Going to sell my Gasser and BUY A KTM!

[bchatt]

'TXTing me' thats not what you wanted to write! Maybe you need a KTM?a Gasser will go bar to bar with anyone in a fair straight out race.While the KTM will sneak one past the start line while your fiddling with your fuel cock.[/QUOTE]

I prefer to fiddle with my fuel cock as part of my pre-race prep - it's so much less stressful than doing it on the start line.
You are right about KTM riders, they are sneaky aren't they. It reminds me of a GNCC race I did at Woodhill a few years ago. The track was tight and twisty and I was humming along on my KDX, minding my own business, when I start hearing all this yelling going on behind me. The guy was going berserk! " get outta my way... get outta my f..n' way ...get outta my f..n way" on and on at the top of his voice. Well of course I had to turn around to have a look at this wanker, and in doing so I fell off - right in front of him!
So the yelling got even louder and he speared his forks straight into the side of my engine and smashed my water pump off. As we untangled ourselves he started screaming again because my bike had spewd hot green water all over his colour coded orange riding gear. No "sorry", no "are you OK?" nothin - he just picks up his poncey orange bike and roars off in haze of anger and adrenalin.
As I pushed the dear old KDX back to the car park I told myself if THAT'S what it takes to ride a KTM, then I don't want one!
Looking back at this incident I realise now that the consumate Gasgas rider, when coming up on a slower KDX rider, would have calmly waited until an opportune moment presented itself, and then cruised past with a cheerful wave and the friendly salutation : "cheers mate". (such is the aura of calmness under which the Gasgas rider conducts his activities)

 

[gasmonkey]

Yes,the above scenario happens all too often and the perpetrator is usally of the orange pumpkin vareity.Took me a year before my shoulder came right after a pumkin riding tosser took me out on a wide,open trail.
They're pretty thick on the ground around here but the worm will turn and they will fall from favour one day.(sooner rather than later)

 

[gg3]

Yes,the above scenario happens all too often and the perpetrator is usally of the orange pumpkin vareity.Took me a year before my shoulder came right after a pumkin riding tosser took me out on a wide,open trail.
They're pretty thick on the ground around here but the worm will turn and they will fall from favour one day.(sooner rather than later)

'Pumpkin Tosser' can I use that? Sort of works on several levels.

 

[nick790]

As the title says, i'm thinking of doing the unthinkable and swapping to the orange side. There are many reasons, but most of them boil down to money.
I am going back to a four stroke, as i'v realized i'm a lazy racer, and I think it suits my style of riding more. As an engineer I am quite mechanically sympathetic, and thrashing a two stroke to keep up with the rest of the field isn't what I like to do.
So I want a 450, that turns well, has enough smooth usable power, is cheep to maintain, and still has some value after a few years of racing.
I want to buy new, never owned a new bike, and there are plenty of new old stock bikes here in the uk to choose from, and again the offers great value for money.
I want a bike I can get parts for cheaply and quickly. Knowledge of the bike is alway helpful and have plenty of "experts" around to ask for guidance is always good.
Road registered, the bike needs to be rode on the road and registered, taxed and insured to do so.

So my choices are:-
Gasgas 450 - sorry just not good enough, too heavy and in all the ways listed above doesn't stack up.
Suzuki RMX 450 - parts expensive, heavy, poor fueling small tank.
Honda CRF 450 - not an easy bike to ride, i'v tried, bit of a handful.
Beta 450 - not enough support.
Yamaha WR 450 - to heavy, parts expensive, power like anon/off switch.
Husaberge FE 450 - the bike I really want but to expensive.
KTM exc or xc-w 450 - Overall seems to have the edge, I'm afraid

The last thing I want to do is follow the orange crowed, but for allot of reasons it seams like the only sensible choice.

 

[Bradz]

(Said in jest through the mouthfulls of Speights and MsMacs pie as he eyes up the pinapple lumps for dessert...)

wow noobi,you could write for Mills & Boon New Zealand![/QUOTE]

Blah haha, Noobs does at least read Mills and Boon, his mother has a subscription!!

 

[Keg]

Every year before new models come out, I think of buying something other than an EC300.

Then it takes just one race like the Pony Express on the weekend to change my mind.

It rained constantly, the cutting wind made it worse too. The loop started at the base of a granite hill littered with rocks, bog holes/ruts, slick muddy grass track and chewed out hill climbs.

As an over 100kg, 37 year old beer drinker, I love watching all the young blokes drop out of the race as me and my two-banga belt along.

I don't have to tell them that I spend the night cramping, popping pills because of my dehydration headache do I. Not to mention being dead useless the next day at work. Long live the EC300!!!!!

 

[Moo]

Every year before new models come out, I think of buying something other than an EC300.

Then it takes just one race like the Pony Express on the weekend to change my mind.

It rained constantly, the cutting wind made it worse too. The loop started at the base of a granite hill littered with rocks, bog holes/ruts, slick muddy grass track and chewed out hill climbs.

As an over 100kg, 37 year old beer drinker, I love watching all the young blokes drop out of the race as me and my two-banga belt along.

I don't have to tell them that I spend the night cramping, popping pills because of my dehydration headache do I. Not to mention being dead useless the next day at work. Long live the EC300!!!!!

So does this mean you have givin up on the 450 idea??

 

[Keg]

Afraid so Moo. I will get a 4 stroke as soon as I grow up. But until then I am still on the EC300 band wagon.

 

[wence]

And who ever wants to grow up???
Not me..... Give me a 2t anyday.
Cheers Mark

 

[T.Low]

On the occassion that I can't head south to ride with my main crew, I head a little north and ride my '05 fse450 with a new crew.

First time riding with the new northern crew I thought I'd stay in the back of the pack, other than one guy riding sweep behind me. At the first helmets off stop, the sweep says "So the GasGas is wheelieing all over the place". Everyone looks at the black and red GasGas, then at the new guy riding it.

Next ride with that crew, a guy complains that he was barely making it up this hill when "T.Low on the GasGas goes wheelieing passed me". Someone chimes in "The GasGas wheelies when you sneeze". Another guys adds "Yeah, and apparently T.Low's allergies are acting up".

I'm 45, 40 lbs over weight, just started riding again a year ago after a 35 yr break since I was 10. Yeah, I'm a proud owner.