MOTOCROSS ACTION PRODUCT TEST: PRO-START PS-2 DOUBLE GATE:

WHAT IS IT? A personal, cable-actuated, two-man starting gate that allows you to practice your starts anywhere that has a 100 yards of dirt.

WHAT’S IT DO? Getting a good start is crucial to getting a good finish. Most riders know this but never do anything to improve their reaction time. They think that a fast bike will help them get a holeshot, but in truth a fast bike doesn’t do a bit of good if you don’t get off the line quickly. The only way to get out of the gate fast is to sharpen your reflexes, learn the perfect application of throttle and figure out the proper weight balance. The best way to find the perfect formula is to practice, practice, practice.

Located in Southern California, Pro-Start makes full-size starting gates for many of the race tracks that the MXA wrecking crew spends time at (Starwest, Perris, Competitive Edge, Cahuilla Creek and California City). Pro-Start also makes one- or two-man practice gates. Since the two-man gate allows for head-to-head competition and can also be used by a solo rider on both concrete and dirt starts, the MXA wrecking crew had to have one.

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with Pro-Start’s PS-2 starting gate.

(1) Construction. The Pro-Start gate utilizes heavy-duty steel. The entire base frame is galvanized, and the gates themselves are powder coated. The PS-2 is built to last.

(2) Portability. The PS-2 can be moved around, but it’s not exactly like picking up a suitcase. The two-man PS-2 starting gate needs two men to move it around.

(3) Installation. Temporary installation requires a little careful digging to get the mechanism flush with the surface of the ground. The gate comes with steel stakes that are driven into the ground to hold it down. For long-term installation, we stabilized the gate by wetting the dirt and letting it harden around the gate and stakes. Alternatively, concrete would be nice.

(4) Actuation. You need a friend to squeeze the cable-actuated handle. The cable is long enough to allow the gate dropper to stand well out of the way. It is best if he stands behind the riders so that they can’t see him. This makes it impossible for the riders to cheat.

(5) Performance. Our PS-2 performed smoothly every time, but better yet was the performance of our test riders. They improved after each session of starts. Practicing starts by yourself is good practice, but going head-to-head against a friend is twice as fun.

(6) Options. Pro-Start offers a single gate for $550. They also have two bike add-on sections that allows you to turn a single gate into three, and a double gate into four, just in case you want to upgrade later.

(7) Customization. Pro-Start is open to custom job ideas and wants customers to get the exact starting gate they are looking for. For example, they recently built a special four-bike gate with a start box in the middle and two gates on either side (simulating a professional start) for a factory team.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? Although our starting gate was never upset during a start, we’d like more stakes, better stakes and a more secure system for holding the Pro Start in the ground.

The Pro-Start PS-2 is a very effective tool for improving race results, and it’s a lot of fun to boot. For a serious racer with someplace to put it, the PS-2 is a great investment.