Compared to the top-end-heavy, revved-to-the-moon 250Fs that many recent 85cc graduates prefer, Lawrence's quick-shifting, hard-hitting power preferences are more reminiscent of a 450cc woods weapon than a motocross screamer. Ironically, though, it still takes a keen left foot and an ear for rpm to make the bike competitive.
While the power delivery on the No. 338 bike may be surprising, the suspension settings certainly are not. Fast-guy stiff is the name of the game here, with both the fork and shock set up to absorb harder-than-life hits that only pro motocrossers and desert racers are exposed to. Granted, Lawrence is lighter than your average rider, but the speed at which he hits various obstacles is anything but average. As mentioned, the most distinct setup feature is the slightly low attitude of the bike, which again makes it a powerhouse when charging up hills or across fast chop.
"My suspension is the best that I've come across in as long as I've been racing. It has definitely gotten stiffer as I've gotten faster and the tracks have gotten rougher, but pretty much we've run the same basic setup since I've been on the team," Jason said.
To a heavier test rider, this setup may seem to blow through the initial portion of the stroke, but it never bottomed out. To a rider close to Jason's weight, the extra margin of error provided by the bike's resistant fork was a welcome-albeit rigid-breath of fresh air.
In the end, we couldn't care less about J-Law's criminal record or rumor-built reputation. What matters most is that the kid is a solid, talented racer with the means and ability to earn championships on a bike that-quite frankly-surprised us with how little it wanted to be wound out. Obviously, the hard hit and strong acceleration are to be expected, though the falling out up top was fairly uncharacteristic of a typical Lites-class race bike. But maybe this false expectation in setup is a parallel for how people respond to Jason; perhaps he, like his bike, simply wasn't built to bounce off the rev-limiter. Maybe his style is to do things in his own way and operate in what he feels is the right gear, and those who push him are met with nothing but resistance. Sure, Jason has some work to do in order to clear his name, but fixing this problem may be no more of a challenge than fine-tuning his bike.
"If there is ever something on my bike that is not perfect," J-Law says, "we fix it. It seems like we always find a way to make it exactly how I want it. Just recently, with some more help from Yamaha and the rest of the team, we have made my bike really, really good. I can't really ask for anything else."Clearly, this kid has everything he needs to remain a champion. Time will tell if he has what it takes to put them together.