Despite Don standing on the mountain in 3 inches of snow the Wednesday prior (I saw some in the shadows under the bracken on top of the mountain on race day), we were greeted with sunny - as, best - ever conditions for Saturday.

The new venue was the shit. The access track was almost all weather and almost idiot proof. Almost. A few minor throttle control/wheelspin issues but nobody got stuck.

Roger and Felicity were there from the DSE to point us in the right direction with noise testing.

I struggled to comprehend the noise a couple of bikes emitted. Two turned up with White Brothers pipes that belted out 106 db !!! I thought my 450X was harsh when it tested 97 and immediately set about rectifying it. 106!!!

We had the bash CRF 250X on display in all it’s glory.

We had all types in the 150 - odd mob (195 I think is the real figure). Honda national managers Lincoln and Phil came along with Baynesy and the three had a shit - hot day. Baynesy is responsible for the photos I’ve used and the Honda prizes that were auctioned. Thanks Graeme.

We had five riding ambos this year along with two riding police officers. Along with the usual compliment of sweeps, riders got well looked after this year.

Don did his first bash briefing without issue and the riders were good to go.

I went out first on my new CRF250R, which I’ve had Rec Reg’d. It was a social ride, but the thought of several kilometres of virgin green grasstrack had me salivating and I just had to do the whole ‘over the front, second gear, fully pinned’ thing on take off. The 250 was a weapon on the grasstrack and I had a ball. So did some others.

It wasn’t just the grass track that was sick. The trails were wickedly loamy this year.

Of course, Mt Big Ben itself is sublime city to ride a bike on. The leaf littered loamy stuff was in perfect nick.

At the end of the day, we finished with only a couple of minor injuries and no major dramas. A few blokes on the gas overshot some arrows and went the wrong way, but that’s life.

The auction saw the CRF250X sold for a bargain $9100. For a new bike with a sick Ringmaster graphics kit, Pro Circuit pipe, Metzeler tyres, Force bashplace, radiator guards and case saver, HRC bling and TAG sprockets, it was a steal.

In the end we again raised around $21,000 net. We netted more than in previous years, but costs have increased as years go by. We now have to spring for insurance, which is pricey and plenty of other stuff that used to some for nicks.

All in all, it was probably the best bash yet and that’s saying something. Graeme Baynes from Honda described it as perhaps the best riding conditions he’s ever encountered, which is also saying something.

Late in the day, I headed out with a mate from Bairnsdale cop shop, Chris and we swept the track. By this stage it was well worn in and had in parts turned to bermy mega - loam. We took advantage and 25 odd k’s of motocross style action will be remembered for some time.

We had a major win on the weekend. The gang and I were out into a bash working bee and after conferring with farmer Adam, came to the conclusion that the entrance to his wicked grasstrack paddock was likely too wet.

This potentially major dilemma was soon forgotten as he graciously offered his mate Leo’s paddock to augment our event.

Leo’s joint is where the original grasstrack was and is right next to Adam’s paddock. Leo’s boasts an all weather entry road, a big shed for sign on and pits that are directly adjacent to and overlook Adam’s paddock, where most of the grasstrack will be this year.

Think a wicked panoramic view over an awesome virgin Thumpernats track set in a green undulating paddock.

On - camber, off - camber, tight, real fast, with some more real fast. 4th or 5th gear high speed, smooth - green - grass sweepers.

I don’t have a money - shot that adequately portrays this image to you, however after racing at some of the best natural terrain tracks in Australia including Barrabool and the incredible memory that was Mannum in South Australia, I declare this one to be equivalent.

Thanks to Jemma Corbett for the above pics.

All we need is a little smile from the weather man and this is shaping as the best bash yet.

The CRF250X is just about right to go to auction. This is one cool puppy that looks like no 250X you’ve seen before.

Looking a bit closer, you’ll see that Ringmaster, as usual, have done a seriously cool job on the graphics. The go is that the sponsors who’s logos appear on the side plate each made a sizable donation that allowed us to add 200 cc’s and upgrade from a CRF 50 to this 250X.

Gotta love their new found ability to do chrome as a colour. I fitted the kit over a few stubbies in Carl’s shed and the ordeal may end up being a blog article all of it’s own -
‘how to fit custom graphics’.

Honda Australia’s resident bling manager (merchandise) Graeme Baynes sent us some HRC anodised bits to jazz the sick sickle up even more. They not only look good, setting your bike apart from most others, but are actually made of unobtanium and are lighter. Allegedly the equivalent of 3 hp. Alright, I made that bit up, but they do look great.

The master cylinder cover and ‘Clevis’ below actually improve the rear braking performance by 23 per cent. More in the wet.

There’s also a front brake line bracket (34%) and timing hole bung (12 %) to complete that factory feel. 12% improved timing has got to make a huge difference.

All percentages alleged should be regarded with a degree of scepticism, but hell, they look smokin’ good don’t they? If you ask me, if you want to be the best, you gotta look the best.

Pro circuit sprung for a ripper 496 muffler, which combined with an airbox cut and re - jet makes these babies hum. Saves 1.5 kg’s and this alone can offset the ingestion of at least a sick pack of VB or four meat pies.

Force supplied their new plastic coated bashplate and anodized radiator guards to ensure your steed doesn’t bleed if you drop her.

Metzeler have kicked in for some new knobs. The DOT approved stockers are okay, but nothing compared to the grip and longevity of a Metzeler MC5. However, the Metzelers aren’t DOT approved and will not technically pass a roadworthy, so we’re leaving the stock rubber on and supplying a brand new set of Metzelers as well.

Our bountiful bevy of cutting edge sponsors have been busy doing their shit, to make sure that our steed is the shit.

Online’s Pro Mechanic Donaldo has been busy fitting the bling and the thing is starting to resemble a masterpiece.

Think a Pro Circuit 496 muffler. I’ll cut the airbox and do the jetting in a week or so, so this sucker will breathe and produce plenty enough grunt for the TAG sprocket to spin that Metzeler.

I can hear you big bore riders laughing now!

Let’s face it, the stock muffler is widely regarded as heavy, over - quiet, power sapping and somewhat rude in appearance. I concur.

Don followed the easy to read instructions and fitted the section that attaches directly to your header pipe first.

You don’t do the mounting bolt up tight yet. Slide the can on and fit the rear bolt loosely. Then get your pliers out.

Tighten it all up and you’re good to start jetting.

The stock radiators are high quality items, but like all stock units can be improved upon. They lack a bit of protection, especially from sticks trying to hole them. The plastic vent thingy directs air well and stops some mud perhaps but is no stick stopper.

Force also make a great case saver, that replaces the stock unit. The stocker is prone to filling with mud in shitty conditions, which can wear your chain and sprockets out faster.

The Force unit is not only stronger, but doesn’t foster the collection of mud.

There is more cool stuff to come. Force of course make the best bash plates.

Honda’s Accessories guru Graeme Baynes, who’s been coming to the bash for a few years, has sent Don some HRC anodized bling which will really set the bike apart.

Some Metzeler MC5 tyre and heavy duty tubes are ready to go on, to improve grip and prevent flats. We will move the rim lock to make tyre changing easier while we’re there.

Ringmaster have designed a kick - arse graphics kit for us, which will be the piece - de - resistonce and put the finishing touches to the one of a kind rocket.

More to follow. Thanks to Don for the bike fit up work.

I use their 496. This stands for ‘4′ stroke and ‘96′ decibels.

On the 250, it makes the bike sound really cool, but still passes the DSE noise testing machine every time. It’s louder than stock, but not offensively loud.

As an aside, when I bolt the 496 onto the CRF250X, I cut the top out of the airbox (without even removing the airbox !!!) then go to about a 160 or 165 main jet, one larger on the pilot jet and the pilot screw turned out to around 1.5 from full in.

I’ve tried other needles and clip positions but they don’t seem to improve it.

The thing then rocks, with bulk more torque down low and in the mid. I raise the gearing from 14/53 to 14/50 and it’s a whole new bike. An added bonus is a weight saving of 1.5 kgs and a much better bling appeal.

Enough ranting about the 250 pipe, this is supposed to be about the 450X pipe.

The 496 also transforms the 450 in a similar manner performance wise, but is unfortunately louder. This is simply because it’s the same pipe essentially, but the 450 puts out more bang and just plain makes more exhaust noise.

It really is quite loud and even from new, with the quietest end cap available, they can fail the DSE noise test. I recently had a freshly re - packed 496, with a new quiet end cap test at 97.5 db.

Here is the quietest end cap they make.

They also normally have a spark arrestor attached, which is just a fine wire mesh. This is an old cap and the mesh has vanished. They rust, fatigue and get blown out the back eventually. You can still see traces of the mesh on the left.

You can hear the difference compared to the 250 and personally, I think it’s too loud. I’m lucky in that nearly all of my riding is far away from other people so there are few to annoy with the noise, but some of you riding closer to Melbourne may be giving people the shits with that much noise.

So I convinced my mate Rob to mig a little extended pipe onto an old end cap I had laying about the shed. I used a standard motocross type end cap that is normally very loud.

Compare this one to the first one and you can see it’s shorter with a bigger diameter pipe. So I’ve actually started off with a louder unit that what I was already using.

I got the pipe out a scrap metal skip out the back of a mechanic’s (with permission - scrap is worth money these days).

The mod has reduced the noise to roughly equivalent to the 250’s, which is sweet. Even better, I am unable to tell the difference in performance. No shit, can’t tell - still goes ace.

Cost? One washer, a few zots with the mig, four stubbies of VB mid strength.

Pro Circuit Australia asked me to send in some pictures of my ’secret’ mod, to show the Yanks! I would have thought that noise was at least as big an issue in America as it is here, but apparently not, if their ‘quiet’ pipe is too loud.

Quieter is the way of the future. I know we all want bulk grunt and that means generally a little more noise than stock, but bulk grunt is not much good to you if the noise police won’t let you ride the bike at an event like the Yackandandah Charity Bash.

If you run an ultra loud pipe, consider a similar mod to mine and we will all win in the long run.

Thanks to the support of 8 business both local & those that work localling ( Many thanks to BIG Dave Martin for organising this ) we are excited to announce that this year we will be auctioning a fully blinged, brand new, ready to go trailriding CRF250X. Attached is a photo of the stead still in bog stock form.

Sponsors include:

· Total Street Sweeping

· Dash Plant Hire

· Jason McClarty Concreting ( Jock )

· Mat Black Roofing

· Jenkins Fertilisers

· Alpine Motorcycles

· Airmaster Australia

· Leisure Pools

Accessories that will be fitted to the bike prior to the auction:

· Metzler Tyres & Heavy duty tubes

· Ringmaster Graphics Kit ( Detailing the sponsors )

· Pro Circuit Pipe

· Force Accessories Bash Plate & radiator Guards

· Anodised bling stuff from Honda

· Tag Sprocket

This bike will be setup exactly as we would set one of our bikes up to do a year of tours.

Make no mistake there will be a reserve ( approx $7,500.00 ) around 5 grand less than retail, so if you or you know of a mate who has been interested in getting one of these great bikes than this is an opportunity not to be missed.

So get ya cash together & see you at the auction.

Cheers

Don, Nik & Rod