Affordable four-stroke single GP bikes?

[slowpoke]

Found an interesting article on a possible new class in the States, which involves converting 4 stroke MX bikes into GP style road race bikes. Slick little machines and simple to build.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Articl...ArticleID=6024

[merv]

You've seen the Tigcraft racing here eh?

[Tim 39]

Found an interesting article on a possible new class in the States, which involves converting 4 stroke MX bikes into GP style road race bikes. Slick little machines and simple to build.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Articl...ArticleID=6024

why so much hype about these bikes? to be honest I cant undersatnd why everyone is so excited about basicly a slow and heavy 125GP bike. If they're any cheaper to run I'd be both shocked and amazed.

everyone seems to like 4 strokes because less skill is required to ride them, kind of like motogp, if ya want to do a start just push a button and it'll do it for you. If you keep getting on the power too soon and crashing, just adjust your traction control so you just open it up and it'll do it itself. It must be about time we made these bikes automatic so that you dont have to change gear, it'll decide when it should itself!

Whatever happened to the riders riding the bikes? back when the best rider won

[Badjelly]

why so much hype about these bikes? to be honest I cant undersatnd why everyone is so excited about basicly a slow and heavy 125GP bike.

As I understand it, Honda has lost interest in building two-stroke GP machines so the days of the GP125 are numbered. (And the GP250 is already defunct in most countries.)

I'd appreciate it if the two-stroke fanatics could refrain from verbal abuse, aspersions about my sexuality, violence, death threats, etc, for these comments. If I'm wrong I'd love to hear it. I have a soft spot myself for the ring-dings, but I think their days are numbered.

[Tim 39]

As I understand it, Honda has lost interest in building two-stroke GP machines so the days of the GP125 are numbered. (And the GP250 is already defunct in most countries.)

I'd appreciate it if the two-stroke fanatics could refrain from verbal abuse, aspersions about my sexuality, violence, death threats, etc, for these comments. If I'm wrong I'd love to hear it. I have a soft spot myself for the ring-dings, but I think their days are numbered.

yes I am aware their days are numbered, but for the people that think these would be so "awesome" like I've heard, I have no idea why they think it

[R6_kid:Me]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEQx4hcBb7I

Good overview, and Kevin Schwantz gives his thoughts on them.

[Ivan]

The thing with the Moriwaki is its not a CRF450R its the CRF450X engine they use,

These engines are a lot less tuned andare alot more mellow the engine life is alot longer as they are not highly strung,

I believe that Moriwaki have come up with a great idea here and it would be a really good starting class as a pre GP125.

The real good one would be running CR KX RM etc 85cc enginesin either a RS or TZ chassis as they do over seas they are called motolite or Pre GP125 but having a way out here of starting it and having someone to build these bikes is the thing thats why the moriwaki idea is so good and makeit so you can only race them as they came no flowed heads or total loss igntions or removal of starter motors run em as a standered class with only allowable rules is tires and suspension spring weights as they run a Showa front and rear fully adjustabel setup

[quallman1234]

No such thing as a Affordable "GP" bike.

[R6_kid:Me]

Just been doing a bit of research, would appear that Honda and Yamaha are onboard with the idea and at least in the States have development bikes in the works - the Yamaha is looking particularly tasty.

Looks like they may sell them as conversion kits too, and it wouldnt be too hard to switch between.

With the Yamaha they are using the 2008 WR450F as a basis, and looks like they've just added R6 front end, mounted up some nice race fairings, put a shock suitable for the track in the back and changed the rims and brakes to suit.

[Sketchy_Racer]

Just been doing a bit of research, would appear that Honda and Yamaha are onboard with the idea and at least in the States have development bikes in the works - the Yamaha is looking particularly tasty.

Looks like they may sell them as conversion kits too, and it wouldnt be too hard to switch between.

With the Yamaha they are using the 2008 WR450F as a basis, and looks like they've just added R6 front end, mounted up some nice race fairings, put a shock suitable for the track in the back and changed the rims and brakes to suit.

Right, because a motoX frame with about 10k of road gear on it will be cheap, and give you a well handling road race bike..

It is going to be the same as the motoX industry with these 250thumper gp bikes... They need double the capacity to even be compreditive. 125GP is called 125GP for a reason, it's not supposed to have a larger motor than 125..

People should stop being tree hugging pussys and learn how to race a real bike - a 2T GPbike

[R6_kid:Me]

Right, because a motoX frame with about 10k of road gear on it will be cheap, and give you a well handling road race bike..

Did you even bother to watch the video? Kevin Schwantz himself said it handles pretty nice with just a few setup issues at the moment. There is also a video of Tigcraft 450 going relatively quickly around a track with 600's etc. It still puts the emphasis on the rider and that is what should matter in racing.

I love two strokes dont get me wrong. And when did I say anything about 125GP having bigger capacity engines in the series? It's the winds of change my friend.

The ideas floating around are either out of the box bikes, or a kit which i think would probably be around $5k on top of the price of the bike... which isn't that far off a full setup for a Motard anyway.

Just looking on ebay now, it'd cost around NZ$2k plus a rear shock to do the change myself. And if i wanted to add ohlins and brembos then of course its gonna cost more.

[Sketchy_Racer]

$2k? I think it would be safe to say that it's gonna be a tad more than $2k.

Wheels? easy $1500 for the likes of some 600sp rims

Forks? How much would a front end off a modern 600 cost? plus the required respringing and revalving to match new weight etc

Tripple clamps? Ok so you have forks, now you gotta hold them. Another few hundred. Plus, could possibly need to be a custom made job

Fairings? and mounting gear $1000? Plus paint rah rah

Foot peg hangers? Another few hundred

Shock? a MX one will NEVER cut the mustard on a road race track. $1500

Dash?

Tyres?

Brakes? Master cylinder?

It all adds up REAL quick, and trust me it will never be a cheap alternative to getting into racing.

As for being bigger than 125s, i got two thread mixed up, my bad

[limbimtimwim]

Right, because a motoX frame with about 10k of road gear on it will be cheap, and give you a well handling road race bike..

Have you seen the frame on a modern RM-Z450 MX bike? People are racing right now and having a good time with a lot less than that. And that engine has fuel injection and a shitload of hotting up parts available if you are so inclined.

Something needs to lower the back and with something like an RGV front end, it could be fun.

Easier than shoving an engine like that into a road bike frame.

[scott411]

$14995 US for the bike built up using a yamaha base, never went into the parts pricing,

[quallman1234]

15$ Grand, You could probabaly get a well setup Superbike for that (NB - A couple years old). Plus who the hell at 13-18 have 15k to spend. (now if you hired the bikes that could be good!) Let along their parents.

Ultimately it's unrealstic unless you could buy em second hand for a decent price.
Then you have realibilty issues.

Yardy yardy.

No such thing as a Cheap GP bike as stated. In both sense - Inital Cost and Running costs.