testing

[willieworld]

At the last meet at El Mirage on Friday morning my friend, who was there as a guest, decided that after having some serious handling problems at Bonneville(we thought that we had found and fixed the problem),that he would test ride the bike on the lake north of the pits. After riding a considerable way away from the pits, he ran the bike up to about 80. Someone ran over to me and told me that he couldn't do that and he would be ejected from the lake and wouldn't be allowed to race. I told him that I had read the El Mirage procedures and that it says that your bike is not officially a race bike until you go through tech and pay. He said that he could show me where it said that in the procedures. I went and motioned for my friend to shut off his bike and we pushed it back into the pits and then I went back and asked the person that had told me that, to show me where it says that in the procedures. And he said that "It doesn't actually say that because a couple of years ago the printers left that part out and its never been put back in".When I got home and read my El Mirage procedures again and sure enough I was right. And the guy that told me that is full of it because on the front of my El Mirage procedures it says  -  revised: March 2007.    So what gives??

Willie Buchta

[JackD]

The area is controlled and policed by the BLM and subject to all the appropriate rules.
Running outside those limitations can bring a lot of rain to your parade.
I have done a number of magazine tests there and always with the appropriate permit , insurance, and other required safeguards.
El Mirage has the highest injury and death rate of any BLM controlled space and if you were to  get hurt, it would reflect poorly on the permitted users.
A closed course competition vehicle is just that and you are covered with respect to liability insurance when you are running within the permitted boundaries and the appropriate rules.
If you hurt yourself or anybody else outside those restrictions and it compromised the ability of SCTA to get a permit, I might really give you some more problems as would a number of others.
I am really a pretty nice guy but with some really sharp edges.
GOT IT ?   

[willieworld]

#1 My friend had a HD roadking street bike - full dresser with fairing, saddlebags, registration, license and insurance and has nothing to do with the SCTA. El Mirage is a off-road vehicle park and you can ride anywhere you want, anytime you like.
#2 My friend is not a member of the SCTA or any club he was only a guest. It was Friday morning and tech hadn't even opened yet.
#3 Why don't they put it in the procedures then if that's the way they want it?
#4 Every time I go to El Mirage to race I go there on Thursday to test.
#5 I also am a nice guy, and as you, have some very sharp edges...
#6 If there is a rule I will abide by it gladly.
#7 Don't piss on my boot and tell me it's raining.

Willie Buchta

[isiahstites]

I have heard it said many times at El Mirage that if it has numbers or placards with numbers it is not to be moved under its own power unless on the race course. They even mention it at rookie o which I assume all guests have to attend.

Scott

[bvillercr]

This procedure was brought to my attention in the 90's, after we did some first and second gear squirts.  I guess going over 150 wasn't such a good thing on a friday when there was no safety crew there or permission to do so?

[isiahstites]

This is the last statment on the bottom of the ELMO procedures.


The BLM allows us to race at El Mirage because we are responsible people who respect the lakebed. It is imperative that each and every one of us polices our campsites and the surrounding areas if we are to continue with our chosen endeavor.

[ol38y]

I'm sure there is more to the story but I thought testing was done on off weekends or days.  

We also have to consider ourselves lucky, I think, SCTA is still allowed to have races at Elmo considering all the other racing venues that have been shut down in the desert. Like it or not some activities have to be minimized for the good of the sport.  

                     Larry

[Stan Back]

Willie --

I'm seeing a lot to all sides of this question.

If, as a "guest" you mean guest entrant, then it's not good to be speed testing because in case of an incident, it would reflect on you and me and the rest of the SCTA.

If he was just a street rider visiting our event, then we could all cop a plea that he was not one of us.

It doesn't have to be in the rule book or procedures to protect our group.

Nice meeting you Saturday and I sure like the looks of your bike.

Regards, Stan Back

[willieworld]

nice meeting you to stan and agree with you and i would never do anything to cause problems at el mirage  --if there is a rule i will abide by it gladly i have all this year  --lets get in the rules this year then-- thanks  willie buchta

[JackD]

The BLM controls the area and the rules have been established by them from the beginning.
When the BLM Ranger writes you up, tell him you didn't know.

[willieworld]

Scott
This was on Friday morning and tech hadn't even opened yet and the rookie orientation was Friday at 4:00pm. it's something that should be well defined by a rule as on numerous occasions I went to El Mirage to test when it wasn't a raceday and I assumed when there wasn't an OFFICIAL MEET that El Mirage is an off-road vehicle park. Am I wrong??

Willie Buchta

[isiahstites]

Scott
This was on Friday morning and tech hadn't even opened yet and the rookie orientation was Friday at 4:00pm. it's something that should be well defined by a rule as on numerous occasions I went to El Mirage to test when it wasn't a raceday and I assumed when there wasn't an OFFICIAL MEET that El Mirage is an off-road vehicle park. Am I wrong??

Willie Buchta

Willie I see your point and completely understand your side. I try to look at it from the other side as well. What would the BLM say if they saw your friend with you and your race bike and they assumed he was going to race. Knowing it was a race weekend they may try and make a strong case that he had involvement with the racers and the SCTA.

Are you wrong? I would say probably not, however you know how people mis-construe things.

Scott

[bvillercr]

The SCTA used to set up cones so you could make a low speed warm up run at the north side of the pits.  I believe it was 45 mph limit.

[Dean Los Angeles]

From El Mirage Procedures:

D. Warm Up Area
Due to insurance considerations, a warm-up area will no longer be available.

Head out to El Mirage tomorrow and the entire lake bed is open to you. I don't think there ever has been a speed limit on the lake bed.

On race days you will see motorcycles and ATV's doing 80 mph on the lake bed. That same lake bed isn't available to you. SCTA has all of it, not just the area inside the cones.

When the SCTA has a race, there is a speed limit, there is no warm up area, and you are going to be tossed out permanently if you don't think so. For November SCTA had the lake bed for three days, and that's midnight Thursday to midnight Sunday.


It's not fuzzy at all.

[bak189]

It all depends who you talk to...........I live approx. 20
miles from El Mirage (up in the mountains) and use ElMo for test runs...............Unloaded the trailer a couple months back
and here comes the "green truck"   ....."what are you doing".........".taking some pictures of our racers".........".O.K., but remember there is a 55mph speed-limit on the lake"................PU left down the lake........I made my
"outlaw" run........................So who is right???


I am so BAD.........and will never do that again!!!!