I think it's just one of those things. 99 times out of 100, they protect your hands and levers, but that 1 time that your hand slips through and you go over the bars, it's catastrophic. It's up to each of us to pick our own poison
Weight matters more where it is located. Two bikes weighing the same could have different centre of mass and this totally different feel and handling characteristics.
Kinda like a girl that has her fat located on her breasts and ass vs a girl with fat located on her belly and face. Where the weight is located matters for performance 😆
ive seen 2 cases of riders broke their arm due to getting caught in between the throttle and the full wrap handguard. My hands are way more expensive than those handguards 😅
If you ride where there are trees and it is tight, full wrap hand guards are beneficial for a couple of reasons. First, if you whack a tree, you won't break your fingers. Second, if you drop the bike, the full wrap hand guards can be an aid to picking up the bike.
My full wrap hand guards saved my levers twice yesterday. If you don’t have sponsors getting free parts, get yourself full wrap hand guards when in trails.
@@curtiswilkinson9379 Exactly. I run ARC levers with stock KTM flags. Never had an issue. Full wrap hand guards are bullshit. Get all f’up when you fall and don’t flex on branches. Ran into a tree with full wraps and threw we off the trail.
The "experts" perhaps have never gone around a corner and slid the bar end into a tree trunk and broke their hand. if so, the wing guards would be gotten rid of.
@@carlatamanczyk3891 you've obviously never had your hand slip into a wrap around breaking your wrist then getting stuck in there causing you to fall weird breaking your collarbone. Rather bust a few knuckles using flags than break major bones using wrap arounds
Until your wrist slips into it breaking your wrist and then gets stuck in there so you can't fall properly breaking your collarbone. Talking from experience there haha I wouldn't have broken my wrist or collarbone if my hand didn't get stuck in wrap arounds so I'd rather bust a few knuckles on trees here and there by using flags than break a major bone again
@@tcmx712 never had my hand stuck in there but I had a cr250 get stuck wide open, I dodged one or 2 trees but the handguard saved my hand from the tree in 3rd or 4th revved out
@@thatfast3002 damned if you do and damned if you don't I guess haha. I just know that if I'm 2hrs away from the car I'd rather break my fingers on a tree than snap a wrist half way up a big dirty hill then try to ride back that's all
@@tcmx712 I know what you mean and i’ve heard that reasoning from people often but my thinking is …the amount of times that those things have saved my hands are plenty but catastrophic crashes are less frequent and you’re f*&^ed anyhow…BRAAAP!
I’ve watched this a few times before I even had one. Just got my first dirt bike yesterday! 2013 crf80 for 1k. Not many problems took like an hour of quick maintenance. It’s so fun when first learning how to drive with a clutch
Im so glad you added “more power is better”. Never been super big into 2 strokes, but i know that as far as 4strokes go a 250 is 9 times out of 10 considerably better than a 450. Unless your riding sand dunes, which just makes a 450 feel like a 250. I have seen so many people get into riding and buy the fastest/most powerful bike they can get and then spend the whole time kissing their front fender to keep the front tire down. There are very few riders in the world that can use and manage the full 450 power. If the 250 4stroke isn’t enough dont got for a 450, go for a 250 2stroke
I get what you're saying but there's a lot of guys, myself included that ride the crap out of 450s. If they were that unusable they wouldn't sell so many.
@@xafbxmoto269 yeah they definitely sell. And they are ridable. But imo you would probably do better on a 250. Not to say u cant have fun on a 450 tho👌😂
@@RandomUser2388 I've had 250 two strokes before they're fun but for the type of riding I do the 450 is just better. I actually have a 350 too which is fucking awesome but still not enough to sell the 450. For beginners and novice like Kyle I understand but when you get more experienced more power is better especially for getting you out of trouble
Same here. I've been on dirty bikes for over 30 years and of all my bikes, my 06 YZ125 is my go to. It feels like home. It even pulled my buddy out of a 3 year non-riding spell. It's that much fun to ride!
Yeah i agree, i think the 125 is the perfect bike all around. It has all the power a 250 4stroke would have, while having the throttle range the 2strokes have, and the agility of a low weight bike. The only downfalls i can think of is they do poor in sand dunes, and correct me if im wrong but the top end seems to wear down faster than the 250 2strokes. But honestly its not that big of a deal to do a top end on a 2stroke😂, its almost like routine maintenance if you ride a lot
@@RandomUser2388 bro you smoke crack if you think a yz125 has the same power as a yz250f its not even close i have owned and raced several years of both and owned both at same time still currently do, and they are not even comparable, yz125 is fun for spinning tire and going nowhere and making noise but the 250 pulls and tracks so much harder, especially 2013 or newer, the fuel injected with engine mapping are a demon compared to a 125, you must not twist the throttle man or havent ridden a newer one, 125 is a tire spinning joke to play around on, my 2020 250fx will put me on my ass the power delivery of the newer fuel injected yamahas is ridiculous, I will only race 250f in harescrambles its amazing, if i only had my 125 I wouldn't even attempt it
Yamaha recommends 30 to 1 for my YZ. I run between 30 to 1 to 40 to one depending on type of riding im doing. Never had a problem. Though I will say running it too lean will cause excessive wear on top end. Just in my experience personally its safer to run a little richer. But top ends are cheap in two strokes so too each his own
Very true, the rules don't allow them! FIM Technical Rules, Enduro section 33.10 "If hand protectors are used they must be of a shatter-resistant material and have a permanent opening for the hand."
@@DirtBikeChannel I have them on my Tenere 700 because they help keep the bars from bending when I drop that 450 pound bike on the ground, which I do a lot! So far, so good!
So glad you put in #5 the myth that 2-strokes don’t make low end torque. I almost added it to the comments, but I decided to give you a chance and was pleasantly surprised you bought it up. If a 4-stroke tried to match how low a 2-stroke can go it would be stalled.
I had the best wrap arounds and took them off after a little fall over and my wrist was stuck and pinned from it. I turned around and sold them and put my Og ones back on. Never again!
Yes, where I ride, lots of trees, so I use full wrap handguards - virtually everybody does where I ride. The difference is that all the pro's mentioned that aren't using full wrap guards are, well professional riders. It's hard to compare the average rider with a pro rider and how they set things up etc.. I asked Chris Birch at one of his clinics why he didn't use them, and said the risk with full-wrap was getting your forearm caught in them and going over the bars etc. I think this is pretty rare, but I also think that it's probably more likely when ridden really hard (again, like a professional rider).
@@RickGreen_McNutt Well put. Lots of trees where I'm from too. The bike I got came with fullwraps. I've found them to be quite helpful especially on bushy trails, but I try not to hang on if I'm going down just incase I wedge my wrists.
100% in fact I used to use cycra ones that bend down to supposedly help get your hand off but I found my fingers got hit more by branches so I went back to a straight set.
gav rm85 Just to be clear I’m running full wrap aluminium guards. I reckon they’ve protected me as well when I’ve gone down with my hands still on the bars.
I agree with everything in this video besides the 2 strokes having more low end grunt than 4 strokes. They might have a more controllable low end grunt but its definitely not more, not even close actually.
Great video. I ride where there are lots of trees and some narrow trails. That's why I use full wraps. Not trying to break my hand on a tree when I (very frequently) mess up.
When it comes to breaking in a dirt bike motor I remember the experience of my dad. He bought a new Yamaha IT 125 2-stroke in 1980. Being old school he babies that high performance 2-stroke motor during a break in period. Upon having problems he took it back to the dealer where the mechanic told him the problem was that he really didn’t seat the rings properly because he had babied it too much. The bike needed to rev out and get worked hard for a bit, and the process repeated. With the new parts in place he just rode it normal, revving it out as required by the terrain and the bike ran great and the engine had a normal lifespan. Just riding trails normally is all you need to do is the answer to how to break an engine in - so from experience I totally agree with you.
My rule is try to keep it under 270 with a full tank. I personally hate a bike that weighs less than 240 because they dont feel as planted and stable to me. This excludes small bikes ofcourse.
@Lane AWD I ride a crf230 and I only weight 140ish. Weight doesn't matter as long as the bike isn't too tall for you and the center of gravity on the bike isn't too high for you. I have a harder time wrestling light race bikes than heavy trail bikes because race bikes sit so high. Word of advice, don't buy a MX bike for trail riding. They have too much power, especially in wooded areas. My crf230 passes 250 and 450 race bikes all the time in the woods.
Been busting myth #10 since 1988. I was 15 at that time. Was told any lightweight oil was fine for o ring chains by a motorcycle mechanic. Years later I started using dry chain lube on the center rollers as it doesn’t fly off, attract dirt or make a mess. Then some WD40 on the sides. The dry lube to keeps the rollers quieter a little longer But for many years I only used WD40 on o ring chains without any issues
#10 thanks, i have the tendency to overlube my chain and that creates other problems. I will try just wd40 after cleaning to prevent rust as you mentioned. #7 is more of a personal preference. Sure the pros dont drop their bikes... i still do sometimes and braking levers sucks. #3 is better to follow the manufacturer manual, advicing not to dont seems right. I can show you a picture of my tx300i mag plug after 5 hrs. Besides, is nothing complex, just take it easy, warm it up and go through all gears. #1 yes, years ago you made a video about 450s and that was a great advice. Starting with smaller engines will make you learn to use your body better. I have frends that rely of 450s torque and once their tires wear down or you put them in a smaller bike, they struggle more
I use bel ray super clean. When you wash your bike use an air compressor or blower to blow out every last drip of water then ride it up the road. The only reason they rust is because people don't dry them properly has nothing to do with chain lube or wax.
Wrap around handguards saved my hands riding single trails in the forrest...pros proli don't use them due to skills but for newbies and intermediate I think it's a must
For O ring and X ring chain, I clean with Motul chain cleaner/conditioner and the next day hit it with a coat of Maxima SC-1. Never had any issues and much easier to clean even then gear oil. I wouldn't use gear oil, WD40, or sticky grease at all, those all gather grit and gear oil will fling all over if over applied. Mouse Bibs fail when not properly maintained. It's clearly stated to keep them lubricated in the install instructions. Also, you had a rim lock failure, not a bib failure. If you're getting into extreme enduro it's common knowledge to run 2 rim locks opposed to each other just for that issue. Full wrap hand guards are personal choice. The pro's your listing do not buy their own equipment and couldn't care less about if something breaks, the factory will fix it. As a enthusiast on the weekends, I care a lot and run full wraps to protect not only my hands but my equipment, take care of your ride and it'll take care of you. You're bike would run like garbage if the fuel was actually too thick with pre mix which you'd need to be something like 10:1 to get that thick. Saying you'll get less fuel is a myth. You're bike will run that fuel through the carb but unless you're on the pipe constantly a 30:1 ratio will foul plugs like crazy. It highly depends on the type of riding and manufacturer rec. Trials run 100:1 and pure MX run 30:1 at wide open throttle. It's a load vs ratio. Engine break in is important. It's the same thing as letting a TPI warm up to 140* before touching the throttle and using the cold start lever. (It's not a choke, it's a air bypass that allows more air through because TPI bikes run very rich until 140*, using the cold start lever keeps it from fouling plugs, after 140* release the lever and you're ok to ride.) Granted a 2 stroke isn't going to be as critical as a 4t but these are running incredibly high compression ratios in the 4t and if you don't properly heat cycle and let the rings seat in, let the cams heat cycle you're asking for trouble latter. On a 2t you're asking for a cold seize ripping on it too cold or too new. Treat your equipment nice and it'll last a long time. Again, RACE teams don't give a S about wear and tear, they're going to be rebuilding that engine every night as it is anyway so yeah screw it. They also have a huge budget to do just that. Also, manufacturers do not run a full red line performance run from new, they fire it, give it a bit of a load and make sure it completes a heat cycle. They're not treating it like some kid being a tool. Where are you getting some of this info from? I understand you're saying "In my opinion" and it shows. You clearly aren't from a mechanical background and probably should stick to doing riding and bike overviews. This video is complete cringe and full of misinformation.
@@boreese2089 breaking it in over 2 full tanks of fuel is the myth. Or like a full day or crazy long period of time. I’ve done it both ways and wear and tear was the same
I ride a Husky TE125. With very few exceptions, my riding buddies ride 300s. It’s interesting to hear them talk about how “you want a 300, not a 250” while I’ve been keeping up with them just fine (and left a few of them behind) with my 125. We ride in the woods in the east cost at sea level. None of us are Graham Jarvis.
I find that the 250 is more of a handful than the 300s as it gets on the pipe much more readily than the 300. 300s are just easier to lug and of course make more power, but the feel of the bikes is very different.
The truth is its 70% Rider and 30% Bike. If even. Ive been on a 1996 KDX 200 for the last few months and I ride with guys on Yz250xs KTM 300s and Husky 350s and I more than keep up and leave most of them behind. I've been riding enduro since I was 6. I have 21 years skill and experience. Your skill and experience matters more than the bike. The bikes are a help. But they aren't the be all and end all of riding. They only truly matter when your skill level starts to require a better bike
Good myth busting. Wasn’t aware of the o-ring chain oiling one. On the OEM vs aftermarket parts; when it comes to engine parts and bearings, OEM is almost always the best option. You can get good aftermarket bearings for sure, but not in a Pivot Works or All Balls kit.
Dude, love this video, myth one coincides with all vehicles, best example I can think of would be cars, if a dude cant competently drive a stock car, then upgrading to a super or hyper car isn't gunna increase his skills as a driver
That chain brush has vertical bristles that will brush the o-rings. That might damage or push crap past the o-ring. Dont touch the o-ring part of the chain with any cleaning accessory including power washers, which claim several thousand psi. That will blow by the o-ring seal and then some. That said, DID chains are so freaking strong, they'll probably go a long time even with compromised o-rings. Good vid !
on my air forks on my 2021 tx 300 there was a noticeable difference on the suspension after 15 hours. The rear suspension didnt change but the front forks had a lil break in time
I just switched from full wraps to flags. It's said that full wraps are mandatory on the east coast. To anyone who is on the east coast and wanting to move away from full wraps, check out the SXS Burly.
@@ian9toes they're not "mandatory" in that we are being forced to use full wraps. But most people, without question, go full wraps in the northeast. This is because our singletrack tends to be very tight and rocky or full of roots. Very easy to punch a tree or crush a hand or lever if you dump the bike.
Kyle, I wanted to take a moment and thank you for thought provoking videos. A while ago I caught your video on 2 stroke oil premix. You and I had an email dialogue. After our dialogue I began doing a ton of research on 2 stroke premix. I would like to say this is what I found. A couple of extra ounces more or a couple of ounces less will have a negligible affect on gasoline viscosity. You claim that the reason you run a higher ratio of gasoline to premix is due to the lubrication properties of the premix. This isn't the major reason you have success running less premix to gasoline. The greatest reason is the RPM's at which the engines spend most of their time. What I learned was that even the new fuel injected KTM's inject almost zero oil premix when idling. Then as the RPM's increase so does the amount of oil that is injected. This is to protect the engine parts at extreme temperatures and force. Now in a dirt bike that requires you to premix the oil and fuel, you don't have the luxury of variable Oil to fuel ratios, so you have use a ratio that best works for your bike/conditions. Since you're doing a great deal of single track riding the engine isn't spending most of its time in the upper RPM range most of the time. The engine isn't screaming nonstop like an MX bike does. Albeit the ratios you run work for you and your bikes, it isn't as much a condition of the grade of premix, but more a condition of the type of riding and RPM range you run at. At higher RPM's you need a thicker film of lubrication on the bearings, rings, etc. When a manufacturer recommends a premix ratio, the engineers select this premix ratio based on max RPM and insuring extending engine life. In short you're able to use less oil with strong results due to the lower RPM's your engines mostly run at and not the type/grade of oil you run. The other thing to consider is how well the rings seal especially at higher RPM's. The premix plays an important role here. The less oil in the fuel the thinner the film of oil on the cylinder walls/rings and that reduces compression especially at higher RPM's. Anyway, I wanted to share what I learned, and I did all of this research due to you getting my brain going. Also AFR is AFR, Running a thinner fuel or a thicker won't change the amount of lubrication. I say this because if the engine begins getting more fuel, or too much fuel, you'll need to lean out the fuel air ratio. If the engine is getting less fuel or too little, then you'll have to fatten up the mixture. At the end of the day the ideal AFR is somewhere between 12:1 to 14.5:1 Air Fuel Ratio. You can't run leaner without melting something down and you can't run richer without affecting performance negatively, You can't run a "thinner" fuel and believe you're getting more lubrication. The volumetric efficiency of the engine is static for arguments sake. That said, you'll need "X" amount of fuel for each revolution of the engine to maintain a specific Air Fuel Ratio. The mass of the fuel is more important than the volume. XX parts per million of air to YY parts per million of fuel. That said the volumetric efficiency of the engine is static, so you'll always need "XX" parts per million of fuel. The only variable is air density. The greater the air density, the more fuel, and vice versa. You'll reduce your engine life in no time running less oil to fuel regardless of the brand of oil premix if you let that engine scream. You're not getting additional fuel in the crankcase with a "thinner" fuel, unless of course you're running a fatter fuel mixture to air. I hope this makes sense and am happy to have further dialogue.
Nice post, even more simply put with two properly jetted/running bikes you would be moving more oil through the piston at 32:1 than you would be at 40:1.
Great video. Very enjoyable. Myth #11: Every time you ride, it doesn't have to be a race to see how fast you can go (unless you are in a racing event). Just enjoy riding.
On myth #6 Oil & gas ratios. Running more oil not only is wasteful, it actually will cause your motor to run hotter. Not so much because of a thicker fuel, but more because oil displaces the gas (fuel), which is jetted (metered) to mix with oxygen. More oil = less gas = leaner mixture = higher engine temps.
@@gregheffley1681 If I have 1 gallon of gas/oil mixed where 95% of that gallon mixture is oil, do I have more oil than gas? (yes). If so, the gas is leaner than a different gallon that was mixed at 95% gas and 5% oil. The engine does not get its combustion power from oil, it gets it from gasoline. The oil is just there to keep the engine lubricated.
I've been riding almost all my life . Never done a break in procedure I was always told if it blows up it wasn't manufactured or rebuilt right. Never had a problem so I agree with that no break in comment
The type of riding you do is typically how you break an engine in. As someone who has had many race spec 2 stroke engines, some of which lasted 6 mins and some of which lasted 2 full seasons of moto, I will say 100% break in matters. My dad is a engine builder and built many engines for me. Never a single problem when the recipe was followed. Top ends swapped between motos, without issues. The rings have to properly seat, for someone like you being down 20% on compression isn’t noticeable but on a race bike that lives at 11000rpms it defiantly matters and is hilarious when people say otherwise.
6:32 I know a lot of you are most likely experts but, from what i’ve heard after getting my bike rebuilt and it’s kinda common sense. Change your oil on a fresh engine at, at least 1 hour.
I like a lot of your videos but I just have a couple things I would address with this one in particular: Myth #6 (Oil Ratios): I know different oils have different allowances for running a leaner mixture or not depending on if the oil is synthetic/semi-synthetic, the viscosity of the oil, and whether it is a mineral based oil or a castor base. If you mix more oil, that will give you more lubrication. If you have an Amsoil Saber for example that you had wrote on the white board behind you to mix between 80:1-100:1. Maybe if you were doing hard enduro riding like you do a lot of the time with a slower pace and jumping/climbing rocks I could see that. However, if you raced motocross with that kind of mixture, the motor and its components are going to wear out much faster. And to say that more oil won’t give you as much lubrication as less oil in your fuel, because it’s a thicker fuel is nuts. If you ride and want to get more longevity out of a 2-stroke, a richer mixture is the way to go. As long as you have the right jetting, it should run fine and not be so thick of a fuel for the motorcycle. Myth #3: These manufacturers of these motorcycles wouldn’t recommend a break-in period for a motorcycle if they didn’t feel it was necessary. Yes, some people may think that the bike manufacturers just do it to cover them if internal motor components fail during the early use of the motorcycle. For the average Joe weekend warrior, this is necessary. I know you showed a clip of the factory supercross riders and how they rip on their bikes right when they’re fresh. Those bikes get torn down to the frame and rebuilt by a professional mechanic and spend an entire day pretty much tearing down and inspecting almost every part and then put it back together. The average dirt bike rider doesn’t have the time and many not the money to rebuild a motor every week. If your motor doesn’t get a proper break-in period, longevity of the motor will be decreased tremendously. Like I said, I really enjoy most of your videos, but those two myths really caught me off guard as to why you made those comments, but I just wanted to share my opinion with you. Thanks
I agree with much of what you talk about. However, sometimes more power is better. You seem to only be thinking of the kind of riding that you do. For those that are into hill climbing, snow biking, ice racing..... you want all the power you can get.
Ya. So many times I hear you tubers say “you need to get better on your bike, ride more, etc, etc”. Well no crap, but ALL things being equal, a better bike will also make someone a more effective rider. I use to work at a bike shop and we would take people to Moab and these dudes were on like 21 lb titanium bikes and they would have a wife on a freakin 46 lb huffy that wouldn’t even shift properly. Gee, I wonder why she HATES riding? You get on that POS and see if you like it
And yes, he seems to do a lot of slow, semi technical single track riding, go hit the track or desert, etc and tell me that a 125 cc is plenty. Yes, Roczen would beat me on a 125, that’s NoT the point, I wouldn’t beat me on a 125 vs my 450
Yes- that’s my point. We ride a ton of single track, and often more isn’t better. But on the track, unless your name is Johnny O’Mara you’re not beating any respectable rider who’s on a big bike if your on a 125.
I started as a 170lbs kid on a 125 4 stroke trail bike riding in the sand dunes. Power is very important in the sand. Very very VERY important. Now Ive been riding a 450 and the difference is night and day. No more fish tailing on flat surfaces, no more having to walk the bike up the slightest incline, no more sinking everytime I try to move, no more getting stuck in bowls.
I don't oil my O-ring chain on my Yamaha T7. I live in a high desert and only ride in dry conditions. Having no flung off oil on the bike is worth it to me
I bought a 2T just for the low end luggability. 4t's have a tendency to flame out in slow technical sections when you are just above idle, and always at the most inopportune time.
@@riten0tajs623 In my experience 450's seem more prone to stalling at lower RPMs in technical sections. With 250 4Ts MX bikes are more prone to flame out/stall at low RPMs as well. When you increase the flywheel weight they are less prone to stall but still do. Riding a 300 2t I can lug it well below what I think will cause it to stall and it will continue to pull and not stall. Its pretty amazing.
@@johnchafin3817 I think that is what most people think too. In reality it's quite an unfair comparison to compare a 300 2stroke and a 450 4stroke, because a 2stroke has quite literally twice the power of a 4stroke of the same displacement. People who say that 2 strokes have very little low end torque just take into account this fact. When you compare a 250 2 stroke and a 500 4 stroke you can really see a fair comparison of power. The 250 has very little low end and very impressive high end, meanwhile the 500 is all around very stable.
@@riten0tajs623 the characteristics I listed are true so it is completely fair to compare when looking at a bike for a specific application. Understand the way the bike will run and how you want to use it/where you want to ride it before purchasing it. I got rid of my CRF450X because I got tired of it stalling in low speed single track scenarios. Loved it in the desert. Two different applications. My application is tight technical single track riding. That is where I spend all my time. So a 2T 300 or something like a CRF250X makes perfect sense for that application. I am not racing MX and don't really care about top end power. I will have a video soon of me riding my new GG EC 300 and I have a couple of hills I climbed where I just lugged it up. Most of my videos are of me riding my CRF250X in the woods. Go check them out.
@@johnchafin3817 I see what you mean, and of course a 300 2 stroke is going to be more powerful. But my point is that it's an unfair comparison of power. The saying that 2 strokes have no low end comes from the fact that in a fair comparison of powerbands, a 2 stroke has worse low end and better high end than a 4 stroke.
Hi, IMO Chain Lube is for reducing friction between Chain and sprockets, not for the chain itself primarly. I don`t use the sticky stuff, but MX Chain Lube or Dry Lube. Motor oil or WD-40 flings off the chain in that moment you let it fly. With my method I can replace the chain only after replacing two times the sprockets, witch are a lot cheaper.
You are correct on engine break in. I have seen one blow right away but it was 6th gear pinned right out of the box. Other than that i just baby it for a couple hours, change the oil atleast once and call it good. Rings dont take that long to seat in.. consider how many strokes are made in one hour of riding.
Break in on Engines gave me a good laught, so true, 2 strokes you just warm up and brappppp, may run more oil in the mix first run then less :) full brapp
Hit the nail on the head about "break in". The only way to seat the rings is cylinder pressure. The only way to build cylinder pressure is open the throttle.
I break in my street 2 stroke motors because the quality of the parts isnt that good. For few tanks i let the bike warm up well before riding and dont do full throttle
Been riding hard enduro my whole life and I’m telling you right now you don’t need any hand guards at all. However a full guard one would protect your levers a little more but I’ve never broken a lever and I’ve never had hand guards.
you must not go fast, I race ECEA and GNCC harescrambles, let me know if you finish a race after clipping a tree with your knuckles at 50mph, maybe for billy goating around on technical stuff, but for high speed good luck not running guards lol
I agree. In addition I like the idea of keeping the o-ring moist and perhaps somewhat in a slightly swollen state, which helps keep the moisture out of the inside. And won’t the gear oil just fling off the second you start moving ?
In addition to the rollers, I also believe that the lube is just as important for the sprocket contact as the chain makes and breaks contact with them. I’m no lubeologist, but makes sense to me.
In 2016, Keith Curtis finished Erzberg with full wrap hand guards just FYI. Also, in 2016 he placed 8th overall in Romaniacs with full wrap hand guards. Just an example
I'm 60 years old and I'm 5'8". I ride a gasgas EX250. The seat height is a little intimidating but I would rather have the good suspension than ride a shorter bike that doesn't have all that great of suspension. And I love that 2-stroke power. So much of it is your level of confidence. I figure if Meg's Braap can do it so can I. LOL.
honestly great video. I have purchased multiple bikes and the dealer has always informed me of a break in period for the engine. Hell my harley had specific instructions for it. So not completely sold on that myth. I have also had crate engines that have break in instructions.
I'm going back to full wrap handguards for a few reasons. Mainly, I keep breaking throttle tunes and they fill up with dirt and I have to go slow the rest of the race. I had lock on grips and they are more difficult to set up with full wrap so I just used the stock handguards, but the protaper pillow top lock on aren't nearly as good as the regular glue on pillow tops. And lastly, almost every lever I own is bent, even a set of cheap breakaway levers, not a deal breaker for open handguards but definitely something that pushes it over the edge, along with always getting hit in the pinky by bushes and I race desert, I would not survive woods riding without full wraps.
I have a 125 kg 250 dirt bike which is heavier than a 500 and it has more traction even when i stand in those hard enduro situations but does seem to struggle a little more when it comes to those insane steep slow crawl climbs with less throttle in the event to prevent spinning the back wheel
ok, let me just grab my jaw off the floor from that tireless dakar video..
That was retired supercrosser Andrew Short. How he kept it floating on top of the sand is a mystery to me.
Truly bad ass.
Personally in over 2000 hrs of riding with full wrap hand guards they have never hurt me but have prevented me from getting hurt many times.
I think it's just one of those things. 99 times out of 100, they protect your hands and levers, but that 1 time that your hand slips through and you go over the bars, it's catastrophic. It's up to each of us to pick our own poison
"It's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than it is to ride a fast bike slow"
🤣
So true
But it’s most fun to ride a fast bike fast
@@trenttapp9565 hahahah
basically the entire concept of a miata
Weight matters more where it is located. Two bikes weighing the same could have different centre of mass and this totally different feel and handling characteristics.
Kinda like a girl that has her fat located on her breasts and ass vs a girl with fat located on her belly and face.
Where the weight is located matters for performance 😆
When I put weight in the back of my truck it rides so much nicer then empty. Maybe the same here.
Facts
Yep and high weight around the handlebars is most noticable.
“2 Strokes!” - best part of the video, so cute!
Doing a great job with the creativity in the videos!
that's my little girl!
@@DirtBikeChannel will ya start her young?
ive seen 2 cases of riders broke their arm due to getting caught in between the throttle and the full wrap handguard. My hands are way more expensive than those handguards 😅
Amen brother 😂
Full wrap hand guards can save fingers too, there are definitely pros and cons.
If you ride where there are trees and it is tight, full wrap hand guards are beneficial for a couple of reasons. First, if you whack a tree, you won't break your fingers. Second, if you drop the bike, the full wrap hand guards can be an aid to picking up the bike.
I broke my wrist from the handguards
Listening in as I clean up my "new" 2017 KTM 450 SX-F I picked up a couple days ago. 😁
I have a 09 250 sxf it’s my favorite bike so far
Lucky let me know if you know where to get another one at a good price
hell yeah!
Congrats man!! I own a 17 sx-f 250 that’s setup for woods riding and I love it
Congrats man! Just got a 2020 250 SX-F!!! I love it
Someone had their coffee before filming! Loved this one. You could make a whole video about the chain oil thing.
My full wrap hand guards saved my levers twice yesterday. If you don’t have sponsors getting free parts, get yourself full wrap hand guards when in trails.
I have 150 hrs on with ARC fold back levers and not a broken lever since. With no hand guard. Stop buying stock levers.
@@curtiswilkinson9379 considering I don’t have stock levers, thanks for the advice.
@@curtiswilkinson9379 Exactly. I run ARC levers with stock KTM flags. Never had an issue. Full wrap hand guards are bullshit. Get all f’up when you fall and don’t flex on branches. Ran into a tree with full wraps and threw we off the trail.
The "experts" perhaps have never gone around a corner and slid the bar end into a tree trunk and broke their hand. if so, the wing guards would be gotten rid of.
@@carlatamanczyk3891 you've obviously never had your hand slip into a wrap around breaking your wrist then getting stuck in there causing you to fall weird breaking your collarbone. Rather bust a few knuckles using flags than break major bones using wrap arounds
I use full wrap because I race harescramble and trees break hands
And when a competitor wants to go bar to bar…. you will win almost every time! lol
Until your wrist slips into it breaking your wrist and then gets stuck in there so you can't fall properly breaking your collarbone. Talking from experience there haha I wouldn't have broken my wrist or collarbone if my hand didn't get stuck in wrap arounds so I'd rather bust a few knuckles on trees here and there by using flags than break a major bone again
@@tcmx712 never had my hand stuck in there but I had a cr250 get stuck wide open, I dodged one or 2 trees but the handguard saved my hand from the tree in 3rd or 4th revved out
@@thatfast3002 damned if you do and damned if you don't I guess haha. I just know that if I'm 2hrs away from the car I'd rather break my fingers on a tree than snap a wrist half way up a big dirty hill then try to ride back that's all
@@tcmx712 I know what you mean and i’ve heard that reasoning from people often but my thinking is …the amount of times that those things have saved my hands are plenty but catastrophic crashes are less frequent and you’re f*&^ed anyhow…BRAAAP!
As I listen this morning I’m getting ready to head to the shop to work on my YZ490 powered blaster. No such thing as too much power 😂😂
2 wrongs don't make a right. Lol
Sounds wonderful to me
Oh wow I bet that's a monster lol. I keep seeing this video on Facebook of one.
@@boengel5342 I finally got the swingarm lined up and the motor mounts in, I’m working on an exhaust
Don't even have a dirt bike but I'm still watching.
Same but I’m planning to get one
thats me....
hopefully i can get 1 in like 2 months from now !!!!!
I’ve watched this a few times before I even had one. Just got my first dirt bike yesterday! 2013 crf80 for 1k. Not many problems took like an hour of quick maintenance. It’s so fun when first learning how to drive with a clutch
dont worry boys we have all been there jus think about how your future 450 is just patiently waiting for you
@cool is rich just sold my 250 for a two stroke 125
Im so glad you added “more power is better”. Never been super big into 2 strokes, but i know that as far as 4strokes go a 250 is 9 times out of 10 considerably better than a 450. Unless your riding sand dunes, which just makes a 450 feel like a 250. I have seen so many people get into riding and buy the fastest/most powerful bike they can get and then spend the whole time kissing their front fender to keep the front tire down. There are very few riders in the world that can use and manage the full 450 power. If the 250 4stroke isn’t enough dont got for a 450, go for a 250 2stroke
I get what you're saying but there's a lot of guys, myself included that ride the crap out of 450s. If they were that unusable they wouldn't sell so many.
@@xafbxmoto269 yeah they definitely sell. And they are ridable. But imo you would probably do better on a 250. Not to say u cant have fun on a 450 tho👌😂
@@RandomUser2388 I've had 250 two strokes before they're fun but for the type of riding I do the 450 is just better. I actually have a 350 too which is fucking awesome but still not enough to sell the 450. For beginners and novice like Kyle I understand but when you get more experienced more power is better especially for getting you out of trouble
The best I've ever felt was on my yz125. I will swear by that thing. Never felt more comfortable
I was so comfortable when I switched to the 490 I almost killed me!
Same here. I've been on dirty bikes for over 30 years and of all my bikes, my 06 YZ125 is my go to. It feels like home. It even pulled my buddy out of a 3 year non-riding spell. It's that much fun to ride!
Same... l've been riding for 4 decades, but l can do quicker lap times on a 125 than a 250 or 500 on most tracks .. I only ride 2 strokes.
Yeah i agree, i think the 125 is the perfect bike all around. It has all the power a 250 4stroke would have, while having the throttle range the 2strokes have, and the agility of a low weight bike. The only downfalls i can think of is they do poor in sand dunes, and correct me if im wrong but the top end seems to wear down faster than the 250 2strokes. But honestly its not that big of a deal to do a top end on a 2stroke😂, its almost like routine maintenance if you ride a lot
@@RandomUser2388 bro you smoke crack if you think a yz125 has the same power as a yz250f its not even close i have owned and raced several years of both and owned both at same time still currently do, and they are not even comparable, yz125 is fun for spinning tire and going nowhere and making noise but the 250 pulls and tracks so much harder, especially 2013 or newer, the fuel injected with engine mapping are a demon compared to a 125, you must not twist the throttle man or havent ridden a newer one, 125 is a tire spinning joke to play around on, my 2020 250fx will put me on my ass the power delivery of the newer fuel injected yamahas is ridiculous, I will only race 250f in harescrambles its amazing, if i only had my 125 I wouldn't even attempt it
Just experienced #5 with a throttle cable. The OEM actually works while the aftermarket one slips out of the slide.
What is OEM
@@chrisrothmann4002 OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer.
Yamaha recommends 30 to 1 for my YZ. I run between 30 to 1 to 40 to one depending on type of riding im doing. Never had a problem. Though I will say running it too lean will cause excessive wear on top end. Just in my experience personally its safer to run a little richer. But top ends are cheap in two strokes so too each his own
Agree
All the Europeans that don't use full wrap hand guards have a good reason. The are not legal in FIM races.
I put Americans on there too and the CAN use them in some races. They don't because they don't want to.
@@DirtBikeChannel but why it's not like it's affecting the riders skill
Very true, the rules don't allow them!
FIM Technical Rules, Enduro section
33.10 "If hand protectors are used they must be of a shatter-resistant material and have a permanent opening for the hand."
Wrist breaking devices...
@@DirtBikeChannel I have them on my Tenere 700 because they help keep the bars from bending when I drop that 450 pound bike on the ground, which I do a lot! So far, so good!
I love how straight to the point this video was. Thank you for not dragging it out!
So glad you put in #5 the myth that 2-strokes don’t make low end torque.
I almost added it to the comments, but I decided to give you a chance and was pleasantly surprised you bought it up.
If a 4-stroke tried to match how low a 2-stroke can go it would be stalled.
Full wrap hand guards scare me, feel like my wrist could get caught in there during a bad spill
Trees scare me, feel like my hand could get caught in there when my dumbass runs into one
@@streetrider11 lol
Happened to me and it is not fun.
I had the best wrap arounds and took them off after a little fall over and my wrist was stuck and pinned from it. I turned around and sold them and put my
Og ones back on. Never again!
@@williams215s9 no name brand for these "best" handguards? I can tell you right now they weren't the best, bit most likely the cheapest.
I love my full wrap hand guards for racing gncc mainly bc of hitting tree's 😂😬
Yes, where I ride, lots of trees, so I use full wrap handguards - virtually everybody does where I ride. The difference is that all the pro's mentioned that aren't using full wrap guards are, well professional riders. It's hard to compare the average rider with a pro rider and how they set things up etc.. I asked Chris Birch at one of his clinics why he didn't use them, and said the risk with full-wrap was getting your forearm caught in them and going over the bars etc. I think this is pretty rare, but I also think that it's probably more likely when ridden really hard (again, like a professional rider).
@@RickGreen_McNutt Well put. Lots of trees where I'm from too. The bike I got came with fullwraps. I've found them to be quite helpful especially on bushy trails, but I try not to hang on if I'm going down just incase I wedge my wrists.
100% in fact I used to use cycra ones that bend down to supposedly help get your hand off but I found my fingers got hit more by branches so I went back to a straight set.
@@ian9toes if only i could have hand gaurds last more than one or 2 races 😂😂 i like to hit trees and break them🤣
gav rm85
Just to be clear I’m running full wrap aluminium guards. I reckon they’ve protected me as well when I’ve gone down with my hands still on the bars.
Myth #8 absolutely! My RM85 weighs almost 20lbs less than my KX100 but it feels heavier than the KX.
Awesome video, Kyle. Thanks for putting this out. I learn something new every time I watch your content.
I agree with everything in this video besides the 2 strokes having more low end grunt than 4 strokes. They might have a more controllable low end grunt but its definitely not more, not even close actually.
Ya i was kinda scratching my head on that one 2 strokes have torque but to say more than a 4 stroke is a bit extreme
@@orangeponygsxr9366 yeah thats a reach for sure. I mean a dyno graph comparison would end the argument real quick
My cousin bought a brand new kx100 and pinned it on its very first ride. The thing ran perfectly fine and had its first rebuild at 80 hours
Great video. I ride where there are lots of trees and some narrow trails. That's why I use full wraps. Not trying to break my hand on a tree when I (very frequently) mess up.
Excellent vid, Kyle! Much appreciated. Especially loved the chain lube segment. You are so right!
When it comes to breaking in a dirt bike motor I remember the experience of my dad. He bought a new Yamaha IT 125 2-stroke in 1980. Being old school he babies that high performance 2-stroke motor during a break in period. Upon having problems he took it back to the dealer where the mechanic told him the problem was that he really didn’t seat the rings properly because he had babied it too much. The bike needed to rev out and get worked hard for a bit, and the process repeated. With the new parts in place he just rode it normal, revving it out as required by the terrain and the bike ran great and the engine had a normal lifespan. Just riding trails normally is all you need to do is the answer to how to break an engine in - so from experience I totally agree with you.
I agree with the engine size. I'm on an xc-f250 and I'm 230lbs. It's a fun bike and alot easier to ride for me than the 450 I had before it.
I went from a WR450 to a KLX250, same thing.
Finally someone put a video up with these myths in it! Every time I try telling someone one of these they don’t believe me haha
When it comes to weight. I try to match how much I weigh with a + - of 40lbs
My rule is try to keep it under 270 with a full tank. I personally hate a bike that weighs less than 240 because they dont feel as planted and stable to me. This excludes small bikes ofcourse.
@Lane AWD I ride a crf230 and I only weight 140ish. Weight doesn't matter as long as the bike isn't too tall for you and the center of gravity on the bike isn't too high for you. I have a harder time wrestling light race bikes than heavy trail bikes because race bikes sit so high. Word of advice, don't buy a MX bike for trail riding. They have too much power, especially in wooded areas. My crf230 passes 250 and 450 race bikes all the time in the woods.
Been busting myth #10 since 1988. I was 15 at that time. Was told any lightweight oil was fine for o ring chains by a motorcycle mechanic. Years later I started using dry chain lube on the center rollers as it doesn’t fly off, attract dirt or make a mess. Then some WD40 on the sides. The dry lube to keeps the rollers quieter a little longer
But for many years I only used WD40 on o ring chains without any issues
Spot on! The chain and break in has been confirmed by fortnine. You two are the best motorcycle channels out there.
Metal on metal contact of the chain and sprockets would be the biggest reason to lube an o ring.
#10 thanks, i have the tendency to overlube my chain and that creates other problems. I will try just wd40 after cleaning to prevent rust as you mentioned.
#7 is more of a personal preference. Sure the pros dont drop their bikes... i still do sometimes and braking levers sucks.
#3 is better to follow the manufacturer manual, advicing not to dont seems right. I can show you a picture of my tx300i mag plug after 5 hrs. Besides, is nothing complex, just take it easy, warm it up and go through all gears.
#1 yes, years ago you made a video about 450s and that was a great advice. Starting with smaller engines will make you learn to use your body better. I have frends that rely of 450s torque and once their tires wear down or you put them in a smaller bike, they struggle more
I use bel ray super clean. When you wash your bike use an air compressor or blower to blow out every last drip of water then ride it up the road. The only reason they rust is because people don't dry them properly has nothing to do with chain lube or wax.
I had a Yamaha MX360 back in 1975 and it had zero low end grunt, so 2 strokes have come a very long way.
Power valves!
I’ve owned and ridden lots of two strokes. 125,250,500,85. And I will say you have very little low end power on anything until you get to about a 250
Wrap around handguards saved my hands riding single trails in the forrest...pros proli don't use them due to skills but for newbies and intermediate I think it's a must
For O ring and X ring chain, I clean with Motul chain cleaner/conditioner and the next day hit it with a coat of Maxima SC-1. Never had any issues and much easier to clean even then gear oil. I wouldn't use gear oil, WD40, or sticky grease at all, those all gather grit and gear oil will fling all over if over applied.
Mouse Bibs fail when not properly maintained. It's clearly stated to keep them lubricated in the install instructions. Also, you had a rim lock failure, not a bib failure. If you're getting into extreme enduro it's common knowledge to run 2 rim locks opposed to each other just for that issue.
Full wrap hand guards are personal choice. The pro's your listing do not buy their own equipment and couldn't care less about if something breaks, the factory will fix it. As a enthusiast on the weekends, I care a lot and run full wraps to protect not only my hands but my equipment, take care of your ride and it'll take care of you.
You're bike would run like garbage if the fuel was actually too thick with pre mix which you'd need to be something like 10:1 to get that thick. Saying you'll get less fuel is a myth. You're bike will run that fuel through the carb but unless you're on the pipe constantly a 30:1 ratio will foul plugs like crazy. It highly depends on the type of riding and manufacturer rec. Trials run 100:1 and pure MX run 30:1 at wide open throttle. It's a load vs ratio.
Engine break in is important. It's the same thing as letting a TPI warm up to 140* before touching the throttle and using the cold start lever. (It's not a choke, it's a air bypass that allows more air through because TPI bikes run very rich until 140*, using the cold start lever keeps it from fouling plugs, after 140* release the lever and you're ok to ride.) Granted a 2 stroke isn't going to be as critical as a 4t but these are running incredibly high compression ratios in the 4t and if you don't properly heat cycle and let the rings seat in, let the cams heat cycle you're asking for trouble latter. On a 2t you're asking for a cold seize ripping on it too cold or too new. Treat your equipment nice and it'll last a long time. Again, RACE teams don't give a S about wear and tear, they're going to be rebuilding that engine every night as it is anyway so yeah screw it. They also have a huge budget to do just that. Also, manufacturers do not run a full red line performance run from new, they fire it, give it a bit of a load and make sure it completes a heat cycle. They're not treating it like some kid being a tool.
Where are you getting some of this info from? I understand you're saying "In my opinion" and it shows. You clearly aren't from a mechanical background and probably should stick to doing riding and bike overviews. This video is complete cringe and full of misinformation.
No engine break in, no chain lube, very few aftermarket parts, they all said I was crazy
Lmao
The engine break in one is a big ole myth. I had people tell me they'd run 2 tanks of fuel at only half throttle... lol that would take days.
Breaking in an engine is not myth, it’s for heat shrink cycles
@@boreese2089 breaking it in over 2 full tanks of fuel is the myth. Or like a full day or crazy long period of time. I’ve done it both ways and wear and tear was the same
@@Theairguitarguy I’d say just go easy on it and do heat cycles for like an hour
@@boreese2089 That’s pretty much what I’ve done in the past.
So is it a myth or not?
I ride a 500 2 stroke I love the low end Torque
I ride a Husky TE125. With very few exceptions, my riding buddies ride 300s. It’s interesting to hear them talk about how “you want a 300, not a 250” while I’ve been keeping up with them just fine (and left a few of them behind) with my 125. We ride in the woods in the east cost at sea level. None of us are Graham Jarvis.
I find that the 250 is more of a handful than the 300s as it gets on the pipe much more readily than the 300. 300s are just easier to lug and of course make more power, but the feel of the bikes is very different.
The truth is its 70% Rider and 30% Bike. If even. Ive been on a 1996 KDX 200 for the last few months and I ride with guys on Yz250xs KTM 300s and Husky 350s and I more than keep up and leave most of them behind. I've been riding enduro since I was 6. I have 21 years skill and experience.
Your skill and experience matters more than the bike. The bikes are a help. But they aren't the be all and end all of riding. They only truly matter when your skill level starts to require a better bike
Miss racing in wildwood. That was my favorite event ever. Andrew we killed it. 👍👍
Love these videos, so informative, honest and down to earth! Keep ‘em coming!
Good myth busting. Wasn’t aware of the o-ring chain oiling one. On the OEM vs aftermarket parts; when it comes to engine parts and bearings, OEM is almost always the best option. You can get good aftermarket bearings for sure, but not in a Pivot Works or All Balls kit.
THANK YOU for the explaining to the people about full wrap hand guards
Dude, love this video, myth one coincides with all vehicles, best example I can think of would be cars, if a dude cant competently drive a stock car, then upgrading to a super or hyper car isn't gunna increase his skills as a driver
That chain brush has vertical bristles that will brush the o-rings. That might damage or push crap past the o-ring. Dont touch the o-ring part of the chain with any cleaning accessory including power washers, which claim several thousand psi. That will blow by the o-ring seal and then some.
That said, DID chains are so freaking strong, they'll probably go a long time even with compromised o-rings.
Good vid !
on my air forks on my 2021 tx 300 there was a noticeable difference on the suspension after 15 hours. The rear suspension didnt change but the front forks had a lil break in time
I just switched from full wraps to flags. It's said that full wraps are mandatory on the east coast. To anyone who is on the east coast and wanting to move away from full wraps, check out the SXS Burly.
What’s the reasoning for mandatory full wraps? BTW I’ve run full wraps for over 2000 hrs and have only been saved by them
@@ian9toes they're not "mandatory" in that we are being forced to use full wraps. But most people, without question, go full wraps in the northeast. This is because our singletrack tends to be very tight and rocky or full of roots. Very easy to punch a tree or crush a hand or lever if you dump the bike.
Kyle, I wanted to take a moment and thank you for thought provoking videos. A while ago I caught your video on 2 stroke oil premix. You and I had an email dialogue. After our dialogue I began doing a ton of research on 2 stroke premix. I would like to say this is what I found. A couple of extra ounces more or a couple of ounces less will have a negligible affect on gasoline viscosity. You claim that the reason you run a higher ratio of gasoline to premix is due to the lubrication properties of the premix. This isn't the major reason you have success running less premix to gasoline. The greatest reason is the RPM's at which the engines spend most of their time. What I learned was that even the new fuel injected KTM's inject almost zero oil premix when idling. Then as the RPM's increase so does the amount of oil that is injected. This is to protect the engine parts at extreme temperatures and force. Now in a dirt bike that requires you to premix the oil and fuel, you don't have the luxury of variable Oil to fuel ratios, so you have use a ratio that best works for your bike/conditions. Since you're doing a great deal of single track riding the engine isn't spending most of its time in the upper RPM range most of the time. The engine isn't screaming nonstop like an MX bike does. Albeit the ratios you run work for you and your bikes, it isn't as much a condition of the grade of premix, but more a condition of the type of riding and RPM range you run at. At higher RPM's you need a thicker film of lubrication on the bearings, rings, etc. When a manufacturer recommends a premix ratio, the engineers select this premix ratio based on max RPM and insuring extending engine life. In short you're able to use less oil with strong results due to the lower RPM's your engines mostly run at and not the type/grade of oil you run. The other thing to consider is how well the rings seal especially at higher RPM's. The premix plays an important role here. The less oil in the fuel the thinner the film of oil on the cylinder walls/rings and that reduces compression especially at higher RPM's. Anyway, I wanted to share what I learned, and I did all of this research due to you getting my brain going. Also AFR is AFR, Running a thinner fuel or a thicker won't change the amount of lubrication. I say this because if the engine begins getting more fuel, or too much fuel, you'll need to lean out the fuel air ratio. If the engine is getting less fuel or too little, then you'll have to fatten up the mixture. At the end of the day the ideal AFR is somewhere between 12:1 to 14.5:1 Air Fuel Ratio. You can't run leaner without melting something down and you can't run richer without affecting performance negatively, You can't run a "thinner" fuel and believe you're getting more lubrication. The volumetric efficiency of the engine is static for arguments sake. That said, you'll need "X" amount of fuel for each revolution of the engine to maintain a specific Air Fuel Ratio. The mass of the fuel is more important than the volume. XX parts per million of air to YY parts per million of fuel. That said the volumetric efficiency of the engine is static, so you'll always need "XX" parts per million of fuel. The only variable is air density. The greater the air density, the more fuel, and vice versa. You'll reduce your engine life in no time running less oil to fuel regardless of the brand of oil premix if you let that engine scream. You're not getting additional fuel in the crankcase with a "thinner" fuel, unless of course you're running a fatter fuel mixture to air. I hope this makes sense and am happy to have further dialogue.
Well said, I run 80 to 1 in my Trials bike and 25 to 1 in my vintage road race bike all due to the rpm that each operates at
Nice post, even more simply put with two properly jetted/running bikes you would be moving more oil through the piston at 32:1 than you would be at 40:1.
Mans wrote a whole essay 💀
@@valencia8366 Was there a better way to shorten it up? Did you not like my response?
@@endurox1481 no like i didn't mean it in a bad way or hateful way I just thought it was like a bit funny
Great video. Very enjoyable. Myth #11: Every time you ride, it doesn't have to be a race to see how fast you can go (unless you are in a racing event). Just enjoy riding.
On myth #6 Oil & gas ratios. Running more oil not only is wasteful, it actually will cause your motor to run hotter. Not so much because of a thicker fuel, but more because oil displaces the gas (fuel), which is jetted (metered) to mix with oxygen. More oil = less gas = leaner mixture = higher engine temps.
I thought you were saying “engine breaking”. Hahaha. I live that Utah accent 👍
Fantastic video I was going to buy the KTM 500 or the husqvarna 501 but now I might consider the KTM 350 or KTM 300 👍
Great video! Should be mandatory viewing on all the Facebook forums before the dreaded "wut oil u run bro" questions can be posted. :-D
More 2 stroke oil in your fuel means less gas, thus a leaner (gas) mixture.
Other way around
@@gregheffley1681 If I have 1 gallon of gas/oil mixed where 95% of that gallon mixture is oil, do I have more oil than gas? (yes). If so, the gas is leaner than a different gallon that was mixed at 95% gas and 5% oil. The engine does not get its combustion power from oil, it gets it from gasoline. The oil is just there to keep the engine lubricated.
@@gregheffley1681 more oil means less gas which means lean condition.
Thanks for attending my TED Talk
@@MrJasonfromcanada when your bike is running lean you don’t have enough oil in the fuel
@@polaridoo1 your fuel is to rich if you have to much oil in it
I've been riding almost all my life . Never done a break in procedure I was always told if it blows up it wasn't manufactured or rebuilt right. Never had a problem so I agree with that no break in comment
Same here, new piston and rings and I'm full bore, never had any issues myself.
It’s really just a precaution
I’ve always went by break it in how your gonna ride it
The type of riding you do is typically how you break an engine in. As someone who has had many race spec 2 stroke engines, some of which lasted 6 mins and some of which lasted 2 full seasons of moto, I will say 100% break in matters. My dad is a engine builder and built many engines for me. Never a single problem when the recipe was followed. Top ends swapped between motos, without issues. The rings have to properly seat, for someone like you being down 20% on compression isn’t noticeable but on a race bike that lives at 11000rpms it defiantly matters and is hilarious when people say otherwise.
It's simple, i try to replace each parts of my bikes with OEM parts when i break it (not plastics), even levers.
6:32 I know a lot of you are most likely experts but, from what i’ve heard after getting my bike rebuilt and it’s kinda common sense. Change your oil on a fresh engine at, at least 1 hour.
I like a lot of your videos but I just have a couple things I would address with this one in particular:
Myth #6 (Oil Ratios): I know different oils have different allowances for running a leaner mixture or not depending on if the oil is synthetic/semi-synthetic, the viscosity of the oil, and whether it is a mineral based oil or a castor base. If you mix more oil, that will give you more lubrication. If you have an Amsoil Saber for example that you had wrote on the white board behind you to mix between 80:1-100:1. Maybe if you were doing hard enduro riding like you do a lot of the time with a slower pace and jumping/climbing rocks I could see that. However, if you raced motocross with that kind of mixture, the motor and its components are going to wear out much faster. And to say that more oil won’t give you as much lubrication as less oil in your fuel, because it’s a thicker fuel is nuts. If you ride and want to get more longevity out of a 2-stroke, a richer mixture is the way to go. As long as you have the right jetting, it should run fine and not be so thick of a fuel for the motorcycle.
Myth #3: These manufacturers of these motorcycles wouldn’t recommend a break-in period for a motorcycle if they didn’t feel it was necessary. Yes, some people may think that the bike manufacturers just do it to cover them if internal motor components fail during the early use of the motorcycle. For the average Joe weekend warrior, this is necessary. I know you showed a clip of the factory supercross riders and how they rip on their bikes right when they’re fresh. Those bikes get torn down to the frame and rebuilt by a professional mechanic and spend an entire day pretty much tearing down and inspecting almost every part and then put it back together. The average dirt bike rider doesn’t have the time and many not the money to rebuild a motor every week. If your motor doesn’t get a proper break-in period, longevity of the motor will be decreased tremendously.
Like I said, I really enjoy most of your videos, but those two myths really caught me off guard as to why you made those comments, but I just wanted to share my opinion with you. Thanks
I was going to say the same thing about oil ratios! Right on
Great video very entertaining thanks for posting👍
I agree with much of what you talk about. However, sometimes more power is better. You seem to only be thinking of the kind of riding that you do. For those that are into hill climbing, snow biking, ice racing..... you want all the power you can get.
Ya. So many times I hear you tubers say “you need to get better on your bike, ride more, etc, etc”. Well no crap, but ALL things being equal, a better bike will also make someone a more effective rider. I use to work at a bike shop and we would take people to Moab and these dudes were on like 21 lb titanium bikes and they would have a wife on a freakin 46 lb huffy that wouldn’t even shift properly. Gee, I wonder why she HATES riding? You get on that POS and see if you like it
And yes, he seems to do a lot of slow, semi technical single track riding, go hit the track or desert, etc and tell me that a 125 cc is plenty. Yes, Roczen would beat me on a 125, that’s NoT the point, I wouldn’t beat me on a 125 vs my 450
Yes- that’s my point. We ride a ton of single track, and often more isn’t better. But on the track, unless your name is Johnny O’Mara you’re not beating any respectable rider who’s on a big bike if your on a 125.
Can't wait to buy some of your gear here in a month 🤘🏻 you've got some stuff I definitely can use on this bike
The added benefit maybe I'll finally be able to get the 2stroke I've dreamt of. Great content as always kyle.
I started as a 170lbs kid on a 125 4 stroke trail bike riding in the sand dunes. Power is very important in the sand. Very very VERY important. Now Ive been riding a 450 and the difference is night and day. No more fish tailing on flat surfaces, no more having to walk the bike up the slightest incline, no more sinking everytime I try to move, no more getting stuck in bowls.
You left off Travis Pastrana on the handguard bit. :)
Kyle i thought I was going to be against you on some of these BUT I found everyone absolutely true 👍
I don't oil my O-ring chain on my Yamaha T7. I live in a high desert and only ride in dry conditions. Having no flung off oil on the bike is worth it to me
I bought a 2T just for the low end luggability. 4t's have a tendency to flame out in slow technical sections when you are just above idle, and always at the most inopportune time.
Are you talking about 2 strokes and 4 strokes of more or less the same displacement?
@@riten0tajs623 In my experience 450's seem more prone to stalling at lower RPMs in technical sections. With 250 4Ts MX bikes are more prone to flame out/stall at low RPMs as well. When you increase the flywheel weight they are less prone to stall but still do.
Riding a 300 2t I can lug it well below what I think will cause it to stall and it will continue to pull and not stall. Its pretty amazing.
@@johnchafin3817 I think that is what most people think too. In reality it's quite an unfair comparison to compare a 300 2stroke and a 450 4stroke, because a 2stroke has quite literally twice the power of a 4stroke of the same displacement. People who say that 2 strokes have very little low end torque just take into account this fact. When you compare a 250 2 stroke and a 500 4 stroke you can really see a fair comparison of power. The 250 has very little low end and very impressive high end, meanwhile the 500 is all around very stable.
@@riten0tajs623 the characteristics I listed are true so it is completely fair to compare when looking at a bike for a specific application. Understand the way the bike will run and how you want to use it/where you want to ride it before purchasing it.
I got rid of my CRF450X because I got tired of it stalling in low speed single track scenarios. Loved it in the desert. Two different applications.
My application is tight technical single track riding. That is where I spend all my time. So a 2T 300 or something like a CRF250X makes perfect sense for that application. I am not racing MX and don't really care about top end power.
I will have a video soon of me riding my new GG EC 300 and I have a couple of hills I climbed where I just lugged it up.
Most of my videos are of me riding my CRF250X in the woods. Go check them out.
@@johnchafin3817 I see what you mean, and of course a 300 2 stroke is going to be more powerful. But my point is that it's an unfair comparison of power. The saying that 2 strokes have no low end comes from the fact that in a fair comparison of powerbands, a 2 stroke has worse low end and better high end than a 4 stroke.
Love this episode! Love number 1 and 2!
Great video man. Really appreciate it.
love these videos man, keep up the good work.
Love it Kyle, thanks for sharing!
More oil means less fuel that equals lean !!
Thats Not what people mean with lean
Assuming you have checked your plugs, changed your jetting and needle position so the bike is running properly for the mix...no
Hi, IMO Chain Lube is for reducing friction between Chain and sprockets, not for the chain itself primarly. I don`t use the sticky stuff, but MX Chain Lube or Dry Lube. Motor oil or WD-40 flings off the chain in that moment you let it fly. With my method I can replace the chain only after replacing two times the sprockets, witch are a lot cheaper.
I agree, more power does not equal a faster rider.
You are correct on engine break in. I have seen one blow right away but it was 6th gear pinned right out of the box. Other than that i just baby it for a couple hours, change the oil atleast once and call it good. Rings dont take that long to seat in.. consider how many strokes are made in one hour of riding.
Break in on Engines gave me a good laught, so true, 2 strokes you just warm up and brappppp, may run more oil in the mix first run then less :) full brapp
You forgot the myth about ktm bikes being always broke and that you pass 2x more time repairing them than riding them
Hit the nail on the head about "break in". The only way to seat the rings is cylinder pressure. The only way to build cylinder pressure is open the throttle.
Really like the fast format!
On myth number 1- some times I have more fun trying to eek everything out of my crf150f than just easily mob through it on my rm125.
Great video man. Can't say that I can disagree with any of it.
I break in my street 2 stroke motors because the quality of the parts isnt that good. For few tanks i let the bike warm up well before riding and dont do full throttle
Hmmm.. the dyno says differently about 2 strokes having more power down low
Been riding hard enduro my whole life and I’m telling you right now you don’t need any hand guards at all. However a full guard one would protect your levers a little more but I’ve never broken a lever and I’ve never had hand guards.
you must not go fast, I race ECEA and GNCC harescrambles, let me know if you finish a race after clipping a tree with your knuckles at 50mph, maybe for billy goating around on technical stuff, but for high speed good luck not running guards lol
Myth 10.1
Look at a diagram of an oring chain.
You sure there's sealed lube in each roller? Well there's not.
You infact need to lube the rollers.
I agree. In addition I like the idea of keeping the o-ring moist and perhaps somewhat in a slightly swollen state, which helps keep the moisture out of the inside. And won’t the gear oil just fling off the second you start moving ?
In addition to the rollers, I also believe that the lube is just as important for the sprocket contact as the chain makes and breaks contact with them. I’m no lubeologist, but makes sense to me.
completely spot on!
In 2016, Keith Curtis finished Erzberg with full wrap hand guards just FYI. Also, in 2016 he placed 8th overall in Romaniacs with full wrap hand guards. Just an example
I'm 60 years old and I'm 5'8". I ride a gasgas EX250. The seat height is a little intimidating but I would rather have the good suspension than ride a shorter bike that doesn't have all that great of suspension. And I love that 2-stroke power. So much of it is your level of confidence. I figure if Meg's Braap can do it so can I. LOL.
Who needs more when we have Kyle and the 2 stroke daughter!
this video made me sweaty
the pacing is like a sprint
Unbreakable levers and hand guards work a treat
Aftermarket nightmare, that's what I called one of my bikes...
honestly great video. I have purchased multiple bikes and the dealer has always informed me of a break in period for the engine. Hell my harley had specific instructions for it. So not completely sold on that myth. I have also had crate engines that have break in instructions.
I'm going back to full wrap handguards for a few reasons. Mainly, I keep breaking throttle tunes and they fill up with dirt and I have to go slow the rest of the race. I had lock on grips and they are more difficult to set up with full wrap so I just used the stock handguards, but the protaper pillow top lock on aren't nearly as good as the regular glue on pillow tops. And lastly, almost every lever I own is bent, even a set of cheap breakaway levers, not a deal breaker for open handguards but definitely something that pushes it over the edge, along with always getting hit in the pinky by bushes and I race desert, I would not survive woods riding without full wraps.
One reason i use full wrap is i hit trees with my bars and they just slide off and not catch
I have a 125 kg 250 dirt bike which is heavier than a 500 and it has more traction even when i stand in those hard enduro situations but does seem to struggle a little more when it comes to those insane steep slow crawl climbs with less throttle in the event to prevent spinning the back wheel
Training on a lower power bike works for me because that what I have
Editing video like this takes TONS of time. Well done.