I've had quite a few people in the past ask me and everyone else on here and the Facebook page what the best mods are for XC and MX are. In my opinion, there are a few absolutes, but the majority of proper part selection comes down to need. That's what this is about. Running this pipe because it makes the most power or that tire because it provides the most grip is all well and dandy, so long as it is the kind of power and grip you need, not want. All too often do people buy what everyone else is running or what they think is neat, useful, or cool, but they don't get any faster. This leads to frustration, lack of enthusiasm, and higher lap times - the worst of all.
Competitive racing takes money. Most of us don't have a lot of it, so we'd better make the most out of what we have.
*The next portion is how I upgraded. It is only a list of examples. If you don't want to read it, skip to the next yellow line.*
I'll use my Banshee as a reference since I never raced competitively on my wife's Blaster.*
I'll go through my build-up in chronological order because I fixed the things that were most obvious.
I purchased my Banshee off the floor in December 2009 with T5s, PD Pro Flow w/ UNI, and TORS delete. I threw a 15t front sprocket on it, removed the front bumper, parking break, and heel guards, and installed a fender bracket. Since I was in the military at the time, I had very few chances to ride it and get used to it. Once I returned home in early 2014, I got really serious with it.
The first things I noticed were low-end power and that I was scrubbing and sometimes hitting trees with the tires. That lead to 3 things: Aftermarket head and domes, timing plate, and race-cut plastics.
Next, I purchased sme used Works triples w/ res because I was beating myself to death trying to keep up with the 450s on my track.
I was then low on money and needed more power, so I purchased main jets 290-330 and removed the airbox lid. I ended up with the 330 and it's perfect.
Then, I started to get to where I had enough power to really get the back end just out of my control in a few places, so I opted for new tires. Duro Hookups did extremely well at keeping the back end and front end in place, almost too much at times.
The new tires had too much traction, so I dropped to a 14t front sprocket. (should have gone with a 13)
Then, I started actually practicing and was limited by the now-broken Works shocks. I'd saved a bit of money up and Elka had a huge sale going on, so I purchased all 3 Elka Stage 3s with added rebound adjustment, LSR DC-Pro (long travel) a-arms and tie rods, and streamline brake lines.
Since I took the brake lines off to do the front end, I went ahead and picked some YFZ calipers up for the front since I'd previously noticed that the brakes would fade after a while.
At this point, it had started to handle and grip so well that I had trouble staying on it. JDS Customs kick-up pegs to the rescue. Love them. These allowed me to maneuver so much more than with the stock pegs and still have enough footing to not almost sh*t on myself at every sketchy spot.
What I noticed next was that I had difficulty hanging on and actually seeing where I was going because of the dust and sweat in my eyes, so I ordered some Fox gloves and a Fox V4 and Fox gloves. It kept my head cooler and my eyes were never in pain or irritation afterwards.
Let's state some facts for a moment. I look cool as hell, and we all know it, but the V4 was a different kind of cool. Not cooler, just different cool. To blend the gap, I addressed it by going with One Industries Devcon pants and jersey. Nice transition between my genetic coolness and the purchased coolness if I may say so myself. (I kid)
Next was a set of Pro Taper EVO bars in Windham bend, ROX 7/8"-1-1/8" adapter risers (2" rise), and spider grips since my hands and wrists were in severe pain any time I was leaning to the side my handlebars were turned to. I also bolted a YFZ master cylinder up for a better brake feel.
This is about where I've stopped, largely because the bike is getting to be more capable than I, but mostly for funding. This last outing to the track really got my attention becuase of a few things. I hit a 75' tabletop and came down with my heel on the gear shifter. I also got sideways in the air and hit back-left wheel first, and something was just a little off for the remainder of the lap. From that, 3 things arose: the need for a set of nerf bars (Factory 43 will be used), boots (likely Fox Instinct), and *wait for it... wait... WAIT FOR IT..... a new swingarm. Yep, I twisted mine by about 5-6° from what I measure. It is very noticeable. How the chain didnt jump off, I'll never know. I'll address this by going with a JL Engineering swinger that's -1.5 from stock.
*End of Segment*
This is how I did it - what I noticed. This is a list of examples. To me, the best mod is the one you think about most often while riding. You have trouble actually staying on the quad? Figure out whether it's a matter of chassis roll, pegs, you, etc. and fix it. Adding a pipe will not fix this problem unless your issue is that you roll when attempting to get the back end around.
Arm pump? Don't buy the reeds that you've been drooling over, buy better bars, better grips, gloves, etc.
If you constantly notice that your front brakes take significantly longer to bring you to corner speeds than anyone else, buying anything else isn't just ineffective, it's outright stupid in this case.
This is more of a mindset when it comes to actual racing and counting seconds. Upgrades arise from need. You'll be amazed at how fast you are when you resolve the discomfort and distractions. Some people claim to be fast because they can multitask using a shoddy clutch and bald tires with the alignment 15° out of spec. If you can do that, imagine how well you'll be able to ride once you fix the things that take your focus away from practicing.
Think of it like this: if you fly into a corner every time and think about how you're going to keep the body roll in check, the bent handlebars from breaking a wrist, the chain from popping off, etc., you're wasting effort. You're practicing something that you shouldn't have to practice. What if you could make it do what you want, like a 3rd arm? If you fix everything and stop thinking about "sit here so the seat doesn't slide because I don't have any seat gromets" or "I can't hang on because my grips twist", you'll be able to focus on a corner line. Where to carve an apex, where to slide and where to remain stable, and how to shave seconds in general will be thigns you focus on. If you can shave .5 seconds per corner and there are 12 corners, that's 6 seconds saved in a lap. At an average speed of 30mph, how far will you advance in that 6 seconds? What about an average speed of 40mph? 50mph? What if there are 20 turns?
Again, this isn't about buying everything in sight - it's about buying what you need over what you want. Sometimes, you may not notice that something bothers you until you get to lap 2 or 3, etc. If 2 years ago, someone had told me that the best modification that I would make (to this point) behind suspension would have been handlebars, I would have laughed my ass off. For me, lap 1 and 2 were cake. Lap 3+ was painful, and 5+ was never seen becuase I wasn't going to attepmt to fight through the pain in my wrists. Sure, reeds would have helped out on bottom end, but how much time would that have saved? 2 seconds a lap? Handlebars made no difference in the first lap and barely any in the second, but my lap times were down by 2 seconds in the 3rd, 6 seconds in the 4th, and I could actually make it to lap 5. 7 laps is the max now before I'm beat to death and dry mouthed. Will a Camelbak help lap times? We'll see, but only after I buy a swingarm, boots, and nerf bars.
Specific things like gearing and type of upgrade are extremely important. Some time ago, Blaaster and I had an argument about gearing on the Facebook page. His side was that one should gear to the track so that you can use every available gear. My side was that one should gear so that you weren't having to compromise on gears in some sections (below the powerband in 3rd, screaming in 2nd for example) and that switching gears takes thought away from driving if you have to shift too often. I can completely understand and respect his opinion, but it's a matter of preference. Both hold water in theory and in practice. Though I didn't mean that a 17t front sprocket and 19t rear sproket on 30" tires was the solution, I will say that a tad hiher gearing than you'll be able to use may be of benefit. Not always, just that it may be from time to time. It's more a matter of which school of thought we each stem from.
Order of precidence:
Safety
Reliability
Chassis capability
Rider capability
Engine power
The other matter is closer to an "everyone-needs" type of thing; the must-have items. On this list are first and foremost, a good helmet.
Don't buy a bunch of stickers and neon lights if you don't have a helmet. If you wreck, you'll be an injured turd with a slow 4-wheeler. Helmets first. I have a good friend who went with his dad to pick up his first sport atv at the age of 15 (back in 2006). His dad asked the owner (the biggest ahole on the planet) what the differences in helmets were and whether the difference was worth it. His response was "how much is your son's head worth?" Makes good sense to me. How much is your head worth to your family?
Goggles come next. How can you see if you have dirt in your eyes? It'll happen eventually, so go ahead and get them now. You'll wish you'd spent that $60 when you're making a dumb face and blinking at a rate of 300/minute to get the sand out.
Next is tires with tread. Yeah, I know you don't wanna buy new tires and this is always covered, yada yada, but does it make sense to chase lap times on sh*t tires?
Nerf bars, heel guards, and boots! Some people are fine with one or the other, and I don't think I agree. You can get away with it, but it is a very nice feeling to not have to worry about where your feet are gonna land. Plus, who wants a broken anlke? Who wants to get a leg under a tire and have the peg split your legs right up to your (mentally fill in blank depending on gender)?
Gloves are more a protection against blisters and limbs, but are necessary for extended periods of hard riding.
For most of us, we are limited by budget. Make it count when you spend money. Don't have a ported 240 built if you can't even negotiate a turn. Don't be unsafe with it because you can really get hurt. Also, don't blow this off. I'm not someone's mom that's saying it, I'm a 25 year old guy and I don't know any of you in real life. This ssport is serious. It never pertains to you and it never matters until you get hurt. It's always some other guy that you'll never meet that gets hurt. Unfortunately, some of us will leave this earth while screwing around on a 4-wheeler. However, some of us are "fortunate" enough to have just a slight scrub with death and walk away just fine. At this point is where sh*t gets real. That's where a glimpse of the inability to provide for your family shines through, and it's not a settling feeling. It's terrifying.
So I'll end with this: if you notice it, it isn't working properly and should be fixed. Ride safely, peeps.
-ProgLysergic
Competitive racing takes money. Most of us don't have a lot of it, so we'd better make the most out of what we have.
*The next portion is how I upgraded. It is only a list of examples. If you don't want to read it, skip to the next yellow line.*
I'll use my Banshee as a reference since I never raced competitively on my wife's Blaster.*
I'll go through my build-up in chronological order because I fixed the things that were most obvious.
I purchased my Banshee off the floor in December 2009 with T5s, PD Pro Flow w/ UNI, and TORS delete. I threw a 15t front sprocket on it, removed the front bumper, parking break, and heel guards, and installed a fender bracket. Since I was in the military at the time, I had very few chances to ride it and get used to it. Once I returned home in early 2014, I got really serious with it.
The first things I noticed were low-end power and that I was scrubbing and sometimes hitting trees with the tires. That lead to 3 things: Aftermarket head and domes, timing plate, and race-cut plastics.
Next, I purchased sme used Works triples w/ res because I was beating myself to death trying to keep up with the 450s on my track.
I was then low on money and needed more power, so I purchased main jets 290-330 and removed the airbox lid. I ended up with the 330 and it's perfect.
Then, I started to get to where I had enough power to really get the back end just out of my control in a few places, so I opted for new tires. Duro Hookups did extremely well at keeping the back end and front end in place, almost too much at times.
The new tires had too much traction, so I dropped to a 14t front sprocket. (should have gone with a 13)
Then, I started actually practicing and was limited by the now-broken Works shocks. I'd saved a bit of money up and Elka had a huge sale going on, so I purchased all 3 Elka Stage 3s with added rebound adjustment, LSR DC-Pro (long travel) a-arms and tie rods, and streamline brake lines.
Since I took the brake lines off to do the front end, I went ahead and picked some YFZ calipers up for the front since I'd previously noticed that the brakes would fade after a while.
At this point, it had started to handle and grip so well that I had trouble staying on it. JDS Customs kick-up pegs to the rescue. Love them. These allowed me to maneuver so much more than with the stock pegs and still have enough footing to not almost sh*t on myself at every sketchy spot.
What I noticed next was that I had difficulty hanging on and actually seeing where I was going because of the dust and sweat in my eyes, so I ordered some Fox gloves and a Fox V4 and Fox gloves. It kept my head cooler and my eyes were never in pain or irritation afterwards.
Let's state some facts for a moment. I look cool as hell, and we all know it, but the V4 was a different kind of cool. Not cooler, just different cool. To blend the gap, I addressed it by going with One Industries Devcon pants and jersey. Nice transition between my genetic coolness and the purchased coolness if I may say so myself. (I kid)
Next was a set of Pro Taper EVO bars in Windham bend, ROX 7/8"-1-1/8" adapter risers (2" rise), and spider grips since my hands and wrists were in severe pain any time I was leaning to the side my handlebars were turned to. I also bolted a YFZ master cylinder up for a better brake feel.
This is about where I've stopped, largely because the bike is getting to be more capable than I, but mostly for funding. This last outing to the track really got my attention becuase of a few things. I hit a 75' tabletop and came down with my heel on the gear shifter. I also got sideways in the air and hit back-left wheel first, and something was just a little off for the remainder of the lap. From that, 3 things arose: the need for a set of nerf bars (Factory 43 will be used), boots (likely Fox Instinct), and *wait for it... wait... WAIT FOR IT..... a new swingarm. Yep, I twisted mine by about 5-6° from what I measure. It is very noticeable. How the chain didnt jump off, I'll never know. I'll address this by going with a JL Engineering swinger that's -1.5 from stock.
*End of Segment*
This is how I did it - what I noticed. This is a list of examples. To me, the best mod is the one you think about most often while riding. You have trouble actually staying on the quad? Figure out whether it's a matter of chassis roll, pegs, you, etc. and fix it. Adding a pipe will not fix this problem unless your issue is that you roll when attempting to get the back end around.
Arm pump? Don't buy the reeds that you've been drooling over, buy better bars, better grips, gloves, etc.
If you constantly notice that your front brakes take significantly longer to bring you to corner speeds than anyone else, buying anything else isn't just ineffective, it's outright stupid in this case.
This is more of a mindset when it comes to actual racing and counting seconds. Upgrades arise from need. You'll be amazed at how fast you are when you resolve the discomfort and distractions. Some people claim to be fast because they can multitask using a shoddy clutch and bald tires with the alignment 15° out of spec. If you can do that, imagine how well you'll be able to ride once you fix the things that take your focus away from practicing.
Think of it like this: if you fly into a corner every time and think about how you're going to keep the body roll in check, the bent handlebars from breaking a wrist, the chain from popping off, etc., you're wasting effort. You're practicing something that you shouldn't have to practice. What if you could make it do what you want, like a 3rd arm? If you fix everything and stop thinking about "sit here so the seat doesn't slide because I don't have any seat gromets" or "I can't hang on because my grips twist", you'll be able to focus on a corner line. Where to carve an apex, where to slide and where to remain stable, and how to shave seconds in general will be thigns you focus on. If you can shave .5 seconds per corner and there are 12 corners, that's 6 seconds saved in a lap. At an average speed of 30mph, how far will you advance in that 6 seconds? What about an average speed of 40mph? 50mph? What if there are 20 turns?
Again, this isn't about buying everything in sight - it's about buying what you need over what you want. Sometimes, you may not notice that something bothers you until you get to lap 2 or 3, etc. If 2 years ago, someone had told me that the best modification that I would make (to this point) behind suspension would have been handlebars, I would have laughed my ass off. For me, lap 1 and 2 were cake. Lap 3+ was painful, and 5+ was never seen becuase I wasn't going to attepmt to fight through the pain in my wrists. Sure, reeds would have helped out on bottom end, but how much time would that have saved? 2 seconds a lap? Handlebars made no difference in the first lap and barely any in the second, but my lap times were down by 2 seconds in the 3rd, 6 seconds in the 4th, and I could actually make it to lap 5. 7 laps is the max now before I'm beat to death and dry mouthed. Will a Camelbak help lap times? We'll see, but only after I buy a swingarm, boots, and nerf bars.
Specific things like gearing and type of upgrade are extremely important. Some time ago, Blaaster and I had an argument about gearing on the Facebook page. His side was that one should gear to the track so that you can use every available gear. My side was that one should gear so that you weren't having to compromise on gears in some sections (below the powerband in 3rd, screaming in 2nd for example) and that switching gears takes thought away from driving if you have to shift too often. I can completely understand and respect his opinion, but it's a matter of preference. Both hold water in theory and in practice. Though I didn't mean that a 17t front sprocket and 19t rear sproket on 30" tires was the solution, I will say that a tad hiher gearing than you'll be able to use may be of benefit. Not always, just that it may be from time to time. It's more a matter of which school of thought we each stem from.
Order of precidence:
Safety
Reliability
Chassis capability
Rider capability
Engine power
The other matter is closer to an "everyone-needs" type of thing; the must-have items. On this list are first and foremost, a good helmet.
Don't buy a bunch of stickers and neon lights if you don't have a helmet. If you wreck, you'll be an injured turd with a slow 4-wheeler. Helmets first. I have a good friend who went with his dad to pick up his first sport atv at the age of 15 (back in 2006). His dad asked the owner (the biggest ahole on the planet) what the differences in helmets were and whether the difference was worth it. His response was "how much is your son's head worth?" Makes good sense to me. How much is your head worth to your family?
Goggles come next. How can you see if you have dirt in your eyes? It'll happen eventually, so go ahead and get them now. You'll wish you'd spent that $60 when you're making a dumb face and blinking at a rate of 300/minute to get the sand out.
Next is tires with tread. Yeah, I know you don't wanna buy new tires and this is always covered, yada yada, but does it make sense to chase lap times on sh*t tires?
Nerf bars, heel guards, and boots! Some people are fine with one or the other, and I don't think I agree. You can get away with it, but it is a very nice feeling to not have to worry about where your feet are gonna land. Plus, who wants a broken anlke? Who wants to get a leg under a tire and have the peg split your legs right up to your (mentally fill in blank depending on gender)?
Gloves are more a protection against blisters and limbs, but are necessary for extended periods of hard riding.
For most of us, we are limited by budget. Make it count when you spend money. Don't have a ported 240 built if you can't even negotiate a turn. Don't be unsafe with it because you can really get hurt. Also, don't blow this off. I'm not someone's mom that's saying it, I'm a 25 year old guy and I don't know any of you in real life. This ssport is serious. It never pertains to you and it never matters until you get hurt. It's always some other guy that you'll never meet that gets hurt. Unfortunately, some of us will leave this earth while screwing around on a 4-wheeler. However, some of us are "fortunate" enough to have just a slight scrub with death and walk away just fine. At this point is where sh*t gets real. That's where a glimpse of the inability to provide for your family shines through, and it's not a settling feeling. It's terrifying.
So I'll end with this: if you notice it, it isn't working properly and should be fixed. Ride safely, peeps.
-ProgLysergic
