4
2
1
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rolledintoFairbairn Parkin
Canberra with abanged-up
2 011 KTM 350EXC strapped
tothebackof myHiLux and
immediatelyfelt out ofplace.
IrealisedIwassurrounded
byflash-looking motocross
bikesthatwereclearlyalot
faster thanmybush-basher.
Itwasn’tuntilIwalkedupthe hill
andwas greetedwithapristine
motocross trackthat I realisedIwas
in thewrongplace. Where thebloody
hellwas thedirt track?
Turns out I missedthesignsaying
‘Dirt TrackThis Way’, complete with
abig fingerpointing in the correct
direction.Couldhappentoanyone.
Iwasintown forthesecondannual
Sideways Scramble, presentedbythe
Canberra MotorcycleCentre.The
event is a non-competitiveday offun
that allows you to ride whatever you
bloody want.
I had no intention of removing the
350 from the ute, as I had just done
twodays in thehighcountry andit
was complete withwornknobbies.
ButIsoonlearntthatthiseventisthe
epitome of“run what youbrung”.
Standing upthebackof the riders’
briefing, I looked at the ground when
organiser Geoff Wood from CMC
announcedmy name to thepunters.
Just whenIthought no onehad
noticedme, I spottedafigureina
blackhoodie, Alpinestars capand
darksunglasses weaving his way
through the crowd.
As the figure got closer, I realised itwas Jason Crump,tryingtogo
incognito. “I don’tlikeallthe hype,”
he whispered. “Because I’m not
actuallyverygood at this.” A three-
time speedwayworldchampion
saying he is no good at dirt trackis
likeDanielRicciardosayinghecan’t
driveaV8.Itjust doesn’t make sense.ARMBAND
With the usual ‘motorcycling is
dangerous’ spiel done, it was time to
let fly.Iwasgiven a black ‘VIP’
wristband,which allowed me to enter
anyclass. Thegreat JC tooknoteof
this. “You and I aregoingto have a
race later on,” he said with agrin.
Iwasalittlenervousabout racing a
three-time worldchamp.Hewasin
the Advanced class. Why couldn’t
theyjustgivemeabeginner’s
wristband? I threw on my gear, still
coveredinhighcountrydust, and
made my way over to meet Tomfrom
CMC,who had a selection ofbikes
thathewantedmetoride.
Tom w a s alittlefelladressedup as
Plucka Duck.Heactedasifthatwas
completely normal. It certainly didn’t
seem normal;thatis,untilIspotted a
gang of Spidermen roll paston
scooters. Tom was theepitome ofthis
event.Hedidn’thavethelatestand
greatestgear.
First up,hewantedmetoridea
250 Fbutwhenthatwouldn’tstartI
was relegated to a SuzukiRM125.As
much as I love two-strokes, surelya
1 25cc machine isn’tbuilt formy
frame? Especially goingflat-knackerhttp://www.adbmag.com.au JUNE 2017| 87What is it?
Sideways Scramble is held at Fairbairn
Park, just 15 minutes from Canberra’s
CBD. Run by the ACT Motorcycle Club,
It is a non-competitive dirt-track
meeting, which eases the usual rules.
Think of it like Barefoot Bowls.
There are eight classes that cover
junior, beginner, intermediate and
advanced riders. There is also a
street-bike/scooter class. Dress-ups
are encouraged, as are strange
contraptions like electric mountain
bikes and road/dirt hybrids. Riders go
out in classes, with each class getting
multiple heats.
Canberra Motorcycle Centre is the
chief sponsor, with Monza Imports
also throwing their weight behind the
day. The East Coast MX series was
being held at the motocross track
next door, giving punters at both
events the chance to check out a
different discipline.MAIN:Theboss (Geoff Wood) musthave
beenthefirstguytoentertoget#1
1.This kid will live to regret that helmet
2.Remove fairing, addClone Army outfit
3.Crumpy knows how togo sideways
4 .TheStreetBikeclass provideslaughs
5.Bell, Oakley and RockOil on display