hi tommy

they won't be until feb and march of 05. i have to call nathan next month and try and get it all set-up. they don't do the shows until winter around here.
how has your series been going? man, i sure do wish we could get down there, well at least maybe after hurricane season.

have you guys thought about running anymore of the shows.
if you got time pm me your phone #, i got an idea to throw at you.

thnaks
keith

 

I looked at the Dinli's today. I really liked them, they seemed very well made. Matter of fact, I liked them better than all the others. They were, however, big. They have a 150 in the same frame as the 90, and it seems about right for that. My son is small, and has very small hands, and the Dinli has basically adult size grips. That bike would definitely have to have a foot brake for him to ride safely.

so, I went to the Eton dealer and looked at the viper 90. The hand brakes on it are smaller than the Dinli, but I still had concerns about it's size. the brake on the Eton 70 had a much lighter pull, and was smaller, and seemed to be geared towards smaller hands. It would have been fine for him, but I want a 90. So, I decided that if I got him an Eton or a Dinli, it would have to have a foot brake for me to feel comfortable with him riding it. That adds 2 or 3 hundred to the price.

So, I got him the Kasea Outback. I'll just have to pull him out if he gets stuck!

Thanks for all of your help! I'll be around, and I'll keep you updated as to how it works out for us!

Ragsman

 

As long as you are out there is all that matters. You guys have fun and keep an eye on the GMQA. We might have some fun days from time to time that you might be interested in.

 

I just bought my daughter a 90cc Kolpin. The Kolpin is a Unison that they have put Kolpins name on it. I am very satisfied so far. It is basicly the same as a Scrambler 90.

 

Dont apologize terd. My son races an lt 80 which is a great bike, but last season he went up against a really nice (modified) trx 90 and had his *ss handed to him. Hondas have always been pretty much bullet proof and with a few mods the trx can be very competative against all of the new 2 strokes coming out. It is a valid choice.

 

There have been a few people bashing theYamaha raptor 80 here, and I guess I have to step up and comment. First off, it has a rear foot brake.. but it is also tied into the hand brake so no matter what is used (hand or foot), it will be applied. Secondly, people compained about the suspension. Well, to my way of thinking, I like the weight of the front end.. it keeps the front wheels on the ground, where as a parent who is not blessed with the next Jeremy McGrath would want it... "getting air" on a mini is not something I am in the very least interested in. I care more about what happens to teh frame and axle if the novice rider runs into a rock or a tree. In that regard, that solid front end is built like a tank, and will withstand a lot more "hits" than a a-arm suspension. ZSo before you go bashing the bike, take a look at it from the other side. If you child is the next superstar in the making, just remember that his or her ability is a-typical.. and the rest of us have to live on earth...not on cloud nine. I think the design fits the majority of the market it was made for.. and is a bullet proof tank that will provide many hours of enjoyment with very little maintainence required from dad if they get in trouble. Sure, if you want to race, then you would look elsewhere... personally, my son will never be a racer, and speed is not important to him... just getting out and riding through the trees WITH his parents is all he needs.. not waving at them as he passes by on a track

 

Dragginbutt once again you got it right. That thing is pretty bullet proof for a kid, just not a motocross kid.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Spike help me out on this one... do you notice that the Raptor 80 sort of auto brakes when they get off the throttle? I am not sure this is true for everyone, but my son's will come to a quick stop when he gets off the throttle... or when it dies. It does it on hills and flat.... and I have adjusted the brakes twice to try and free it up with no luck.... If this is a design "feature" of the machine, it would be a great tool for those that do not get to the top of a hill ... or have the bike stall etc. Like I said, I tried to adjust it out of the machine, but decided it might be a good thing considering his abilities right now. He is a little slow to react in emergency situations when it comes to brakes... so the auto braking feature his machine has gives him a little more margin for error. Anyone else notice the same thing on their Raptor 80's?

And Dodge dude... not everyone measures quality and performance by top speed.... especially when we are talking about little kids. Some of us measure success by not having to turn wrenches every weekend to keep the kids happy... I don't bash the other makes... as I feel they all have their own purpose... but I disagree with your assumption that just because the machine will not fly, it must be junk. It has been my experience, and that of litterally thousands of other owners that the machine fits their needs nicely, and reliably. This is not to say that it is better than any of the others, but just saying I feel the "junk" label is a bit harsh and out of character. Not too many 80cc mini's will pull my 300 pound draginbutt up and down a 35 degree hill without complaints....

 

Sorry, dragginbutt...but I consider the solid front axle a safety issue. It is much more likely to throw a person off camber than IFS when whatever you hit with one tire will force the other in the opposite direction. Especially in a turn.

 

Say what raptorlegs? The solid bar on the Raptor will react in the same manner as the a-arm... ie one wheel will lift while the other will stay on the ground... but I admit it will not react as well in this regard as an a-arm.

Did I mis-understand something in the translation there?

In rock climbing scenarios or in cases where a lot of jumping is required, IFS may be an advantage, but I am not convinced IFS is always the best thing to have in areas where the ground is flat or when speeds pick up. In fact, an IFS can hurt the performance in some cases and cause unstability. It all has to do with attack angles and such, but I am not convinced that given the environment that the typical mini (Non racing) is operated in, and the speeds they operate at, that there is going to be any major difference.

I have to go way back to my dirt track Sprint car and Midget days to explain suspensions... they almost exclusively use a solid front axle on dirt. Now you might see coil overs and torsion bars for controlling the chassis reaction, but the solid front and rear end are a given, but remember they are on a prepared flat surface... for duning and off-road, you find IFS is way better.

I'd still trust that solid beam to a run in with a big rock over an A-arm. I've had to replace several of the a-arms before for just that reason, while the solid bar keeps coming back for more. They just seem to be able to handle more punishment.. at least that has been my experience.... your milage may vary on that one.... but I guess the issue really comes down to matching the machine to the terrain.

I do not however share your opinion that it is a major safety concern at the low speeds we are talking about. I guess it comes down to what you perfer...