Moving swiftly along to 2012!
By John Dickinson on 7th Oct 11
THE manufacturers are wooing us with their tasty new models as editor JD investigates behind the Bold New Graphics...
THIS week on page three you ought to have seen, if our best laid plans have come to pass (not always guaranteed!) some pretty pics of the new-for-2012 TM off-road machines. Because it is that time of year. For the past couple of months the many and various manufacturers have been firing-off pics and specs of their 2012 models which we eagerly feature in the paper as and when they arrive.
Now, quite often, as we all know, there really isn't a whole heap of difference between one year's production run and the next. You can guess which these are by how soon the specs panel announces "Bold New Graphics” after the copy-writers have exhausted the genuine changes which include "internal upgrades”, "latest spec suspension” and "new non-slip seat cover material”.
Elsewhere, if all else has failed and the factory in question already has all the above the chances are heavily in favour of "the power has been moved up the rev range for improved top-end performance.” From this you can already get cracking on the following year's specs where, guess what, "the power has been concentrated lower in the rev-range for more mid-range torque.” And so on ad infinitum.
And it goes without saying that the new model will inevitably be "lighter than ever.” Over the number of years I have been deciphering new-model spec sheets I am only amazed that, if they weren't anchored to the ground, the bikes didn't actually float off into the clouds so light they should be now.
Yes, it is easy being cynical as I have clearly demonstrated but the truth is, although off-road bikes haven't really changed much fundamentally over the past decade (or so), they really are genuinely improved as you would find if you compared like for like with a 2001 versus a 2011 model.
Digital re-programmable ignition has been the ‘advance' in recent years although I remain unconvinced as to its real-world worth to Joe Bloggs, apart from offering him the chance to show-off with a laptop instead of a spanner in his toolbox. Previous to this the last real design change of note was the introduction of the aluminimum chassis way over a decade ago, although as KTM (and others such as Gas Gas and Sherco) keep proving, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a conventional steel tube chassis. Ally is simply another way of achieveing the same end result. Whether it is better (or in this day and age any less expensive to manufacture) I genuinely have no idea.
Before then there were several major changes that were genuine and demonstrable improvements. The adaption of hydraulic disc brakes on motocrossers, enduro and trials machines was an absolutely massive improvement over the often truly rubbish cable operated drum brakes they replaced.
An even earlier tremendous leap-forward (circa 1970s) was the adaption of electronic ignition over the 100 year-old archaic contact-points system. At last engines were able to consistently crank-out the performance that their designers originally intended. Oh what a pain it was poking around at points with a screwdriver through a tiny access hole in a dark flywheel. Electronic ignition equalled heaven. Apart from an occasional squirt of water-repellent, maintenance was precidely - zero. Now that's what I call progress.
The introduction of the four-bar monoshock rear suspension system was also a truly massive leap forward in pure performance turns and again it worked just as well for MX, with massive suspension travel, and trials with less than half that. I don't deny it worked (works) but maintenance shot-up with all those linkage bearings under massive stress.
Water-cooling was another universal ‘improvement' that, while undeniably providing the means to a consistent power output, thanks to a constant ideal temperature, wasn't all gain in my book because it came along with added complexity and weight. In an ideal world I'd love to be shut of the radiators, pumps, reservoirs, hoses, thermostats and other gubbins that clutter up the bikes.
The best-looking off-road bikes ever, in my book, were the very last Maicos of the early 1980s. Just a big, impressive, air-cooled barrel, an equally big carb to feed it juice and absolutely nothing else to add weight or impede forward progress. Yes, I know that your 2012 short-stroke four-banger with four-valves, digital ignition, launch control, water-cooling etc, etc will murder it on the track but all that ‘progress' has come at a price, both in pounds weight and pounds sterling!
This is all merely a point of view and not many of you will be weighing-up the pros and cons of the 2012 KawaHonYamSuki over a 1981 twin-shock Maico any dark night soon, with that roll of bank notes burning a hole in your pocket (You wish!).
Or will you? Judging by the turnout at last week's Farleigh Twin-shock/Evo fest (with over 400 machines passing through scrutineering) I wonder...
Meanwhile, do drool over those luvly TMs...!
