Messages

196

General Two Stroke Talk / Re: The clock is ticking

« on: December 05, 2009, 10:04:30 AM »

The marketing hype has convinced people that the four-stroke is superior.

I never believed the four stroke was superior.  I switched (unfortunately) because the
rules gave the four strokes the advantage.  I had to spend a ton of money on engine
work just to make my 250 competitive while my competition could use a box stock
engine that produced the same horsepower and had a mellower power delivery.  That
power and powerband allowed a rider with less skill and conditioning to compete and
even win occasionally.  So, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

I raced CRFs for four years.  My cost went up and my fun went down.  After a couple
of spectacular crashes caused by engine failures/seizures, I had enough - being laid up
for six months will do that to you. 

This goes back to the same root cause,  the unfair displacement advantage given to 4ts. 

It's been two years since I last rode/raced.  I managed to sell all of my CRFs and all the
four stroke specific parts.  When I finally get the courage to jump back on that horse, it
will be on a CR.  In the meantime, I keep busy building and restoring bikes.

Message to the big four, the only four stroke I will ever ride again will be my John Deere
lawnmower.
 
dogger

197

General Two Stroke Talk / Re: What's your ride?

« on: December 05, 2009, 09:31:03 AM »

Anyone remember the Claw Action tires that were mounted on the 1979 CR's?

All I remember about those tires was to remove them and replace them with something
that worked as soon as you got the bike home.  They didn't work in the Florida sand.
Now, 30 years later, I wish I had kept a set because they are worth their weight in gold
for an OE restoration.

The '78-'80 Red Rockets were the bike to have at the time.  I raced my first year as
a pro on a '78 with good results.  The '78 and '79s became sweet bikes with just a few
modifications.

dogger

198

General Two Stroke Talk / Re: What killed the 500 class?

« on: December 01, 2009, 10:14:59 AM »

Thanks Targo.  Sounds like a plan.  I think Service uses '01 spec engines and
electricals so I will use an '01 250 ignition for wiring harness compatibility and
the stock 500 coil will work just fine with this setup.  The only other mods
I plan to make to the motor will be a VForce III reed, 39.5 mm Keihin PWK,
Hinson clutch basket, '92 close ratio gears and a Pro Circuit pipe and silencer.
Everything in an effort to make the power more useable.

dogger
 

199

General Two Stroke Talk / Re: What killed the 500 class?

« on: November 30, 2009, 10:56:30 AM »

I run a 250 ignition/flywheel on my CR500 Af/conversion and it makes it turn MUCH better for MX then the 500 ignition/flywheel.

Targo, Is that 250 ignition a direct bolt on and plug in, or do some modifications need to be made?
Also, are you using the CDI box from the 250 or the 500?  Finally, what year 250 is the ignition from?

Service Honda has used up the remaining stock of completed CR500 engines so they have been
licensed by Honda to build their own.  Since each bike is custom built, I plan to specify the close
ratio transmission from a '92 and possibly this ignition swap when they build my engine.

Thanks for the info.

dogger

200

General Two Stroke Talk / Re: Guy B quote from Racer X

« on: November 30, 2009, 10:47:41 AM »

Guy B as a journalist, is entitled to his opinion.  And his opinion is all this is.  One would have to
look at the amount of corporate advertisement on Vital to get a better understanding.
Personally, I think he is on the wrong side on this.  With most of the world's economies in the
dumper, bike sales are way down and will continue to be as prices for the 4ts constantly go up.
The manufacturers are trying to squeeze more profit from each unit to compensate but this a
lose lose proposition.  The high initial cost plus the high maintenance and modifications cost
(and many other reasons), are what drove me and many others like me away from 4ts and
back to two strokes.  I believe this trend will continue until either the economy recovers in a
big way (not any time soon) or 4ts cost, reliability and fun factor become aligned with 2ts (never
happen). 

This 4t "plague" can be blamed on one organization, the AMA and their idiotic loophole that allowed
Yamaha to build and compete with a true works bike with nearly twice the displacement.  The other
manufacturers all followed suit eyeing big profits during the artificially propped up economy of the
time, and here we are.

Remember, these are the guys who tried road-racing against two-strokes with eight-valved, oval-pistoned four-strokes in road racing to avoid deviating from their 4T policy.  When that didn't work, the rules suddenly got changed.

Not exactly.  Honda returned to the GPs in 1979 with the NR500.  Thirteen years earlier, Honda dominated
every GP class with four stroke engines so they decided to return with what they knew.  After three
years of development, the NR was a bust and Honda switched to the three cylinder two stroke NS engine.
The NS500 went on to dominate GP racing for the next seventeen years with riders like Spencer, Lawson
and Doohan.  Notice the rules didn't suddenly get change, the four stroke rule wasn't implemented by the
FIM for another 20 years after Honda's failed NR program.

Honda is an engine company first and foremost.  Wether 2 or 4 stroke, they build winners.  One doesn't
have to look further than what they did to motocross in 1973 with their first ever two stroke engine.

dogger

201

General Two Stroke Talk / Re: What's your ride?

« on: November 29, 2009, 10:19:21 AM »

Some more pictures.

Here is one of my 2002 CR250

Here is a picture of the engine and frame for my 1993 CR250.  I built the engine from
the cases up using all new parts.



Once I finish the '93 this Spring, I am getting a SH CR500AF

dogger

202

General Two Stroke Talk / Re: What's your ride?

« on: November 29, 2009, 10:04:59 AM »

After four expensive and not much fun years competing on four strokes,
I just sold my last CRF and decided to return to my roots.  It will be
nothing but two strokes from now on.

Here are a couple of my bikes:

1973 Honda CR250M

!979 Honda CR250R

I am currently scratch building a 1993 Honda CR250 and will post some pictures
on another post

dogger

203

General Two Stroke Talk / Re: What killed the 500 class?

« on: November 28, 2009, 09:50:29 AM »

I raced the 250 and open class starting in the early 90's.  I remember the first time I threw a leg
over my first CR500 and started it.  Just sitting there idling, the bike commanded respect.

As others have said, you had to adopt a different riding style to go fast.  3rd gear starts were
normal and throttle control, short shifting and finesse were all important.  The 500, were heavier
and had more flywheel inertia so they didn't want to turn as easily as the smaller bikes and with
60 hp on tap, you had to make sure you were pointed in the right direction before pulling the trigger.
While I would fan the clutch coming out of a corner on my 250 to get it into the powerband, I would
just dial in the power from idle on the 500 and be gone.

One of the things people haven't commented on is the effect Supercross had on the demise of the
open class.  With Supercross, you had a finite area to construct a track and the fans wanted to see
a lot of high flying, wooped out action.  None of this was suited to open class bikes and open class
Supercross had a very short life.  As Supercross gained popularity eventually surpassing Motocross
with the general (bike buying) public, the 250 became the premier class, and along with Suzuki and
 Yamaha's profit driven decision not to invest in a replacement for their air cooled dinosaurs, was
the beginning of the end for open class racing in my opinion.

I miss my 500s (sold my last one in '97), so much so in fact, that I fully intend to purchase a Service
 Honda CR500AF this Spring.  There aren't many tracks these days where you can really open one up
(the Nationals tracks are about it), but I will be content to rip up the trails with it.

dogger