RJ's teamate, Matt Barney, *at speed* in the fast sandwash just before the highway section near San Matais Click Here for a 311x482 pixel version.

Then the transmission started to play strange games. At first, it simply locked up in third gear and refused to budge from there. It was pure frustration to scream the motor and race at a a top speed of 62 miles per hour.

Ricky knew that if he stalled the bike, it might become nearly impossible to start, as the clutch was dragging badly. He crashed once in the Guadalupe sand wash, but hung on to the bars as the bike endoed, and somehow kept the motor running, nearly ripping his arms out of his sockets in the process.

When he got going again, the bike mysteriously jumped into fourth gear and stayed stuck there, giving him a better top speed, but demanded more heavy clutch use. He knew there was no way he could climb the nasty switch-backs in fourth gear, and figured the race was going to end so close to the finish line.

While charging up the first hill, Ricky felt the bike bog badly and thought it was all over. He said a quick, silent prayer, and then his front wheel tagged a rock and he almost crashed again, but miracles sometimes do work, and the bike popped into third gear, then second gear.

With the trans groaning from internal damage, he managed to navigate the remaining miles, with mental fingers crossed, and the engine getting that tight feeling like a two-stroke about ready to seize.

When he crossed the finish line, his team mates mobbed him and the celebrating started. They not only managed to win Class 30, but were 4th bike overall, as well. And this was the guy who said he was just going to cruise?