Well, last Monday right before our dunes trip I took the wife out to the track to get some more ride time in and tune the bikes. I spent about an hour tuning the idles and getting them all cleaned up. The wife was riding around having a good time so I finished up my quad and hopped on it.
The dale was roaring wanting to be pushed. So, I hopped on the drag strip and tore it up, dust trail 30 yards long because it was so dry. Well, I have really been enjoying the MX lately and though I would get some small jumps in warming up for the dunes. We usually have jumping contests out there and we have some very competitive fellas in our group.
Note: this is a small track that is really made up for bikes not quads.
Well, I hop onto the track and throw it into 3rd. I am geared down so 3rd can lug pretty good and still pull out of a turn if needed. Well, I line up with a small set of jumps. Its actually 4 tight jumps that if you hit fast enough I am sure you could clear them all but we usually hit 1 at a time. I have been doubling them lately and had a blast. Hit the double doubles just right and pulled out of them nice right into the next turn. I go around the turn and there is a nice jump that all you do is go over the crest and land on the back side. It felt like I was floating. Hit it perfect.
Well, now here comes the big double on the track. We have hit a number of times before since we were heading to the dunes that week I thought I would skip it. So, around the track I go. The majority of the next parts is a lot of curves and another couple jumps were all you do it clear the top and land on the back side of it. One of them is kinda crooked and you feel like you are going to fall off the back side of it. The other one you fly over the top and land on the down slope right at the bottom. Its about 15 ft tall total and is a good smooth jump. My favorite of the track actually.
After about 1/2 the track a banshee falls in behind me. I was going good and of course I am bad competitive so I saw the banshee as a sort of challenge. I hammered it through the sharp turns and small jumps and looked back and he was still there. Grrrrr. I can't let that happen. So on the far backside of the track there is a long straight away with 2 sets of 2 foot high doubles that you have to hit going fast to clear them. We had hit them a number of times before and they had just gotten worn down bad so it wasn't a smooth jump. Seeing the banshee behind me coming out of the turn I figure I can get some distance between us in the straight away with the Dale's speed.
So, I hammer it. I am in mid range 3rd gear hitting the small double. The crest of the jump was gone!!
I was in there air point nose down. All I could do was hang on. I leaned as far back as I could and that nose hit with a thud. The rear of the quad came up and over. Fortunately the quad twisted a little and I pretty much got slammed on my side instead of on top. The quad rolled over me and kept on going. It stopped on all 4s and just sat there. Me on the other hand was laying there feeling like an idiot. I tried to get up but the pain in my hip and legs was way too much. Of course I got a small crowd gathered around me including the kid on the banshee. GRRRRR.... I hate that. I managed to get up and get back on the quad. Busted headlights, cracked quad tech hood, and the handlebars bent down. It fired right up and a crawled back to the truck in shame. Went to the doc the next morning and another was broke. Just bruised up something awful.
Still went to the dunes with everyone. Had a blast. That story will be put up later along with some nasty pics of my back