THE CROOM ENDURO 2002
25 YEARS AFTER OR ... WHAT ALMOST WAS
The 2002 Croom Enduro was to be a return to my "roots", and my first race in 10 years since my retirement in 1992... I had been on a bike for all of an hour in the past ten years. Fortunately the FTR family responded to my plea to rent a bike for the enduro so that I could figure out if I want to actually buy another bike and start racing again.
In reality several FTR members sent me notes that they had bikes I could borrow, not rent. Seeing as how I'm not as slim and trim as I once was, I decided that the KTM 380 that was offered by Lionel Hernandez would be just the ticket for Sunday, vs. the YZF250, KX250 and KLX 300 that were offered by others. ( as much as I like Thumpers, I figured at my 235 lb weight, the 380 would make life easier)
Well it was an adventure... just getting there... here's the long version. Friday afternoon, picked up the bike and brought it home, decided to ride it a little in an open field by the house.
First impression: This thing is WAY FAST!! There was no way to keep the front end down... but then a few minutes later after trying to turn it at slow speed I realized... the bigger issue is that there was WAY TO MUCH sag in the rear shock, while there was none in the fork, even when sitting on the gas cap. (bike has heavy springs front and rear, progressive on the rear) The owner weighs about 165lb I think vs my 235,which explains the excessive sag.
So... back home, bike on stand, looking at shock preload, there's only one preload ring (cast no steel) so I figured maybe there's only cause it's so thick. So, grab blunt preload adjustment tool(old screwdriver) and hammer, tap,tap,tap... NOW I SEE THE SETSCREW, and a complete separation (breakage) of the preload ring.( to much torque on the preload adjustment tool?) I had broken the preload ring because I had not loosened it first. I never knew it was there.
Sat am @ 7 left the house going to Cahills, they opened at 8:30, parts guy says " you can't order that part, it's part of the shock, you have to order White Brothers aftermarket collars"...
So, then headed to RTM shop on Florida Ave, they have 3 used KTM's for sale there, waited till they opened at 9, tried to convince the owner who I had met just last week to rob one of them, but they were customers bikes so he would not do it.( I don't blame him)
Then called Motorcycle Enthusiasts in Weeki Watchee ( a mile South of 50 on 19) and they checked the parts file, looked up the parts and found that they had one, so off I went to their shop...got there and they removed the shock... and found that to install the part they would have to bleed down the shock/drain the oil and take it apart, but they could not recharge it cause the fittings they need to recharge it, were broken.... so owner called a few places and found a small shop on Nebraska and Fowler in Tampa that could do the work... so I headed back to TAMPA.... (Thanks Dave!) ( this is a very nice shop, had just about one new of every new KTM model available)
This shop in Tampa is called Target Motors, they sell scooters, Royal Enfields ( yes new ones...had several in stock), Vertemati thumpers ( had one 500 MX and one 500 Enduro in stock) and Gas Gas bikes, anyway he has a race event van that he takes to motoX races to do suspension work on WP forks and shocks. It took him three hours or so and do the work. A few dollars later and I headed to Croom for some much needed practice, got there at 5:30... quickly got geared up and dialed in some more preload, bled air out of fork( none) and took off for that much needed practice session that I had planned for 10 hours earlier.
Just like in years past someone had layed out (arrowed) some serious tight trail for the Enduro riders to practice on... within a mile I knew I was in trouble... between the chopper effect, (to much RIDER WEIGHT and not enough shock preload) ,probably close to 50 hp on tap and all of an hour on a race bike in the past ten years... brought the brutal truth smack into my face(along with several trees)...
THERE AIN'T NO WAY, I'M GONNA HAVE FUN SUNDAY!
Found a trail worker (Tom Russell) and asked him what to expect, he held up his hands about 24" apart and said that's what the first 18 miles will be (courtesy of Smiley)... So... I headed back out to try some more adjustments. (mentally and mechanically)
I'll say this, in a straight line the 380 pulls like a Caterpillar tractor on nitrous oxide without a flywheel and runs really plush at speed.... and it's quiet cause you only have to turn the throttle every 20 whoops or so, I could not believe how it soaked up the whoops, but man what fear I had when it got tight and you had to turn without having the power on, which is hard cause it rips right of idle.
So.. about an hour of touring what's left of the Croom park ( it seems you can't go 20 yards without crossing another trail that looks to be used by hundreds of quads) I went back to the truck.. got a drink and watched the sun set on what had turned out to be a pretty much wrecked adventure after facing up to the fact that if I were to race Sunday.. I would probably end up spreading KTM and Frank parts all over the woods....
So I came home and called Robert(Possehl) and told him that I had figured out what kind of a rider I was gonna be Sunday.( I had told him I would know Sat night if I was gonna be a trailrider of racer) Told him I was gonna be a bicycle rider... ( been doing that for the past ten years with Robert) I've said it before, if and when I did not think I could be competitive on a motorcycle I would not race, THERE IT WAS.
Met Robby and MacD's Sunday am, went to sign up, got my entry back (Thanks Suncoast!) and we headed out into the woods to heckle all the racers we know( and a bunch we don't know) from various places in the woods, while taking pictures.
I believe I had a much better day that way, then had I been on the KTM for 67 miles. Yes, I still want to race... but realize I will not do it regularly, but also that with an early KDX 200 or even an 86 CR250 I think I can do some damage in the Vintage class!
I was surprised to see that they had not used much of the bike trails,(adopted old Enduro Trails) seems they had used a lot of "old" trails and had made quite a few new ones as well.We may have some new stuff to ride in a few months.( on out mountain bikes)
From our viewpoint in the woods, it looked like the combination of recent rains, cool weather and good trail layout had resulted in a very good Croom Enduro, It's nice to see that even though I and a bunch of other ex Suncoast members ( Robert Possehl, Richard Lovely, Harrold Ward, Tumbleweed Meatball, Jack Terrell, Danny Ward, Bob Gibson, Dennis Seburn ,etc) aren't doing it anymore it still turned out to be a really good event.
I'd like to thank Lionel for use the KTM 380,Paul Seburn for the helmet and shoulder pads and Adam Hernendez for the pants and jersey... sorry I could not do the bike and gear justice.
Frank Truluck
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