The EVS Shoulder Support Brace SB03 is like a band-aid for you wounded shoulder. Dislocated shoulders and rotator cuff injuries are relatively common in an extreme sport such as motocross, unfortunately, but this brace supports your shoulder if you have had one of these accidents.

EVS Shoulder Brace

Locked & Loaded

Keeping your shoulder in place is important if it has been injured, and that’s exactly what this should brace does. It supports your arm up, and then compresses to hold it in place.

Do-It-All Brace

What about the range of motion in your arm/shoulder? EVS has it figured out when it comes to function-ability; the SB03 works for any kind of physical activity because it doesn’t affect your range of motion enough to notice it. It’s adjustable, allowing you to fit and tune it to your individual needs. If you want more support, you got it! It pulls your shoulder into the rotator cuff for the most support, and comes with three different sizes of compression straps for a customized support.

Features

What more than support do you need out of a shoulder brace, you ask? Not only does the EVS shoulder support do its job of compressing your limb in place, it has an X-strap system that keeps the brace itself in place. Having the brace fall off during a race would be one of the last things you want. Also, its air-mesh material will keep your skin breathing in the hottest of days, and with TPR gripper pull tabs it allows you to get a good grip on them when installing the brace.

Pros:

 Cons

1. Doesn’t fit well on some females
2. May require 2 people to install
3. Velcro may rub on skin (people with this problem often wear an under-shirt)

If you aren’t convinced already, take a look at some of the consumer comments that have a shoulder injury…

• Good support
• Great support for the shoulder
• Best bang for the buck on a dislocated shoulder
• Love it!
• Works Like A Charm!!
• Freedom to push myself again…

If You Want To Protect Your Shoulder Click Here

-Tom Stark

Made With The Help of Orthopedic Professionals

Not only does the EVS RC EVO brace protect your neck and shoulders, but it’s built to reduce extension in the back; the cause of major spinal injuries. Neck and back problems come too often in this sport, which is why motocross protective gear companies teamed up with top orthopedic pros to construct the best possible solution. Ordinary neck rolls have been in use for road and kart racing for decades, but they only helped prevent neck injuries.

EVS RC-Evolution

The EVS RC-Evolution is a new kind of neck brace with its layers and modular collar. It also has straps and hooks that go around your body. All of this ensures a tight, yet ergonomic fit to your neck and shoulders. Although, it’s not a one-size-fits-all brace, so it’s a good idea to try one on and see which size fits you before buying. You can custom fit it to your liking as well with the adjustable height.

“The ultimate in neck protection provides protection against axial compression, hyperflexion, hyper-extension and lateral hyperflexion.” – EVS Sports

Pick Your Color!

Say goodbye to boring old neck supports… The EVS RC Evolution has five different colors to choose from to match your color gear and bike: black, blue, red, white/yellow, and pink (you can also get the RC EVO in Nitro Circus style as well). And for those that like to “pimp” out their rides, some graphics companies can sell you a customized graphics kit for your neck brace.

Isn’t It Like Having A Cast On Your Neck?

Now you may be thinking, how can you move around with all of this protection? In my own experience, yes, it does restrict your head movement to an extent. Does it stop me from doing anything needed? No, I can still look over in both directions, and that’s with my body armor on; which brings up another question. I wear an EVS BJ22 ballistic jersey, and the neck brace fits just fine even with the harness on.

It not only fits on most chest protectors, but it is ventilated and has soft rubber around the edges that make it more comfortable to wear. The sculpted bio-foam liner lets your neck breathe, and it doesn’t chafe against your skin.

I have been wearing the RC EVO neck brace when on motocross tracks, but I usually just wear the EVS RC2 Race Collar when I’m going for a trail ride or putting around the farm. I move around a lot on single-track trails, but still want protection, so the RC2 is perfect because it works and I don’t even notice when it’s on.

I’ve Heard It Can Cause An Injury Though…

Do seat belts kill people? It’s a controversial topic, but  at least 9 out of 10 times the seat belt is going to save your life. The same goes for a neck brace such as this. More often than not, the EVS RC-Evolution is going to help prevent or even stop an injury from happening when you have a bad crash. The odds are in your favor, which is why I don’t want to be caught not wearing mine while on the track. Yes, I’ve heard of people still getting injured with a neck brace on, but what are you going to say if you break your collar bone from a crash without having a neck brace on?

All in all, it’s a personal preference. Some people can’t stand wearing all these braces and extra padding. I know that it can limit my range of motion, but I’m plenty fine with that if it saves me an injury and a hospital bill.

Click Here To Buy an EVS RC-Evolution Neck Brace

Have fun, and ride smart!

-Tom Stark

Hot or Cold

Yes, they can help in the cold as an extra layer under your Riding Pants. But, what about when it’s hot?? Don’t worry, the Bionic Freeride shorts are made with a mesh and lycra (spandex-like) material, letting your skin breathe even in the hottest of riding days. As long you are moving, the air alone will be enough to keep you cool. You can wear these while dirt bike riding, mountain biking, or any other activity you feel the need to wear protection. The Freeride shorts compress against your legs and waist, keeping “everything” in place while riding and in the event of a crash.

Alpinestars Bionic Freeride Shorts

Padding All Around

If protection is what you want, protection is what you’ll get! Unlike most other compression shorts that have little to no padding, these have impact and abrasion resistant pads that are on your hip, thigh, and tailbone areas. So whether you’re falling on rocks all day, or sliding across hard-pack clay, the Bionic Freeride compression shorts protect your skin from punctures and abrasive burns.

Is It Worth The Price Tag?

Yes, the Alpinestars Bionic shorts cost more than other compression shorts. But that’s just it; they aren’t just compression shorts. Almost every consumer that buys these shorts says that they are worth the price because of how much protection they offer. Doubled up with Body Armor, you get the ultimate leg and upper-torso protection. Alpinestars is a well-known brand, so you know you’re going to get a quality product. The question is, do you want the protection now, or later?…

Any Complaints?

Most consumers give the Alpinestars Bionic Freeride Shorts 4-5 stars. The only concern was the fit on some peoples body’s. The leg openings can be tight, so some people suggest getting a size larger if you have large thighs.

Buy the Alpinestars Bionic Freeride Motocross Shorts from Amazon Here

-Tom Stark

Motocross Insurance For Dirt Bike

Having your dirt bike stolen or destroyed by a fire is not a happy story to tell. Unfortunately, there’s no way to completely prevent the idiot-scum that have no idea they just took little Johnny’s only birthday present from Mom & Dad… You can get an online insurance quote for your dirt bike at almost any place that insures motorcycles. Go ahead and call up your car insurance provider to see what they have to offer and compare it to other companies. Policies will depend on the company and coverage. Some may not cover an accident from motocross racing, but will if you are trail/play riding, and when the dirt bike is parked.

Brand New KLX450R

Insurance For Motocross Racing

Not only is protecting your hard-earned dirt bike a good idea, but if you’re racing motocross every weekend, an injury is bound to happen sooner or later if you are pushing it out on the track. Health insurance is a must if you’re riding dirt bikes all the time. Breaking or fracturing bones can cost thousands, making bankruptcy a common result for many who don’t have insurance. It does add to your monthly/yearly bill, but one injury can cause a mid-life crisis without it.

AMA Motocross Insurance

Most motocross tracks in the U.S. require AMA membership to race. They also offer insurance for your dirt bike or motorcycle. You can get road-side assistance or coverage if your bike gets stolen. Something to consider if you’re an AMA. You will get more benefits as well.

Track Insurance

Yes, even motocross tracks have insurance. In fact, it’s probably the most important for the owners. The waivers and signed notarized forms say that you are responsible if you get hurt riding at their track. But lets face it, in this day and age you can sue for almost anything. Those papers basically keep the honest people honest. If someone gets hurt riding on a track, the owners have insurance to help prevent from being sued. If you are a track owner, make sure you get insurance before you allow motocross racing or dirt bike riding of any kind to happen.

If you are a motorcycle rider, check out MotorcycleAccident.org for tips about staying safe on the road.
-Tom Stark

No Annoying Seam!!

Have you worn a face-mask with that outrageously provoking seam going down the middle of your entire face?! And no matter what you did, it was next to impossible to keep it in one place while being comfortable… Well, those days are over with the Coolskin winter balaclava face mask with its fully flat-seamed construction. This alone can make it worth it if you want a smooth and comfortable fit on your face.

What Is Silkweight?

It is light-weight and uses silk-like material that is soft on your face. It stretches to fit around almost any size head, making it a versatile and must-have item of protection in your Gear Bag.

Schampa Coolskin Balaclava

Not only is it a one-size-fits-most balaclava, but this Schampa face mask fits under almost any dirt bike, snowmobile, or motorcycle helmet. This makes it a perfect gift to give to friends and family that ride all-year-round.

Dirt bike riding in the cold will be much more tolerable with this winter motorcycle mask.

The Schampa Coolskin Balaclava is currently getting 4.5 stars out of 5 on Amazon, and is on the “Best Sellers” list.

Click Here To Buy A Black Coolskin Motorcycle Balaclava

-Tom Stark

There are a few different options. First, there’s a Smooth Industries Motocross Duvet Bedding Set, which comes with everything you need to make your bed look like a dirt biking superstar; a fitted sheet, a flat sheet, as well as a pillow case. The duvet is reversible, so you can flip it over if you want a different design. It’s a cotton and polyester blend with a two-hundred and fifty thread count, giving you a warm and comfortable nights sleep. You can get it for a twin, full, or queen sized bed, and can choose from a baby blue or tan blue in colors.

Motocross Bedding Set

If you like other extreme sports, or don’t want a complete motocross bedding set, an X-Games Comforter will suit you well. It the #1 selling sports bedding comforters on Amazon, and is currently getting 4.5 out of 5 stars for a rating.

Otherwise, if you just want a warm blanket, you can get a Dirt Bike Motocross Fleece Throw Blanket. Not only is it warm and comfortable, but it’s light-weight and and water-resistant. Perfect for staying warm while watching Motocross on the couch, or for those extra cold nights. It’s fleece softness and ability to use it almost anywhere makes it a great gift for dirt biking enthusiasts. Customers often buy this throw blanket with the motocross bedding set.

Click Here To Buy Your Motocross Bedding Set

-Tom Stark

I recently got the UClear HBC100 helmet communicator to try out because I am out and about a lot, whether it be on a dirt bike, street bike, mountain bike, or skiing when there’s snow on the ground. Having speakers in my helmet without wires dangling down to my iPod is really nice, because my regular headphones always manage to hook around something. Also, not having a big microphone stuffed up against my face completes this set-up. People won’t even know you’re talking on the phone… (more on how this works later)

HBC100 Bluetooth Helmet Communicator

Unfortunately, our riding season is pretty much over here, so I won’t be able to give a full review until spring comes around. But, I have gotten a chance to do a couple quick tests.

When I took the UClear HBC100 out of the box to set it up, there wasn’t much to the system. I brought it with a motorcycle helmet over to a friends house to show it off to him. After reading the instructions, putting it on my helmet was a piece of cake. I then synced it up to my iPod using Bluetooth, which only took a few seconds. I first tried out some music, and after re-positioning the speakers, it actually sounded pretty good. It was cool to be able to listen and change the volume while keeping my iPod in my pocket. I then tried talking while inside his house to make sure it works (I have a calling app on my iPod). It worked great, and I was looking forward to doing a real test…

UClear HBC100 Mic

Luckily, a couple days ago we had a heat-wave for a day (low 40s!!), and my brother came over to take his new motorcycle for one last ride before we get snow again. I introduced him to the UClear helmet communicator and asked if he wanted to try it out. He was excited to, so I quickly set it up and he was off. I called him half-way through his ride and he answered right away (voice command). He was cruising at 55-60 MPH, and like it says, I didn’t hear wind or bike noise. It was like a regular cell phone chat. I haven’t played with it much, but I’m going to see if I can turn up the speaker volume a little in case the other person is in a noisy environment.

How is it wire-less and boom-less? Well, like I said before, the UClear system connects with Bluetooth on your phone or iPod, so you don’t need to download any extra apps or software. This is extremely useful because it doesn’t require any wires connected to your device that could get unplugged or ripped off.

This system doesn’t need a boom-mic because it uses “military technology” to emit signals out of the speakers that are pointed in front of your mouth to catch the sound-waves. It has a unique noise-suppression algorithm to cancel out all unwanted road, bike, and wind noise; leaving you with the voice of the person speaking. Let me tell you, it is some really cool technology, which is why I hadn’t even heard about it until a couple months ago. This is what the future has in store for us… Are you ready?

Click Here To Buy Your UClear HBC 100 Boom-less Microphone Communicator

In the spring time I will be able to test this enough to complete a full review, so be on the look-out for that in a few months…

-Tom Stark

UFO Plastics makes kits for almost every dirt bike that include everything you need to give your dirt bike a much needed facelift. Whether you just want to make your bike look new again, or you simply need them because yours broke, a plastic kit is an easy and relatively cheap way to do it. And while you’re at it, why not slap on some New Graphics to complete the look of an all new bike!

Not only will you look cooler on a shiny bike, but if you are trying to sell your dirt bike, it will be more appealing to possible buyers. This is not a joke; people are more likely to buy a dirt bike based on the “Looks” of it. If it is nice and shiny, and the plastics and seat aren’t all scratched up, people will often overlook the mechanical aspect of the bike. I’ve had this happen before (not that I sold bikes that had mechanical issues without informing them), and when I have new plastics on the bike, it almost always sells to the first person. It is not unethical to do when selling a used dirt bike because you are selling/buying “as-is”. It is the buyers responsibility to look the bike over for failures and/or ask the owner. Unfortunately, that is where honesty flies out the door. This is where buying a used bike is a risk, but that’s for another article…

Click  Here To Find a UFO Plastic to Fit Your Dirt Bike

Every time I’ve used UFO plastics, the fit has been perfect with no hole-drilling required. It looks just like stock, and the color matches as well. Below are pics of before and after putting some new UFO fenders on my bike (I installed new graphics too).

Good luck, and ride safe!

-Tom Stark

Beat Up YZ125

Fresh YZ125

The All New GoPro HD Hero2

 Image Quality

If you thought the previous GoPro HD Hero had good image quality, you gotta check out the Hero 2. Not only is the image sharper, but the low light image quality is greatly enhanced. When watching footage from this helmet camera, it could be mistaken for a professional camera. Night-time videos were sub-par on any other helmet cam, but GoPro figured out how to capture those night-time adventures!

Picture Features

Taking still pictures when you’re out riding in the middle of nowhere can be difficult on a dirt bike. GoPro made their other helmet cams to take photos, but for the Hero2 they upped the anti with the ability to take 11, 8, and 5 Megapixel photos (It was only 5 MP previously). On top of that, it can take 10 photos per second compared to 3/second the first HD Hero could do. It also has an increased time-lapse mode (0.5).

Video Resolution

While the video resolutions stayed the same (720p and 1080p), GoPro has included more features that movie enthusiasts will love. New for the 1080p & 720p mode, you can choose medium (127 degree) or narrow (90 degree) Field-Of-View, giving you different perspectives of a video.

As for the 960p mode, you can record it in 48fps, in addition to the original 30fps.

GoPro also decided to update the standard def WVGA mode. Don’t think it’s needed? Think again; you can now record footage at an incredible 120fps!! This takes slow-mo helmet cam videos to a whole new level while still keeping it smooth.

Usability

Many people complained that GoPro helmet cams were difficult to operate and navigate through. Now with the upgraded language-based interface, the HD Hero 2 is easier to use than ever. You don’t have to be a genius to figure out how to use one and change modes.

It was often difficult to tell when the camera was recording on previous GoPro helmet cams, so they decided to put 4 LED lights (1 on each side) on, making it easier to see when it’s on.

Motocross Helmet Cam

Want to watch HD footage on your TV? Now you can hook your HD Hero 2 directly up to your HD TV through the added mini-HDMI port.

Sound has always been an issue with helmet cameras, but GoPro has come through yet again by including a new 3.5mm external mic jack to plug in your own microphone.

Compatibility

The first HD Hero you could control by remote using wi-fi. Now on the Hero 2 you are able to preview and playback the video, as well as stream it to the web through wi-fi. Not even the Contour helmet camera can say that.

When all said and done, this isn’t “just another camera” that GoPro put a few blingy parts on. No, they took it to the next level, and it shows in the videos. If you are looking for the best helmet camera on the planet right now, this is it.

Click Here To Buy The GoPro HD Hero2 Helmet Camcorder

 -Tom Stark

Chopping The Saddle

The most common (and cheapest) way of lowering the seat height is by trimming the seat foam. This is a good time to put on a new seat cover as well! Just take the cover off, trim the seat foam down to the desired size (you can usually take off 1-1.5″ from the middle of the seat and still have enough left). Then you simply stretch the seat cover back over and staple it. This mod is popular because it’s cheap, and pretty much anyone can do it with a little patience. The downside is that there is less foam to sit on, leaving you with a stiffer ride, as well as a curved seat.

YZ125 Shaved Seat

Linking Closer To The Dirt

A lowering link is another common mod to lowering the ride height on your dirt bike. It’s an easy solution for short riders stepping up to a full-size bike. It’s a direct bolt-on, and lowers the rear end 1/2″ – 1 1/2″ on most bikes. Cost is probably the biggest factor when considering a lowering link, but it also changes the handling and suspension of your bike. Many riders complain that the pre-load is quite a bit softer, and that the front-end sits higher, changing the rake angle. Handling isn’t affected so much at slower speeds or trail riding, but experienced riders may notice it on the motocross track or at higher speeds.

Taking A Slice Out Of The Subframe

If you really want to go crazy, some guys (and gals) get a chunk of their subframe cut and welded back together to lower the seat height. There are more downsides to this modification, so I wouldn’t suggest it to be first on your list. The more pieces that have to be welded together, the more likely it is to crack or break (so make sure you get a professional to weld it, especially aluminum). Since the subframe is holding mostly the back half of the seat, that’s where most of the lowering is going to happen. Also, if you chop too big of a portion out of the subframe, it may end up causing the rear tire to hit and rub against the fender when the suspension is compressed.

Lowering Linkage

Less Rubber

Not only can you get a smaller diameter rear rim, but you can choose the amount of rubber around it. Motocross bikes come with a 19″ rear wheel, but some off-road/enduro trail bikes have an 18″ rear wheel. Swapping for the smaller wheel will lower the rear-end of the bike. Depending on what you have already, going from a 110/100-19″ to a 100/90-19″ rear tire can help lower the bike as well.

Adjust Shock Pre-Load/Sag with Locking Nuts

If suspension set-up is critical, I would not suggest this to be the first way of lowering your bike, even though it’s simple and can lower the bike close to 2 inches. If you look on the rear shock assembly, there will be two locking ring nuts holding the spring compressed. If you haven’t already set your sag/ride height (more on this in a future article), I suggest you do that first. Your race sag should be about 100mm (4″), but if you keep loosening the nuts and spring, it will eventually stop, and that’s where you will have the most sag (lowest seat height). Like I said before, if you are racing or riding hard, I would not suggest going past the proper ride sag because the suspension will be too low and soft. Trail riders can often get away with this (I have tried this personally and it works great in tight single-track).

Moving The Forks Up

In addition to the other mods, you can (or need to), move the forks up in the triple clamps. This will lower the front-end of the bike, and may be required for some of the previous mods because the rear-end will sit lower. Be careful though, and do one small adjustment at a time, because changing things around like this can mess up the geometry and handling of your bike. Take note of all the specs you’re going to modify as a starting point in case you want to go back to it.

Think Before You Act

All of these can change things that require more modifications:

Kick-stand too tall, little seat foam, lower ground clearance, less suspension travel, different handling, ergonomics, different gearing (smaller wheel), etc… And remember, you don’t always need to lower your bike. Being able to touch the ground with two feet isn’t a must, even when trail riding (although it does help in most cases). Just look at some of the top pro racers that are around five and a half feet tall (Carmichael, McGrath, Stewart). With all this in mind, do a little research to find out which one will cause the least trouble if you are unsure. Good luck, and ride safe!

-Tom Stark

Easier Said Than Done

Porting itself is not a difficult task, but it takes a lot of knowledge and patience to port an engine and produce more power, which is why professionals can charge a few hundred bucks for a simple port-job. If you don’t have experience or training, I highly suggest you send it out to a professional engine builder. Most of them know what they’re doing, and all you have to do is tell them what you want more of (horsepower/torque) and where, what fuel you’re going to use, and they’ll take care of everything else.

Bigger Is Not Always Better…

Porting Hacker

Any skilled engine builder you ask will tell you that bigger ports alone aren’t going to produce more power. In fact, more often than not, it will reduce power. Like I mentioned before, there’s a reason why the factory made their engine a certain way; to produce the most power over the broadest RPM range. So if you grind off just 0.5mm (.020″) from any of the ports in the wrong direction or location, it will lose power somewhere and gain little to no power elsewhere. Porting is an art; not a job for a hacking grease-monkey.

Bring It To The Best

There are many good bike tuners across the States, so do a little research to find who’s close, in your price-range, or if they can get the job done the way you want it. Eric Gorr (Forward Motion), HPBikes, Pro Circuit, and  Max Power are a few that come to mind if you want quality. Generally, the more you pay, the better job will be. But, make some calls to these guys and see what they say. Most of the really good builders are easy to talk to and will get it done right, and fast.

On the flip-side, those of you that are mechanical and willing to do some modifications to your engine (with a risk of ruining it), I will make another article in the future on how to get the most of it while keeping it stock. This is done by blueprinting…

-Tom Stark

Brand New YZ450F Ready To Be Flipped

If you’ve ridden the big 750s and 800 motorcycles back in the 60s and 70s, you’ll know that technology has come a long way in just half a century. Well, guys that rode them back when they were young and the bikes were fresh don’t always realize this when their inner “teen” years come back and they want a dirt bike. When looking at the selection of bikes, they see that the biggest is “only” 450cc (not including dual-sport). Thinking back to their super bikes back in the day that were twice the size, weight, and not nearly as powerful per cubic inch of engine displacement, they thought they could easily hop on a 450F and man-handle it. Well, that’s when things go wrong…

Motocross bikes have changed in almost every way from 35 years ago. They are lighter, stronger, more powerful per cubic-inch, betting handling and suspension, and easier to get into trouble with. The sheer torque of a 450cc motocross bike will make a grown man require a new pair of whitey-tighties. Being able to wheelie at almost any given RPM and gear, it will toss you right on your bum before you can say “Watch this!”. “Ripping your arms off” is no longer a figure-of-speech.

So, why am I writing this to you? Well, it’s basically a forewarning to you if you’re considering buying a 450cc motocross weapon. If you are fairly new to the bike scene, or have been off them for years, do not take them for granted. Start on a less-powerful and cheaper bike. Then, skill-permitting, you can move up in displacement. I would definitely suggest a smaller bike if you’re going to Start Motocross Racing. A 125cc 2-stroke is plenty for 99% of novice riders. A 250F (four-stroke) can also be good if you are a die-hard four-stroke rider). If you disagree, check out my post, “So You Think You Know How To Ride A Motocross Bike…“.

I’m not here to scare people. I’m just here to inform you that the more power you have under your butt, the more likely you can get into trouble. With that said, whether you’re on an XR100 or a Kx450F, have fun, and ride safe!

-Tom Stark

Motocross Goons

Let me tell you something; a myth that most people (even riders) con themselves into. It’s that the bigger and more powerful bike you have, the faster you will go. In a straight line drag-race, yes, but who can’t ride a straight line? How about on the track, where the real athletes are? Yeah, the torque of a 450cc 4-stroke does make it easier to clear that step-up right after the corner, but it doesn’t necessarily make your lap times lower. More on this later…

I can go through all the gears on my 125cc motocross bikes. Or a 500cc for that matter. If you can’t do that, then you probably don’t belong on a motorcycle. Doing it on the street is one thing. Doing it on the track… Not even comparable. It takes more skill, strength, and endurance to ride on a real motocross track than almost any other sport, and injuries are more so common in this sport that you can almost anticipate one in the future. That’s why it’s a good idea to Get Insurance for Motocross Racing. The top riders in the world are in better shape than 99.9% of athletes. They train harder, longer, and more, as well as practice on their bike (which is more of a workout in itself than many athletes do). Although, the average Joe would have no idea, whether they’ve “ridden” a bike before or not.

Real Motocross Riders

I know plenty of people that don’t think motocross is very difficult to participate in. It’s understandable to an extent, because they just don’t know; and probably never will. It’s not something that you can explain either, especially if they play other sports or activities (such as soccer). They often have it in their mind that the sport they do is more straining on the body than others. I’m not saying that you should try and convince them either. Most of them are too stuck up anyway if they believe anyone can race motocross and have success.

Back to the lap times… It doesn’t take a 450cc motocross bike to get the fastest lap times, even though it may help in some areas. Motocross is about 90% rider and 10% bike. Although some may beg to differ, just look at what James Stewart did on an “old and outdated” KX125 2-stroke. This is why I believe a 125 2-stroke is enough power for 99% of riders. Now, one exception is rider size/weight, as some larger guys will do better on a bigger bike because they need more torque to get going. My argument  is, if you can’t ride a bike to its full potential, why go bigger? I would personally consider riding 85′s because of my size, but the only adult classes (other than pit bikes) are with full-size bikes. (This is why I’m building an XR100/Motocross Conversion bike over the winter as a play bike, which I’ll cover on a future article…)

So, the act of actually knowing how to and riding a motocross bike is by racing as fast as you can for a certain amount of laps around a motocross track with real jumps, corners, whoops, ruts, braking bumps, natural terrain, etc. (not down your road or a corn field).

-Tom Stark

 4-Strokes Still Dominate The Racing Realm

'05 YZ250F - $1500

While most racers in the U.S. are still buying new four-strokes because of their advantages, many are going back to the ol’ faithful two-stroke. Their reasoning? For one, they are sick of dealing with 4-strokes. The maintenance, the breaking, the rebuilding, the billing, and more maintenance. Now, I’m not a hater of 4-strokes, and what I just said isn’t always the case, because some of them last a long time with little maintenance, but in the long run they will almost always cost more to operate because of more moving parts. Yes, a 4-stroke engine has almost double the moving parts as a 2-stroke. 4-strokes are like ticking time bombs, because when something breaks, it usually takes out more parts, resulting in a grenade-like explosion.

Why Buy A Blender When You “Know” It’s Going To Break…

If the owners aren’t sick of their 4-stroke after the first rebuild, they usually are after a second time. Not only do the parts add up to a large sum, but if you have the work  done by a shop, it’s nearly doubled. You have a piston and rings, valves, timing chain, chain tensioner, valve springs, shims, possibly the cylinder head ($400 alone for most bikes) and cam(s), maybe the crankshaft, bearings (they add up quickly), and cylinder re-sleeved or plated if it got scored. Although not every part needs to be replaced after every engine failure, you can still see why it adds up to a much bigger bill than if you were to rebuild a 2-stroke. It’s not uncommon to see people paying the price of a used bike for an engine rebuild…. Now you know why there are so many 4-stroke motocross bikes in the classifieds that need to be rebuilt; people on a budget buy them, and when something happens, they don’t have money to fix them. To add to the fact, most people don’t know how to or aren’t confident enough to work on a 4-stroke engine because of their complexity, which is why they bring it to a shop to do (greatly increasing the rebuild cost).

'04 CR125R - $2000

I could give you a list of prices for new parts on an engine rebuild, but it just feels redundant. You can look it up if you really feel compelled (It won’t be pretty, especially after you consider the labor). It’s for this very reason that riders are switching to a 2-stroke. Racing is expensive, and if you don’t have much to start with, why dig a deeper hole?

Destroyed Head & Valves

It’s A Buyers Market

Back to the “Asking” and “Selling” price, most people post their bikes for more than they are actually worth. It’s because they see other bikes of the same or similar model and year for a certain amount, so they think theirs is worth that much too because that’s what they are “Going for”. That’s far from the truth. In fact, a lot of people never even sell their bikes because they are asking too much. Smart sellers, or someone that want a quick sale, will either take at least a couple hundred off of their price initially when posting it, or they negotiate when someone comes to look at it. The only time you will be able to sell your bike when you are “Firm” on the price is when it’s already much cheaper than any other bike like it on the market. Even then, a lot of people go down another hundred or so, just to get rid of it.

In the end, it’s all about supply and demand, and the demand for cheap 2-strokes is exponentially increasingbecause of how cheap it is to operate them over a long period of time.

Mint '07 CRF250R - $2100

 -Tom Stark

Note: this article is not to sway you to buy a 2-stroke. It is merely news and information on what the off-road motorcycle market is doing, and what people are currently buying. Although, it does make 2-strokes just that much more appealing!