Pikes Peak Hill Climb Practice Update

The alarm goes off at 2:30 AM.  Even though you expect it and want it to go off, you are still in shock when you look at the clock and realize how early it is!  But knowing what lies ahead, you crawl out of bed, creaking and cracking joints in a drowsy stretch.  This is the way all Pikes Peak racers are starting the day.  You see, we have to be through the gates for practice at 4:00 AM sharp so we can be riding the bikes 5:00 AM.  We generally have riders meeting in the dark at 4:50 and start the engines right as the sun crests the horizon. Sun up, GO FAST! (Reminds me of the Army, we do more before 10:00 AM than most people do in one day).

The last two weekends have been consumed with Pikes Peak Hill Climb practice.  Practice is equally as interesting as the race itself.  This is where you test the engine, tires, suspension, and yourself to prepare for the mayhem that is the race only one month away.  My bike is a new to me, YZ450 Yamaha motocross bike. It is converted into a bike called a Supermoto. I have replaced the 21” front wheel and 18” rear wheel shod with knobby tires, to special 17” wheels wrapped in super sticky road racing rubber.  I replaced the tiny 220mm diameter front brake rotor with a monster 320mm free floating rotor with Brembo master cylinder and a MotoMaster brake caliper for increased stopping power.  The gearing on the bike is lowered from a 13 tooth countershaft sprocket with a 52 tooth rear sprocket, to a 14/46 combination to make the bike run at 80+ mph.  I am running the bike on 120 octane racing gas that costs $13 per gallon! But it helps make that extra power at altitude that is so desperately needed to go fast.

All those modifications are necessary to be able to compete with the big money riders that frequent this event.  Usually local knuckleheads like me are relegated to the mid pack because we can’t compete with the factory bikes. But occasionally a rider with a good memory of the mountain and a good set up bike does compete.  That is what my goal is this year. I want a top 10 finish in the 450 Pro class and to run in the 12 minute range.  This practice will help me determine if that is possible or not.

Day 1 practice starts on the top half of the mountain. The top section, approx 6 miles, is very technical. The course is above tree line which reduces the number of reference points you have to determine your location.  Many of the turns up top look exactly the same as you approach them. Take the 3 blind left hand turns surrounding an infamous corner called Bottomless Pit.  Each corner is a flat approach and turns left. The first one is positive camber and increasing radius so you approach it 5^th gear pinned and never let off. The second is slightly off camber and you also hit it 5^th gear pinned but you need to be on the outside of the corner coming in to make the best line. The third is a decreasing radius corner which you can hit in 3^rd gear. If you hit it in 5^th, you are in for one wild ride through a boulder field.

My bike was not running good as I did not have the proper jets for my carburetor. My bike would pop and buck from being WAY too rich (getting too much gas). That would make it shake violently coming into some of the turns and others I could not hit fast enough to make the perfect line. I struggled every pass to get it right. My gearing was wrong and I hit the rev limiter too soon and could not meet the top speed I wanted.  My suspension was not adjusted properly so I started turning knobs until it stiffened up nicely. At the end of the session I was tired and frustrated and felt I did not have a good practice.

That afternoon I bought new jetting and got to work. I leaned out the main jet significantly. That means it gets less gas. I also dropped another tooth on the rear sprocket so I could go faster. I changed the tire pressure and cleaned the air filter. That was all I could do before I was starving and ready for a nap.

Day 2 started on the bottom 6 mile section. As soon as I started the bike, I knew I had made a good choice. It ran crisp and strong. My first pass was FAST and the bike was really pulling hard! My confidence grew and I started to trust the tires for the first time.  The other competitors were on bikes ranging from 1200cc’s to 250 cc’s. There were only two other 450cc’s like mine. As we started getting our times I knew I was the fastest 450 of the day. I had both of the other guys covered easily. As it ended up I was the 7^th fastest bike out of 20! What a great start!  Four guys ahead of me were on 1200’s and multiple time champions, there was a 675 Superbike, and a Quad in front of me. The rest were all bikes behind me!

The following weekend I had to teach at the Mean Streets on Saturday so I only made Sunday’s practice. Again it was on the bottom 6 mile section.  My bike was running a little flat so, on a guess, I dropped the main jet once more to lean it up again. WOW, it woke right up! I was SO FAST right out of the gate. This time there were 30 bikes in the practice session. The same four 1200cc’s and then a bunch of 450’s. There were ten of us to be exact on 450cc bikes.

Let me explain the bottom section of the course. It is the fastest section with the most time spent 5^th gear pinned and not letting off… Ever... Even in the turns… Just hold it wide open and rip up the track. It takes courage to hit some of those turns at 70 mph with either a scary guard rail inches from your tire or NO guardrail and 200 feet drops into the trees. I felt good and fast and was “Haulin’ the Mail”. I just kept passing guys over and over again. Only one 450cc could run with me and he had me covered but only by a couple seconds. Chico had won this race before and is super fast. To be running with him was awesome!

Ultimately I finished as the 2^nd place 450cc rider out of the 10 on the line! I had the entire 450cc field except one bike covered. We ran the 6 mile section in under 5 minutes! My fastest time was a 4:58 and Chico’s was a 4:52. The rest of the pack never made the 4’s, all were in the 5 minute times! I was really stoked about that! My goal of a top 10 is possible! Actually I was the 6^th fastest bike overall out of 30 racers! Only 6 of us made it into the 4 minute range. I even beat one of the 1200cc riders who beat me the previous weekend.

I felt that I represented the Mean Streets Tactical team pretty well. Now it is three weeks to race day. I have to tune the bike up and mount my new Mean Streets Tactical Training graphics on the race bike. Then it’s time to do battle on the Meanest Street in America!  Look for me in the 90^th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on July 8^th.  Are YOU Ready for the mean Streets?

Top Fueler

PS, Sponsorship opportunities are available and needed!  I need a few "go fast" parts as well as more gas! Drop me a line for details and I can work out how to represent your business!

Pikes Peak International Hill Climb 2012

Welcome to my Pikes Peak Hill Climb blog. This is where I will keep you up to date on the training, preparation, and execution for my assault on America's mountain!  I know a lot of you might not be particularly interested in motorcycle racing. But there are real comparisons to the tactical world when you break it down.

Think of it this way:

Training is a process and not an event- Sound familiar? You can't tackle something as dangerous as Pikes Peak without years of laps on all types of tracks and all types of bikes. You could not take a one day racing clinic and then go be competitive in such an event. This is the same as you can't take a one day shooting clinic and perform on demand under stress when your life depends on it.

Racing is a perishable skill- Sound familiar? Just because you had one good practice or one good race does not mean it is repeatable on demand. The same goes for tactical shooting. You have to constantly train for the environment and simulate that environment as much as possible.

It has to work under stress- Again sound familiar? Putting around on your motorcycle is not the same as a full on race pace. During a race you may experience a heart rate of 160 beats per minute and your fine motor skills don't work real well and your decision making ability is compromised. The only way to get past that is proper training and racing. You will do under stress what you do during training. If the rear wheel washes out at 100 miles per hour, the technique used to save the bike from crashing was learned and practiced years before during training.  Now you can't get into practice gunfights but you can compete and take classes that replicate the lethal force environment. Sometimes a near crash leaves you gasping for air. Guess what, autogenic breathing works the same as it does in a gunfight!

So welcome to the Mean Streets Racing team. Please email me with questions and comments. I hope you enjoy the ride!

PS- I am always looking for sponsors to support this event! Contact me for details!

Tim "Top Fueler" Buhler

Pikes Peak #67

Steel Rifle Targets

Here are some pics of the target stands we made today. We made 7 of them whick took us ALL DAY!!! Still left to go is painting the wood or staining it.

So here is what it will look like to the student. I painted only the side facing up range. The other side is bare as you will see in the pics.

Finished target stand from the Front (this is what the student will see).

This is the backside. The target hangs off the back of the stand and the steel has an orientation so spatter goes down. So to set it up, painted side goes forward with white side to the rear. Simple!

The steel hangs onto the hooks by slipping the link over the hook on the backside.

The chain is spaced back so the steel hangs at an angle sending the spatter downward into the dirt. It is tough to see in this picture but they have a pretty good angle.

You simply slide the "upright" portion into the "base" right between the guide blocks and that's it. No screws or pins. Just a nice tight slip fit. Once in the base the entire setup is really solid.

You Might Be A Taliban If...

1. You refine heroin for a living, but you have a moral objection to liquor. 
2. You own a $3,000 machine gun and $5,000 rocket launcher, but you can't afford shoes.
3. You have more wives than teeth.
4. You wipe your butt with your bare hand, but consider bacon "unclean."
5. You think vests come in two styles: bullet-proof and suicide.
6. You can't think of anyone you haven't declared Jihad against.
7. You consider television dangerous, but routinely carry explosives in your clothing.
8. You were amazed to discover that cell phones have uses other than setting off roadside bombs.
9. You have nothing against women and think every man should own at least four.
10. Your cousin is president of the United States.

GDR- Day 3 Central New Mexico

Day 3 started out clear and warm. We immediatly started climbing which cooled us off quickly. We kept climbing and climbing! We were in a tight forest. I was in a really good mood and started out FLYING!!! The entire day I was just ripping it up and always in the lead. The road had water breaks which I used as jumps and wheelie platforms. I must have popped 100 wheelies in the first 30 miles. As I came sliding around a corner, a full bull Elk jumped out and ran in front of me. He was close enough to smell! He was really big and moving fast. I could not believe I snuck up on him. A few miles later I came across a Cow and her claf. Both spooked in a fury of hooves and dust and the little one looked terrified by the snarling sound of my bike. That is when the ride of "El Coyote" began... "El Coyote" is what I named my bike. Both of us were running at peak performance and eating miles, and shitting dust. Mile after mile we rode like hell itself was closing in on us. My bike was made for the desert and it was in it's element. We would roar through an arroyo and then he would snarl wanting to be unleashed in a rush of gears and spinning tires! Claus and Barry behind we got to eat our dust like it was a favorite pie and they couldn't get enough. Ride, El Coyote, Ride!!!

Sometimes we had to ride around calichi mud holes. Even the smallest hole would stick to your tires like paste and not clean off. It would start to throw huge chunks of mud in all directions while you fought for control. You could not steer or get traction with that mud on your tires. Many times I would let El Coyote extract his vengeance on the mud and blast through at full throttle. But sometimes I would just barely make it.

Here I am digging out my tools to tighten my luggage rack which El Coyote was trying to buck off. The rear rack would be a problem for most of the trip until Idaho...But that is another story...

The entire desert was in bloom. There were forests of these flowers. It is one thing to experience a desert bloom, but it NEVER happens in July! We were so lucky to get mostly dry roads and benefit from the maelstrom of rain that had been falling for weeks in this area.

The arroyos were excellent sources of amusement for El Coyote. We would drop in fast and blast out the other side!

The great landmark of "El Bandito".

Later in the day we hit the town of Cuba and arrived back in the mountains. The desert was over. That was the most mind blowing and fulfilling part of the trip to date. The New Mexico desert is tenacious and stunning. I can't wait to get back.

But then it was the mountains and some real bushwhacking. We had to ride over or around down trees, mud, and Rainbow people. There was a Rainbow "Gathering" along our route so we had to make up a new one. This is the result! SO MUCH FUN!!! Like hard enduro on fully loaded bikes!

One thing I love about adventuring is the people you meet. Here is Jose. he was running cattle at around 10,200 feet. He spent everyday on his "office". What a commute he has!

GDR- Day 2 Southern New Mexico

We pointed the bikes North out of Silver City and into the Gila National Forest. The Gila is a mix of high desert and pinon covered mountains. We passed spectacular ranch after ranch, one more scenic than the next. All were old ranches, working horses and cattle the same way they had for 50 years. There was a strong Mexican feel as the Cowboys all spoke spanish and the architecture was very unique. Flat roofs, and stucko were the predominant building materials giving the homes a rustic look and texture.

As the day progressed we would wind our way out of desert and into mountains and then back again. 20 miles of tight switchbacks would suddenly turn into long, fast, extremely dusty sections. To manage the dust we would spread out or ride side by side. Each terrain change required new tactics to manage the dust and keep your airfilter clean. Along the roads were flowerbeds of "Loco" weeds. The Indians used to eat the weed and get "visions". Well, they certainly got jacked up by the powerful chemicals contained in the plants.

The biggest challenge of the day involved funding fuel. The was no gas on the route for over 200 miles. The only gas was in a town called Quemato which was a 40 mile detour. But, that's how is goes so we routed ourselves that way and picked up the precious supply of "Go juice". That and the important Gatorade (yellow of course), power bars, and trail mix.
After one very long and hot day we rolled into Grants NM for a hotel and a shower. Once again Mexican food was on the menu and it was GOOD! One funny thing, the resturant allowed vendors to come in and sell all kinds of odd items like bows and arrows, hand made blankets, and jewelry. Weird. All in all an epic day.

Big Sky Country!

Me chasing Barry in the ranch country.

A Self Portrait at Speed.

Riding the Great Divide- Part 2

The route goes straight north through the Chihuahua desert to Silver City. It was a short first day. Only 114 miles. We left about 12:00 and settled in for one amazing ride. The route was fast and dusty...for a while! Then the rains came and we got seriously soaked. The mud was slimey and treacherous but we were only in it for a few miles until we popped out into civilization and a great Mexican dinner! I'm not going to write much, I'll let the pics speak for themselves.

That mountain is in Mexico.
I love the desert! Here I am leading for a while.

So does Claus!

The storm approaches...

El Loco Viking