woods weapon

woody1965

woody1965

New member
hi all ..can anyone tell me what i can do to make my bike better in the woods at hare and hounds races ..at the moment i have dropped the forks through the yokes by 5 mm but would like it to turn better and what gearing as i run 13/48 at the moment any settings you have would be helpful cheers :)
 
Put you money into your suspension.

LT Racing

Les has this "Magic Wand" he uses and you just will not believe the difference.

Moneys well spent that's for sure.
 
cheers for that ,racing tomorrow but will set up sag and try out week after .cant use LT as i live in uk and will replace with 07 250 next year as i have loved this bike
 
Try Chris Hockey (DrShox) in colchester for your suspension, every offroad bike i have had i sent the bike to him to set up as its like night and day when you have the suspension sorted.

Not to pricey either.

http://www.endurotech.co.uk/
 
stainlesscycle said:
suspension is key, aside from that what size bike? i'm running 13/52 on a 200 and it's perfect..
Click to expand...

I'm really interested in this. It just seems too extreme to me. Do you use first gear? I run 13/48. I tried 12/48 and found I never used first even in tight trees, it was too snatchy and too short needing a change up immediately. I plan on trying 13/50 next sprocket change.
 
i use all the gears :) - but i find i don't use 1, 5, or 6 much.. i do use first on hillclimbs from a dead stop - on hillclimbs, i almost never down shift, only upshift, so i want a ratio that lets me put the power to the ground without bogging on big hills (with 13/52 i do have a tendency to loft front on big hills...).. ..it's all tight woods/harescrambles i do - with a LOT of elevation changes.... i like the hillclimbing ability and the ability to loft front wheel at will...this ratio allows me to clear logs easier... with 13/50 i had to preload front a bit more than i wanted before obstacles - with 13/52 i can clutch/pop the front up easier...
 
I looked a this yesterday and have been thinking about an intelligent answer. Not that it's intelligent, but I'll try.

I'm trying to figure out what you really want honestly. You've effectively steepened your rake by lowering the front end. If that works for you without pushing the front wheel to understeer, then perhaps adding some spring tension to the back would get it to respond quicker. Where is your race sag set? Lots of guys run it at 110mm, but I like 100mm on my '08. I also have the forks up in the clamp 5mm and am perfectly happy with both stability and turning.

I honestly can't imagine having a better turning bike. It's the reason I own a Gas Gas, because it goes exactly where I want it to go with very little effort. The only other bike I've ever ridden that handled with such precision was a KDX 200, though it had ill mannered traits that I would never trade for what we have with the Gas Gas. It was a little vague in handling when pushed really hard, it bottomed harshly, and it got stuck in ruts. The Gas Gas does none of these, yet it has the same connectivity to intent when it comes to handling. At least for me.

My first guess would be to suggest you set your sag a little higher, and if that doesn't do it for you we could talk about suspension settings, or even tire selection. The key for me to wrap my head around would be: What about turning isn't working for you? Then go from there.
 
Last edited:
hi cheers for your replies...what i have is an 02 250 which i am over the moon with but what i am trying to get is any tips i can try to just get that bit extra like gearing and any simple tips that people have picked up over the years ..after chatting to people i understand that the chassis was sharpened up in 06/07 which is why rather than throw a lot of money at thais bike i will use it untill the end of my summer race season and treat myself to an 07 or as new as possible and go from there [goodies cataloguehere i come ]the gearing info i have got now will be very usefull as i can decide before each track what will be best cheers again and have a good weekend everyone :)
 
It was good, I think I may get away with a little more sag.
I tried the 5w oil, rubbish! changed it straight back.
I'm gonna try and remove some pre-load on the front springs next.
 
i was trying to set mine up on sunday at blewbury untill throttle stuck just before a jump .broken handle bars bent rear subframe and some broken ribs :( looks like will have to wait a while now ...lol
 
Want a better turning bike??. start with good tires, dont go any larger than 110/100 for rear, run low pressures in the front for grip thats the first place you should be looking at, then get ur clickers adjusted, dropping rake is good but not by too much, rear sag 95 to 105mm static should be 25 to 35mm.
Next is riding technic, if thats fail its you or the bike
 
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