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A REAL claiming rule in the 250 class. ONLY in the 250 class.
If any bike in the class could be "claimed" for say..$12K. (I'm guessing at the number here.)
Privateers could actually afford to be compete, as it stands now, unless you are dumping buckets of $$ into your 250F motor EVERY race you can't compete.
Even the bigger teams benefit - because they won't need to invest nearly as much as before. They still maintain a competitive advantage-spending more money on training / testing.
When you hear team managers saying they can't afford to go racing in that class, there is a real problem there. This class is supposed to be the entry level to SX / MX?
I don't claim to know the other ramifications of this rule, are there any?
Discuss.
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Payton wouldn't even have to WORRY about equal capacities,,, He could go back to building 125's and his bikes would be the fastest ones out there...
interestingly the 450SXF makes 53hp, too and weighs 238-ish lbs.
What are the GEICO Honda, Troy Lee Designs Lucas Oil Honda, Rockstar Energy Suzuki, and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki guys going to ride?
They make an announcement. The OEM develop/test bikes and they still allow a year or 2 of "co-ed" racing.
and it looks like Suzuki is going to drop a new RM125 with that new FIM (drum roll) class change. Wishful thinking maybe. We'll see.
Pit Row
450's would be getting 50% quicker lap times, which, obviously, they're not, in fact, it does appear that on some tracks
a 250 would be better (in the right hands). I applaud you standing up for the two-smokers, but I think with the last ten years
of development to the four strokers AND especially the bikes in the hands of the right tuners (Geico Hondas and PC Kaws)
- I think we'd have a difficult time finding a current rider on any of the presently offered two-strokes - or past years models,
matching lap times with the strokers. But I still would like to see THAT battle. Let CC's be equal, we say.
maybe someone will make a wenkel rotary engine for a bike. then we'd all be in trouble.
But most of us do not ride aggressive SX courses in the tight confines of a stadium or arena. By in large tracks are more "outdoor" in nature, with perhaps a few SX obstacles thrown in. This is where the gap between 250 and 450 is exposed, especially for expert and pro riders. So perhaps mixing displacements won't have a measurable impact on sales. (Just build a great product, and it will sell.)
The concept of blending displacements in a "premier" class has merit, on two fronts: 1) it provides for greater competition and 2) allows the "feeder" class to run 350/450s, which typically require less maintenance and can be "de-tuned" to fit the rider's skill level.
Like that's ever going to happen...
and the start (unless your Hansen going ending up in 10th no matter what as we have seen) is very important to how the race turns out at the end....
I believe the 250F is faster all around bike on SX track once the start is over.
But give me a 250T on a start against 250Fs with same skilled riders as me and I will show you more holeshots than not.
Unless of course the start is abnormally short straight.... Pulling the same 2nd gear, then click 3rd with a bigger motor and lighter bike equals holeshot more often than not given the same skilled riders. Stopping however takes more skill on the 250T....so there is truth there too..
if MX/SX was drag racing on asphalt the 2 stroke would be king but its not. Traction is a big issue when riding on dirt and that is where the 4 stroke has its advantage.
I have been racing an RM 250 against 250f's and the initial jump they get off the line is slightly better than mine, they seem to wheelstand less while still getting good grip. (technique is obviously involved here too). once i click 3rd and the bike starts to rev out i start to make good ground on any 4 stroke that got the jump on me and if it is a decent straight where i can click 4th and hold it for a little bit i can pretty much holeshot. a supercross start is fairly short and i dont think you would see a huge difference there, outdoors is a different story though
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