250f's in the 450 mains - im confused

Lightning78
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Edited Date/Time 4/13/2015 8:51am
So I see Oldenberg got his 250f into the 450 main...thats awesome congrats! I believe somebody else was doing this or attempting to do it as well which is amazing in of itself.

It brought an interesting thought to mind though, we constantly hear guys complaining that they cant build a 250f that can compete with teh factory 250f's correct? Its the crux of every privateer in the class...which makes me wonder, if they cannot get one fast enough to compete with the factory guys then how in the heck are they able to put them in the 450 main and race against those guys?? Seems a 450 even stock has a much bigger advantage in the engine than a built 250f right? Look, I understand the obvious reasons but one has to find it a little silly to hear a rider say their 250f cant compete in its OWN class but can make a 450 main right?

I'd just like to hear peoples thoughts on this because it perplexes me....
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Johnny Depp
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4/11/2015 11:49pm Edited Date/Time 4/11/2015 11:51pm
Wait, you're not supposed to see Oz behind the curtain. Smile
There will probably be a rule to stop this from happening.

The dirty little secret is smaller bikes have been able to run with bigger ones (at some tracks) since the days of Marty Smith.

The whole idea of different engine classes is to sell more bikes. When 85cc bikes launch past me over the triples I am fully convinced that it is more rider than bike in most cases.
Lightning78
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4/12/2015 1:03am
Wait Waaaaaaaiiiiiiit Waaqaiiiiitttt a minute here, so you mean 250f's are competive with OTHER 250f's regardless of factory support or not???? My mind just exploded, ive been told thats NOT possible hmmmmmm are you saying thats riders are making excuses not wanting to look in the mirror? That isnt possibke its ALWAYS the machine...hahahahahahaha

Thank you Mitchell for ruining everyones excuse we already believed to be false.

Just stating some facts ma'am...
zehn
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4/12/2015 1:04am Edited Date/Time 4/12/2015 1:08am
A 250f can't compete on the starts, which is where the factory 250s have the greatest advantage. As we've seen plenty of times over the last few years, the small bikes can be every bit as fast (or even faster) as the 450s around the track.

I can only see this being the case in Supercross. I have a hard time believing that a 250f could hang with the 450s on a Nationals track (unless it's being piloted by Herlings).
GuyB
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4/12/2015 1:05am
Preston Mull and AJ Catanzaro were also on 250s.

The Shop

4/12/2015 5:16am Edited Date/Time 4/12/2015 5:16am
zehn wrote:
A 250f can't compete on the starts, which is where the factory 250s have the greatest advantage. As we've seen plenty of times over the last...
A 250f can't compete on the starts, which is where the factory 250s have the greatest advantage. As we've seen plenty of times over the last few years, the small bikes can be every bit as fast (or even faster) as the 450s around the track.

I can only see this being the case in Supercross. I have a hard time believing that a 250f could hang with the 450s on a Nationals track (unless it's being piloted by Herlings).
2007 MXdN! Guess the hard part is over Wink
RedDirtDog
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4/12/2015 6:21am
this aint drag racing, factory bikes have alot more advantages then just hp. Cooper would of prolly won the 450main tonight if he lined up on his 250f. bad starts dont matter for cooper Tongue
4/12/2015 6:43am Edited Date/Time 4/12/2015 6:45am
GuyB wrote:
Preston Mull and AJ Catanzaro were also on 250s.
I really wish AJ would get the hell off that thing and ride his 450. Earlier (San Diego?) he won the LCQ ahead of Metty, Josh Hill and a few other highly touted riders. I don't think he was on a 250 for that one.
CrGuy2T
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4/12/2015 7:52am Edited Date/Time 4/12/2015 7:52am
People were talking about musquin moving to 450's next year on another thread. Id like to see him on 2016 250f punched out to a 300 eight ha new motor and see how he would do.
tns
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4/12/2015 8:11am
CrGuy2T wrote:
People were talking about musquin moving to 450's next year on another thread. Id like to see him on 2016 250f punched out to a 300...
People were talking about musquin moving to 450's next year on another thread. Id like to see him on 2016 250f punched out to a 300 eight ha new motor and see how he would do.
why when they make a 350
mx836
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4/12/2015 8:12am
CrGuy2T wrote:
People were talking about musquin moving to 450's next year on another thread. Id like to see him on 2016 250f punched out to a 300...
People were talking about musquin moving to 450's next year on another thread. Id like to see him on 2016 250f punched out to a 300 eight ha new motor and see how he would do.
Not legal.
Mr Bean
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4/12/2015 8:19am
zehn wrote:
A 250f can't compete on the starts, which is where the factory 250s have the greatest advantage. As we've seen plenty of times over the last...
A 250f can't compete on the starts, which is where the factory 250s have the greatest advantage. As we've seen plenty of times over the last few years, the small bikes can be every bit as fast (or even faster) as the 450s around the track.

I can only see this being the case in Supercross. I have a hard time believing that a 250f could hang with the 450s on a Nationals track (unless it's being piloted by Herlings).
Yeah.

Or a 125 outrun a 500.

No way!

Oops.

Johnny O obviously didn't get the memo -




It's 90% bike and 10% rider, right?

Or something like that.
jeffro503
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4/12/2015 8:40am
GuyB wrote:
Preston Mull and AJ Catanzaro were also on 250s.
Steve , was last night , the first night anyone has actually tried it and made it into the 450 main on a 250? Until last night I hadn't ever heard of anyone doing it before. Actually I hadn't heard of anyone even trying it before.

I myself think it was pretty cool , and hope more guys try this. I sure hope AMA / Feld don't try and change the rules to prevent this.
Johnny Depp
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4/12/2015 8:41am
You beat me to it Mr. Bean. That may be the most famous race in history. There was also RV at Budd's Creek on the 250f beating the 450's in the '07 MX of Nations.
Berm
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Fantasy
4/12/2015 8:43am
Wait Waaaaaaaiiiiiiit Waaqaiiiiitttt a minute here, so you mean 250f's are competive with OTHER 250f's regardless of factory support or not???? My mind just exploded, ive...
Wait Waaaaaaaiiiiiiit Waaqaiiiiitttt a minute here, so you mean 250f's are competive with OTHER 250f's regardless of factory support or not???? My mind just exploded, ive been told thats NOT possible hmmmmmm are you saying thats riders are making excuses not wanting to look in the mirror? That isnt possibke its ALWAYS the machine...hahahahahahaha

Thank you Mitchell for ruining everyones excuse we already believed to be false.

Just stating some facts ma'am...
People say a privateer 250f can't compete with a factory 250f, which is true regardless of weather or not a 250f makes the night show in the 450's. A 250f can't compete with a factory 450f either, just because Oldenburg made the night show in the 450 class doesn't mean his 250f is all of a sudden competitive with the 450's. He could make the night show on his 250f in the 250 class, but it's still not the same quality of bike as the factory 250f (or 450f for that matter).
OldYZRider1
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4/12/2015 8:50am
JGR should be running the new 250f. Put the high end suspension on it that is allowed and I'm imagine they'd have better results and suit Barcia's style better. That engine design really appears to work well in the 250 design, not so much as a 450. I'm sure they wouldn't be "allowed" to do it though.
Mr Bean
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4/12/2015 8:51am
You beat me to it Mr. Bean. That may be the most famous race in history. There was also RV at Budd's Creek on the 250f...
You beat me to it Mr. Bean. That may be the most famous race in history. There was also RV at Budd's Creek on the 250f beating the 450's in the '07 MX of Nations.
Yeah, I don't get the whole "Jimmy has faster lap times on a small bike so you know he's gonna kill 'em when he moves up to the big bikes" or "he beat a bunch of guys on bigger bikes so he's obviously better" discussions.

Each size bike has it's own pluses and minuses that make them superior on certain parts of or types of tracks. That's the whole idea behind displacement classes - to level the playing field (wait, did I just step in a big steaming pile of 2T vs 4T?).

The idea is to determine the better rider, not the most effective tool for getting around the track quickest. Leave that for the "Open" class.
Grizz
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4/12/2015 8:52am Edited Date/Time 4/12/2015 8:53am
Maybe this will help. A more powerful bike doesn't help when you're going fast, it helps for when you're going slow. Think about it.
4/12/2015 8:53am
250F's for the "little" bikes and 250F's for the "big" bikes - Micahdogg
holverson34
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4/12/2015 9:33am
GuyB wrote:
Preston Mull and AJ Catanzaro were also on 250s.
jeffro503 wrote:
Steve , was last night , the first night anyone has actually tried it and made it into the 450 main on a 250? Until last...
Steve , was last night , the first night anyone has actually tried it and made it into the 450 main on a 250? Until last night I hadn't ever heard of anyone doing it before. Actually I hadn't heard of anyone even trying it before.

I myself think it was pretty cool , and hope more guys try this. I sure hope AMA / Feld don't try and change the rules to prevent this.
A few years ago at Seattle I'm pretty sure I saw a guy trying to make in the the 450 class with a 250.
newmann
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4/12/2015 12:41pm
There were 45 entries for the 450 class...

Not like Webb , Malcolm and company were bumping up to the 450 class.
newmann
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4/12/2015 12:42pm
Grizz wrote:
Maybe this will help. A more powerful bike doesn't help when you're going fast, it helps for when you're going slow. Think about it.
Don't spoil their fun.
Grizz
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4/12/2015 4:12pm
Grizz wrote:
Maybe this will help. A more powerful bike doesn't help when you're going fast, it helps for when you're going slow. Think about it.
newmann wrote:
Don't spoil their fun.
It's threads like these that make me realize how few people on here actually raced at a competitive level.
Grizz
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4/12/2015 4:13pm
GuyB wrote:
Preston Mull and AJ Catanzaro were also on 250s.
I really wish AJ would get the hell off that thing and ride his 450. Earlier (San Diego?) he won the LCQ ahead of Metty, Josh...
I really wish AJ would get the hell off that thing and ride his 450. Earlier (San Diego?) he won the LCQ ahead of Metty, Josh Hill and a few other highly touted riders. I don't think he was on a 250 for that one.
Pretty sure they sold that 450.
KMC440
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4/12/2015 4:28pm
If anyone is running a 250f in the 450's they should have to run a black background.
Won't mess up scoring and would bring some welcome attention those that are.
newmann
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4/12/2015 5:55pm
KMC440 wrote:
If anyone is running a 250f in the 450's they should have to run a black background. Won't mess up scoring and would bring some welcome...
If anyone is running a 250f in the 450's they should have to run a black background.
Won't mess up scoring and would bring some welcome attention those that are.
Scoring?
mx965
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4/12/2015 7:20pm Edited Date/Time 4/12/2015 7:20pm
There is no way that a stock 250 F is comparable to a factory 250 F I live in Michigan and have rode Redbud my entire life the only 250s to get over the Leap our factory bikes there is no way that you can hit it on a 250f yet these dudes are hucking it. I'm not saying that there is not extra skill involved in that but I know a couple of pros who have made the national this last year and they said they would never attempt to hit it on a 250
zehn
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4/12/2015 7:27pm
zehn wrote:
A 250f can't compete on the starts, which is where the factory 250s have the greatest advantage. As we've seen plenty of times over the last...
A 250f can't compete on the starts, which is where the factory 250s have the greatest advantage. As we've seen plenty of times over the last few years, the small bikes can be every bit as fast (or even faster) as the 450s around the track.

I can only see this being the case in Supercross. I have a hard time believing that a 250f could hang with the 450s on a Nationals track (unless it's being piloted by Herlings).
Mr Bean wrote:
Yeah. Or a 125 outrun a 500. No way! Oops. Johnny O obviously didn't get the memo - [embed] 1986 Motocross des Nations Italy from VM...
Yeah.

Or a 125 outrun a 500.

No way!

Oops.

Johnny O obviously didn't get the memo -




It's 90% bike and 10% rider, right?

Or something like that.
That race was 30 years ago.

Please provide lap times and deltas from 250 vs. 450 outdoor times last year if you want to prove that they are comparable in today's racing.
OldYZRider1
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4/12/2015 8:18pm Edited Date/Time 4/12/2015 8:26pm
zehn wrote:
That race was 30 years ago. Please provide lap times and deltas from 250 vs. 450 outdoor times last year if you want to prove that...
That race was 30 years ago.

Please provide lap times and deltas from 250 vs. 450 outdoor times last year if you want to prove that they are comparable in today's racing.
Actually at many nationals the couple of years that I've tracked the 250f motos are completed in less time than the previous 450 moto was. Doesn't always happen and sometimes you can't accurately compare them because they may not run the same number of laps. But it's pretty apparent they're pretty equally matched and easier for guys to run faster on over the length of a moto.

The last couple of years the 250 motos run after the 450s often on a rougher track and have fewer allowable suspension mods. This may be part of the reason they're switching the race order back this year so the 250's race first; gives the 450 class a plausible excuse why the 250 class ran faster.
4/12/2015 8:37pm Edited Date/Time 4/12/2015 8:37pm
A 250f is easier to control than a 450f. I don't believe the bikes should run in the 450f class. If you can't handle the additional power of a big bike then stay in the lites class.
Mr Bean
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4/12/2015 8:38pm
zehn wrote:
That race was 30 years ago. Please provide lap times and deltas from 250 vs. 450 outdoor times last year if you want to prove that...
That race was 30 years ago.

Please provide lap times and deltas from 250 vs. 450 outdoor times last year if you want to prove that they are comparable in today's racing.
Are you serious?

Just because it was 30 years ago makes it irrelevant? Maybe because the laws of nature have changed since then? Would you bet against Bubba when he was on a 125 if he lined up on one against the 250 2T class?

I'll let you assemble your spreadsheet and database and perform your statistical analysis if you're curious about that topic since that wasn't my assertion.

I wasn't trying to "prove that they are comparable in today's racing".

The point I was trying to make is that a smaller bike isn't at a disadvantage just because it's smaller - it's a combination of track type, rider, etc.

The post I was replying to contained "...I have a hard time believing that a 250f could hang with the 450s on a Nationals track...", which, in general is a smaller bike vs a larger bike. That's what I was commenting on.

That video is proof that a top level rider on a 125 beat a top level rider on a 500 on a hilly, natural terrain outdoor track. 30 years ago or 130 years ago - it doesn't matter. They were both 2T engines using the same level of technology available at that time. Apples to apples.

And FWIW, a 500 has 4 times the displacement of a 125, whereas a 450 only has 1.8 times that of a 250 (yes, I did the math for you). So the difference, and result, is even more remarkable if you believe a smaller bike is a handicap.

Obviously, on that day it wasn't.

.

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