The 2008 Team Moto Madmen and Women

2whlrcr · Post by **2whlrcr** » January 16th, 2008, 5:35 pm

Oh and why aren't you sweating.

2whlrcr · Post by **2whlrcr** » January 16th, 2008, 5:45 pm

GREGH wrote:2whlrcr How do you like the KTM 450 exc? That is on my wish list. It looked like it was brand new. I have been training a professional Snocross Racer named TJ Gulla in the summers and we ride together on some private MX tracks. He just told me that his mom is part owner on the local KTM dealer. Man did I drop some hints that day trying to work out a deal. Now I have to sell my wife on it. Let’s just hope hell freezes over by the time the snow leaves Vermont.

I don't know. I have only ridden it around our block. It's got .1 hours on it. I bought it around Thanksgiving and haven't had a chance to ride it yet, since it turned too winter here. I've got another bike I stud the tires up on.

I am in the midst of redoing all the street legal stuff. Replacing the big ugly turn signals and rear fender with more streamlined stuff. I bought the bike, because I wanted a street legal dirt bike. Unfortunately in Iowa, you cannot title a dirt bike, no matter if you put lights on it. It has to come from the factory as a 50 state legal bike.

I am intending on using this bike as my CO ride. We take 10 days every year and ride the jeep trails and mountain passes in CO. I used to have a KTM 640 Adventure I'd take out there, but that bike can be a handful on tough trails. This year I took my 250X which worked great, but I was wishing for more horsepower at altitude. I also intend to use this bike as a long trail ride or multiday trail ride bike or DS bike locally.

Our races are typical tight eastern woods conditions. I think this bike will be too much, but I may give it a try sometime just for giggles. It might be fun to honk your horn as your passing someone and then put your signals on to make a turn.

2whlrcr · Post by **2whlrcr** » January 16th, 2008, 5:48 pm

Greg, you may want to search some of the forums. There have been a lot of complaints on the new 450/530 motors. Hopefully most of it is just a few teething problems. I do notice some more serious incidences from the 530 owners.

Most of these issues stem from the lean factory jetting and the emissions crap they put on them. I stripped my emmissions and rejetted the bike, before I even started it.

GREGH · Post by **GREGH** » January 16th, 2008, 5:50 pm

I have a Street legal WR250F. I bought the Baja design kit for it and I am going to take off the stock turn signals and do the mini LED signals. Here in Vermont hand signals are still legal but if you don't want to explain that to a cop it helps to have them.

GREGH · Post by **GREGH** » January 16th, 2008, 5:56 pm

I did all the conversions to my WR when I got it and I love the bike but I try and do everything with it. I even did open race day at the MX track and I was the only guy with a license plate. I got a lot of funny looks. I need a street legal 450 that is nimble enough for New England Trails and suspension enough for the track at a price that keeps me out of the dog house. Think I will ever find one?

yamadog · Post by **yamadog** » January 16th, 2008, 6:16 pm

GREGH wrote:I did all the conversions to my WR when I got it and I love the bike but I try and do everything with it. I even did open race day at the MX track and I was the only guy with a license plate. I got a lot of funny looks. I need a street legal 450 that is nimble enough for New England Trails and suspension enough for the track at a price that keeps me out of the dog house. Think I will ever find one?

Greg,

Consider installing the Athena 290 kit in your WR250. I have a YZ250F with the 290 kit installed. Several times this year I have pulled holeshots on some fairly long straights, this is riding the SR class HS where any displacement bike is legal.

The suspension part is getting more affordable all the time. Lots of very good tuners in your area. Nothing like a light weight bike that can run with the bigger bikes, espiecially in tight woods.

Wayne

2whlrcr · Post by **2whlrcr** » January 16th, 2008, 6:54 pm

GREGH wrote:I have a Street legal WR250F. I bought the Baja design kit for it and I am going to take off the stock turn signals and do the mini LED signals. Here in Vermont hand signals are still legal but if you don't want to explain that to a cop it helps to have them.

Our bikes have to have the proper VIN and emissions labels, or no tag....period.

2whlrcr · Post by **2whlrcr** » January 16th, 2008, 7:01 pm

GREGH wrote:I did all the conversions to my WR when I got it and I love the bike but I try and do everything with it. I even did open race day at the MX track and I was the only guy with a license plate. I got a lot of funny looks. I need a street legal 450 that is nimble enough for New England Trails and suspension enough for the track at a price that keeps me out of the dog house. Think I will ever find one?

I think the 450 will be as close as you can get. The new one is more of a short stroke motor, compared to the old RFS. It should have a lighter, revier feel. Plus the new frame is supposed to give it a lighter, nimbler feel than the old bike, even though they weigh the same.

I'm also a Husky fan and wouldn't rule out a Husky TE. The new ones are fuel injected. I shied away, because the gearbox is tighter and doesn't offer the road speeds that KTM does. But if your road riding is limited, this may not be a factor for you. Plus the aftermarket doesn't support Husky as well, but there's probably enough stuff to get the job done.

I love my 250X. I don't need anymore power. I have had a slight port job done and a high comp piston installed, but the power gains were minimal. I run the stock silencer, because I like them QUIET. I was a 40A rider, but now race SS class. We line up with all the Senior and Vet A's. I have holeshotted this class too on several occasions. As long as the starts are short, I can get to the first turn as fast as anyone else. I've ridden an unrestricted WR and they are very similiar. I've also said, if I wanted a trail or play bike, I'd ride a 450 for the fun of the extra power. But if I'm racing, I'm faster on a slower bike. Maybe all this rowing will change that.

C3H6O3 · Post by **C3H6O3** » January 16th, 2008, 8:14 pm

2whlrcr wrote:I can tell from this shot that you angle back further than I do and pull higher to your ribcage.

Yeah, that must have been while I was experimenting with different techniques. That picture is not really representative of my usual rowing motion. I normally pull lower than that.

Hokie · Post by **Hokie** » January 16th, 2008, 8:59 pm

I am intending on using this bike as my CO ride. We take 10 days every year and ride the jeep trails and mountain passes in CO.

Only jeep trails and Mtn. passes in CO?
As a displaced coloradan I can say that you need to check out the singletrack in that state!

Also, the 300 was invented for CO altitude...

man, I can't wait to move back.....

oh yeah, my 300 is still titled and tagged in CO....
sooo easy to get a tag there...

2whlrcr · Post by **2whlrcr** » January 16th, 2008, 9:33 pm

Hokie wrote:

I am intending on using this bike as my CO ride. We take 10 days every year and ride the jeep trails and mountain passes in CO.
Only jeep trails and Mtn. passes in CO?
As a displaced coloradan I can say that you need to check out the singletrack in that state!

Also, the 300 was invented for CO altitude...

man, I can't wait to move back.....

oh yeah, my 300 is still titled and tagged in CO....
sooo easy to get a tag there...

Our riding has been "easy" jeep trails and some single track, primarily because our machines have been heavy DS bikes. My 640, KLR's and a Honda XL or two. Were all acomplished off roaders and have taken these bikes on tough single track. We get very strange looks from the "real" dirt bike guys when they come across us.

But I have to say, at some point it stops becoming fun, when your wrestling a 400 lb loaded down bike at 13,000 through some nasty signal track.

We like to do 150-200 day rides, so that makes a two stroke a real pain with fuel stops. That's why we are down sizing to 400/450's. Plus we save our trials bikes for the real nasty stuff. That's when the "real" dirt bikes hate us, as we stroll through some rock garden, that's just killing them.

2whlrcr · Post by **2whlrcr** » January 16th, 2008, 9:37 pm

Here's a picture of my rowing environment. Nothing fancy.

LiteTruckRider · Post by **LiteTruckRider** » January 16th, 2008, 9:48 pm

2whlrcr wrote:Here's a picture of my rowing environment. Nothing fancy.

But you've got the TV in the right place, right in front of the C2!

Hokie · Post by **Hokie** » January 16th, 2008, 10:20 pm

2whlrcr wrote:
Hokie wrote:

I am intending on using this bike as my CO ride. We take 10 days every year and ride the jeep trails and mountain passes in CO.
Only jeep trails and Mtn. passes in CO?
As a displaced coloradan I can say that you need to check out the singletrack in that state!

Also, the 300 was invented for CO altitude...

man, I can't wait to move back.....

oh yeah, my 300 is still titled and tagged in CO....
sooo easy to get a tag there...

Our riding has been "easy" jeep trails and some single track, primarily because our machines have been heavy DS bikes. My 640, KLR's and a Honda XL or two. Were all acomplished off roaders and have taken these bikes on tough single track. We get very strange looks from the "real" dirt bike guys when they come across us. But I have to say, at some point it stops becoming fun, when your wrestling a 400 lb loaded down bike at 13,000 through some nasty signal track.

We like to do 150-200 day rides, so that makes a two stroke a real pain with fuel stops. That's why we are down sizing to 400/450's. Plus we save our trials bikes for the real nasty stuff. That's when the "real" dirt bikes hate us, as we stroll through some rock garden, that's just killing them.

he he, those guys aren't real CO dirt bikers if they are having issues with the rocks. They are probably from TX or IA or something...

I agree though a 2 banger and fuel on a 150 mile trip takes some planning....still the 300 is king of the high country.

2whlrcr · Post by **2whlrcr** » January 16th, 2008, 11:24 pm

Yea, those Iowa guys really suck.