Alta Test Track Build (In progress)


#76

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Been hard at work all over the Bank Holiday weekend much to my girlfriend's delight.
Got the big 16ton machine out and a 9ton dumper to help move all the soil that's been dumped right on my "parking area" i made last year!.
Two days solid just to move it to where it should have been (in a low area in the next field) to help the people out who own the land my track is on, so managed to get it moved and to get to my stash of soil i had delivered last year but did not get the chance to use, so loaded up & filled in the low spots on the track and had enough to make two new jumps and extend one other that was already there.
Lot's of work as up & down in and out of the digger and dumper and repeat to move it all, i can not stress enough that if your thinking of building your own track get some help from your friends, and how ever much soil/earth you think you need...you need more!!.
So got the place back straight as to where it was last year, and also got all the soil i need on the track and the jumps i wanted also on too. Mega!.

Some picture for your enjoyment.

Got the big guys in this time to get sorted faster...the Digger is so smooth and powerful even on the "eco"setting, and the 9t dumper is amazing and was so much faster and easier than my Tractor & trailer...the pile of soil to the right and beyond is what i needed to move and then over to the left and behind the Dumper. Does not look much...lol!.

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So this is my main two view's i see all day...one from the digger...

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And one from the Dumper!.

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But i did finally manage to get it all clear again, re-grade up the track edge / Bank and get to my soil i needed.

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Then onto getting my good soil onto the track in the low area's that the water was all in the pics above. This was so much easier with the Dumper as so much more control as to exactly where the soil was going to be tipped up and amounts etc than using my Tractor and trailer i did last year. So some finally going on the track.

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Even had enough to put in two new jumps and extend another one from last year, made a table top in the background and not had chance yet to shape up the other two but i hope to today.

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It's getting there, still a lot to do, need to get down there today and rake out all the piles of new soil for the track low area's and to shape up the jumps over the back, then i need to disc up the rest of the track and we should be ready to go!.

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But most important, I have to thank the people who have let me use the land and their help with the machinery too, it would not be possible for this to be happening right now if not. There are still some people left in this world who help because they can, not because they have to. Thank you!.

Finally, pleased to say my MXR has a new friend!. More to come on that soon. Thanks for reading.

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C5tor

Chief Comedic Instigator
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Camouflage! No, Mr. Police Officer, I don’t see any racetrack here. The neighbors must be mistaken. Nothing to see here.
 
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#76

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So had 5 days in total working hard down there to get it back, pulled out the weeds by hand on the jumps on the straight as we had a lot of rain the day before and they came out ok, better than using the strimmer so they grow back in no time, at least if they are pulled out, there gone!....a before and after pic!....

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But it's all back, so happy that i managed to do it all on my own too. Could not be done with out the Tractor and Implements i have no way...so thank full for these.

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Yes @Matt the dirt is mega really, i did put a lot on back in March as i said, its so deep!. Had some rubble turn up after i finished with the Power Harrow but a walk round with the wheel barrow sorted that out.

So a Left to right of the whole track...

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So last night a friend of mine bought his new Talaria down for a bit of fun, had a blast!, what a machine that is too...thing was fast and handled very well.

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More to come...
 

C5tor

Chief Comedic Instigator
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Very impressive de-weeding efforts. Next time, just plant potatoes, and then use your equipment to harvest the spuds when you want to ride. That way, you can at least sell the taters to cover the cost of your track clearing efforts. Unless you can pass off the weeds as kale or something, and then sell it to some vegan restaurant. I’m sure if you call it something exotic, like “Welsh thistle-down kale” and mention that you lost 6 kg in a week by just looking at it (let alone digging it), then people would come from far and wide to take it off your hands.
 

#76

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So we have been having some fun down the track, weather has not been too bad and with the couple of heavy days of rain we had the track held up well, so i am thank full that i spent all that time loading on the extra soil when i did.
Going to add a double in soon!.
Still have some area's that i need to work on (again loading more soil on to raise it up) but i have all winter to do that.
Looking into a Bobcat tracked loader now as i think its the best way forward, as i can collect the soil i need and track it straight onto the track, build jumps + shape up / grade all at the same time. With the little digger i am limited as i still need to cart the soil with the Tractor and trailer and get it right where i need to, then use the digger to shape and maintain but with a Skidsteer i should be able to do it all.
Anyways, some pictures for your viewing pleasure...

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Sorry some of the pics are not that great, had to crop them as was taken from quite a distance and the wrong way round!.
Have had some fun there over the last month or two!. The little Talaria is so quick in and out the corners!, but i am only in Map 2 trying to be nice lol.

Some pics of the track that i went and ripped up with the Discs last Friday as we had a LOT of rain forecast, and left it "open" to allow the rain into the sub base, rather than sit on top, when its ready i will go back with the Power Harrow and make it all pretty!. Track rips up good!.

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All for now. Hoping to get out this weekend!.
Still trying to sort some suspension out... as i am getting more on it (over jumping and breaking bumps - tracking out a berm/corner with deep "Alta Holes" knocks the shit outa me!) that stock stuff is getting old fast, but i am still very, very grateful to have such an awesome bike in this day and age.

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bayodome

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Brooklyn, NY
Thanks for all of the updates! Track looks awesome and you've obviously put a lot of work into it. Grab some video next time of a lap around the track on that MXR!
 
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#76

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It's that time again!.....

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So 2023 huh, wow....that clock never stops ticking....

First look at it all, and i am so thankful i went down and loaded A LOT of strong weed killer on all the jumps at the start of the year (January), really shows that the stuff works!, i did not do the berms, lesson learnt!. How bad the jumps were with out the killer on them (see pics before!) I was not looking forward to all that again for sure.

Will get stuck in the next few weeks, as I have new suspension on the Alta for this year!, and really looking forward to testing it out.

I must start to get my Video's up on YT. I am just not really that sort of a person i guess.... but i will do as it might help people wanting to make/build their own track and show a little of what's needed etc.

Back soon!. #Altawasfirst
 

#76

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Thanks very much for the Thumbs up guys!.

I have been back and forth, on and off and have got on well....

I need to introduce a new (well, sort of) machine to the track building fleet, my old Cat 428B.

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I bought back (March) one of my Cat 428B's i used to own 5 years ago!, I kept in touch with the guy who bought it as i was not too fussed if i sold it or not, and he wanted it for a self-build project so i said let me know when your done, and he did!. So bought her back and been using for loading all the soil i have onto the track. I bought it from the original owner who had it from new, and its now only done 2830hrs. Love this machine!.

We used to run the Cat 428B's back in the 90's as builders, My best memory of my Dad is me looking up at him on the sticks through the back window!, so its like a second home in that machine, so much fun and a very helpful and powerful all round Digger too!. Sounds awesome when your pushing into a soil heap!.

And man did i have some soil to move....so got stuck in and had a good few hours loading on soil onto the last of the "old track" surface, was a lot of stone on the old track top and quite low in that area too, so loaded on a lot!, and just kept tipping and dragging back - repeat.

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Looks a mess right?, i know i know but it's all good, trust me.

So, finished all that and thought ok, I might as well go back home and swap the Cat for the Tractor + Discs, come back and start to move the soil and get it where i want it...I also had all the rest of the track to Disc up too from the Winter lay off, that's a lot of work there!, so i just got on with it.... Very happy with how it all went and i just need to go back with the Power Harrow and make it look all pretty, lol. I have some weed killer to go and spray but just waiting on a good day with no wind!, Then i can finally go and test my new Alta suspension out!, oh i am so looking forward to that. Would be nice tho to have some other friends there to have some fun with, I put so much time and work into all this, just for me.... I would love for others to be able to come and just enjoy it too. One day. I have just put my home up for sale (again!) and we are still looking for a property to buy so i can have a track on my own land, it would make things easier for being able to have people down and just looking after the track too, water and power etc...I just want to share all this with others!.

Anyways, 9 hrs of work & it all came out well in the end, so deep!. have some "rock picking" to do but not too much, the soil was great quality, I will check back in soon with the finished pics and then some updates on the Alta suspension and maybe, some video's too!. Cheers for now. #Altarules

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