Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1366987
The morning race consisted of Vintage and Histor- ic classes running together. Old Honda SLs, several Pentons, Bultacos and Huskys were prevalent. What surprised me was the amount of "Frankenbikes" on the scene. Crea ons such as an XL 350 powered early 70s Husqvarna, along with a '73 Honda CR250 Elsinore fi ed with a four-stroke caught my eye. Even more surprising is how well they went. Smooth and steady, as smooth as you can imagine with only four inches of travel. My ride of choice was my dear old friend Howie's '82 Husqvarna 430WR. Howie's family has been very generous in le ng me enjoy his bikes while keeping his memory alive. As for me and the big 430, we've become great friends over the last three seasons. Unlike other vintage mounts I've raced, Howie's 430 has never tried to kill me. As for the course, it consist- ed mostly of what I'm used to, rocks and roots, with thankfully, li le mud. As for the unfamiliar, riding coal would be it. I've never ridden in coal, and as you'd ex- pect with an event called the Anthracite, coal was in abundance. Coal dust the consistency of sand mixed in with lumps the size of so balls, some even odder shapes and buried in the black silt lurking to catch a rider off guard would be interes ng. Entered in Post Vintage Intermediate Open Class, I lined up with my peers in a row of 30-plus bikes. Choosing a gate pick on the far outside would make for the smoothest transi on into a hard 90-degree turn that dumped us into a quick le and straight up a loose rocky hill that led into the single-track. The first lap was a bit unnerving as I remembered Dave Kutskel telling us all to stay inside the ribbons since it could easily result in a helicopter ride if one ventured outside of the tape. Same with the big red X's. If there was an X, danger lurked imme- diately behind it. No kidding. As I ripped the big Husky through that sec on, I couldn't help myself and glanced over the edge. I resisted the urge from then on. Be er off not knowing some mes. With the first lap under my belt, I grew comfortable with the course and gave it my all. I'll be honest, racing vintage on that 430 Husky is like chea ng. Those Swedes sure got it right with their design on this one, and being a 430cc 2 stroke, it's got torque for days. Short shi and a gear or two high seems to be the sweet spot. Once the pack spread out, I let the bike do its thing. With li le illusion of speed, I felt I was crawling at a snail's pace only to pass a slower rider at a pre y good clip.