Drakie’s Observations from Harrow on Sunday...

Following on from Drakies report in the Victorian Vinduro Newsletter #5, here's a list of candid comments made by Drakie after the event...

• Chris Cater had a ball on my Maico and claimed he ‘couldn’t have ridden faster on my modern’ around the sand and scramble ‘special tests’. He did six laps. Respect. The last one had any passing rider trying to kick it back into life after it stalled. He was so stuffed and he wore out three other riders who stopped to help. Plug lead pulled out of the cap. He fell down in the off camber rocks but luckily threw himself under it. That would have been amusing to watch. No brakes at all after lap two
  did it. I don’t know how he persevered.
• Lanky laconic legend Laurie Alderton cruised around without any trouble criss-crossing the ruts and taking his time. His Maico hadn’t been started since last year’s event, but ol’ faithful made it. It
  might be due for a little TLC now.
• Neil Bayliss’ mint 1983 Maico Spyder 250 was a delight to ride (and ogle) according to Dave Hammond who lent out his own 250 to a few select riders; well, me and Steve Baker, and it got a good thrashing. Ok, Dave was so goddamn fast on the thing it wouldn’t have mattered and he commented if it made it through this weekend he’d be surprised. That would have to be the strongest 250 motor I’d ridden in a while. Combined with the legendary stability it really encouraged you to go nuts. Not so good in the tight stuff though.
• The immaculate Tremayne Maicos of Terry and Darcy had a few little problems but they got them sorted eventually.
• Greg Hewitt got drafted into Team Maico NSW and did a good job playing the supporting role.
• Team Maico fell apart after Paul Stackers no-show and Juz opted for his mid-80s 125 Husky and towed newbie Sean Jarvis around on his 1979 125 until Sean had enough. Ah, kids these days. Watch for Juz Jnr in the future as he hasn’t made the age limit yet.
• The Bus Boyz were back in town but reduced in size to last year. Young Jnr & Snr with Darren made up the team with Steve Taylor on a trip to the Cape. Cohorts Steve Walker and Colin Watts arrived Sunday but were too relaxed to push the laps.
• Team 66 (1966, their DOBs) pulled the pin before the event as a big trip they planned needed all their attention but then surprised me by showing up at the pub on Saturday night. Then Chris Ross injured himself and threw out the timetable. Alex Waterhouse kept himself injury free this time with dad Mark showing him around. Luffy, what happened?
• Team New South Wales of John Reeks, Mike Harding and Rob Langlands were hooking until John’s little DT175 cried ‘enough’. No wonder with all the trail work and the absolute thrashing it got on Saturday, with him and Steve Baker cutting each other up. It was a hoot to watch though. John has since bought two PE175s to challenge Steve to a fair fight next year.
• Mike made it to the event on a PE400 before his entry. This fly in, fly out is the life, eh Rory and Rob L?
• How about Clubby from Trailzone Mag driving through the night from Sydney, smashing the van into a wallaby an hour out from Harrow; photographing and recording the event and driving back the same day? Legend!
• The two Time Warriors Ian Holder on the TL Honda and Ron Boekel on a KTM got around quickly. Ron was unfazed by anything being the old pro he is and Ian’s lines through the slop were reported to be clinical and fast. Get a third member for 2012 boys.
• Team MisFitz were in a cruisey mode but got it on during Saturday. Injuries slowed the pioneers a bit and defector Greg Gunn went Italian.
• I loved the fang on the Italian’s Puch (briefly) and SWM (exuberantly) on the sand special test. That SWM has the perfect power and made me realise the Ossa is just a trail bike. Oh well.
• What about Derek Pickard? The Team Wales member pushed his bike out of the Parc Ferme and went home after my riders briefing. Oops, I didn’t mean to scare anyone…
• Ken Creighton travels with his wife to all our events from Mildura and did a commendable three laps on two Bultaco Alpinas. Not the usual terrain for him.
• Team Carlos Mas (Montesa) had Tony DNS so that left Chris Shaw’s original 1984 gem to run with Bruce McIntosh’s recently bought 1976 model. Montesa ownership is a learning curve but Bruce battled on gamely and each did a credible three laps.
• Paul Chapman had his KDX expire before the event but shared with a mate to get his money’s worth.
• Team Penrite Oil’s main mover and shaker Mark Boddy had two teams ‘going for it’ but unfortunate DNFs for him and Craig Faccioni marred the celebrations. The ACT ‘press on’ style was embodied by David Roberts with six laps. At least Team #2 took the title. Congrats to Nathan, Alan and Neil.
• Team Husky NSW recruited Kristen on his WR250 1973 and so Rory Smith and Rob Shoemark had a good shot at the prize. Yes, the same Kristen who helped lay out the course. Hmmm. Justice was restored when his 250 expired and he had to hop onto Steve’s spare PE250. 
• Next year Rob has threatened us with two Husky NSW Teams. Can the Vics rise to the challenge?
• I have to mention that even the Triumphs and Matchless’ didn’t need Aerostart to fire them up. But you sure can’t push start an Auto. Rob had to resort to ‘the can’ to get the beast fired but then the Auto proved itself with Rob just dismissing the bogs and plowing through wherever he liked.
• Having said that, a lot of bikes sounded like autos when grinding through the bogholes. Lots of revs for little motion.
• Clubby couldn’t get his camera out quickly enough when Paul Kalika yanked his Rokon into life on the third tug. Style.
• John “Tex” O’Brien rode the event on a terminal sounding PE 175 with a blown exhaust header gasket. How it didn’t drink in all those swamps I’ll never know. True grit. 
• Team PUVIT = Packenham Upper Vinduro Team, Elvis, you’re a legend. Chris Cormack rode for the first time in a year after breaking his shoulder and toughed it out for a lap for a well deserved bronze. Travis had a reluctant starting KLX and Darron (Elvis) thought his was going to blow anytime but made it.
• Team FBI = Fat Bald Idiots from SA, Ashley, Michael and Mark are keen and get to most events in Vic.
• Team Ironbark I’m yet to work out. Let us know boys. 
• Team Dad’s Army made a return but without the uniforms. Rachelle did well and got around and Joe actually finished this year. Poppy had a turn with the IT but I don’t know how far he got as his health hasn’t been the best lately.
• Congratulations Peter Last and Adam Letts for sticking it out for their first ever taste of dirt biking. They swear they’ll be back.
• Team Tolmie gets the ‘most casual Team Award’. Peter Andrijewski on the old original XL 250 got stuck with no spark in the last big mudhole on Peter Cawland’s place before the refuel. He assured the sweep he’d be OK but as we were packing up the Parc Ferme there came Peter pushing his XL along the town’s backyard trail! Jesus!  He pushed it back over the bridge after getting out of the bog, all along the trail into town! The least we could do is give him our last bottle of wine donated by Tony Tervoert and push him back to camp where none of his mates could be found…
• Tony Tervoert, an absolute legend. Drove especially from the Barossa with a dozen great wines, the BPC Team trophies, covered the event from all angles with his usual professionalism and excellent images, donated free shots for Old Bike Australia mags article I wrote up in the café Monday night and put together a youtube show for us. All this after his car died and needed towing to another town, hitched a ride to it on the Sunday with the ACT boys, drove back to pick up some mags he’d bought and left at harrow and got home in time to get the images up to OBA. Amazing effort. His wine was much appreciated by the local helpers we handed it out to, and the one Merlot I sampled was delicious.
• Where would we be without the CSC’s core of hard workers? Guys, you did an awesome job. You know who you are. 
• Again, props to that man Baker when I got him up at 5pm Sunday to go and cut the final fence in section 3. Friggin’ cold with sidecar racer Steve belting through the dark. Then he wore out the countershaft sprocket in section 1 and hiked back to town for bike #2. Rode all day too.
• Bogged the ute towing a bike out on Sunday but luckily Glenn Southern was with us and he got a lift back into town, got his real 4WD and towed my ute out and then his bike from the swamp.
• Steve got misdirected by Lauchie and bogged the Rhino in the swamp. He hiked back to my ute, drove back to town, got his winch straps, we broke suction by levering the Rhino left and right to get some wood under the wheels and then hand winched the front out of the suction and drove 3 m to a firm patch. Steve then blasted the Rhino out pretty impressively with spray and mud everywhere but mostly on him. “OK” he says “Now we have to unbog your ute” Yep, he’d driven it into the same hole. Bugger. It didn’t look like moving and Lauchie said he’d bogged a horse and cart there once and had to dig the horse out and left the cart there for 3 weeks. Hmmm. We tried from the rear, no luck and from the front it just clawed out ‘full gas’. Phew. 
• Then I bogged the Rhino towing out Steve’s bike. Bummer. The day was long.
•  We stayed at the pub that night and as we were both insomniacs we got up at 4.30 and went out to pull down the ‘special test’ track pegs and bunting before Lauchie arrived. When the sun came up we had one more fence to fix (we did five on Monday) and that was pretty much it. Took a while to pack all our gear up. Handed over the keys and it was goodbye harrow.
• Still getting the remaining silver medals minted guys. Sorry.
• Thanks to ADB guy Alec for his comprehensive coverage. Lets hope it play out well in the mag.
• After it was over, Darren Conroy rode his XR200 through the river. Respect. An IT175 made it but spluttered to a halt on the opposite bank. Dave Hammond tried it on his Maico and water-cooled it properly half way through. Too many holes in the airbox sides he didn’t know about.
• Did anyone else make it? I drove the ute through after freed from a bog as a cleanser and panicked when it nosed under half way across.
• Thanks to Stewart Clissold for the pressure washer service and spare parts availability and his donation to the CSC.