Trails are a bit slick

[theothersean]

got the wr's inspected today , and I headed out into the woods behind my house for a rip , its still a bit slick , tires packed up quick with mud . I decided to call it quits when an easy log crossing tossed me into the sapplings.
Think I'll give it a few more weeks to dry out a bit .

[gregp]

I have been breaking in my new bike - gently. The trails are indeed slick. I almost crashed at least 4 times today alone. Wet, diagonal, stripped logs seem to be everywhere. I am just starting to learn how to ride this thing. It is definitely very different than any of the other thumpers I have owned in the past. It lugs just fine, but doesn't really want to stay there. It is happier at a higher RPM than I am accustomed to. I tend to compare everything to the KDX, and this bike is pretty nice, no doubt about it, but the KDX was a bit easier to ride in the nasty stuff. The 350 blows the KDX away once the terrain opens up, though.
My new boots are compounding the issues as well. I have been having a hard time feeling the shift and brake levers. A few more rides are definitely required before I get up to speed.

[theothersean]

I accidently dropped a tooth on the front sprocket when I changed the chain and sprocket recently , so I am getting used to the new shift points as well , today was the first ride since the change , which ddin't help my traction issues today as I was more revy in 1st and 2nd gear . But I am liking that 2nd gear is more user friendly now .

[gregp]

My 350 is just barely low enough now, gearing-wise, after dropping a tooth on the counter shaft sprocket, and adding 3 teeth on the rear. 14/45 -> 13/48. For a relatively dry spring, it is a bit surprising to find so much water out in the woods. I came upon some truly nasty climbs, stopped, and turned around. There was ground water flowing over some of the rocks, and I am just not that good of a rider to risk grinding my new bike flat on one side.
The stock suspension is really pretty good, except that the forks could be much more plush on sharp edged, high speed hits. I have ridden some really nice Factory Connection and C-Cycle forks, and I may send my forks out after I break them in a bit more. The WP PDS shock seems to be just fine, although I am much less picky about what goes on back there.

[JettaJayGLS]

Wait...you're not dirt riding because its too slick and you fell over? I think you're doing it wrong...

[tsorfas]

Wait...you're not dirt riding because its too slick and you fell over? I think you're doing it wrong...

stop posting. go get your bike ready! lol I want you next post to be a pic of the bike put togehter

[R7]

Wait...you're not dirt riding because its too slick and you fell over? I think you're doing it wrong...

Riding when it's to wet, or muddy spring trails conditions is doing in wrong!
When you own the trails, there's more to it than just falling down and getting dirty. No trail patrol or worker parties show up to fill in the ruts and fix the errosion caused by riding when it's to wet. More work to maintain them, less work to ride..best thing is to just wait until they dry

[breakdirt916]

I decided to call it quits when an easy log crossing tossed me into the sapplings.

those damn, slick diagonal logs

[theothersean]

Riding when it's to wet, or muddy spring trails conditions is doing in wrong!
When you own the trails, there's more to it than just falling down and getting dirty. No trail patrol or worker parties show up to fill in the ruts and fix the errosion caused by riding when it's to wet. More work to maintain them, less work to ride..best thing is to just wait until they dry

yeh , there is a reason that the state forests don't open for a few more weeks , and those get maintained by riding clubs .
I did get out on the 4 wheeler today with the chainsaw to clear a lot of limbs and trees that had fallen over the winter .

[Chippertheripper]

I took a few soil samples today...I'm ready for moto 3, though.

[slowkermit]

I think I saw the great wall of China from the bottom of the ruts in Mattapoisett. Soupy for sure. It was seriously awesome to pull the holeshot in moto 2, then blow a corner and end up in last place anyways. lol.

[Chippertheripper]

And to think...I like this better than roadracing.

[slowkermit]

gluttons for punishment we are, yes?

[slowkermit]

And thanks for the tire Chip, you really didn't have to do that!

[ZX-12R]

it is a bit surprising to find so much water out in the woods.

We have the same issue in NH:



I haven't gotten around to it yet but the gearing on the 500 is also way too high for tight single track. I'll be dropping it down to 14/48 at some point.

[gregp]

My dealership key fob got ripped off on the first ride. I see yours hanging off to the right - You might want to remove it before you snap the key off in the ignition.

[B440]

I haven't gotten around to it yet but the gearing on the 500 is also way too high for tight single track. I'll be dropping it down to 14/48 at some point.

Whaaaat? I ride 16/51 on the 500. Much easier to use the torque.

[ZX-12R]

15/45 is stock on the 500 EXC and 14/48 is as low as you can go and keep the stock chain length. The 500 XC-W which is intended for off road use only, has 13/50 stock.

[B440]

Hmm, I have a 500 2-stroke, but using the torque still applies to a 4-stroke. Even on my DRZ400, I used the biggest front sprocket; 15T.

[gregp]

FWIW - On the 350's, the EXC comes stock with 14/45 - and 13/48 is the lowest allowed with the stock chain. The 350 XC-F comes with 13/52 stock. I know that the primary ratio on the two motors is very different, with the 350 having a much lower primary ratio. 13/48 works pretty well for me, although I am not nearly as aggressive as I used to be. I can still maintain a 45-55 MPH pavement cruise without feeling like I am beating up on the motor. That is pretty much all I need to get from trail to trail. These are serious dirt bikes, and when you set them up as such, you give up most of the "street friendly" attributes. With the stock gearing, I could probably take it on the Turnpike, although at that point other shortcomings would begin to surface.

[gregp]

If you use a large CS sprocket, you would need to run a huge rear sprocket, and then you start hitting rocks with the chain guide. Dirt Bike magazine once did a test on this, the theory being that large sprockets would get the chain to run more parallel to the swingarm, reducing torque effect on the swingarm/rear suspension. In the end, the result was that the difference if feel was negligible, and it wasn't worth the added cost, and having the chain guide and sprocket get beat up.
In the end, a ratio is what it is, and it makes no difference how you get there. 16/51 = 3.1875, meaning that the CS has to spin 3.1875 times to turn the rear wheel one time. 14/48 = 3.428 = lower gearing (for the same bike). At some point, with higher gearing, your clutch starts suffering, and you start stalling. It mostly depends on the terrain you ride in. I ride in totally boney crap, where I need a life saving low first gear to pick my way over the aforementioned wet logs at a crawl. 13/48 sometimes isn't quite low enough!

[R7]

I can see the higher gearing having advantages. My 200 is geared pretty low and I hardly ever use 1st gear, pretty much click into 2nd as soon as I'm moving. The power delivery seems much smoother and less jerky at lower speeds in 2nd, and even my little 200 seems to lug down real low and slow in 2nd, and still have the grunt to pull out of it quick. I recall doing the same with the 4-strokes I had in the past...Sean's WR450 and the 525exc I used to have

[ZX-12R]

Hmm, I have a 500 2-stroke, but using the torque still applies to a 4-stroke. Even on my DRZ400, I used the biggest front sprocket; 15T.

For me it isn't a matter of torque because the bike is plenty strong with the current gearing. My problem is the bike is just too fast in first gear while running through super tight terrain. Ideally I would like first gear to be low enough that at idle I would be crawling forward just fast enough to maintain balance without having to ride the clutch which would be perfect for situations like a steep, wet, and rocky uphill climb where your line is important but not readily apparent. Second gear would be suitable for almost all other low speed use. Top speeds wouldn't be a problem because 6th gear is super tall on my bike to the point of almost being unnecessary with an unbalanced knobby. The dual sport 500 EXC is definitely geared significantly higher than its otherwise identical XC-W off road counterpart.

On the upside, the clutch on the EXC is superb and I can easily modulate my speed down to a crawl with a single finger.

[B440]

Ideally I would like first gear to be low enough that at idle I would be crawling forward just fast enough to maintain balance without having to ride the clutch which would be perfect for situations like a steep, wet, and rocky uphill climb where your line is important but not readily apparent.

Answer: Recluse!

[ZX-12R]

Let me get over the sticker shock of the new toy first. I haven't even made the first payment yet!