[Bruce CurtisMember]

Moto wrote:

Quote:

Went for my first off road ride on the new 300 today and the red powervalve spring sure does make a hell of a difference. It’s night and day.

Good, think of it like chainging the cam timing

• The red power valve spring does indeed unleash the hounds of hell, if my 450 can keep up with this when on band I’d be impressed!-]Ah young Padawan now you understand the pull of the 2T
• Power on band is very strong but linear.-yes the 1st century has been kind to the 2 cycle engine, so many think of a 1982 Cr125 type powerband, time has not stood still, since they rode one in high school
• The versatility of the engine with the different springs and CDI settings.-again Technology has been utilised on the venerable 2T, but there is a way to go yet to unleash the full potiential
• The low end torque for a 2 stroke.-Didn’t you ride trials bikes? should be of little surprise, what have we been spruiking about since George Bush senior was the man :ohmy:
• The suspension front and rear blows through the stroke much better than the 450 and seems to be fine with my weight. No clicker settings have been touched yet. I have no comment on this highly charged subjective issue :blush:
• It carves from side to side noticeably quicker than the 450.-once again why does this surprise you, reciprocating mass and over weight centralisation is not just a laboratory theorum
• It feels more nimble than the 450.Cause it is, yes for real
• The tyres surprisingly aren’t too bad, although haven’t been really pushed yet on rocky stuff.
• The Hyde bash plate has already saved my pipe.
• It feels like a nice new bike! would you have it any other way?, I can imagine 13K and it feels second hand, it’s not a Husky after all

Bad
• Bottom end is doughy off band.- a JD kit and careful jetting will help somewhat
• It doesn’t ride well sat at only 90 Km/h making it horrible to ride on the road. I suspect cleaning the jetting up will help this.Now this I find surprising as the top gear on the old 300s was well and truly an O/Drive and with 13-49 mine was very effortless at 120klicks, maybe i shoulda tried Menaces top speed out as well!!!
• The seat is hard which will give me monkey butt in a flash and also makes the bike a bit taller.- Young big shielia, wanna sheepskin cover to help your poor widdle bottom?
• The torque isn’t that of a 4 stroke.-What 4T, if a 300, Betchya it is, but just in different places, try and stop the engine on a dyno at say 7.5K, it’ll surprise you
• It only has 5 gears, could do with a 6th. Great for racing, not great for trailriding.

Fully agreed all the bikes that warrant a 6th don’t get it, but “soft” trailbikes do, go figure eh?

I’m glad you have seen the light Brother Moto, now your testicles will increase in size, people will actually listen to your ravings as if a sage, and you will feel the power flow through your being and you will be one with your steed.

Bruce

[Bruce CurtisMember]

I think alot of the criticism PDS cops is from riders (like me) who ride with a different weighting and throttle application, maybe the bike doesn’t suit them, maybe they don’t suit the bike.

I love the Idea of PDS, simplicity is always desirable, maybe they can get it right for all, maybe they’re pushing it uphill with a stick who knows?????

I rode a well manitained ’06 on the weekend, compared to yours Mr Menace it was a mongrel in steering, forks and rear end response…motors the same tho, lovely things too, after riding my YZ with newly adjusted “stiff as a board” sprung rear (accidentally misjudged the spring rate this time, as my weight declines) he’s decided to sell it and buy something else.

But remember mine has ’03 era type suspension with lotsa work from MPE in ’09 to suit me personally, so it’s still apples and pears to a degree.

BC

[Bruce CurtisMember]

Ok everyone knows my position on the linkageless system.

You use a hydraulic bottle jack to life an F-250, the jack needs to be quite large with lots of fluid and a very tight pump rate, it is slow lifting as the weight is one to one, the vehicle as it lifts rolls to centre itself if lifting too much, causing pressure on the system when you lower it it can be a fight between a sudden jerk and nothing, because of the one to one ratio, this is the linkageless system

You lift the same F-250 witha trolly jack, it self centres and works off a fulcrum, therefore less pressure on the hydraulicsw and the lift rate is quicker and lowering is far more controlled even witH a lesser hydraulic system, they become cheaper to manufacture and safer to use.

As someone stated KTM (and others) try to get away from using rising rate linkages by making a superior shock design to overcome the 0ne to one loading, this puts complexity into another area (in comparison) and demands upon the valving systems.

So what you lose on the roundabouts (linkages) you try to gain on the swings (dampnening)

Otherwise if they didn’t try to replicate the rising rate in the spring/shock setup how could it be anydifferent to a early-eighties yamaha Mono-X or the last of the husky twin shocks?

Bruce

[Bruce CurtisMember]

Mick that’s a 1981 “T” last of the twin shocker, air cooled, and were the pinnacle of 1970s’ zooks, the next model was the awesome “X” suzuki was rushing developement from 1981-1985 so quickly that they even changed specs mid-year sometimes.

I had an RM80x 1982, then a an RM80x 1982 & 1/2 very different bikes same year models, and the 125 got the same brakes as the 250 & 400 in the “T”, the suzuki brakes weren’t anywhere near as good as the yamaha ones tho’ my ITs’ were its’ strong point.

BC

Unfortunately we don’t have many photos left cause when my parents split my old man chucked a right spack attack and burnt most of my and my next youngest brothers stuff in a bonfire, even my brothers teddy bear and baby pics.

[Bruce CurtisMember]

Trailboss wrote:

Quote:

You ever see one of those Macios in action Blue with the Alpha 1 suspension, the bike was like Christie thing it broke everyone’s collar bone that rode it, did 3 guys didnt mine but tried at Cameron Park raceway once :blush:

TB

Yep tried a 250 of the same years twice, once on a mock/practice SX track, was a right dog, all hit up high and flexy forks with a weird feel to the rear, another time at a cindertrack meeting, was in it’s element there. Watched a few of the big Alpha I & IIs at a few queensland meets during my layoff, sound was awesome had it all over the Cr450/480s ( my mate rode red) and washed the poor old YZ465 in the turns.

but hop on any those old bikes now and i wonder how we did it….. :huh:

[Bruce CurtisMember]

Stewie Bennet and Jeff Liesk had just come out of juniors into restricted class A 125cc and the rest of us were again just grid fillers, Laurie Alderton was a god in enduro, even Geoff Udy was a force to be reckoned with up here, you could find a long haired quiet lout named Mick Doohan working at Bob Cowleys’ Gold Coast m/cycle wreckers when he wasn’t racing flattrack (mid-pack rider) or at Surfers international raceway, (awesome on the tar).
Geoff Eldridge (and others but GE was the face and main protanganist) had just sucessfully shamed the NSW government and the ACU to allow juniors to return to MX tracks all over the state
Stephen Gall had not long semi-retired, I was 17 and had just had a 2 yr layout prompted by a crash during practice on our home track that almost ripped my right leg off, did a few sessions at the old School of motocross, laid off the drinks and drugs and was back into it for real, or so I thought

The original gloves from my 1982 semi-sponsered Ride………..

Guess which brand I rode?

Hint had the best rear suspension system ever made, and is now considered the bikes that nailed the coffin lid on twin shocks, and is my second favourite bike of all time.

My training/riding mate rode red though, but he was a senior A grader and had too many knocks on the head at the initial SX ever in Aust at Tivoli(J Leal, sad story too)

The ehlmet that was 3 days old when I cleared the T/Top at Reedy Creek…… unfortunately I landed upside down still attached to the bike (I thought it was the bloke on the KTM250 below me that was in trouble and i was just a bit nose high :ohmy: wrong again dipstick ), the resulting head injuries put paid to any dreams I had of MX stardom (pipedreams anyway :blush: )

neither the helmet or gloves have ever been worn since.

what I took up after my stint in Southport head trauma unit

My original roadbike jacket, a Walden Miller figured road was safer….. :S and you know what for me it was

just a little flashback,

brings a grin to the old leathery jowls doesn’t it Laddies

Bruce C

[Bruce CurtisMember]

You’re right TB you are doing really well for 37 yrs of pushing the envelope the rest of us should be so lucky….., and shoulder reco is matter of fact these days, then you’ll be champing at the bit to get back on the BRP in it’s newfound guise.

No luck needed just follow the recovery plan and you’ll be Steve Austin (without all that slow-mo crap).

Get all your old Magazines out before the surgery and get for some serious reading.

Bruce

[Bruce CurtisMember]

yep STM he’s angling to become a bonafide’ Old Bull, he probably reckons (rightly so too) that idf he becomes an old bull he will be ordained in the “way” and go forth and kick Continental butt next year.

Flash forward
Mick interviewing Stefan after next years champoinship whitewash, starts off with the secret OBT handshake

Sir Merriman what do you attribute your dominance of this years WEC?

“It’s all in my diet, my good Wauchopian padawan,( eyes dart left to right to ensure no-one is listening” by the way know of any good pie shops in Marseilles Mick, I’m dying for a feed?”

[Bruce CurtisMember]

The 300s all feel like that, easy to use, and reasonably “docile” in nature, but they do get along once you learn the riding technique, the power is sorta seemless in comparison to a 450 that hits in the middle or a 250Mxer that hits down low, but don’t be fooled that seemless delivery puts the power down well.

good onya Moto not a bad choice.

BTW KTM owners rub off all the time OMO…

Bc

[Bruce CurtisMember]

I used to say that if i had the amount of Talent and ability that Michael doohan had in his little finger I would be……………

Wayne Gardner.

T’is a bugger for Stefan, he’s a kiwi originally too isn’t he?

BC

[Bruce CurtisMember]

“Tamworth Heat” surely you jest Oh Eight legged superdood, did it reach 25 degrees that day?.

Like saying “Central coast intelligence” t’is an oxymoron!!!!

BC

[Bruce CurtisMember]

Was just rereading the first posts on this thread and am a bit worried that people blame the retread section for the sidewall failure, surely that is subjective to the Donor tyres, I asked Ollie for two different carcass’ types as tyre pressure is a huge factor in tuning your grip levels in, i carry a small digital gauge with me in the backpack and many people struggling to get up hills and so forth blame the tyre, when reality is it has just as much to do with suspension compliance and “tyre footprint”, power application and rider input. Tyre type is one part of the equation, a big one but still just part of it.

I’m not defending or bagging any particular tyre here, just wondering about the logic used to come to these conclusions.

Bruce

[Bruce CurtisMember]

Honest feedback on Ollies MX retreads.

BTW thanks Ollie the deal you did was excellent.

Ok I ride somedays like a woose other days i ride like my background hints, today was a good day, head was in the right place and everything was to my liking.

I like a predictable tyre that will spin on high speed, low speed and all speed corners if I demand it too, now all tyres will spin, but the idea is that they are predictable and the performance is repeated time after time.

My bike weighs 105K wringing wet (Yes it does, YZ250 platform)
I weigh 96 kilos or say about 105 without backpack.

The bikes’ power is tuned to come in very early and quite sudden and hold a linear curve through to around 9K, a Yz250 supposedly has 47 hp and is the torque is a direct result of the HP (or other way around anyway), mine has a flywheel weight and retarded timing possibly rider too ) but still is a hard hitter down low .

Like all MX riders and ex MXer’s I tend to ride the rear more than a traditional trailrider in a straight line and tend to slide and weight the front up when cornering, so we tend to be hard on rear tread. this mornings ride was in the stinking heat on sand, loam S/T and some fine gravel forest roads, definitely no mud here ATM is dust dust dust, i was riding with my Son, two of my Riding mates and one of my Mates; daughters on her TTr125.

so I went fast, I went slow, I went medium, depends if I was out front or babysitting the kids.

Fast on hardpack= reasonable, predictable cornering was good, straights not as good
Slow on hardpack= bit loose and skittery, but had enough bite to get me out of some nasty holes and ruts without fuss, probably not it’s forte’ but i can live with it as i can “feel” my tyre
Sand= great drive
Loose metal and gravel high speed, I mean 110kph feet up slides tapped in top everywhere, up with the kendas on this stuff, predictable and you know where it’s going, loses a bit of drive coming out onto the straights, takes a bit of time to hook up but would make a great F/track tyre for me.
Loose gravel and metal lower speeds, reasonable as any new knobby here, I actually find a trials tyre better than any knobby for getting drive on this surface.

can’t comment on skatey wet surfaces yet, but will when we finally get some rain round here.
it’s archilles heel so far is hardpack or solid granite, can’t find its’ feet all that well, but is predictable and does lose traction and spin up a bit much no worse than a Carlsbad.

Wear- here’s the funny thing, we only did about 55ks this morning admittedly it was some rocky stuff and gravel at speed without sparing the horses, but it wore a bit more than i thought it would, then again at the price it can, not as fast as a 756 but still more than my riding mates’ kendas’ Carlsbad and Milleville.

so far for the money I won’t complain, it’s certainly better than the crap 952 I’ve been barely tolerating for a while, but it’s no 739 or 745, seems to lack a bit of bite in comparison, the compound seems similar to the feel, but maybe the tread isn’t as “diggy” but it is about 1/2 the money and i am being completely honest, running 9.5 psi with an UHD tube, let’s see how it goes in the Border ranges next ride, with some nasy gully climbs and maybe (fingers crossed) some wet conditions.
Oh it was teamed with a Dunlop 745 front about 1/4 worn at 11.5 psi

Bruce C

[Bruce CurtisMember]

Currently I am the lightest I have been in 15 years, but somehow it doesn’t look the same as when I was in my late twenties????

Could stand to lose a bit more yet methinks

Currently 96.5 Kilos

5’10”

handspan of 10″

Size 10 feet

so if bone structure can play a part as the missus reckoned I looked poor at 80 kilos when i got out of hospital after head trauma in my late teens.

Bruce

[Bruce CurtisMember]

Winston Churchill eh Olde Chappe?

“I may be a fat Aussie Sir, but you are an ugly Pom, and weight I can lose”.

Bollocks you are certifiable, never ever tell the flight attendants your thoughts, or ASIO may take you in for a “special” talk.

BC

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