Race Report: 2023 Mint 400 on the KTM 990
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- Looking back at the 2023 Mint 400 effort on my KTM 990 Adventure. third time doing the race, second time on this 990, bringing home the win! Two laps of a 65 ish mile racecourse, and was running 21st overall at the end of my two laps. Roughly an hour and 39 minutes per lap.
lovely video. lolled hard at "i don't krank the throtthle all the way because i dont' want to die". well done on those woops mate
I know it's a bit late, but I'm glad you went ahead and uploaded this. Gave me something new to try for next year, I've got registration open for next year's race! Glad you weren't hurt at the end, good luck with recovery!
Thanks, and hope you can make it out there! They have a couple unique rules so make sure you've checked that out. Tech is straightforward but you will need a Snell-rated helmet unless they have changed the rules. Caught me out the first year I did it.
Wow great ride ,,,on a real beast good job
Sick channel my man! I just signed up for the 2024 adv class! This is literally going to be my first race ever of any kind haha. Have any tips or anything I should be prepared for? Saw your comment about the snell rated helmets. Also, how many people normally race in the adv class? Is it worth putting up the $250 for the purse? Thanks man!
Awesome! Take a look through the rulebook, they change things every year. Tech is straightforward, but yes the Snell helmet is key, and you'll need the full protective gear setup. You will also need to carry a first aid kit with some specific stuff in it, and your bike needs to have a spark arrestor. But the rulebook goes through all of that. Otherwise, it can be a long race so take your time. Mousses in the tires are a plus, flats way out in the desert suck. Make sure you understand where tech is vs. the track, logistics can get interesting. The earlier you get to tech, the better as lines can be long. There was no purse the years I did it so I don't know anything about that. The last few years there's only been 3-5 people in the ADV class. Good luck out there!
Great footage bashing those whoops. I have a 990 Adv as well. Curious what suspension travel you are running and also what was the main change you made to the valving that prevented it bottoming. Gnarly crash by the way. Glad you were ok
Thanks! Yes, that crash could have been a lot worse. My suspension is around 285mm travel. The valving is all different than stock, there's nothing too unique about what I've done, just gone far stiffer with it than most people usually do. It's much more like a motocross setup than it is like an off road setup - safety factor matters more to me than comfort doing stuff like this with that bike.
hey Gearhead! Love the videos!
I do have a question i am looking into buying a 950 any tips to look out for? I know the joke about older KTM's breaking down often but how bad is it owning one and is it worth it? Specially because im quite green to the offroad scene and fixing bikes myself. I want a bike that i can learn on both riding and mechanic stuff since i didn't do much of that in my life till recent days i thought the 950 would be a great bike because its fairly easy *so it seems* with carbs n not to much electronics and what i hear is they handle good offroad!
Hope you have great upcoming holidays!
Kind greetings from the netherlands
Glad you're enjoying the videos! Yes, as far as big adventure bikes go, the 950s are pretty durable and straightforward. They are more of a high performance machine than say a KLR or DR650, so they do take more upkeep, but the good thing is there is a lot of documentation on these bikes over on ADVrider and elsewhere. You're best off checking the forums and learning about the quirks these bikes have, and if that level of complexity something you're okay with. If you're new to working on them, I'd generally say try to find the best one you can afford. If you're buying a project, start with something simpler until you have a handle on how to work on stuff.
I wanna be fast like you when I grow up
Just don't crash like me! 🤣
Yeah weard speed zone.
This is great. Sorry for the situation but these races are great to look at from my point of view. I would love to try stretch my Lyndon 320mm legs on that track. Heal up quick
Glad you enjoyed the video! Yeah, another inch or more of travel would be great though I really didn't have any bottoming issues. Just can run a bit softer setting without having to worry. Mine is ~290mm roughly.
@@gearheadE30 290mm should be fine for this. I'm in the process of getting mine to 300mm front back with EXC internals at the front. Still looking for a suitable spring for the back (160NM 16.3/kg/mm or a bit more) here in Europe but no luck so far. Any US sources for these springs (I used Slavens racing in the past but they seem to only have 265mm rear springs for the Adventure R). What spring are you using? Lengthwise.
P.S. I really enjoyed this clip. This bike was made for this stuff minus perhaps the early part in the semi-MX track. Great riding.
You got Lyndon's legs? Lucky you, no longer available. How many did he make, like 5? Powercell still makes the Ohlins 277mm kit but they cost a lot. Especially for those of us in Europe (more taxes, duties, shipping, etc).
@@C_R_O_M________ yup. 5 or 6 set were made.
@@C_R_O_M________ what is driving you to a 160N spring? Riding with luggage, or with a passenger? I have a 140N spring in mine, and it's borderline too stiff with all the weight I have taken out of the bike.
Slavens, Racetech, and CSR are my typical sources for springs in the US. Sometimes they have things not on their sites, especially CSR since they have their own springs made.
What model are you running? Great job man.
Thanks! It's a 2007 990 Adventure.
How far between fuel stops? I'm looking to race my 300 in March. Thx!
It depends on the year - last year was maybe 40 miles if you refused at remote pits and at main moto pits. The first year I did it was a bit over 50 miles between pits. As the event gets closer, they will post course info on their website that will also show those distances.
@@gearheadE30 thank you
@gearheadE30 I would like to do the Mint 400 this year, you got a sec to talk off line about the particulars?
Sure, I think you found me on Instagram so we can chat over there.