Baja 1000 and the BRP - XR650R

[Koko Azuela]

Hey guys, I'll bite. It's all about the money, thats why they're racing the X, they're trying to sell their over priced cheap peace of tin. Let's see that wimpy 450 make 1000 miles stock lik eyou can on a 650. BRP guys, I'll be rooting for you just so Honda feels like they're the stupidest people ever.

Go

4X

304X

307X

And anyone else out there racing a 650, especially TT'ers

I'm not racing but i am chasing for 300x and 316x, both teams on 650's!!!

See ya at the finish line Tim!!!

Good luck to all!!!

[JohnnyAirtime]

Kirby is riding the first couple hundred miles. A friend of mine Steve S. is the final couple hundred miles on the same bike - 4x.

Aaron Tuck is on the 12x bike, also a 650R. I'd bet with a decent ride they'll end up around 7th OA.

Thanks Doc... and Morto....

21 huh? Man... I wondered how some of these guys kept fresh. It's the age. They aren't 38 yet!!

... this Sunday is another d38 race, with Tuck and Kirby possible pre-running... it'd be nice to be chasing Corfman solo. Or, without so much pressure. My training hasn't been too religious... okay... none at all.

... and my thoughts on those 450X motors is NO TITANIUM to make the 1000 miles... stainless and steel for valves will make the mileage. Trust me... my X's Ti valves didn't last too long, but I tend to ring it out often. 450X is a 2 stroke right?!

I wish I could make the 1000 and watch sum!! Man... darn work!

?

[doc8m]

Thanks Doc... and Morto....

21 huh? Man... I wondered how some of these guys kept fresh. It's the age. They aren't 38 yet!!

... this Sunday is another d38 race, with Tuck and Kirby possible pre-running... it'd be nice to be chasing Corfman solo. Or, without so much pressure. My training hasn't been too religious... okay... none at all.

... and my thoughts on those 450X motors is NO TITANIUM to make the 1000 miles... stainless and steel for valves will make the mileage. Trust me... my X's Ti valves didn't last too long, but I tend to ring it out often. 450X is a 2 stroke right?!

I wish I could make the 1000 and watch sum!! Man... darn work!

?

nice race. fyi, i was the grey beard in the red rescue jersey who gave you thumbs up at a couple check points yesterday. also, in case anyone's interested, #50, on the kx500, that was my son on the bike that got fried twice in the last couple times out, resleaved, rejeted, and still running after 100+ miles at race speed. Whoopee and thanks to assorted contributers of sleaving and jetting info! doc8m

ps don't worry about 38, you'll be much faster at 58

[JohnnyAirtime]

nice race. fyi, i was the grey beard in the red rescue jersey who gave you thumbs up at a couple check points yesterday.

ps don't worry about 38, you'll be much faster at 58

NICE... I remember ya! Can't miss the beard! Thanks for the support.

...and nice number on your son! #50, and I'm #50F.

I wish'em luck for next race... I wondered who else was on a Greenie.

?

[JohnnyAirtime]

I mean I can see why Honda is doing it. They want to prove the 450 can run with the big dogs--can BEAT the big dogs.

Not prove it... It's because they CAN, and the bike CAN.

... nice to see you support Ron, Tim, and crew... They should do well.

COSMO... where's those updates?!??!

[BWB63]

Jimmy Sones SOLO'd the Baja 1000 and came in 10th in the Pro Class on his XR650R. 65th over all. I can't find Barnum anywhere.

[Chopp]

According to this link: http://race.off-road.com/race/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=386779

The top 15 bikes go like this:

1. CRF450X

2. CRF450X

3. XR650R

4. XR650R

5. XR650R

6. XR650R

7. CRF450X

8. CRF450X

9. XR650R

10. XR650R

11. CRF450X

12. XR650R

13. KTM EXC525

14. BMW HP2

15. CRF450X

[gaspipe]

Jimmy Sones SOLO'd the Baja 1000 and came in 10th in the Pro Class on his XR650R. 65th over all. I can't find Barnum anywhere.

I haven't found anything on Barnum either. Hope he's OK.

[RingKingPin]

Me too. Rob Barnum is a cool guy and my homie. I know he was riding a Husky this year. Hope he's doing OK.

[hill5150]

Me too. Rob Barnum is a cool guy and my homie. I know he was riding a Husky this year. Hope he's doing OK.

Rob is good people, he just built my 680 2 weeks ago, his new Husky looked ready to go, he finished quite well:

308X P30 Robert Barnum 06:41:25 start time 06:12:49 End 23:31:24 Total Average 30.131

[BWB63]

Rob is good people, he just built my 680 2 weeks ago, his new Husky looked ready to go, he finished quite well:

308X P30 Robert Barnum 06:41:25 start time 06:12:49 End 23:31:24 Total Average 30.131

That would put him close to 31st place over all. They had him down in the Open Pro Class (MPA) Solo at first, he would have come in 4th in that class. In the MP3, Age 30+ Pro Motorcycle that would be 4th or 5th for that class.

They have it tthis way right now:

* * H. Ueno 308x MP3 11/16 06:44:46

* * R. Barnum 17x MPA 11/16 06:35:21

[motochris]

We finished 7th in Class 30. XR650R. Bike was strong the whole way.

[motochris]

Yea....I'll be a finisher at the Baja 1000 when PIGS fly.

[Clayman]

My estimation of things...

Johnny C. didn't have anything to do with not racing a 650R. I'm betting it was a Japan decision, not corporate America.

I bet they were 100% ready to prep an R and an X up 'till the last minute.

I can totally see why they'd do it (race the X) seeing that they do not have stiff competition from another brand. They have super reliable and super fast X's and they know they can still go 1-2 OA.

They have the right to be confident, they're good at this, and Baja racing is super important to Japan.

They'll put to rest the reliability issues talk (or at least make the talk really interesting).

And what IF at the last minute (meaning a month ago) there ended up being a team entered that could give 'em a run for 1st? Precision Concepts could build a 650R OA bike in 2 days for the 1x Henge/Cody/Childress team.

Then they'd leave the 6x Bell/Norman/JC team on an X.

They'd easily have any other brand with any riders covered that way.

The forecast I see is 6x taking the OA with 1x a close 2nd, both 450x's.

I'll be eating my words of a few months ago when I said "a 650r will win it OA".

Of our 4-rider team on the 650R #307x we have 3 guys who've Finished 2nd OA in SCORE Baja events and 1 guy who's got a 3rd OA to his name.

We're older and slower and not as preparred as the Team Honda guys.... but we're on a bike we believe in and we like.

I'm not being negitive, just realistic, as this will be my 20th Baja 1000 and know how things go down there.

Let's hope for a clean trouble free ride!

Tim

I was under the impression that Johnny Campbell was retired from racing for the most part and was just going to manage the Honda team? Then I heard he got on the bike only because one of the other riders got injured, but I guess that wasn't right either.

If not retired, why did they split he and Steve Hengeveld up? I was bummed to see Johnny race and lose his record....

[gaspipe]

We finished 6th in Class 30. XR650R. Bike was strong the whole way.

Great run, MC!

[Mudshark]

Yea....I'll be a finisher at the Baja 1000 when PIGS fly.?

Oh pigs can fly..... no problem, good ride !!

[BWB63]

A friend of ours, Jimmy Sones, participated in this year’s Baja 1000 race.

Here is some stuff from those that pitted on Mr. Sones.

He decided he was going to ride the race alone. Solo. All through the dust choked day and the black moonless night, at top speed, down 1,051 miles over some of the most treacherous ground God saw fit to sprinkle on the planet.

They call solo riders the Ironman class.

And Jimmy was out to set a new standard of what it means to be an Ironman. He came #1 Ironman

Along the way he had to overcome a barbed wire booby trap that tore off his shift lever and ripped out his catheter and a 30 minute pit-crew-enforced delay to recover his strength and warm up after a bone chilling ride through the wee hours fog.

You can see how he did at:

There are some additional images of our pit in Album Twelve at:

http://www.hackneys.com/mitsu/index-buildup-photos.htm

Shots from the 2005 race are at:

Bikes: http://www.hackneys.com/photos/05/11/Baja-Bike/2005_Baja_Bike/index.htm

Trucks: http://www.hackneys.com/photos/05/11/2005_Baja_trucks/index.htm

Shots from the 2004 race are at:

http://www.hackneys.com/photos/2004-Baja1k/2004_baja_1000.htm

[BWB63]

Who's Pre-Running the Baja 500?

Gene Lane is going down...anyone else?

[dino2000]

Headed south on the 24th. Staying @ our place in Bajamar.

Dino

277X

[JackAttack]

Gene Lane is going down...anyone else?

Gene Lane owes me a beer.....

Tell him I will be looking for him pre-running the week before the race.