Same Difference

Bought a bunch of motocross equipment yesterday. Motorcycling can be an expensive way to live, but it's a small price to pay when considering the rewards. I purchased matching Thor "Rage"-style pants and jersey, a clear Thor chest protector, some cool white and brown gloves, and new cush-drive rubbers for Ricky's bike. The decision to purchase the chest protector wasn't made until Saturday, when I was finally able to take Dad's 400 out for a quick run in the field by my house, and even though it was by far the most expensive piece, I've no regrets.

The 400 wasn't as loud as I remembered it, but it is still louder than anything else you hear these days. I'd wager it's even louder than most straight-piped Harley-Davidsons. I started her up in front of the house, just to ensure that she'd start before walking her over to the field, and after that, ripped it up until I ran out of gas.

The other thing I'd forgotten was how out-of-control that bike really is. Riding it now, after the sweet-handling Bonneville for eight years, was a startling revelation. When I was 14, riding that thing down the gravel roads of Saskatchewan, I had no quality barometer. The 400 was the only thing I rode, so to me it was normal. That first run down the mud-clotted field reminded me why it assumed the name "Widowmaker."

My knuckles were white with the vise-like grip required just to keep myself from flying off at every little bump. The grips are just thin rubber tubes that do nothing to quell the engine vibrations, and if the revolutions drop below what I'm guessing to be around 3,000 RPM, it stalls, so to turn around, or even slow down, you have to keep the engine revved while pulling the clutch, which is murder on the hands.
On the second run I got into my groove and was able to handle the bike much better. That's what it takes sometimes. Every motorcycle has its own idiosyncrasies and personality. The 400 is like a wild stallion that can only be tamed through certain modifications. Some like to replace the CDI with one from a TS400, or the fly-wheel with a heavier one, or even the entire frame for a Cheney version. I suggested a few of these mods to my dad, and he refused, saying that he wanted me to ride it the way it was. I understood his reasoning then just as well as I understand it now: he wants me to get a feel for what it was like when he was racing. Besides, there are myriad well-handling and tame dirt-bikes available these days for anyone willing to pony up the dough, so any attempts to tame the TM 400 is to destroy a piece of motorcycling experience that cannot be gained through any other means.

On that note I managed to find an aluminum swing-arm for Ricky's bike. Since I'm planning to actually race this one against modern machines, I need all the help I can get. It is from a DR 500 and in rather nice shape. I haven't fitted it yet, but it looks like there should be no problems, except for the brake-drum mount. On the TM, the bracket, which looks like a smaller version of a one-sided swing-arm connects to the swing-arm itself. On the DR 500 it connects to the frame. So I'm in a bit of a bind. Do I weld a piece on the new swing-arm or on the frame? If I do the former, then I should be able to utilize the original bracket; the latter will require the fabrication of a new one. The Hare Scramble is less than three weeks away, and I'm planning to head to Moosomin this weekend for a test run, so I must decide soon.


I also managed to mount my new Metzler Tourances onto my Bonneville. Thankfully my dad had just bought a tire changer, which helped to break the beads, but it is meant for car and truck tires, so it isn't set up to mount tires onto bikes. A bit of dish-soap and some crowbars did the trick, and backing out of the garage I immediately felt the difference, mostly in the front end. The original Bridgestone lasted a good 23,000 kilometers, and in that time must have squared-off some. Riding today felt better though and it still feels different, yet is still the same old bike.

"New" Boots

Snagged these rad boots today. They are Torsten Hallman edition Sidi motocross boots. I had no idea who Torsten Hallman was, but Wikipedia says that he was a famous Swedish motocross racer in the 60s, which leads me to believe that the boots are also from that decade. Hallman eventually founded the Thor (Torsten Hallman Original Racewear) brand of motocross gear.

These boots saved me a ton of money, so it looks like the race in May is a go. I'm still hunting for some other equipment, mainly a helmet and chest protector, and if I'm lucky I just may find some more cheap vintage gear that will get the job done.

To Scramble, or Not to Scramble

Still on the fence about whether or not I should enter in the Hare Scramble in May. Originally, I was stoked for it, but after adding up the expenses, I'm a bit reluctant.

First, the only dirtbikes I have to ride are my dad's 1971 TM400 Cyclone, and Ricky's '74 TM400. Both of these motorbikes have a lot of sentimental value and history for me, as they belonged to my dad and uncle, yet have been dubbed by many as "the most dangerous motorcycles ever built," especially the '71.

My dad used to race motorbikes, snowmobiles, and cars in the 1960s and 70s, and the '71 is one of the bikes he kept. I learned how to ride on it when I was 14 or so, and my dad always kept a close eye on me whenever I tried to start it. The key word being "tried." Its compression is so high that on the compression stroke the kicker could actually hold my weight. Dad still tells stories about guys who used to try to start it and the bike would backfire, sending the kick-starter back round and snapping their shinbones like twigs.

My dad always named his machines by their engine capacities, so to him the TM is just "the four-hundred," but when I was too young to understand displacement, I always named them by the sounds they made: the TC90 was the "Put-put bike," and the TM was the "Hunninny bike" since its expansion chamber is almost completely resistance free, making it very, very loud and as a boy, the only way I could describe it was through onomatopoeia: HUN-IN-IN-IN-IN-IN!

Apparently, if we are to believe all the reviews of the '71 TM400 it was the most powerful, poorly handling dirtbike ever made. Just take a look at this article by Rick "Superhunky" Seiman. My dad thinks they're all wimps, and I'm inclined to agree. If was able to learn to ride on that thing when I was 14 years old, you'd think motocrossers in the 70's would be able to handle it.
So the '71 and '74 TM400s are my two options for the Hare Scramble. I'm leaning towards the '74, Ricky's bike, since it seems to handle a bit better due to slight frame modifications for that year, plus it seems to idle a bit better and I also don't want to tear up the '71.

My dad bought the '74 for his little brother, Ricky, the year it came out. Ricky eventually committed suicide before I was born for reasons that have never been make entirely clear to me, and after that, my dad sold the bike. A few years ago, the farmer he sold it to called him up and asked my dad if he wanted to buy it back, so he did, and it's now mine.

So I have a bike to race, and since it is 36 years old, I figure that just finishing the scramble in one piece would be an accomplishment. The trouble is that I don't have any of the proper equipment: motocross boots, helmet, etc. Actually, those two things are the only major pieces I need, but I just bought new tires for the Bonneville, and I have a ton of other expenses around the house that have higher priority than motocross equipment.

Still, I'm thinking about it.