no longer the realm of sci fi

2WD motorbikes

http://www.yamaha-motor-europe.com/products/motorcycles/competition/WR450F_2trac.jsp

found this looking for info on the ordinary WR450F (which I'm
interested in as an alternative to a DR-Z 400).

 

I seem to remember hearing that one of these did suprisingly well on the
Dakar.

 

Haven't they been available for a couple of years now?

<fx: looks>

Ah. Looks fun,. although looks like you need to be a riding god to
actually make use of it.

 

I think the key line on the page is "THE FIRST /PRODUCTION/ 2WD FOR
MOTORCYCLES" (my "italics").

well, yeah - I'm really tempted by a WR450F (or more realistically a
2nd hand WR426) for a supermoto conversion - they're *really* light -
110kg in standard 19" knobbly form, and I'm fairly sure the smaller
supermoto wheels/tyres will reduce the weight even further.

 

I seem to recall way back when, some french(non riding god) geezer, beating
Eddie Lawson(1WD) on one in the wet.

 

Are these "oil change every 150 miles" supermotos, though? A mate bought a
Honda XR650, which he didn't realise had a competition engine, and rogered
it totally within 1000 miles by commuting on it

 

not quite that bad - they *are* competition machines, but 500-mile oil
changes seem to be OK, apparently.

d'oh.

 

ah. Not for me, then.

Back to DR-Z land.

 

Well if you believe the rumours, when fitted to an R1 it makes them *easier*
to ride on the track...... So, in theory, it would actually make us all
riding gods....

Dave

 

darsy says...

That was the oil change schedule for my Honda XR400R as well. I thought
it a bit excessive, until I heard horror stories from a dealer about
them destroying engines if it wasn't kept to.

 

....this century. Considering that Rokon 2wd bikes have been in production
since the early '60s.

 

I'd really, really like one of them.

 

Yup, me too.