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Buda, TX
US
For me it's always been the bigger with more torque pulling tall gears the better to smooth things out proves to be faster.
I know some rider's who prefer and excel by banging off the rev limiter and screaming a bikes guts out.
Fun factor is another debate all together.
The fastest I ever "felt" was on a borrowed Husky 390 automatic. It took away all the "mistakes".
How about you?
What about the Pro's? It seems there are lots of stories of tamed down motors, added flywheel, hidden auto clutches etc. The magazines would have you believe that you've got to have a "hit" to get the job done. Add a tooth to the rear kind of stuff.
I know some rider's who prefer and excel by banging off the rev limiter and screaming a bikes guts out.
Fun factor is another debate all together.
The fastest I ever "felt" was on a borrowed Husky 390 automatic. It took away all the "mistakes".
How about you?
What about the Pro's? It seems there are lots of stories of tamed down motors, added flywheel, hidden auto clutches etc. The magazines would have you believe that you've got to have a "hit" to get the job done. Add a tooth to the rear kind of stuff.
Like trying to pass a log truck that can straight line get away and shoot a massive amount of roost deterrent.
If by effective you mean becoming a better rider, you'll learn more riding a slow bike fast because to keep up, you'll need good technique.
If by effective you mean it's easier, than a fast bike slow will make everything easier but not necessarily faster because you can cheat technique.
If by effective you mean fun...well that's all relative.
The Shop
I find it intriguing how little the pros actually Rev there 450's I can't work out if there bikes are seriously powerful or they just ride them so smooth and carry there speed. Watching Clement Desalle around hawkstone park just seemed like he was in 3rd and 4th gears and hardly revving the bike through the turns just linking each corner and carrying his speed. I find my lap times are the very similar if I "push" or just put in a solid smooth lap. So I guess it just depends
Riding Fast, is Fast.
One can do either. But, just because you are screaming a slow bike, does not mean you're going fast, and neither when torquing / riding smoothly around a track on a 'fast' bike, means you're going slow.
I've done / do both, and all methods in between. But, whatever technique used, I have never been that fast. I've enjoying wringing the tits off of 125s/small 4ts, and now mostly, just grunting around on my 500 2T.
I'd love to ride something like a Zabel engined two wheeler, or a bike using the ( now moribund?) MB1 - a 1000cc single cylinder 4t Sidecarcross engine.
Fast bike that needs to be ridden slow category.
My last 125 was waaaay more fun than the 250 that followed it and the 450 after that. Although that 450 got to be a lot more fun once I put it on the pavement instead of dirt. Of course it's pretty slow for a paved track, so there's that answer to your question again.
As far as being effective. You'll go faster riding a fast bike slow in most cases. But it'll also buck you off and beat you into submission the first time you give it a little too much. If you're slow enough to be asking this question, then ride whatever's the most fun and don't worry about it.
The fact the 125 is double the fun means I ride it way more, brand spanking new YZ450 and I choose to ride a 7 year old 125 lol.
Pit Row
But even being a big somewhat overweight bastard, there is definitely some fun in making a little bike scream!
This season I decided I would race a 250 2t in the harescramble races and I'm struggling to be as competitive on the bigger bike in the technical stuff for 2 straight hours. Even with a flywheel weight, the added HP (and weight of the bike) combined with my riding style, doesn't equal faster riding in the woods, for me.
Anyway, here's some pics of the JBS MB1 I'm refering to:
It's a 'Big' Engine - height is 548mm / 21,6", length is 398mm / 15.67".
( as long as it's not blue that is, or red )
It makes you work on proper technique much more + WFO the throttle on every single straightaway going through all the gears puts a smile on my face every single time.
One thing worth noticing is the tracks are totally different in USA, you can actually use the power of 450's on some of them. On my local tracks, riding a 450 I would feel like the bike is about to die out of boredom and not being ridden hard enough.
Post a reply to: Riding a Fast Bike slow, or a Slow Bike fast, which is more effective?