Ex-4-Stroker attacked by Husky 125 !!!!

[the Eel]

I just got the little Husky WR 125 a few weeks ago and I'm just now starting to get the hang of it - or at least I think I am. I'm coming off an XR 250R and I thought I'd share my observations. Hopefully the knowledgeable folks can give me some pointers ...

TURNING - I can finally turn at speed ! It seems to involve weighting the outside peg and leaning forward and in - the back wheel slides around and the darn thing actually turns !! It's so different from my old XR. I think I was trying to ride it like the XR and I just could not turn. The 2-stroke seems to be turn by working those pegs ...

WHOOPS - after fiddling around for several weekends with the suspension I have a setting that's fairly comfortable. Seems the wwhoops are a lot easier if I concentrate on keeping the front end up ... leaning back a bit ... pulling back on the bars and gassing on the whoop faces. Before I was going in flat and got spit off a few times. :(

UPHILLS - this is still tough if there's a short run up - I massacre the clutch and get up, but there is definitely room for improvement. Also, the thing started to overheat today on a long, rocky, switchbacked uphill. That's the first time I've ever experienced that ... the XR never boiled over.

Any tips on how to keep it from overheating ? Uphill technique ? Whoops ? Anything else ?

 

[placelast]

I don't have any experience on a 125, but have recently (2 yrs) turned to a smoker from a mid-sized stroker. It's easy to get lazy on a 4-strk, as they pull well from lower RPMs (out of the hole), however, they do not seem to have as much zap to recover/get out of the chug mode. there are exceptions, but I'm talking small strokers here.

Corners: On an engine that small, momentum is everything. Like your XR, speed/RPM can be lost rather quickly, but to get it back takes a little longer than other, larger bikes, so carry your momentum wherever/whenever possible if not @ all times; speed can easily be scrubbed, but not recovered, so seep it singing, and try to stay off of the brakes & float over obstacles (sand, rocks, etc.).

Look for the smoothest, largest arcs thru corners as the alternative "cut & thrust" method produces slower lap times - it's best to leave that style to those w/more grunt/power-type motors, tho I suppose it can be achieved on a 125 w/practice.

Whoop-de-doos: Again, speed is the key; the faster you go, the less gravity can carry you down deeper into the troughs. Some better riders can skim the tops or double them, others like me can only try to put the front time on or over the top (I think they call it wheelie-ing the whoops); that way you can maintain straightness & speed as the rear end takes most of the hit, freeing up the front to lead.

To do this (I think) I time throttle wacking; cluching it like others do makes me no better @ this obstacle, but do try it both ways (certainly throttle, then some clutch slipping) to find whcih works best for you.

Uphills: same as corners. Certainly with the goal of being in the meat of the power (high RPM on a 125). Slip the cluch to stay there & try to postpone a downshift as each lower gear produces less momentum (speed).

Overheating? Mine doesn't as it has meatier power & consequntly works less. I'd recommend a water "wetter" as they are more efficient @ carry-ing thermal energy, so they say. Something like Moose Juice or equivalent?

 

[Buzz Bomb]

How do you know it's overheating? Is it boiling over? Make sure you're jetting isn't too lean so it doesn't run hotter than normal and make sure your coolant level is full. And the reason the XR never boiled over is because it's air cooled.:silly:

 

[the Eel]

It was boiling over - I could hear it boiling and it was spewing just a bit. With the XR I meant overheating - it never overheated. I was running the Husky a bit lean and as I suspected that might contribute I at least richened up with the airscrew - it was all I could think of doing at the time, other than letting it sit for awhile.