The CR500 two stroke sure is a rush but the idea of these new classes is to get away from dirty two strokes.
If you have followed MX and SX recently you will have noticed 250 four strokes racing in the same class as 125 two strokes and the big 450 four strokes racing against 250 two strokes.
The idea is to faze out the two strokes altogether in GP as well as in MX/SX.
As some of you will know, I am currently campaigning a nitrous two stroke in an attempt on the land speed record in the 175 class.
Allthough it is a fantastic rush when the power comes in, the two stroke is far more expensive to maintain compaired to a four stroke.
To give you an idea of the service intervals on my bike, the ring needs replacing after 125 miles, the piston at 250, the crank at 500 and the cylinder at 1000 miles.
It's not just the price of the HRC parts, it's the continual strip downs. I'd much sooner be riding that wrenching.
A lot of people take up racing only to find out that the cost and time spent maintaining two strokes is a real bind.
A lot of very talented youngsters take up the sport, and then drop out due to the costs before they have been able to show their potential, and perhaps loosing the sport a could have been world champion.
All in all, I think the thumper classes are a good thing, even if it dose take me back to when I was a kid watching hoards of Manx Nortons doing battle with G50s, Gold Stars and Velos.
Sam.
P.S. hope none of my mates from the two stroke forums see this
