Motocross Mania

The motocross industry has evolved over the last five to ten years, more than most people think. Pre 2001 for instance, there wasn’t a competitive four stroke on the market in the 125/250F category, mainly due to the fact that this category hadn’t even been created, the popularity of the two stroke meant there was no room for a 4 stroke as well.

Around 1999, Yamaha were coming on strong with their 400F, which eventually developed into the 426F and then what is now the 450F. Yamaha eventually took the leap and brought out their 250F for 2001, which was fairly reliable seems though it was the first production model, but still needed changes. The development continued and they were eventually followed by Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki, who all brought out 250F’s for 2004.

KTM decided they wanted a piece of the action and were developing some good 4 stroke bikes, but they were not particular well thought of in the motocross industry due to their unreliability and high price. Then, Year 2000, Shane Watts took the GNCC circuit by storm, eventually nailing the title. At a similar time, Grant Langston was showing similar dominance on the AMA motocross circuit proved everyone wrong. Eventually Jamie Dobb, UK, sealed the deal for KTM by winning the 125 World Championship. Of Course, these were all won using two strokes, but they helped raise the profile of KTM to what it is today.

Anyway, enough of the history, lets look at the fundamentals of the two engines, including a few pros and a few cons.

The two stroke engine has been the foundation of motocross for the last few years, but has been pushed aside now for the newly developed four stroke. This has come about mainly due to the fact that it’s probably easier to develop the four strokes, than the two strokes, into something that’s environmentally friendly and sustainable.

The two strokes offer explosive power which is definitely not for the faint hearted. Most suggest that the two stroke power is better suited to the aggressive or more experienced rider, as the smooth, less experienced riders tend to get tired or out of rhythm quite quickly.

Two stroke engines do take a battering, but the good thing is, they are not only easy to fix, but cheap as well, unlike a four stroke, where most instances, you will need a professional mechanic to undertake engine work.

Of course there is a lot of hype surrounding two strokes, several governing bodies are threatening their future by potentially banning them altogether, so some manufacturers have already started ditching 2 stroke developments and concentrated on their four stroke range.

Four strokes on the other hand, offer a much smoother power delivery as they don’t have a power band, which can catch a lot of riders out. As mentioned before, a lot of riders seem to fit in with the smoother power delivery. What I would say from experience on the technical enduro based terrain, is that the 250F compared back to back with a 125 two stroke is so much easier through the rough stuff. A 125 is so much work getting over big obstacles, constantly hammering the engine to get up hills, feathering the clutch until you smell it burning, while a four stroke is quite the opposite!

There are a couple of problems that still remain relating to four strokes. The first of course is that they are so expensive to maintain and repair, between oils, filters, cam chains and top end changes, the expenses really start to add up when running a four stroke.

The second and possibly more important issue is the noise. Four strokes have a much deeper tone which can generally be heard from a greater distance, which could put the sport in danger in the future.

Honestly there is no right or wrong answer. Some riders will swear by two strokes, while other will swear by four strokes, but that’s because the power delivery and overall setup of the machine suits their riding style down to the ground.

Try out both machines and take into account that the four strokes are generally more expensive and that includes both to purchase and repair. Motocross is an expensive sport, so if your spending so much on participating make sure you choose the right bike, you’ll not only have more fun, but will probably be a lot faster as well!

These are my hints and tips for some Motocross Fitness training to get you into shape for your race. Please ensure you take care with any exercise program and you seek medical advice if you feel unwell. Motocross fitness is just as an essential part of the rider as the maintenance of the bike. So don’t waste time, get yourself in the right spirit for the race, because if you feel well and healthy then ultimately your racing will improve. It is not all about weight training and running. Its fine to have your body as fit as possible, but you should also concentrate on your mind.

These are my tips for the day of the race

·         Arrive in plenty of time. If you arrive late you will start to panic and your mental state will suffer.

·         Don’t eat too much food on the day; you don’t want to feel full while you are racing.

·         Make sure you drink enough water to be hydrated, but again not to much. Needing to go to the toilet half way round will really knock your concentration.

·         Get checked in and ensure you know what you are doing and when you are racing. If you are unsure then ask. Most clubs are more than happy to help you out.

·         Check your bike over; mentally you will then know everything is ready.

·         Walk the course and make notes of problem areas. This will help your mental state and will also loosen you up after the drive to the track.

·         Do some gentle warm up exercises half an hour before the race. Don’t go mad, you are just trying to stretch your body a little so you don’t pull a muscle at the first jump.

·         Ensure you at the start in plenty of time

·         Try to enjoy the race. The more you enjoy the race, the more relaxed you will be and the better you will ride.

As you can see there is more to Motocross fitness than running round in circles. Positive and calm mental attitude will help you out as much as any strenuous Motocross fitness training programme.

These are my hints and tips for some Motocross Fitness training to get you into shape for your race. Please ensure you take care with any exercise program and you seek medical advice if you feel unwell. Motocross fitness is just as an essential part of the rider as the maintenance of the bike. So don’t waste time, get yourself in the right spirit for the race, because if you feel well and healthy then ultimately your racing will improve. It is not all about weight training and running. Its fine to have your body as fit as possible, but you should also concentrate on your mind.

Here are my tips for general health for the weeks leading up to the race.

·         Eat healthily. Too much junk food slows your body down and also the rate at which your brain can process information.

·         Follow a fitness regime to get your body in shape. You don’t have to run five miles every day, but if you exercise regularly then your body will get fitter Two or three twenty minute sessions a week will keep you reasonably fit.

·         Ensure you are sleeping well. If not, try and find out the problem and sort it, whether it is a hard pillow a lumpy mattress or a noisy neighbour.

·         Are there things on your mind? You need to identify them and get them sorted. Distractions on the day can be costly. So get together a plan of all the items that are worrying you. Write them down and create an action plan to deal with them. Just writing them down will make you feel better.

·         Make sure your bike is maintained. If this item is crossed off your list, then that is one worry gone.

·         Ensure you kit is maintained and ready for the race. To many times I have seen people turn up in dirty boots and clothing. If it is clean and fresh it will make you feel better. How can you have the right attitude if you feel dirty?

I hope you enjoyed these tips and it helps you with your racing. Please come back for part two where I will talk about some of the things you can do on the race day.

Welcome to part three of getting a Motocross bike ready for racing. More hints and tips to help on what I hope is that successful day.

·         Take your exhaust apart and check the packing. Replace if required. A lot of people don’t realise that a correctly packed exhaust can make a huge amount of difference to the output from a bike. Back pressure from the exhaust ensures the engine runs correctly. An exhaust is not just there to cut the noise down. Bikes put out less power without one. Without proper packing they sound throaty and exciting, but you are losing valuable power.

·         Check the forks are set correctly for your weight. Refer to your manufacturer’s documentation for settings. Forks that are not set correctly will often leave you up in the air and no wheels on the ground.

·         Check the fork oil and top up as necessary. I the seals are leaking you need to get them changed as soon as possible. Whenever your forks are not working correctly you are losing valuable seconds.

·         Get your bikes engine set up by a professional. Trying to adjust the carburettor without the proper tools is like trying to guess the lottery numbers.

·         Brakes are important. The harder you can brake the faster you can go into a corner. Check the brakes are moving correctly, if not take them out clean them and apply the thinnest smear of copper grease to the pins, backs etc. But NOT the pad material. Don’t be tempted to use any old grease. The high temperature that brakes run at mean the grease will melt and end up on the pad material and you will suffer reduced braking as a result. Also ensure the brakes are not binding. You can lose valuable power if the brakes are constantly on.

·         Lift your bike off the ground an turn the wheels, do they turn smoothly? Or do they sound a bit rough or stick. If so get those bearings out and check them. You might get away with just cleaning and greasing, but if not replace them.

·         Check your handlebar grips. It is important that you are able to grip the bars. You can get grips in all sorts of compounds from hard to soft and downright sticky. So experiment with them until you find the ones that suit you most.

I hope you have enjoyed the third and final part on getting a Motocross bike ready for racing. Please check back as I plan to do some more articles focusing on how to get you ready for a race and starting a series on how to ride a Motocross bike.

Welcome to part two on my hints and tips to getting a Motocross bike race ready. In this part I will dig a little deeper into the more specific maintenance tasks. You should be doing these on a regular basis and by that I mean between every race. After all when you ride a Motocross bike in a race you are pitting man and machine against each other and a Motocross bike is half of the team. Would you race without being ready and putting your gear on? I assume you wouldn’t so you need to care for your bike as well.

·         Check and change the spark plug. If you are ensure then just change it. This is the one item in the engine that really takes a battering. Make sure you use the manufacturers recommended plugs.

·         Check your tyres and adjust according to the terrain. If you are lucky enough to afford different sets, then of course change them for the right ones. But at a minimum check you have plenty of tread and set the tyre pressures for the terrain.

·         Check the chain. Oil and adjust as needed. Use proper chain oil, not some old engine oil you have lying around. Check the chain link. The open end should be facing away from the direction of travel. In my time I have seen half a dozen chains fall off just while the bike was being wheeled to the start!

·         Manufacturers very often save money by putting on standard nuts. If you can, start to replace them all with locking nuts, they are less likely to come loose during a race.

·         Clean your air filter and make sure to get it well oiled. If you don’t feel you can do the job properly, you can buy ready oiled filters. This is how your bike breathes, so make sure you get it right.

·         Most modern bikes don’t have spokes, but if yours does then gently tap a screwdriver on them all. If you get some odd notes, chances are you have a loose one, so get it tightened. Be careful with tightening spokes. It can be very easy to pull the wheel out so it doesn’t run right. So if you are not sure get a professional to do it. 

I hope you have enjoyed the second part on getting a Motocross bike ready for your racing. I hope you keep coming back as I will be covering some more hints and tips in further articles.