The Power of Attitude

By Tim Crytser


Attitude - It's a State of Mind

Chad Reed started his season on a positive note winning A1 dispite the muddy conditions photo TFS

The start of the '08 Supercross season may mean the beginning for the Pros, but for the rest of us it merely marks the mid-point of the off-season.  Most local tracks open their gates in March, so that gives you two more months to make sure you are ready when the gate drops. Have you been following the schedules and programs presented here on Virtual Trainer or have you fallen flat on your face in a pile of Bon Bons? Hopefully, you have been able to get motivated and train the way you planned back at the end of last season. If you haven't been as successful as you would have liked, maybe it's not about your training program; maybe it's about your attitude. A good training program consists of four components; cardio conditioning, muscular endurance training, flexibility, and training of the mind (or attitude). There are many articles in the Virtual Trainer archives outlining the first three; Now let's see what we can do about your attitude.

A very important step in the success of a training program is the training of your mind. If you are not 100 percent committed to training, I guarantee you will fail to meet your goals. Getting motivated can be very difficult if you don't learn how to maintain a positive attitude. Bad news is every where, and it's difficult not let all of the negative news affect your attitude. This tends to make you pessimistic about life in general and in turn your training program. A bad attitude leads to bad habits which lead to bad results on and off the track. The most important part of any training program is first making the decision that you want to become a better rider by committing yourself to a training program. Then you must learn how to develop an attitude that will keep you committed to your goals.

Life Events Shape Your Attitude?

If you tend to be a negative person, you must first identify your poor habits and remove them from your life. Pay close attention to how you interpret events that surround you. Your attitude is formed by how you interpret different situations in life. By paying close attention to how you process the information around you, you will be able to identify whether you are a positive person or a negative one. When a difficult situation presents itself, do you look at the situation as a pessimist or an optimist? Do you see the opportunity as a chance to fail or to succeed? Your attitude is shaped by the way you perceive reality and ultimately your attitude is made up of your

When James Stewart was presented this difficult situation in the first turn at A1, I gaurantee he looked at this opportunity as a chance to succeed! photo TFS

thoughts and feelings. Since your thoughts ultimately control your actions, the thoughts that you fill your head with are very important. Usually in life the quick easy way will give you instant gratification that fades quickly, while hard work and dedication have no immediate gratification but will lead to lasting success in the future. If you think negatively towards training and give into instant gratification, you are letting your negative thoughts control your actions. Instant gratification is a sign of a week attitude. If you condition your mind to remain positive, your actions will lead you down the path towards success.

A positive attitude is not simply developed by waking up one day and saying, "today I am going to be positive." Although your brain is not a muscle it acts like one in the sense that it must be conditioned over time to accept positive thoughts over negative ones. Developing positive thoughts requires a great deal of energy and time and will require you to live the lifestyle an athlete. Training, diet, riding and all of the other ingredients necessary to become a successful rider (or person for that matter) must be part of your daily life. You have to live the life of a champion to become a champion. I believe this applies to the guy fighting for a factory ride, right down to the weekend warrior. If you condition your mind on a daily basis like you do the rest of your body, eventually the positive thought process will become natural. A strong, positive attitude will replace the weak, negative one. But in order for this to happen, you have to be willing to make the commitment and work every day on your attitude.

How to Develope a Positive Attitude
In order to develop a positive mind set, you must learn how to control your thoughts and beliefs. Your thoughts and beliefs dictate what your actions in life will be; therefore it is important to learn how to develop positive thoughts and believe in the things that will lead you in the right direction. In the beginning, learning how to control your thoughts can be as simple as forcing yourself to make the right decision. This applies not only to training but all sorts of circumstances in your life. Take a simple example like your diet. The way you perceive food and how it affects your performance on the bike will dictate how you eat. If you have a weak attitude towards your diet and do not believe that eating right is important to a racer, then you will not be able to maintain a proper diet. Instead of taking the easy way out with fast food and soda, force yourself to skip the guilty pleasures like pizza and beer and eat something healthy to remain committed to your dietary goals. After forcing yourself to eat a healthy diet in the beginning, you will see the results of a healthy diet and become conditioned to wanting to eat healthy foods. Your positive thoughts and beliefs relating to food will lead you down the road to a successful diet.

Now training with Aldon Baker (RC's previous trainer), James appears calm and composed in the face of adversity photo Simon Cudby

Developing a positive outlook toward your training program goes hand-in-hand with a positive attitude. If you dread doing your workouts and can't wait for the hour and a half to be complete, then you need to reevaluate whether or not you really want to be successful at MX. If you have not yet accepted the fact that proper conditioning is a very important key to becoming a champion (or successful weekend warrior), then you haven't been paying attention in class. By telling yourself each day that you don't want to go to the gym and that you don't enjoy training, you are filling your head with negative thoughts and are setting yourself up for failure. By thinking negatively towards training you are conditioning your mind to accept negative thoughts. You're in last place and the starter hasn't even turned the card sideways. By telling yourself that you don't want to train, you will most likely look for the easy way out during your workouts and become inconsistent and nonproductive. This leads to failure. If on the other hand, you are serious about your race results, you need to develop a positive attitude about training. Instead of dreading your workout, focus on how a good hard workout is going to lead to better race results. Instead of looking forward to the end of your workout, develop an attitude that your are an animal, and nothing is going to stop you from reaching your goals. Accept the fact that training is not necessarily fun and easy but difficult and grueling. By realizing this and remaining positive you are conditioning your mind to be mentally tough and able to cope with negative events. By getting through a tough workout and realizing that you didn't give up, you are conditioning your mind to be mentally tough and soon a positive attitude will become natural.

Paying the Price in Gym Leads to a Payday at the Track
Developing a tough mental state is part of a good attitude. By training hard and pushing yourself to your limit each workout, you are conditioning your mind to deal with pain and adversity. The next time you are working out and feel like you can't go any further, condition your mind to accept the fact that you can continue on and work even harder. This mental toughness will carry over to the race track and keep you digging for more as the moto wears on. When your arms feel like noodles and your lungs are on fire, you will be more likely to keep charging as the rest of the pack gives in. Because of your positive attitude and tough mental state you will be able to endure more pain and adversity on the track than your competitors. Proper training, and a tough mental attitude will not necessary make you faster; but it will make you faster longer.

The great thing about motocross is that it is an individual sport. Whether or not you fail or succeed is totally up to you. So, as far as your physical training goes, if your arms lock up and your legs give out with two laps to go, you only have yourself to blame. Don't confuse this article for a bunch of rah-rah feel good hype. Like I said before, this is tough work and I'm just telling it like it is. I'm not trying to paint a picture that you have to live your life like Beaver Cleaver; all squeaky clean and perfect. Life is simply not that way. In a world that gets more and more competitive each day, a good attitude and tough mental state are absolutely imperative if you want to be successful in the game of life. 

S:http://www.racerxvt.com

How to Practice Motocross

by Aldon Baker

One of the biggest mistakes I see amateurs and even pros make is that they do not know how to practice. Most people think practice is just going to the track and riding for a couple of hours. That certainly can't hurt, but unless you have time to burn going to the practice track without a plan can be a waste of time. This is especially important for the weekend warrior who may only have one day each week to practice. An effective practice session should consist of more than just pounding out lap after lap. Having an good plan before you reach the track is critical. Most amateurs think that the pros, even though they get to ride almost everyday, just ride once they hit the track. This couldn't be further from the truth, at least with my guys and in this article I will share with you some of the things that we do once we get to the practice track.
Evaluate Your Skills
The first step in having a successful practice session is to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses from the previous race week. It is extremely important to determine your weak points so that you can highlight those during practice and work on improving those areas while maintaining the things that you do well. All aspects of the previous race need to be replayed in your mind to determine what needs improved. Everything from corning, braking and jumping, to speed, endurance and mental preparation must be examined to develop a good plan for the upcoming week. Other key factors that are often overlooked in developing a good plan is the terrain of the next race track (sandy, hilly, hard pack, etc.), the upcoming weather (forecast for hot, cold, wet, or dry), pre-race preparation details (is your gear ready), and travel (when do you have to leave?). Once you evaluate all of these aspects of your racing, you can then formulate a clear plan of action for your practice session.

Make Flexible Plans
Once you hit the practice track it is important to maximize your time on the track. Even though you laid out a plan prior to leaving, you have to evaluate the track conditions and situation once you arrive at the track. If you are lucky enough to ride on your own track or the track of a friend, make sure the track is prepped and ready. Having your own private track to ride on can be an advantage, but can also be a disadvantage if the track does not get prepped to race day standards. Practicing on hard pack dusty conditions will do you no good if on race day the track is groomed with soft dirt that develops deep ruts. If you practice at an open facility, evaluate the number of riders on the track along with how long each session will last to determine which skills and drills you can work on. And don't skip a practice day just because the weather is not perfect. Chances are you will have to race more often than not in less than ideal circumstances so use these days to improve a skill that you may otherwise never work on. With this information you should be able to take your initial plan and adapt it to get the most out of your practice session.

Do not let conditions like this deter you from practicing

Warm-up

Just like on race day, it is extremely important to warm-up before you start to practice.  There are several ways to warm up, several of which have been covered on this website, so figure out what works for you and make sure you are sweating with an elevated heart rate before you hit the track. Do not rely on a few laps of practice to warm-up. Not only does this waste valuable time on the track, it's ineffective. A complete warm-up should take at least 15 minutes and involve stretching exercises. How are you going to stretch while on the bike if you are relying on riding to warm-up? Once you do hit the track, take a couple of siting laps to be sure the track is in practice condition and take this time to determine how you are going to implement your plan.

Warm up and Stretching
Stretch to the Top
Race Week Prep and Pre-Race Warmup

The Plan
Even though it is tempting to start busting out laps right of the bat, I feel that a more effective way to practice is to split the track into sections. By doing this you can work on each turn, jump and straight away perfecting those areas before moving on. This will also give you a chance to work on the areas that you feel are deficient by slowing things down and allowing you to concentrate on those areas. Unlike race day, practice is a time to be analytic about your riding focusing on improving your riding technique. Good quality practice (and repetition) is the only way to develop proper skill through reflexes and reactions. Practice makes perfect unless you are practicing the wrong technique in the first place! The focus in this portion of practice is to limit mistakes. Once a portion of the track has been mastered, you can then move on to the next section until the entire track has been mastered.

Once you master each section (20-30 minutes at most for a section) take a break, and then come back and start putting laps together. If you have multiple days to practice, use the early part of the week to work on speed by doing short, fast motos. If your motos are 15 minutes long, then you should concentrate on 5 minute motos early in the week. Maybe 2 or 3 laps at most. Keep doing short sprint-type motos until you can complete a moto mistake free. If you are having difficulty with a particular section, cut the track back into sections and work on mastering that section. If you have multiple days to ride, build on what you did the previous day by adding time to the moto and increasing the number of motos. The emphasis is still on smooth, fast, mistake free motos. Once you can complete a moto mistake free, you can move on to longer motos up to the time it takes you to complete a race on race day.
What Time is It?

If you can learn to wrench like a pro, you will gain a huge advantage over other riders...even those more talented!

One of the best ways to evaluate improvement is with the use of a stop watch. Have your parents, girlfriend or buddy time your motos. You not only want to time complete motos but individual sections as well. Timing is a fool proof way of evaluating if your performance is improving or deteriorating. Consistency is key, so start out perfecting 1 lap before moving on to lap two. String laps together to make a moto. Set a goal of maybe 5 or 6 laps mistake free. If you get to lap three and make a mistake, start over at lap one until you reach your goal. Recording your times and analyzing them are one of the most important ways of determining if your practice session was successful. Timing different sections of the track (whoops, sequence of turns, etc.) is the only way to determine which part of the track is giving you trouble and where you need to improve.

Perfecting Skills
Perfecting skills that you are weak on is the only way to become fast on all parts of the track. Take a whoop section for instance. The only way to master the whoops is to practice going through the whoops over and over again. Breaking the track into sections and even smaller parts like whoops or turns will allow you to perfect small parts of the track without having to conquer the entire track at once. Again, having someone hold a stop watch on you is the true measure of improvement. Concentrate on perfect technique and before you know it your lap times will get lower and lower; guaranteed!  Starts are another area of practice that get overlooked. The start of the race is the only chance you have to pass every rider on the track; it doesn't get any more important than that! Starts are hard to practice due to the increased wear-and-tear on the bike. It's hard enough for the pros and even harder for weekend warriors. Practice starts at the end of your practice session for at least 20 to 30 minutes. If you are serious, you can simulate starts by buying an individual start gate and be sure to ride through the first turn. Again, it is very important to time your starts and log your results.

Learn Your Bike
Part of every practice session should also be committed to bike setup. Pros have mechanics, so you will have to learn this skill on your own. One of the biggest advantages the weekend warrior can gain over his opponent is in bike setup. The place to learn is at the practice track NOT on race day. Experiment with the suspension settings, different tires and tire pressures, handle bar positions, jetting, etc. to learn how each adjustment effects the handling characteristics of your bike. This is important to learn so that on race day you can make intelligent adjustments to your bike as the track changes. Along with physical training, bike setup can be a huge equalizing factor for the less skilled rider.

Whether you get to practice 5 days a week or just one, having a clear plan of what you need to work on in practice before you get to the track is key. If you put these few simple techniques of developing a plan, practicing skills, working on sections, and learning bike set-up, I am sure your lap times and performance will improve on race day. If you want to be faster than everyone else, not only do you have to train harder than them, you have to train smarter as well. Cheers for now!

 S:http://www.racerxvt.com

Behind David Knight's KTM 450XC

By Steve Bruhn
Shawn Mundy may have the toughest mechanic's job in motorcycle off-road racing. He's the mechanic for KTM's international "tough guy" David Knight, who is leading the AMA's GNCC series on a 2007 KTM 450 XC.

"Knighter," from the Isle of Man, UK, is KTM's Number 1 guy for the toughest races they can find. Knight is 6'4", very strong, and can throw a big bike around like a 125. Mundy and he paired up when KTM brought Knight into the US for events like the EnduroCross and Last Man Standing, and now Mundy joins him around the globe, doing major damage wherever they can find a race that rewards the tough.

David Knight (right) is known for his ridiculous technical skill on a bike. The man responsible for letting him do his thing unimpeded is Shawn Mundy (left).

This interview took place about 4 hours before Knight won the Snowshoe GNCC with one of the biggest leads in the series' history. Knight himself actually finished three interviews before the second place rider was in. Their next race was a 4-day enduro in Australia, and they won that too!

Most of the GNNC riders use 2-stroke 250s since a 450 can take a hefty toll on one's endurance after three hours in the woods. Knight however, handles his 450 in the woods with the skill of a former trials rider, and benefits from extra speed in the open sections. That's a tough combination for anyone else to beat.

Mundy, from Booneville, IN, started with KTM eight months ago and was assigned to Knight for some American events. "I did the Las Vegas EnduroCross (and) the Last Man Standing," he said, "We had another race called 'The Tough One' in Wales and I went and did that, and then started the GNCC. I do all the events that I can with David."

Knight's bike is a 2007 450 XC with works suspension, a motor with some "bite" and modifications to prepare it for three hours of competition in the woods. The engines are prepared in Austria by the factory.

"They (KTM) have an XC-W which has wide-ratio transmission," said Mundy, "which would be for desert racing. Out West you find more XC-Ws. We have an SX model too, but this XC is an all around bike."

That wheel has to be tough enough to take a serious pounding for three hours and not fail. Mundy relies on Talon's carbon fiber hub.

"The motor is actually done in Austria," he continues. "They do all the engine work and send them here. I check the valves after each race. For the most part, the motor is pretty bulletproof. They say to go 60 hours but we try and not let them go that far before they get rebuilt."

Since Knight still lives at home in the Isle of Man, he doesn't spend much time riding anything but his race bike. "He has a practice bike here but he doesn't ride it much," said Mundy, "because he flies in to where the race is going to be, then he wants to ride the race bike to make sure it's good. He has bikes at home that he rides at the Isle of Man.

"KTM has a good crew here (at the GNCCs). There are different guys stationed at different mile markers so we know how David is doing. We all know about where he should be. Normally I stay in the pits because I have to be prepared in case he may come in from somewhere else."

Is Knight really the fastest, toughest guy? "Yeah, for sure," said Mundy, "He is just an animal on a bike. He can throw it wherever he wants. He came from trials riding, so his balance is unreal. Even on these full-size bikes, he can do trials stuff. In real tough events, he specializes in technical stuff."

Making David Knight's KTM 450XC

Motor - "It's not super-hopped up at all. We run more of an SX-style (ignition) curve. The regular XC doesn't have the strong hit that David likes."

David likes a little more bite to his motor than the stock XC provides, but other than a SX-style ignition curve, the 450cc engine is relatively stock.

Clutch - Stock.
Carb - Stock 2006 450SX 41mm.
Exhaust - FMF.
Air Filter - Twin Air.
Suspension - WP works suspension, 52mm forks.
Fuel Tank - IMS, wrapped with heat tape. "Normally we can do a race on two fuel stops. A lap on an average GNCC is 10-14 miles. We can do it in one stop, but if we have a big enough lead, we will stop for a splash just in case."
Brakes - Factory rear master cylinder, Brembo caliper with Enduro Engineering guard. Factory Brembo front caliper. "On the (front) master cylinder there is a pin that we grind down, to make the lever closer. It's just a rider preference." Chain - Regina O-ring.
Sprockets/Bars - Renthal.
Radiator - Fluidyne with Evans coolant.
Tires - Michelin with Mousse tube. "We normally run an MS3 Michelin which is for all-around, but here in West Virginia where there are a lot of rocks we are running an S12, which is a softer rear.
Footpegs - Stock.
Grips - KTM.
Wheels - "We run the Talon Supercross hubs with the Excel A60 rims. The front hub is carbon fiber."
Seat - SDG.
Plastic - Stock.
Graphics - Image Works.
Extras - We use thread tape on the brake and clutch lever perches instead of Teflon bushings. We put holes in the skid plates, to allow some of the heat from the motor to get out.
Security - In Supercross they do a lot of greasing bolts. That's where I came from and got in the habit of doing. With these bikes we use a lot of LocTite on every bolt. We also put new bolts in every race. The whole thing gets all new bolts.

Dr. Frazier’s Java Indonesia Adventure

After reading through Carl Stearns Clancy's book Motorcycle Adventurer and seeing no mention of Java it became apparent that I needed to conduct a trip through the island.

“Java, ‘one magnificent garden of luxuries,’ is much better known to the tourist, and everyone who has visited there seems enthusiastic over its charms. One man put it, ‘Java fulfills my preconception of what a paradise ought to be.’ Java is a little larger than Cuba, and is so mountainous that, in spite of its proximity to the equator, its climate is like ours in spring. Eight of the mountains are active volcanoes, some of which form the wonders of the island….

“I was told that Java’s resources as regards objects of interest and means of enjoyment would last one for several months. There is big game handy for the sportsman; Hindoo temples for the student of ancient architecture and civilizations; primitive customs to be investigated by the socially curious; a model government system for the observation of the political economist; a chain of unrivalled volcanos to delight the geologist and scientist; famous botanical gardens for the botanist; and scenery of unsurpassable beauty and grandeur for the motorcyclist. So much have I heard Java praised, in fact, that I have determined to motor through it at the first opportunity.”

So wrote Carl Stearns Clancy, the first motorcyclist to circumnavigate the globe in 1912-1913. I had been researching the Clancy story for 16 years, following much of his nearly 100 year-old route around the world for a new book titled Motorcycle Adventurer (www.motorcycleadventurer.com). For a myriad of reasons, Clancy never managed to pilot a motorcycle through Java, but his praise found me wanting to hunt it for him in 2010.

Java is part of Indonesia, an Independent Republic since 1945 after freeing itself from Dutch colonization that started in 1602 and then Japanese World War II occupation from 1942-1945. The country is made up of over 17,500 islands, the fifth-largest of which is Java. The 13th-largest island on the planet, Java is roughly the size of New York State in the U.S., with a population of over 124,000,000, making it one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

The active volcano on the left is Mount Bromo, located inside a national park.

The island is almost entirely volcanic in origin with no fewer than 38 mountains that were all at one time active. The mountains run nearly the length of the island west to east, the highest being Mount Semeru at 12,060 feet above sea level. The primary language is Javanese and close to 90% of the population is Muslim, with a per capita income estimated at $3,900.

So the island is mountainous, lush, jungle-like, occupied by poorer people whose language I did not speak, with a religion not close to my native culture. Those elements, along with knowing there were millions of small motorcycles on the island, many well-paved roads and Clancy’s glowing endorsement of a paradise, spelled motorcycle adventure for me.

The first risk was forgetting that not all the world drives on the right side of the road. Java, as with the rest of Indonesia, followed the British driving style and chose to make their system left handed. As soon as I drove off the boat and onto the main road I had to remember to keep my left-hand driving style switch turned “On.”

With so many small motorcycles crashes do happen. Pictured here, the red motorcycle had spilled after the front wheel got caught in a crack in the road, dumping the driver and passenger. Neither was hurt as the speed was about 10 mph.

While the main roads were well paved, most were two lanes and bogged down with many slow moving trucks, buses and an occasional ox cart or cycle-rickshaw. A nimble lightweight motorcycle served best to pass slower vehicles in tight spaces, which seemed never ending on the major routes. While most of the local motorcycles were in the 100-125cc displacement range, there were a few that were considered large that displaced 250cc. Most of the traffic moved along at a sedate 35-60mph so having a 1200cc -1800cc heavyweight cruiser or behemoth adventure motorcycle would have been manhandling unneeded horsepower and weight.

The gems of Javanese roads were the small roads that went over the central mountain range. Often these would be so tight and twisty only small cars and motorcycles use them. They would snake up through two mountains through green jungle and terraced rice fields, sometimes into cold gray clouds and rain, and then down the other side toward the hot and humid ocean routes.

Due to the closeness to the equator, Java received rain. Each day it seemed some driving involved either sitting under an overhang waiting for a few clouds to dump water and blow over or suit up in rubberized riding gear and slosh through the drizzle or downpour. On the mountain tops and ridges the rain was cold, but if I could man-it out long enough I would drive to a lower elevation where it would be a warm wet.

For the Western palate I saw both Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut fast food outlets in the larger cities, succumbing once to check the price and feed a minor homesickness for junk food.

Food was never a problem with restaurants or stores being easy to find. A Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in a large city sucked me in for one meal, more to feed a Westernized missing-of-fast-food habit than a desire to quit eating the Indonesian fare. Bottled water was available everywhere, as was soda and bottled fruit juices.

For the beer swiller their fix was a bit harder to find for that end-of-the-day cold one. Some stores sold beer, as would occasional restaurants, but only twice did I see a sign advertising alcohol. Alcohol seemed to be sold more as the result of foreign tourist demand than for local purchase.

Sleeping was a mix of tourist hotels in tourist areas, guesthouses and some lower priced backpacker places obviously targeting foreigners. In non-tourist towns there were usually local hotels in the inner city, often near the bus stations. All sleeping places, whether a beach hotel or an inner city hotel, were within an easy day drive between points. But if I was looking for indoor sleeping versus the jungle in places in between, it would be the jungle more often than a mattress with a mosquito net. The best daily plan was to target a tourist destination and have fun driving little roads in between.

Pictured here is a happy German motorcycle traveler who had found a cold beer at the end of her day of motorcycle adventuring.

During my time in Java I met not a single other American traveler. Those tourists I did meet were most often German or Australian. I saw only three clearly identifiable foreign motorcycle travelers, two traveling in the opposite direction that did not stop, but looked to be on KTMs with Australian plates, and one German lady adventurist on a Honda 250cc Tiger.

The biggest danger I found was traffic. Unlike India or Bangladesh, where the road hierarchy is based on size, and motorcycles being near the bottom with trucks and buses at the top, there seemed to be a limited mutual respect in Java of space for either motorcycles or bigger vehicles. Some horn honking would take place as a bus or truck would come up behind a cycle-rickshaw or ox cart to tell them to move over. Sometimes an oncoming car, bus or truck would pass a slower vehicle leaving me little choice other than to take to the shoulder of the road, but most often they would flash their lights and give me warning so I could slow down and take avoiding action. I had been warned before going to Java about the possibility of hostile people. In reflection I found none outwardly hostile while on two feet, but some were hostile in a sense when one foot was on the gas pedal of their vehicle.

Gas was plentiful, but varied in dispensaries. In and around larger cities there were gas stations, often with a mini-mart. Attendants would fill the motorcycle gas tank, carefully. Cash was the means of payment. I saw not one debit or credit card payment point at gas stations. Away from the main roads and large urban areas gas was sold by the liter from glass bottles in front of markets, motorcycle repair shops or individual houses, cash again being the only means of payment.

In the cities and on main roads gas stations were typical, but once away from these, gas was sold from bottles by the liter.

Small displacement motorcycle repair shops were in every town or village. Once my spark plug went bad and I managed to drive to a small repair shop. Not only did the mechanic replace my bad spark plug with a new one, he also topped off my oil for a total of $2.50 USD including 10 minutes for labour. Again cash was the only acceptable means of payment. I forked over the equivalent of $3 and told the mechanic to use the change to buy some tea or a soda.

I stopped at a Kawasaki dealer showroom to see what models they sold. It had a well appointed showroom with several new models on display, the largest being 250cc. When I told the owner I had a KLX250S in the United States, he wanted me to meet the one owner in town they had sold a KLX250 to, but the he was at work. With the import tax the Indonesian owner paid close to twice what I had for my KLX250, the high import tax being one of the reasons there are so few large displacement motorcycles in Indonesia. I gave some of my personalized travel stickers to all the workers at the Kawasaki shop and some for the KLX owner. All seemed very pleased to have a sticker from America.

As I moved further west towards Jakarta the traffic on the main roads became more congested and I became less interested in playing “dodge the oncoming bus/truck,” so

Pictured here is some typical “paradise” jungle riding, well away from the congestion of the main highways.

found myself avoiding the bigger cities and choosing the small roads in and out of the mountains.

Some of the forests I drove through were enchanting, with green tree branches and vines hanging over the road making it feel like a tunnel through the jungle. While I saw signs warning of tigers, snakes and monkeys, none showed themselves.

The mountain and twisty jungle motorcycling of Java was good. The people I met all seemed friendly and helpful, especially the motorcycle people, whether in shops or driving on the road. Eating, sleeping, and even imbibing were reasonably easy and comfortable.

However, as I stood on the shores of Java, looking westerly at the horizon across the Indian Ocean towards India, I realized the Java that Carl Stearns Clancy wanted to pilot his motorcycle in, on or through in 1913, was a far different Java than the one I had seen for him nearly 100 years later. The Hindu temples were still there, as were the volcanoes, jungle and interesting society. Java was still a paradise in places, but much of the rest of it had become a little worn, albeit by time or man. I, like Clancy, was wishful of having motored through this paradise in 1913, not a paradise lost but today a paradise made smaller by the advancement of man.
S: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com

The Keihin FCR Carb With Zip-Ty Racing - Dr. Dirt

writer: Karel Kramer
photographer: Karel Kramer

Tech How-To
A good portion of modern four-stroke engine performance is due to the Keihin FCR arburetor. An accelerator pump and a high-tech slide supported by four wheels make the FCR a relatively complex design. There are many parts that can wear out and get dirty or gummed up. There are a few shops that specialize in mods and service for these carburetors. Some, such as JDJetting (www.jdjetting.com; 253.939.7114) and Factory Pro (www.factorypro.com; 800.869.0497), sell kits that you install yourself, and others, such as Zip-Ty Racing (www.ziptyracing.com; 760.244.7028) and Tokyomods (www.tokyomods.com; 888.457.9403), will set up the carburetor for you or actually modify it for increased performance and response. White Brothers offers both options.

As complex as the FCR carburetor is, it is more intimidating to look at than it is to work on. You will still need a good manual.

Getting the carburetor off and back on will be the hardest part. You'll need to remove the cover on the side of the carburetor, disconnect the throttle cables, make sure the vent hoses are all free from the bike and disconnect the wire to the TPS. Do not remove the TPS from the carburetor; it is synched to the throttle shaft with a meter, and it must be resynched if removed. With perimeter-frame machines, it is almost always easier to take off the subframe and the shock before removing the carburetor.

01 Ty Davis starts by thoroughly cleaning the FCR body in a solvent tank filled with Simple Green rather than using a petroleum-based solvent or contact cleaner. He warns that you should never spray contact cleaner into the mouth of a carb

02 If you have an aftermarket fuel screw installed, this is a good time to remove it. Take care so you don't lose the small spring, washer or O-ring. If you still have the stock fuel screw, removing it can wait.

 

03 You will need to extract this bolt from the throttle linkage above the slide. It may be a secure Torx with a tiny post in the middle. You may need to visit a special tool store to find a dimpled Torx socket.

04 With the Torx removed, the slide's lifting arm can rotate out of the way, and the slide can be pulled out. The brass fitting on top of the slide holds the needle in place.

05 The slide has a wear plate that lifts off. Some companies recommend changing it every 25 hours. It is an expensive part, but replacing it can make a big difference in how crisply and cleanly the bike runs down low.

06 The back side of the wear plate has this very delicate seal. Davis warns that chemicals like contact cleaner will cause the seal to swell and ruin it. It is a good idea to replace the seal when the carb is apart.

07 Davis removes all the vent hoses at this point. Small brackets mounted on each rear corner of the float bowl guide some of the vent hoses. Remove the bowl screws and the idle adjustment bracket.

08 Work off the float bowl and look for any dirt or other junk in the bowl. This one is quite clean. Most water and sediment will settle in the drain bolt.

09 With the bolt removed, the throttle pivot shaft should simply pull out. Note the return spring attachment and the placement of the two washers. Clean up the shaft and assorted parts. Set these parts safely aside.

10 At the top of the slide will be some arrangement that allows removal of the needle. Some off-road bikes have nonadjustable needles (only one clip position), and they can be replaced with an adjustable one for tuning.

11 Using a small tool, push out the float pin. A small Allen wrench or the back end of a drill bit should work fine. Once the pin is moved, you should be able to pull it out with your fingers.

12 The float manipulates this float needle to keep the fuel level in the float bowl constant. Look for damage near the pointed rubber tip. The needle is loosely attached to the float via the wire loop. Don't lose it.

13 The main jet is threaded into the needle jet, so remove them together. The fuel baffle (called a "spacer" in the manual) will come off easily after the needle jet tube is out.

14 Unscrew the starter jet and the pilot jet. A blade screwdriver with a tip or shaft larger than 4mm wide will jam in the pilot-jet opening. Clean all the jets, and ensure that all of the openings are unrestricted.

15 There is a screen at the bottom of the needle-valve seat that prevents trash in the fuel from entering the float bowl. It cannot be removed for cleaning, so use compressed air to blow it clean from this side.

16 Use a finger to operate the accelerator-pump rod through a full stroke. You should feel spring resistance but no hard spots or hitches in the travel. If it doesn't move freely, pull it apart and clean it.

17 A small screw holds the fuel-line fitting in place. The carburetor was otherwise quite clean, but this fitting and passage need a bath.

18 A little grease on the O-rings will ease the cleaned fitting back into the carburetor body. Don't get carried away with the grease. Install the screw that holds the fuel-line fitting. It shouldn't need thread-locker.

19 The throttle shaft rides on two small needle bearings, and they should get a little grease before the shaft is installed. A cotton swab is a good tool for this job.

20 The throttle-return spring has a hook that must engage the throttle shaft before the shaft is reinserted. The shaft washers fit between the body and the throttle-valve lever: the metal one against the carburetor body and the resin washer against the lever.

21 Getting all the throttle-valve parts lined up takes a bit of fiddling, but once they are arranged, the throttle shaft should easily slip through the freshly greased bearings.

22 After setting the plastic spacer in place, use a socket to thread the needle jet/main jet combo into the body. The pilot and starter jets go in next. The threads are brass inside aluminum, so don't go crazy tightening jets.

23 Before the float and needle valve go in, this wire loop attached to the needle must be slipped over this tang on the float. Work over a surface that will allow you to find the float needle if it is dropped.

24 Lower the float and needle valve together. Carefully guide the needle valve into the needle-valve seat. If the tip of the needle bumps the seat, it will pop the wire loop off of the float and cause needless cursing.

25 The manual outlines a method for setting the float height using a caliper. Davis uses a Honda tool that measures the height of the float while lightly blowing into the fuel line.

26 Lift the throttle-slide lever arm out of the way with one hand, and hold the slide (throttle valve) and the throttle-valve plate together with the other hand. Make sure the needle doesn't hang up while going in.

27 The bolt holding the lever arm to the throttle shaft is the only one in the carburetor that calls for thread-locker (blue). Again, you may need a special Torx bit that is drilled to clear the center post.

28 Insert the front float-bowl screws and snug them down, but remember to add the vent hose guides. Then attach and tighten the idle-adjustment screw and bracket.

29 Using your good #2 Phillips, take out the three small screws holding the accelerator-pump diaphragm in place. Detach the cover carefully so you don't lose the spring that rests on the diaphragm.

30 Early FCR carburetors had much poorer accelerator-pump sealing, and the pump membrane could pack with dirt. You can see that only a little dirt has entered this pump and the membrane is in good condition.

31 Replace the diaphragm, spring and cover; tighten the screws; then move to the top of the carburetor body and replace the top. On a Honda, this wire holder goes on the front screw.

32 Before installing the fuel screw in the carburetor body, first slip the spring over the end of the fuel screw, followed by the washer and the O-ring. This Zip-Ty screw comes with the new parts. The rubber covers are separate.

33 With a stock or aftermarket fuel screw, it should take between eight and nine rotations to fully tighten. If you get less than eight turns, don't force it. Check the threads on the screw and in the carburetor body.

34 The stock hot-start fitting has a plastic 14mm hex that is a pain to get a wrench on. Zip-Ty Racing sells a billet-aluminum unit with a 10mm hex. If you haven't already, remove the hot-start plunger and check for corrosion.

35 Zip-Ty Racing also makes a float-bowl drain bolt with a magnet in it. We've tried them, and the magnet nearly always has metal stuck to it. Now install the drain bolt (stock or aftermarket).

36 All that is left is to reattach the vent hoses neatly, and the carburetor is ready to go back on the bike. Now just keep it this clean, and your engine will stay very happy.