Ways to carry a dirt bike...

[family TJ]

My buddy has a moto jack and it has a piece that sits on the floor so you can use it as a regular jack. I toted his KTM 250SX from Ohio to NC and sold me the bike. I wish he would have sold me the Jack too.

 

[riverfever]

If she ever allows me to get back on a moto again after the get off, I think I'll go this route. Anyone have one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Compact-Utility-Motorcycle-Bike-Rail-Ramp-Trailer-Kit_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ50072QQihZ018QQitemZ280068558551QQrdZ1

 

[jpcherokeekid]

I love how people are bashing 2 strokes because of the unpredictable power. ive ridden a 250 two stroke on nothing but tight trails and love it. i love having all of the high end power and personally i think 4 strokes are the unpridictable bikes. when i went to ride an xr400, the throttle respose was pathetically slow which SUCKS when you need to get over a tree or any obstical when you have throttle delays. no such thing with two strokes :laugh3: anyways this thread just needed someone to defend 2strokes.

 

[AZ XJ]

I love how people are bashing 2 strokes because of the unpredictable power. ive ridden a 250 two stroke on nothing but tight trails and love it. i love having all of the high end power and personally i think 4 strokes are the unpridictable bikes. when i went to ride an xr400, the throttle respose was pathetically slow which SUCKS when you need to get over a tree or any obstical when you have throttle delays. no such thing with two strokes :laugh3: anyways this thread just needed someone to defend 2strokes.

Well in that case.. every single rider in the AMP'D Mobile AMA supercross series must be wrong. Not one rider on a 2 stroke. Your one of the few holdouts.. It's ok, I was too.. but get some good seat time on a good 4 stroke bike and you'll be singing a different tune. They have a Much more predictable and broader powerband, and have torque.. which if you have ridden a lot of trails you should appreciate. Not only are 4 strokes much more predictable, but they are also signifigantly more reliable.. which counts for quite a bit too.

 

[Chero-King]

Well in that case.. every single rider in the AMP'D Mobile AMA supercross series must be wrong. Not one rider on a 2 stroke. Your one of the few holdouts.. It's ok, I was too.. but get some good seat time on a good 4 stroke bike and you'll be singing a different tune. They have a Much more predictable and broader powerband, and have torque.. which if you have ridden a lot of trails you should appreciate. Not only are 4 strokes much more predictable, but they are also signifigantly more reliable.. which counts for quite a bit too.

True. And honestly, that's why Im scared to get on a 4 stroke....
I'm scared that i'll like it.
I've always ridden two strokes, and still have one today. To me personally, nothing beats the sound, and torque that the two stroke makes. I too ride a lot of trails, (extremely easy ones, mind you,) and love feathering the clutch coming out of a corner and being pushed back in the seat, and I just don't think that the 4 stroke can do that. The reason I say that is because, riding my parents, friends Kodiak 450 has caused me to come to the conclusion that the throttle response is quite a bit slower than my 2 stroke. Now, not saying that it's slow, but it's defintely slower, probably just because it's a big trail quad, but I've also driven 2 stroke quads that have had much quicker throttle responses. (they were much lighter though.)
Anyways, right now, I still stand behind 2 strokes, but fear that one day I'll become a 4 stroke guy.

 

[AZ XJ]

True. And honestly, that's why Im scared to get on a 4 stroke....
I'm scared that i'll like it.
I've always ridden two strokes, and still have one today. To me personally, nothing beats the sound, and torque that the two stroke makes. I too ride a lot of trails, (extremely easy ones, mind you,) and love feathering the clutch coming out of a corner and being pushed back in the seat, and I just don't think that the 4 stroke can do that. The reason I say that is because, riding my parents, friends Kodiak 450 has caused me to come to the conclusion that the throttle response is quite a bit slower than my 2 stroke. Now, not saying that it's slow, but it's defintely slower, probably just because it's a big trail quad, but I've also driven 2 stroke quads that have had much quicker throttle responses. (they were much lighter though.)
Anyways, right now, I still stand behind 2 strokes, but fear that one day I'll become a 4 stroke guy.

It's inevitable really. The time is quickly approaching where you wont even be able to buy a new 2 stroke bike or quad. It's already coming to that for 125 motocross bikes.. i believe Kawasaki is no longer, or will no longer be producing a 125. I completely understand your point of view because I had the same opinion for a long time. I was one of the last guys at my track on a 250 2 stroke.. but after doing so many top ends, mixing so many cans of gas, and replacing countless reed valves, i moved up to a 450 4 stroke and I'll never look back. At this point I even (Gasp!) prefer the sound of a 4 stroke over a 2 stroke... something i Never thought I would say. As far as motocross bikes go, my 450 with just an aftermarket filter and exhaust pulls SO much harder than my 250 did with tons of motor work on it. And with quads, what type of 2 stroke quad are you comparing the Kodiak 450 to? Don't fear the 4 stroke man, low end power is your friend

 

[Chero-King]

It's inevitable really. The time is quickly approaching where you wont even be able to buy a new 2 stroke bike or quad. It's already coming to that for 125 motocross bikes.. i believe Kawasaki is no longer, or will no longer be producing a 125. I completely understand your point of view because I had the same opinion for a long time. I was one of the last guys at my track on a 250 2 stroke.. but after doing so many top ends, mixing so many cans of gas, and replacing countless reed valves, i moved up to a 450 4 stroke and I'll never look back. At this point I even (Gasp!) prefer the sound of a 4 stroke over a 2 stroke... something i Never thought I would say. As far as motocross bikes go, my 450 with just an aftermarket filter and exhaust pulls SO much harder than my 250 did with tons of motor work on it. And with quads, what type of 2 stroke quad are you comparing the Kodiak 450 to? Don't fear the 4 stroke man, low end power is your friend

Yeah, I figure, within the next couple years, I'll be riding 4 strokes, I hope not, but like you said, it's basically inevitable.
The quad I was comparing the 450 to was a small 200cc Yamaha Blaster. I'm thinking it was because of the weight difference, the blaster being so much lighter, was giving it the quicker response off the line. Not that the 450 is slow, but there was a slight difference.

 

[AZ XJ]

Yeah, I figure, within the next couple years, I'll be riding 4 strokes, I hope not, but like you said, it's basically inevitable.
The quad I was comparing the 450 to was a small 200cc Yamaha Blaster. I'm thinking it was because of the weight difference, the blaster being so much lighter, was giving it the quicker response off the line. Not that the 450 is slow, but there was a slight difference.

I'd say given the relativley small size and weight of the Blaster in conjunction with it's rev happy 200cc motor, im sure it would be more zippy and less boggy than a 450 utility quad. If you ever have the opportunity to put a leg over one of the newer 4 stroke sport quads, go for it man.. they are such a blast to ride.

 

[jordo]

Riverfever-nice setup. i was tinkering with the idea of doing up my '00 WR400F supermoto until we got pregnant (my wife that is) and then I ended up selling it when we moved closer to town with no garage

2 stroke vs 4? I actually bought my 400 while looking for another 250 2-stroker. justt gobs of power everywhere. Having owned four 2-strokes previously i had to change my riding style quite a bit but it suited the trails i rode most of the time. Ended up doing alot more technical riding and even touring around on pavement which was cool. i did miss the smell of the 2 stroke tho. and powerband. can't forget about that.

As awesome as the 4 strokes are, next up is going to be a KX500. '88 or up. Want to get one while i can still find one but first gotta build a shed.

 

[bcmaxx]

I know trailers suck but I cary two bikes,gear and gas. I "aquired" an old tent trailer for free, stripped it down, put some thin plywood on the deck,fastened angle iron to the perimter, cut up some 4x4 wood to secure the front wheels and threw on some trailer lights. Less than $150 canadian including 1 year of insurance. just a thought.

For you guys bashin the xr400 poor throttle response and unpredictable power, try an oversize mikuni carb off xrsonly and a supertrapp id2 muffler. Livens the beast up. I can now ride with my fellow ktm 450 riders.

 

[jordo]

x2 on the old tent trailer-they're small and super light when stripped. the plywood is rotting on mine now as it's been sitting around for a couple years so i'm gonna tack some industrial walkway grating to it when it goes back into use.

 

[bcmaxx]

The only downside is the small wheels and bearings, I don't like to go faster than 75mph with the tent trailer, I will eventually get some bigger spinges,wheels,bearings.

 

[bigjeepman]

Reliability is of any bike is all how you take care of it. I work at a yamaha shop and recommended rebuild intervals on the yz450 is 50 hours. That is about the same amount of time a 2-stroke would last.

Also there will be pro's racing two strokes as KTM has yet to halt production of their two-strokes. Two-strokes to me have a much better power feel in the woods than the 4-strokes. If 4-strokes are so good someone explain why Barry Hawk. Multi-time GNCC Bike and ATV champion has ridden 2-strokes for years, don't forget Soloman either he is wicked fast on his two-stroke! PASTRANA, Carmichael, McGrath the list goes on and on!

 

[jordo]

i imagine its mostly rider preference. most of those riders started out and honed their skills on two strokes and for good reason-the four strokes of yesteryear were underpowered heavy pigs. it's been a few years since i've kept up with the scene but i even remember reading about factory riders who switched back to a 2 stroke after trying a 4 stroke. i would guess the transition is easier for some than others. the factory can push the riders to ride the new and improved but if they're not winning....hell, mcgrath rode his factory 93 CR for years much to the dismay of honda as he liked it better than the 94 and 95. (dont' quote me on the years as i said it's been a while) point is is that he liked it better and won on it.

 

[AZ XJ]

Reliability is of any bike is all how you take care of it. I work at a yamaha shop and recommended rebuild intervals on the yz450 is 50 hours. That is about the same amount of time a 2-stroke would last.

Also there will be pro's racing two strokes as KTM has yet to halt production of their two-strokes. Two-strokes to me have a much better power feel in the woods than the 4-strokes. If 4-strokes are so good someone explain why Barry Hawk. Multi-time GNCC Bike and ATV champion has ridden 2-strokes for years, don't forget Soloman either he is wicked fast on his two-stroke! PASTRANA, Carmichael, McGrath the list goes on and on!

I can't quote about the GNCC stuff cause I don't follow it at all, however with supercross.. Carmichael has been riding a 4 stroke for the past 2 supercross seasons and 3 motocross seasons. When McGrath raced his limited schedule last year he raced 2 races on a CR250 2 stroke and wasn't competitive, then switched to a CRF450 4 stroke. Pastrana, hasn't raced at all in the past 3 or 4 seasons, and yes still does ride a 2 stroke in the only area where 2 strokes are still the norm and thats freestyle mx. And also, I didn't say that manufacturers are discontinuing 2 stroke bikes.. 250's will be around for a while.. but 125's are being phased out. They are not even close to being as competitive as a 4 stroke.

 

[AZ XJ]

i imagine its mostly rider preference. most of those riders started out and honed their skills on two strokes and for good reason-the four strokes of yesteryear were underpowered heavy pigs. it's been a few years since i've kept up with the scene but i even remember reading about factory riders who switched back to a 2 stroke after trying a 4 stroke. i would guess the transition is easier for some than others. the factory can push the riders to ride the new and improved but if they're not winning....hell, mcgrath rode his factory 93 CR for years much to the dismay of honda as he liked it better than the 94 and 95. (dont' quote me on the years as i said it's been a while) point is is that he liked it better and won on it.

It is mostly rider preference, and that's why 2 strokes will still be around.. but modern 4 strokes are just better bikes. They no longer weigh any more than their 2 stroke counterparts and make more power and torque throughout a much broader powerband. Not one single rider in this years AMA AMP'D Mobile supercross series is riding a 2 stroke. They aren't even calling the classes the 125 or the 250 class anymore because their aren't any in them. It's the 250's (supercross lites) and 450's (supercross) now.

 

[TheWarWagon]

i even remember reading about factory riders who switched back to a 2 stroke after trying a 4 stroke.

I'd love to know where you read that. Factory riders race what the factories tells them to. If Yamaha told Broc Hepler to go race a TT-R 125, you'd better believe you'd hear an electric start at the gate. And to end the "why 4 strokes" debate, blame us in California. Two strokes make too much polutant, and the ban began here. Since California is the largest market for dirt bikes, the manufacturers followed the trend. Also, 4 stroke power is smoother and more manageable. That means the customer will have an easier time learning.

 

[jordo]

I'd love to know where you read that. Factory riders race what the factories tells them to. If Yamaha told Broc Hepler to go race a TT-R 125, you'd better believe you'd hear an electric start at the gate. And to end the "why 4 strokes" debate, blame us in California. Two strokes make too much polutant, and the ban began here. Since California is the largest market for dirt bikes, the manufacturers followed the trend. Also, 4 stroke power is smoother and more manageable. That means the customer will have an easier time learning.

Would've been in Dirt Bike or Dirt Rider mags. Was basically that some riders rode them for a bit but were soon back on a 2-stroke as they were more competitive on them. Mind you, this was back when the new strokers first made there appearance on the scene (1998/99) and 2-strokes still had quite a few years to be manufactured as closed-course vehicles under the EPA's new restrictions. The factory's had time to let riders switch back and win races on their trusty 2 stroke. Yamaha would never tell Hepler to race a TT-R cause they wouldn't stand a chance! No offense but you sound like a salesman when you say 'the customer will have an easier time learning'. Rider's don't have time to learn in a race. Some riders adapted to the different power deliver and handling quicker than others.

Also the manufacturer's weren't following a trend-they were meeting a deadline. Californian emissions regulations had to be met by all vehicles manufactured after a certain date (this year iirc?). Like you said, California is the largest market so that meant that manufacturers had to develop competitive bikes that met those regulations and have riders that could win on them once 2-strokes couldn't even be operated as a closed-course vehicle. Hence the 5 valve 4 stroke.

 

[TheWarWagon]

No offense but you sound like a salesman when you say 'the customer will have an easier time learning'.

You're close. I work with two of the factory race teams. How many bikes they sell doesn't make a shit of difference to me. The racers have one obligation; to win.