It was the fall of 2014, and I had been at a Flat Track event, somewhere outside of Mound House, NV when coming back I spotted her.

Off the side of the road was a 1989 YZ490 for sale. Worn out by a life of Nevada desert offroad treachery and zero maintenance, I drug the disaster home.

I spent a year tinkering on it to get it in a semi-restored state so I could use it at the dunes. Her and I, we went through a lot of whiskey together, maybe too much.

Among the restoration, there was the matter of the Mikuni carburetor. The bowl leaked because of a busted off screw, and the floats and float valve need anew. Parts ordered, no issue. Sudco delivered, I myself, did not. I finished up my drink, put my glass down and the Mikuni back on board the 490.

My issues became apparent upon the 3rd kick, when the bike I now have named  “Ping” came to life…she was idling happily for a moment, and then, it happened.

My finger-tight float bowl nut had been loosening a tiny bit with every detonating stroke of the engine. Then, unknowingly as I sat aboard her, the float bowl nut hit the ground beside my foot, and the engine uncontrollably screamed to the moon at 10,000 rpm.

It was dieseling; the kill button wouldnt work, and I was on asphalt in a parking lot full of cars. A clutch drop was not an option. She screamed and ping’d and screamed until it all came to a very quick and quiet ending.

Siezed. So much for a fresh rebuild. It was time to pour another drink, and do an illustration for a Print. Here’s to Ping, the detonation king.

-ds

Ever had one of those bikes that just gave you an absolute refusal for starting? Almost like you are wearing a target, and its aiming at getting the best of you, to the point you’re inventing and combining new four letter words?

Oh, you know what I’m talking about. Those bikes that wear a kickstarter with that rubber “traction” device worn out? Or, maybe by the reminder of a trashed insole on favorite boots? It may be a pile of spent breathing enhalers in the corner of the shop as you gasp for air.

Sometimes it’s not about overexertion and repetition. Its about Fear. With other, more cantankerous bikes, a man must embrace a significant amount of scare tissue on their shin to succeed.

On downstroke to the unknown, your clinched teeth and puckered butt await a strange kick-back or other violent backfire-fueled, compression-released reaction.

This print, my friends is a tribute to all that sends you over the bars, blows your knee out, aggravates asthma, and scrapes epidermis from your lower limbs in the hopes of riding glory.

——-

I myself own a few bikes that bite. The 1975 Kawasaki H1 and the left kick on the 1972 Suzuki Titan 500 can keep you on your toes. The 1989 YZ490 is one of my bikes that requires a stiff boot and a good knee brace. 

-ds

It was November 2016, one last good trackday for the season was before us. So, we jumped in a borrowed motorhome as the race trailer pushed us away from Reno, up over the Sierras to Thunderhill Raceway.

My buddy Shakes651 borrowed Jbro’s hammered CBR600, which we later named DeadPool (he claims its an R6, but why would you paint it red, Jeff! yes. Deadpool). This POS is 90% bailing wire and speed-tape, with more wrinkles in its decals than Grandpas scrotum. It was very apparent that this thing had been though more than a few track tornados, looking sexy, sketchy and missing parts… some noticeable (front fender) and some not.

Pushing it to tech was not only an embarrassment for Shakes (a well groomed and dressed motocrosser), but also a torment of pain as the fiberglass splinters from the shrouds worked their way into his jeans on the push.

Shakes rolls Deadpool through tech, and, after visual scrutiny of the track day organizers, IT PASSES! but wait…

Back at our pit, while applying chain wax the shocking discovery was made: He passed tech and it was missing 2/3d’s of the Chains Master Link!

Speaking of missing, Shakes missed his first track session that day. But, after roaming the pits and making new friends, we found a Master Link, and found a good idea for a T-shirt Design.