DoubleClick

DoubleClick

DoubleClick

DoubleClick

DoubleClick

DoubleClick

Home » features » Old Vs. New – Dirt Rider Magazine

Old Vs. New – Dirt Rider Magazine

By: editorial staff

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

/></a>
<p class="wp-caption-text"></p>
</div>
<p>Many riders dream about swinging a leg over a factory bike, but few ever actually get the chance to make roost using the most expensive and coveted machines in the sport. And among the lucky racers who have had the privilege of twisting the throttle on a top-of-the-line race bike, only a handful have done so on machines that were built several decades apart. Ricky Johnson is one of them. In 1986, at the height of his career, RJ was winning races aboard his famed 1986 factory Honda CR250 race bike, which at the time represented the pinnacle of factory performance. Fast forward 25 years to 2011, when RJ jumped at the chance to try out Cole Seely’s 2011 Troy Lee Designs/Honda CRF250R at Southern California’s Pala Raceway. The result? A firsthand account of how factory motocross technology has evolved over the years to remain competitive, impressive, exclusive and oh-so-trick. Here, Ricky describes in his own words just what it was like to transcend the decades by way of MX performance.<br />
<h3>First Glance</h3>
<p>When I first got my hands on Cole Seely’s Troy Lee Designs/Honda race bike, I was just in awe with how far bikes have come since my championship bike back in 1986. Back then, the factory bikes had more low-key mods like magnesium hubs. They didn’t really look that awesome, but you knew they were. The clutch cover had “HRC Honda” stamped on it, but it was the internals that made the works bike what it was compared to a production-based bike. For example, the magic that Honda always had was the cranks. There was something about those cranks—I can’t tell you what they did to them—but when you got on and rode there was virtually no vibration to your hands. Also, the adjustability that they had in triple clamps, subframes, pipes, carburetors, clutches, everything that you wanted, was all right there. Even in ’86 when the bikes were great we were still wondering if a tall seat was the way to go or if taller pegs were the hot setup.But now, bikes have leveled out from a performance standpoint yet they have even more adjustability when it comes to rider preference and things like the footpeg height and handlebar bend. Also, everything from the carbon-fiber hubs to the big platform pegs to the custom hoses can all be replaced. Stock bikes are the best that they’ve ever been, and yet the factories can still replace every part for more performance. That just goes to show that things today are very tunable.<br />
<h3>Taming The Beast</h3>
<p>In ’86 when I got on the CR250, it was a matter of taking the bike that I had—the factory bike—and making it more ridable. Honda was good at producing big, hard-hitting power, and when you first got on the bike it was very impressive. But then I found myself overjumping stuff and making mistakes because the power was just too explosive. That’s when I pulled in Pro Circuit back when it was uncharacteristic to pull in a privateer label and bring it into the factory realm. I started doing some testing with Mitch Payton—away from Johnny O’Mara and David Bailey—and got my supercross bike to have very, very ridable power. It still had a lot of horsepower, but we gained a lot of ridability and that’s what helped me back then.Now, currently, jumping on Cole Seely’s bike, let’s be honest—I weigh 220 pounds. I’m built for racing trucks. I’m in good enough shape to where I can win at truck racing, but I’m slow on a motorcycle. With my wrist being fused I can’t attack whoops or jumps as aggressively as I want because I have to stay back on the bike to twist the throttle. So, I’m not fooling anybody by trying to go out and ride like Seely or Christian Craig.<br />
<h3>Power Mad</h3>
<p>What I did notice first about Seely’s bike was the power. That four-stroke revs to the moon! I felt like I had to ride the bike more like a two-stroke. It had good bottom power, but where it was really impressive, where it wanted to be ridden—and I didn’t want to ride it there—was wide-open and in the higher rpm. You have to commit to jumps, commit to corners and hit everything at that higher speed. I struggled at first, but once I got into the flow and let it roll a little faster through the midrange I thought that I could use the power a little better.The ’86 CR250 was a much different animal. The first thing that you noticed when you kickstarted that bike is there was barely any harmonics or vibration to your hands. But it had a feeling of power just sitting on the stand. As soon as you started it, just the way the pipe was built and everything, you knew it was meant to haul ass. When I first went out on it, all I did was make mistakes because it was so fast and so responsive. I was more of a rider who liked to ride in the 70 to 100 percent throttle range. When I got on the factory bike, I found myself in 30 to 80 percent, and if I got into 90 percent I started making mistakes. It was great for sand and outdoor stuff where I needed power, but I needed it to actually get to the ground. That’s when I called Mitch and he brought down a couple of pipes and a gas welder. We were actually cutting pipes right there at the track and coming up with something usable. I focused more on that than top, overall power. You go to Southwick, Daytona, Millville, give me all the power you can make. But when it comes to the other tracks, Saddleback and Carlsbad, you’ve got to have ridability because you’re sliding the bike quite a bit. The old bike was much more explosive initially than the new one is.<br />
<h3>Springs And Things</h3>
<p>The suspension on Seely’s bike is obviously set up for someone a lot lighter than me, so I was sacking the thing out. But the part that blows my mind is that even being 70 pounds too heavy for the bike, it was still very forgiving. There were no kicks, even when I bottomed it out. I was a big advocate of Showa suspension when I was racing for Honda, and this new bike handles really well with the Showa components. It’s still balanced, even for my fat ass. That says something about the technology because back in the day if you were 220 pounds riding a bike set up for a 160-pound guy, you were going to crush through it and be bottoming it out everywhere. I had fun, overjumped some stuff and it still sucked everything up for me.One of the other main things I noticed is everything is so stiff nowadays. In ’86, I was one of the first guys to use an aluminum bar—a Renthal with a full-blown crossbar. I liked that bar. A lot of people have gone to these thick-walled setups that promote arm-pump because they have too much rigidity. Back then I was 185 pounds and strong—very strong—and I never bent that handlebar while jumping. I did find that the bar wasn’t glued well enough at the crossbar and it would start to sag after a while on my practice bikes, but as far as just getting on a bike and riding, I like the 7/8-inch wall bar. If you put them on a modern pro’s bike and actually got them to try it, they’d have this mysterious comfort level they didn’t know existed. But on Seely’s bike, the triple clamp is super stiff, the fork is super stiff, and the Twinwall bar with the crossbar is super rigid. To me, that’s all too much. I like it all to have a little more forgiveness, to where it softens your hands and cushions the bones a little bit. Everything is set up now to run into a giant wall, and that’s exactly what these guys are doing in supercross.
<div><a href=

/></a>
<p class="wp-caption-text"></p>
</div>
<h3>Full Flex</h3>
<p>The new CRF250R did everything right in turns, but I knew that being as heavy as I am I was sacking out the back more than the front and with my wrist I’m back a little further than normal, so it makes things a little pushy and loose in the front. I’m not able to attack the way I want. In the old days, we had problems due to flex when we first went from a conventional fork to an upside-down fork—you’d come into corners and you’d actually feel the fork flexing, and the front wheel wasn’t staying underneath you. But clearly, they got that sorted out and the upside-down fork is now the standard.Everything in the old days was perched off the back. They didn’t even really play with axle sizes. Now, that’s an art form: how much flex you get and how it affects the fork, so the flex is more in the tube or the housing or the axle. Back then, you just floated the front wheel more. Nowadays, everything is perched off the front, you’re leaning forward and you’re in a more aggressive stance. If you rode like that back in the day, you’d bust your ass. If you charged into something, the front wheel would flex and it would toss you, which is why we were always hanging off the back of those old bikes.<br />
<h3>Over-Innovation</h3>
<p>I think Seely’s reaction to riding my ’86 race bike would be, “This thing is way faster than I thought it would be!” and “How the hell did they ride this suspension?” The bike would be moving around so much with the steel frame, the traditional fork, the 18-inch rear wheel, all of these different things that nobody has now, and you had to flow with it more. My reaction to Seely’s modern bike? It’s what I expected. What you see is what you get—big fork, stout footpegs, huge-ass axles. But in my opinion, they’ve gone too far with all that. Is it helping? I don’t know. You could ride this bike off a building. I think maybe they built it with the giant handlebar so that when a guy cartwheels he can get back on it and finish the race!Still, it feels light, agile and very forgiving as well. Once again, Pro Circuit did a good job with the suspension tuning and you can get away with making mistakes. Because of that, riding this bike wasn’t as nerve-racking as I thought it would be. When I first saw it I thought I’d have arm-pump to the moon. I was definitely too slow for the bike, but I had fun with it.<br />
<h3>Function Meets Fashion</h3>
<p>When you look at a current bike like the Troy Lee Design’s Honda, every little thing is very fashionable but it’s also about function. You look at how they’ve double-bolted the back panel or recessed a certain piece into the frame. Or a big problem on old bikes used to be that the back pivot bolt for the swingarm would knock your ankles apart, and that’s not even a concern anymore. Everything looks fancy and sleek, but there’s a reason for it all. From the chamber in the pipe to the blue hoses, it all looks killer but it works better, too. Look at the seat: There’s a cool-looking Adidas deal on the seat cover with the three stripes, but that’s also for traction because it holds the rider in place. And the Cycra number plate—the way it comes down it is fashionable, but it’s got the function as well.<br />
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The bikes are at a level now that there are no more excuses. When I was racing for Honda its bikes were so much better than everything else that there was a noticeable difference. If you rode a works Honda, that was the way to go. In ’86, there wasn’t as much of a gap because we had the production rule. Kawasaki still had strong bikes, but Yamaha was behind the curve. I knew what Broc Glover was riding because he was my neighbor, and his stuff wasn’t nearly as strong as what I was riding. I could easily pass him going up hills! Broc was phenomenal going around corners, but his bike was not on the level that mine was. Nowadays, things are much more even. It’s a toss-up whether Seely’s bike has more top-end or the Pro Circuit KX250F has more torque; it all depends on what you’re looking for, and I think the riders need to be able to pull that out and make sure their setups are dialed.I read an interview somewhere with Bob Hannah, and I’m going to quote him here. Bob said that when he raced he wasn’t the most talented rider out there and he wasn’t the strongest, but he had heart. People don’t realize what that really means. I was at the Daytona Supercross recently and in the Lites main event the lap times slowed down 10 seconds over the course of the race! Yes, it got rougher, but if you change your pipe and you’re running at 100 percent, it might give you 1/10th of a second more, but being strong gives you two seconds per lap. The beauty of motocross is that it isn’t about equipment, old or new. It all comes down to the guy who has the most heart.In the old days, we had problems due to flex when we first went from a conventional fork to an upside-down fork.</p></div>

<div class="ngg-galleryoverview" id="ngg-gallery-178802-178802">



<div id="ngg-image-13991" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail " >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605531.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605531.jpg" alt="35605531.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605531.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>

<div id="ngg-image-13992" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail " >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605504.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605504.jpg" alt="35605504.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605504.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>

<div id="ngg-image-13993" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail " >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605534.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605534.jpg" alt="35605534.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605534.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>

<div id="ngg-image-13994" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail " >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605567.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605567.jpg" alt="35605567.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605567.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>

<div id="ngg-image-13995" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail last" >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605573.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605573.jpg" alt="35605573.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605573.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>

<div id="ngg-image-13996" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail " >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605576.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605576.jpg" alt="35605576.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605576.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>

<div id="ngg-image-13997" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail " >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605531.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605531.jpg" alt="35605531.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605531.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>

<div id="ngg-image-13998" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail " >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605504.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605504.jpg" alt="35605504.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605504.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>

<div id="ngg-image-13999" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail " >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605534.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605534.jpg" alt="35605534.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605534.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>

<div id="ngg-image-14000" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail last" >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605588.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605588.jpg" alt="35605588.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605588.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>

<div id="ngg-image-14001" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail " >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605546.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605546.jpg" alt="35605546.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605546.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>

<div id="ngg-image-14002" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail " >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605594.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605594.jpg" alt="35605594.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605594.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>

<div id="ngg-image-14003" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail " >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605549.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605549.jpg" alt="35605549.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605549.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>

<div id="ngg-image-14004" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail " >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605552.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605552.jpg" alt="35605552.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605552.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>

<div id="ngg-image-14005" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail last" >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605600.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605600.jpg" alt="35605600.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605600.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>

<div id="ngg-image-14006" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail " >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605579.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605579.jpg" alt="35605579.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605579.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>

<div id="ngg-image-14007" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail " >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605543.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605543.jpg" alt="35605543.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605543.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>

<div id="ngg-image-14008" class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box" >
<div class="ngg-gallery-thumbnail " >
<a href="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/35605582.jpg" title=" " class="shutterset_set_178802" >
<img title="35605582.jpg" alt="35605582.jpg" src="http://stwww.dirtrider.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/178802/thumbs/thumbs_35605582.jpg" width="100" height="75" />
</a>
</div>
</div>


<div class=

< Prev | Digital Dirt – Dirt Rider Magazine …

Smooth Sailing: A Year With The 201 … | Next >

Follow Us:

DoubleClick

DoubleClick

Fox Youth Raptor Proframe

Fox Releases Youth Raptor Proframe

The new Fox Youth Raptor Proframe takes

Cobra Moto riders

Cobra Moto heads to Daytona for Ricky Carmichael’s Amateur Supercross

HILLSDALE, Mich., (Feb. 28, 2013) – Cobra

Cobra Moto heads to Daytona for Ricky Carmichael’s Amateur Supercross

HILLSDALE, Mich., (Feb. 28, 2013) – Cobra

Pro Taper Mini O’s Recap

A video recap of the Pro Taper

DoubleClick

DoubleClick