It's been a while since I've been a national mx event but after going to the final round at column what hit me was the return of the 2 stroke in oz racing. The 250 2t is allowed to race in same class as 250 f now. the under 19 class was half full of ktm and yz 2 strokes There was a 2stroke class and that was great to watch. Lap times were around 4 seconds off the 450s. There was also 2strokes that came second and third in the pro lites The track was deep sand and there was little difference between the 2 and 4 stroke As the 4 seemed to get power down easier
It's the way racing should be. We get great racing out of it, and not a monoculture of engines. More people can afford to go up against others, and it has been less of a 'bottomless pockets' racing series. 250Fs are not being slaughtered, as people claim / fear they would be. They are far from being foo foo bikes. And, there's a hell of a lot more to come from them. Just as an example : Honda's NR250, basic Road Race starter engine ( that's what Honda regard it as, and they've pretty much taken a very limited involvement in Moto 3 racing - for now at least) has 47HP. Goodness only knows what the dominant KTM Moto 3 'kitted' bikes put out. Everts was quoted as the KTMs of Herlings and a few others as having 48 /49 HP, early this year, so they are screaming around with probably 50HP at their beck and call. Not hard to see when most mags tested '13 SXF at or near to 42/ 43 HP. I hate the sounds of only one type of engine out there, especially when it's pretty much mandated by outdated rules. The 2t only class doesn't interest me one bit, and it's really not needed here with our equivalency rules. All Pro Series across the world need to embrace equivalency. It's well past due. Kale Makenham will probably be on a 4t next year, even if KTM sign him up. It's what they need to sell, and what most manufacturers / teams have as bikes to race.
There's a one page article in Dirt Rider (October) which suggests that Honda has a DI250 2 stroke ready for market (as does KTM/Husky). DI 125 carts put out those sort of 250f numbers - which may or may not be useful off road.
Road Race GP 125s put out mid / high fifties, and some were rumoured to be getting into the sixties, in terms of HP, in the last few years of their existence. The trouble was, they were made available to a very select few, at a very high price. Hence, the introduction of 250 4ts, in a control class, Yes, 4 stroke racing, to make racing cheaper. You'd think that a more logical thing would have been to make the 125s be produced under "control rules", if they really wanted affordable racing. A few Drongos on 2t sites claim those 50 plus HP 125s would be totally rideable / suitable for dirt use. Obviously not, as they would have been put to use. Yet, those few Drongos still insist they'd be the best thing since sliced bread. Now, I ride a 2t, and very much want them to be given equivalency in all types of racing - to bring the motorcycle world (well, indeed the ICE using world ) back to it's senses. But I'd never go on endlessly about the utter superiority of 2ts. A 125 2t Road Race tuned engine, would not be an easy thing to ride in the dirt, nor to keep running. It's why when I go on about 125 racing as being needed to be back at top levels (in a rare bit of commonsense, the FIM have been running the EMX 125 series for a few years now, and it's great racing - it's needed in Feld SX, and MX Sports US Nationals), I happily / honestly say I'd love to see the company (ies) that so believe in the superiority of 4ts, get into the 125 class. Give them the old rule of one year for a protoype (both types of engines) for an incentive to have a go, then they have to have a production version. As was done with the 450s. Yes, I do believe a 125 4t could be made to go up against 125 2ts. But, it would have to run at 18 / 20 K+ rpm, and it would be a peaky / tricky thing to ride. And, a rather expensive to keep running. It, may not be a good idea to try racing one - but I'd kill to see and hear them screaming around on MX Track. Come on Honda, be brave - since 4ts are the greatest, use your 'power' to bring back equivalency (instead of blocking it) and show us just how much better they are ..................
