Getting a 2-stroke to hook up in dry slick

[Honda 250r 001]

The last motocross race was basicly a flat track race with 65 foot table tops. I couldnt get any traction on the straight aways and corners. During practise I was doing fine, running right with the 450's but when 2nd moto came around and the track dried out I couldnt keep my 250r planted to the ground! Sliding all over in the corners and spinning in the straight aways and going no where. The 450's seemed to hook up so much better.
Im running maxxis razr mx rea tires.
Are the new tires of today just made for 450's? Back in the day it seems like everyone ran turf tamers. Is that because thats all there was? Or is that because they were what hooked up on a 2-stroke? Im looking for recommendations from a 2-stroke motocrosser here. What tires are best for dry slick tracks? Should I be looking for something with lots of knobs for more contact with the ground and a soft compound? If anyone has any tips or tricks to help me hook up I would love to hear them.
Thanks
Will

[Burns310r]

What pressure you running in the rear?

[Honda 250r 001]

Bout 5 in the rear and 5 in front. I tried lowering the rear pressure more with no luck.

[Burns310r]

are the tires pretty worn? have you tried turing them around so that the edge is going the other way.

I run holeshot MXR 6's and have no issues with hook up. Maybe a little to much traction on the holeshot honestly.

[Honda 250r 001]

Too much traction on dry slick? The razr tires are brand spanking new. They work great for loose stuff but dry slick they suck.

how much do you weigh?
Do you run your front right height higher than the rear?

[Burns310r]

I weight 215. Front runs 1/4" higher than the Rear.

What label color are the Razors.

I ran a set once, they where a medium or a hard, but i instantly gave them back to the guy after 1 moto. They wher slick as you say.

Maybe there soft compund works better, but razors are not for me.

[Honda 250r 001]

I cant remember, But i didnt pay attention when I bought them. I have a set of older kenda klaws sticky compound I think Ill try next race. But i think Im going to try some mxr6's next. Has razrs, had klaws, but no holeshots.

[cdrookie]

get a set of hoosier mx knobbies and a - something swinger. i got a -4 to use for flattrack/tt and like it so much it's not coming off. it's one of the best mods i ever did to my R.

[8686]

There are many things you can do to help with traction. Here are just a few:

Running a shorter swingarm will help with weight transfer, make sure it is stock 88-89 length at the longest (-1 from 86-87 length).

Compression on your shocks is nothing but traction. On a slick track with small jumps, backing off the compression on your shocks helps with weight transfer and traction. Be sure to adjust your suspension again when you go back to a big track.

Run a softer tire at lower psi, the new Turf Tamer MX Classic is an excellent mx tire. Just make sure you raise the tire psi back up for the larger tracks with bigger jumps, 12 psi front and 8 psi rear is a good place to start.

Run shorter gearing. (I think that's what you would call it?) Lol. Just run bigger front sprockets and smaller rear sprockets. For example, running 14-37 gearing will give you better traction and a longer pull between gears than 13-39 gearing.

Just a couple ideas to chew on.

[bigmatt61]

8686 is spot on with the gearing!
Everyone that suggested soft tires is right too.
I ran the old soft turf tamers with a few knobs removed back in the day along with grooved radials, now I run Holeshot SX's. Hell, I dont even know if you can get them anymore because I bought extras a few years ago. I run them with 12psi in front and 6-8 psi in back. They have a tighter tread pattern than the MX's for more contact = better hook. They also seem a little softer than I remember the HS mx's being. Im not sure if the HS mx's can be ordered in softer compounds now but im sure someone here knows.

[rektec250r]

Tires, tried razrs several years ago and hated them. Went with holeshots and never looked back. Shorter swingarm will help also. I'm running a 17 1/2 inch on my Walsh.

[8686]

Also, if you are a beginner or intermediate mx racer, or you are looking for better traction on slick tracks, you don't want to have a real aggressive engine setup. Aggressive port work that hits hard in the upper rpm range creates more wheel spin = less traction. An engine setup with a smoother power curve with good low end and midrange power will make you a faster rider with less clutching and less fatigue.

Also, all other variables being the same, a good low-midrange pipe will give you better traction out on the track than a pipe that develops its power in the mid-upper rpm range.

[K-Dub]

From reading your post, it is a hard packed track. I use Duro Fast trackers. These have all kind of forward bite, but a little less side bite depending on the track. Also I prefer 15/38 gearing hard pack or loamy and I weigh 335 pounds and have a 265cc engine. The pros mostly ran this gear for MX on the R when it dominated MX. Not disagreeing with 8686's 14/37, but don't think the R wont pull the higher tooth.

[beerock]

your suspension setup in the rear and even in the front will help traction and tire pressure. you could groove the razers too. they do last a long time which leads me to believe the tire compound is harder


were the other 450's running the same tires?