I rode just a few races because I wasn't comfortable with the bike, I'd lost the joy to ride
That's a pretty good summary of the way I felt, ferrahout. I had never raced/ridden anything but two
strokes off road and could never get comfortable on a four stroke. It was a lot less fun for sure.
How many National events did you compete in?
John, as you know, I raced my first event as a pro in '79 so I am definitely on the back side of Jody's
(Weisel) speed bell curve. My pro/Nationals days are a distant memory now.
how did you do when you switched to the four-stroke?
More bad than good. I couldn't come to terms with the extra weight and engine braking aspects compared
to the CR I just jumped off of. I spent a lot of money putting the CRF on a diet and added a slipper clutch
to help make the bike behave more like my CRs but it was a lost cause and I found I began to lose my
enthusiasm for racing and as a result, my training and ultimately my speed dropped off. Looking back on
it, the decision to switch was a big, costly (time and money) mistake.
And what did it cost you to set up the four-stroke?
I left the engines mostly stock (it had plenty of power). I added a White Bros Carbon Pro exhaust, a Twin
Air Power Flow Filter kit and, since I was racing amateur, VP U2 oxygenated fuel. The above mods were
good for about 6 more hp. I spent the biggest bucks on lightening the bike by replacing every thing made
from steel with carbon fiber or titanium. I bolted on a Pro Circuit "Works" suspension, oversized disc rotors
(to help slow the pig down) and a bunch of little items to help with hot starts and to make the bike fit
better. Totals including the cost of a new bike each year, ranged from $19,000 in '04 to $21,000 in '06.
The big wammy was the cost of maintenance and replacement parts needed during a normal season of
racing. That budget was more than double what I spent racing CRs and engine reliabilty/duarability was
still poor.
It is kinda jacked up that PC doesn't include ti springs on ther "works" suspension
I don't have a problem with that. The Ti springs react a little different than a steel spring of the
same weight. Switching between the two gives me just another option to dial it in. I am greatfull
companies like Pro Circuit are offering this level of suspension to the public. I know it's expensive,
but the performance capability these components offer is worth every penny.
Just out of curiosity how much weight savings was there in replacing everything with TI hardware.
Close to ten pounds with the biggest savings coming from the shock spring, linkage and axles.
What kind of frame gusseting did you have done and was it a noticable difference?
Basically we added some stiffeners around the steering stem and ran beads all the way around
areas that were only spot welded at the factory. The goal was to increase reliabilty and delay
"frame spread".
How often did you have to freshen that engine?
When I was racing every weekend (back when I was "serious") I would replace the top end weekly.
The clutch pack after every moto/practice, and the bottom end would get checked every four races
mostly because I had more money than sense. Most of these slightly used parts would end up in my
practice bikes throughout the season. Back in the day, I had two complete race motors and two
complete suspension sets. One would be at the shop for rebuild/refresh while the other was being
raced each week. Truth be told, I believe an A/pro level rider could could get by with a top end
replacement every four races and use the same bottom end for the whole season with complete
reliability. A B/intermediate racer could double that. Try doing that on a four stroke - BOOOOM!
Looking back, the baddest CRs I ever raced were my '00 and '01. I nicknamed my '00 "Christine" after
a couple of "soil samples", that bike demanded respect or else. TMR built me the motor of doom and
after a lot of testing, I managed to get the frame and suspension dialed in. The '02 and later CRs were
definitely a step back in performance power wise. In my opinion, The HPP valve engine was light years
better than the case reed, and I believe that design stumble hastened the defections to the four
strokes, at least among Honda riders.
dogger
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, here are some more opinions for you. Don't use ATF in your transmission. ATF is designed for automotive automatic transmissions that have extemely small passages. As a result, it doesn't provide the surface adhesion and as a result, the cushoining needed for your application. ATF was widely used back in the day because a racer had a choice of ATF or petroleum based automotive motor oil. The ATF was the least offensive of the two. For proof, try this test. Pour a little ATF in your hand and move it around with your fingers. Now pour a little quality tranny oil (Redline, Maxima, etc.) and do the same. Notice a difference? That extra "heft" is very important for the care and well being of your transmission.