250EXcited, yes the friday before memorial day is test & tune, PRO 2, 3 & 4 quads run on Sat & fast 8 PRO 1 cars & quads on Sat. Pro 1 cars & quads on Sun.

Are you going to run paddles? if not you'll launch OK on the sand. If you have paddles I would suggest making a wheelie bar. It doesn't need to be as elaborate as mine (I kinda went overboard) & not hard to make a simple one, but it's very difficult to run consistantly with out one running paddles. Just ask Hitower ,Eraptoid & bansheewarrior I sucked at the drags at Sahara because I'd never launched with out a wheeliebar. Every time I tried it was sky city & they were gone.

The only other tips I can give you is to go to the test & tune & make as many launches as you can.

 

Moose,

I have a set of Sand Sharks for my 250EX. I think they're supposed to fit the Z but I haven't tried them yet. How's the atmosphere for kids at the sand drags. My daughter (11) and son (4) will have to travel with me. No guarantee I can be there yet, but I'm gonna try. The adrenaline starts flowing just thinking about it.

 

There are a lot of kids around, you just have to watch them in the pits with all the cars going in & out.

 

Horsepower DOES equal speed. I can't believe some of you guys think top speed is all in the gearing. You can have enough gearing to run over 100mph......but if your engine won't "pull" the gearing, then it's useless.

 

It works the other way too, Gary...

You can have enough HP to run 100 MPH, but the gearing can hold you back to 60MPH.

It's a yin yang sort of thing.

It also doesn't matter what the 5th gear ratio by itself is, whether it's overdriven or 1:1, or underdriven. You have primary reduction, sprocket reduction, and tire size (although likely the same) that also plays a part in the mix - 5th gear's ratio is only one portion of the equasion.

If someone with an owner's manual cares to give me the gearing specs (sprockets, 1st thru 5th ratios, and primary reduction) - all of which will be in the "specifications" section -- I will build you a gearing calculator. I've already got such calculators for the 400EX, 250R, Cannondale, and a generic calculator.

 

Of course it can work the other way.....thats logical. You can guarantee Suzuki did'nt cut the gearing back to slow the Z400 down, so one can assume all 3 machines are very close too their potential top speeds in stock form. The top speeds posted are clearly inacurate.

 

You can guarantee Suzuki did'nt cut the gearing back to slow the Z400 down, so one can assume all 3 machines are very close too their potential top speeds in stock form. The top speeds posted are clearly inacurate.

You seem awfully sure about that with the small amount of data available. I'll reserve making those sorts of assumptions until I see gearing specs.

 

Yes, I am positive Suzuki did not cut the gearing back to slow the machine down. Take that as fact.....top speed is way too important in magazine testing.....which sells atv's faster than any other advertisement / word of mouth.