In fact, I used to do road race type track days but that got to
be too much $ and I make pretty good dosh. Point is that I
started riding MX last year and I think it's better...more action
and hard as fcvk to master.
I love the black wheels. What is the black grippy stuff on the frame? My frame is all scratched up after a few rides. How has it been on the valves? any issues? I wish the Suzuki 450's would crank better hot that is my only complaint so far with it. Cranks good after a quick stall but not so good out on the trail if you just cut it off for a break. Valve lash is in spec.
I'm a old roadracer too gave it up because it was to $$$$. I still do trackdays now and then. I've always loved dirtbikes and usually have one around but I am gettign back into it a little deeper this time around. I found it to be somewhat cheaper than roadracing but not much. I don't do motocross with the jumps and stuff I like fast woods riding the faster the better. I get my front and rear suspension back today from Factory Connection I am so excited about this weekends ride.
Oh man, wait until you try your new bouncy bits form F.C. .
Yeah, all and all dirt is cheaper. How about road race tires? @#$@ damn...
I'd get 2-3 days on each set and they cost like $325 -maybe plus mounting etc a set plus $150 for a track day etc.
With gas, that little hobby was like $375 a weekend (conservatively).
Anyway, I don't have a RR track bike anymore and honestly, I'm not so sure I'll get one again.
The stuff on the frame is grip tape...works really well when pressing
knees against it to prep for a jump but say goodbye to
any area of pants that touches it. ExperiMENTAL stuff.
Valves? This thing has valves? Yeah, I'll probably should do a check
soon but it has like 40 hours maybe and I've always kept the revs
down.
Either way, dirt trails/mx etc PERIOD is the most fun and the least expensive.
To save even more money, I'll be mounting my own tires too.
One more thing I've got to have a go at....FLAT TRACKING I LOVE to back it in.
Interesting topic....I am not a road racer but I do quite a few track days. The more I do it the more I love it but it is SOOOO expensive. I have now owned a dirtbike for just over a year and am really enjoying the fact that I can load up my bike and be on some family owned open land in 10 minutes and can ride all day long on $6-10 worth of gas vs. driving 7 hours to VIR $175 track day (x2) plus hotel, fuel, tires, etc. Gets me thinking. So I am debating on doing a few more track days this year and then sell the whole package and buy a newer (possible 4 stroke) dirtbike and a fourwheeler for my wife/kids. Now riding at the local MX parks isnt cheap but in no way is it as much as riding a roadracing track.
Damn it now you got me thinking again.....
I have never ridden a bike 4 stroke = is the bike as much of a headache as I read. I am reading that a lot of people are going back to the 2 stroke. Thoughts???
Even trackdays are expensive, $195 a day with NESBA, set of tires $300+, motel $75 if your lucky, food $$, gas to get to the track $$$ adds up quick. Not to mention a bike to ride and in my case a bone stock 1000 that cost $10k and no race glass on it scary stuff indeed. I have not even spent money on the suspension yet, more $$$$ way more than the dirtbike cost twice as much.
My intake valves were tight at only 8 hours use I am sure it came that way from Suzuki that seems to be their standard practice thes days. These 450 motors are very noisey that has been the biggest thing for me to get used to it sounds like its coming apart at idle which is high at 1950 rpm's. These are high maintenance machines if I didn't love riding it so much I'd get somehting simpler. I had my eye on a '06 RM250 RC model leftover before I bought this 450 kinda wish I would have got the RM250 two smoker.
These are high maintenance machines if I didn't love riding it so much I'd get somehting simpler. I had my eye on a '06 RM250 RC model leftover before I bought this 450 kinda wish I would have got the RM250 two smoker.
I pay $350 a year to ride 500 ares of premium trails club operated with limited membership. On the flip side I pay $30 a year to ride a trail system operated by a nearby city which by comparison the city owned trails are not that good, rooted, ruts and no maintenance but it is a consitant place to go ride. Local forest areas have been closed for the last couple of years and are jus tnow beginning to open back up one by one. Then you could always go ride a Enduro or Hare Scramble but I don't usually do those since its more competitive plus you must join the clubs ie: AMA, SERA or whatever and that all adds up to more $$$.
I'd say your prices are in line with most. Tracks are usually a reasonable priced place to go ride.
you former street/current dirt guys should look at supermoto. i'm a former MX/enduro racer turned sportbike track whore/soon to be amatuer supermoto racer.
i got my KTM450SMR late last fall but did 3 SM trackdays on it and it's a blast. truly the best of both worlds.
just my
you former street/current dirt guys should look at supermoto. i'm a former MX/enduro racer turned sportbike track whore/soon to be amatuer supermoto racer.
i got my KTM450SMR late last fall but did 3 SM trackdays on it and it's a blast. truly the best of both worlds.
just my
I with ya on SM! Congrats on the new bike man.
I gotta tighten up on the bills this year but 08? Heh, I just
might pull the trigger on a SM bike. I'd like to buy a class bike like
a 85cc or 150 lmao...that would be a blast and it would be difficult to
get hurt.
Did you guys know they've been doing this SM like thing since like '79? Youtube has some vids...it was flat track,
dirt and street course schweet. It think it was called superbikes. I'll find the vid maybe later.
Anyone know of any good dirtbike message forums? Is there an online database for dirtbikes comparing their rear wheel hp, wet weight, etc...?
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2005 Yamaha R1 stock
Dream bikes:
-Ducati 998+ the ton of cash to maintain it.
-Ducati 1098R
-A modern mass produced Honda V-Four sportbike.
-And will someone do something about the current Japanese Literbikes? Their all ugly as sin.
*Sidenote: AMA Superbike needs to get eaten by a wolf and shite off a cliff.
Interesting topic....I am not a road racer but I do quite a few track days. The more I do it the more I love it but it is SOOOO expensive. I have now owned a dirtbike for just over a year and am really enjoying the fact that I can load up my bike and be on some family owned open land in 10 minutes and can ride all day long on $6-10 worth of gas vs. driving 7 hours to VIR $175 track day (x2) plus hotel, fuel, tires, etc. Gets me thinking. So I am debating on doing a few more track days this year and then sell the whole package and buy a newer (possible 4 stroke) dirtbike and a fourwheeler for my wife/kids. Now riding at the local MX parks isnt cheap but in no way is it as much as riding a roadracing track.
Damn it now you got me thinking again.....
I have never ridden a bike 4 stroke = is the bike as much of a headache as I read. I am reading that a lot of people are going back to the 2 stroke. Thoughts???
I don't know who the hell your talkin to... But let me clear something up. People complain more than they compliment or give positive feedback. So just keep that in mind. As far as going back to a 2 stroke... thats laughable. In the U.S. a lot of companies have dropped the old smoker.
I have a Honda CRF 250R, and felt the same way you did about the track days and fees and all that crap, so you're not alone.
As for the 250? Had the bike a year. Dropped a K&N in it changed the oil and thats it. Ride ride ride ride. thats all you do. No worries about seizing a piston, reed valves or breaking motors in. All my friends have 4 strokes and I don't hear any of them talkin bad about the bikes. Aside from the crashing that happens on any bike, there really hasn't been much to talk about.
I've ven given some thought to racing Supermoto, less fees tires last about four races, and you don't have to go a hundred plus to be 'racing'.
The whole dirtbike scene is cheaper if you ask me.
I know that I have 10-12k in my RC (conservatively with used bike).
Not including gear. Leathers, gloves, boots, helmet, stands, tire warmers, back protector, blah blah blah...
I got my 06' 250 brand new with gear and all the trimmings for less then 9.5k and thats an over estimate.
Track days in Cali go from 15 to 35/40... thats 10-28 trackdays for one 300.00 track day at Laguna. I'd say dirt is the way to go... but I'm in so deep on the RC its hard to back out now.
I don't know who the hell your talkin to... But let me clear something up. People complain more than they compliment or give positive feedback. So just keep that in mind. As far as going back to a 2 stroke... thats laughable. In the U.S. a lot of companies have dropped the old smoker.
This has to be the most irrational post ever? How in the world can u be so butthurt over his post?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mrgrn
why don'y you do yourself a favor and put me on ignore
Wasn't hurt at all... your interpretation of it gave you that.
I Don't know who the hell you are talkin to.... refers to the guy that is giving him info on how bad the four stroke bike is.
You almost can't find a 2 stroke racing in ArenaX, or Supercross they are that good. And have advantages over the 2 smoker, especially at the start which is hard to overcome in 8 lap motos.
I'll tell you the only single place I miss my 2 stroke, tight trails. I mostly ride MX, but every once in a while I will ride trails, and when it gets tight, you can feel the weight. I could toss my CR250 around like it was nothing, but my CRF450 has a lot more weight and a higher cg. That said, I would never, NEVER, NEVER go back to a 2-stroke again. I replaced the valves in my '05 CRF450 with Kibble-White stainless steel valves and their valve springs and have not had to shim them since. Other than that I have just done regular maintenance, oil change and clean the filter every 2 or so rides. I also added some Factory Connection radiator braces(after I destroyed the first radiator I got 'em), case guards (went through 2 ignition covers cracked by rocks flying up off the front wheel), and a skidplate. I have a couple of other aftermarket parts on the bike and have my suspension resprung and revalved, but all in all it is pretty much perfect off the showroom floor.
I'd say! We went from the most irrational post to the most mis-interpretted post in a hurry.
I agree with your view but for those NOT racing I think there's alot of life left in the smokers. Afterall, who wants to kick their bike endlessly if they happen to stall it? It's painful to watch Dungy kick his bike while be lapped several times over only to retire from exhaustion from kicking. LOL
There is a rather large bounty for someone who makes a main @ an SX event but I doubt anyone is going to claim that 3k anytime soon. Those MotoNews folks are diehards but they need to let the 2-smoker die peacefully.
Best part about the 4's is the way it makes your hair stand up prior to the gate dropping. The earthquake subsides while they brake for the first turn and then it's on again. That's always worth the price of admission for me!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mrgrn
why don'y you do yourself a favor and put me on ignore
I was getting ready to unload......thankfully I read the rest of the posts....
I have done most of my reading on the internet (thumpertalk.com) and as we all know a lot of it is internet BS. Now with that said there are a lot of guys talking about motor work - valves, rebuilds, etc - that all I was referring too.
I am noooooo mechanic - the 2 stroke is simple easy to work on and I havent F-ed anything up.....yet!
I just had to post a pic of me FouR Fiddy
ExperiMENTAL stuff.
scary stuff indeed. I have not even spent money on the suspension yet, more $$$$ way more than the dirtbike cost twice as much.
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