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202
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5/25/2019
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AU
Edited Date/Time
2/21/2020 1:45pm
I started the “safety “ thread through concern of injuries/deaths in the sport. Now tentatively I ask another question.
Have mx bikes gone too far? The suspension/power is too much for beginners. When a new rider gets a bike and assumes they must jump a 100 foot jump, is that reasonable? I’m not saying we go back to 3” travel, but should there be limits to performance for some levels of mx?
Limit retail bikes for punters and let pro level riders have what they want. Impossible to implement, agreed. Then limit track obstacles.
And this is where I get flamed... I know America has no gun laws. But we all know children who died on mx bikes. Flame away
Have mx bikes gone too far? The suspension/power is too much for beginners. When a new rider gets a bike and assumes they must jump a 100 foot jump, is that reasonable? I’m not saying we go back to 3” travel, but should there be limits to performance for some levels of mx?
Limit retail bikes for punters and let pro level riders have what they want. Impossible to implement, agreed. Then limit track obstacles.
And this is where I get flamed... I know America has no gun laws. But we all know children who died on mx bikes. Flame away
Ride within your limits, at some stage I would love to be able to jump big, but that something I can work towards, I wouldn't want the option to be taken away. I know personally a 450F/ 250 2T is too much for me to race, so I stick with 125/250F
The Shop
Genuine question: What makes you think today's riders are 'faster' than say 10 or 20 years ago?
Riders today are more of an athlete, the sport has progressed so much, in fact all sports have and fitness and diet is a huge part of it nowadays.
Think back in the day it was a bit more rock n roll with a beer and a cigarette? I was born in the 90's so didn't see much old skool mx
https://m.vitalmx.com/forums/Moto-Related,20/New-Electric-motorcycle-UB…
I personally have never ridden a bike that has to much power and I have never been hurt buy having too much power but I have been hurt many times not having enough power.
Was talking to a guy that runs events. Mostly vintage stuff. He told me there is this new law here in West Virginia. The Guardian law I think. It gives a guy the right to sue whoever signed off on the release at the event that they got hurt on, when he was a minor, until he hits 26.
Nobody under 18 rides his events anymore.
Twice the displacement and virtually the same lap times kind of implies that a 250 is at the top of the bell curve and anything more is excessive.
Need to be tuned for tamer power for better lap times, yep.
The gun law thing is just stupid AF to even bring up. We have hundreds, if not thousands of stupid AF gun laws. Which is a direct violation to the US Constitution. And it is completely Apple to oranges in comparison. Guns enable you to be able toprotect your self and loved ones. I don't see anyone, anytime, in any near or distant future, when people will be strapping a yz 450 to their back and marching into war. And gun laws don't prevent deaths by shootings, they actually encourage them. You need to educate yourself.
BTW you're an Aussie. Stay the f**k out of our gun rights and laws. Worry about your country please.
Pit Row
Exhibit A: my Alta MXR. It comes stock with 4 power maps. In map 4, its as fast as a stock 450, plenty of power to do anything. In map 1, its basically like a CRF150. Its so easy to ride that my lady, who has never ridden dirtbikes before, hopped on it and instantly felt confident enough to ride around a beginner track at Fox Raceway. Map 2 is basically a 250f, which is plenty to get around a vet track on. Map 3 is more like a torquey 250f.
Listen to feedback kids have after riding a stacyc or KTM/Husky e-50. They feel more confident quicker than they would on a gas counterpart. No kick starters, no clutching, smooth power (not jerky like gas 50's), its quiet (so its less scary), etc etc.
I get it - you put a beginner on a 450 and carnage ensues. Usually it's nothing serious, and might even be comical. But it can be a problem, though to conclude from it that nobody should ride a 450 seems a stretch. Yes, the pro on the 450 may get hurt, but who's to say he wouldn't have got hurt on a 250? You can mess up on any bike.
The problem (if there is one) seems minor for mx compared to street bikes. A shuttle driver from a car dealership was giving me a ride once and the topic of motorcycles came up. He said he was considering buying his buddy's bike. The kid was about 18 - 20 and said he'd never ridden a motorcycle before, and his friend's bike was a GSXR 1000. I told him that if he really should get a more beginner-friendly bike to learn on. We're talking about 55 or so horsepower in a controlled environment with mx as opposed to something approaching 200 hp in traffic. I know, it's apples to oranges - that's kind of the point.
Seriously... newer guys, lower class.... 125 (or smaller)... peak HP should be around 30... Would probably put the displacement around 100cc.... wouldn't that be cool to see come full circle...??
250 class (or a bit smaller to keep power down)....... should be around 40 hp...
Open class is no joke... should have big power for long outdoor tracks, etc...... 50+ hp....
Today we have the small class, which starts around 40 hp..... and the big class, that starts around 60....... both are too fast, gnarly for the average weekend rider/racer.........
Another analogy would be the popularity of side by sides. Granted they may be safer for the people in them but meanwhile the deserts are now packed with brand new off roaders who think they're johnny off road guy doing fucking 90 across the desert. Last big weekend at Ocotillo a kid on a minibike was hit by a razor in a wide open easy to see area. Making things that are easier to use doesn't equal safety.
Here's another thought, how about fuck safety ? Why does everything have to be so goddamn safe now ? You think cutting the nuts off MX bikes is going to result in less injuries ? What about the 18 year old Marines I see riding streetbikes that will do 175mph right out of the box ? How about Dodges Hellcat that makes 700 and some odd HP ? Oh yeah that's safe.... I'm so tired of everything having to be safer now so the average dumbass doesn't have to learn the skills needed to control what he has. What we really need if you want things to be safer is more common sense and education. Stop trying to save us from ourselves by making every freaking thing "Safer" Just my $.02.
I am in no way stating weather this is wrong or right, but just the way it is.
I would like to see the weekend rider have a choice of bikes and performance packages with degrees of reliability.
Paw Paw
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