What gear off the starting line?

[Kevslatvin]

What gear is best to start in when racing? 2nd and dump it or 1st and slip the clutch.I'm going try racing flattrack at the county fair and wasn't sure which was best. I figure if I dump first I'll be on my butt. It's a 440 and I think gearing is stock. I know the front is. Thanks

[NacsMXer]

1st revs out way to quick, you'll just waste time shifting. Start out in 2nd ;)

[Wheelie]

What he said. Start out in second.

[powermadd400ex]

i was wondering the same thing. except my 400 is stock. and it'll be an XC race. but i reckon ill dump 2nd now that i heard this

[BlasterEaten250]

Personally I like starting in first, but that's just me. A 440 should be able to pull second off the line pretty easily compared to my pretty much stock engine so second will probably work better for you...Try finding a place and seeing which you think is faster.

[krt400ex]

Originally posted by powermadd400ex
i was wondering the same thing. except my 400 is stock. and it'll be an XC race. but i reckon ill dump 2nd now that i heard this


all i got is a pipe on mine, and i dump it in 2nd all the time. it will pull it easily. infact, mine is actually geared slightly taller than stock

[bean2080]

i drag race my 400 some and i dump it in second at the rev limiter, i know some people dont like to hit the limiter but it always gives me the jump off the line. i also rev my gears out too and just power shift it, it saves more time than you think.

[RaginRedneck]

1st time I went flat tracking with a stock EX, I tried 1st and almost ended up on my butt, tried 2nd and it bogged down. After some minor mods (Exhaust, K&N Filter, CDI Box) I dropped a tooth on my front gear, now at 13. I launch in 2nd, it still pulls the front tires up, but its more manageble, then I just held 3rd all around the track.

[flauge]

Its kinda tricky when dumping it in 2nd, especially doing the dead man start in xc. Dump it too soon and it bogs, dump it too late and everybody else is gone before u get some forward momentum.

[mooseracerX]

We've been trying to get this pig off the line all year. With the gearing I got I slip the clutch and let'er go in 3rd. It bogs for a minute but after that it takes right off and I only have to shift once. It might have been the dirt too. The start was on hard packed down clay.

loose stuff dump it in 2nd and you will spin. harder packed stuff if I dumped 2nd from standing still on the gas I would be laying on the ground with a quad upside down lol. I was taking my quad for a jetting test down the road to WOT and check the plug after rejetting and how it ran with 100% throttle. I had it in 1st and i barely went on the gas that much riding it front end up in the air, i slow up and set it down, shift to second and nail the gas and I had to slam the rear brake my friend watching said the grab bar was a foot from the ground, set it down hit 3rd and wheelied a bit. Soft stuff i'll spin till 4th so i dont have to worry about dumpin the clutch in gears

[Kevslatvin]

Thanks. Hopefully I'll get to ride this weekend. My brother-in-law knows a guy with a practice track he's gonna see if I can ride on or I'm going to go to the MX track so I'll practice some on starts while I'm there. I've never raced quads before so it'll be interesting.

[flauge]

The only time I got a perfect start this year was at the first race, I wound up getting the holeshot. ...Most of the time when I start Im sitting way up, almost on the gas tank b/c we start on grass. The only problem I got is letting the clutch go too soon w/o enough rpm's.

[johnnynonails]

2nd gear starts for me and no real need to dump the clutch.i dont have many mods just scorpion pipe,k&n filter,open airbox,jetted to suit,and run standard sprockets front and back.granted im not the holeshot king but,when i race im up against mainly 450's which are modded to death,but i still nail a few of them off the line.im looking into droppin a few teeth on the rear to maybe a 36 as i find i hit 5th way to quick.saying that ive noticed on alot of the pictures you lads run 9" rear rims.were as i run 8" rims with a 18" tyre

john

[fastredrider44]

I ran one mx on my old 426. Slipped/ dumped 2nd off the line. I slipped it at first to keep from breaking traction too bad. When I was rolling and had the revs up enough, that's when I let her eat. I also did several harescrambles on it. On all dead man starts, I would start off in first.

[lilyamaharacer4]

You should be starting off in 2nd unless your running a completely stock 400 with stock gearing. In my opinion the 15 tooth just kills a stock 400, im running the 14 front and loving it for woods riding.

[dirtmerchant42]

ive got a bone stock 400ex and i just started racing 3 weeks ago and have been racing every weekend and im starting out in first and i have almost bald razrs and im pretty close to gettin the holeshot everytime im very surprised these 450s aint killin me hah