Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1544109
22 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com and Darrel Diamond. Several rows back, it was your editor Kurt that lined up on the B-Open line aboard my dear departed friend Howie's '82 Husky 430 WR, a bike that's treated me incredibly well in Post Vintage compe on. Although I did ride the property a fair amount the previous day, I rode it on a modern bike, my KTM 350 XCF. With a dead engine start and a le side kick, my start out of the gate could have been be er, but a er passing a few slower riders, I se led into a nice, comfortable groove and began to warm up to the course. As one who prefers ght, technical riding over breakneck speeds, I greatly enjoyed the ght sec ons and appreciated the flowy singletrack. Howie's big- bore Husky made short work of the root-infested steep climbs and faster stretches that ran alongside and crossed a riverbank, then out to a beau fully groomed motocross track. It had been 4 months since my last race, and my fitness, or lack of it, was a bit of a concern before lining up at the gate. Fortunately, I held up be er than expected and experienced no arm pump. Speaking of which, last season, I'd mounted a set of Twisted Engineering composite handlebars, and they work wonders at reducing vibra ons transferred to the hands from the old big-bore 2-stroke. It was a er the first lap that I re- ally felt comfortable with myself and the bike becom- ing one. For those who can relate, it's a magical place indeed! By lap three, there were no surprises, and I poured it on to the best of my ability, passed those whom I could, and smiled when Fred Hoess lapped me halfway into the third lap. Taking pleasure in ge ng lapped might seem odd to some, but racing with the likes of Fred, Terry, and others who have competed at the highest levels of off-road compe on is an honor to me. Watching these men literally float through the woods, picking lines that I never would have imag- ined, is a genuine treat for me. It's a rare occurrence when I'm disappointed to see the checkered flag, and my race on Saturday was just that. I was having so much fun that I'd have gladly raced another lap or even two more. Riding on cloud nine, I was screaming with excitement at my friends in the scoring tent. As one who's raced countless vintage events over the years, I believe Saturday's course at Firewater was the best cross-country course I've ever ridden! Suzy Moody Suzy Moody