If you love riding and are looking for a series that will give you more seat time, like two hours per race instead of 20 minutes

So You Want to Race Cross County?

 

So you've been racing motocross and are looking for a new challenge.  If you love riding and are looking for a series that will give you more seat time, like two hours per race instead of 20 minutes, Cross Country racing, specifically the new Ontario Cross Country Championship, is what you need!

What kind of bike?

Any off-road motorcycle will work ok.  You do NOT need lights, a license plate, or timekeeping equipment.  A standard motocross bike works just fine and the choice of most serious Cross Country racers,  provided it quiet enough to meet the 96dbA sound test.  We work hard to gain access to some wonderful properties to host these events, and loud bikes are the fastest way to lose the ability to ride there in the future. 

 

Are there any specific modifications you would recommend?

In order to make your motorcycle competitive and safe you should consider some minor modifications.  There are plenty of companies making oversized gas tanks, which will help reduce the number of pit stops to refuel.  Since you go through the pits on each lap, your standard MX tank will be enough to get around one or two laps (lap lengths vary from 5-25km depending on the event) but the more often you stop for fuel the more chances your competition have to pass you.

 

If you race in the woods you will hit trees, so enduro style handguards, the kind with a metal frame that attaches firmly at two points to the bars, are highly recommended!  Those flimsy MX-style handguards that protect your hands from roost will be of little value when you hit your first tree and they fold back and crush your hand. 

 

Gearing on a typical MX bike is quite tall for tight woods, so for off road racing you might consider gearing the bike down by adding a slightly larger rear sprocket (2-4 teeth bigger) or a one-tooth smaller front sprocket. This is a personal preference thing and will take some experimenting to get right.  A good way to make an educated guess is to look at your manufacturers racing enduro version of your motocross bike and try a sprocket combination that is similar.  Lower gearing will allow you to race through the tighter woods sections in a higher gear, which equates to faster lap times and less clutch abuse. While you're at it, throw on an O-ring type chain. I know MX guys hate O-ring chains, but a conventional chain will be completely wasted (and take your sprockets with it!) in a two-hour mud race.

 

Pay attention to waterproofing if it’s wet, and heavy-duty tubes are a great idea. You probably already have a glide plate on your motocross bike, but if you don’t, get one! Most modern motocross suspensions work pretty well at race speeds off-road with the compression damping backed off a few clicks. Find some rough singletrack and do a few runs and make some suspension tuning notes! Use roll-offs or tear-offs on your goggles, carry a camel-back type hydration system and school your pit crew on fast gas refills, goggle changes and quickie repairs. Most of all, just do it! It’s fun, it’s rewarding and you’ll learn new skills and make new friends. DO IT!

 

How do the races work?

There is a morning race and afternoon race.  The morning race, which is typically 1.5 hours, is for the Women, Beginners, Junior, Vet Junior, Vet Senior and Super Vets.  The afternoon is when the Pro, Intermediate and Vet Masters hit the course for 2.5 hours. Yes, that is a long, long race.

 

The races start with each class lined up, the faster classes being on the front lines. The classes are released one minute apart, dead engine start, to spread the racers out on the course. At the end of each lap you can go through the pit lane to get fuel, make quick repairs and grab a set of fresh goggles. Just remember, the more you stop the more chances there are for your competitors to pass you.  After you go through the timing towers you just keep going, starting the next lap.  Once your class time limit is reached the next time you pass through the timing towers you are done.  If you reach the towers a minute before the time limit is reached you go out for one more lap.  Once all riders are finished the winner is the rider in his class who finished the most laps in the least amount of time.

 

Okay so what does it take to win?

To succeed at Cross Country events you need the raw-speed and aggression that motocross breeds, combined with the endurance, agility and trail smarts that off road racing requires.  Because the events combine woods riding with motocross, it gives both MX and Enduro racers an equal opportunity to shine. 

As in any type of racing, a good start goes a long way towards success.  Dead engine starts require you find a way to get your motorcycle started and rolling quickly.  Having your bike warmed up before the start helps, standing on a milk crate to get a little more kicking leverage can help too, but most important is spending hours practicing starting your bike in gear to get off the line fast. Watch a youtube video of a GNCC Pro start; those guys get off the line of a dead engine start almost as quickly as MX Pro's do off the gate.

 

 

Posted via email from motocrosscanada's posterous