Yamaha pair on the pace

Yamaha pair on the pace

by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com
October 8, 2012

It was runner-up spot today but just watch this space.

That was the chilling prediction from new Yamaha signing Chris Power after he teamed with three-time national cross-country champion Adam Reeves to claw their way through the talent-laden field and finish second at the annual Six-Hour Dirt Bike Challenge near Mangakino on Saturday.

It was the first time enduro champion Power, from Auckland, and cross-country ace Reeves, from Palmerston North, had been team-mates and it was also the first time either of them had raced the new Yamaha WR450F.

Power had collected the bike just a few days earlier, as he sensationally announced last week his switch to the blue and white brand, and for Reeves, his first sighting of the new bike was when it arrived at the Mangakino venue and he could sit on it first the first time.

Power had first stint on the bike for the start of the gruelling race but, unfortunately, struggled with his starting technique and took several kicks to spark the bike into life. That meant the duo was forced to play catch-up among the more than 100 solo or two-man teams entered.

But they soon set about catching the leaders – Te Awamutu’s Mark Penny and Queenstown’s Scotty Columb – and within 90 minutes had fought their way up to seventh spot.

As the race edged past the three-hour halfway stage, Power and Reeves had pushed their way through to third overall, Power clocking the fastest lap of the race, 42 minutes 09 seconds.

As the leading riders left the pits for their ninth and final lap, Penny and Columb led by just over four minutes from Power and Reeves but it was too much to make up in the congested forest and time ran out at the end.

“I was targeting a top three, so to finish second is pretty satisfying actually,” said the 31-year-old Power afterwards.

“I didn’t expect I’d be able to go that fast on this bike. It’s got amazing traction and hooks up great, even on the off-camber stuff.

“I didn’t do a great job of the start. I guess I need to learn how the Yamaha behaves for starting. That cost me a bit of time.”

Reeves was also pleased with his day’s work.

“I felt good on the unfamiliar bike straight away, even though I crashed into a tree early on and bent the radiator,” he laughed.

“We had to come in for fuel each lap because he didn’t have an over-sized after-market tank fitted like our rivals. Being four minutes behind with one lap to go, I suppose second place was the best we could have asked for, especially since I’d never ridden that bike before today and I’ve been unwell the past couple of weeks.

“But no excuses ... there were a lot of tough riders here today and second place is pretty good.”

ENDS

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