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8763
Joined
3/21/2007
Location
HAIKU, HI
US
Edited Date/Time
1/27/2015 9:24pm
Can you believe it has been that long?
Can you believe the changes over the last decade and a half?
Can you believe KTM was gotten down to the weight limit?
Can you believe KTM is the only one with electric start?
Be curious to hear others' thoughts on these questions. One parting question is why were those thumpers so hard to start initially? Was it cam timing? Too high of compression pistons or what? We will occasionally see someone have an issue restarting but nowadays getting those thumpers relit is pretty much a non issue.
Can you believe the changes over the last decade and a half?
Can you believe KTM was gotten down to the weight limit?
Can you believe KTM is the only one with electric start?
Be curious to hear others' thoughts on these questions. One parting question is why were those thumpers so hard to start initially? Was it cam timing? Too high of compression pistons or what? We will occasionally see someone have an issue restarting but nowadays getting those thumpers relit is pretty much a non issue.
Yamaha gets all the credit but to me this is the bike that really got the ball rolling. World Championship winning machine in 1993.
The Shop
For me the 400 has lead to a more even playing field with privateer teams more able to compete with the factory teams. When it was 2-strokes I remember the big saying in the pits amongst the privateers being, "I just want to be the top privateer in this field."
Now it's pretty common to hear these privateer teams and riders talking about being top ten and beating the factory riders. That's a major mindset change IMO.
KTM is showing that getting down to the weight limit might not be all that we fans crack it up to be. The bike being as light as it is, does not seem to be performing any better then the Japanese bikes.
We still see people struggle to start these bikes if they're in a rush and either can't find neutral or try to start it with the clutch in, but in neutral, they seem to start just fine. It's not as intresting to me that KTM is the only company to have electric start, but more that the Japanese OEM's have no desire to have any model with E-Start, and weekend warriors don't seem to care because nobody is demanding the OEM'S add them. I guess people look at it as more of a novelty item.
btw...^ Funnest track I've ever ridden on East of Goldendale Wa.
I never rode any of the early YZ 426/450s, but I personally think a lot of the starting issues came from the habits we all developed on two strokes. Give it a little gas, in gear, and a half ass kick and a two stroke is back in the race. I think in the heat of the moment it took some time for people to adapt to four stroke restarting.
2 strokes won the title in 94 Hanson CR500)and 96 Shayne King KTM360, then never again in the 500cc Class, Joel Smets Husabergs from the time were pretty trick as well,
Pit Row
Recall Dowd and Cooper riding the 540 against 250 smokers (Smets at Southwick, too, right) in 02, and RC commented about "that 800 or whatever it is." People forget that the exception Yamaha got was not to run a 400, the rules allowed up to 550cc then, but rather to run a works bike in spite of the production rule.
I said that's not for me and I still have never owned one.... Although these days I am seriously tempted!
I still get a kick outta the Thumper-Haters.
I can guarantee you that anyone who owns any bike, 2 stroke or 4 stroke, would like e-start IF it didn't add too much weight.
I thought Japanese bikes would have e-start by now, I assume the only reason they don't is it's too expensive to both cut weight and add light weight quality parts for e start. It's only a matter of time. Yamaha will be the first IMO.
Never got the chance to ride a 1998. And it's not like there are plenty of them around nowadays.
1998 YZ400F
Kickers seem antiquated.
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