Hello, TT Off-Roaders !

[Dwight_Rudder]

I am not sure if I deserve this honor but I will give it a go. I am Dwight Rudder, I will soon be 49 years old and when you are reading this I will probably be headed to the Nat'l Enduro in Michigan. I have been racing for 33 years. I saw the movie "ON ANY SUNDAY" which was to become quite the influence on my direction of racing. I was so impressed by Malcolm Smith and how serious he took the ISDT that I decided that was my goal in life was to ride the ISDT. I even wrote Malcolm "Fan Letters" to which he sent me picture post cards. I rode my first Enduro ,1971 on a 1969 Yamaha AT-1 125 Enduro in Brent Alabama. I barely finished. My next race was the Gobbler Getter Enduro still held every November at Maplesville, AL. My goal was just to finish every race no matter how tough it got. You can't win if you don't finish.

Sometime in 1972 I bought and started racing a Yamaha CT2 175 Enduro. I lucked up and won 1st place with my first trophy. I rode several enduros and lots of Hare Scrambles for the next couple years. I graduated H/S in 1973 and went to Daytona to attend Mechanics school at American Motorcycle Institute ( AMI ). I bought a Penton Jackpiner while there and after I graduated and was working in Montgomery, AL it traded my Yamaha CT2 for a Hodaka 100B+ to play with. I rode my first Nat'l Enduro in 1974 and my first ISDT qualifier in 1975, Fort Hood, TX. By now I was riding a Penton Six Day 125. Not having a pit crew, I was awed by the likes of Dane Leimbach who volunteered to have the Penton pit crew pit for me. I was in heaven. There I also met Malcolm Smith and he embarassed me by remembering the "Kid" who wrote him fan letters years earlier. We are still friends to this day.

Later that year I was asked by Doug Wilford ( formerly of Penton Imports fame and Famous ISDT rider) then the Manager for HERCULES motorcycles to ride a prototype 7 speed Hercules for them at the Loco Ciento, a high profile ISDT type 1 day event. I tied for second with Teddy Leimbach (Dane's brother ). I continued riding 6 speed Hercules for them till the 7 speed production models came out. I rode all the 1976 ISDT Qualifers finishing 3rd 125cc class. I qualified on my 7 speed Hercules 125 in 1977 to ride the ISDT in Austria but broke my collarbone mere weeks before in an airplane crash ( I used to be a Crop Duster )and couldn't attend. I again qualified in 1978 on a Yamaha IT175 for Team Yamaha factory team but got bumped to put on a SWM rider that didn't quite make it. He was a ISDT VET. Back then the ISDT team list was quite political. I made the team again in 1979 on a Support ride Suzuki PE175. I won a Silver Medal in Germany that year. I dislocated my ankle during the final qualifiers and missed out in 1980 but again made the ISDE team in 1981 (ELBA, Italy ) on a prototype PE125 ( only 193lbs.) I won a Silver again that year. I rode the 1982 ISDE ( Czechoslovakia ) on a Husqvarna 125WR. I tore my ACL in my right knee on day 3 but managed to limp my way through the toughest event of my life. Out of 36 Americans only 8 finished. We almost won the Trophy Team that year. For the next 5 years I mostly concentrated on the Nat'l Enduros. I won Overall A and top 250A class in 1983 on a Husqvarna 250XC. I rode the next couple years on Huskys and KTMs. In 1986 I rode a Kawasaki KDX200 to the Nat'l 200A class Championship. The next year I went back to the ISDE qualifiers at the encouragement from Al Baker on one of Al's modifed XR280s. I went to the Polish ISDE that year and was on Gold Medal time till about 30miles from finish on day 6. I fell over and knocked a hole in my clutch cover. I had to repair this at the gas stop with epoxy and duct tape. I managed to finish with a bronze medal. I went to the French ISDE in 1988 and won a silver medal and the 1989 ISDE in Germany where I won a Gold. All with the help of Al Baker's XR's Only, on XR280 and XR300s.

I concentrated for the next seveal years back on the Nat'ls. I rode XR600s to seveal Nat'l 4 stroke class championships. I rode the 1994 ISDE here in the USA to a Silver on my Honda XR320. I went back to riding the Nat'ls where I have won several more class Championships on XR400s and XR320s. I now ride a 2003 KTM 525EXC. I am the current SrA class (2003) champion. I have won a total of 7 ISDT / E medals and 8 national class championships in Nat'l Enduro and ISDT/E qualiers. I have never been the absolute fastest guy out there but I finish the tough events when everyone else gives up. I hope I can give you answers to the questions you have and maybe I can give you some clues on what to do in certain situations.

I look forward to serving you.

Cher'o,

Dwight

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[PMAUST]

Dwight, welcome aboard! It is awesome of you to take the time to help others. ?

Paul

[Bultaco206]

Good job, Dwight. Congratulations. Hope to see you in Tulsa at the ISDTRR, if I can rearrange my schedule; and at Moster Mountain. ?

[SC_Spode]

Dwight,

If you can help my riding you will certainly be a legend of epic proportions! Or something like that...

Thanks for sharing your time and knowledge. ?

[Wayward Son]

good deal dwight!you are the man for the job!

now,can i use the $.89 a quart oil from the gas station in my $7000 bike? ?

[Bultaco206]

...can i use the $.89 a quart oil from the gas station in my $7000 bike? ?

??

[Dwight_Rudder]

good deal dwight!you are the man for the job!

now,can i use the $.89 a quart oil from the gas station in my $7000 bike? ?

Errrrrrrrrrrrr.....................No ?

[jmw00]

Look forward to reading your post/responses ? I live in Brandon, MS. I was just curious to know if you had ridden on the enduro trails above Canton, in Goodman,MS. I think they held there last race there ,a national, in 97'. A friend of mine's family owns some land there with alot of those trails crossing through. They have been cleared and re-cut and we ride them on the weekends man those are some tuff trails.

[OHVrider]

Hi Dwight congrads and thanks in advance for any and all info you provide to all us slower guys.

BTW: How do you have the suspension setup on your 03 525EXC? I'm coming off a 02 CDale E440 and a 03 YZ450F and I notice the 525 is easier to ride (less hit, more torque), harder to stall, but is more nervous. I'm sure most of that is due to the suspension being setup for a 170 pound rider and I'm not 170. ?

Thanks again,

[DRZ_Dad]

Dwight,

If you can help my riding you will certainly be a legend of epic proportions! Or something like that...

Thanks for sharing your time and knowledge. ?

I second that! cheers on the modship, I look forward to reading your posts, and hopefully applying some of your tips........?

[Guest woodyww]

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[bigbob 901]

Hey Dwight, we are of the same era. I graduated HS in 1972. saw On any sunday and plenty of surf movies back then too. spent most my time in the ocean, but rode a honda 125 back in the day and dreamed of owning one of those penton bikes. I was told by friends back then that the penton 125 could climb straight up the side of a building.. ?

retired from surfing these last few years and Just got back into riding a year ago. Now, I have Dirt Bike fever big time - ride every weekend.

Would appreciate your insights to riding around tight switchbacks - see my post on that subject. also on a different note have you ever riden the Quicksilver national enduro at Clear Creek here in California ever? Watching that event was enough to tell me I'm too old to ride enduros now, but if I was a 20 something again I would GO 4 it!!

"On any Sunday" & "Five Summer Stories" the best dirt bike and surf flicks ever!

[TrailAddict]

way cool ?

[big t]

Dwight, where do you ride now? Or do you still race? We ride down outside of Pontotoc, MS. Maybe we can get a TT ride down there.

[kawidual]

Thanks for helping out here, we can all use some of your well earned advice...!!!

Love the quote. ?

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention

of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body,

but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up,

totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming -- WOW--What a

Ride!

[lilGirl]

I saw the movie "ON ANY SUNDAY" which was to become quite the influence on my direction of racing. I was so impressed by Malcolm Smith and how serious he took the ISDT that I decided that was my goal in life was to ride the ISDT.

I love that movie! We just watched it again last night and Malcolm Smith is definitely a very cool fella.

Thanks for offering to moderate this forum!

[frankstr]

Hello Dwight,

I'm sure I'll have a few ? as soon as I can remember them.?

I'm 45 and have always rode 2 strokes and its been 14 years since i put this body on a bike,I started again last Dec. and with a four stoke ?

One day at a time ,Yesterday is gone , And tomorrow is not here

[DRZCatastrophe]

I saw the movie "ON ANY SUNDAY" which was to become quite the influence on my direction of racing. I was so impressed by Malcolm Smith and how serious he took the ISDT that I decided that was my goal in life was to ride the ISDT.

I love that movie! We just watched it again last night and Malcolm Smith is definitely a very cool fella.

Thanks for offering to moderate this forum!

We just watched it too, last week!! Malcolm is AWESOME.

Thanks Dwight for your time. I just started to ride two years ago, so I need LOTS of help!!

[dirtbikindad426]

Dwight I look forward to your responses. My son and I race desert here in So Cal and we are hoping to be able to use some of the info given in this forum.

Welcome to TT as the newest moderator.

[Dwight_Rudder]

OHVrider, Set your suspension up by the 03-04 model KTM "Golden Rule". What is your weight and maybe I can make a suggestion to what springs to use. OR, Contact Bruce Triplett at www.Brucessuspension.com

He helped me with the rear suspension and I used a Fab Tech kit in the front ( # 1 or # 0 ).

Cher'o,

Dwight