A couple of days ago (June 15th) I raced at LTM Offroad (www.ltmoffroad.com) for the second time this year. I was ready to do some things on this track that I wanted to do the first time I raced there but didn’t. This time I raced 2 classes, +30B and the 250D class. The +30B class had over 8 riders in it and the 250D class had 7. One of those seven was a KTM 520, more about that later. This time, at this track, I was able to do some doubles and clear some table-tops and make it to the top of a step-up jump. None of these had I done back in May!

In Moto 1 of the +30B, I once again got too much traction off the line and pulled a big wheelie. So I end up at the back of the pack and took a lot of roost. I ended up ducking my helmet to block the roost and lost a lot of time doing that. I only ended up passing one guy and that was my buddy Joe. He rides a YZ250F and is about 30lbs lighter than me. I tried to catch him in the corners but couldn’t. This is because of my riding ability not because of the X440S. Finally, in a long-section in lap 2 or 3 I was able to motor by him over a jump and take the inside corner to get passed him. After that I never looked back and pushed as hard as I could. Again the bike is performing great and only my riding ability is hampering my progress. Not once all day did I do anything on the bike that scared me. This thing just instills confidence and makes trying new things very easy and enjoyable! I’m still not very good in the whoop sections. By the end of the day my kidneys were begging me to stop riding! I’ve got to get the confidence to let the Ohlins do there thing and just ride over the top of those whoop sections, right?

In Moto 1 of the 250D class (the 2nd race after my +30B) I started getting a little worried. I had just enough time to get to my pit and get a drink of water before heading back to the line. I tried starting the bike several times but no go. I was really starting to worry now. This moto had 3 drops in it and the first drop was already positioned and waiting for the last rider to get of the track from the previous race. I sat in the shade behind the starting gate and hoped that the bike would start when I had to get on the line. I ended up taking my helmet off and leaning down to blow air into the engine area in hopes of doing something to help it start. The time had come, the first two drops were gone and I had about 30 seconds before my start. I said a quick prayer touched the green button and success! I still didn’t have my starting technique down and was the last one to the first corner. This paid off in the second corner though. The leader was taken out by a guy who forgot to bolt his seat back on after checking his air filter before the race started! He got knocked down in the middle of that 2nd corner. Because I was so far behind I had plenty of time to go wide and avoid him. The next thing I see is a Yamaha YZ seat in the middle of the track. I avoid it and made my way of a couple of doubles (singled ‘em) and a tunnel jump and table top. I then passed a guy on a Yamaha without a seat! In the next corner I see one bike climbing up the right rear side of the bike in front of him. They both went down and I went wide and passed them. All right! Not even halfway through lap one and I’ve passed 4 riders! Ok, maybe it wasn’t me or the Cannondale but I’ll take luck any day! After all that commotion I settled in and maintained my 3rd place position for a little while. At the end I finished 4th and felt good about how I rode and how the X440S was performing. After this motor I parked my bike in the pits and took of the seat, radiator shrouds and number plates in hopes of getting some air to the engine to let it cool. As hot at the motor felt I don’t remember hearing anything from the radiator itself.

Moto 2 of the +30B was pretty much the same result as the first one. I was last to the first corner and 2-3 laps into the race I paced my buddy Joe on his YZ250F and finished 7th. As soon as I pulled of the track I shut off the bike and walked it back to the pits to try and let it cool as much as possible before the next moto. I didn’t even try to start the bike for the next moto until I had to get on the line and I didn’t have any problems with it starting.

Moto 2 of the 250D was the bright spot of my day. I was determined to get a good start and I actually did. In fact, I was leading the pack to the first corner until the KTM 520 barely got in front of me on the inside within a few feet of making that left hander. Because I was carrying so much speed and that the track was really dry I made a wide arc to make the turn and was 3rd into the second corner. I rode as hard as my battered 36-year old body could and only got passed by one guy during the race and finished the race in fourth. On the last lap the KTM 520 spun out in front of me at the finish line (white flag lap) and I got by him. Knowing he was behind me and trying to catch me I went as fast as I felt comfortable going but 4-5 turns later he finally got me on the inside again and got past me. The best thing about the day was that overall I finished 3rd!

I really feel that the X440S is a great bike to begin MX racing on. The power is friendly but strong and the suspension really helps a beginner get familiar with the handling characteristics of motocross.

Hopefully, my next race will be July 13th at this same track and then July 20th I’ll be going back to Planet X-treme. On the 20th, I’ll be taking my 6-year old to compete in his first race on a 50cc automatic. I’m looking forward to it!

Take care!

Troy