Bloke Posted September 23, 2009 Report Share Posted September 23, 2009 Just watch Sabina, with her massive 54 bhp go... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sennidott Posted September 23, 2009 Report Share Posted September 23, 2009 I love that bike and you, Mr Edwards are a star! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricey3 Posted September 24, 2009 Report Share Posted September 24, 2009 goes well hey, whats your guesstimation on top end? and whats it revving to 9krpm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xrtt883 Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 Let me be repetitive (sorry ) I LOVE these things. I still don't understand why someone at a major factory doesn't just send one out the door with lights and all. I mean, what happened to single-cylinder sportbikes? Yamaha is charging close to $7K for the mini supermoto WR250X. A great little bike, but costly for what it is and does. In fact, ALL of the sporting single-cylinders these days ARE supermotos. If Yamaha wants a sub-600 sportsbike (more or less what the WR250X is), they could as easily take the WR450, lower the suspension, add lights, mirrors (and adding those is what they do in Europe to make it road legal. We don't have a street legal version over here) fairing, call it an R4 and be done with it. And it will probably cost less than the 250. Suzuki can do it even more easily, because they have the DRZ400SM sitting right there, ready to get lowered and faired. Even Tractor/Buell could do this. They had the 500cc Blast, a really, really nice thumper that handled (being a Buell, it had that for sure). It was actually the best selling bike in the entire Tractor/Buell line, but Eric literally crushed it out of production as "unrepresentative" of the Buell brand -- not hardcore enough. I think it had 30hp at the rear wheel. I understand that guys were able to get that to around 60bhp. I think they gave up on a good concept. Maybe EB is going to bring it back in more menacing form? Are rumors still out there about a KTM RC4? And there's this whole "private party makes road version of the Ducati Supermono" bit going on. Maybe the factories are worried that they'll steal sales from themselves by making a more accessible sportsbike than something like an R6. I've heard that Tractor originally developed the 500cc lump that wound up in the Buell Blast for a Tractor entry model, but wanted to keep the 883 Sportster in that slot. I suspect that HondaKawaYama have a similar view of things, relative to their various 600s. Suzuki having shown no qualms about putting LOTS of sub-Gixxer middleweights into their lineup, I'm thinking that they'll take the plunge, using the aforementioned DRZ400SM as the base. GSX450S, maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gobert23 Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 I may have missed a trick, but hasn't the Suzuki DR-Z400SM been dropped from the line-up? I thought it was to do with the emissions...? Not an issue if building a trackbike, granted; but could be a problem when wanting to build a new road toy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisexup Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 Are rumors still out there about a KTM RC4? There's a feature on it in the current (Nov 09) issue of Bike magazine. There's a track test and loads of pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricey3 Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 the maintenance periodicity may also have part to play in the factories not really getting to involved atm. The four stroke crosser engines that are currently used to power these bike are fairly reliable but do require some looking after, which as a race bike / motocrosser is fairly acceptable, but perhaps not as a road bike that the public would buy. Take the aprilia 550 for example. I'm building one atm the moment and have wondered on a few occasions have the engine will fancy revving to high rpm's over extended periods, compared to the relatively short burts required of a motocrosser. Time will tell i suppose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gobert23 Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 the maintenance periodicity may also have part to play in the factories not really getting to involved atm. The four stroke crosser engines that are currently used to power these bike are fairly reliable but do require some looking after, which as a race bike / motocrosser is fairly acceptable, but perhaps not as a road bike that the public would buy. Take the aprilia 550 for example. I'm building one atm the moment and have wondered on a few occasions have the engine will fancy revving to high rpm's over extended periods, compared to the relatively short burts required of a motocrosser. Time will tell i suppose I'm pretty sure you could've slotted the 'prilia 450/550 motor into your ol' RGV250 (which was stunning btw) with a lil' bit of work... (Since people have already slotted that motor into the RS250 frame). What're you building now? G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricey3 Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 I'm pretty sure you could've slotted the 'prilia 450/550 motor into your ol' RGV250 (which was stunning btw) with a lil' bit of work... (Since people have already slotted that motor into the RS250 frame). What're you building now? G Same as Sabrina, a moto450 based on a crf450 and gxsr1000 parts. a few r1 bits too. Progress is a bit slow atm as i'm waiting on the wheels, and waiting on a mate cnc'ing up a yoke and revised rear linkage i've designed. Should be fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xrtt883 Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 I may have missed a trick, but hasn't the Suzuki DR-Z400SM been dropped from the line-up? I thought it was to do with the emissions...? Not an issue if building a trackbike, granted; but could be a problem when wanting to build a new road toy. Nope. It stand proud, at least in Suzuki's U.S. lineup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xrtt883 Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Same as Sabrina, a moto450 based on a crf450 and gxsr1000 parts. a few r1 bits too. Progress is a bit slow atm as i'm waiting on the wheels, and waiting on a mate cnc'ing up a yoke and revised rear linkage i've designed. Should be fun Sweet. Chillier than most cool things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xrtt883 Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 There's a feature on it in the current (Nov 09) issue of Bike magazine. There's a track test and loads of pics. Oooooh. Ahhhhh. Drat. We get 'em over here about a month behind. Can't wait to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloke Posted October 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 Sabrina is based on a RMZ450 not a DRZ400 as far as I know it is still in the Suzuki range, I recon the secret to keeping the motor in one piece is to rev it just to 9,000 and not right upto the rev limiter, no point realy as the power is over by then anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xrtt883 Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 Sabrina is based on a RMZ450 not a DRZ400 as far as I know it is still in the Suzuki range, I recon the secret to keeping the motor in one piece is to rev it just to 9,000 and not right upto the rev limiter, no point realy as the power is over by then anyway. Such a cool bike, such smooth riding, such inspiration! I read that you had to have some machining done at the forks to get the right geometry, but that the Yamaha supposedly would have given something better in that regard. Will you stick with Suzuki if you do another one? And just what kind of laptimes are you turning compared to the 600s? I mentioned the DRZ400SM (the supermoto) just because I see it as a great basis for a street version of this type of bike. Now that KTM is there, who knows? Rock on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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