Muppets Race School

[Rhodie]

Well it was under the stern eye of Mister Rossi that the Muppets hit the
CM racetrack.

Mark was roaring around on his yellow Suzi Motard

Justin spent a lot of time fettling with his new KTM before venturing out on the track.

First Luke had to adjust himself

Then his helmet

Soon Luke was riding like a racing demon

Mark just making it all look too easy

Justin had finally got the Orange out and was peeling round the corners with its outrageous rear tyre!

Followed by Luke

and Mark

Oh no..

...

Mark whizzes by...

and Justin - check that lean!

Oh dear...

Look at me, I'm OK

...

A podium finish...

Mark says it was getting a little too Brokeback for him...

Tussling for 2nd & 3rd places ..

Leaving Mr Samson himself

This was brought to you courtesy of ...

for discerning riders everywhere

 

[daewoo]

happy feet wrote: tP.S. the only watchful eye i had, was not getting my gonads grabbed on the podium.

but later................

Funny stuff Rhodie... the muppets are certain entertainment...

Cheers,
Daewoo

 

[SilverhawkUSA]

Great action photos John. The muppets. under Marc's tutelage, are getting better all the time at their "motarding". Think how well B&T could do if only he had legs! :lol:

I am trying to think of what else to say..........pink tutus on Songkran, bare midriff t-shirts at the track........ speechless again!

 

[ivan the terrable]

Great post and photos...very tallented riders
i aint going near ya....
even with a jar of KY..

 

[BignTall]

Hmmmm well at least we're over here having fun I guess. The reality shock of seeing those pics is scary. Thanks for the laughs and fun, great to see Snail, IanBungy and Rhodie at the track for the shenanigans.

Silverhawk missed out on the karting as Ian and David pulled out some race carts for some battles between the supermotard forays. karts are a great way to have a laugh on the track and slide things around without getting too pranged up.

Why do I mention that you ask?? Well the day was going to be an afternoon of me getting used to the KTM then take it on a three day ride with happyFeet and hondahonkey in the twisties of north Thailand. i got on the track before the others arrived and cruised around the track. I could immediately tell that the front end of the KTM was not speaking my language. After having the front end patter in most corners then completely lose it in a slide even only riding at half pace was frustrating. I pulled in to see if it could be adjusted and began the monkeywork on the bike. Bottom line I could not get on with the front suspension even after multiple adjustments. i let a few of the guys take it for a spin and they loved it. Now after riding for a few years you would think i would know what works and what does not. Well after Rhodie, Ian and Snail left, Luke HappyFeet, and I got back out on the track. Much like my marriage I decided to ignore what was being communicated to me. Amazing how gals and bikes are similiar in this vain. Luke and I hooked up and started to turn some laps, I said screw it and push it harder and maybe the front end will come into its own, yeah yeah, more speed will fix things :shock: . Going into the fastest corner (luckily only 3rd gear)the front end let go as quick as a thai bargirl that gets her purple note. I slammed into the ground and slid off the track into the tire barrier. Its amazing how old you can feel at moments like these. I knew I whacked my ribs and was not in any hurry to get up. It took me ages to drag myself out of the tires. Mark being the true friend that he is left me in the tires to grab the camera and start taking photos while Luke understood the motorcyclist priority scale and grabbed my bike and got it upright and against a tree. Meanbwhile I just wheezed against the tires.

Mark laughed as there was red leather ground into the racetrack and against my bike indicating I had been a good cushion for the KTM.

Lets hope Marks pics came out as I have not seen them yet so post away Happyfeet!!!

Anyway we left for a ride the next morning though i was feeling worse for wear and taking copious amounts of aspirin and nursing what i thought was a bruised rib.

I bailed out the ride after the first night and came home early, leaving the other two gents to continue the search for twisties. Stopped by the hospital and ribs 4 and 6 are broken along with my damn pinkie finger that I broke just before leaving back to the states a few months ago.

So come on out and play with us if you like. Guarenteed nothing but good times................torn leathers, crashed bikes, and broken bones.

The best of all however was luke endoing the 450 at the track doing a stoppie in front of everybody. Damn 23 year old bounced up like a rubber ball as if nothing happened. Sometimes I hate riding with him.

 

[SilverhawkUSA]

B&T-

You're right, sorry to have missed out on the Karts. That may be the only way I can give you guys a race anymore.

Truly sorry to hear about the injuries however. It all is fun and games UNTIL someone gets hurt. Hope it's not too serious. I'll give you a call tomorrow.

 

[DavidFL]

The track....

Ouch....

What happened?

What mates are for....

Ah, just a scratch....

Back on the road, gingerly....

Photos, compliments of Happy Feet.

 

[dirthonk]

yep bignsmall went down pretty hard, the bike was hardly leaning when it let go, we still havent figured out what caused the front to desert its rider like that. i blame the sh*te surface at that track its so uneven in many parts, id be horrifed if any roads were like that let alone a racetrack. maybe they should think about getting it sorted before they the races start they next month. i remmeber something similar happening to nat from the piston shop last year that resulted in 3 months of a bike. sort it out please ladies.

hats of to the bigman though for making the effort to ride the next day, must have been agony especially when wrong way rossi " accidentally" took us down that rocky off road track. at least it saved us time though eh!

nice photos rhodie, my camera is now ready and waiting though. if my clean rep is going to be tarnished and slandered im taking as many as i can with me!

 

[BignTall]

Even worse than "wrong way Rossi" suggesting an alternate way from chiang mai to Chiang Dao that ended in 1/3 dirt with the busted ribs("hey guys I think I missed the turn". I'm wondering about the long term outlook for Transmoto sport :shock: ), is having a certain gal from Surin fly in and try to relocate my lower intestines into my chest cavity and then squeak out. "sorry Tirak i forget you chep"...... bloody selfish thai gals.

From talking with the boys the next days ride was a glorious bit of fun connecting some dirt paths Ian, TropicalJohn and I had tried the year before from North of Phayao. Sorry I missed those legs.

Silverhawk was kind enough to pick me up for a break. The suggestion of going to see the night safari with me, the blind gimp, was a laugh. I could not see a bloody thing and Silverhawk was full of laughter regarding the irony.

Looking forward to getting on the bike again for more laughs and adventures.

 

[BignTall]

Just to clear the air. I was not the token taker as i proudly made that little tree call me "daddy".

 

[daewoo]

Rhodie wrote: Well it was under the stern eye of Mister Rossi that the Muppets hit the CM racetrack.

Justin had finally got the Orange out and was peeling round the corners with its outrageous rear tyre!

BignTall wrote: I said screw it and push it harder and maybe the front end will come into its own, yeah yeah, more speed will fix things :shock: . Going into the fastest corner (luckily only 3rd gear)the front end let go as quick as a thai bargirl that gets her purple note. I slammed into the ground and slid off the track into the tire barrier. Its amazing how old you can feel at moments like these.

BG&T,

Is it possible that the former has some involvement in the later... I know from racing cars that huge back tyres create a world of understeering pain... as I experinced first, two barrel roles then upside down, hand back in the day...

Any theories???

Cheers,
Daewoo

 

[BignTall]

Hey Daewoo,

Nice insight. The tire combo on the bike is commonly used in the motard world successfully. The issue with the bike however is the front is oversprung. Its set-up for King Kong, Godzilla, or a delusional aging Australian MXer, it’s not perfect however for my statuesque frame. There is no spring sag on the front at all. Even doing a stoppie on the bike, it only collapses the spring an inch. By not compressing, weight can not get shifted onto the front wheel. The stiff spring forces the tire to skip laterally across the tarmac in corners rather than digging in and biting.

Like an understeering car the bike however can regain its needed steering with a lighter front spring. It responds like an understeering car, back off the pace and all is well. Dial up the pace and the front end skates across the ground. Not that much fun on the bike.

Off in search of a lighter spring.
.

 

[daewoo]

BignTall wrote: Hey Daewoo,

Like an understeering car the bike however can regain its needed steering with a lighter front spring. It responds like an understeering car, back off the pace and all is well. Dial up the pace and the front end skates across the ground. Not that much fun on the bike.

Off in search of a lighter spring.

Yup, been there done that too...

There are reports that when they first started racing the factory Nissan Skyline GTRs in Australia (which they consequently banned because Aussies are all drunken fools who can't understand no technomolology) they couldn't get them to turn in, and ended up cutting into the rollcages to reduces some of the stiffness in the chassis...

Maybe someone should sneak over in the middle of the night and put some small cuts in the frame of your bike... waddaya think???

Cheers,
Daewoo

 

[ArborealSod]

BignTall wrote: Just to clear the air. I was not the token taker as i proudly made that little tree call me "daddy".

Yesssssir!

That's my DADDDDY!

 

[ArborealSod]

Daddy slipping into something cooool during MotoGP

 

[BignTall]

A concerned GT rider text me stating there is a midget farang going around claiming to be me and representing me in the least desireable light( crashing KTM's and posing suggestively with males).

I find this behavior utterly abhorrent.

Myself, I was never at these establishments and have been cacooned up safely at the housewives club over the last week.

Is it safe to come outside??

 

[Rhodie]

It was strangely quiet in Chiang Mai's more raucus areas last night
as Honda Honkey made his Zen-like preparations for today's race.
So it was early to bed for the rider aka Scarface/The Assassin/Captain Sangsom/SuzukiLuke/The Lukester.
Even though Mupeteer manque, Mark, was continuing deep late night research for his Motard tours.
Perhaps a trip report maybe forthcoming?

A very early start, when others were just going to bed, found our GTR hero heading out to Phayo
for two testing & trying legs of the first round in Chiang Mai's Enduro tournament.

When Honda Honkey reappeared in Mae Rim for the final section he was lying in second place.

RESPECT!

Setting up his CRF he had to make his bike road & race legal so had affixed a high-tech lighting system.

The racing had been a combination of off & on road sections.
Almost all bikes were covered in mud with thick clay clogging front sprockets, suspension & cylinders.
Requiring serious cleaning shedding extra kilos - this Kwacker had also lost its tail pipe.

One of those competing was K Kampon of VVP BMW's Workshop Manager.

Band of Muppets

Hear No Evil

See No Evil - something about "cross-hairs"

Speak No Evil

Whilst Honda Honkey meditated before the race his Pit Boss, B&T,
was discussing the finer points of rider safety kit with another competitor.

A man with numerous & varying trophies to his name B&T inspected the prizes
suspecting that winners may have to supply their own karats if they won.

Finally, it was time to take up positions on the "Grid".

HH had managed to arrange for the GT Riders special cheerleading chorus
straight from the Chicken Ranch.

Then, the Off

HH was flying ...

Among the leaders into the first corner...

Then, things went a little awry ...
and soon Honda Honkey had a clear track ahead of him

Elsewhere, in the race things were hotting up

HH still making his way around a very tricky & sticky course

A number of aspiring riders watch on in awe, as Honda Honkey completes the course.

Afterwards some refreshing H2O

The GT Riders were fulsom in their support & praise of a sterling effort

Mark making a quick exit in fear of the camera.. ???

Honda Honkey receiving a very well-earned Third Place trophy.

The Winners

Honda Honkey holding hands with his mate "the Blond Badger"

 

[ArborealSod]

happy feet wrote: its not what it looks!
for a normal person with a untrained eye to detail, you may think that bigntall
is preforming rude jestures to my body, and this has nothing at all to do with motorcycling.
but behold, as aborealsod has mentioned we are at the x centre viewing the moto gp, and the discussion came up whether it would be possible to fit a pillion passenger on a motogp bike, bigntall and myself being the helpful couple of guys we are put on a enactment of a rider and pillion sitting on a sports superbike, so embassador ian could take a measurement of the saddle size required.

somebody is now lined up in my cross hairs for some retaliation, mr aborealsod, ill be watching for a payback photo op.

This appears to be a remarkably elaborate, but rather implausible explanation,
for what is clearly a "Special" Muppet Bonding Moment fortunately captured for posterity
& as a warning to others not of a Muppet persuasion.

Also, His Excellency was last seen “On Tour” up country,
inspecting local cultural establishments for the furtherance of Thai-Kiwi relations.

It is not known if this hazardous & vitally important, but delicate cultural expedition met with any success…. ???

 

[ArborealSod]

Happy Feet's explanation is almost on a par with the great Houdini as a Contortional Escapologist;
but such strenuous efforts evidently require deep tissue massage, as he conjures up yet further verbal gymnastics to explain the inexplicable....

Imagine my surprise after a futile foray to Khao San Road to find an adventure/extreme sports bar.... but that's another story :cry:

So heading back to my condo, for some reason via Soi 7 -but swiftly bypassing the Bier Garten-
I come across an intriguing logo on a mud spattered sign hanging from the Park Hotel ceiling...

Aaah, but what do have we here...?
In fetching fuscia pink ...

The Great Mr Rossi, the man who can fly through the air with the greatest of ease,
and then go "two's-up" with one of his best buddies, is branching out - surely not?

Then it all become plain when reading the menu of the "specials" listed include an "O-ZONE FACIAL"
[whatever that is?]

But the clincher was the 60 minute 2 Therapist Speciality:

"HAPPY FEET + OZZY FACE"

Whilst one can fully understand the need to add additional offerings from Trans-Gender Motorsports in the Low Season....

But how low can you go.:?

I believe Happy Feet needs to relieve himself of the stress of living a double life and now let his Tootsies do the Talking...

 

[Rhodie]

Reading from the door "Menu" perhaps the therapists are of such renown that they are named.

So if Happy Feet is now working as a tag team therapist;
who the 'eck is Ozzy Face?

We need to be told???

And to split 700THB with Ozzy Face for an hour's "therapy",
isn't Happy Feet selling himself a little short?

 

[daewoo]

Rhodie wrote: Reading from the door "Menu" perhaps the therapists are of such renown that they are named.

So if Happy Feet is now working as a tag team therapist;
who the 'eck is Ozzy Face?

We need to be told???

And to split 700THB with Ozzy Face for an hour's "therapy",
isn't Happy Feet selling himself a little short?

I took that to understand that Happy Feet and Ozzy Face have to pay 700 baht each for all of the services listed, due to their known bad behaviour... and the girls displeasure at having to work with them... In fact I overhead one of them say "I would rather go with khon sii dum than Khun dteen sabai"... but my Thai isn't great... I may have misheard...

Cheers,
Daewoo

 

[BignTall]

After being in the company of Happy Feet (and fingers) for 6 days on a recent road trip not sure if i feel shortchanged or lucky having not being shown the complete Transmoto experience by missing out on a bit of Ozzy face.

Though rumors of "something" receiving a bit of the Ozzy face in Chan Kham are bubbling to the surface.