What's next?

It's silly season in Husqvarna land.
We have a WR250, TXC511 and TXC310R in the stable......
Then a few months ago BMW sold Husqvarna to the KTM group.......

Will Mark be riding a flashy blue/yellow/white TE300? (coming to the US in Spring '14)


or will we run one of the trusty red/white steeds in 2014?

'13 TXC310R

 or '11 TXC511

or '11 WR250 (barely used....)

24 Hours of Starvation Ridge October 2013

For something a little different and pushing the envelope a bit...Mark joined the 50 Expert team that Chuck Worley formed for the 2013 24 Hours of Starvation Ridge. I went along to help in the pits...and try to stay awake. Chuck did a great job building a team of Oregon's best 50 Expert riders: Mark (GP #1), Chuck Worley, Tom Hazel, Jeff Nicolson, Jim Tully (XC #1), David Winters (XC and GP #2). Everyone was well prepped, the pit crew did a great job, the bikes all ran great, accidents were kept to a minimum. We had one lighting issue to resolve on Jim's new EXC 350 (wire it to the battery!, bypass the harness) and NO FLAT TIRES. As pit guy I was dreading flats, I hate flats...but flats were my job. Daniel Winters and I kept time on our team and the defending champions just across the way....as we methodically wore them down and build up nearly a full lap (40 mins) cushion as the 10 am Sunday finish approached.

Chuck and Mark waiting for Mark to go out.


Transponder belt switch....great teamwork by all.


Yes, it did get dark....


Great run by a great team... now to recover.

2013 Season Wrap up

The 2013 OMRA GP season wrapped up with a double header day by NORA at Territorial MX park near Junction City (Cheshire), OR. Mark, however was not their as he had secured his 3rd consecutive GP 50 Expert crown at the Shedd Cowbell GP the week before. After several weeks in a row of racing he decided to give himself and his wallet a rest. In the best 8 of 10 series Mark had 7 First Points finishes and 1 Second (and non-points rider Chuck Worley snuck in there a couple of times) 1R HUSQ Mark Johnson Bend OR 590 16R KTM David Winters Bend OR 550 76R HUSQ Nelson Lyon Milwaukie OR 355

September 2013 Update

Its been a while since we've posted anything, but we haven't been resting on our laurels.

Over the Spring and Summer months weve been participating in OMRA and other races and Mark has been racking up points.

OTBG Eddieville	NORA Prineville	OTBG Starvation Ridge	OTBG Eddieville	SCTR Shedd	OTBG Eddieville	Mt.Scott Jagow	SCTR Shedd	NORA Territorial GP 60 A.M.	NORA Territorial GP 60 P.M.
75	75	75	75	65	75	9/22	10/5	10/13	10/13

OMRA GP: 5 wins, 1 second so far.  Best 8 scores count, Mark leads the series.

And we hit a few XC races too.

1 win, 1 2nd, 1 3rd, 1 4th ..... with a bit of luck there is a chance to finish in the points with 2 races remaining

One non-OMRA GP race at Washougal on Fathers Day....and another 1st.

Weve also been doing some bike shuffling...recently traded the TXC449 dualsport rig for a slightly used Husqvarna WR250 which we may give a break-in at the October 26-27, 24 Hours of Starvation Ridge Team Endurance race.  Also picked up a vintage 1984 Husqvarna CR250; its all there but needs some TLC before we give it some exercise.

Current Husqvarna fleet: '13 TXC310R, '11 TXC511, WR250, '84 CR250

China Hat ISDE, April 27-28, 2013

China Hat ISDE For a little change of pace we went to the China Hat ISDE the weekend of April 27-28. Saturday Mark and I and a couple of friends went out for a warmup ride in the Poker Run. Unfortunately Mark and Robert, the 2 fast guys in the group, wandered off on an extra 20 miles of trail and Mark rolled in on a flat front tire. Turns out this was an omen... Mark, Robert and Zach had an early minute for the ISDE on Sunday and got out of the chute AOK. The first 50 miles look went fine with the TXC310 handling the dry,high speed conditions in style. But the second loop a rear flat attacked, ending Marks day. No Gold Medal this year.
 

Mark on the left buying a new OHV sticker,
Lonny resting from the hard day of OMRA signup on the right.
 



Mark tried for some style points on the start..
 

FMF Powercore and 'Open Pipe' map

Weve had a brief break in the OMRA racing series so decided it was time to mount up the FMF Powercore slip-on (header and insert are on order). Bill at BMP told us that they have an 'open pipe' map that should work nicely with the FMF pipe so we trekked to Salem last weekend, commandeered the shop and Dave and Adam to set up the new map. It's all downloaded and the 310 has quite the roar now.Sounds like Ryan Villopoto's 450 Kawasaki, not something called an X-lite redhead. Double header at Starvation Ridge on April 13-14. Mark plans to ride both the GP on Saturday afternoon and the longer XC on Sunday morning. Rumor has it that one of the few guys to beat him last year (on the 511 at the ultra-tight Shedd course) will be at Starvation for a rematch. I just realize we dont have any pictures with the FMF....Need to take care of that soon.

Its the people

Like many of us, our lead rider Mark was a motocross racer in his teens.  He was plenty fast, but didnt have the obsessive dedication that others in the neighborhood did (it was a very obsessed crowd...our good friend Rod Kentner went on to win the 1978 4 Stroke National Championship at Carlsbad, against some solid factory entries).

Life happens, kids need to be raised, and after  many years without riding Mark took up off-road riding again at the impetus of some friends in central Oregon.  Once part of the dirt riding world again he wanted to see how the fast guys do it, so when the WORCS circus came to the neighborhood (Longview, WA 2004) he was there and soaking it all up. He headed over to the pits and in his mid-40s got in line with all the kids to pick up a poster signed by non other than Ty Davis, soon to be Husky hero of the west running the Zip-Ty Husqvarna team. Ty Davis was standing 3rd in the series and scored a 2nd behind Bobby Bonds that day.   Mark proudly displayed that poster in his garage for years (even though it was a Yamaha poster and Mark was riding KTMs), until one day some wind blowing through tore it off the wall.

Fast forward a few years to 2012-3, Mark is now riding a Husqvarna 310R, Ty Davis a godfather emertius to Husky racers (right behind Malcolm Smith) and via Cafe Husky I started to commiserate with 'Tinken' from Zip-Ty over our shared love of the 449/511 Husqvarna.  One day it hit me; maybe Tinken can help replace the long lost Ty Davis signature, so I offer up some Husky bling for signature. Tinken refuses, and instead gets Ty to sign a genuine Zip Ty sweatshirt which Danny stuffed into the box with our latest Zip Ty axle nut purchase and shipped off to Oregon.

I gave the shirt to Mark on Saturday morning while we waited for starting time at the NORA/OMRA Prineville GP.  He got a big smile on his face and immediately began recounting how he had stood in line with the kids at that WORCS race 9 years ago.  Mark plans to get his picture taken with the signature shirt and send a signed copy to Ty.

He then went out and demolished the 50 Expert field, happy as a kid all the way.  As he came through the scoring chute on the 1st loop he hollered "What an awesome course !!"

Im sure that shirt was full of good karma.

Watson Performance Suspension on TXC449

While we are at it, I should mention that I finally got to try out the Watson Performance shock setup on my 449.  This is the shock that Mark ran last year on the 511.  We set the sag at 100 and off I went (mind you I weigh about 70 lbs more than Mark does so this wasn't the best spring to use).

The Eddieville course has an especially diabolical criss-cross whoop section on a short uphill just after a barrel turn at the bottom of a downhill.  It is pretty easy to carry speed into these whoops, but they invariably try to chuck you sideways before you get to the top if you maintain that speed under power. With prior bikes and setup ...CRF450, WR300, TE250, TXC511...every one I have had to roll off and coast to the top to keep it settled.  On Saturday I got in a situation where power on all-the-way was the only choice.....and voila it tracked straight, stayed stuck and I came out under power and easily flicked it into the right-hander to follow.

Miraculous!!  Tom Watson for Pope, I say.

Round 1 at Eddieville, Mark wins on 310R

Team Johnson Bros./BMP Racing are off to a strong start in both the OMRA GP and XC series after Round 1 at Eddieville (Over The Bars Gang, Goldendale, WA).

This year the 50 Expert starting line is 50% Red with Mark Johnson (defending 1R) on a 310R, Nelson Lyon (just bumped up from 50 Am championship) also on 310R and Lonny Johnson (Old guy out for a ride) on TXC449.

Saturday's GP race on the dry hard packed course had Mark and non-series rider Chuck Worley run away from the field. While Mark did manage to pass Chuck's 450 KTM on a long uphill ...yes you read that right .. stock 310R passes KTM 450 on long uphill. Ultimately Chuck got back by and Mark had to settle for 2nd on Saturday but went away with the GP series points lead. Nelson also put in a solid run in his first 50 Ex race and old guy Lonny, cruised around for the exercise :-)

Conditions changed dramatically overnight, temperatures dropped and we were greeted by a thin crust of snow on Sunday for the XC races. Longer course, lots of grass track added. Decision was made to delay start and combine all classes at 11 am. By then the moisture had soaked in and conditions were epic. (Pictures coming soon) Mark had a short tussle with another non-series KTM rider about 3 corners in and then he ran away with race, but did get to dice with some of the 30 and 40 Experts in the earlier waves for entertainment, scoring a strong 1st. Last year he did it with the 511, this year 310R. Same result !!

Thanks for BMP in Salem and Watson Performance Suspension (who was at the track helping refine the setup on the 310)

6 Hour Endurance Team Spring 2013

Mark chucking rocks on the 310R

Nelson charging out of a turn

Team BMP finally got a chance to do a little racing last weekend here in the Pacific Northwest. 

Mark giving the Watson Suspension
setup a little workout

Ryan Clay getting on the TXC511

Wonderful sunny conditions at Eddieville for the opening of the Over The Bars Gang Endurance Series Spring 6 Hour

Mark and Nelson tried to pull together a 50+ team but we couldn't find anther 50 year old who was available on short notice. In the end Nelson recruited one of the Mt. Scott MC brothers, Ryan Clay and I donated my TXC511 to the cause and TEAM BMP RACING 6 HOUR was born.

Since Ryan is under 40 we ended up with two 50+ year olds mounted on new TXC310Rs and one 30-something on the '11 TXC511 racing to 2nd place in the 30 Expert class, and they weren far off the pace for 1st. Old guys rule.

Thanks again to Bill's Motorcycle Plus for their support and assistance in putting the 6 Hour team together and to Husqvarna Rider Support for helping put Mark and Nelson on the 310Rs.

Team Racing

We're itching to get a little time on the new bike before the points series starts so we've formed an impromptu BMP Racing Husqvarna Team for the 6 Hour Team Endurance race on Sunday, March 3 at Eddieville near Goldendale, WA.

Mark will be on the new TXC310R, Nelson Lyon on the same and Mystery rider #3 will either ride our TXC511 or Nelson's WR300.  It should be fun. Since MR#3 is under 50 they are carrying the BMP banner in the Open Expert class.

The action starts at 10 am on Sunday....unfortunately, not televised !

Suspension and more

No pics yet, but we got the suspension back from Tom at Watson Performance/Suspension in Hood River a couple days ago.  We are using the forks that Tom built for last year's TXC511 on the 310R, with adjustments, and a full build on the rear shock to fit Mark.

Mark took the bike out for a quick run ahead of the next winter storm.  So far "It starts, runs, bounces up and down"  :-)

Next up, we are looking at pipes...Pro Circuit just made a RedHead pipe available, and Zip-Ty may be able to supply an FMF PowerBomb built to fit.  No decisions yet, but Mark has a soft spot for Zip-Ty as Ty Davis is one of his favorite riders.

Feels like that March 16 Eddieville weekend is closing in fast......or we may hit the recently hatched GP at Albany MX park on March 10 for a tuneup run, before the OMRA points series starts.

OMRA Awards Banquet

Mark picking up the #1 50 Expert GP award and SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR !!!!

2013 310R is here

The little Husky has arrived and been assembled by the crew at Bills Motorcycles Plus. I zipped to Salem yesterday to fetch it. Brought the plastic in the house to clean and warm so I could apply the Decal Works numbers. The first pics are below. With any luck we will find someplace dry enough and warm enough to get it dirty this soon.