The SuperMotard Thread: Because Real Men Back It In

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Cycle Asylum > The SuperMotard Thread: Because Real Men Back It In

That Genuine Stank: Apr 25, 2004

Gr3y posted:

Okay, so after I fix a bunch of other poo poo in my life, I'm thinking about getting into racing. Right now I've gotten in narrowed down to:
1. A supermoto
2. A shifter cart
3. Buying another Miata and possibly doing a Spec conversion on it.

Do any of you guys race sumos competitively? If so is there a national sanctioning body to sign up with or is it mostly local clubs? How much do you need to transport to the track?

Do you steeple chase like on dirt bikes?

And most importantly: Is that poo poo as fun as it looks? Because it looks like you should be cackling like a maniac from start to finish.

Here is the way that I look at it, option two would allow the most pure racing experience in terms of vehicle performance and stuff option 1 would be the most unique racing experience and option three is pretty cool, but you would be in a miata.

Something to consider is that if you really want to get into racing, you will be the owner of a vehicle that is not street legal. As much as I like my DRZ, it cannot compete with the big boys. The local sumo league put the drz'z in with the novice and lower displacement bikes if I remember correctly. If you want to get into sumo racing, you will be buying something in the 450cc range. I must admit that I had the most fun on a borrowed crf100 at the track.

Do you mean like a hare scramble? Only if you trade out your wheels for the ones that came on the dirt version of the bike that have knobbies on them.

How do you feel about being 10�20 feet in the air with a motorcycle between your legs?

# ¿ Mar 20, 2009 04:05

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# ¿ May 2, 2024 17:00

That Genuine Stank: Apr 25, 2004

Gr3y posted:

There is nothing wrong with a Miata. Only fags and little girls don't like those cars.

What do you mean by really get into racing. I'm not looking at this as a career, I don't think I have the talent to be the next Andrette or Spies, nor the wherewithall to even try to be anything more than a weekend warrior. Novice and low class sums me up pretty well. In all things.

I've heard that the dirt portion of a SuMo race incorporates "mild" jumps. Is that more the exception than the rule? Or is that reserved for MX racing?

That sounds loving awesome. But I'd probably wind up coughing up my testes afterward... probably totally worth it.

I am sure that I would have a blast doing spec miata, just that it wouldn't be my choice of the three.

Most of the dudes out here race 450cc, almost all of the racers in the lower classes, save novice and drz are the same riders. None of these guys have any delusions of going pro either. If you plan on racing in the lower classes, you're in luck! Around here we have a 150cc and below class and it is a blast. One caveat is that you may not be able to clear that table top or triple.

Here is a jump from one of the more bizarre tracks in the world from bulgaria,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn0-59v2mrU&feature=related

There are jumps that are more crazy such as that uphill double at one of the xgames. In truth, you are unlikely to see supercross style jumps in local tracks, in fact not all of my local tracks have jumps in them.

There is also the sportsman category where you can run a dirtbike w/o much modification. You just need to find street tires for whatever size wheels are on there. This might me a good way of getting into the sport with a big bike with out a huge investment up front. Then, as you go along you can drop the extra couple thou to turn it full on sumo.

As a drz owner and someone who has ridden a few different bikes on the track, the drz isn't really suited for it. Just sayin'

I guess I should have said, "have you ever been 10�20 feet in the air with a motorcycle between your legs?", because I thought that it would be totally awesome as well. Turned out that I found it more of an obstacle, not unlike a tight turn. Jumps are a essential part of the experience and they are exhilarating.

Simkin posted:

Out of curiosity, what's it like, sliding a sumo around in the dirt sections? I assume that the tyres are either full slick, or treaded road tyres, and thus would fare pretty poorly on the dirt.

As long as the dirt is pretty well packed, it isn't much different than a regular dirt bike, the suspension is similar and such. On the other hand, there is a track near me that has a pretty sandy dirt section that you pretty much have to walk it through the corners.

# ¿ Mar 20, 2009 07:36

That Genuine Stank: Apr 25, 2004

Fantastipotamus posted:

The local used bike/Benelli bike dealership has this pretty sweet looking SM for $7k. It's a BMW G650 with like 250 miles on it.. I don't think I'm about to trade my Buell and/or KLR in just yet, but I'd considered it a time or two.

350lbs dude. Your klr doesn't weight that much does it? I know that the klr is a poor choice for conversion, but if you think that the bmw might suit you, you could just buy a bigger front brake and a set of seventeens. Maybe later, change the suspension.

edit: for about the same price you can likely get a husky 510 new, it makes about the same power and should weigh about 100lbs less.

That Genuine Stank fucked around with this message at 15:39 on Mar 21, 2009

# ¿ Mar 21, 2009 15:31

That Genuine Stank: Apr 25, 2004

Spartak posted:

I want a supermoto RIGHT NOW

In terms of maintenance how do the KTMs, Aprllias and Huskys compare to the DRZ400SM? If I ever get one I'll probably use it for commuting, so I don't want to be messing with it every weekend.

From what I have heard, as long as you get a street legal ktm, they are every bit as reliable as a drz and have similar maintenance intervals. I have not heard many good things about the reliability of the aprillia and I haven't heard much of anything about the huskies. I do want a husky 510 rather bad though.

I am not sure if this has been mentioned, but a good place to go for sumo info is https://www.supermotojunkie.com yes, it is spelled wrong.

# ¿ Mar 25, 2009 19:07

That Genuine Stank: Apr 25, 2004

Phat_Albert posted:

My roomate had a KTM Supermoto at the same time as I had my DRZ. While I wont say it wasnt reliable, it did require alot more maintenance than my DRZ.

I know the "lol KTM rattles parts off left and right" is a tired cliche at this point, but it has its base in the truth. That bike was a constant game of finding loose parts and locktite-ing them before they fell off on the road. More than once he would come home and his rear blinkers would be dangling by the wires.

The exhaust was also a constant tightening struggle for some reason.

It was also very prone to flooding and vapor locking for some reason. That being said, it never did leave him stranded, it just wasnt the "push the button and go" vehicle that my DRZ was.

Keep in mind, what I have heard is also from the same people that will have you believe that the drz is a sissy bike and may say anything to justify that. I never thought much of it because that is what I have heard so much and nobody has said different.

Funny though, my drz has been laid down, mostly at 0mph, many times and nothing has fallen off. Well, my clutch lever is shorter than it used to be. I like it shorter and I will probably replace it with a shorty lever if I do.

# ¿ Mar 26, 2009 19:51

That Genuine Stank: Apr 25, 2004

Spartak posted:

What about getting a used (road legal) xr500-600 or something and slapping some 17" rims on it? Cos that's what I want to do

Then do it.

Spartak posted:

But then again, that would probably be narrowly cheaper than a second hand DRZ. I guess the only problem would be finding one that wasn't thrashed, which they all probably would be.

Not only would it only be narrowly cheaper, what makes you think that a used dual sport would be any less likely to be thrashed? Also, as far as I have heard, the street legal xr's are just as slow and heavy as the drz only not setup for the street like the drz is. There are some states where the xr650r is road legal, I think, but for all its power it is a wide open desert bike.

This sort of runs into a philosophical discussion regarding "supermoto-ness". The way that I look at it is, you can participate in supermoto racing by racing a dirtbike on knobbies in the sportsman class, but that doesn't mean that your kx500 is a supermoto. The best analogy that I can come up with is; you can run your lifted truck at the drag strip, but that doesn't make it a dragster.

A final word about conversions, for all the difference that swapping tire and wheels (and brakes) makes, you may as well stick with the wheels that came with the bike and save up to buy a supermoto. The xr's and the like that get converted are usually done because the converter had the bike already. The general guideline on cenversions is to only convert if you really like the bike and feel that it would make a better sumo than what is available off the shelf. If you do end up trying to save money, choose carefully, not all dirtbikes have ready conversion parts.

As far as thrashed drz's go, I think that I am the only drz owner here who bought theirs new.

# ¿ Mar 27, 2009 10:19

That Genuine Stank: Apr 25, 2004

Phat_Albert posted:

As n8 said, you can run street tires on the standard wheels, which makes for a supermoto on the cheap. Doesnt look as cool, but the effect is nearly the same. Thats what I do with my Kawi 250 enduro. I put some Maxxis Promaxx tires on, and I have 95% of the fun factor of a regular supermoto with almost none of the cost.

Even though it isn't a supermoto in the purest sense, this is a very good idea to get involved on the cheap. Even though I already have a drz, if I were to get into racing I would probably get a low displacement dirt bike and put different tires on it.

# ¿ Mar 27, 2009 20:09

That Genuine Stank: Apr 25, 2004

sw0cb posted:

How maintenance intensive is owning a drz400SM? I understand they are pretty simple bikes but I know on some of the dirt bike stuff the engines don't hold up to long.

I would like to add that many dirt bikes and some sumos have ridiculously short maintenance intervals because of high specific output. For example the RM-z450 puts out something like 55hp and has an interval measured in hours whereas the DRZ puts out around 35hp with an interval that is measured in thousands of miles. In my experience, the maintenance on the DRZ is pretty much like a car.

# ¿ Mar 4, 2010 08:39

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# ¿ May 2, 2024 17:00

That Genuine Stank: Apr 25, 2004

Zool posted:

What's a cr250 if not a trackbike?

Seriously, turn it into a sumo and track it. Is there any supermoto racing in needknees' area?

# ¿ Aug 26, 2010 02:36

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