Monday, December 26, 2016

50cc SECRET WEAPON

Unleash your rider's true potential.



There is no question that once a rider moves off the PWs and onto a full blown 2-stroke race machine, their world changes in a million ways.  Most parents don't realise the fragile transition that takes place here for the rider or the learning curve necessary for the maintenance of the bike.

In my years of experience, there is one thing that is common to all 50cc riders..

The "Throttle Blip".  You know the one where the rider goes everywhere one braaap at time. Braap, Braap, Braap, Braap with his head bobbing back and forth.  Don't worry, it goes away over time.

Basically this is brand new power and he is cranking the throttle because he loves it, but immediately letting off because he is afraid of what is going to happen next.  He needs to build his confidence with the bike and his own skills.

This only comes through SEAT-TIME.  That is time on the bike riding. Round in circles, on the track, in the pits on the trails, in the yard, around the house.... Seat-Time! Remind him that he shouldn't "blip" the throttle, but let him work it out.  It is going to take some confidence on his part, an understanding that he is going to be "ok" and a whole lot of patience on yours.  This is, however, a great time to build the relationship between you and him.  Through love, compassion and understanding.  There is no better time to reinforce the idea that you are there to have fun and start to depend on each other.  He will depend on you for everything and you will depend on him to "Try His Best". It's a slippery slope, but done right it will become your life's greatest work.

With all that said, you will need to become a professional 50cc bike mechanic overnight.  You will spend countless hours chasing throttle bog, loss of power or getting the clutch setup right.  You will navigate through a galaxy of information.  Some will be partially correct, some will just be silly.  Some information will be intentionally wrong, especially as your rider gets more competitive.  But every now and then you will receive what I call a "Golden Nugget".  This Golden Nugget of information typically makes sense right away and you are able to apply it directly to your setup with expected results.  I am about to give you probably the largest "Golden Nugget" I ever received as a 50cc Dad.  In fact, it's so good, that I hid from everybody.  Competitive advantage? Maybe.  I just felt like I had spent so much money and time and energy before I figured this out, that I didn't owe the information to anyone else.  If they asked me directly about it, I'd share what I knew, but otherwise, I would not give it away for free.  In fact I feel like this knowledge got us out of Loretta Lynns Regionals each year.  As other bikes broke or didn't perform correctly, we made it.  Not always the fastest, but you can't place if you don't finish.

Your little ripper has allot going on as he tries to get more comfortable on the bike and conquer the fears of falling down or getting hurt.  He is doing his best and that's his job, the last thing he needs is to start worrying about the bike.  You certainly don't want to let him down and that is why, like I said above, you will spend countless hours, dollars and energy to do YOUR best.

There have been whole write ups on every aspect of the 50cc bike game.  One was so good they called it the BIBLE.  Once my rider got fast and started to compete at the higher levels of the sport, I struggled to keep the bike performing.  I leaned on these publications for everything from clutch stack philosophy to fuel mix ideas.  Nothing quite like that feeling of your kiddo on the line with his buddies all hyped up to go win a moto.  Your hyped up and you give him the pep talk.  Mine usually sounded like "This is what we do, the time is now, go out there and give it all you got".  The starter points you down and the gate drops.  Your bike falls on it's face as everyone else jumps out.  Your rider gets going as the plug cleans out, but he's like 12th through the first turn.  It only takes one or two of those gate drops and you start looking for answers on race fuel, oil mixture and anything else you can find!

Well, when it comes to the 50's, heat is definitely the enemy.  MORE than any other size bike.  Why? Because of the clutch.  It's constantly engaging and disengaging.  This creates a ton of heat.  As the oil gets hotter, it stops working.  In other words as the moto goes on, it starts getting worse.  So is your rider fading at the end of the moto, or is it the bike?

I can tell you that the more I learned about the bike overall, the more I learned that almost all problems that I had with the bike were directly related to the clutch.  I have chased bog problems in the carburetor just to find out (HOURS LATER) that it was actually a clutch engagement issue.  I have chased worn out clutches with out understanding why.  I would carry two extra full clutches with me just in case.  Until I was told about this one trick, I really had no control over the bike and how it would perform on a given day.  Outside of getting the setup as best that I could, I really had no idea how it would do.  I also didn't know that most of the problems I had were related to the clutch getting hot.

The answer? TWO2COOL!  Ya, at the time, they only had an additive.  Two Ounces to an oil change and for me that's how their name came to be.  I am the last person on earth to adopt an additive or go for any gimmicks in the interest of performance.  Except for maybe stabil, I lumped all additives into the same category, a waste of money.  ABSOLUTELY NOT THE CASE WITH TWO2COOL.  Now there was more to figure out, but what I noticed right away was that the bike was very fast, very positive and ran MUCH, MUCH COOLER.  Bogs, over-revving, slipping and fading all went away.  I stopped rebuilding the clutch every week and our setups were way more predictable.  We started pulling holeshots and everything from cornering to jumping got better quickly.

Many of my motofamily would have the same negative opinion about additives, so I removed the labels from the bottle and put it in the race trailer.  Only I knew what it was so as to not have to explain it to anyone.  It was just easier that way.  What it became is a secret I continued to keep, but for other reasons.  That reason was competitive advantage.  Like most 50 Dad's, I frequently helped other guys work on their bikes.  Mostly because it seemed like I never had trouble and thus didn't need to work on my own.  I would discuss TWO2COOL only if someone else brought it up to me.  I would typically say something like "I run it and you should to" then just leave it at that.  Some people want information and some people just want to force opinions on you.  I really just like what works.  EVERY PERSON that started running TWO2COOL because of that comment, has told me thank you later.

There was one HUGE issue that you had to consider back then.  What base oil should you be running?  TWO2COOL additive will work in ANY OIL, but some oils are just better quality than others, so if you figured that out, it was THE SOLUTION!

Looking back, I think this secrecy around the product was good for those of us that were using it.  If anyone said something like "I tried it and it worked, but I don't believe all that hype about it", I would say what kind of oil are using?  It didn't take me long to realize that these people were not using a good oil to begin with.

The original developer was not interested in selling the product.  He created it for himself and basically sold it because it worked and everyone wanted it.  Eventually he sold the patents to a company that wanted to extend the product line.  While you can still purchase the additive and put it in whatever oil you want, this group created an entire solution for 50cc bikes.

ALL RACE OIL COMPANIES ARE BUILT UP with additives like anti-corrosion, anit-friction and lubrication properties.  These are PHYSICAL ADDITIVES that the law requires for oils that are offered to the general public.  Not all oils need to meet all the different requirements.  Big oil companies want a single mixture to meet several different applications because it's expensive to keep changing the blend.  This explains why TWO2COOL works in all oils, but it's better in some than it is others.

Always trying to improve their products (Like All Real Racers Will Do) TWO2COOL decided that
they could create the base oil that worked best for each of the major applications. By starting with the absolute best base oil and only adding chemicals needed for each application and not adding chemicals that detracted from the specific applications.  They created quart oil that contains their propritary TWO2COOL additive to work in all motorcycle applications.

Examples:
50CC Clutch (CTF-R), 2-Stroke Clutch (RTL-2) - 2 Stroke Mix (Ester 2-Stroke) - 4stroke motor oil (several options, both synthetic and conventional) - coolant solutions (noboil or Glycol Free) - fork oil solutions (Runs cooler less fade) - chain lube solution (runs cooler improves wear) etc..


THE IMPACT THAT CTF-R MADE ON THE 50CC RACE BIKES MADE THEM FAMOUS  

YOU SIMPLY CANNOT BUY A BETTER CLUTCH OIL FOR THE 50CC BIKES

I wish someone would have passed this information on to me at the very beginning of our 50cc career, but I had to learn it the hard way!  YOU DON'T - I invite you to try it and see the benefit with your own eyes and hear it from your rider.

Use the code "secret" when checking out from our website and save some money.

CLICK HERE TO GOTO CTF-R PRODUCT


Thank you for reading!
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Friday, December 16, 2016

Mastering the Chain Game

By: Shane Horn


With powersports vehicles, especially off-road competition bikes, there are very few maintenance items as important as keeping up with the chain.  Every penny that you spend to gain horsepower, a tenth here and a tenth there, all depends on the chain.  Afterall, it has to carry that power to the rear wheel.  If you've been around racing at all, you'll be the first to know that horsepower is expensive and when you start to try and squeeze that "factory" power out, It's really expensive.

So why would anyone leave the chain to chance?  
I think some people are overwhelmed with so many lubrication options and random advice. Experience plays a huge roll in it as well.

So how can you be sure that your not over-looking the obvious and you're not robbing horsepower through the chain?  
Well that's a really good question and I aim to shed some light on it through experience and good old-fashioned common sense.

In the chain game, there are three main enemies:

  • Dirt and Grime
  • Adjustment
  • Friction.

Pretty simple right?
I agree when the chain and sprockets are new.  Install it, adjust it, lube it up and go!


A new chain will "stretch" as it wears in.  Make sure that you check your service manual for the
specifications to keep it in proper shape.  This is NOT a how-to article, but as a "Pro-Tip", I use the "Three Finger" method for quick checks and piece of mind.  This will work on any bike, for a quick "Spot Check".  Be sure the bike is turned off and the chain is cool.  Stack three fingers and lift the chain above the swing arm.  Insert three fingers just behind the chain slider.  The chain should be snug against your fingers and not allow for your pinky finger.  The illustration here shows good adjustment where the image to the right show it too tight.  There are some great products out there for spot checking this adjustment.  I've used a socket that is the right height and placed it in the same location for the check.  I have found that using my fingers gives me a more accurate "feel" for the adjustment.  I may think " it's good, but It's starting to get loose" because I can feel that, where using a socket I can not.

So here is where things get sticky (pun intended).

You blaze in your first 20+2 moto on your new chain.  Everything went great.  Now it needs to be cleaned, lubed and adjusted.  So you break out your "Grunge Brush" or your standard issue wire brush and start scrubbing.  The problem is that the "industrial strength, paraffin wax impregnated, nuclear processed, brand name, chain lube" that you just had to have is, (A) attracting dirt and grime and (B) you can't get it off.  No doubt that this is "anti-sling" for sure.  In fact it's "CANT GET IT OFF".  But you really need to get the dirt off.  If you don't, your new chain and sprockets are going to wear out quickly.  So you scrub and scrub and scrub.... until finally you go for the WD... spray that light penetrating oil on it starts to break up, but it's still a ton of elbow grease and headache to get it clean and now you've used two products and wasted money to get the chain clean.  The question is, now what are you going to do?  Spray that lube on it again?  Yep, you just paid $12.99 for that....  and so the cycle repeats.



In my opinion, this is where the maintenance of the chain breaks down in frustration.  People just don't want to spend that kind of energy on the chain.  Doing a half-ass job doesn't make it better and how often does a chain break anyway?  Well, I can tell you that if you have ever had one come apart and destroy the case, you would feel differently.









Or worse, put you or your rider on the ground.  I would have trouble sleeping at night knowing that the chain broke on the face of a quad because I didn't maintenance it properly.

 Not doing the maintenance is not a good option!

"Pro-Tip" On a related note, when installing a new chain, be sure that you put the master link clip on in the right direction. The open part of the clip should face the back of the motorcycle when the master-link is positioned on the top of the swing-arm.  As the chain passes through the lower chain guide, the master-link clip may touch the edge.  If it's backwards, it may become dislodged and cause the chain to come apart.  Also, never spin the wheel backwards.  If you see someone spinning their wheel backwards to oil their chain or for anyother reason (I see it all the time) politely educate them.  You may be saving their life. 
WARNING - Some people don't want your opinion, Approach with caution. 😏

Now that we are all going to pay more attention to the chain, lets talk about performance for a second.  Friction creates heat and heat swells metal.  A swollen chain is tighter around the moving parts.  Tighter around the moving parts means that it will take more energy to move the tighter parts.  The friction, heat and tight metals will wear the parts much quicker. The dirt and grime that you can't get off, fill the gaps and increases friction while decreasing power.

Energy = Power.  The more power required to move the chain, the less horsepower is reaching the rear wheel.  Eliminating these two issues allows the motor to pass more power through the drive sprocket, into the chain and out to the rear wheel.  It's not making more horsepower, it's just reducing the loss of horsepower.  When it's right, you or your rider, will notice a difference.

So let's move on to a better maintenance procedure and start living our moto-life with less fear of the evil, power-sucking chain.

Start with a good chain.


Don't skimp on the chain.  Buy one that meets or exceeds the highest demands of motocross.  There are several good ones out there with different options.  Don't risk any type of failure for a gimmick.   If you just gotta have a green chain, then buy one from a reputable manufacture.  My friends over at moto-shack can lead you in the right direction.  I don't like the o-ring chain for dirt-bikes, primarily because I tested one and found that it was heavy, robbed horsepower and was difficult to clean.

Pre-stretched chain solutions...?  Hog-wash - just marketing hype, in my opinion, there is much more science to "why a chain loosens" other than it's tensile strength.  Sprockets wear, each link wears, etc. In-fact I think the "stretching" of the chain is a desirable function of its wear life.  When it stops stretching, it should be replaced because it's reached the breaking point.  Again, just my opinion.

If you're buying a new chain, you should use this opportunity to inspect the sliders and rollers, but at least plan to replace the front and rear sprocket.  The chain is really the quickest wear part of these three, but I often hear people say "My sprockets wear out before my chain".  If you think about it, they all wear together.  They are machined to work with each other, but as they work together, they wear together.  So adding a new chain to already worn sprockets will cause them to wear quick as they "adjust themselves" to the chain again.  Adjusting themselves to the chain again means wearing out more.  It's just much easier to see the wear on a sprocket than it is on the chain.  If you don't stay in front of this, you'll be replacing one of them all the time.  If done right, you'll replace all of it less often, have less problems and most importantly, save money.

Sometimes, I take the old setup and put it in an cleaned out butter dish with a little TWO2COOL chain lube and mark the hours on it (or the track setup).  Then put that in my parts box and keep them as an emergency backup.  I also do this if I know I am going to run significantly different tracks over a series and want different gearing setups.  If your running over at Murphy's MX, but then you want to hit up a 20+1 Arenacross, your going to need a different gearing setup.  This is a good way to manage that situation if your going to be making the change on the road.

What else can you do?
Pick the right lubricant.

Well here comes the sales pitch.  No not really, but TWO2COOL has created a great product that addresses these issues. I am giving you my thoughts and opinion on it.  

I know that they test heavily through their strategic partners like Harris Performance Engineering.  Their products are used in R&D through their sponsored riders like Parker Larson and John Horn.

These people are at the top of their game and demand the best in regards to product and they are not afraid to say what they do and don't like about the product(s).  People around them have years of experience in the industry.

TWO2COOL is keenly interested in producing the best product application(s) for racing conditions with a reasonable price break.  I know this first hand, because I've been involved in it and used the chain lube during the R&D process. Their bottle of Chain Lube is under 10 bucks.

The application is non-aerosol.  At first I wasn't sure if I would like it, but I quickly realised that I waste less, I don't get a bunch of overspray on the bike and a bottle of it lasts much longer.  These things alone I liked, but I also had a little more control over the application and I found that to be valuable.

Like it's name sake, the TWO2COOL chain lube runs cooler by creating a layer of oil between the
metals and preventing the build up of friction heat.  This improves power while reducing wear.

Since the product has a penetrating feature, it gets down into the crooks and crevices of the chain links.  This displaces dirt and crud from those areas and allows the chain to move freely preventing it from robbing horsepower.

Their specific formula has an "anti-sling" property which keeps it on the chain allowing it to continue to work throughout the entire moto without getting all over the bike.

Because it is not a wax or silicone based product, it is easier to clean up.  I put a little fresh chain lube on top and run a few rotations through a grunge brush.  It penetrates and displaces the dirt then I wipe the chain and sprockets off with a rag and repeat if necessary.  Once I'm satisfied that its clean, I check the adjustment, put a fresh application of lube on and it's ready to go for the next moto.

I have been asked "how do you keep the chain so clean?"  Well now you know.  The light penetrating qualities of the lube allow it to assist in the cleaning process.
  
So that's my 2 cents on Managing the Chain Game.  If you've read this far, thank you and I hope you learned something from it.  Below is a 20% discount to try the chain lube in this article.  I wanted to take a moment and thank TWO2COOL for putting this together.

1) Click the link below.
2) Add the chain lube to your cart
3) Where it asks for the "Coupon Code" enter "chaingame" without the quotes
4)  Enjoy.

If you found this article helpful and like receiving discounts this way, 
PLEASE like and share this article with your friends so they can enjoy it too.
THE BETTER THE RESPONSE THE MORE THEY WILL OFFER THIS KIND OF DISCOUNT  
Please use the #two2cool hashtag and link to us on facebook.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Click this TWO2COOL CHAIN LUBE link to take advantage of this offer.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Internal Combustion Engine HEAT

Cause and Cure Basics.



Heat is natural in an internal combustion engine.  In fact, heat is what is primarily produced and horsepower (output) is a by-product.

What produces the heat and some ways to improve performance.

Ignition and combustion of the fuel/air mixture 
  • Normal condition. A free flowing intake and exhaust keeps cool air moving in and hot gasses moving out.  Improving this condition improves performance, but changing this condition should be controlled.  Over modification can reduce performance and reliability.
Clutch slippage or release and engagement
  • Excessive slippage is an abnormal condition.  Reduce excessive slippage during release and engagement.  You will experience a more positive "hook up".  Oil selection is a major factor.  Worn or mismatched parts can play a significant role.  When making horsepower improvements don't forget the overall gains will only be as good as the weakest link.
Friction from metal to metal contact of moving parts
  • Normal condition.  Reduce friction of metal parts through lubricants. 
  • Transfer heat away from engine through the cooling system.
TWO2COOL lives in these sectors of performance gains through our specifically engineered proprietary cooling additive for oil and our Heat Transfer Technologies for coolant applications.


Ambient temperatures
  • External dirt and fluids retain heat on engine and radiators so keep it clean.
  • Stay in the shade or cover when possible
  • Cool engine/fuel/coolant between uses/motos.  Careful not to cool it too quickly as the metals need time to adjust without excessive force.  (i.e don't spray a hot motor with water)
Preignition or detonation
  • Abnormal condition.  Typically caused by stale/contaminated fuel or insufficient octane.  Use fuel that does not contain ethanol and provides the recommended octane for the motor setup.  Be consistent and remember just because it's running doesn't mean it's good.
  • Worn parts can cause overheating and preignition.  Keep track of your motor time with an engine timer and perform the appropriate maintenance intervals.  The more modified the motor is, the more frequent these requirements become.

TWO2COOL engine products are designed to assist with the challenges of heat.  This is done by selecting perfectly consistent, superior base oil products.  Combining our specifically engineered, proprietary (patented) additives.  Our solutions increase lubrication while reducing friction and carry heat away for dissipation through heat transfer technologies.  The results, as scientifically documented, are motors that run up to 60 degrees cooler and gain 3-4% horsepower.  This is a noticeable difference for the rider and is competitively priced with lesser quality oils.  Our oil solutions are legal in all known race sanctioning bodies and we have a coolant solution for zero glycol requirements.  

To ask a question or get clarification on anything, just click the "contact us" link to your right.  That is what it's there for and we want to hear from you.

To learn more about our products or share in the conversation, follow this blog, find us on FACEBOOK or head over to our website and create your own experience. 

Saturday, December 10, 2016

SYNCOOL is the KING OF HORSEPOWER

Recent dyno tests show that T2C's SYNCOOL as the King of Horsepower.  The test was developed using select leaders in the performance oil market.  

T2C starts with a superior base oil then adds it's proprietary oil additive to the perfect measurements.  This creates a synthetic or conventional oil product that is proven to gain 3-5% horsepower over all other brands tested, while controlling excessive heat and extending oil life.

In order to make such bold claims, we must have the data to back it up.  Of course we do.  We will happily make any and all testing available for our subscribed readers upon request.

In the mean time we have published other dyno charts to show the overall temperature gains when tested against other leading brands.  Some of our readers have said the graphs are difficult to understand, so we have made them easier to read by removing some of the clutter.  





















Thank you to eveyrone that uses our products!  Please follow this blog and share with your friends.  If there is anything that you would like us to post on just click the "Contact" form and let us know.

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Friday, December 9, 2016

TWO2COOL Wins at Baja 1000




AUSTIN MILLER and the Monkey Business Cleaning Products Team
Ride to VICTORY in 2016

The crew embarked on the treacherous off-road race that takes place in Mexico's Baja California Peninsula.

The 2016 SCORE Baja 1000 is the final round of a four-race series.  The SCORE Desert Challenge, the SCORE San Felipe 250 & the SCORE Baja 500. 

The 2016 49th SCORE Baja 1000 took place from November 16–20 over an 800-mile loop both starting and ending in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. 

We were honered that the team confidently selected TWO2COOL's SynCool Engine Oil and Pro-G Radiator Coolant to stand up to the grueling conditions of one of the toughest events in the world.

"The team relied heavily on the reduced friction, decreased engine temperatures, and improved performance along with minimal oil breakdown over the grueling 20 continuous hour race." TWO2COOL's premier base stocks and proprietary oil additive allowed for no oil changes, no oil top offs, and no post race oil consumption, absolutely unheard of in a race of this type." Says Bill Swisher of Moto Shack in San Antonio, TX.



Derek Harris of HP Race Development is an accomplished engine builder/suspension expert and has a degree in engineering.  With over 10 years engine and suspension modification experience,  he is also a research addict. Mr. Harris has been Using TWO2COOL products with great success and endorses our products based on science.  To this end Derek himself will be contributing an article on his site titled "Baja 1000 Winning Engine, Post Race Tear Down"


Don't forget to subscribe and comment then head on over to TWO2COOL and check out all the products that we have designed to help you keep your cost of ownership down, increase horsepower and win races.