74^th International Six Days Enduro

Coimbra, Portugal

September 13-18 1999

We made it to Portugal on Tuesday and drove straight to Coimbra where the race was going to take place.  We wanted to get our bikes and get started working on them because we were supposed to impound them on Thursday.  First thing we found out was that everything was unorganized.  First the Parc Ferme in Coimbra was only going to be used the first day and every other day we would be in a town called Lousa, which was about twenty five miles away.  The next thing we found out is that the organizers were having a problem where they were going to set up so they were looking for a new spot.  This meant that both the US and the KTM containers couldn’t be unloaded until this was fixed.  We decided to go out and walk some special tests and see how the terrain was going to be.  What no grass tracks?  Usually at six days there are awesome grass tracks, but not this year.  Everything was very dry and dusty and in addition the special tests were graded so there was lots of powder on them already.  There were berms on the outside of the corners from the tractor but they had lots of big rocks in them so they definitely would not be the hot line.  There were only seven special tests for six days of racing so we were going to have to do the same tests over and over so it was apparent that it was going to be ugly.  We got our bikes on Thursday and we were given an extension until Friday at six to have our bikes in impound.   We got our bikes together fine but when we rode them everyone was fouling plugs.  We messed around with the jetting but it ended up being that the gas over there was really bad.  When Brian and I went into impound we both fouled a plug during the sound test. 

Day One

We found out that the 95 octane gas was better than the 98 octane that we already had in our bikes so we drained it in the morning before starting.  Both our bikes started so our fear of fouling a plug on the line the first day was over.  The first section was just a cruise on pavement roads to where we would be racing every other day.  After that we had two loops of about 70 miles.  It started in the lowland area with fireroads and rocky trails.  Halfway through the loop we went up a mountain and had some big hillclimbs and rocky downers.  The riding on the mountain was best because it was windy so the dust was not so blinding.  By the second special test there was a line to go into it because people were waiting for the dust to settle before they started.  Brian was early so he didn’t have any problem but I had a ten minute wait to start the test.  After waiting I knew it was going to be tight into the next check so I hurried.  I made it to the check doing a sixty foot slide with just a couple of seconds left on my minute.  They marked me on my grace so I didn’t loose any points.  Everyone after me had to wait even longer so they were all late, so the check was eventually thrown out and the organizers made us start the tests quicker after that.  After the first day Brian was 25^th in the 125s.  I was 29^th in the 250s.

Day Two

For day two we were riding the same thing that we rode on day one.  It was already torn up and in the special test there were two feet deep dusty ruts that would go on for corners.  The organizers threw out a couple of the toughest section because they were getting really ugly.  We both had a trouble free day and did alright in the special tests.  At the end of the second day I was planning on changing both of my tires.  I finished the rear and started on the front with six minutes left.  I was putting on a brand new front mousse and I started to have trouble with the thing popping out of the tire when I was about three quarters of the way around the tire.  I took the tire off the rim three times and started over but couldn’t get it.  I was out of time so I put the front rim back on the tire without a tire and started to ride to impound.  I was going down a paved road and had to make a left hand corner when I went for my brakes and realized I had not pumped them up and I was coming up fast on a corner with no tire on the front of my bike.  Well I made it around and into impound forty five seconds into my grace minute.  After Brian impounded the organizers made Brian take a drug test.  They had eight rider balloted and Brian was one of them.

Day Three

We had a new course for day three.  We were to have two cross tests that we were timed twice on and two enduro tests that we would be timed once on.  Mileage was about the same with two 70 mile loops. The day started out bad for me.  I started my bike in the morning and right after it started it fouled a plug and died.  We had a river that we had to cross on the way to check one.  Spectators dammed up the river a little to make it interesting.  I actually got off my bike and pushed since we weren’t pressed for time and it made it easier to get through the slick rocks we couldn’t see.  Everything was fine until disaster struck Brian in the second cross test.  About a quarter of the way into the test Brian’s chain broke.  He tried to find it but there was about a foot of dust everywhere on the track and it was gone.  His chase rider, Spildo, ran back and got a chain but when Brian tried to put in on it was too long so he had to get a chain breaker and break the chain in the middle of a special test.  All of this took an extra twenty minutes of special test time which really hurts.  Since that took so long Brian had to ride to the next check wide open to minimize the time he lost.  He ended up dropping an additional fifteen minutes of route points.  The second cross test was also not raced because it was so dusty that someone would have died.  I had a good day and moved up to 22^nd in class.

Day Four

Brian started to have more problems early on day four.  His bike seemed to be losing some power.  He figured he was losing a ring so he had to ride cautiously and get his bike through the day.  This forced him to have to just trail ride the special tests.  I had another good day, changed some air filters, a pair of rear brake pads and both tires at the end of the day.  Brian changed his piston at the end of the day.  At the last check right before the work area he loosened up most of the bolts to the bike.  When he got into the work area he had fifteen minutes so he got to work and tore the top end off and found out the ring got caught on the exhaust port.  He put back in a single ring piston because it is easier to change and was tightening up the bolts when he was told that he was on his grace minute.  He threw the pipe over the handlebars and started running for impound.  It was too far away and he ended up losing one route point. 

Day Five

It rained overnight so the dust was finally gone.  The traction was perfect and where there used to be two feet of dust powder there was now a loamy berm.  Brian finished putting his bike together in the ten minute work period and  his bike started on the first kick.  Soon thereafter he realized that his bike had no power and realized that his power valve must not be hooked up.  That put Brian on trail pace once again and he said that it was like riding a fifty.  On the way to the first check there was a really gnarly section.  We went down this hill that was full of switchbacks so tight we had to stop and pull the back end around to make the turns.  From there we went into this town and had to ride down this set of stone stairs that had a dog leg turn half way down.  In the morning it was wet so it was best to walk it but after that you could squeeze down the stairs.  After that we went into a really rocky creek bed.  There were lots of spectators and some tricky spots.  The special test changed completely with some rain.  They were actually fun to ride this time and the rocks are not so bad when you can see them ahead of time.  I had a good day and put in consistent tests and finished 17^th in the 250 for the day and 19^th in class after five days of racing.  Brian took his bike apart at the end of the day and hooked up his power valve so he was ready to roll for the last day. 

Day Six

Well we made it to the end now its time to Moto.  The organizers laid out a neat track on the outskirts of Coimbra.  The track was wide and fast with some tabletop jumps and some sandy corners.  The track looked like it was going to be fun.  Then it started to rain. And rain hard.  It got muddy quick.  Brian was in the slow 125 moto so he was determined to smoke them.  He got a fifth place start and immediately passed everyone in front of him.  He came around to the start straight and hit this wide left hand turn pinned in fourth gear, twice as fast as anyone else had gone.  He opened up a little lead but on the third lap he crashed on the fast sweeper.  He got back up and caught up to the leader and tried to pass him back but crashed in the spectator section once again.  He ended up finishing second in the final moto.  I was in the first 250 moto.  I didn’t have too good of a gate pick so going into the first turn I broke early and cut inside.  I ended up with a start between 10 and 15 but got so roosted I had to throw my goggles by the fourth turn.  I settled in but on the second lap I got taken out on the back section of the track.  From there it was just a matter of getting through with the moto.  It got so bad that the moto was not able to be scored so day six was thrown out.  From there we had to get back on our bikes soaking wet and ride 25 miles back to the parc ferme and take our bikes apart and give them back to KTM. 

Brian ended up with a silver medal because of all the problems he had to deal with.  I got a gold medal and finished 19^th in class.  Our trophy team ended up in sixth place behind Finland, Italy, Australia, Portugal and Spain. 

We would like to thank you for helping us, so we could have the opportunity to travel halfway around the world and compete in the ultimate off road event.  It is by far our favorite event because we race against the best riders from around the world in an atmosphere that is completely different from any other event. 

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