Welsh 2 Day Enduro 2011

More info here on the W2D Website or direct to the Results

Other Year's reports: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004

Photos by Tony and Ben Falconer

Photos by Colin Jones

Photos by Morgan Scrivens

 

A second look at the results reminded me we have 2 superb performances from Sporting Members with Nigel Smith/Richard Smith 4th in the Sidecar Experts and Jon Hinam who came 5th in the Championship class.

Also just interrogated Huw to find that Morgan Scrivens was the real photographer but his Camera may be replaced by Handlebars soon. Also, scan on down for the Vess report if you haven't already.

I filmed at the first and last test and you can now watch the short version on Vimeo, It should show up halfway through Ben's report. The full 40 minute version with Jon Hinam and the championship contenders is on DVD for anyone to scrounge from me.

Darren Thomas captured the action for our local lads at the MX Test on video, it should be on the right. Also, further down, he watched the experts and championship riders come through and caught that high flyer Danny McCanney.

Ben's Twinshock Report

FOR six years, on and off, Team Falconer has threatened to bring a Bultaco Frontera to the Welsh but it's never quite happened.

This year we did. I put the entry in and after a lot of work, advice and a fair bit of testing, we put a bike on the line that I was confident had a good chance of a finish. New electrics and a Mikuni carb set up well were the main reasons for at least some confidence.

All went well off the line – it started second or third kick and managed the Church Farm test fairly well. I did wait a little while at one deep ditch, as I didn't fancy getting a lefthand kickstart bike stuck. Waiting for a modern bike to cut a groove seemed like a plan but was spoiled by another rider piling in and getting it stuck.

Welsh 2 Day veteran Arthur Walton kindly lifted a tape for me, and I was away. He later told me that bike was stuck there 10 minutes. As it turned out I should have had more confidence in my bike as it ran sweet through the test. Then no sooner had one of Gavin Bailey's mates overtaken me than he dumped it near the end of the test. I'd overtaken another rider!

The road run to the Irfon Forest check was lengthened on the Tarmac after Llanwrthl Rhos was cut out, and the bike settled down nicely. So you can imagine my disappointment when it started to die going up the steep hill at the start of the Irfon.

Every time it encountered gradient, it bogged. Initially I thought it was game over but I figured I knew the check well, I'm here for 2 days and there's loads of marshals – so carry on. It did clear and I picked up the knack of how to make it sing on the main jet and made it to Strata where another rider pointed out my silencer was loose, just as I was about to set off. Lesson learned – check fasteners regularly!

I was dreading Strata and was greeted at the first crossing by at least half a dozen KTMs being pumped out. Blimey.

There's no way round them so guided by a marshal, I paddled through water which was well up to the knee. Just as I pulled out of it, the bike conked out. Again, I thought 'that's it' but I thought I'd give it a boot anyway – and it went!

The bothy crossing looked dreadful but I followed EnduroNews' Bob Mullins' line to the last inch and the Bulto made it. How can a bike with a rudimentary air intake, that's almost a foot lower than modern kit get through? There was a lot of bikes being pumped out at many crossings but the Bulto did the lot.

Gavin Bailey, who'd ventured up specially to fuel, met me at the rally school. His idea of 'doing the fuelling' rivals a few works teams. Goggles cleaned, he equipped me with a J cloth (works brilliant in an emergency on goggles on the going), various food and drink, adjusted the chain and popped a new bolt in the side panel. Top job.

The windmills check was a blast but the bike was starting to play up more uphill.

Drew filled her up for the road run from Llangurig to Rhayader.

Still, I did the Rhayader motox test after fuelling with Angela (the Bulto used a fair bit) and headed off. Tank leaking, Darren's advice was to give it a big handful to use up the fuel, as the crack was near the top.

The game was up pretty soon in to the tight check before Abbey cwm Hir, despite some expert fettling from a travelling marshal who turned out to be European grasstrack champion Clayton Williams of Willpower Racing only a few miles down the road from RTS who'd brought the bike on leaps and bounds only a few weeks before. Clayton reckoned it still might have had too big a main jet and was flooding when given a big handful. He did also find a big lump of cack in the float bowl.

Game over – but not quite. I took the road to the Abbey test, and after Gavin spotted a fair bit of blue paint in the fuel filter, he and Dad whipped it off. Again, it ran better, and on the flat grassy corners, the Bulto is a gem. But still it bogged uphill.

I rode it back to Llandrindod, and put it in the parc ferme but decided to go easy on the bike and watch on day 2. Still, I had the chance of a lie-in in the 'suite' which Anthony and Mike so kindly let us have...

The tests at Rhayader and Church Farm were spectacular in their own ways. With the West Glos crew, and Buster Griffin's family, we witnessed Danny McCanney's big air at the motox track. Though probably due to a big spill at the top of the track, it wasn't as big as Thursday's leap, which Darren captured. (There should be a vid clip near here.)

Church Farm turned nasty just in time for the arrival of the experts. Wet mud on hard ground made for a cracking spectacle. Mike Wells showed 'em how it's done, as Anth got Mike Allen in his sights. Second placed twinshock Jason Fraser didn't appear to have too much trouble though – he and winner David Brick lost only 3 minutes overall and would have been the top 2 in the clubman E2! Of the 25 twinshocks down to start, nine finished.

Comedian Ross Noble tiptoed round near the back like many others, gamely carrying on after a DNF on day 1 on a KTM 450.

Thanks to our fuellers once again for a magnificent effort, and for various services rendered my title sponsor (Dad), Sam Wilson, Haines & Co (not least for use of a fly wheel puller when Electrex couldn't be arsed to send the right one), Pete Neale, Jerry Walters, Neil Hannam, Glyn Jones, and Peter Kite.

The Vess report

Wednesday

Rolled up to the lakeside early afternoon, took the Gasser around for scrutineering and met up with Mike, Pete, Anth, Mickey, Ben and Tony. Spent the next few hours walking the 3 tests at Church Farm, Abby-cwm-hir and the Rhayader MX track. They all looked dry and rideable. How we smiled! Then back to Penybont for food and a few beers.

Thursday

Woke in the night to sound of rain.

Stopped smiling.

The rain had also finally stopped by the time we left, but the prospect of a wet Church farm test was a bit depressing. A cold ride on the road from the start and straight into it. As it turned out, it was very greasy but not impossible, so I wobbled steadily around and was just grateful to get out without any trauma. There was then a bit of road work before a nice bit of forestry and down to Beulah for fuel. A wet Irfon forest is not something to look forward to, but even after the rain, this was surprisingly dry and very good going.

West Glos Riders from Colin Jones on Vimeo.

Next came Strata Florida. The water splashes were much deeper than expected, and there were dozens of water soaked bikes receiving attention by the deeper crossings. Water filled boots necessitated a boot emptying and sock wringing session at the refuelling at the rally school.

Road took us to the next check, and then a nice forest ride past the wind turbines and on to Sweet lamb.

The next bit of road to the Rhayader test is just boring, but the test made up for it - a mix of the enduro test and part of the MX track. A top-up of fuel and then a bit more road to the next forest check. This proved to be more than a little bit tight - I don't think anyone stayed clean on time - a deliberate effort by the CoC to make sure the event wasn't decided entirely on the special tests (a good thing I think) - long, relentless, but actually great fun. This meant that by the time the test at Abbey-cwm-hir was reached, energy reserves were a little low, so although conditions were excellent, a steady ride around was all that I could manage. There was then just a few miles of moor and forest and then road back to the Lakeside and the Park Ferme.

Not too many beers at the Penybont as it had been a long day.

Friday

No rain!

The Abbey test was quite pleasant, and then I went and lost a couple of mins in the tight check again.

I think I got a bit more air on the table-top at Rhayader,.

The Tarenig check used more of the real good going by the turbines.

The water had dropped by at least a foot across Strata Florida.

And the Irfon check was a thoroughly good ride.

But then the skies darkened and it started to spit with rain, so it was a bit of a dash to get back to Church Farm to do the test again before it turned horribly unrideable. Doing this test again right at the end was a bit of a sting-in-the-tail, but then enduros are supposed to be hard aren't they!?

There was much merriment in the bar and restaurant that night, and as it was my birthday I got a sparkler in my Chocolate Sundae - woooo!!

Thanks to all our helpers, to Drew, to Angie, to Gavin, for fuelling, for enthusiastic goggle-cleaning, for feeding and watering, and to Steve for chasing me into the Beulah petrol station after I whizzed past him waiting in the van, stars all of you.

Picture Quiz

But wait, there is more. I took this shot of what was supposed to be Ashley Wood railing the ruts in front of our club president Roy Breakwell, when in the top of the viewfinder I spotted who? Well that's what I'm not sure of. It could have been one of the Eddys. Can anyone identify who? or is it just some more mud from Ashley's roost? We have a Winner - Si Ellway recognised Greg Evans on the KTM