Ping,
Hope all is well in Ping world. I've been riding for 25 plus years, back to the pre four-stroke era. Now in my thirties I am probably a bigger fan of the sport than ever before. I really enjoy your insight on the Podcast. Listening to Matthes and your knowledge and rants help get me through many nights on the road, so thanks for that. Now that I am done kissing butt, on to the point. Due to wife, kids, and life I have not owned a bike for over three years, but it’s time to return to the track. I've done the whole four stroke thing with 250s and 450s, and there is absolutely no way my wallet can take that. With that being said I want a 250 two stroke. I thinking anywhere from a 2003 to 2006 year models. I would really appreciate some advice on a strong reliable two banger. Brand is irrelevant just want the best bang for the buck. Thanks for your time and keep up the good work.
Two Banger
Banger,
There are many folks in the same boat: want to ride but can’t afford the current model year version. Luckily you can find good used two-strokes for sale and get them up to par with a few hundred bucks and a little elbow grease. I’d suggest trying to find a YZ250 in those years you mentioned. The technology hasn’t changed since 2006 so you won’t be missing something the 2016 model has. Depending on what state you live in there are great deals out there, you just have to be patient to find them. Six or seven years ago it was easy to track down a good used two-stroke but between the terrible economy and the cost of new bikes they’ve been bought up in large numbers. If you can find a KTM that was built in the past few years that wouldn’t be a bad choice either, but you might pay more for it. Have fun and welcome back.
PING
Dearest Ping.
I was watching Arenacross because MXGP is still a few hours away on Sat night. Anyway I thought for a split second the Arenacross bikes were running lowered suspension.
Then I thought a little more and why wouldn't they run a lowered suspension like the flat track guys do? Let's face it the obstacles in Arenacross are nothing like Supercross or an outdoor national so today's suspensions tuned for 6-8 inches of travel could handle the impacts in Arenacross just fine and the lowered bikes would turn corners and holeshot the starts like the Devil himself ! I am pretty sure somebody could jump on Marc Marquez Honda CR450 flat track bike and win an Arenacross no problem.
Am I crazy again?
Ben O
Ben,
Certifiably insane. You are either a straight-up nut job or you’ve been sniffing model airplane glue for the past decade and it’s severely impaired your ability to construct a rational thought. I am so glad you enjoy typing out random opinions and sending them in though because you are a constant source of entertainment. Obviously you’ve never seen an arenacross track in person or you would realize that the whoops are just as big as supercross whoops, the rhythm lanes are technical and the catapult is massive. But, that aside, let’s look at your theory of riding a lowered bike so it will turn well. If the turns were flat and smooth you might be onto something. Again, a close-up view of a real arenacross track would show you that there are ruts and bumps and all the things you’d see on a supercross track. Marquez’ lowered Honda would work only slightly better than Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP bike. Thanks for the thoughts, as skewed as they are. Now put the glue down and go get some fresh air, you crazy bastard.
PING
Hey Ping,
I was searching around the internet trying to find tips to improve my arm pump situation and I stumbled across an article in a sportbike forum regarding handlebar position. Turns out, athletes at the top of the sportbike racing world grip their handlebars diagonally, so that it improves leverage on the bike and in turning the throttle wide open, all it requires is a roll of the wrist. The article also mentioned AMA Supercross riders and the way they skim the whoops with their elbows out, but I couldn't find a solid picture showing the grip professionals use. So my question is, could this and does this apply to motocross racing? Have you ever met anyone who grips their bike in any other way than the traditional perpendicular to the bars grip?
Thanks,
John
Here is a link to the article with pictures that show this.
John,
When I was racing I never had an issue with arm pump. I was riding three to five times per week and it was never a problem. Now that I’m older and riding much less—once a week if I’m lucky—I pump up like a super pissed-off Bill Bixby just riding through the pits to the track. (It’s an Incredible Hulk reference, kids.) So now, like every other Joe who doesn’t get to ride enough, I’m trying anything and everything to be able to hang on for more than ten minutes.
All that said, I clicked the link and read through the article. There is some truth to it but road racing clip-on bars are much narrower than a motocross bar. A properly sized motocross bar and a well-executed attack position should allow your wrist to roll back the way the article explains. If your elbows are down or your bars are extremely wide [or you have little T-Rex arms] you could have some issues with this. Also, motocross requires much more up/down/left/right/forward/back movement than road racing so your wrist orientation changes constantly. While I haven’t broken down and bought the Forearm Strong device that Aldon Baker is pushing, I’ve certainly been testing the water with other mystical remedies. The only thing that works is seat time. The more you ride the more relaxed you are, and when you are relaxed you don’t hold on as tight. That death grip on your Renthals is what causes arm pump… period.
For me there are a few things I’ve found that help the situation somewhat. First, ride more. I know I mentioned it already but it’s important. Second, pick the right grips. If I use grips that are even slightly fatter than what I’m used to I pump up instantly. Again, the fatter grip feels like I don’t have a proper grasp on the bar so I squeeze tighter, essentially forcing my forearms to fill with blood. A proper warm-up helps. Going out cold makes it worse and makes it more difficult to get rid of as the day goes on. Finally, I’ve been using a product called Magne Sport mg12. It is a topical liquid that seems to help slightly. It could be total placebo but at this point I’ll take whatever I can get.
Thanks for the letter, John. If you come across anything else that might work let me know… I’ll probably buy it.
PING
Have a question for Ping? Email him at ping@racerxonline.com.
