Dirt bikes

That's pretty much how it is always with husky and ktm because they the the 1/2 year special bikes it's awesome and annoying at the same time

 

The 2022 Honda has 13/50 sprockets, the 2021 has 13/48. Without specs on the actual transmission ratios, you can't really make an assumption on what the overall gearing is gonna do for the bike. My casual search for those internal gear specs revealed nothing.

 

not familiar with late model honda's, but am with the 2002-2008 generation crf450.. gearbox was same all years, came early with 13/50, but the 2002 was a monster bike. as years went on, before FI in 2009, they tried taming the 450 a bit. Smaller exhaust valves, longer but narrower header on the muffler, and at some point in 06 or so, went to 13/48 to take the massive "hit" outa the 450. In 2008, it got a timing reduction sensor that plugged into the transmission shift shaft. in the 1st 3 gears, it retarded timing. You could bypass this, by shifting the bike to FOURTH gear, pulling the sensor out from in front of the shift shaft, remove the small dowel pin that fit into the shift mechanism, and putting the sensor back in. The bike then was in 4th gear all the time. it was a LOT more bottom end, too much if you ask me. I had 2 big crashes in the woods, on the 2002 crf450 that required hardware in my bones. the 2008 was way easier to ride, i mistakenly did the above mod for a harescramble, and 10 minutes into the race, knew i'd made a mistake.. lol !

 

The new bikes appear to have gear-specific engine tuning. I understand it to mean each gear has a different map. There's also launch control, three mode settings and traction control.
WTH?

 

the TC is incredibly basic, it's just retarding timing a bit in some or (not sure) all gears.

 

Has anyone had any failures with plastic skid plates? I've run enduro engineering aluminum skid plates on my 525EXC and 400EXC for years. Ive only had one issue, that was kind of a crazy failure. I crashed in a creek, and a rock caught the bump out on the stator cover where the wire comes out. It hit down the length of the bike, rather than a sideways impact, which flexed the cover by one of the bolts and cracked it. Otherwise, I haven't had any issues, other than not wanting to remove the plate for cleanings. I've found the screws that connect it to the bottom of the frame seem easy to strip out, so I don't want to constantly take it apart, for fear of wearing those threads out.

I just got a 2021 KTM 500 xcfw and need to add some protection. I was considering an easily removable plastic skidplate and possibly the following engine guards:
https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/...ignition-clutch-cover-kit-p?s=1562145&v=17525

I haven't had it on a trail yet, but I can't believe how strong the motor feels on this 500 with just a Dobeck tuner and opened up exhaust tip. It hits so much harder than my 400 and feels drastically lighter too. I can't wait for my first actual ride.

 

I have always used plastic or composite skid plates because I prefer the "cushioning" they provide over aluminum. One bike has a plastic skid plate on it with 7yrs of use and there are no cracks or holes. It definitely shows it's use though!

 

Are you in the midwest / Chicagoland area? Try that new 500 out at the Summer Bummer Sprint Enduro Saturday in Roselawn. As for the skid plates I think they are a pain in the ass for the exact reason you mentioned. Shit gets caught up in them and its hard to clean under / around it. Unless you are riding really rocky terrain I really don't think a skid plate is necessary.

Here's the flyer for the sprint enduro Saturday and the real enduro Sunday. The sprint Enduro is ran kind of like a hare scramble

http://www.midwestenduros.com/Flyers/2021 Flyers/HG2021.jpg

 

I'm down in KY but usually don't mind traveling. Unfortunately, this weekend is booked for me.

There's always decent sized rocks where I ride, it seems. I can't see riding without a plate.

 

Do you ride at saddleback?

 

Yeah, do ya???

 

Isn’t saddleback a members only club? I haven’t been there tho. Do you (or your hype man) ride there? Most often, I ride redbird or s-tree.

 

It is. Pettit and I are both members tho. I'm there a few times a month, if you want to ride sometime.

 

Very cool. I’d love to try it out. Can you buy just a day pass there?

 

if ya go with a plastic skid plate, and it only has 1 little bolt in front that holds it to a bracket (and the rear just fit in without bolts).. drill holes on either side, and use zip ties to hold to frame, or somewhere. Lost a couple of them over the years, bolt still there.. just pulled through. done. Plastic has advantages, and disadvantages

 

Headed to Turkey Bay next weekend...come play and say hey... we will be camped on the beach...

 

No, you have to be with a member.

 

I’d love to but the next few weekend are booked for me.

 

Looking for some advice on a dirt bike purchase. I'm relatively new to dirt bikes and most of my experience has been on WR400. While not ideal, I have done a few hare scrambles with it. That has taught me I need a new bike. Right now trying to decide between a KTM 300 XC TPI or waiting a few weeks for the 350 XCF-W. Usage here in NE Ohio would be tight singletrack, plenty of rocks and plenty of mud. Also some more wide open side by side trails. I've heard great things about both and either will be a major upgrade from what I have. My main reason for choosing these two is they both have good reviews and they are both available locally either now or very soon.

My heart is telling me to go with the 2-stroke but I'm just wondering if there are any other factors I should be taking into consideration.

 

I don't see either as a bad decision?