Pikes Peak Hill Climb 2008

Road Trips Never Get Old

So here's the thing. For a couple of years now, we've been typing out eRiders to bring you along on the adventures of TEAM MAX BMW. And we've come to realize that our correspondence typically starts the same way: We rush to get our bikes ready after work, drive a ridiculous number of hours to a part of the country that most people will never see, take some pictures from the road and wearily jot down a few words to let you know we're moving in the right direction. And as much as we'd like to tell you it's a different story this time, it isn't. But in a way, that's the point of all this. We love riding motorcycles and we love to challenge ourselves. If we have to haul our bikes 2000 miles to prove it on a 15 minute run up a 14,000 foot peak, well, at least we'd like to be able to share the experience with our friends.

Welcome to our coverage of the Pike's Peak International Hillclimb, 2008 edition.



Earlier this year, we got word that BMW would not be supporting a team for the 2008 Pike's Peak International Hillclimb and that the event organizers were concerned about whether the class would stand without the visibility that a factory effort can bring to an international event like this one. The 1200 class was initiated last year specifically to make room for the large BMWs in the Race to the Clouds and BMW mounted an impressive factory effort. Max and Gordon Mullavey were journeyman entries in the otherwise star-studded class of 2007, but this year four members of TEAM MAX BMW are going to comprise the closest thing to an organized BMW contingent on the big hill this year, albeit as privateers.



Which is not to say we'll be without competition. The entry list in the 1200 class now also includes a few Buells, a couple of Ducatis and a KTM. Video on the Internet shows a few of these guys taking some training runs on the mountain this spring - sessions that sometimes make us wish we lived closer to Colorado. Despite a 2,000 mile training disadvantage, Joe Warner was the first to the plate when registration opened, having been granted rookie status for his first run up Pike's on his HP2 Enduro. Doug Morrison stepped up his competitive commitment for Pike's by preparing a new HP2 Megamoto, but he too will be joining Joe as a rookie for this event. Both Joe and Doug have been charging up the season points standings on the Atlantic RallyMoto Cup circuit this year and burning through vacation days from their full-time jobs to do so.

Max and Ben Stratton round out TEAM MAX BMW for this event and have spent the past three days as mules, hauling all four bikes from the shop in New York to Colorado Springs in the Sprinter. When your GPS tells you that it's over six hours before the next turn, you're glad that somone on the road has a good sense of humor.

In keeping with road trip tradition, the point of interest on this voyage was the Wilbur Wright Birthplace & Interpretive Center in Henry County, Indiana. The museum describes its location as "rural and out-of-the-way" and it was one of the most accurate descriptions we've seen on the internet. We drove through tens of miles of cornfields to get to the original spot of the Wright home only to find that it was closed. We took a picture of the sign and immediately understood why the Wright brothers were so intent on building a flying machine to get them to civilization.

Joe, his wife Sandy, and Doug took full advantage of the Wright brother's invention and landed in Colorado yesterday to begin acclimatizing. Altitude is a big factor in this event and combined with intense sun and dry air, staying properly hydrated and nourished will be a key to keeping our wits through the twists and turns of the auto road. Everyone was happy to see the Sprinter arrive in the parking lot of the hotel this afternoon and we immediately set about unloading the bikes while a flurry of spectators and photographers looked on.

While everyone was watching us, we were keeping an eye on the team in red. Hmmm, where have we seen that guy before....?



After registration, the guys paraded their bikes through tech this afternoon for a full inspection of the machines and the safety equipment.



This year's Pike's Peak International Hillclimb experience has begun on a mellow note. But tune in tomorrow for our the next chapter in this adventure, as we rise at 3 AM for our first training run, learn why the granite on Pike's Peak looks so pink, and try our best to avoid an African Lion that's on the loose somewhere in the 719.

Pikes Peak Hill climb 2008 - Day 2

Dirty Little Secrets

The key to being fast at Pike's Peak, or in any race for that matter, is to figure out something your competitors don't know and then use it to your advantage. As we attempted to sleep last night, racing quad motors screamed right through til dawn as they were tweaked and tested on trailer-mounted dynomometers in preparation for Wednesday's first practice. We've witnessed noxious concoctions of fuel, science-fiction style aero packages and artistic tread patterns that further hint at the high-tech commitment of many of the racers. Good luck charms abound, and decals on more than a handful of vehicles call to the power of a higher being or lost friend to oversee their climb.

The Quad lab:



Nobuhiro Tajima's Suzuki "Monster" will try to break the 10 minute barrier:



A K75-powered sidecar gets some last minute attention:



There's certainly a lot to learn at this event. So far, it's been Doug Morrison who has made the only scientific discovery that we're pretty sure no other team has yet considered: Potassium Feldspar. The significance of this tectosilicate mineral at the Pike's Peak International Hillclimb can't be avoided. It's the mineral that makes the granite on the mountain appear pink. That's the sort of useful knowledge you receive when you include a professional geologist on your amateur race team.



The mountain did have a nice pink glow this morning as the sun introduced itself from beneath the horizon. Motorcycles were assigned the lower section of the road for timed practice runs, from the starting line to Glen Cove.



The first 2.5 miles of the road is highway-quality asphalt. It's a high-speed, 4th gear pinned kind of surface with big sweeping turns to make any rider feel like a hero. As you climb, the road reveals some surprises. The exits to those big sweeping curves start to disappear and soon you're forced to commit to the turn, like you've never committed before, as the radius continues to decrease.



Just when you're thinking the curve has got to end any moment, you get another surprise: the sun, directly in your eyes.



The series of never-ending curves on asphalt end abruptly at the 10-mile marker, where the surface turns to something in between dirt and gravel. Since the cars have not run this section yet, the road is littered with loose, sandy shot. This is one of the sections where professional racers can have their chance at becoming amateur geologists by taking high speed soil samples. There's not much rhythm to this part of the course and a rookie soon realizes why so many racers keep coming back for more experience.

We see tarmac again when we reach 11,440 ft at Glen Cove. The end of the dirt signals the the end of our practice section and when the last motorcycle is up, we all parade back down to make this run four more times.



Our times are recorded for each run, which not only help us gauge how we're riding but will serve to establish a starting grid for the race on Sunday. Micky Dymond laid down the fastest section time of the morning at 5:19.956, curiously piloting a Husky 610 this year. Greg Tracy pushed his Ducati to the top of the 1200 class in 5:25.73. Doug Morrison was the fastest BMW, less than a minute behind the professionals at 6:10.57, with teammates Max, Ben and Joe right behind him in the class.



Our racing activity for the day was over by 8:30 am and for most of us, breakfast became dinner. The combination of travel, altitude, anticipation and the experience on the mountain had left most of our gauges on "E". We headed back to the hotel for some rest and woke up to find that dinner would be breakfast. We're all feeling refreshed and ready for the next practice session. On Thursday, we get to run the middle section of the course. We'll climb 1,340 feet over three miles of long, open straights that end in hairpin turns, without guardrails to obstruct the scenery.

Pikes Peak Hill climb 2008 - Day 3

The Short Way Up

In a couple of weeks, americans will get their first peek at the television series "Long Way Down", which documents Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman's overland adventure from Scotland to South Africa on their BMW GS Adventures. On a ride of 15,000 miles in 84 days through remote sections of Africa, there were plenty of dramatic moments that will make for good television. The Long Way Down adventure is a sharp contrast to our dash to to the 14,100 ft summit of Pike's Peak in less than 15 minutes. But there are plenty of things that TEAM MAX BMW would be able to relate to Ewan and Charlie if we had the chance to do some good old fashioned bench racing with the pair:

"African Lions? Yeah, we've had to deal with them. In fact, there's one loose somewhere near Colorado Springs right now."

or

"Wildlife attacks? We just barely avoided a bear that broke into a Circuit City store in Colorado Springs the other day. Rumor is he was looking for an iPhone."

And we'll bet that Ewan and Charlie never saw a sign like this one while traveling between the Mediterranean and the Cape of Good Hope:



The truth is, we can't wait to see the series. But for now, we need to concentrate on the other "long way down", as in "if I blow this corner, it's a long way down before I land."



Keen observers will note that the sign on this right-hander indicates a 10 mph left. It's just one example of how unpredictable this road can be in places. We completed our second practice session on the "2/3" with huge grins all around. This is the portion of the course that really suits the HP2. The all-paved section zig-zags up the mountain with long straights that end in hairpins. The power of the motor and the power of the brakes on the HP2s were a big advantage today and we found ourselves actually racing some of the other riders through the section.

A swarm of supermotos chase the HP2s.Joe Warner in clear air.
Doug Morrison on the inside line.Ben Stratton looks through the corner.Max Stratton welcomes the dawn.One of our riders did have a brush with celebrity today. On the way down from practice, Doug noticed a familiar-looking man standing on the side of the course. He pulled over and introduced himself to motorcycling legend Malcolm Smith. Mr. Smith is a Motorsports Hall of Famer with a competition resume a mile long and has been a hero to off-road riders the world over ever since he was introduced to the masses in Bruce Brown's 1972 documentary "On Any Sunday". With multiple Baja wins, eight gold medals in the International Six Day Trial, riding the Paris-Dakar twice, and enjoying lots of other rally success, his name and face are familiar to anyone who's been around the sport for a while. Smith's son, Alexander, is on the grid for the PPIHC and Malcolm's eponymous dealership is providing support to other riders as well.

Doug didn't even need to offer Malcolm a ride down before the idea was squelched, by Smith himself. So Doug asked for something else instead and is now the proud owner of the only "Malcolm Smith edition Megamoto". It was a great finish to an exceptional day.

Happier than a kid on Christmas morning:



Friday is our last day of practice on the upper dirt section that will have us shuttling in the thin air between 12,780 ft and 14,110 feet. It's so much fun running the course in sections, you start to forget that all of these pieces will be put together for one shot up the mountain on Sunday. Looking over the edge of the road, you can see the path of the course below, which is an effective reminder of the elevation and distance that we will have to cover.



We've covered a lot of distance to get this far and we want to thank everyone for their messages of support. It means a lot to us to know that you're out there, riding along with us vicariously. One more practice, and then the race. Stay tuned!

Pikes Peak Hill climb 2008 - Day 4

Better not look down...

After an unbelievable morning of playing in and above the clouds at the top of Pike's Peak, we've got no reason to be singing the blues. But a BB King song has been rolling through my head all day and it just seems too appropriate not to include in today's e-rider:

Better not look down, if you want to keep on flying
Put the hammer down, keep it full speed ahead
Better not look back, or you might just wind up crying
You can keep it moving, if you don't look down

Keeping moving was the secret to staying warm today. It turned out to feel much cooler at 12,780 feet than we expected when we parked the van this morning to watch the sunrise.



It wasn't long before our elevated heart rates pushed warm blood to our extremities. >From Devil's Playground to the top of Pike's Peak, the route is flatter and less technical than the lower sections, but we have to contend with a loose dirt surface, fatigue and a lack of oxygen. Maintaining concentration right through to the finish is critical.

Joe Warner
Max Stratton
Ben Stratton
Doug MorrisonPike's Peak was in the way of a passing cloud during our practice session today, so we had a course hold for a while where we got to spend some time getting to know some of the our fellow racers and to rub elbows with the pros.



We've noticed that the closer we get to the event, the more media interest there is in our effort. The BMW roundel attracts equal attention from foreign and domestic media.



Colorado Springs and the Pike's Peak area have suddenly become a giant magnet for hillclimb fans from all over the United States. We got a great surprise on the mountain this morning when our TEAM MAX BMW teammate Peter Canning and his family appeared from Massachusetts. Peter brought his camera to help with the documentation of this event and was rewarded with a couple of special photos.

Team Canning
Doug and Peter with Malcolm SmithFor the fan, Friday night is the big kick-off. "Fan Fest" draws people to town to revel in the festivity. Last year we witnessed some fans who had obviously gotten their money's worth at the beer tent and decided to wander around and to do some parking lot shopping for banners and other racing mementos. So on Friday afternoon, we safely stowed all of our bikes, gear and tools so as not to tempt any fans who may have overindulged. Luckily, we have a new sponsor to help us out in that department, since MAX BMW Motorcycles is the first dealership in the Northeast to offer LoJack Early Warning for Motorcycles, a system that notifies you immediately by phone, e-mail and/or pager if your motorcycle is moved without your authorization. The quicker you're notified, the quicker LoJack can begin tracking your bike.



Speaking of tracking things, we want to publicly thank Sandy Warner for her energy and effort to take and upload photos for us while we're out here. In her neon yellow marathon-training jacket, she's been pretty easy to pick out along the course, but we've been amazed at how much ground she can cover while we're in between runs. Thanks, Sandy!



Saturday is our day off. We'll wash the bikes, get all of our gear ready, rest when we feel like it and hydrate for race day. The race begins at 9 AM Mountain Time on Sunday, but the gates open at 3:00 AM for competitors. Race times should be updated regularly on the PPIHC Web Site for those who are looking for same day results.

Pikes Peak Hill Climb 2008 - Day 5

Confidence is preparation.
Everything else is beyond your control.

It had been six days since we left home. With three days of practice and a day of rest under our belts, we arrived at the base of Pike's Peak on Sunday morning with clean bikes, new faceguards and a perspective toward the day that only 120 or so other guys on two wheels would share. It was race day, time to face the challenge.

Competitors lined the auto road with their vehicles on display as a slow parade of spectator vehicles pushed up the mountain. By the time the access gate closed at 8 am, the estimated count of spectators on the mountain for the day stood near 15,000. Just like the crowds along the course, we had arrived prepared for a long morning of spectating and socializing while each of the cars took their position at the line. An atmosphere of intensity is a given on any race day, and as teams made their final tweaks, changed their minds, and changed their minds again, it was clear that the capacity to simply sit and wait quietly for a turn at the line was scarce.

The riders in the 1200 class didn't need to worry about missing their start. Of the 190 competitors, the only vehicles that stood between us and the end of a very long day were two rather intimidating Freightliners.

We watched a few of the early cars start up the hill under a perfectly blue sky with the morning sun warming our backs. By the chances that some of the drivers were taking on the lower part of the course, it was apparent that confidence was high.

Perfect is not a word usually associated with the weather on Pike's Peak, but Sunday was living up to its name. This natural phenomenon probably contributed to the high degree of optimism and courage among the drivers, some of whom began to watch their proverbial wings melt. Red flags, long delays and the thump-thump of rotors that did not belong to the news helicopter ate into the day.



At noon, patience was still in good supply at the TEAM MAX BMW camp and we found creative ways to keep ourselves occupied.

Graffiti is always a good pastime.Doug performed his best impression of the Wicked Witch of the West.And the bikes waited for their turn up the mountain.By 2 pm, we hadn't melted, but we were feeling wilted by the heat and stress of the day. All around us, the composure of the competitors was starting to disintegrate. We had been put on notice three times already for an imminent start, only to be called down by one red flag incident after another. Finally, at 3:45 pm, almost 12 hours from our arrival that morning, it was our turn. Our cheering section was in place on the mountain and Pete Canning (TEAM MAX BMW #52) stood behind the lens to document the action on the the road and on the sidelines.



The sidecars scooted by and the supermotos slid past before the first wave of 1200 class pros was released.


Joe Kopp, #3, who had been training with us all week, left Colorado Springs after practice on Thursday, flew to Greenville Ohio to collect an AMA GNC Flat Track victory and was on the line ahead of Max and Doug as they inched their Megamotos up to the line next to Tim Vesely and his KTM 950.



The green flag waved as enthusiastically as it had for the first car and we were off.

Doug and Tim went bar to bar up the entire mountain, staying within five or six seconds of each other at each split, including the finish. Doug made up ground on Tim on the upper section of the course to cross the line ahead of Vesely, securing fifth in class and top amateur honors with an elapsed time of 13:35.485.



Max caught short glimpses of the KTM vs BMW battle as he dropped his time from 2007 by over 20 seconds, finishing in 14:09.372 and seventh place.


Joe was in a class all of his own with the only HP2 Enduro at Pike's Peak this year, sandwiched on the line between Ben on his Megamoto and Rob Smith, clad in red leathers to match the paint job on his Buell.


The green flag experience was again something to behold.



The action between Ben and Rob Smith made Doug and Tim Vesely's match look gentlemanly. At the Glen Cove checkpoint, Ben's advantage over Smith was a mere 1.492 seconds. After almost ten minutes of racing, the margin was still just 1.43.



Pike's Peak is a race against the clock, but that's a hard thing to remember when you're a Pike's Peak rookie fending off a flash of red that pops into your periphery around every hairpin. On the top section, Smith eventually got his chance to pass when Ben teased the limits of traction and found them unacceptable. Meanwhile, Joe Warner was locked in tight with #13, Glenn Cox, at the ten and a half minute mark with a spread of only .93 seconds between the two.



Joe landed in the top 10 in class with his time of 15:36.332, finishing ahead of Ben who arrived a minute later in 11th place. Greg Tracy took the honors in the 1200 class this year on a Ducati, but was unable to beat the 2007 benchmark time of 11:46.47 set last year by Gary Trachy on an HP2 Megamoto. Trachy set a Supermoto division record this year on a YZ450 in 11:51.86.



For TEAM MAX BMW, the 2008 Pike's Peak International Hillclimb was an event filled with firsts and bests. None are honors that we can take home and place on the mantle except, perhaps, for a few photos to remind us of this unique experience.