View Full Version : Riding 450cc motocrossers on a learner's license! What?
racefactory450
2nd August 2013, 11:49
I just heard that you can now legally ride some of the KTM motocrossers/enduros on your learners license! Is this for real?
Stupid fast bikes for learners. bureaucracy eating itself again.
So what is the fastest bike available to learners now? How does this work?
Vinz0r
2nd August 2013, 13:54
I just heard that you can now legally ride some of the KTM motocrossers/enduros on your learners license! Is this for real?
Stupid fast bikes for learners. bureaucracy eating itself again.
So what is the fastest bike available to learners now? How does this work?
RVF400 is pretty quick. It's done by power to weight, 150kw/tonne IIRC? Weight includes a 90kg allowance for rider and gear.
Latte
2nd August 2013, 14:00
RVF400 is pretty quick. It's done by power to weight, 150kw/tonne IIRC? Weight includes a 90kg allowance for rider and gear.
the RVF does seem out of place, esp with the VFR not making the cut. Were they that much slower than an Smoker?
I learnt to road ride on an NSR ... sure it's not a docile Ginny , but I never found it scary. And with all the plugs and tools I carried with me the power to weight was actually quite poor :p
Vinz0r
2nd August 2013, 14:03
the RVF does seem out of place, esp with the VFR not making the cut. Were they that much slower than an Smoker?
Yeah it's a little odd. The RVF only JUST scrapes in as the factory specified HP is 53, whereas as the VFR is 59 (or maybe 57). Last dyno chart I saw of an RVF in factory trim showed 59, so maybe Honda were being conservative to get by some kind of import restriction :P
Seems to have driven the price up on them even further though.. and they weren't cheap to begin with!
White trash
2nd August 2013, 15:02
A KTM EXC is not a Moto-Crosser by any stretch of the imagination, nor were they designed to be.
That being said, to comply with LAMs requirements they must be "as supplied from factory", read heavily restricted in the airbox.
Akzle
2nd August 2013, 15:22
everytime a thread like this happens, i die a little inside.
racefactory450
2nd August 2013, 15:26
A KTM EXC is not a Moto-Crosser by any stretch of the imagination, nor were they designed to be.
That being said, to comply with LAMs requirements they must be "as supplied from factory", read heavily restricted in the airbox.
your imagination needs stretching then. take the lights and other rubbish off, alter the shim stack and minus the ti valves and crank it is a mx.
RVF is higher output than factory stats, plenty of graphs out there to prove that.
White trash
2nd August 2013, 16:40
your imagination needs stretching then. take the lights and other rubbish off, alter the shim stack and minus the ti valves and crank it is a mx.
RVF is higher output than factory stats, plenty of graphs out there to prove that.
Really? You sure? Here's me thinking they had completely different frames, suspension, injection, gearboxes, cams, fuel tanks, rear wheels, fuck, I even thought the starting systems were different.
Guess I need to stretch my imagination a whole shitload.
Have a ride on a 450 EXC, then jump on a 450 SX-F and get back to me with how close to an MX bike they are champ.
But anyway, to reiterate, an EXC is LAMs legal as provided from factory. eg. Heavily restricted.
racefactory450
2nd August 2013, 17:31
Actually my very own bike is a sx with exc electrics, 6 speed and stainless valves. I can safely say they are 2 of a kind and either one can be potent weapons in either role. Merely a basic swap of parts. It's all down to the rider.
Truce?
So what's the chance if you get stopped, they will investigate to ensure it is true to original? Perhaps throwing the book at you because of an exhaust?
White trash
2nd August 2013, 21:19
Lol. Ok, Truce.
Here's the thing. Getting pulled up aint the problem, Joe Blogs Plod won't be able to tell the difference without pulling the filter out of the airbox. Where the real risk lies, is if someone on a learner licence stacks their derestricted 500 EXC Motard on Scenic Drive, and it hits a new Ferrari coming the other way. If the insurance company investigate it (and they will), the rider's going to be royally reamed.
You are correct, there's no way a road registered, un-restricted modern Enduro bike has any place in the hands of a beginner rider. I'm just an argumentative ballbag :D
Crasherfromwayback
2nd August 2013, 23:44
You are correct, there's no way a road registered, un-restricted modern Enduro bike has any place in the hands of a beginner rider. I've got a really small ballbag :D
You don't say.
Ender EnZed
3rd August 2013, 08:47
But anyway, to reiterate, an EXC is LAMs legal as provided from factory. eg. Heavily restricted.
Have you had a chance to ride one on the road in LAMS legal spec? I can't help but imagine it'd still be quite a bit faster than a 150kW/T restricted 650.
Drew
3rd August 2013, 10:43
I was under the impression from some cunt I know that sells these bikes new, that the restriction is so severe from the factory, that the workshop can't get them to run right at all on NZ pump gas.
Have I confused this with something else I was told, and melded them together?
White trash
3rd August 2013, 18:08
Have you had a chance to ride one on the road in LAMS legal spec? I can't help but imagine it'd still be quite a bit faster than a 150kW/T restricted 650.
Yup I've tried to ride one and nope, it aint. Seriously.
Have a look at the restrictors fitted some day, here's an idea of how strangled they are from factory. Good luck getting it to run above 50% throttle.
http://www.gobookee.net/get_book.php?u=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5nZXRkYXRhLml0L2RhdGE vZG9jdW1lbnRhdGlvbi9zaXRvL0dlc3Rpb25lX21vdG9yZS9HU DFFVk8vRG93bmxvYWQvTWFudWFsaS9LVE1fRVhDRjI1MF8zNTB fNDUwL0dEX01JUF8wMDAzX0FBLnBkZgprdG0gZXhjLWYgMjUwI C8gZXhjLWYgMzUwIC8gZXhjLWYgNDUwICZhbXA7IGdwMSBldm8 gZ3BhICYjOTI7IGdldCBwb3dlcg==
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