Where did all the big-bore bikes go?

Disconnect the tps, and it won't try to kill you so often.

The big bikes went when bergs became re badged KTM's. It's sad but true. However, i have ridden my mates 2012 EXC 500 and it is a great bike, fast too. Doesn't feel as grunty as my 570 berg but is probably the same at the top end. Another mate of mine is currently fitting a 570 kit to his EXC 530, will be interested to see how snappy that is with the carby instead of the fuel injection! Of course, to many my 570 is a "small bore" compared to the old 650's and i would agree with them, however i doubt they rev as hard. I know my 550 never did, not that it needed to, ha ha!

The general consensus by magazine testers was that joe average was faster on a 400/450 and you could ride longer before getting fatigued. So that became the popular size. Only the adrenaline junkies who liked the big hit of power and doing big wheelies stuck with the big bores. I find the 650 has a nice power delivery, it's as happy to plod along at a sight seeing pace as it is on full tilt race pace.

topherclaus said:

Idle said:

Disconnect the tps, and it won't try to kill you so often.

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I'm not sure whether you're being serious or not. ha. Does taking the sensor off stop that mean grunt you get when you've just hit a rut in a corner and tweak the throttle 1/65 of an inch and it decides you really meant "gun it!"?

What would response time be like without it?

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It sounds like your AP squirt is too strong or too long of a duration. It's possible that the squirt is hitting the slide also.

Disconnecting the tps just lessens the initial hit, but it's hard to even notice a difference.

I disconnected mine long ago, it's been well over a year. It (TPS) advances the timing in no load high rpm situations.
When the rear breaks loose, it makes it overrev causing a complete loss of traction. I'd have to completely close the throttle and start over.

Disconnected, it goes to the default ignition map, an rpm based curve. It will still break loose when I'm on it, but I don't have to chop the throttle when it does, it just hooks up again and goes.

My accelerator pump is completly disabled, so that also keeps it from trying to throw me.

I learned to ride dirt on a FS650, disabling the AP and the TPS made learning throttle control pretty easy.
Now starting to ride more on the FE650, and enjoying the newfound traction that comes with treaded tires.

I had to laugh reading these posts. I did the same thing as topherclaus, returned to dirt biking after many years of not biking, and went for the biggest and best.

Losing traction is not the problem for me. The thing that makes your adrenal glands think they're accelerator pumps and takes your pulse to 180 is when it hooks up! Which is most of the time!

I'm afraid to stand up and pull the front wheel over something such as a log, because if I accidently crack the throttle a hair too much, I'll be on my back with 280 lbs of bike driving me into the ground, or said log.

So that was next on the list - tame the throttle response.

Thanks for the tips, Idle, I'll try those.

To be honest, I was a little disappointed in the 650. I expected it to launch out of the gate sideways with the front wheel clawing the air as you racked it through the gears.

It's more of a tractor, when jetted right.

When I first got mine, the pilot jet was very lean. The bike was very hard to start.

So, once running, it's idling very lean, right? Then the throttle is opened, and it gets more air, which would starve it more, but also comes a great big shot of fuel from the accelerator pump.

It came off of idle violently, unpredicably, uncontrollably. Sound like just what you expected!

I'm not sure what I expected or why I bought a 650. It's a lot of bike. What a workout!

Probably if I just slowed down and concentrated on the fun I'd go faster.