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Wednesday's AARP dirt ride report.

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Tom S:
It was our every Wednesday, 'take the day off if you can', dirt bike day to ride local trails within the city limits of Memphis.  George Merrill and I started it about 20 years ago because we owned our own business and couldn't get fired.  Now that George no longer rides dirt bikes, several other business owners join in along with pilots who have the day off and fellow dirt riders who can afford to miss a day of pay.  Through the years the younger guys now call it the AARP ride. 

I was on one of my favorite bikes, my 1992 CR134 Honda.  It's hard to believe that a 24 year old motorcycle can still be competitive against today's super machines, but it is.  It's light, it turns great, it has good brakes, it has great suspension, it has good throttle response, it has good mid-range, and it has good top end.  And, especially, it doesn't tire you out like the big bikes.  When this motorcycle came out it was featured on the cover of Dirt Bike Magazine saying, "At last! A 125 built for hare scrambles!"  I couldn't afford one at the time, but I locked it in my memory until I finally found one at Mike Medicow's Money Now pawn shop about 15 years ago and bought it.  Like the magazine said, it had everything that I mentioned above and more.  I can honestly say, the only thing's I've had done to it is have Fletcher bore it out to 134cc and have the shock rebuilt.

As Bruce reported, Phill, wisely cut his ride short after about 3 miles of good stuff.  Then, Bruce fell victim to the heat, then Brent, then Robbie.  However, after discovering last summer the benefit of wearing a bicycle helmet while riding to chop new trail areas gave me an air-conditioned head, I kept moving rapidly through the woods without heat fatigue trying to get away from the Nonconnah Yeti.  No one believes us, and as usual, we had to wait a while on it to show up. but IT'S OUT THERE!  It's big! It's Green!  It's fast!  And, it's elusive!

You've probably heard me say this before, but I was having the ride of my life.  I was hitting all of my marks, getting good drive out of the corners, making the best of the straights, braking late, and carving the corners with speed.  However, even though I had successfully managed to get away from all of my above, talented competitors I still felt like something was stalking me.  Try as I could, I couldn't shake this thing. So out of desperation I moved to the side of the trail and let the thing around me.  Sure enough, it got around me in a flash, and POOF! It was gone!

Riders, in order of performance and endurance:

Gary R.
Tom S.
Robbie L.
Brent J.
Bruce L.
Phill S.

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