Question for you fast GUY"S
- Thread starter 70 marlin
- Start date
Marlin
I'm not a fast guy but my philosophy when riding is that I will go fastest in the tallest gear I can pull because the bike can "run out" the gear and gain speed more than if I'm revving the crap out of the lower gear. Riding the highest gear possible will also allow me to be smoother, maintain taction and maintain momemtum. Now if a fast guy answers this maybe I can learn something too!
I'm not a fast guy but my philosophy when riding is that I will go fastest in the tallest gear I can pull because the bike can "run out" the gear and gain speed more than if I'm revving the crap out of the lower gear. Riding the highest gear possible will also allow me to be smoother, maintain taction and maintain momemtum. Now if a fast guy answers this maybe I can learn something too!
BadgerMan
Mi. Trail Riders
- Jan 1, 2001
- 2,479
- 10
It would not do you much good to know what gear I ride in since my YZ250F has a tall first gear and the other ratios (1 through 5) are very close with a top end of only 55-60. Therefore, I find myself in 4th or 5th gear much of the time where as 3rd and 4th were the norm on other bikes I’ve owned.
I share the same opinion as the others about riding a gear high if you can. I believe it is better to run a gear high and try to maintain momentum than to rev the crap out of it, accelerating and decelerating all the time. Pointing, shooting, and braking all sap your strength and energy. Especially if you are riding a heavy or high powered bike.
I share the same opinion as the others about riding a gear high if you can. I believe it is better to run a gear high and try to maintain momentum than to rev the crap out of it, accelerating and decelerating all the time. Pointing, shooting, and braking all sap your strength and energy. Especially if you are riding a heavy or high powered bike.
- Feb 3, 2001
- 3,818
- 0
Badgerman has spoken........he could ride a YZ 80 and still have to wait for the rest of us. :confused:
Badgerman, I have scribed your words into my brain, (and into my palm pilot). I have taken an oath to repeat your words every morning, every evening and every other time I look at my bike.
Last Saturday, at Gladwin, I was running 3rd and 4th buth those trails are pretty open and fast. (Badgerman would have been running my bike in 6th between 80 and 95MPH! ! !)
Since I started riding a thumper (KTM 520) I have focused strictly on riding smooth and trying to carry speed through the turns. This has certainly helped my riding endurance and has made me quite a bit faster.
With all that said, I don't really have any right replying to this post, since it was directed to the FAST guys.
Mike
Last Saturday, at Gladwin, I was running 3rd and 4th buth those trails are pretty open and fast. (Badgerman would have been running my bike in 6th between 80 and 95MPH! ! !)
Since I started riding a thumper (KTM 520) I have focused strictly on riding smooth and trying to carry speed through the turns. This has certainly helped my riding endurance and has made me quite a bit faster.
With all that said, I don't really have any right replying to this post, since it was directed to the FAST guys.
Mike
BadgerMan
Mi. Trail Riders
- Jan 1, 2001
- 2,479
- 10
A KTM520 with six gears! Holly cow, why do you even need gears on that bike. Just stick it in third and remove the shift lever to save weight!
I very rarely touched fifth gear on the KTM250EXC I previously owned. However, that YZF runs through the gears so fast, I wish it had a sixth gear for the two tracks. That’s why you guys all leave me in the dust when we get off the single track. I have thought about adding a tooth to the front sprocket but that will also raise first gear and make it even more prone to stalling. As is, I love the way it pulls with the stock gearing. It’s really quick for a little thumper.
Frankly, I don’t think I ride the tight technical stuff very well. I tend to make up for it on the fast whopped out trails, probably because of the bike I’m riding. That thing just eats whoops like nothing I have ever ridden before. When I was racing, I did well at events like Jackpine or Traverse City but poorly whenever we raced in Indiana or the U.P.
I need to force myself to ride more of the tight technical stuff. Now Loctite is the one to watch and learn from when the trail gets tight and technical. He is very smooth!
I very rarely touched fifth gear on the KTM250EXC I previously owned. However, that YZF runs through the gears so fast, I wish it had a sixth gear for the two tracks. That’s why you guys all leave me in the dust when we get off the single track. I have thought about adding a tooth to the front sprocket but that will also raise first gear and make it even more prone to stalling. As is, I love the way it pulls with the stock gearing. It’s really quick for a little thumper.
Frankly, I don’t think I ride the tight technical stuff very well. I tend to make up for it on the fast whopped out trails, probably because of the bike I’m riding. That thing just eats whoops like nothing I have ever ridden before. When I was racing, I did well at events like Jackpine or Traverse City but poorly whenever we raced in Indiana or the U.P.
I need to force myself to ride more of the tight technical stuff. Now Loctite is the one to watch and learn from when the trail gets tight and technical. He is very smooth!
- Thread starter
- #12
Thank bunch'es! what I'm going to do is stay in 3rd as much as I can. and just try to stay as smooth . BadgerMan: I could never keep up with you long enough to even see your style. my goal is too raise my level of incompetents. to at least be able to sweep.
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