proofing stories, working on design and layouts, planning, sitting in meetings, taking the advice of our bosses, traveling and being away from home and families, working on weekends and some holidays and much more. I will say the job seems really sweet when we spend more time riding, wrenching and attending racing events than it does sitting in our office on a warm sunny day!

Do you have a favorite trail or riding area?

Again, this will vary by editor and by what machine they can ride. However, we’ve been several places over the years and have a few favorites. Glamis in Southern California will always be a special place for us. Why? There’s nothing like sand riding (We don’t have a sand area in Minnesota). The Oregon Dunes are special, too. Brushy Mountain Motor Sports Park in North Carolina is a fun place to ride, too. We also, enjoy the Hatfield-McCoy trails, the Hungry Valley ORV area in California, Millville, Minnesota’s, Spring Creek motocross park, Ashtabula, Ohio’s, dirt track, the Ironman and Big Buck GNCC courses to name only a few.

Best place you’ve ever ridden?

Well, this depends on the editor. However, riding outside of Missoula, Montana, was very fun and the scenery was amazing. I’ve also ridden dirt bikes in South Africa. Although that was fun, I still wish I had an ATV during that trip. We don’t get to travel aboard too often, so most of our experiences have been in the States. However, freelancer Bill “WBGO” Lanphier has ridden in Europe many times and has always enjoyed himself. A few other times, some editor’s have hit the trails in Austria and Canada, and did testing in Japan and Taiwan. We’re still waiting for South America or Australia. We’d even “make do” with a trip to Iceland or Greenland or maybe even China.

How do you decide what to test?

We assume the person means both parts and ATVs. For parts, we test things we think our readers would want for their ATVs, including hot new parts from the INDY dealer show, or new parts for new machines. We also partner with performance shops to build project quads and test their parts. You should check out the 2009 Buyer’s Guide issue to see our test with Sonic Offroad (on newsstands Dec. 16)

For quads, it comes down to new models of course. But popular models and machines we think deserve more attention also get space in the magazine. That could be a race quad, an updated model or an aging unit we know many people own.

Are your shootout winners determined by advertising?

(Laughing) Not a chance. Give us some credit, please! This is the biggest myth in the industry. The manufacturers and readers would see right through us if we stooped so low. Our shootout winners are based on compiling our test riders’ evaluation forms/notes and opinions as well as radar numbers and other facts and figures.

Which pipe should I put on my (insert model here)?

That depends on lots of things, really. Where you ride is one factor. Decibel levels restrictions are important to us and should be for everyone. Price is always a factor (or your budget). Trust of the pipe maker is another key point. Reliability, customer service, proved performance gains all factor in, too. Plus, in the end, it’s your money and quad, so it really comes down to YOUR choice, NOT ours. But thanks for asking.

I own a (insert model here) and it’s running terrible, what’s wrong?

It could be several different things. Jetting, valve clearances, dirty air filter, electrical, EFI mapping, the driveline and so on. The most important thing for any person trying to diagnose a problem is to know every possible thing about the ATV. Plus, they need to see it, smell it, ride it and tear into it. Sure, with the right info, an educated guess can be made, but it’s still only a guess. We try to assist readers by sharing our experiences and working with professionals and companies who make the parts and can diagnose familiar problems. We also have a tech answer man (Toby Reed of Moto-Xperts.com) who attempts to answer all your questions, but even a certified and trained technician like him finds it difficult to diagnose from only words. Regardless, keep your tech questions coming because we enjoy them, as does Toby. Send all your tech questions to e-mail:wrenchthis@affinitygroup.com.

Will you sponsor me?

Magazines don’t really sponsor readers, but we do give out stickers and issues. We’ve worked with a few local racers and test riders in exchange for their assistance with product testing and machine evaluations, but we don’t consider it a sponsorship. E-mail us at atvimages and put in your request. We’ll see what we can do.

How can I get my photo in the magazine?

We know have three different areas where your photo(s) COULD run. I say “could” because printing or running them on our Web site depends on their size, quality and the rider. We can post them on this blog, at atvsport.com (in the image gallery) or in our Inbox section of ATV Sport. The No. 1 rule is you should be wearing a helmet (and try to wear boots/long sleeves and other gear, too). Size matters (don’t send in a thumbnail image). Make it clear (try to send in an image that’s in focus). Hot women in the picture help (JUST KIDDING!). Send your images to atvimages@affinitygroup.com or the old-school way, at:

Affinity Powersports Media

ATTN: ATV Sport,

6420 Sycamore Lane, Suite 100

Maple Grove, MN 55369

Who is the best ATV racer ever?

Wow, this one is always tough. Like any sport, it’s hard to compare modern ATV riders with those of the past. Why? The machines are better, the sponsorship is better, the race courses have changed and the number of champions in various circuits all makes it hard to choose. Eight-time GNC champ Gary Denton is arguably the best. Of course nine-time GNCC champion Bill Ballance should be a candidate, as his run is truly amazing. Don’t forget Barry Hawk Jr., too, who won eight straight GNCC ATV titles before switching to bikes. We have to look at the early GNCC pioneers like Tom Tokay, Chuck Delullo and Bob Sloan as they were awesome in a different era. So were some of the other early ATV MX’ers and dirt trackers like Jimmy White, Marty Hart and Dean Sundahl. Doug Gust, Tim Farr and Shane Hitt are also multi-time champions and deserve credit (let’s just say they’d be in the ATV racing hall of fame).

How do I subscribe?

You can do that the old-fashioned way by filling out a sub card from within the magazine. You can log on to atvsport.com and click on that “subscribe” link. You can also e-mail e-mail:atvs@kable.com or call (386) 246-0107 to speak with someone from customer service.

2008 12 HOURS OF PONT DE VAUX

14 Americans take on the world!

By Bill “WBGO” Lanphier

           One very exciting surprise entry was the KTM 525-mounted team of multi-time US champ Tim Farr, plus KTM team riders Taylor Kiser and Adam McGill, both top-ten GNCC Pros. The Europeans won’t soon forget Tim’s participation 10 years ago at the 12 Hours. Accompanied by Shane Hitt and Harold Goodman and riding a Laeger’s Honda 330R, the dream team (as the Europeans still call them) demonstrated to the world just how fast Americans really are. They ran a near perfect race and won by 12 minutes. This year, would Tim’s KTM hold up in its maiden voyage at PDV?

           

Can-Am’s DS 450 would also take its first shot at PDV in a team headed by Italian Sergio Gilli. Competing with Sergio would be BRP team riders Josh Frederick (‘07 WORCS Pro champ) and Brandon Smith (‘07 WPSA A-class champ). Last year at PDV, Frederick and Gilli finished third overall aboard a Suzuki 450.

           

 The Europeans had other fast Americans to worry about. The winningest rider in the history of PDV (seven times), Doug Eichner, had teamed up with former GNC Pro champ Travis Spader and former Pro Quad stadium champ Dana Creech aboard a full-factory sponsored Polaris Outlaw.

            The racing format at PDV is unique and teams have two solid hours to get in a good qualifying lap. Problem is, at least for the really fast guys, all 120 quads might be on the two-mile track at the same time. So, it’s a crap shoot trying to log one good lap without running into traffic. And, the slowest teams can be…well, pretty darn slow.

            For ‘08, there was an additional obstacle in the way of fast laps: mud. Heavy rains early in the week and then a torrential downpour the day before the race turned many parts of the course into lakes. Said Eichner, “We might wait an hour for other quads to dry out the track before

we go out to qualify.” KTM’s Adam McGill had the same thoughts, and added, “I think we can find one dry line out there, but never more than one.”

 

Soon after qualifying began, though, most teams were chomping at the bit to check out their machines, and the track quickly filled with mud-covered quads and riders. At the end of two hours, Farr’s team had logged the fastest qualifying lap.

           

Two seconds behind was a team including the Frenchman who could well be the fastest ATVer outside of the US, Romain Couprie. Though Romain has no trouble winning French championships and big races in Europe, a win at PDV has eluded him.

           

Third-fastest qualifier, just two tenths of a second behind Couprie, was the YFZ of Joe Maessen from Holland. Joe’s always a strong contender, and his team finished second.

 

 

RACING BEGINS 

For exciting race starts, it’s hard to top PDV. Hundreds of spectators have migrated from the track infield activities and crowd the front straight barrier. One hundred and twenty quads, now silent, line one side of the straight; pilots line the other side. At exactly 3 p.m., the flag drops, riders sprint across the track, fire up their machines, and thunder roars across the French countryside.

           

 Couprie’s YFZ, with the pole position earned in qualifying, takes the convincing holeshot, followed by Taylor Kiser on the American KTM. In third is Maessen’s YFZ. This is only the beginning of the 12 hours, but it’s often the most fun to watch. Fast guys up front, free of lappers, and dicing without too much worry that the other guy might do something stupid so early in the game.

  

          Six minutes in and now on lap two, Taylor has taken the lead, but the original top three are still very close. Two laps later, Taylor starts to pull away a little and Eichner works his way closer to the top five. After 20 minutes, the leaders are into lappers, but Taylor continues pulling away and, at 30 minutes, he has a big lead over Couprie, relaxes a little, and casually waves at a photographer as he screams past at near 90 mph.

           

 Around this time, though, things were not going well for Eichner. His 525 motor lost a crank and his team lost 34 minutes swapping motors. “I’ve won by that margin here before,” said Ike, “so, we still have a fighting chance. It’s a new quad and a new team, so you can’t expect everything to be perfect.”

            Things were not perfect of the American KTM team, either. The oversize oil reservoir, borrowed from a KTM dirt bike and adapted to the left side of the quad motor, sprung a leak and the team lost several minutes re-routing the oil lines to bypass it.

            Even the race organization had issues. Just an hour and a half into the first of the three race sessions, the crowd in the infield, primed for Caleb Moore’s upcoming back flips, couldn’t help notice something very peculiar on the track itself: racers casually cruising around at quarter speed. An uncharacteristic but major computer scoring glitch had forced the promoters to stop the first session at the half-way point. The solution was to change out the defective transponders, tighten up the scoring chicane to slow the speeds there, and score the first session at the point of the glitch. That put Couprie in the lead, followed by the American KTM, and a British YFZ team, all on the same lap. 

 

INTO THE DARKNESS

            Eichner’s team, finishing sixth in the first session, hoped for better luck in the night session. “I go good at night,” said Eichner and then laughed, “You don’t worry as much because you can’t see what you’re going to hit. I’ve raced PDV so much, I know the braking points and when to get back on the throttle. Racing at night’s easier because it’s cooler, the moisture starts to come up for better traction, and the motor runs cooler.”

            But, as he spoke and the night session wore on,  teammate Creech pulled into the pits with the motor making a terrible racket. “That doesn’t sound good,” said Ike. Probably in a rush earlier to swap motors, the headpipe wasn’t secured properly. An oil seal and tranny problem on the bone stock and untested new motor would eventually put the team out of the running.

           

 Frederick’s Can-Am team also lost time at night fixing a light bracket and swapping batteries. “The little things cost you,” said Frederick. Then, even more little things cost them, as the quad came back into the pits for ten minutes to repack the muffler (the race organization takes noise regulations seriously).

            But, up front, the American KTM team was on fire, leading every lap of the long, five-hour night session, even running an hour without rear brakes. Plus, they posted the fastest lap of that session.

            “I never thought the track could get so rough,” commented teammate McGill. “The holes look like a dozer dug them up, and they don’t give an inch. I could relax only on the fast straights and in the air.”

  

          McGill also admitted he enjoyed taking full advantage of the team’s killer lighting system. “It’s interesting pulling up behind someone and having your lights overwhelm his and cast a huge shadow right where the guy is trying to see.”

            Following the KTM in the night session was Couprie’s trouble-free team, and then a team of PDV veterans piloting a Honda 450. But the more important results are the combined standings from the first two sessions. This put the KTM in the lead but on the same lap as Couprie. In other words, less than three minutes apart. In third, but four laps (12 minutes) down were reigning and two-time PDV champs, the French Piron brothers. As in the previous two years, they were running a consistent and flawless race. 

SESSION THREE

The next day at 1 p.m., the quads that were still running, about 100 of them, rocketed into the final four hours of the event. At the end of lap one, Couprie was in the lead, followed by Piron and the lone Yamaha Banshee in the field, piloted by North Ireland’s Justin Reid.

           

 But the American KTM was nowhere near the front of the pack. In fact, when the session began, the KTM went straight to the pits-repairs can be made only during race sessions- for a new rear brake system, the original system a victim of the high speeds and consewquent overheating. The team lost two laps and sent the quad back on the track, only to discover they still had no rear brakes. Because they couldn’t afford another pit stop, and because most braking power is in the front anyway, the team decided to see if they could make up the two laps, reclaim the lead, and win PDV using only front brakes.

            An hour into the session, and with three hours left in the event, the KTM was still two laps behind Couprie. With two hours left, same thing. With an hour left, two laps down but closing in. As Tim Farr endured lap after lap of the pounding (his back still hurts him from an ‘05 crash), and the final minutes ticked down, his crew went wild at the pit wall. A KTM pit board for Farr exclaimed, “You can do it!”

           

But it wasn’t to be. When the checkers fell, Couprie’s team took the ‘08 PDV win by less than a lap over the KTM. Riding the top Suzuki at PDV, three French guys finished six laps down in third. Expressing just how consistent they were, 19 year-old teammate Julien Valentin explained, “We stopped only for fuel and rider changes. No stops for tires, air filter, or even for tightening the chain. All three of us posted exactly the same lap time, lap after lap.”

            PDV is consistency, but it’s also about speed. The competition is tougher and, even to the casual observer, it’s clear that any team anywhere near the top five is on the gas hard. You gotta be consistent at PDV, that’s for sure, but you also gotta be screaming.       

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            Editor’s note: For more on PDV, PDV race machines, and Wild Bill Lanphier’s ATV escapades in Europe, check out our ATV Sport hard copy magazine, beginning with the December, ‘08 issue. For a shortened recap with additional images onATVSport’s website click here.