I don't get it!

[Razorback]

The XR50 is a cool kids bike and it's fun to watch 5 to 10 year olds compete on them but when I see teenagers to adults riding and racing them I just don't see the attraction.My buddy told me that a 15 year old kid on his street just sold his 125 and then put $2000.00 bucks into his little 50 so he could beet his buddies at the next race.The money that people put into those things is unreal.I know McGrath and a few other pro riders raced them in Elsinore but I thought it was for show and not ment to be taken seriously by adults.Maybe I'm wrong but full size teens and adults sure look silly on them.

[motomanfan]

I hear you, Razorback.

I see these grown men riding them and I just dont understand it. It looks uncomforable and too restricive. Its made for 6 year olds, for crap sakes. One person (here on TT) mentioned that he liked it because he could ride with his son on the mini track. That makes sense. Or hopping on them in camp to ride over to the pooper...that makes sense too.

But to sell your full size bike to buy and fix up a 50??? I just dont get it?? ?

[Turner]

I don't get it ether, I don't understand it. I agree with you totaly Razorback. It's like electric R/C racing, when people put thousands of dallors in those stupied little cars, when they could have way more fun riding a full size bike that is meant for your size. It's like a guy can't make up his mind on what type of bike he want's, so he buy 3 or 4 a yrs until he fines one that work for him. (and there are guys that do that, they just don't tell anyone)

So I'm with ya BRO. ?

[Jetster220]

Guys I hate to say it but if ya dont get it then you never will. People who do this are like you said, those who put lots into R/C cars, model airplanes or even people who spend a rediculous amount on speaker systems and rims for their cars. For me its just something about riding a little bike and thrashing it around plus I almost have more fun banging bars around a little track with my friends on these things than I do my big bike. Dont get me wrong I still love my GASGAS 200 but these little things are a blast to race in the off season.

But thats just my $.02

[JamesD]

The only thing I understand less (bike wise anyway) is people racing scooters!

http://scooterevents.com/

I'm surprised they don't have scooter-x (scooter cross).

[ToaDsiX]

You wont get it until you ride one on a track with your buddies!!

You will have a grin from ear to ear, thinking of the next turn so you can stuff your buddy

Seriously, Its alot of fun, you have to try it, THEN you will understand ?

~ToaD

[TTRrider]

Man that scooter thing is stupid. Those guys go big though! I can see why people like riding XR50s. If you've noticed you get alot of stress from riding big bikes, you have to worry about hurting yourself more. But it seems on a small bike you can just fool around and race with your buddies and not worry about breaking your leg. All in all, it's just about about the love of riding dirt bikes ?

[Joka]

I don't see how you can't like them! they (xr50s) are no different to the person who spends money on their car and laughs at people who spend money on their big bike.. you wouldn't believe how much fun they are! in my opinion they are better then big bikes because the competition is fierce, and you can really do some bar banging (literally)..

i agree with this 100%

"Guys I hate to say it but if ya dont get it then you never will."

[socalxr]

Mini-Bikes are great for a number of reasons:

1. It's like a hobby and a sport all in one. You can tinker on your bike til all hours of the night and dump loads of cash into it, just like a hobby. But you get to race it and ride it, which is the sport side.

2. It's just plain fun.

3. There's no better feeling than blowing by a big bike through a corner, then having him do everything he can to get you back on the straight, only to go inside and leave him.

4. Doing a triple that only half the big bikes are doing.

5. Watching a twin shock XR75 w/ just a little motor work ? get the holeshole on a gate full of 450's and finish in the top 5. Here's a Picture.

6. The odds of going back to work on Monday are greatly increased.

[DirtDaddy]

Jeez.. you guys sound like the street bikers. I ride a Harley Sportster and Buell S3T as well as my CRF230. Heck, I even ride my wife's Yammy 535 Virago when I feel like riding street "mini's". That bike is hella fun to ride!

The Big Twin Harley guys laugh at my Sportster and say things like "Why you ride a girls bike?" I just rev the beast and wait til the light turns green. When I leave 'em in the dust, they realize Sportsters are much better than their big ole slugs.

The guys that ride Jap sport bikes say things like "Why do you ride that stupid Buell? It shakes too much!" Little do they know that Buell can ride circles around their J-bikes in the twisites. ?

So, I say have fun with what you got and ride ride ride. Mini bike racing is just the next big thing right now. Just like Harley's are to the rich urban biker(RUB), the same goes with mini's.

When the fad dies, the RUBs who put thousands of $$'s into these teeny machines will put them in the garage to collect dust or sell them off for whatever they can get for them.

For you guys that race fiddy's and love it, have a great time! I think it's cool to race anything. ANYTHING! And yes, even Scooters too!

Let's give it a rest and talk about how to ride better or upgrade your machines.

Bill f. CRF230

ps.. I think you guys that complain about who rides what are just jealous.

[Razorback]

Gee Turner,does anyone in particular come to mind?While I was competing at the local,regional,national and yes the World level in RC car racing with full sponsorship I always had a bike in my garage and it wernt no minibike.As for buying 3 to 4 bikes a year let's count the number of bikes in my garage and the number in yours!For those that want to get in on the inside joke all of my bikes are listed at the bottom of this post.Turner,what say you? ?

[needsprayer]

solcalxr,

Thanks for a boatload of good information and a very entertaining pic. I just bought my daughter a XR100R and now I have alot of great tips from:

http://www.socalxrs.com/frames1.htm

Small bikes are fun and everyone in my family loves the XR100R. And it looks so cute parked beside my XR650R.

Do you know if there are any drum brake enchancements that can be performed on these small bikes?

Thanks again ?

[parkrider]

hmm, what's the attraction? for extremes there's either the biggest baddest bike or the smallest. here we have the smallest and it's very accessible to anyone of any skill or economic background. so easy to work on and ride. it's just plain fun! dream it up and you can probably do it whereas on full size bikes some things better left alone whether money or danger or whatever. the fiddy is just there man. no one can resist a ride at least! in short order comes wheelies, stoppies, knee dragging, flat tracking, jumping, or just tooling along a dirt road. the whole gamut. then you put it back in your car and take it home. ? I love my little xr

[JamesD]

People are pooring lots of money into these and you say they are withing anyone's reach financially? Whatever!

Understand this... I'm 6'4" tall and weigh over 200lbs! I stand flat footed when sitting on my WR400F! No amount of mods is going to make me comfortable on those little bikes! The smallest bike I think I'd feel reasonably comfortable on would be a CRF150.

[Motomofo1]

different strokes for different folks...

when i ride my 50, i get the same feeling i had when i was a little boy, first learning to ride. after years of racing and raising my own expectations over the years, the excitement of riding my big bikes has slowly deteriorated. that does not mean i do not enjoy riding my CRF. however, instead of multiple big bikes in my stable, the fleet has decreased to one, while the number of 50s continuously increases.

yes, 50s can be extremely affordable, or expensive as hell. i know, because i have ones that i have spent less than a grand on, and one that has cost almost as much as a new 450. the best part is that no matter how much money you pump into them, they are all extremely enjoyable.

i dont see why some people make such a big deal about the interests of others. personally, riding 50s just puts a larger smile on my face... isnt that the purpose of riding motorcycles in the first place?

[DirtDaddy]

Well said Motomofo1.. well said. ?

Bush Whacker

CRF230FunBikeDivision

Motomofo1 wrote:

> i dont see why some people make such a big deal about

> the interests of others. personally, riding 50s just

> puts a larger smile on my face... isnt that the purpose

> of riding motorcycles in the first place?

[parkrider]

James, you don't have to pour money into them. here's a typical stage one that's practically free (once you source a new or used fiddy):

- derestrict stock air snorkel (free)

- derestrict exhaust (free)

- lift needle (free)

- $4 jet from honda

- redrill stock triple (free)

- heck at this rate, one could "splurge" for a $5 tire iron, a $40 or so pair of bridgestone hoop's and have both street and dirt fun and many do just that.

get it? that's plenty cheap thrills in my book. heck the first week I got mine I cut the numberplates off and used a piece to make a rear hugger. stupid fun stuff.

the people that are pouring tons of money into one would do that on another bike just as well till they're happy with it. the competitive or pioneering spirit isn't in everyone though. some do it just for fun (and ok, because they can afford it). but the question isn't about others, it's about where do you fall on that bell shaped curve

ps. it's a kid's bike. you aren't supposed to fit it! see how silly this is already? I'm smiling at least ? wanna' race? heeheeeheeee

[JamesD]

I understand it's silly to see grown adults riding these things and that it's fun for you. But it isn't fun for me since I'm not a contortionist. If someone had a kit to relocate the foot pegs/controls foward about three feet I could at least consider it. I can picture it now... harley riding stance... feet in front of the front wheel... everyone laughing at me till I get the hole shot... LOL

[exozx6r]

I have friends that are as big as you, (1- 6'3" 210lb, 2- 6'1" 275lb) and they have a blast in fact, we all attack the heavier one because it is almost impossible to knock him over. imagine 5 of your buddys on a track trying to take eachother out, can't do that on a big bike. It is just too much fun. Both of them don't even have the big bar kit, seat foam or frame raise kit.

[JamesD]

Why does this bring back visions of my college days?

We used to play hoops every afternoon... "no blood... no foul" when your in the key. And Moto-X doesn't have fouls! LOL

And for the record, there were only a few broken bones. ?