Racing off-road for 24 hours is plain crazy, but the Arcadia Bark Busters Kenda Northeast 24 Hour Challenge has been selling out almost instantly for years: team and rider spots for the late-July race are usually completely sold out days after registration opens. First-timers Logan and Jordan Martin were up for the task—or so they thought.

ven though the race wasn’t scheduled until late in the summer, registration for this year’s Kenda Northeast 24 Hour Challenge by Arcadia Bark Busters opened on the first day of 2019. Spots were filling up for the endurance race at Tall Pines ATV Park in Andover, New York, so we had to make some commitments quickly, then get to work on finding an old thumper. The event offered a variety of team options, from solo Ironman to six-rider squads, for all skill levels. But after asking some friends if they would be interested in making a team, it quickly became apparent the two of us were on our own. Luckily, there was a Duo Family class. We would race as the Martin brothers—no, not the fast ones from Minnesota, but rather the not-so-fast Martin ones from Fairmont, West Virginia. [Ed. note: Logan does have some clout: his highest finish in pro racing came at the 2006 Toronto Supercross, where he was 10th in the 250 Class.]

The Beast

After weeks of searching classified ads, we finally pulled the trigger on a titled, TLC-needing 1996 XR400 for a decent price. The owner claimed the engine was all original, which meant it was in desperate need of a rebuild. The first thing we noticed after tearing into it was the “all original” engine already had an aftermarket crank installed, but we went ahead and had Millennium Technologies freshen it up with a new Hot Rods kit. The transmission showed heavy signs of wear—a common problem for the early 400s—so it was swapped out with a beefier version from a later model.

Next, local engine gurus Dutchman Racing helped us out with some last-minute head work, and Hot Cams supplied new valves, a cam chain, and a stage 1 cam to increase midrange and top-end power. An oversized Vertex piston and a full exhaust system further boosted performance and really brought the bike to life.

Following an unconventional method to remove a seized swingarm and some surprise rust repair, the frame was refreshed with some new powder by Grenade Coatings. All Balls Racing bearings replaced what was left of the rusted-out OEM bearings and got the linkage back in working order. FCR Suspension set up the suspension, including a CRF front-end conversion for increased rigidity. An Aloop seat kit gave the XR a modern look and really slimmed down the feel of the bike, allowing you to sit farther forward and be more aggressive entering corners. Custom wheel spacers in the rear allowed a modern Honda wheelset to bolt up with Supersprox USA drivetrain components. Race Awards finished off the renewed XR400 with custom, retro Factory Honda graphics. Scott Summers would be proud!

With the race just one week away, we still had not ridden the XR400. Seized bolts and rusty parts—not to mention our normal full-time jobs—really slowed down the build, but we finally started the bike for the first time days before the race and spun a few laps to break it in. We cut it close, but we completed the build just in time.

Throughout the build, we never lost faith in our choice of steed. Though they’re heavy and lack modern conveniences like electric starts, Honda XRs have always shown bulletproof reliability, with numerous Baja 1000 and GNCC victories from the likes of Summers, desert legend Johnny Campbell, and more. With its tractor-like power delivery and a seat wider than economy class, an XR seemed like the perfect 24-hour bike for two out-of-shape MXers—as long as we didn’t stall it. And that was quickly becoming a very big concern. Having never ridden off-road at night, and throwing in a not-so-original ’96 XR400 with limited seat time, this 24 Hour Challenge was shaping up to be another one of those “good” ideas.

Race Day

We pulled into Tall Pines ATV Park and found our pit spot among the rows of other teams. Just like when we were kids, our mechanic (and dad) Brian got to work setting up the pit area. For this event, each team with multiple riders is given a 15’ x 30’ pit area where the team’s bikes must be kept for the duration of the race. With only one bike per team allowed on the track, each team receives one transponder that must be transferred between riders.

At 9:00 a.m. sharp, the riders’ meeting kicked off to inform over 200 teams about important safety information and proper rider etiquette. We were highly encouraged to look out for our fellow riders to ensure no one was left stranded on the 11-mile loop and that everyone completed the challenge safely. Many of our competitors seemed to have the restrained confidence that comes with experiencing a race like this before. We must have looked like nervous mice in a pet store.

After one final check over the bike, Jordan headed to the line to tackle the opening laps. Teams were lined up with the six-rider squads leading the way and the solo Ironman category going off last. We picked out a spot on Duo Family row and got ready for the dead-engine, Lemans-style start: running to the bike, jumping on, firing it up, and going.

Let’s Go!

After the six-rider pro teams launched, ensuing classes took off in one-minute intervals. We were beginning to collectively question if our fussy XR would even start, but with the aid of some strategically placed rocks, the XR400 came to life on the first kick and we embarked with a decent start. Those first few moments felt like a moto miracle. It was also all downhill from there.

With only a limited amount of shakedown time leading up to the race, we decided to pit on the first lap and give the bike a once-over. Jordan pulled in and looked a little frazzled.

“The bike runs good, but the front brake is about gone,” he reported. “The track is a little harder than expected. Oh, and I spent the last ten minutes trying to start the bike after it stalled.”

We were in for a long 24 hours.

Once lap two was in the books, Logan started to gear up for his first time out. As soon as Jordan came around, we began making the switch, transponder first. While most teams swapped riders fairly quickly, our stop took a little more time. After all, we were prepping a bike that was 23 years old, with 23 more hours to go!

Finally, Logan hopped on and took off for his first turn at the helm while Jordan relaxed. After the first lap, he gave the pit crew the thumbs-up as he came around. It was starting to get hot and dusty in the open areas as a heat wave hammered the Northeast, but overall, both the riders and the bike seemed to be running strong.

The next lap was a different story altogether. Hot and tired, Logan came in for a rider swap, only to find that no one was expecting him. Clearly, we needed to work on our communication and pit strategy. He reluctantly headed back out for another lap to keep the team moving.

Next time around, everyone was ready. The bike was still running strong, though the front brake was almost gone. A splash of fuel and Jordan headed out for another two laps. Next time around brought another thumbs-up from the pilot. Had we finally found our groove?

During 24 hours of racing, you’re bound to come across a few hiccups, including a tired and completely drained body. Taking turns sleeping while your teammate is racing through the night is a common strategy.

Logan grabbed some food and started gearing up for the next exchange. Besides that first-lap stall, we moved along well, having settled in around mid-pack in our class, though the top teams had begun separating themselves now. But there was a lot of racing left ahead. Like, 19 hours.

The Desperate Hours

During the next pit stop, it was decided to try a quick bleed of the front brake to get it working again. Off Logan went, and the rest of the team just hoped and waited. More than a full hour went by with no sign of our rider. No one had seen him, and there was no sign of him on the timing and scoring website. The team checked with the medics and track crew for any word of a downed rider—nothing to report. Then word came over of a broken-down bike being towed in. It had to be Logan and the expired old XR. We couldn’t even make
it halfway?

Then, out of the blue, Logan appeared on the bike and rode into the pits. Surprised to see the bike running, we asked what had happened.

“What do you mean,” he shouted between chugs of water. “I just put in two hot laps, and now it’s time to switch off!”

Turned out our transponder missed a lap, as had our crack pit crew. Luckily, officials manually scored every lap and were able adjust our time to get us back in the correct position. After a splash of fuel from the relieved pit crew, Jordan headed out.

One lap later, he pulled in with the shifter bent into a pretzel. The rear shock was also starting to fade and buck around on what had become a beaten-down course, which in turn made the heavy XR quite a challenge to ride. We threw on a spare shifter, topped off the fuel, and sent Jordan back out.

Two hours later, with the sun going down, Jordan came limping into the pits. A crash had left him with an injured thumb, and the bike was a little tweaked. The rear shock was completely blown out; with no rear damping, the XR had become a bucking bronco on the rough track. Logan decided to head out anyway—we’d already made it this far, after all, and it was still daylight. We straightened out the bike as best as we could.

Lights, Camera, Sleep!

Logan returned to the pits after a lap for some more adjustments. With the sun setting, we hooked up his helmet lights and sent him back out, blown shock and all. About two miles in, a small tip-over left him kicking the bike for what seemed like a half hour, during which the day turned to night. He finally got it restarted, only to find that our helmet-lighting setup was not even close to making us comfortable at speed in the woods. After a couple of near-disasters, Logan decided to call it a night. Bad thumb and all, Jordan still wanted to give night riding a go. We put both helmet lights on him and sent him out.

With the entire family as pit crew, Logan and Jordan had an experience they’ll never forget, including a not-so-ideal lighting setup on their bike. Nonetheless, crew chief Krue (Logan’s son, bottom left) was in full support.

By 10:45 p.m., we had officially reached the halfway mark of the race. Jordan, on the other hand, was close to finished. Sore and barely able to hold on, he decided to take a break. We huddled in our pits, talked about the race so far, and tried to make a plan. We were tired and a little beat-up, but we still wanted to finish the challenge, so we settled on catching a couple hours of sleep and heading back out. We made our chairs into beds and tried to rest.

At 4:30 a.m., the first raindrops started falling. What was already a torture test was about to get worse. The hard-packed, beat-down track would now be like riding on very rough ice. We decided to wait it out.

Endgame

At 8:00 Sunday morning, thumb swollen, rain falling, our bike looking like we’d found it at an abandoned amusement park, Jordan decided to call it a day (or maybe a night). Logan gathered up what energy he had left and got ready for one more lap to finish the 24-hour challenge on a high note. It wasn’t pretty, but we made it. We accomplished our goal of crossing the finish line of the Kenda Northeast 24 Hour Challenge on a second-generation XR400. We were a little disappointed in the number of laps we completed compared to the winning teams, but considering what we were on and what we’d been though, we wouldn’t count this as a bad idea. Instead, it was an awesome family experience, and we all got to cross our first 24-hour challenge off our racing bucket lists. We may or may not have made Scott Summers proud, but at least we gave him a good laugh.