Am I crazy for racing a Yamaha TTR230 in an endurance race? Post your thoughts! 👇 🏍 GEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND - bit.ly/ea-links 👕 STICKERS, SHIRTS & MERCH - bit.ly/ea-merch 🙌 HELP SUPPORT THE CHANNEL - bit.ly/ea-patreon
Use your clutch when you start to lose power. By feathering your clutch, you can keep your rpm's up and climb hills and go through sand better. The TTR is an OK bike. I had the same year and model. As you stated, it's a bit week on power and suspension for a large person or seasoned rider. Your race looks like great fun!
The clutch definitely got a workout during the race. 😆 That first hill is a monster of a climb though, and since it's a bit loose with that nasty hairpin turn at the bottom, even with the extra clutch work you end up running out of speed before running out of RPM's. It was still an awesome race though and a ton of fun. Thanks for watching!
Adam Tex If you feather your clutch in order to make the top of that Mountain, you won't likely have any clutch plates left. A short section yes. But yeah, clutch-work imv is THEEEE number one talent that a rider needs learn, it can also save your live literally, Clutch work and static balance. Lots of videos on static balance but you've probably seen them too.
That’s false, it’s no way in hell a person gets credit for riding a trial bike during a trail race and complaining the trail bike is not good enough he’s getting roosted by KTM 65 ccs. This level of skill is horrid and should be deleted
I have a 2009, love these little bikes for playing around on. Not enough power to get into trouble, but just enough to have fun in the woods which is what the bike is made for. My speed days are behind me, so the TTR is perfect for me in this stage of my life. Wish it came with a headlight though, some rides stretch out a bit and you find yourself rushing back to the truck in the dusk trying to beat the dark! May upgrade to the Kawi KLX230 for this reason because it has a headlight, tailight and signals. Then I could bump around town on it, plus ride the trails.
I wish it came with a headlight too. I think the stock stator has enough juice to power a low wattage LED headlight… something like the squadron sport from Baja designs. Otherwise you’d need to rewind the stator to get a higher output. Definitely agree with everything you said though; just enough to have fun without getting into too much trouble. Thanks for watching! 🙏🏼
I'm always surprised too because Glen Helen doesn't seem that big from the outside. For conditioning, I had started running / jogging 3 or 4 times a week since the beginning of the year. On one of my routes theres some stationary exercise equipment that I'd spend a little bit of time on too. Riding with the Broken Enduro guys has also helped quite a bit, since those rides usually last all day and are filled with all sorts of hard terrain.
Man that looked like so much fun, I would love to ride there someday. The track I like to ride and race on here (North Texas) is a very technical single track loop, right at 8.5 miles. Nothing but constant hairpins, steep hills, rocks, brush, gullies, creek crossings, and not one single long straight part. My bike of choice for that track is a DRZ125L. It's just perfect for that kind of thing, and when I see guys trying to ride it with a full-size bike like a 250 or something, they struggle hard, man. I've tried to tell them, get a small, torquey four stroke 125 and it's easy work, and you'll turn much better lap times.
We have a TTR125 which is similar to a DR125… but it doesn’t have the larger wheels like the L models do. I have a feeling it would be a blast in tight, technical trails. It definitely doesn’t have the power to make the hills at Glen Helen though… the 230 barely made it! 😆
Good ride! There are many oddball bikes especially in the ironman class. I'm 58 and this is my favorite race with the Virginia City GP a close 2nd. The key to the endurance races if you are new to it is to make all your lap times the same. That means you will feel like you are going super slow in the beginning but at 4 hrs into the race you will understand. Eat food. Drink electrolytes and pickle juice. And keep energy gels with you at all times in case you need a quick boost.
Yeah, there are definitely a few oddball bikes out there. The group I ride with ran a Surron Storm Bee (electric dirtbike) for this years 24 Hour endurance race. It was interesting to say the least, but even more impressive was the guy riding a Gen-3 KLR in the Ironman class. Not sure where he ended up, but he was doing pretty well during the first 12 hours. I haven't really raced since this video, but I definitely want to get back out there. Ride safe!
It's pretty crazy the amount of terrain that they have there because it doesn't seem that big from the outside. I was just going to say that there was at least one guy out there on a DRZ. It was definitely a ton of fun!
Enjoyed watching this. At one point in the video you mention firmer suspension. Did you put cannon racecraft springs in it and i so, what weights did you use. What was your total weight including your riding gear?
I used a thicker oil in the forks, along with adding a PVC spacer to preload them. I’ll probably swap the springs at some point, but I’m happy with the oil/pvc results so I’ll probably just keep it that way for a while. Those changes alone made a big difference in the overall handling of the front end. Total weight including all the gear was probably close to 190. I’ve since had a custom rear shock installed (Vonkat), and now it feels like a completely different bike. It’s a pricey upgrade, but it’s worth it.
It would be fine for some basic trail riding and practicing wheelies. If you are planning on going fast, wanting to hit jumps or ride other technical terrain, you'll probably find the limits of the power and suspension very quickly.
The 230's definitely won't win a drag race with a 450, but it's plenty capable of keeping up with them in more technical terrain... or even on a track depending on how aggressive you are. It just takes a bit longer to build up the speed on the 230 since the power is so linear.
@@EachAdventure I just got a TTR 230 and I’m itching to take it to a MX here at Perris raceway or fox raceway even glen helen lol just scared if it will handle good
Daily contacts, my brother, and remember to blink. Not blinking and long-term contacts are likely culprits. It's the same anytime you're concentrating, whether that be on a dirt bike, at your desk, or wearing VR goggles. If you continue wearing glasses, use some dish soap on the lenses of your glasses to keep the fog away, and look into goggles built for glasses (they have extra foam and ventilation to help keep the glasses lenses a little farther from your face).
Thanks for the tips! I did end up getting daily contacts and they definitely help a lot. I’ll have to try the dish soap trick when I need to wear glasses. 🤜 🤛
I pulled the snorkel and went up on the jets. I had drilled some additional holes in the air box and removed the baffle, but I noticed it was running a bit lean so for the race I duct taped the holes and put the baffle back in.
@@EachAdventure did you ever drill the holes in the spark arrestor insert as well as part of the mods? With all the mods in place and some fuel screw adjustments, mine just seems to scream now. Oodles of power with a nice chocolate spark plug as well.
Back in the day I worked in a Suzuki shop and many Enduro guys would get our old tuner to port and polish, bore out the carb, and cut all the rubbish out of the expansion chamber of their PE250T and X. They used to go about the same as an RM250, absolutely fly.
@@EachAdventure How many intrants roughly for ironman 6hr that year (ballpark) and about 30 riders leaving starting line every 5 mins... (?) When I say what time of day do they start, I mean like 10am 2pm etc..thanks...
@@EachAdventure There is a newish chinese bike line out now, there are 4t and a 2t, and a couple of 230cc models. The 230's are actuall 223 cc's just like the TR230. If the hp and torque is not any better than the TR230, I'll pass, though I like the bikes. lol What I like about the air cooled engines is that they don't seem to overheat like water cooled as much, (partly due to lower power, less Compression etc...), electric start imv is a MUST for this kind of racing, The killer though is that the Kayos, don't have any more susp travel than ttr, and weigh a lot, hp drag on what is probably only at a 16 or 17. Do you have your sites on a different bike yet?
Key factors that I haven't heard yet: Your weight matters; 130 190 270? The gear you were in going up the big hill? I'm at 3:30 so far and there is some great info coming at us... Thanks.. 8:00
@@EachAdventure Thanks, yeah, great to know, I'm lighter but not enough to get this thing up in 4th lol. Well as we know, TTR is not really made for this but you made it work. I guess the winner of '21, 24 hr iron man came in on a DR200, He must be pretty good at pushing bikes, and it's just not human to do 66 laps, (as he did) ... ✔
It really depends on the bike. The 230 sips fuel, so I probably could have made it 4 or 5 laps without stopping. I did about 8 laps in total, and stopped for fuel every 3 laps. I only ended up needing fuel twice... lol.
TTR 230 doesn't handle sand very well I know how you feel I've been there and crashed my 230 bike several times around corners where it would be very sandy it is very challenging but a whole lot of fun . 👍
Sand is definitely the trickiest thing to ride in for me, especially when there are hills or corners involved. I'll think I have it figured out on one ride, and then on the next ride I'll totally forget. It's so weird... lol.
Even on a better bike, I still wouldn't have been very competitive... so with riding the 230, the competition became trying to finish on a bike that wasn't really designed for this kind of stuff. I had a lot of fun!
@@EachAdventure So cool , thanks... ..really looking forward to entering one, it's gotta be a hella lot of fun. I was looking into havasu mx track which isn't to far from here, the site said they wanted medical insurance, mx insurance (unless that was a typo, and they meant something else) the site could care less about the rider imv, they wouldn't even answer the mx insurance question, and posted no upcoming schedules. Appreciate you replies..
I wear glasses. I had a pair of safety/sport glasses made. A lot of sunglasses kind of look like them. I wear Scott OTG goggles. When my glasses start to fog I spin my goggles around and ride until I cool off then I turn them back around. I can do it coasting on an easy section.
That’s actually a good idea! On trail rides I’ll do the same with my goggles when they fog up, but I won’t do that on the track because of the roost from other bikes. I’ll have to look into the safety glasses!
@@EachAdventure I've never had a problem on the track, as long as I'm wearing the OTG, that stands for Over The Glasses. They have a lot more room than normal goggles. Putting your goggles backwards is an Enduro trick. Graham Jarvis, Cody Webb, Taddy Blasusiak(I'm sure I destroyed the spelling) they all do it. You make that little ttr look fun. I think that's gonna replace my pitbike.
Your gear change is wrong. You not using the 4 stroke engine for the power. Your staying in gear to long to low rpm. Drop a gear use the power not rpm. 😊 it’s a light bike you can use that
Only real trouble was with the hills and really soft sand in a couple spots. The hills are much bigger than they look, and the 230 doesn't have enough power in 3rd to make it without downshifting.
Luckily there aren't a ton of jumps on this course and even with the amount of riders, everyone is pretty spaced out so I wasn't too worried about getting landed on. Thanks for watching! 🙏
Am I crazy for racing a Yamaha TTR230 in an endurance race? Post your thoughts! 👇
🏍 GEAR I USE AND RECOMMEND - bit.ly/ea-links
👕 STICKERS, SHIRTS & MERCH - bit.ly/ea-merch
🙌 HELP SUPPORT THE CHANNEL - bit.ly/ea-patreon
Yes. Lol
@Buddha-ci8fz 😂
Use your clutch when you start to lose power. By feathering your clutch, you can keep your rpm's up and climb hills and go through sand better. The TTR is an OK bike. I had the same year and model. As you stated, it's a bit week on power and suspension for a large person or seasoned rider. Your race looks like great fun!
The clutch definitely got a workout during the race. 😆 That first hill is a monster of a climb though, and since it's a bit loose with that nasty hairpin turn at the bottom, even with the extra clutch work you end up running out of speed before running out of RPM's. It was still an awesome race though and a ton of fun. Thanks for watching!
Adam Tex
If you feather your clutch in order to
make the top of that Mountain, you
won't likely have any clutch plates left.
A short section yes. But yeah, clutch-work imv
is THEEEE number one talent that a rider
needs learn, it can also save your live literally,
Clutch work and static balance. Lots
of videos on static balance but you've
probably seen them too.
you got some balls riding this thing in a race like that, hats of to you
Hahah! Thanks man, it was interesting to say the least. 😆
That’s false, it’s no way in hell a person gets credit for riding a trial bike during a trail race and complaining the trail bike is not good enough he’s getting roosted by KTM 65 ccs. This level of skill is horrid and should be deleted
Nobody was complaining. 😉 My goal was to finish the 6 hours and not come in last. Didn’t quite make the full 6, but didn’t get last so I’ll take it.
@@EachAdventuredon’t listen to that guy he’s a loser you did great!
@@Daman1311 Thanks man! I appreciate it. 🙏
I have a 2009, love these little bikes for playing around on. Not enough power to get into trouble, but just enough to have fun in the woods which is what the bike is made for. My speed days are behind me, so the TTR is perfect for me in this stage of my life. Wish it came with a headlight though, some rides stretch out a bit and you find yourself rushing back to the truck in the dusk trying to beat the dark!
May upgrade to the Kawi KLX230 for this reason because it has a headlight, tailight and signals. Then I could bump around town on it, plus ride the trails.
I wish it came with a headlight too. I think the stock stator has enough juice to power a low wattage LED headlight… something like the squadron sport from Baja designs. Otherwise you’d need to rewind the stator to get a higher output. Definitely agree with everything you said though; just enough to have fun without getting into too much trouble. Thanks for watching! 🙏🏼
Looking super good man, looks like you are improving as a racer
Thanks man! I appreciate it. 🙏
Great video man!
Thanks man! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙏
Great job man
Thanks man! 🍻
Awesome video!👍👍
Thanks man!
thanks for the comments. Helps to know what riders are thinking while racing.
No problem! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙏
Dude on the kx100 was movin!
Hahah! Right? Nothing like being passed by kids on mini-bikes. 😆
I'm always surprised at how long a lap is out there. Did you do any strength or cardio conditioning before the race to get into shape?
I'm always surprised too because Glen Helen doesn't seem that big from the outside. For conditioning, I had started running / jogging 3 or 4 times a week since the beginning of the year. On one of my routes theres some stationary exercise equipment that I'd spend a little bit of time on too. Riding with the Broken Enduro guys has also helped quite a bit, since those rides usually last all day and are filled with all sorts of hard terrain.
Man that looked like so much fun, I would love to ride there someday. The track I like to ride and race on here (North Texas) is a very technical single track loop, right at 8.5 miles. Nothing but constant hairpins, steep hills, rocks, brush, gullies, creek crossings, and not one single long straight part. My bike of choice for that track is a DRZ125L. It's just perfect for that kind of thing, and when I see guys trying to ride it with a full-size bike like a 250 or something, they struggle hard, man. I've tried to tell them, get a small, torquey four stroke 125 and it's easy work, and you'll turn much better lap times.
We have a TTR125 which is similar to a DR125… but it doesn’t have the larger wheels like the L models do. I have a feeling it would be a blast in tight, technical trails. It definitely doesn’t have the power to make the hills at Glen Helen though… the 230 barely made it! 😆
Sure the ttr is no hill climb monster , but it should hold its own during the day . Great ride man looking forward to more videos
Thanks man! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙏🏼
Is this race going to be hosted again in 2023? I'd love to race 6 hours in Cali hills
It should be! Keep an eye on the Glen Helen website for the date. It usually happens in March.
Good ride! There are many oddball bikes especially in the ironman class. I'm 58 and this is my favorite race with the Virginia City GP a close 2nd. The key to the endurance races if you are new to it is to make all your lap times the same. That means you will feel like you are going super slow in the beginning but at 4 hrs into the race you will understand. Eat food. Drink electrolytes and pickle juice. And keep energy gels with you at all times in case you need a quick boost.
Yeah, there are definitely a few oddball bikes out there. The group I ride with ran a Surron Storm Bee (electric dirtbike) for this years 24 Hour endurance race. It was interesting to say the least, but even more impressive was the guy riding a Gen-3 KLR in the Ironman class. Not sure where he ended up, but he was doing pretty well during the first 12 hours. I haven't really raced since this video, but I definitely want to get back out there. Ride safe!
It's so cool how they have all of the different types of terrain! Did you happen to see any DRZ400's out there? Looks like it was lots of fun!
It's pretty crazy the amount of terrain that they have there because it doesn't seem that big from the outside. I was just going to say that there was at least one guy out there on a DRZ. It was definitely a ton of fun!
@@EachAdventure That was me on the DRZ!!!! lol. This year, I'm gonna be like you, in taking a CRF230F. hahahahaha
Enjoyed watching this. At one point in the video you mention firmer suspension. Did you put cannon racecraft springs in it and i so, what weights did you use. What was your total weight including your riding gear?
I used a thicker oil in the forks, along with adding a PVC spacer to preload them. I’ll probably swap the springs at some point, but I’m happy with the oil/pvc results so I’ll probably just keep it that way for a while. Those changes alone made a big difference in the overall handling of the front end. Total weight including all the gear was probably close to 190.
I’ve since had a custom rear shock installed (Vonkat), and now it feels like a completely different bike. It’s a pricey upgrade, but it’s worth it.
Awesome. Thanks for the information! What diameter and length did you use for the PVC?
@@MrKen800 I don't remember off the top of my head. I think I used a 3/4 inch PVC pipe with a length around the same.
Love your video! Do you think 6’ 240pounds would be too much for it ?
Im only looking to do wheelies and a bit of trail. Thanks!
It would be fine for some basic trail riding and practicing wheelies. If you are planning on going fast, wanting to hit jumps or ride other technical terrain, you'll probably find the limits of the power and suspension very quickly.
@@EachAdventure i bought it a month ago and honestly your comment is bang on lol, nonetheless im having a blast riding this thing!
@@trippymane9889 That’s awesome! Congrats on the bike! 🎉
M 6’ 220, any jump or table top it doesn’t really have the power and I constantly bottom mine out.
They are pretty fast for a trail bike I had a 2007 ttr 230 with the 6 gear and I was passing 450s sometimes
thats cap lol
True haha
The 230's definitely won't win a drag race with a 450, but it's plenty capable of keeping up with them in more technical terrain... or even on a track depending on how aggressive you are. It just takes a bit longer to build up the speed on the 230 since the power is so linear.
@@EachAdventure I just got a TTR 230 and I’m itching to take it to a MX here at Perris raceway or fox raceway even glen helen lol just scared if it will handle good
Daily contacts, my brother, and remember to blink. Not blinking and long-term contacts are likely culprits. It's the same anytime you're concentrating, whether that be on a dirt bike, at your desk, or wearing VR goggles.
If you continue wearing glasses, use some dish soap on the lenses of your glasses to keep the fog away, and look into goggles built for glasses (they have extra foam and ventilation to help keep the glasses lenses a little farther from your face).
Thanks for the tips! I did end up getting daily contacts and they definitely help a lot. I’ll have to try the dish soap trick when I need to wear glasses. 🤜 🤛
That looks fun!!! Would love to take my crf250f out there.
It’s a rough ride on a trail bike, but definitely doable if you’ve got the determination. 😁
Does your TTR230 have all the uncork mods? As listening to your exhaust it sounds like the baffle is in place...enjoyed the video.
I pulled the snorkel and went up on the jets. I had drilled some additional holes in the air box and removed the baffle, but I noticed it was running a bit lean so for the race I duct taped the holes and put the baffle back in.
@@EachAdventure did you ever drill the holes in the spark arrestor insert as well as part of the mods? With all the mods in place and some fuel screw adjustments, mine just seems to scream now. Oodles of power with a nice chocolate spark plug as well.
I'd be wrung out in 10 minutes. I wonder how a pe250 would do
Hahah! 6 hours on a bike is rough. The race is coming up again... trying to convince myself that the torture is worth it. 😆
Back in the day I worked in a Suzuki shop and many Enduro guys would get our old tuner to port and polish, bore out the carb, and cut all the rubbish out of the expansion chamber of their PE250T and X. They used to go about the same as an RM250, absolutely fly.
What time of day does Ironman start?
There are staggered start times about 5 minutes apart, and then everyone is on the course at the same time through the rest of the race.
@@EachAdventure How many intrants roughly for ironman 6hr that year
(ballpark) and about 30 riders leaving starting line every 5 mins... (?)
When I say what time
of day do they start, I mean like 10am
2pm etc..thanks...
@@bikersoncall There was about 45-ish riders in the Ironman class at the 6hr this year. Race started at 8AM and ended at 2PM.
@@EachAdventure Great, thanks, I was
hoping the start was not late in the
afternoon. Of course start times are
always subject to change.. shrugs....
@@EachAdventure There is a newish
chinese bike line out now, there are 4t and
a 2t, and a couple of 230cc models.
The 230's are actuall 223 cc's just like
the TR230. If the hp and torque is not
any better than the TR230, I'll pass, though
I like the bikes. lol What I like about the air
cooled engines is that they don't seem to
overheat like water cooled as much,
(partly due to lower power, less Compression
etc...),
electric start imv is a MUST for this kind of racing,
The killer though is that the Kayos, don't
have any more susp travel than ttr, and
weigh a lot, hp drag on what is probably
only at a 16 or 17. Do you have your
sites on a different bike yet?
How did you finish?
I ended up 41st out of like 44 or 45... not last place so I'll take it! 😆
Key factors that I haven't heard yet:
Your weight matters; 130 190 270?
The gear you were in going up the big hill?
I'm at 3:30 so far and there is some great info
coming at us... Thanks..
8:00
Weight is probably 170-180. Going up the hill was second gear pinned with a 14 tooth front sprocket. Thanks for watching!
@@EachAdventure Thanks, yeah, great
to know, I'm lighter but not enough
to get this thing up in 4th lol. Well as
we know, TTR is not really made for
this but you made it work. I guess the
winner of '21, 24 hr iron man came in
on a DR200, He must be pretty good
at pushing bikes, and it's just not human
to do 66 laps, (as he did) ... ✔
Wonder how many fuel stops is common for this ride time?
It really depends on the bike. The 230 sips fuel, so I probably could have made it 4 or 5 laps without stopping. I did about 8 laps in total, and stopped for fuel every 3 laps. I only ended up needing fuel twice... lol.
TTR 230 doesn't handle sand very well I know how you feel I've been there and crashed my 230 bike several times around corners where it would be very sandy it is very challenging but a whole lot of fun . 👍
Sand is definitely the trickiest thing to ride in for me, especially when there are hills or corners involved. I'll think I have it figured out on one ride, and then on the next ride I'll totally forget. It's so weird... lol.
Why ride a 230 trail bike in this race?
Even on a better bike, I still wouldn't have been very competitive... so with riding the 230, the competition became trying to finish on a bike that wasn't really designed for this kind of stuff. I had a lot of fun!
It was only till about 5 minutes I realized you were saying 6 hour not sig sour race LOL I was thinking sig must be involved in dirtbike raceing
Hahah! I will be referring to it as the “sig sour” race from this point forward. 😆
Do the bikes need to be street legal, carry registration,
have a forestry sticker?
No, they don’t check any of that stuff at Glen Helen.
@@EachAdventure So cool , thanks...
..really looking forward to entering
one, it's gotta be a hella lot of fun.
I was looking into havasu mx track which
isn't to far from here, the site said they
wanted medical insurance, mx insurance
(unless that was a typo, and they meant
something else) the site could care less
about the rider imv, they wouldn't even
answer the mx insurance question, and posted no upcoming schedules. Appreciate
you replies..
I wear glasses. I had a pair of safety/sport glasses made. A lot of sunglasses kind of look like them. I wear Scott OTG goggles. When my glasses start to fog I spin my goggles around and ride until I cool off then I turn them back around. I can do it coasting on an easy section.
That’s actually a good idea! On trail rides I’ll do the same with my goggles when they fog up, but I won’t do that on the track because of the roost from other bikes. I’ll have to look into the safety glasses!
@@EachAdventure I've never had a problem on the track, as long as I'm wearing the OTG, that stands for Over The Glasses. They have a lot more room than normal goggles. Putting your goggles backwards is an Enduro trick. Graham Jarvis, Cody Webb, Taddy Blasusiak(I'm sure I destroyed the spelling) they all do it. You make that little ttr look fun. I think that's gonna replace my pitbike.
Your gear change is wrong. You not using the 4 stroke engine for the power. Your staying in gear to long to low rpm. Drop a gear use the power not rpm. 😊 it’s a light bike you can use that
why does h look like he is going ssuper slow
I'm not a very fast rider to begin with, but the stabilization on the GoPro makes things look even slower. 🤷
Man I don’t know why you are having so much trouble with that bike. I have a 08 230 and it would do all that no problem
Only real trouble was with the hills and really soft sand in a couple spots. The hills are much bigger than they look, and the 230 doesn't have enough power in 3rd to make it without downshifting.
Depends on your skill level,,i have a xr 250r that I can do anything on but been riding for years
Nice video work. Riding a bike this snderpowered with the faster bikes makes me concerned for your safety.
Luckily there aren't a ton of jumps on this course and even with the amount of riders, everyone is pretty spaced out so I wasn't too worried about getting landed on. Thanks for watching! 🙏
Very hard to do on that bike. It is not designed for that.
Hahah! Yeah the 230 definitely isn't designed for this, but it held its own and got me around the course! I'll take it. 😆
get a WR450
That would have been been cheating! 😜
Bennett war.
Just watched the trailer… now I need to watch it!