[robg]

I just returned from Sand Mountain (Nevada) where I was from about 2 PM on Friday through 11 AM this morning (Sunday). Not much happened this weekend... the temps were very high (100+ from around noon until 5 PM), but finally this morning, we got some good drag racing going at our Competition Hill.

Oh, btw, I measured the distance of Comp Hill... from the place where everybody starts to the place where everybody finishes is EXACTLY 1/4 mile. The uphill angle is approximagely 45 degrees.

Anyway... on Friday evening, there was a guy running around with a blue YFZ. Try as I might, he would NOT come around to Comp Hill to play. In fact, he split first thing Saturday morning.

So this morning, I was happily surprised to see another blue YFZ450 cruising around, this time we were already at the starting like at Comp Hill talking. So he pulls up and I ask him if he wants to go, and he nods. COOL!!

So we launch, and well, um... I FREAKIN' DESTROYED HIM. He got a decent launch... we were probably dead even, but right after the launch I just started pulling on him. By the time I got to the top, I figure I had at LEAST eight lengths on him, maybe ten. His YFZ is 100% stock and he was running the Skat Trak "Edge" (V-Blade) tires.

The rider weighed about 70 lbs more than me, but that wouldn't make up eight lengths. I think with similar weight riders, and pipe/jets, the Predator will still take the YFZ with the right gearing. Oh, I'm now running 13/39 gears... I'm at the top of 3rd gear all the way up the mountain, 8500 RPM or thereabouts according to my digital tach.

In other news... there was a DS650 out there with a Stage II cam of some sort (Richard Wood?) and one tooth down on the front sprocket and he got me by about three lengths. The owner wasn't very forthcoming, so there may have been more done. Another DS650 had two teeth down on the front sprocket and I got him by about four lengths.

Rob

 

[predatorman7687]

Sounds good Rob thanks for the info. Was the guy on the 450 mad? Glad you showed him up.

Zack

 

[1]

Thats is what I like to hear. (Hunt and kill) them one at a time.
lol
Later

 

[robg]

The guy wasn't upset at all... kinda weird, actually. I wonder if it was even his quad. He was in the same group of people that had a Raptor, a really fast DS650 with Stage II cams and other goodies, and some Z400s.

Rob

 

[quadjunkies]

We raced a guy lat ngiht with a DS and smoked it bad.Also troy raced one up Choke Cherry and beat it too.I was a bit surprised ....Now the Yami450 we saw here in Idaho was beatin EVERYONE ...Glad to hear you took the new Yami Rob....Tina

 

[modquad]

Nice reports. Tina, how close were the 450 races, and were there comparable mods? Can't wait to run one. I too have had moody encounters with DS racers. If someone beats me, fair and square, I'm all questions, and congratulations. Kinda funny how some people never grow up.

 

[rngmstr]

glad to hear the predator is beating the yfzs up the hills, in the 300 foot drags, the yfzs are beating most of the stock bikes depending on rider ability, most likley due to there weight advantage off the line, 300 feet just isn't enough to catch them, 400 or 500 feet I can pass them up, but with a decent rider they do very good at the 300 foot mark. every time I have gotton them to race was on flat groud though.

 

[quadjunkies]

MODQUAD,The DS got beat pretty bad....lol..I would say on the drag about 5 bike lenghts,and raced up Choke Chery and beat it by about three.......NOW, on the other hand...to be very honest here.......The 450 beat the snot out of almost everyone here......STOCK.......These riders race MX and were very good riders. I was totally shocked how fast it flew by!!! He even dbl. two people to make it heavier and it stills soared..I dont think it had mods,Im sure once a CDI was installed it would help IMMENSLY on a drag race..Just taps out too **** fast.... Out of every other wquad it ran upon during our duning trip, I think the only thing that beat the Predator was a modded Shee,a 720 Raptor and one other Predator....With a girl riding it.....

 

[norcal.z400]

Rob,

good to hear that you gave the YFZ a stompin!!! I havent got to drag any yet ... but im looking forward to it!!!

I am headed back to Sand Mountain for Labor Day weekend!!! can't wait!!!!

 

[modquad]

Great info, thanks Tina. You people that live close to the sand.....sigh, I'm envious. Gotta load up and drive over to Silver Lake soon!!!

 

[quadjunkies]

too bad you lived so far, just had a great group ride with a few members from 5 states and had a blast! If you ever want to venture out to Idaho and hit the sand ,let me know....In the meantime.......YES YOU DO!!!! Sand riding is the best......

 

[rocketchp]

That DS you're talking about has Ron Woods mods. The guy is a Rotax specialist and has been around the dirt track racing scene forever. He builds FAST stuff but it costs a fortune. Not bad though only to get beat by a few bike lengths. I'm glad to hear you beat the YFZ. I was almost sad I bought my Predator when I saw that thing. I'm headed to Pismo Beach tomorrow maybe I find some stock YFZ to drag with my bone stock Pred. I'll let you guys know if I find one.

 

[rocketchp]

Just got back from Pismo Beach, Awesome weekend. I ran into several YFZ 450's. Yes, It is true thay are fast. I raced several of them with my stock predator. The YFZ seems to get out of the hole a little quicker, probably due to the fact it's alot lighter. This was the case with most of the ones I raced against. The YFZ and Pred are pretty much dead even until you get to the top end and then the Predator seems to pull a little harder. I have to admit it's a pretty quick quad. Nice lookin' to.

 

[quadjunkies]

Where the 450 gets us is there RPMS...... they have awesome Rev level....Right when mine would tap out,thats where the 450 would school me..grrr....... I need more RPMS.......

 

[robg]

Tiny, I saw on the HPD site yesterday that they have a set of Predator valve springs that are good to 11,000 RPM. Maybe that's why Rath and the others don't have their rev boxes upping the limit more than 9150 RPM -- valve float issues.

So this could end up being a good and relatively inexpensive mod (assuming you do the work yourself). It'd be time consuming since it'd require removal of the cams and resetting of the valve lash and re-timing the motor, but inasfar as parts cost goes, it wouldn't be bad.

Or it could go well with a new set of cams for that matter...

Rob

 

[quadjunkies]

Rob, how much was the mods runnin to do the work yourself?

 

[chickenboy]

If they're stiffer springs you need to be careful that the stock valves will handle it. You don't want to pop the head off one and have it beat around the combustion chamber. (does that sound perverted or is just me?)

 

[quadjunkies]

HAHA maybe a bit perverted...but nothin wrong with that from time to time ......