MotoFactory

The 2025 AMA Pro Motocross championship has been a story of class domination for two riders; Jett Lawrence in the 450 division and Haiden Deegan in the 250s. Both riders can be beaten–that much has been established. But both riders are in possession of runaway points advantages as after Southwick Massachusetts, which is Race 5 of the summer campaign and Round 22 of the SMX World Championship regular season. A morning of cloud cover and mist gave way to sunny skies for the motos at the Crestview Construction Southwick National, where the sand track of The Wick 338 is legendary for challenging racers both physically and mentally. While the track pushed many riders to the limit, the series points leaders enjoyed their most dominant performances thus far as Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence cruised to his fifth straight victory and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan rode to an emphatic fourth win in five races. 450 Class Moto 1 The first moto of the afternoon kicked off with Lawrence leading the field to the Pro Motocross Holeshot, followed by his brother and teammate Hunter Lawrence and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger. The lead trio soon settled into their respective positions, with Jett Lawrence establishing a multi-second lead mere minutes into the moto. As the race surpassed its halfway point the duo of Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jorge Prado, a back-to-back FIM Motocross World Champion, and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac made their push to the front, with both riders making the pass on Plessinger to move into third and fourth, respectively. Prado and Tomac’s battle continued for third, until Prado pushed too hard in a corner and went down. That allowed Tomac to assume third while Prado remounted behind Plessinger in fifth. Jett Lawrence put forth his most impressive winning effort of the season, leading every lap for a fifth-straight victory. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. Out front, Jett Lawrence enjoyed a quiet moto and completed a wire-to-wire performance with his largest winning margin of the season to that point at 13.7 seconds over Hunter Lawrence, with Tomac an additional five seconds behind in third. Plessinger held on for fourth, just ahead of Prado, who equaled his best moto result in fifth. Hunter Lawrence went 2-2 for the second race in-a-row and has back-to-back runner-up finishes. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. Moto 2 The deciding moto started the same way as Moto 1, with Jett Lawrence leading the way to sweep the Pro Motocross Holeshots ahead of Prado and Hunter Lawrence, who was quickly passed by Tomac. The clear track allowed Jett Lawrence to pull away and establish a three-second lead over Prado and Tomac, who settled into second and third, respectively. As the moto neared its halfway point, Lawrence’s lead had grown to 8.5 seconds over Prado, who maintained a firm hold of second as Tomac started to lose ground and fall into the clutches of Hunter Lawrence from fourth. Lawrence appeared to be the faster rider and was easily able to slip past Tomac for third. The Australian’s momentum continued forward and carried him onto the rear fender of Prado. As he navigated lapped riders, Prado went down and lost multiple positions, reentering in sixth place. That allowed Hunter Lawrence to move into second and Tomac into third. Leading the way, Jett Lawrence was in a class of his own and significantly bettered his winning margin from the opening moto to take the checkered flag 20.1 seconds ahead of his brother. Tomac followed in third, more than a half-minute behind Jett. Eli Tomac’s consistency continued with his fourth podium result in five races. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. Overall The most dominant performance of the season so far brought Jett Lawrence his landmark 20th career 450 Class victory, which ties him with former Pro Motocross Champion and AMA Hall of Famer James Stewart for seventh all time. It also marked the young Australian’s 15th career 1-1 result in 21 starts and was his third consecutive Southwick victory. Hunter Lawrence completed the Honda and sibling 1-2 for the second straight race (2-2), while Tomac captured his fourth podium in five races in third (3-3). Jett Lawrence’s lead in the championship standings now sits at 38 points over Tomac with the halfway point of the season looming. With his second straight runner-up finish, Hunter Lawrence moved into third, 43 points behind his brother and just three points behind Tomac. 1st Place: Jett Lawrence, Honda HRC Progressive (1-1) “I just got to keep focused on each race. You can’t look forward and start thinking about the championship because that can work against you. Just take each race as it comes. It was a great day and even better with Hunter [Lawrence] in second with a 2-2.” 2nd Place: Hunter Lawrence, Honda HRC Progressive (2-2) “We’ve been working hard. Nothing too crazy. Just putting in the work and getting better, both in my riding and with the bike. To be honest, I’m getting sick of the number 18 [Jett Lawrence] on top so we’ll see if we can get one of these [wins] soon.” 3rd Place: Eli Tomac, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing (3-3) “It’s just Jett and Hunter [Lawrence] riding better [today]. They had an amazing flow on the track, and I just needed to be better out there. It wasn’t what I wanted to do today, but that’s how it goes sometimes. We’ll come back and try again next weekend.” 450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish // Points) Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Queensland, Australia, Honda (1-1 // 50) Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Queensland, Australia, Honda (2-2 // 44) Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha (3-3 // 40) Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha (6-5 // 33) Jorge Prado, Lugo, Galicia, Spain, Kawasaki (5-6 // 33) RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Husqvarna (8-4 // 32) Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM (4-8 // 32) Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha (7-7 // 30) Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., GASGAS (10-9 // 25) Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Husqvarna (12-10 // 22) 450 Class Championship Standings (Race 5 of 11) Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Queensland, Australia, Honda – 240 Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha – 202 Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Queensland, Australia, Honda – 197 Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM – 188 Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 181 RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Husqvarna – 149 Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha – 130 Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Honda – 118 Jorge Prado, Lugo, Galicia, Spain, Kawasaki – 115 Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Kawasaki – 99 450SMX Regular Season Standings (Round 22 of 28) Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha – 495 Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 462 Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM – 443 Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., KTM – 363 Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Husqvarna – 359 Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Queensland, Australia, Honda – 311 Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha – 282 Ken Roczen, Mattstedt, Germany, Suzuki – 271 Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Honda – 271 Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Queensland, Australia, Honda – 259 250 Class Haiden Deegan enjoyed a perfect afternoon earning fastest qualifier, both holeshots, and leading every lap in his fourth 1-1 sweep of the season. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. Moto 1 The first moto got underway with Deegan at the head of the pack, quickly opening multiple bike lengths on the field coming to the Pro Motocross Holeshot while his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate Michael Mosiman gave chase from second, ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle in third. As Deegan pulled away Vialle looked to pressure Mosiman for second, only to tip over, which dropped the Frenchman outside the top 10. Vialle’s misfortune allowed Triumph Factory Racing’s Mikkel Haarup to move into third briefly, but he was soon passed by Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen. Deegan soon stormed out to a margin of more than 15 seconds well before the halfway point of the moto, which left Mosiman and Kitchen to battle it out for second. The Kawasaki rider closed in on his Yamaha counterpart and the two engaged in a spirited fight. Mosiman withstood the pressure and inched away, but Kitchen was able to claw his way back to once again initiate a battle. The end result was the same, with Mosiman able to fend off the pressure. However, with two laps to go Kitchen made the pass after Mosiman’s pace slowed in the closing stages. Out front, Deegan enjoyed his most dominant single moto of the season with a wire-to-wire effort that saw him finish 25.1 seconds ahead of Kitchen. Vialle was able to get by Mosiman on the final lap for third in an incredibly resilient effort. Haarup secured a best moto result in fifth. Moto 2 The start of the final moto of the day was a duplication of Moto 1 as Deegan was well ahead of the field to sweep the Pro Motocross Holeshots, with Triumph Factory Racing’s Jalek Swoll in second and Kitchen in third, followed by Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda and Vialle right behind. While this group of riders jockeyed for position, the clear track allowed Deegan to establish a two-second lead at the completion of the opening lap. A spirited opening five minutes saw both Deegan and Kitchen pull away from the rest of the field as Swoll and Shimoda battled for third, with the Japanese rider able to secure the position. Not long after that, Vialle made the move on Swoll for fourth and looked to track down Shimoda for third. Meanwhile, Shimoda was charging forward and quickly caught and passed Kitchen for second just over 10 minutes into the moto. Kitchen then dropped back to Vialle, who surged into third. The top three went unchanged from then on. While Deegan’s lead and control of the moto was never in doubt, Shimoda was able to keep him honest as the margin hovered just under 10 seconds over the second half. Deegan wrapped up his eighth moto win of the season by 8.9 seconds over Shimoda, with Vialle a distant third. Tom Vialle showed resiliency in his second straight runner-up effort. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. Overall The fourth 1-1 outing of the season secured Deegan’s fourth win in five races and the 11th victory of his career. He became the first back-to-back Southwick winner in the 250 Class since Tyla Rattray during the 2010-2011 seasons. Vialle secured his second straight runner-up finish (3-3), while Kitchen finished third (2-4) for the fourth race in-a-row. Deegan strengthened his grip on the championship lead even more and now has a 58-point lead over Shimoda, who finished fifth (10-2). Vialle gained two positions and is now third, 79 points out of the lead. Levi Kitchen in the midst of a four-race podium streak, with third-place finishes at each event. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. 1st Place: Haiden Deegan, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (1-1) “I really just came out and rode like I did. Nothing special to it today. I’ve been training hard and evidently I was pretty good in the sand today.” 2nd Place: Tom Vialle, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (3-3) “After crashing [in Moto 1] and using so much energy I was pretty tired in the second moto. The track was really difficult at the end of the day. Third was all I had in the second moto. I’m happy with the result and I’m looking forward to next weekend.” 3rd Place: Levi Kitchen, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki (2-4) “I drank a lot of fluid before the final moto and ended up getting a stitch in my side about three laps in. I had to ride through that and recollect myself to finish strong. I’m obviously still working on things, but happy to be on the podium again.” 250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finishes // Points) Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha (1-1 // 50) Tom Vialle, Avignon, France, KTM (3-3 // 40) Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki (2-4 // 40) Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Yamaha (4-5 // 35) Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Honda (10-2 // 34) Mikkel Haarup, Silkeborg, Denmark, Triumph (5-6 // 33) Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Kawasaki (6-8 // 30) Seth Hammaker, Bainbridge, Pa., Kawasaki (9-9 // 26) Ty Masterpool, Fallon, Nev., Kawasaki (8-11 // 25) Jordon Smith, Belmont, N.C., Triumph (14-7 // 23) 250 Class Championship Standings (Race 5 of 11) Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha – 244 Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Honda – 186 Tom Vialle, Avignon, France, KTM – 165 Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki – 164 Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Kawasaki – 162 Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda – 132 Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Yamaha – 113 Mikkel Haarup, Silkeborg, Denmark, Triumph – 113 Ty Masterpool, Fallon, Nev., Kawasaki – 113 Maximus Vohland, Sacramento, Calif., Yamaha – 103 250SMX Regular Season Standings (Round 22 of 28) Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha – 465 Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Honda – 349 Tom Vialle, Avignon, France, KTM – 345 Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Kawasaki – 307 Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM – 280 Seth Hammaker, Bainbridge, Pa., Kawasaki – 276 Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda – 262 Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Yamaha – 244 Maximus Vohland, Sacramento, Calif., Yamaha – 223 Jordon Smith, Belmont, N.C., Triumph – 220 The 2025 Pro Motocross Championship will reach its halfway point next Saturday, July 5, with Round 23 of the SMX regular season, as Michigan’s legendary RedBud MX will host American motocross’ Independence Day tradition with the Honda RedBud National Presented by Dixxon Flannel. The sixth race of the summer will be showcased live on NBC Television Network with coverage of the second 450 Class moto at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET. Comprehensive coverage will be shown in its entirety on Peacock, beginning with Race Day Live at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET, followed by uninterrupted coverage of the motos at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. The post 2025 SOUTHWICK NATIONAL MX RESULTS appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

In the April, 2000 print edition of Dirt Bike Magazine, we got the chance to ride a bunch of National Championship works bikes. In two of the cases, the riders who won those championships never got to ride the bikes for themselves–at least, not with their number one plates. Ricky Carmichael was the 125 outdoor champion and he was moving up to the 250 class. Nate Ramsey was 125 West champ and he was injured. Here’s what we said about those bikes as well as Greg Albertyn’s RM250 and Ernesto Fonseca’s Yamaha of Troy YZ125. RIDING THE RAMSEY/CARMICHAEL #1 KX125 Life just ain’t fair sometimes. Team Pro Circuit/Splitfire earned two number one plates with the KX125 last year (1999). Ricky Carmichael won the 125 National Championship and Nate Ramsey won the 125 Western Regional Supercross Championship. That’s two number one plates out of five. Forty percent. Almost half. Yet in the 2000 MX season, you won’t see either rider carrying a number one. That’s because Carmichael has switched to the 250 class full time (where he will be number four) and Ramsey was injured a week before the Opening round of the supercross season. He will switch to the Eastern region, which gives him a month of healing time. The bottom line; there will be no number one in either of their original classes. It also means that when we rode Ramsey’s bike, we were the only riders to ride a number one KX this year. A terrible miscarriage of justice? We don’t mind. Tallon Vohland took over for the injured Nate Ramsey in 2000. THE BIKE The stock 2000 Kawasaki KX125 is no powerhouse. But it’s better than the 1999 version, which was better than the 1998 version. Pro Circuit has been fighting an uphill battle with the KX for a number of years. And every time that Kawasaki gets a little closer to the mark, life gets easier for Mitch Payton and his boys. The bike that fell into our grubby little hands was Nate Ramsey’s Supercross bike. The setup for a supercross bike used to be completely different from an outdoor machine. It should be. Outdoor tracks are made out of dirt and mud. Supercross tracks are made mostly out of air. The dirt is only there to land on. Consequently, Supercross suspension has one overriding task: landing ramps. Supercross power, on the other hand, is in charge of take-off ramps. In the old days, that meant that stadium bikes were unfriendly things, but increasingly, today’s outdoor bikes and supercross bikes are coming together. The P.C. engine works well for both. Mitch only makes slight changes to the exhaust port to change from one spec to the other. On the outdoor bike, the team also switches to an Italian-made Vertex piston because they seem to be a little more durable than stock. Of course the compression is bumped up dramatically. Stock bikes are made to run on gas that comes out of just any old ARCO pump. Race bikes have the luxury of race gas. Then there is the 37mm carb and a Pro Circuit pipe and silencer. The team uses stock reeds. There are no big secrets to the engine mods. Anyone who wants to have a Ramsey bike can have one built. The only part that can’t be purchased is the programmable ignition. But the team usually runs the stock advance curve. The chassis has some gussetting, and sloppy robot welds are ground off and redone by hand. Fast guys tend to stretch their bikes. If you measure the wheelbase of an ungussetted bike at the start of a season and at the end, you’ll find that it grows almost half an inch. All that big air has a price. Olympic does the powder coating (they do it for all the teams). Carmichael used works suspension last year, Ramsey used KYB kit stuff. This year’s 125 has stock-based suspension. Bones Bacon duplicates the works kit stuff as best he can. The works fork, for example, is slightly shorter than a stocker. Most riders feel the KX front end is too high. Bones accomplishes the same thing by making a flush fork cap. That way the tube can be slid higher in the clamps without hitting the bars. The steering head bearings also are offset slightly to tuck the front end in. The rules say the frame has to have the stock dimensions, but don’t say anything about getting geometry changes in other ways. The rest of the bike is a P.C. catalog. It has P.C. triple clamps, P.C. levers, P.C. seat cover and so on. That’s the whole point of having your own race team. Of all the number one bikes, this is the only one that truly can be purchased, piece by piece, out of a catalog. Paul Krause aboard the Pro Circuit KX125. NUMBER ONE “So who’s that with the number one plate?” Just us. Ramsey and Carmichael have to earn theirs all over again. Riding the Splitfire bike was as much a treat as you can imagine. The bike is fast. Not just fast for a Kawasaki. Not even just fast for a 125. Just fast. It has unnatural low-end power and super quick throttle response. And it keeps on revving on top. As we said, the days of the short-revving, supercross-only bikes appear to be passing. This bike in this configuration could pull a holeshot on any track against any works bike. The suspension, on the other hand, is very supercross-oriented. Ramsey has a tendency to keep his weight way back over the rear of the bike. That means he runs it stiff in the rear and less stiff in the front. Well, both ends were too stiff for us, but we would be confused if they weren’t. Of all the supercross bikes in the world, this probably has the most compliant fork. Could we tell the difference in steering geometry? Sure. The stock KX is a little like a truck. Bringing in the front end makes it turn more like an RM125. And there doesn’t seem to be any trade-off in stability. In the past, whenever we tried sliding the fork tubes up on a stock KX, we got head shake. The suspension, evidently, has to be set up for it. After we rode the bike, it was loaded up in the big truck for its trek across the country. The number one was peeled off and replaced with 24, Ramsey’s number for the eastern series. It’s a good feeling to have your number retired … RIDING GREG ALBERTYN’S #1 RM250 Greg Albertyn’s 2000 Factory Suzuki RM250 The Nineties were not kind to American Suzuki. The yellow race team had a knack of taking champions and turning them into losers. The record looked bad; first, Roger DeCoster left his winning legacy at Honda to become the manager at Suzuki without much success. Then Greg Albertyn left a string of championships in Europe to become just another rider in the U.S. And even Jeremy McGrath’s unbelievable win streak was broken by his one season on Suzuki. Was the problem the bike, the company or something in the water in Brea, California? We didn’t know. Roger didn’t know. No one knew, but frankly, it didn’t matter after 1999, because the string was finally broken. Suzuki entered the 2000s with the number one plate in the 250 Nationals, courtesy of Greg Albertyn. In a world filled with petty rivalries and bad reputations, Albee stood out as a class act. He left no vendettas, burned bridges or broken contracts in his wake. His slow and sometimes painful climb to the top was received with universal approval, even among competitors, who usually took the “If it couldn’t be me, I’m glad it’s him” philosophy. THE BIKE Suzuki finished Albee’s 2000 race bike a full month before the start of the supercross season. That’s unheard-of. But the team had several advantages that year. For one thing, the new production bike was closer to Albee’s 1999 race bike than before. The flat-topped piston and larger rear axle on the production bike, for example, were tested on the race bike first. And Albertyn’s outdoor bike and supercross specs aren’t that different. The indoor bike has stiffer suspension and slight differences in the exhaust port for more instant low-end power. Mitch Payton at Pro Circuit had come up with a porting spec that beat anything the race team got from Japan–on the dyno it made almost eight horsepower more than stock. The bike also used a larger powervalve chamber, a programmable ignition and a Pro Circuit pipe that had only slight changes from a production model. By far, the biggest difference between Greg’s new bike and his ’99 outdoor bike was weight. The race bike would typically weigh in at 228 pounds last year. That might be five pounds lighter than stock, but it’s still five pounds heavier than a stock Honda and 12 pounds over the minimum weight. DeCoster would have no more of that, so he decided to spend some money on titanium. Virtually every bolt on the bike is Ti, with the exception of the case bolts (which are aluminum) and the axles. Back in 1996, Albee broke a titanium rear axle during a National, so their use has been banned on Suzuki’s race bikes ever since. For 2000, the bike got a slew of magnesium parts from Japan (the top triple clamp, the rear hub and the caliper carriers) and the bottom line was an amazing 10-pound weight reduction. The new bike was only two pounds over the minimum. Goes to show you what determination and money can do. Of course, the suspension was works Showa. Factory forks are things of beauty. The axle carriers were magnesium, the tubes were coated with titanium nitride and the fork caps were flush with the top of the upper tubes (it required a special tool to remove them). The rear shock looked like it should be in the Guggenheim. Paul Krause on the factory RM250. Suzuki doesn’t reinforce the frame anywhere; the mechanics just weld on glideplate mounting tabs and the front motor mounts (which are removable on the stocker). Then it’s all powder-coated in bright yellow. DeCoster was kind to us. He knew that no one on the Dirt Bike staff was capable of making Greg’s suspension move. He revalved both ends so we could take the bike for a spin at Elsinore Raceway. That’s a rare treat. Sure, we get to ride some pretty trick bikes, but they are always someone else’s trick bikes and they really aren’t very comfortable. It was as if Suzuki built the trickest bike on earth just for us. For the first time, we got to see how good works suspension can be. Trust us; it’s awesome. The fork had no harshness and no friction. No wonder all works bikes have some level of factory suspension. It’s a huge benefit over stock. The engine fooled us. We rode the works bike and it seemed really fast, as expected. But then we rode a box-stock RM, and it seemed pretty fast, too. Not as fast as the works bike, of course, but close, especially on top. Roger overheard that comment and just laughed. “Ride it again,” he said. “This bike makes almost 20 percent more power than stock. It just starts making power so much earlier that it doesn’t have a hard hit.” We did ride it again and did some impromptu roll-ons against the 2000 model RM. Roger was right. The factory bike was way faster. Goes to show you how deceiving a smooth powerband can be. The factory bike also had much more instantaneous throttle response, as if it had less flywheel. It didn’t, it just felt that way. Another big difference: the weight. The factory bike was 15 pounds lighter. You really felt it. That’s about the same difference between a Yamaha YZ426 and a regular RM250. So back to the mystery: Why hadn’t Suzuki won any championships since Cooper in 1990, and before that, Mark Barnett in 1983? That was a whole different story. All we knew was that Suzuki and Gerg Albertyn carried the number one plate in 2000, which made sense to us.hat makes perfect sense to us. RIDING ERNESTO FONSECA’S YOT YZ125 Yamaha of Troy YZ125. I don’t think anyone really expected it, ” said Kenny Germain. “We went testing at the beginning of last year and Ernie looked good, but not that good. He would ride around with Casey Lytle and keep up, but never pull away. Then the season started and something just clicked.” Something certainly did click and Germain got a front row seat to Supercross history. Ernesto Fonseca, otherwise known as “who?” won seven of eight 125 East rounds. Yamaha of Troy had hired the young Costa Rican as a dark horse. Germain, who already knew Fonseca from earlier trips to the US, became his mechanic and the two of them upset the balance of power in the Supercross championship. Yamaha of Troy Manager Erik Kehoe probably would like to take credit for discovering Fonseca, but doesn’t. “He came out of Yamaha’s amateur support program. Mike Guerra had supported him in a few amateur races and he was earmarked to go to us as soon as he turned 16. We figured he would get some experience in his first season and be a real threat the following year. He’s way ahead of schedule. In the previous season, Ricky Carmichael dominated the 125 East class. With him out of the way riding 250s, it was a prime opportunity for riders like Broc Sellards and Nick Wey to step into the spotlight. No one really took Fonseca that seriously. But here we are, one year later and Fonseca looks like the next Carmichael. Only he’s sticking around in the 125 class to defend his title. Ernesto came out of nowhere to win seven of the eight East coast 125 races in 1999. THE BIKE It’s easy to disregard Yamaha of Troy as another farm team and their bikes as aftermarket specials. But the truth is that a YOT 125 has just as many works parts as Greg Albertyn’s factory Suzuki. The motor came right out of Yamaha USA’s back room, where Bob Oliver and Dean Baker were responsible for making it run–the same guys who build McGrath’s engines. The ignition is straight from the back room at the factory in Japan. It’s programmable so that the team can, in theory, change the powerband to suit each track. That doesn’t happen, though. Most of the testing and settings are finalized before the beginning of the Supercross season and stay put until the beginning of the outdoor races. But if there were problems, the bike could be modified with a few keystrokes. There are a surprising number of other sorry-not-for-sale parts. The carb is a works Mikuni with a Power Jet. The triple clamps look like typical aftermarket parts, but come from the factory in Japan. The front brake has a standard caliper with a works 270mm rotor and carrier. And the bike has a fortune in titanium parts. Oddly enough, the pipe is a standard Pro Circuit off-the-shelf unit. No surprise in the suspension department. The fork and shock are KYB works kit units, which are available in limited quantity to special people. Ross Maeda at Enzo is responsible for tuning them and retuning them for various conditions. Don’t misunderstand; there are a zillion aftermarket parts on the bike too, from N-Style graphics to the Renthal bars and the DSP carbon-fiber glide plate and disc guard. But frankly, this is the most factory-level bike in the 125 class. Paul Krause aboard the Yamaha of Troy YZ125. RIDING THE DRAGON We took a spin on Fonseca’s bike before it was loaded on the truck to head back east. It had all of its full-on Supercross settings, so frankly we expected it to be a beast. That’s the funny thing about Supercross; the bikes usually seem awful to average riders. The suspension has to be super-stiff and the powerband has to be instantaneous, usually at the expense of peak revs. Surprise! Between Fonseca’s weight (138 pounds) and his smooth riding style, the suspension was actually supple. Well, supple might not be the correct word, but we could make it move! As we expected, the motor was hard-hitting. But it revs at least as high as a stock YZ. Probably the biggest advantage that the YOT bike has is that it began life as a normal YZ125. That’s pretty good. The bike already has more revs and more bottom end than any other stock bike. The Yamaha guys in that dark back room don’t have to do that much to be miracle workers. The scene probably goes something like this: “Hey guys, we have this urgent order to build the fastest, most responsive 125 race bike on earth before tomorrow morning. What’s for lunch?” As fate would have it, Fonseca’s east coast Supercross bike will be the only 125 in the country to carry a number one plate this year. Outdoor champ Carmichael and west coast champ Nate Ramsey have switched classes and can’t defend their titles. But that’s okay. Take it from us, that number one plate is in good hands. Happy wheelies! –Ron Lawson The post RIDING THE CHAMPIONS OF 1999: THE WRAP appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. 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The mid-’90s steel-framed Honda CR250s are probably some of the most popular machines to restore for a few reasons: there are lots of them out there, aftermarket parts are found fairly easily, and Jeremy McGrath just made them cool. With this 1994 CR250 build we wanted to do something a little different, so we steered clear of going down the McGrath-replica road and came up with this “White Lightning” project. It’s awesome to see so many aftermarket manufacturers still making parts for these 30-plus-year-old machines, like IMS Products, Rekluse, ProX, TM Designs, ODI, HYGGE, Pro Circuit, Works Connection and Boyesen. WORK IN PROGRESS Although a lot of these machines were sold back in the ’90s, it’s very hard to find one that hasn’t been abused into submission over the last 30-plus years. This bike was found by Managing Editor Mark Tilley back in 2016 and purchased for a couple hundred bucks. Of course, immediately the engine locked up and the fork seals started leaking. The bike sat in his backyard until midway through 2019 when it was dug out and, just like thousands of other bike builds, the process began. Two-strokes are easy to tear down. In one afternoon, the bike was disassembled into a several piles of parts and was ready for stage two. The engine was shipped off to Brad at Parapros to find out just how much damage was done when it locked up. Fortunately, only the cylinder was damaged and in need of repairs; the cases looked great. Parapros split the cases to inspect the crank and transmission, and it’s a good thing they did, because we never would have known the crank bearing was bad. A Wiseco Garage Buddy complete engine rebuild kit, which contains a complete gasket set, complete crank assembly, main bearings, top end and all the seals needed to put the engine back together, was added. The cylinder and top-end were sent off to Millennium Technologies to get repaired. While all that was happening, we discussed the suspension with the crew at AHM Factory Services. Handling on the 1994 CR250 was pretty good, but we wanted to step it up to the next level. We found a complete front end off a 2008 Honda CRF450R just waiting for us on Facebook Marketplace that we happily paid way too much for. The steering stem was pressed out of the 1994 stock clamp and pressed into the 2008 clamp with new ProX bearings. We had to modify the steering stops slightly to accept the newer-style lower clamp, but because the front end was purchased complete, we already had the braking system, axle, wheel spacers and front wheel. With the front wheel off a 2008 model and the rear wheel off a 1994 model, we sent both of them over to Colin at Faster USA for some TLC and custom coatings to make everything look and feel brand new. Faster USA replaced the bearings, coated the hubs black and then laced up a set of black D.I.D Dirt Star rims. They even installed the Dunlop MX34 tires for us. IMS footpegs are an easy item to modernize an older bike. The main frame and swingarm received a black textured powdercoating from Chris Johnson’s crew at San Diego Powder Coating. Of course, all the bearings were replaced using kits from ProX. Clarke Manufacturing saved the day for us on this project with the stock tank that started out white, had turned yellow over the years, and was definitely not going to match our white color scheme. Lucky for us, Clarke makes a direct-replacement tank in white for the ’92–’96 CR250R steel-framed machines, and it is a quality piece that mounted up perfectly and looked completely stock. Nick and the crew at Decal Works topped off the White Lightning build with a set of semi-custom graphics with a ’90s old-school vibe to them, and the custom gripper seat from Motoseat complemented those graphics. Colin and the crew at Faster USA brought our wheels back to life with some much-needed TLC. FINAL RESULT It only took a few hours to tear the bike down, but it would take over five years to get it back in working order. Sometimes here at the magazine we take for granted exactly how many man-hours go into making a project like this successful until we are elbows-deep into it. Yes, there is the actual labor involved, but we always forget about the time looking for parts, arranging the build list, e-mailing companies asking if they want to be a part of the build, and then there are always a couple surprises that weren’t expected along the way. White Lightning checked all those boxes and a few more, but now that the bike is complete, we can show up at an event and cherish the joy it brings others. We gotta give a special thanks to Jay Clark for all his help hunting down parts for this build, and Chuck McCarty for spinning the wrenches and getting this bike ready to rip. The post TWO-STROKE PROJECT: WHITE LIGHTNING appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

2025 Snowshoe GNCC XC1 and XC2 Pro class highlights! The GNCC series traveled to Snowshoe, West Virginia, to a ski resort to race some awesome terrain. Below are the top 10 overall results from the offroad event: TOP TEN OVERALL RESULTS 1. Josh Toth – XC2 2. Stew Baylor – XC1 3. Ben Kelly – XC1 4. Jordan Ashburn – XC1 5. Grant Baylor – XC1 6. Cody Barnes – XC2 7. Josh Strang – XC1 8. Brody Johnson – XC2 9. Nicholas Defeo – XC2 10. Graig Delong – XC1 GNCC Coverage Sponsors: FXR Racing: www.fxrracing.com D.I.D Chains: www.didchain.com The post GNCC Race at a SKI RESORT! Snowshoe 2025 appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

WHERE’S THE POWER? WHEN TO REBUILD YOUR TWO-STROKE TOP END Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I’ve got a 2023 KTM 300XC TBI, and lately it’s feeling a little tired. I ride pretty hard, and I’m wondering when I should do a top-end rebuild? How do I keep that crisp power I felt when it was new? First off, good on you for noticing that slight dip in performance. It’s your bike whispering (or maybe yelling) that it’s time to freshen things up. A top-end rebuild is the simplest, most effective way to keep your two-stroke running strong, and it’s a ritual every rider should embrace to maintain that crisp, punchy power you fell in love with. Let’s break it down: when to do it, why it matters and how to do it right with the best parts, like the Slavens Racing EZ top-end rebuild kit. WHEN IS IT TIME FOR A TOP-END REBUILD? Now, when should you rebuild? For most two-strokes, the sweet spot is 80 to 120 hours. At Slavens, they lean towards 80 to keep power crisp, but it varies by riding style. Keeping it pinned? Think 80. Mixing trails and technical stuff? Maybe 120. Regular top-end service is cheap insurance to keep your bike fresh, whether you’re racing or just hitting the trails. Waiting too long risks more than lost power—think scored cylinders or worse. Ride 80–120 hours a season? Do it yearly. Winter’s great for cold climates; summer works in hot zones. Pick your off-season and treat your bike right. WHY A TOP-END REBUILD MATTERS A top-end refresh is the easiest way to restore that new-bike feel. Unlike four-strokes with complex internals, two-strokes are simple: piston, rings and gaskets. When these wear, the power fades, compression drops and smoke might rise. A rebuild fixes that fast. Plus, two-strokes are easy to work on—parts are affordable, and it’s a DIY job with basic tools. For your KTM 300, we recommend Vertex pistons—OEM for KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas. They’re in Slavens Racing’s EZ top-end rebuild kit, ensuring top performance. DON’T SKIMP; DO IT RIGHT Now, I’ve heard some riders ask, “Can I just replace the rings and call it good?” We say, don’t bother. Replacing rings alone might save you a few bucks up front, but it’s a half-measure that won’t get you the full benefit. If you’re diving into the top end, do the piston and rings together. It’s not much more expensive, and it’s the right way to restore performance. Check out Slavens Racing’s “Quick Tip Video: Don’t Replace Only the Piston Rings” video for the full scoop. But trust us, a fresh piston and rings together will keep your tolerances tight and your power strong. If your bike’s got less than 25 hours or a freshly re-plated cylinder, go with size-A piston. If you’re over 25 hours or 500 miles, a size-B piston will bring your cylinder back to spec. TAKING CARE OF THAT NIKASIL CYLINDER Now, let’s talk about your Nikasil cylinder bore, because we get this question a lot too. How do you take care of it? Simple: less is more. Don’t hone it, and don’t mess with it unnecessarily. Honing a Nikasil cylinder will ruin the coating faster than you can say, “Blowby.” If it’s in good shape, just clean it gently, then let it be. For more on that, check out our Nikasil’s “Cylinder Care” video. A top-end rebuild every 80-120 hours keeps everything in check without over-complicating things. WHAT YOU’LL FEEL AFTER THE REBUILD Once you slap that fresh top end on your KTM 300, you’ll notice the difference right away. The throttle will snap back to life, the midrange will pull harder, and that crisp, responsive feel will be yours again. It’s like hitting the reset button on your bike’s soul. Best of all, it’s peace of mind—reliable power to get you to the finish line or back to the trailhead; no drama required. WRAP IT UP So, to sum it up: plan on a top-end rebuild every 80–120 hours (sooner if you ride hard), don’t skimp on the piston and rings, and treat your Nikasil cylinder with kid gloves. The EZ top-end kit is your one-stop solution. It has everything you need—top-quality Vertex components and a fitment guarantee for your ’23 KTM 300. It’s cheap insurance for a bike that runs like a champ, season after season. Happy trails! email: mrknowitall@hi-torque.com | mail: Dirt Bike Mr. Know-It-All 25233 Anza Dr. Valencia, CA 91355 The post TWO-STROKE REBUILD GUIDELINES: MR KNOW-IT-ALL appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

It was a spectacular day for the Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team at Snowshoe Mountain Resort on Sunday. The West Virginia location held Round 9 of the Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC Racing) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship. After three hours of battle, Josh Toth came out victorious with the overall and the XC2 win over teammate Steward Baylor, who won the XC1 class. Josh Toth (Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green) battled through to earn the Yamaha Racing Snowshoe GNCC Overall win. Photo: Mack Faint As the current overall top 20 began on the first four rows of the unique live engine start, FMF KTM Factory Racing Lander’s Grant Davis alongside his teammate Angus Riordan, FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley, Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Steward Baylor and Phoenix Racing Honda’s Cody Barnes took off and headed into the woods first off of row one. However, as the race wore on they began to have some heavy challengers with the time adjustment from each start row. The battles continued to heat up throughout the day as Toth would make his way towards the front after starting on the second row. Toth and his teammate/team owner, Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Steward Baylor would ensue in a heated battle throughout the last lap swapping the physical lead position multiple times. Toth looked to be suffering from some back tire deterioration, but didn’t let that slow him down too much. Baylor would physically cross the line first, but with time adjustments would not have enough distance between himself and Toth. As Toth crossed the finish line, he would be close enough to Baylor to take the Overall Win and XC2 250 Pro class win at Snowshoe. Baylor earned second overall and first in XC1 Open Pro after battling through to the very end. Ben Kelley (FMF KTM Factory Racing) pushed throughout the day to earn third overall, and second in XC1 Open Pro. Photo: Mack Faint FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley would have an early race mishap, but would continue to push himself towards the front, racing his way to a third overall finish on the day and second place in the XC1 Open Pro. Flatrock Motorclub GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jordan Ashburn put on a hard charge throughout the race, earning himself third in the XC1 Open Pro class as well as fourth overall on the day. Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Grant Baylor would finish an impressive fifth overall and fourth in XC1 after a rough day on top of Snowshoe Mountain. Coming through to take sixth overall was Phoenix Racing Honda’s Cody Barnes, while also finishing second in the XC2 250 Pro class. Liqui Moly Factory Beta Racing’s Josh Strang continued his consistent season as he came through to finish seventh overall on the day, and a top 5 finish in the XC1 Open Pro class. Steward Baylor won the XC1 class but had to settle for second overall. Photo: Mack Faint XC2 250 Pro competitors, Brody Johnson finished third in class and eighth overall while Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Nick DeFeo finished ninth overall and four in the class. Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna Racing’s Craig Delong rounded out the top 10 overall finishers at Snowshoe, while also earning sixth in XC1. Unfortunately, FMF KTM Factory Racing Lander’s Grant Davis would have to stop for an untimely pit stop to replace a damaged shifter. That would see him crossing the line fifth in the XC2 class and 11th overall on the day. Brody Johnson took the XC3 125 Pro-Am class win in West Virginia. Photo: Mack Faint In the XC3 class it was Bonecutter Off-Road/GASGAS-backed racer Jonathan Johnson coming through to complete six laps and take the class win, his fourth of the season. Coming through to take second in the class was Marionville Powersports/Hinson/Fly Racing’s James Jenkins as he had a consistent day in the number two spot. Rounding out the top three class finishers was Beta Off-Road/Estes Motorsports/Wossner Piston’s Riley Messer as he came thorugh to finish third after battling back from a fifth place start to the day. Earning the Yamaha Racing Snowshoe GNCC Top Amateur honors was Lane Whitmer as he battled through to finish 15th overall and take home the 250 A class win. His brother, Cole Whitmer was second on the Top Amateur podium as he came through 17th overall while earning the Open A class win. Joseph Cunningham rounded out the Top Amateur podium as he came through 19th overall and took home second in 250 A. This weekend the GNCC Racing Series had some special friends join them in racing, as they traveled from Japan and the JNCC Racing Series. Kazuto Yano raced in the XC1 Open Pro class, finishing 11th in class and 55th overall on the day. Yoshihiro Iwai raced in the Sportsman B (30+) class during the morning race where he finished 12th in class. Morning Bike Overall Podium: Rachael Archer (center), Shelby Turner (left) and Gary Fridley (right). Photo: Mack Faint As the morning bike race took off it was the WXC class heading into the woods first as Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Rachael Archer would grab the early lead. Archer would continue to push her way through the rugged terrain, continuing to hold the number one position in the WXC class until the checkered flag flew. Archer continues to hold the WXC National Championship points lead as the series heads into its summer break. WXC Bike Top Three Podium: Rachael Archer (center), Shelby Turner (left) and Danielle McDonald (right). Photo: Mack Faint Enduro Engineering-backed Shelby Turner battled her way up to the front of the pack as she started in fourth and then fifth on the second lap. Turner would put her head down and continue on, making the necessary passes to get herself into second place in the WXC class. Turner would hold that position and cross the line second in WXC, her third podium finish of the season. Rounding out the top three overall finishers was Gary Fridley who earned the Super Senior A class win as well as a spot on the overall podium. AmPro Yamaha’s Danielle McDonald would come through to take third in the WXC class after a hard-fought battle throughout the duration of the race in the West Virginia mountains. Special shoutout to Sportsman A competitors, Michael Delosa and Ethan Harwell who came through to finish the race 1-2. Sportsman A and B riders taken out of the overall podium equation due to their non-points paying class status. Travis Lentz took home the Bike Youth Overall Win at round 9. Photo: Mack Faint In the Bike Youth race it was once again Travis Lentz battling throughout the day to take the overall and YXC1 Super Mini Sr. (14-15) class win atop Snowshoe Mountain. Coming through to take second overall came from YXC2 Super Mini Jr. (12-13) competitor, Hunter Hawkinberry as he also earned his class win. Rounding out the top three youth bike finishers was Kamden Krause who also took second in YXC1. Lucas Skelton rounded out the top three YXC1 class finishers, while Ace Tokar and Phillip Arnold battled through to round out the top three finishers in the YXC2 class. Other winners in the Bike Youth race included Cooper Newsome in the 85 Big Wheel (14-15) class, Caleb Johnson in the 85 Big Wheel (11-13) class, Evan Porter in the 85 (12-13) class, Ryder White in the 85 (11) class, Tripp Lewis in the 85 (7-10) class, Davey Fairfield in the 65 (10-11) class, Daxton Mullins in the 65 (9) class, Tanner Toland in the 65 (7-8) class, Sahara Robinson in the Girls Super Mini (12-16) class, Cassie Fairfield in the Girls 85 (7-13) class, Aubrey Tsakanikas in the Girls 65 (7-11) class and Camden Phillips in the Trail Rider (7-15) class. Saturday Moto Heroes: Crump Family. Photo: Mack Faint Sunday Moto Hero: Dakota Williams. Photo: Mack Faint This weekend at the Yamaha Racing Snowshoe GNCC, two AMSOIL Moto Heroes were honored at the 10 am start on Saturday and 1 pm start on Sunday. Catrina Crump surprised her family with an unexpected homecoming at Snowshoe. The Crump family has a long history of serving in the military, and they were honored Saturday morning. Then on Sunday, Dakota Williams was honored for serving. Williams joined the West Virginia Army National Guard when he was 17 years old. He served in the Middle East for 12 months, and finished his service in 2023 as a Sergeant. Both parties received a $250 AMSOIL Shopping Spree, $250 Kanati Tires discount certificate, American Flag courtesy of Columbia Flag & Sign Co. along with a gift certificate to their online store. The Progressive GNCC Racing Series now heads into its summer break, and will host the tenth round of racing on September 5-7, 2025 in Newburg, West Virginia with the Dunlop Tires Buckwheat 100 GNCC. For more information on the GNCC series, visit the official website at www.gnccracing.com or call (304) 284-0084. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to always hashtag #GNCC. Snowshoe, West Virginia Round 9 of 13 Sunday, June 22, 2025 Overall Event Results: Josh Toth (KAW) Steward Baylor (KAW) Benjamin Kelley (KTM) Jordan Ashburn (GAS) Grant Baylor (KAW) Cody Barnes (HON) Josh Strang (BET) Brody Johnson (HON) Nick DeFeo (KAW) Craig Delong (HQV) Overall National Championship Standings: Benjamin Kelley (194) Grant Davis (187) Angus Riordan (148) Steward Baylor (139) Cody Barnes (136) Liam Draper (119) Josh Toth (106) Kailub Russell (96) Craig Delong (96) Michael Witkowski (93) XC1 Open Pro Event Results: Steward Baylor (KAW) Benjamin Kelley (KTM) Jordan Ashburn (GAS) Grant Baylor (KAW) Josh Strang (BET) Craig Delong (HQV) Michael Witkowski (HON) Liam Draper (YAM) Kailub Russell (YAM) Jesse Ansley (KAW) XC2 250 Pro Event Results: Josh Toth (KAW) Cody Barnes (HON) Brody Johnson (HON) Nick DeFeo (KAW) Grant Davis (KTM) Angus Riordan (KTM) Jhak Walker (BET) Toby Cleveland (HQV) Dakoda Devore (HQV) Hunter Bush (KTM) XC2 250 Pro Championship Standings: Grant Davis (235) Angus Riordan (208) Cody Barnes (200) Josh Toth (160) Nick DeFeo (150) Brody Johsnon (136) Jhak Walker (104) Hunter Bush (100) Toby Cleveland (84) Michael Delosa (80) About GNCC Racing The Progressive Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, is the world premier cross country racing series. Founded in 1975, the 13-round motorcycle and ATV championship and 10-round eMTB championship, is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross-country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The grueling two and three-hour GNCC races lead as many as 2,800 riders through racetracks ranging in length from eight to 12 miles. With varied terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks, and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. The series draws talent from all over the U.S., Central America, South America, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. GNCC Racing is televised live on RacerTV.com. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com. The post 2025 SNOWSHOE GNCC RESULTS appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

Every so often a beautiful bike will just fall into our lap. This is a 2025 GasGas ES500 dual-sport bike that was just built by the guys at the factory with virtually every accessory in the Hard Parts catalog. The thinking is that GasGas has a number of sales incentives right now, and if you want to roll that money back into the bike, you can build something pretty special. This bike started off as a GasGas ES500. The standard GasGas MSRP is a little scary at $12,499 plus fees. Right now they say there are rebates that can be as high as $2000 and financing as low as 2.99 percent. There are also incentives for active-duty military and first-time buyers. We’re also guessing that dealers are more willing to deal than usual. So now isn’t a bad time to shop for a dual-sport. Or, if you are so inclined, to buy one that’s decked out with all kinds of stuff, like this one. Pete Murray on the GasGas ES500. Our senior-most test rider Pete Murray is actually in the process of doing just that. He’s buying a 2025 KTM 350EXC through Langston Motorsports. He’s sworn not to reveal the price, but he was very interested in this GasGas project. The essential elements are WP Xact Cone Valve fork and an XPLOR Pro 6746 Shock. It also got split triple clamps, a pro wheelset and an FMF Q4 muffler. We have yet to complete a full build list with all the prices. That will come in the September, 2025 print edition of Dirt Bike. DAY IN THE DIRT OUT EAST RedBull Day In The Dirt Out East Registration is OPEN. August 29-31, 2025 at High Point MX. First come, first on the starting line. Classes WILL sell out. Click here for the info page at HighPoint MX. AMA HALL OF FAME, CLASS OF 2025 Chad Reed’s first National was 2002 Glen Helen. PICKERINGTON, Ohio — After several weeks of voting, in which thousands of ballots were cast, the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame announces the six esteemed inductees to be honored at the 2025 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Oct. 23 in Pickerington, Ohio. The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2025 includes Dana Bell, Chris Carter, Colin Edwards, Joe Kopp, Chad Reed and Ryan Young. “This distinguished group of motorcyclists exemplifies the spirit, diversity, and dedication of the motorcycling community,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “Each has made a lasting impact on our sport and lifestyle — whether through competition, advocacy, innovation, or inspiration. Their contributions, from racetracks to legislative chambers to the open road, have shaped motorcycling as we know it, and we are proud to recognize them with this well-deserved honor.” The AMA Induction Ceremony will kick off AMA Hall of Fame Days, set to run Oct. 23-26, which will include an AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Bike Night and open house at the AMA Hall of Fame Museum on Saturday, Oct. 25. The AMA Induction Ceremony will be held at the Violet Township Event Center — less than a mile away from AMA headquarters — on Thursday, Oct. 23, and will be followed by a cocktail reception at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. Hall of Fame inductees are selected from eight areas of influence: Ambassadors & Industry, Design & Engineering, Dirt Track, Leadership & Motorcycle Rights, Motocross & Supercross, Off-Road, Road Racing and Specialty Competition. Secure your seat at the 2025 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony by purchasing tickets at AmericanMotorcyclist.com/hall-of-fame/hall-of-fame-members/induction-ceremony/ . For sponsorship opportunities, contact AMA Business Development Manager Michael Kula at (949) 466-7833 or mkula@ama-cycle.org. DANA BELL — LEADERSHIP & RIGHTS A decade after joining the motorcycling community, Dana Bell worked her way to being a nationally ranked enduro competitor. From 1992 to 1999, Bell shifted her focus to rights issues, and worked as the Western States Representative for the AMA’s Government Relations Department. She also worked as a state partner for the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC). For her role as a key voice for motorcyclists’ rights, the AMA Board of Directors presented Bell with the AMA Motorcycling Advocate Award, an honor recognizing those who have led the fight for the rights of motorcyclists. Bell was just the third person to receive the award. CHRIS CARTER — AMBASSADORS & INDUSTRY Chris Carter is the founder and president of Motion Pro Inc., a company on the leading edge of specialty-tool design, with 30-some patents to its credit. Over the years, Carter has also served as an ambassador of the sport and industry, with Motion Pro holding more than 100 annual sponsorships of racers, teams, organizations, and events. Carter and Motion Pro also support many charitable and non-profit organizations, including motorcycle trail preservation and ensuring that access is available to all. Carter is also a motorcycle historian and published author, and earned an International Six Day Trials gold medal for the U.S. in Austria in 1976. COLIN EDWARDS — ROAD RACING Colin Edwards, aka the “Texas Tornado,” is an American road racing icon celebrated for his technical prowess and versatility. After dominating the club and WERA ranks, he turned pro in 1992 and captured that year’s AMA 250cc Grand Prix Championship. He went on to win the 2000 and 2002 World Superbike titles for Honda, notching a total of 31 victories in WSBK. Edwards also triumphed three times at the Suzuka 8-Hour Endurance Race, and garnered 12 podium finishes in MotoGP. Retiring from racing in 2014, he now runs the Texas Tornado Boot camp. JOE KOPP — DIRT TRACK Joe Kopp reached the pinnacle of Flat Track competition by winning the 2000 AMA Grand National Championship. He also dominated the AMA Supertracker National Championship, taking home the 1999 and 2000 titles. His impressive record in AMA Grand National events includes 21 career wins, placing him 17th among the all-time greats, and 81 career Grand National podium finishes, ninth all-time. Kopp is also one of 15 riders to complete the prestigious Dirt Track Grand Slam, winning at least one race in each of the four dirt track disciplines: Short Track, TT, Half-Mile and Mile. CHAD REED — MOTOCROSS & SUPERCROSS Australian-born Chad Reed left a significant mark on the AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross scenes for nearly two decades beginning in the early 2000s. Focusing on the U.S. scene starting in 2002, Reed began racking up wins, and by retirement had tallied 61 AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross victories on the way to capturing AMA 125SX East (’02), AMA Supercross (’04 and ’08) and 450 Pro Motocross championships. In 2009, Reed was awarded AMA Athlete of the Year honors, and holds the record for most AMA Supercross Main Event starts (265) and podium finishes (132). In 2011, Reed was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia, an honor awarded to Australians who have demonstrated exceptional achievement. RYAN YOUNG — SPECIALTY COMPETITION With a record-breaking six consecutive AMA/NATC Championships from 1988 to 1993, Ryan Young left an indelible stamp on the trials world. Young won the top class for the first time at age 21, and his success earned him a spot on eight consecutive USA Trial des Nations teams. Beyond competition, Young impacted the sport through his company Ryan Young Products, and by utilizing his knowledge to educate those learning the sport. AMA VINTAGE DAYS Permco AMA Vintage days will take place at the iconic Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, on July 25-27. With near-endless racing in a variety of disciplines, the largest motorcycle swap meet in North America, bike shows, vendor displays and much more, VMD is a rider’s paradise. Not to mention, VMD will be teeming with motorcycle legends, including Grand Marshal and AMA Hall of Famer Brad Lackey. SADDLE THIS MONTH By Ron Lawson Photo: Mark Kariya Originality is hard. Objectivity is boring. Change is painful. I know these things because I see the evidence on social media. There are around 7 billion people on earth with 7 billion brains thinking a few trillion thoughts every day. It’s inevitable that some of those thoughts are going to be identical. If you narrow the sample size to the millions who are drawn to motorcycles, you might think the likelihood of identical thoughts would be reduced. That doesn’t seem to be the case. There’s even more repetition among like-minded people. For proof, just look at Dirt Bike’s YouTube, Facebook or Instagram comments. We have over 1000 videos posted on various motorcycles. On every single one, you will find at least one of these comments: “It’s not a two-stroke, so who cares?!” “Chinese bikes are just copies of real motorcycles with a lower price.” “Electric motors are for bilge pumps, not motorcycles!” And so forth. Over and over. I understand. To the authors of those comments, I’m with you. I’m grumpy, aging, angry and self-absorbed, just like you. I believe that the golden age of just about everything was when I discovered it. And, I’ve seen it before. Back in the ’70s I was on the other end of it all. That was a period of massive change in the dirt bike world, just like today. The letters in Dirt Bike, Cycle News and all the other publications were the same. “Japanese bikes are just copies of real motorcycles with a lower price!” “Water pumps and hoses are for bilge pumps, not dirt bikes!” “It’s not a four-stroke, so who cares?!” And so forth. I was a kid, and I had never ridden any of the real motorcycles these guys were talking about. I had never ridden a dirt bike with two cylinders. I had never ridden anything with hardtail suspension. I had never ridden anything that shifted on the right. I had never even seen a four-stroke that didn’t have crash bars and a windshield. I had a stripped Suzuki TC90 with an expansion chamber and Green Weenie air filter. The first race I ever entered was at Travis Air Force Base. The enlisted men had organized a motorcycle club that was mostly for Harley guys and Triumph riders. A few of them had older European dirt bikes, though, and those guys somehow talked the officers into letting them put a motocross track at the southwest end of the runway. There wasn’t much to it; a few turns, a jump or two and, as I recall, a man-made mud hole. But, in my dad’s eyes, it was an official endorsement of motocross from the U.S. Air Force. There was no way he would let me race otherwise. He was a major at the time, and if it was good enough for the Air Force, it was good enough for him. I don’t think they liked me. I was an officer’s son, I was riding a Japanese bike that sounded like a chainsaw and, worst of all, I was 14 years old. If they talked to me at all, it was to painstakingly describe what real motorcycles were and how my bike wasn’t one. I would like to say that I beat them all on the track, but that wasn’t how it went. I think I only passed the guy with the Triumph who was stuck in the mud hole. A year later, though, I did win at that same track. By then I was on a Honda CR125 Elsinore. But, most of the guys in the race were other kids—dependents like me. They were mostly on Elsinores, too, plus a YZ or three, and I think there was one poor sucker on a TM125. None of the enlisted men from a year earlier were there. There were no Triumphs, no four-strokes and no one was making fun of Japanese bikes. Their time had passed. Sadly, I don’t think the Travis Air Force Base MX track lasted much longer. The founders complained that it had been taken over by kids. By then, my dad had surrendered and allowed me to race off-base. It’s with that perspective that I view the kids with the Surrons today. They’ve taken over my secret dual-sport trails, and there’s no shortage of them in the pits. Electric bikes are showing up at the track, and so are Chinese bikes. Never mind the four-stroke takeover; that happened 15 years ago. So, it’s with great thoughtfulness that I address these topics today on social media:“Losers! Get a real bike!” I’ve been waiting 50 years for this. See you next time! –Ron Lawson The post RIDING A HIGH-DOLLAR GASGAS DUAL-SPORT: THE WRAP appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

Backroads Discovery Routes is a nonprofit group with the mission of providing information about off-road routes throughout the U.S. They recently distributed an alert to inform riders of several pieces of legislation that could seriously impact off-road riding through the sale of public land to private corporations. Here is the official statement from BDR To the BDR Community: Backcountry Discovery Routes would like to express our position on the growing concern around recent federal actions and proposed legislation that threaten access to public lands. These lands are central to the BDR mission and to the riding experiences we all value so deeply. Several initiatives, including recent Executive Orders and components of the SENR Reconciliation Bill, propose opening millions of acres of federally managed land to private development. These include Forest Service and BLM lands across 11 states—many of which are home to current or future BDR routes. If enacted, this level of privatization could permanently reduce our access to public roads and open spaces critical to backcountry motorcycle travel. We understand the urgency and seriousness of this issue. BDR is actively monitoring these developments and is working with key partners—including the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC)—to evaluate the potential impact and determine the most effective path forward. Our goal is to approach this with accuracy, clarity, and a strong collective voice. There is a great deal of conflicting and evolving information surrounding these policies, and we believe it’s important to fully understand what’s at stake before issuing specific policy positions or actions. This is not a partisan issue. Access to public land is at the heart of what makes the American West, and BDR riding, so special. Our goal has always been to create, preserve, and protect off-highway motorized access to public lands. We will continue to stand firmly behind that mission, now and in the future. Please read below on how to take action now. In the meantime, we’ll continue to keep the BDR community informed as this issue evolves. Thank you for helping us defend the future of riding access on our public lands. – The BDR Team Read BDR’s Detailed Statement CALL TO ACTION: Urge Lawmakers to Oppose Public Lands Sales Map of Public Lands Eligible for Sale The future of backcountry riding is at risk. We need your help to stop this. Please contact your Senators today and ask them to oppose any legislation that includes the sale of public lands. Here’s how to take action: Step 1 Dial your Elected Official’s phone number. • You can call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to connect to your legislators in Washington D.C. • You can find your Senators’ contact information HERE. • You can find your Representatives’ contact information HERE. Step 2 When the answering machine or person picks up, use the message below to guide your comments. Step 3 Hello, my name is [insert name]. I’m calling to urge you to oppose any proposals in the budget reconciliation process that would mandate the sale or privatization of America’s public lands. As someone who relies on these lands for outdoor recreation—whether it’s motorcycling, hiking, hunting, or camping—I’m deeply concerned about losing access. These lands are vital to outdoor recreation, tourism, and access to America’s backcountry. Please protect public access and reject any provision that would authorize the selloff or transfer of federal public land. Our public lands must remain in public hands. Thank you! Step 4 Hang Up. The post PUBLIC LAND IN 11 STATES THREATENED BY FEDERAL LEGISLATION appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

Beta has just released another part of its grand plan for 2026. This time, it’s the Xtrainer’s turn in the spotlight. This is traditionally the most affordable European 300cc two-stroke on the market, although 2026 prices have not yet been revealed. The official press release follows. Beta’s 2026 XTrainer retains the popular gray and red color combination, yet the Beta engineering team from Florence, Italy refuses to rest and has added a few updates to this #1 selling entry-level enduro model. For those who have not heard, the XTrainer provides riders with a unique spec list of features geared for performance, ergonomics, and design. Aimed at the entry-level off-road rider looking for more than a low suspension, heavy 4-stroke youth-based bike. The Xtrainer provides a light weight of 218 pounds and has a list of quality components a mile long. The Xtrainer is a purpose-built model, designed from the ground up to deliver an easier and more predictable ride. Not only for beginners, the Xtrainer has found its way into many garages across the world, not only for entry-level, but also for expert riders wanting a play bike as a second model in their fleet. With a lower seat height than traditional full-size off-road models, the narrow mid-section, 15% smaller overall chassis, combined with a 300 cc engine that creates a major amount of torque, the model excels in the toughest conditions. The Xtrainer name has become an icon in the off-road riding world, with the term Rideability being at the forefront of the model’s history. Here is a summary of the model’s features: • Lighter weight: an extremely agile motorcycle, even for novices, a bike that is easier to maneuver at slow speeds and requires less energy from the rider. This enhances the riding experience. • Seat height: 35.8” allows many riders the ability to touch the ground in most situations. • Brakes: Nissin, with discs measuring 260mm at the front and 240mm at the rear. • Battery: lightweight, high-performance lithium battery. • Fork and Single Shock: R16V with 43mm fork tubes at the front and progressive leverage linkage system at the rear. The suspension is fully adjustable, the fork offering adjustable spring pre-load and rebound, and the single shock is adjustable in terms of its spring pre-load, compression and rebound. • Power delivery: smooth and linear, full-bodied and powerful – the perfect mix to have fun everywhere. • Beta Progressive Valve: the Beta Progressive exhaust valve can be adjusted by the rider from an easy external adjuster, allowing engine performance to be effectively adapted to suit every kind of usage. Turn the adjuster inward for slower speeds, turn the adjust out for more free-rev fun. • Map switch mounted on the handlebar: Rain or sun modes, to compliment the progressive valve. • Tank: 2.4 gallon transparent tank. • Automatic oil injection: located beneath the seat (which is easily opened at the touch of a button), it does away with the need for the oil-fuel premix. • Soft tires: soft compound and aggressive design guarantee grip in every situation, the rider benefiting from responses that are less twitchy with respect to a tire with a stiffer carcass. • Cooling fan: The fan is mounted as standard on XTrainer, to ensure the engine always maintains the ideal running temperature, even on slower routes. Thermoswitch controls the fan, so no rider input is needed. • Electric starter: precise and reliable, essential when restarting the bike in tricky situations. • Engine and clutch: derived from the RR model range, no corners are cut with the Xtrainer, a diaphragm clutch along with a six-speed transmission complete the package. 2026 Model Updates: • Taillight: XTrainer gets a new LED taillight, more modern and sturdier than the previous model. • Meter: the 2026 model is equipped with a new meter, which is larger and easier to read. This new meter provides the rider with much information such as speed, distance, trip meter, and low oil warning. • Engine: New crankcases house larger main bearings for better durability. • Transmission ratios: first introduced in the RR X-Pro, second gear was significantly updated to provide a wider range of use. This has improved the transition between second and third gear. • Graphics: the plastic retains the beloved Grey color, updated with modern and vibrant graphics, and contemporary white finishes that stand out and embrace its character. Availability August SPECIFICATIONS Type: Beta Built single cylinder, 2-stroke, liquid cooled, with BPV power valve system and counter balancer, electric start with back-up kick starter sold as an option Frame: Molybdenum steel / Parameter-style w/ quick air filter access Wheelbase: 57.75″ Seat Height: 35.8″ Bore: 73mm Ground Clearance: 12.6″ Stroke: 69.9mm Footrest Height: 15.4″ Displacement: 292.3cc Dry Weight: 218 lbs (wet weight, no fuel) Compression Ratio: 11.55:1 Fuel Tank Capacity: 2.3 US Gallons Exhaust Valve: Beta Progressive Valve (BPV) Front Suspension: 43 mm inverted front fork with adjustable dampening Ignition: AC-CDI Kokusan Spark Plug: NGK GR7CI8 Rear Suspension: Steel body shock with adjustable rebound and compression Lubrication: Electronic Oil Injection Oil Tank Capacity: 650cc Front Wheel Travel: 10.6″ Carburetor: Keihin PWK 36mm Rear Wheel Travelv10.6″ Clutch: Wet Diaphragm-style Front Brake: 260 mm floating rotor Transmission: 6 Speed Rear Brake: 240 mm rotor Final Drive: O-ring chain Front/Rear Rim: 21″ (Front) 18″ (Rear) Front/Rear Tire: Soft Enduro Competition The post BETA RELEASES 2026 XTRAINER TWO-STROKE appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. 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2026 new bike information has been rolling out for the past few week’s pretty steady and Yamaha has released that their 2026 YZ450F has received some significant changes for the upcoming model year. These changes include a new frame design, new suspension settings, new styling, new inner clutch hub, ECU lock system, Hydraulic clutch and more! See the official information and images below. Yamaha is proud to announce an extensive update to its industry-leading flagship Motocross model, the new 2026 YZ450F. Faced with the complex challenge of improving on a bike already widely considered the benchmark of the ultra-competitive 450cc four-stroke class, Yamaha engineers put significant focus into refining power delivery and handling performance to achieve a level of precision, control and tuneability that sets a new class standard: the easiest bike to ride fast. “When developing the new 2026 YZ450F, our goal was to create an intuitive, rider-friendly character that unlocks a racer’s full potential while not upsetting the exceptional balance of power and handling performance that’s kept the YZ at the top of the class,” said Derek Brooks, Yamaha Motorsports Motorcycle Product Line Manager. “On paper the changes may appear subtle; however, the enhanced feeling of connection and control on the bike is huge. This new YZ is easier to ride faster for longer.” Updates to the YZ450F center around a new frame design, revised suspension, engine updates and body refinements. The new frame is matched with a new high performance KYB® rear shock and revised fork settings which give the rider confidence to charge harder and corner faster. Engine character is also refined with the addition of a revised intake port design, air intake and exhaust achieving a more connected, linear response in the low- to mid-range for enhanced control, while still maintaining the YZ450F’s renowned top-end power. 2026 Yamaha YZ450F: A new frame design for 2026 focuses on the balance of rigidity and flex characteristics. Revised inner and outer structure including a thinner front downtube results in a highly stable ride with enhanced front-end feel for improved cornering performance. To accommodate the YZ450F’s new frame, a new shock and revised fork settings developed jointly with KYB® offer an enhanced damping feel with less bump reaction, providing the confidence to ride harder for longer. The updated shock also has a new hand-operated low-speed compression clicker for simplified trackside adjustments. These combined chassis updates result in greater usability in everything from slow, tight corners to high-speed sweepers and a motorcycle that’s easier to tip in, easier to choose and hold a line, with a higher level of overall cornering performance. Engine performance for the new 2026 YZ450F is also refined with the addition of a redesigned intake port which produces a stronger tumble effect in the combustion chamber for more efficient combustion. The result is a more linear engine response for enhanced control and feeling of connection between the throttle and rear wheel. There is also a new resonator and duct added in the air intake, and a new resonator included within the exhaust system to reduce noise in compliance with FIM/AMA regulations and increase rider comfort. Adding to rider comfort and ease of use is a new hydraulic clutch for smooth, consistent engagement with less effort while eliminating the need for on-track adjustments. In addition, a new clutch inner hub design lubricates over a larger area for more stable performance and longer life. Marking the new model’s evolution, updated styling cues for 2026 now include a slimmer, more compact front number plate, new two-piece side covers, sharper rear fender and new YZ graphics. There is also a new honeycomb-pattern seat cover material which maintains ease in rider sliding forward while improving hold from sliding rearward during acceleration. Finally, an industry-first ECU lock function is now adopted on the 2026 YZ450F for theft deterrence, allowing owners to prevent unauthorized engine start-up via a password-required lock function accessed through the Yamaha Power Tuner app. 2026 YZ450F Features & Benefits Powerful 450cc four-stroke engine features a revised, more linear power delivery for added control and rideability Yamaha’s industry-leading Power Tuner App includes intuitive “Quick Setting” slide bar engine tuning, Traction & Launch Control tuning, and a new ECU-lock function New hydraulic clutch offers lighter lever feel, smoother feathering and a consistent mesh point, eliminating the need for on-track adjustments Advanced fuel injection via a 44mm Mikuni® throttle body ensures optimum fuel atomization and power for a wide range of riding conditions Five-speed transmission with tri-shaft layout vertically stacks transmission shafts for a lighter, more compact transmission New frame design balances rigidity and flex characteristics for a calmer front-end feel and enhanced stability High-spec fully adjustable Speed Sensitive System KYB® coil spring-type fork is recognized as the gold standard in the 450 class, providing exceptional feel and bump absorption New high performance KYB® rear shock enhances low-speed damping and smooths the damping transition between low and high speeds for enhanced control in a variety of conditions High performance braking system features a large 270mm front brake rotor coupled with a Nissin caliper to provide excellent power and fade resistance Compact body including seamless, rounded features eases rider movement for enhanced control Updated styling includes a slimmer, more compact front number plate, new two-piece side covers, sharper rear fender and new YZ graphics New honeycomb-pattern seat cover material maintains ease in rider sliding forward while improving hold from sliding rearward during acceleration Advanced computer-aided wheel design shaves weight without sacrificing durability Rear wheel comes laced in a three-cross-spoke pattern for improved impact absorption and rider feel Race-developed Dunlop® Geomax MX33 tires Compact, lightweight push-button electric start provides effortless restarts Lightweight aluminum tapered handlebar Rubber-mounted four-position adjustable handlebar mounts reduce vibration Lightweight gold drive chain comes with YZ450F-specific chain guide The new 2026 YZ450F will be available from dealers this August in Team Yamaha Blue for $10,299 MSRP; and the 2026 Yamaha 70th Anniversary Edition YZ450F will be available from dealers this October for $10,499 MSRP. The post 2026 YAMAHA YZ450F : EXTENSIVE UPDATES ANNOUNCED appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

By Brandon Krause, Photos by Westx1000 If you’ve ever wanted to race while simultaneously working at being the least amount of lost possible, rally raid might be the discipline for you. While obviously not a new form of racing, with rally raid competition dating back as early as events like the 1907 Peking to Paris Rally, the sport has grown and captured more and more attention in the United States due to the recent success of Americans Mason Klein, Skyler Howes, and now two-time Dakar Rally winner Ricky Brabec. Other Americans journeyed into the realms of rally long before these three; riders such as Jonah Street, Jimmy Lewis (third place at the Dakar in 2000), Chris Blais (third place at the Dakar in 2007), Paul Krause (aka Dad; he’d be mad if I didn’t mention him), and a handful of others who have gone to take on the world’s gnarliest desert race. Despite all the Americans who have found their way over to Africa, South America and now Saudi Arabia, rally racing hasn’t been all that accessible to riders from the United States until very recently. As I’ve heard through stories from ol’ PK, there have been a scant handful of events throughout the years, like the Nevada Rally, that would incorporate the roadbook-directed course into their race, but nothing really more than that. In the last 15 years, rally has gotten a lot closer to home with the creation of a number of events. The Sonora Rally in Mexico, in particular, has gained massive traction through its proximity. It has also given competitors a chance to win free entries into the Dakar Rally and was even on the circuit of the FIM World Rally Raid Championship back in 2023. For me, I’ve had the interest to somehow make my way to the Dakar Rally since my dad went back in 1998 and 2004. With that dream seemingly more obtainable now with today’s resources, I decided to attend the 2025 Sonora Rally to test out the rally raid waters. The riding itself is excellent in this part of Mexico. It isn’t over-ridden like many racecourses. RALLY PRIMER So you’ve decided you’re going to go rally racing. What now? The first step would be preparing your steed. One of the biggest misconceptions I’ve heard is, “Oh, I don’t have a rally bike, so I can’t do that.” To learn the art of rally navigation at a base level, all you need is a roadbook reader, some sort of heading indicator, an odometer and a bike with a big generator to power it all. A stock dual-sport bike or any bike with a rewound stator for headlights will more than likely have enough power to do this. Companies like the RallyMotoShop have become the perfect one-stop shop for rally beginners and experts alike for everything you need to get going, from the navigation equipment and bike parts to let you go the longer distances to rally gear like jackets, vests, and pants. For me, my foundation was a 2024 KTM 450XCF-W. From there, the basic parts I added were the IMS 4.5-gallon fuel tank, some Dunlop mousses (FM21L front and FM18D rear), Dunlop AT82 90/100-21 front tire, and Dunlop D739AT 120/100-18 rear. For navigation, I went the more modern route with a digital roadbook reader called the ICO TowerOne. The TowerOne is a purpose-built tablet for rally racing and navigation, but there are plenty of others who have utilized iPads, Samsung tablets and even just their phones to be able to follow a route. The biggest reason I went with the ICO was for its simplicity and all-in-one package. With the TowerOne complete bike kit, it comes with everything you need to go rally racing: the TowerOne roadbook reader with GPS antenna and beeper (the beeper notifies you of speed zones, waypoints, dangers and any other important notifications that can be programmed into the roadbooks); the necessary mounting hardware, including the handlebar clamps that would connect the roadbook reader to my bike; the five-button handlebar switch to control the roadbook system; and a power switch. Now, this is basically all you will need to follow a roadbook on your own or with your buddies. But for racing, there are a few more things to take into account. The 2025 edition of the Sonora Rally had a route of a little more than 2000 kilometers over five days, with more than half of it being actual race stages, and the rest being liaison (transit) to and from the bivouacs. In order to get through the week in Mexico, I packed a total of four sets of wheels, tires and mousses, prepped five air filters, plenty of Maxima Pro Plus+ for oil changes every day other than the marathon stage and, just in case, an extra bike to use for spare parts. Top that off with a few changes of gear to get me through five days of racing, a tent and sleeping bag for the marathon stage, and meal-prepped baggies of gummy bears to carry with me for a mid-race snack, and I was set for my first rally. Some of the most demanding navigational challenges seem to happen shortly after the start of each stage. THE UNKNOWN Since rally was (really still is) all new to me, I had zero expectations going into the week. I had no clue how the registration process would work, I wasn’t sure where I would even stack up compared to some of the other racers that had done the event before, and even though I had read a roadbook for the first time a week prior, I was unsure I’d really know how to navigate. I knew in terms of speed I would stack up pretty well against some of the other guys, but that doesn’t mean anything. Look at a kid like Mason Klein, who’s young and relatively inexperienced. In rally, he can find himself going toe to toe with the likes of Ricky Brabec, who is the one of the fastest desert racers in the world. Mason might not be as fast, but he definitely knows how to read new terrain and has spent a lot of time mastering navigation. That being said, I was very nervous for day one. The first day began in Caborca, Mexico, with a short liaison that took us to the start of the stage. We started in a straight rocky wash that quickly spit us out onto a road. Down the road, past a concrete pole, across a wash and right onto another road. Easy enough, right? Well, six minutes into this rally and I was already 30 minutes lost. Back and forth I went from where I lost my way at the previous waypoint, retracing my steps, and seeing where I went wrong. Eventually, a group of us got together and decided this flattened path must be the road, even though it didn’t resemble one from where we were sitting. Luckily, we chose correctly, and off we went but already way behind on time. Lesson one: Things don’t always appear as you may think or as you’re used to. A road in the middle of Mexico can be like nothing you’ve seen before. This was helpful moving forward in the week, now being able to keep an open mind of what could be the correct path and what definitely isn’t. For the most part, day one went smoothly from there on out. We got a little glimpse at some dunes, and we even ripped up a Mexican beach for like 15 kilometers. I haven’t mentioned it already, but this is my first time in Mexico, so getting to ride on the beach was a whole new experience that I had heard of before but had never gotten to do for myself. I had another navigation error in the last few miles of the stage, but nothing as dramatic as the one at the beginning. Except for my 27 minutes of speeding penalties, which were much easier to come by than I was expecting. Back onto the road we went to the same bivouac we left that morning for some food, sleep and to do it all again the next day. The marathon stage presented the riders with an overnight stay in pup tents. SETTLING IN Day two, we once again started in Caborca, transferring back to where we finished the day before and then racing up the coast to Bahia de Kino. After learning our lesson on day one, I was much more attentive to my roadbook, its notes and how to read them. As soon as I started feeling a good flow and felt like I was getting the hang of things, I hit a wall. More specifically, a fence. Two fences, actually, which should have been my clue that I was going the wrong way. Through the two fences I went, through the desert across another few kilometers to where the next note should be, but things didn’t seem right. I needed to make a turn, but no turn was possible. Despite a family legacy that is steeped in Baja lore, the Sonora Rally presented Brandon Krause with his first riding experience in Mexico. Lesson two: In rally, your odometer will never be completely correct. These courses are likely laid out using Google Earth, so the lines from point A to point B are as straight as the crow flies, not as your motorcycle rides. As a result, you could be off by tenths of a kilometer, or, in the dunes, you might be several kilometers off by the time you reach your destination. In this case, I knew I was not on track. Here we go again, back to the last waypoint at the double fence. By then, I had several other riders with me, and the group was growing. We went out and returned a few more times before realizing that we must have been looking at the note’s picture incorrectly. Setting up a bike for rally is fairly specialized when it comes to instrumentation, but under it all, you have to have a bike that’s set up to go far and fast. The cool part about these roadbooks is that most of these notes, depending on whoever built the book, are accompanied by a small diagram of generic symbols to indicate landmarks, terrain changes, types of dirt and vegetation, and all sorts of different things to help you confirm you are where you’re supposed to be. This was key at this double fence, because the roadbook only indicated we should be going through one fence, and up until this point, the roadbook had been very specific when we were crossing these sorts of things. Within the Krause family, there’s no shortage of advice. Lesson three: Pay close attention to those diagrams, because they tell you more than you first think. When you get lost like this, it’s like being in an escape room trying to figure out the next clue. With this in mind, we scoured the perimeter of the fence line until we finally found the correct gate—one gate-—that led our group (now 10 or 15 of us) the correct way. The rest of the day went pretty easily from then on out, at least until I reached the bivouac at the end of the stage. Although I had a fairly decent day, when I reached the checkpoint after crossing the day’s finish, my time said I had received 14 hours of penalties. For what?! I had no idea what I had done wrong. Other than the misdirection earlier in the day, I didn’t speed, and my roadbook cleared all of the waypoints; I had seemingly done nothing wrong! Brandon Krause is hoping this will be a launching pad for a trip to the Dakar Rally. Lesson four: The Rally Comp is your guide for the week, your instructor. This is a device you carry to monitor your compliance. If it says stop, you stop. If it says you missed a waypoint, you missed a waypoint. Throughout the five days, occasionally there would be mandatory stops, requiring racers to come to a complete halt, wait for a five-second countdown, and then be directed to go. If any one waypoint isn’t cleared, the Rally Comp would be unable to clear any subsequent waypoints for the remainder of the day until that one is sorted out. In my case, one waypoint was never found or skipped per a button located on the device, so I missed the subsequent 28 waypoints, resulting in 30 minutes of penalties for each one, for a total of 14 hours. “Ridiculous! My roadbook showed that I cleared every waypoint!” I contested. This was a mistake on both my part and partially the organization’s, as they meant to deactivate the ICO TowerOne’s ability to show cleared waypoints to eliminate any confusion and to ensure we were paying attention solely to the Rally Comp’s directions. Luckily, my ICO and the GPS tracker that they have us carry for safety shows that I followed the rest of the course, so 13 of those hours were eventually eliminated. That left only two of the penalties. Oh well, onto day three. Racing is racing. You can easily get carried away and miss an important waypoint. HOME STRETCH The final three days of the rally were the best for me personally. I received only two minutes of speeding on day three, but the rest was a breeze. Day three was actually our longest of the five days and the longest in Sonora Rally history with a 380-kilometer stage. I was able to finish second, and that required me to start second out on day four. That was not only our first day of dunes, but our first day of the marathon stage, which meant once we left the paddock Thursday morning, we would not be able to receive outside help until we got back to the bivouac the next day, which was the end of the rally anyway. Before even getting to the dunes, though, we had over 100 miles to ride, so the monkey butt was real. In the dunes, I was almost immediately lost. Navigating roads is one thing, but when you’re traversing unknown terrain with hardly any tracks to follow was a tough thing to do for a first-timer. It was all a bit too much for me to take in on the fly, so I did what’s frowned upon and just followed the tracks ahead of me, making sure not to miss any waypoints. “I’ll learn this another day when I’m not racing,” I told myself. Once we were done with day one of the dunes, it was off to the campsite for a night in the tent. This was the first time the Sonora Rally had included a marathon stage, so they were pretty lenient on what we could bring with us, so it wasn’t too rough. A little bag with whatever we wanted in it, a fresh air filter and some snacks; it was almost like nothing was different from the rest of the week. Riding on the beach isn’t something that most American riders have experienced. Day five was basically identical to day four, just our long road ride was after all the dunes and not afterwards. I was able to navigate the dunes a bit better, but I was still definitely not comfortable enough without the leader’s tracks ahead of me. When all was said and done, I earned myself fifth overall for the entirety of the rally, stayed within the top four on the final three days, and even won the Dreams of Dakar subdivision, which offers support for the 2026 Dakar Rally, giving the winner $10,000 towards the entry fees for the event! For a first-time rally racer, this was an incredible experience that I would recommend to anyone who has ever been interested in rally, whether they want to go to Dakar someday or simply just want a fun road trip through the desert. If you ask guys like Ricky, Skyler and Mason, even they praise the rally for its overall setup and quality, and attend when they are able to. For me, it’s time to start reading as many roadbooks as possible between now and January, and spend a lot of time not getting lost in the desert. The post RALLY 101: TACKLING THE 2025 SONORA RALLY appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

FANTIC XE300 TWO STROKE ARVE Error: Mode: lazyload not available (ARVE Pro not active?), switching to normal mode ARVE The post 2025 FANTIC XE300 VIDEO TEST appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

The 2025 Pro Motocross Championship arrived at legendary High Point Raceway this weekend as well as a thunderstorm that caused the final moto to end prematurely. The pecking order had already established itself by that point and Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence prevailed with his fourth straight win to open the season. In the 250 Class, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan reasserted his dominance over the division with his third 1-1 performance of the season. 450 Class Moto 1 The opening premier class race kicked off with Jett Lawrence out front for the Pro Motocross Holeshot as Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper slotted into second and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger into third. Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence latched on from fourth and helped push the lead foursome forward to a gap over the rest of the field. Lawrence managed a small advantage in the opening laps as Plessinger made the pass on Cooper for second and looked to make inroads on the leader. Behind him, Hunter Lawrence made the pass on Cooper for third. The top three settled into their respective positions until 10 minutes into the moto when Jett Lawrence stalled his motorcycle, which allowed Plessinger and Hunter Lawrence to get by as Jett resumed in third. Plessinger sprinted out to a four-second advantage as the Lawrences battled for second, with Jett able to get the better of Hunter. Jett continued his push back to the front and started to take chunks out of Plessinger’s lead. An initial attack saw Lawrence make some minor miscues and allowed Plessinger to inch away, but the Honda rider bided his time and remounted another charge which saw him make the pass and reclaim the lead with just under 10 minutes to go. Inside the final three minutes a battle for second unfolded between Plessinger and Hunter Lawrence, with the elder sibling able to make the move up into second. With one lap to go a battle for third unfolded between Plessinger, Cooper and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac. Cooper made the pass briefly, but Plessinger fought back to regain third as Tomac lurked behind. Out front, Jett Lawrence stormed to his sixth moto win of the season by 1.8 seconds over his brother, while Plessinger fended off both Cooper and Tomac by mere bike lengths for third. Jett Lawrence captured his fourth straight win to open the season. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. Moto 2 Heavy rain started to fall just as the final moto got underway as Hunter Lawrence led the field to the Pro Motocross Holeshot only to be passed by Tomac. Jett Lawrence, meanwhile, was forced to battle from a start deep in the top ten. The clear track allowed Tomac to sprint out to a big lead, leaving Hunter Lawrence to settle into second while Cooper and Plessinger battled for third. Jett Lawrence sat ninth. Tomac’s lead settled in at five seconds over Hunter Lawrence nearly 10 minutes into the moto as Plessinger made the pass on Cooper for third. As the rain continued to come down track conditions got more challenging and allowed Hunter Lawrence to briefly make inroads on Tomac’s lead, which dropped to just over two seconds, only for the Yamaha rider to respond and re-establish control. Jett Lawrence, meanwhile, was making a charge forward. He worked his way into the top five and methodically created opportunities to pass Cooper for fourth and then Plessinger, who had removed his goggles, for third. With 7:02 left on the moto clock, race officials waved the red flag to bring the moto to an end, as lighting had come within the designated radius to take precautionary action. Per the series rulebook, since the moto had surpassed 20 minutes the red flag made the race official. That gave the moto win to Tomac, with Hunter Lawrence in second and Jett Lawrence in third. Hunter Lawrence earned his best result of the young season in second. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. Overall Jett’s resilient effort in the final moto was enough to place him atop the overall classification with 1-3 moto finishes for the 19th win of his career, which edged out Hunter Lawrence (2-2) by a single point. Tomac’s winning effort in the final moto helped him secure third overall (5-1), for the 75th podium result of his 450 Class career. With the win, Jett Lawrence added to his lead in the championship standings, which now sits at 28 points over Tomac. Plessinger, who finished fourth (3-4), is 34 points out of the lead. Eli Tomac earned his second moto win of the season in a third-place effort. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. 1st Place: Jett Lawrence, Team Honda HRC Progressive (1-3) “I needed to make sure I didn’t make a mistake any bigger than the one I made on the start [of Moto 2]. Eli [Tomac] and Hunter [Lawrence] were gone, and I saw AP [Aaron Plessinger] and knew I had to do the best I could, which was third place. I didn’t know how much time was left when they flew the red flag, but thankfully I was third [to secure the overall].” 2nd Place: Hunter Lawrence, Team Honda HRC Progressive (2-2) “I know my capabilities on the bike, so after the first moto I knew I needed to improve on my start and a few other small things. But that all went out the window when the rain came and then I knew that the first lap could likely determine how the race would play out.” 3rd Place: Eli Tomac, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing (5-1) “It was like I had two different days [Moto 1 to Moto 2]. It’s such a different experience racing out front versus being in the chaos, so it was good to make things easier on myself in Moto 2. It was a breath of fresh air.” 250 CLASS Moto 1 The first moto of the day saw a trio of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing riders out front off the start, with Nate Thrasher earning the Pro Motocross Holeshot ahead of Deegan and amateur prospect Kayden Minear. Thrasher paced the field for most of the opening lap before Deegan made the pass to take control of the moto. Behind them, Minear went down, which handed third place to Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker.Deegan wasted little time moving out to a multi-second advantage as Thrasher settled into the runner-up spot. Meanwhile, the battle for third saw Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen make the move around his teammate. Kitchen continued his move forward and was able to catch and pass Thrasher for second a little more than 10 minutes into the moto. A few minutes later, as the moto passed its halfway point, Hammaker made the pass on Thrasher for third.Out front, Deegan continued to build on his lead, which eventually surpassed 10 seconds. The Yamaha rider was in a class of his own and cruised to his fifth moto win of the season by seven seconds over Kitchen, with Hammaker earning a career-best moto result in third. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle was fourth, followed by Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas in fifth. Haiden Deegan returned to dominant form with a third 1-1 effort this season. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. Moto 2 The deciding moto began with Vialle leading the field to the Pro Motocross Holeshot, but it was Deegan who made early moves to storm into the lead ahead of the Frenchman. Hymas started third but made the move on Vialle to take control of second before the end of the opening lap.The clear track proved to be advantageous for Deegan as he opened up a multi-second lead over Hymas, who put distance between himself and Vialle. For Vialle it became a fight for third as Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda pressured from fourth, only to go down while searching for an opening.In a replication of Moto 1, Deegan was able to pull away from the field by a double-digit margin and easily brought home his sixth moto win by 17.5 seconds over Vialle, who took advantage of a last-lap incident with Hymas, who dropped to third. Tom Vialle earned his first podium result since the opening round in second. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. Overall Deegan’s emphatic 1-1 effort resulted in his third win of the season, all of which have come via moto sweeps, and the milestone 10th win of his career. He also became the 11th different High Point winner over the past 11 years. Hymas’ last lap misfortune altered the overall standings as Vialle secured the runner-up spot (4-2) and Kitchen ended up with his third consecutive third-place finish (2-6). Hymas fell off the podium to fourth (5-3).Deegan’s lead in the championship standings continues to grow and now sits at 42 points over Shimoda, who finished sixth (6-5), with Hymas and Marchbanks tied for third, 62 points out of the lead. Levi Kitchen finished third overall for the third consecutive race. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. 1st Place: Haiden Deegan, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (1-1) “Last weekend was a little depressing [finishing second] but that’s racing. We backed it up this weekend and are back where we want to be. I’m stoked.”2nd Place: Tom Vialle, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (4-2) “The last two races weren’t great, but I enjoyed the track today. It was gnarly but we had two good starts, and I was able to improve on where we’ve been recently.”3rd Place: Levi Kitchen, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki (2-6) “I tried to ride the track like I did Moto 1 [finishing second] and it just wasn’t there. Overall, my starts were better today and I’m feeling a little bit better [physically], so we’re building.” 450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish // Points) Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Queensland, Australia, Honda (1-3 // 45) Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Queensland, Australia, Honda (2-2 // 44) Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha (5-1 // 42) Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM (3-4 // 38) Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha (4-5 // 35) Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Honda (8-6 // 30) Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Kawasaki (7-7 // 30) RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Husqvarna (6-8 // 30) Coty Schock, Dover, Del., Yamaha (10-9 // 25) Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha (9-11 // 24) 450 Class Championship Standings (Race 4 of 11) Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Queensland, Australia, Honda – 190 Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha – 162 Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM – 156 Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Queensland, Australia, Honda – 153 Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 148 RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Husqvarna – 117 Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha – 100 Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Kawasaki – 99 Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Honda – 98 Jorge Prado, Lugo, Galicia, Spain, Kawasaki – 82 450SMX Regular Season Standings (Round 21 of 28) Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha – 465 Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 429 Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM – 411 Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., KTM – 363 Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Husqvarna – 337 Ken Roczen, Mattstedt, Germany, Suzuki – 271 Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Queensland, Australia, Honda – 261 Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Honda – 251 Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Kawasaki – 250 Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha – 242 250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finishes // Points) Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha (1-1 // 50) Tom Vialle, Avignon, France, KTM (4-2 // 40) Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki (2-6 // 38) Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda (5-3 // 37) Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Kawasaki (7-4 // 33) Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Honda (6-5 // 33) Seth Hammaker, Bainbridge, Pa., Kawasaki (3-14 // 28) Casey Cochran, Portsmouth, Va., GASGAS (11-9 // 24) Nate Thrasher, Livingston, Tenn., Yamaha (10-10 // 24) Jalek Swoll, Belleview, Fla., Triumph (14-8 // 22) 250 Class Championship Standings (Race 4 of 11) Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha – 194 Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Honda – 152 Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda – 132 Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Kawasaki – 132 Tom Vialle, Avignon, France, KTM – 125 Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki – 124 Casey Cochran, Portsmouth, Va., GASGAS – 88 Ty Masterpool, Fallon, Nev., Kawasaki – 88 Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM – 87 Maximus Vohland, Sacramento, Calif., Yamaha – 82 250SMX Regular Season Standings (Round 21 of 28) Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha – 415 Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Honda – 315 Tom Vialle, Avignon, France, KTM – 305 Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Kawasaki – 277 Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM – 276 Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda – 262 Seth Hammaker, Bainbridge, Pa., Kawasaki – 250 Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Yamaha – 209 Maximus Vohland, Sacramento, Calif., Yamaha – 202 Jordon Smith, Belmont, N.C., Triumph – 197 The post 2025 HIGH POINT NATIONAL MX RESULTS appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. 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Last week I got to ride the very first Rieju MR Pro 300i in the U.S. Geoff Aaron hauled it from Central Powersports Distributing in Texas to California for a quick test on our local trails. Going forward, it will be small companies like this that give us true innovation on the two-stroke front. How do you pronounce it? Geoff says that even in Spain, they pronounce it differently in different regions. He says Re-Yay-Who, which is good enough for us. Regardless of how you say it, the bike is pretty amazing. It has a brand-new motor with an electronic power valve, a counterbalancer, a diaphragm clutch and throttle-body fuel injection. 2026 Rieju MR Pro 300i This isn’t a motor made by anyone else. It’s not a GasGas, KTM, Yamaha or anything other than a Rieju, and it’s been several years in development. The bike once was based on the pre-2018 GasGas motorcycles that were manufactured by Torrot in Girona, Spain. The bike had a brand-new chassis at the time, although the motor went back almost 20 years. So, this new motor was in the plan from the very start. The frame is more or less unchanged for 2025. This particular bike is the MR Pro 300i, which is the top of the line. It has a number of upgrades like a radiator fan, Xtrig triple clamps, premium suspension components, and various extras. It sells for $11,399, whereas the standard model is $1000 less. Geoff Aaron on the Rieju MR Pro 300i. The first thing that hits you when you ride the new bike is how refined it is. There’s very little vibration, very little engine noise, it starts easily, runs crisply and everything feels very mainstream. The clutch has a super light pull with an excellent feel. It’s simply not what you expect when you’re dealing with such a small company. We already knew that the chassis was very good from our previous experiences with last year’s MRPro 300. It has a very spread-out riding position so it’s comfortable, especially for big riders. It’s the new motor that turned out to be the real surprise. It’s outstanding! It has three maps available on the handlebar, and in the most aggressive mode (one flash of the LED light) it has great power from bottom to top. Obviously, being a European 300cc two-stroke brings certain expectations. It has to run well down low and be extremely reluctant to stall. Job done in that department. You can lug the bike down to idle, and then whack open the throttle and the motor responds without complaint. The power delivery is smooth and immediate, but not perfectly linear. It runs like a trials bike on the very bottom with that instant torque, then gets a second wind on top, where it runs like a two-stroke MX bike. In terms of outright power, it is softer on top than a new KTM 300SX, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The 300SX is a beast by anyone’s standards. We featured Geoff Aaron riding the Rieju in a video last week, so check that out on Youtube. The full test will appear in the August, 2025 print edition of Dirt Bike. FANTIC RISING Geoff also brought out a Fantic XE300 on the same trip. This is another import from Central Powersports Distributing that falls into the same category; it’s a fuel-injected 300cc two-stroke with an electronic power valve. This is an Italian bike that uses a fair amount of Yamaha parts. Contrary to kneejerk commentary, Fantic is NOT owned by Yamaha and, in fact, there is no real connection between the two companies. Fantic simply buys parts from the European Yamaha importer. Spoiler alert: There’s a video coming out Monday. ITALIAN JOBS The Fantic started us thinking about memorable Italian bikes. There have been a bunch of them. There are two things they all have in common. First, they are all beautifully crafted. Second they have very complicated histories full of in-fighting and corporate squabbles. Here are some I pulled out of the Dirt Bike archives for a feature in the September print edition. 2001Vertemati Vertemati has a very convoluted history. Two Italian brothers started off as the Husaberg importer and were quite successful in GP racing with Joel Smets. Eventually, Dirt Bike test rider Mike Young went to race GPs on a bike made completely by the Vertemati brothers. It was a great bike, but when they tried to make a production version, it wasn’t nearly as good. They sold the company and started over again. The bike above was the second attempt at a production Vertemati. It wasn’t very good, either, but it was one of the most beautiful bikes ever made. 1971 Harley Davidson Baja 100 Another Italian brand with a very complicated history was Aermacchi. This was an Italian aircraft company on the shores of Lake Varese that made Italy’s greatest fighters in WWII. The company started making small-displacement two-strokes after the war and was eventually bought by AMF Harley-Davidson. The thinking was that it would help Harley compete against the Japanese bikes of the day. The Harley Baja 100 was most famous for giving Larry Roeseler his start. 1987 Cagiva WMX 125 Claudio and Gianfranco Castiglioni had a massive effect on the motorcycle industry that is still felt today. In the ’80s, they acquired the Aermacchi/Harley Davidson factory in Varese and started their own brand. They named it Cagiva as a composite of their family name and the town of Varese. In 1987 they acquired Husqvarna. Shortly afterward they also took control of Ducati and MV Agusta. The company always seemed to struggle, but always bounced back from disaster. 1995 KTM 50SX Ever heard of an Italian KTM? That was how the Austrian company first got involved with minis. An Italian manufacturer by the name of LEM made competitive minis throughout the ’90s. KTM decided it was easier to rebadge LEMs than it was to make their own 50cc bikes. The KTM/LEM had spectacular success in U.S. racing with Mike Alessi. By 1996, KTM decided to build its own minis. CRE wasn’t really an Italian motorcycle maker, but they had considerable success repurposing Honda two-strokes for off-road. Former U.S. Enduro campion Kevin Hines imported CRE motorcycles for a while and then started making his own out of pats from Italy. RANDOM HARD DRIVE SEARCH Roger on a Kawasaki? Roger DeCoster rode everything in 1995. This is a photo from a subscription ad in 1995. Roger DeCoster was in charge of Dirt Bike’s testing department back then and we were above exploiting him for subs. He was happy to help. That’s all for now! –Ron Lawson The post RIDING THE 2026 RIEJU FUEL-INJECTED 2-STROKE: THE WRAP appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

Action photos: Mark Kariya Kawasaki is back on the West Coast off-road racing scene, and they are bringing some heavy hitters with them! The newly formed Precision Coatings Kawasaki team has backing from Mitch Payton at Pro Circuit and have hired former world champion Giacomo Redondi to race the entire NGPC series along with other selected events throughout the year. Team owner Billy Fullmer gave us an exclusive first look at Redondi’s 2025 race bike and here is what we discovered. All the parts and services performed on Giacomo Redondi’s race bike are available to the public, and you can even buy the team graphics directly from Throttle Syndicate that’s just like the Pro Circuit SX/MX factory race team’s. THE GOODS Just like the factory MX/SX race team, Fullmer and the race team’s head mechanic, John Braasch, started with a 2025 KX450SR (Special Racer) model and then tore it completely down to the frame to start the build process. The 2025 KX450SR model features upgraded suspension, Xtrig clamps, ECU, head mods and other bolt-on performance parts, making it a perfect platform for a race bike build. When it came to engine performance modifications, the team took the less-is-more approach. The SR models already feature some head work and more aggressive ECU settings than the standard KX450 with race settings already programed into it. In the beginning of the year the team used the stock SR mapping, but are now using custom maps dialed in by Pro Circuit. Internally, the engine is surprisingly very stock besides the addition of an older-style complete Hinson Racing billet-proof clutch with heavy clutch springs. The team uses a complete Twin Air Powerflow air-filter system that increases air volume and airflow compared to the stock version. Redondi uses some interesting gearing on his race bike with a 14-53 sprocket combination. The rear chainguide is a carbon fiber unit from Pro Circuit, and the swingarm mounting points have been reinforced for additional durability. Internally, the only modification that would be considered major is all about durability, and that is the addition of an older-style, complete Hinson billet-proof clutch that uses heavy springs. The clutch pull is noticeably stiffer than the 2025 bevel-style system that comes stock. Although it looks the same as what comes on the SR, the Pro Circuit exhaust is different internally, having a larger diameter core similar to what Pro Circuit uses for AMA amateur racing. No changes were made to the head pipe. A complete Twin Air Powerflow system increases the airbox volume, and the slightly larger surface of the high-flowing air filter allows more air into the engine. The team really focused on Redondi’s riding style when it came to setting up the chassis, because he had been racing steel-framed Austrian bike for many years, so the switch to an aluminum-framed machine was a bit of an adjustment. Luke Clout, who now runs Pro Circuit’s suspension department, had to find a balance of making the suspension stiff enough to handle the demands of a rider like Redondi at higher speeds, but also soft enough to provide enough rider comfort for him to hold onto it for the 90-plus-minute events he races. Even legendary suspension tuners agree that setting a bike up for off-road racing is one of the hardest things to do. A big component in the suspension setup is a complete Pro Circuit rear linkage system that is designed to be softer in the initial part of the stroke to provide a plusher feel on smaller hits and then ramps up the stiffness as the shock goes deeper in the stroke. This change allows for the use of softer high-speed valving lessoning any harsh feel and minimizing deflection. Works Chassis Lab’s top engine mounts are also said to improve overall rider comfort in the handling department. To our knowledge testing was never done, although Redondi says he was very pleased with what he was currently racing on, but thinks he and the team will be able to make it better with more testing. Surprisingly, Redondi does not currently use a stabilizer system like most top pro racers on the West Coast. Most of the other bolt-on items have to do with protection, the rider and bike. Acerbis’ K-Linear hand guards mount to the clutch and front brake reservoirs, directly saving important handlebar mounting space and protecting Redondi’s hands, while a full-coverage Acerbis plastic skid plate offered protection of the frame and engine cases. The Pro Circuit exhaust is an off-the-shelf AMA amateur spec with a special off-road packing job. A Zip-Ty Racing rear shark fin provides rear rotor protection. The Kawasaki rear chainguide mounts and the guide itself are definitely an area that requires attention, and the PC team strengthened this up substantially after having an issue early in the race season. John Braasch handled reinforcing the swingarm mounts, while a Pro Circuit carbon fiber rear chainguide replaced the aluminum stock unit. This is the same guide that Pro Circuit’s SX/MX race team uses, offering additional adjustability features that allows for clearance when using larger rear sprockets and a replaceable wear pad. Speaking of larger rear sprockets, Redondi’s race bike is equipped with 14-53 gearing. If you do the math, that’s very similar to the stock 13-50 that the bike comes stock with, but during testing the team felt it gave it more torque where it needed to produce more usable power. OUR THOUGHTS Just like any professional-level race machine, they are highly personalized to the rider racing it and oftentimes are the complete opposite setup to what the average guy would want. Giacomo Redondi’s Precision Coatings/Pro Circuit Kawasaki is somewhere in the middle of that scenario. Everything on his bike is available to the public either through Pro Circuit or the team sponsors, and you can even purchase the race-team graphics from Throttle Syndicate. That’s huge for everyone trying to replicate this build. Power-wise, Redondi’s setup is more aggressive than the standard model and a slightly toned-down, more rider-friendly version of the SR model. Then, on the handling side, it’s definitely stiffer all around than other stock KX450 platforms, but not completely unrideable by the average person. Honestly, after doing the research on this race bike, we have a few items that we want to try on our off-road KX450 build that is currently in the works. Thanks to the Precision Coatings/Pro Circuit Kawasaki race team for the insight. The post OFF-ROAD RACE BIKE: REDONDI’S PC KX450SR appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

Beta proved something to the world last year. The tiny Italian company took on the giants of Supercross. They built a motocross bike, assembled a pro racing team and scored points with a budget that was a fraction of what anyone else spends. They haven’t yet sacked the city, but they’re at the front gate making noise and causing a commotion. The Beta Liqui Moly Pro Supercross team is still making progress, but the company is careful not to forget the riders who got them to this point. Beta’s base is in the off-road world—enduro, trials, trail riding and cross-country racing. Accordingly, the company has added a new bike to the lineup for 2025. The 450RC falls into the closed-course cross-country category, which includes bikes like the KTM 450XC-F, the Honda CRF450RX, the Yamaha YZ450FX and the Kawasaki KX450X. Each manufacturer changes the formula slightly, but all are closely related to motocross bikes from the same maker. The idea is to serve off-road racers who might otherwise be forced into a full-blooded motocross bike in events like WORCS and the National Grand Prix Championship. The 450RC is a very close relative to the 450RX motocross bike. The most significant difference is an increase in fuel capacity. SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE The core of the 450RC is the new Beta 450RX MX bike. Of all the manufacturers offering these hybrid MX/off-road bikes, Beta makes the fewest changes between moto and off-road. That makes sense when you consider that the company already has off-road four-strokes coming out of its ears. The 480RR and 430RR Race Editions are very off-road-oriented, so the RC offers some true separation. It’s easy to be overwhelmed with the array of similar bikes offered by Beta. There are only a few significant differences between the motocross model and the new RC. The fuel capacity is greater; the new bike uses the 2.4-gallon tank from the RR line instead of the 1.8-gallon MX tank. It also has an 18-inch rear wheel with a 140/80-17 Maxxis MaxxEnduro tire. Hand guards come as standard equipment and that’s about all. The engine mapping and suspension valving are straight out of the motocross bike, which has been updated for 2025. So is the five-speed gearbox. There’s no kickstand, and the price is exactly the same as that of the MX bike—$10,999. Zane Roberts is the current National Hare & Hound champion and he rides a Beta. As of right now, he’s riding a modified 480RR, but that’s mostly because race teams are reluctant to change when something works. His bike is already something of an RR/RC hybrid. When the motocross 450 arrived last year, it was mostly a new bike. The 480RR off-road bike was clearly a starting point, but it had more compact engine cases and a beefier frame. Now, all of Beta’s four-strokes have the new engine cases and many of the other features that we first saw on the MX bike. Still, the RX and now the RC are in a much spicier state of tune than any of the off-road bikes. The exhaust is louder, the compression ratio is higher, the valves are larger and the throttle body is 46mm instead of 42mm. For 2025, both the RX and the RC have larger rear axles, lower final gearing and a larger battery. The 450RC has many of the components that we are used to seeing on Beta competition bikes, like Nissin brakes and KYB suspension. Both the 450RC and the RX motocross bike have the same MSRP: $10,999. TWIN BROTHERS Not surprisingly, the new RC reminds us of the 450RX. That’s a bike that we really enjoyed when we tested it last year. To provide a quick review, it had great overall handling for motocross, the steering was quick, and it was surprisingly stable. The suspension was good but oriented towards the novice/beginner end of the sale. The power was smooth, but it needed more low-end and less glitchy mapping. It was a very large motorcycle, and that intimidated some riders. You would think most of those attributes would make for a great off-road bike. For the most part, that’s correct. Handling-wise, it’s perfect. It’s a lighter bike than the 480RR by around 8 pounds, and that certainly doesn’t hurt. The big question that anyone will have to answer is, “How off-road does it have to be?” Several races in the NGPC series have extended motocross tracks, and some have real singletrack. By using the same suspension as the motocross version, the RC is perfect for the more MX-oriented courses. The bike is soft compared to most full-fledged motocross bikes, and that works decently at places like Blythe and Delono, where the speeds are fairly high and the whoops can be enormous. At Glen Helen, on the other hand, the bike is too stiff for the rocky trails that make up the back sections. This is a problem that off-road riders are very familiar with. It’s impossible for Beta to know which kind of track you prefer, so they simply backed away to allow the end user to set up the bike as needed. Compared to the off-road four-strokes, the RC has bigger valves, a bigger throttle body and bigger output numbers. In outright power, the Beta will crush almost any off-road bike. It has more sheer output than a Yamaha 450FX or a Honda CRF450R—by quite a margin. The only bikes in this class that can outperform the RC are the ones with KTM-based motors. KTM, Husky and GasGas use full-blooded MX engine tuning and mapping, and those bikes are at the top of the 450 class right now. In Beta’s case, the MX-style mapping does have its drawbacks. On a motocross course, most riders don’t dip into low-speed range below 10 mph very often, so you might not notice that the 450 has a tendency to flame out. In extended low-speed off-road sections, the 450RC can stall without warning, and that can be frustrating. The traction control or mild map don’t seem to help. If you ride at slow speeds, it also can overheat quickly, although that issue can be handled with the optional radiator fan from the Beta accessory department. Compared to the off-road four-strokes, the RC has bigger valves, a bigger throttle body and bigger output numbers. THE WISH LIST Last year we did an all-Beta comparison between the 350RR, 390RR, 430RR and the 480RR off-road bikes to help provide insight on why the company offered so many similar motorcycles. In that story, we actually wished for one more model: this one. Thank you, but it’s our nature to always want more. Right now there’s a vast difference between the RC and the RR lines. In order to really fill the gap, the RC needs to calm down just a little. We would gladly sacrifice some of that top-end power for smoother throttle response down low and less stalling. The six-speed gearbox from the RR line would help, but it’s not mandatory. A radiator fan would be a nice touch. If all that’s asking too much, then we can make do with just one item. Please give us a kickstand. The post FULL TEST: BETA 450RC CROSS-COUNTRY RACER appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

Beta has announced its 2026 motocross line and it includes a new 350cc two-stroke! The new model replaces the previous 300cc two-stoke and is accompanied by a new 250 two-stroke. Those two models join an updated 450RX. The full press release follows: Beta has added two new motocross models to join the big brother 450 in the RX range. All-new 250 and 350 RX 2 strokes are the new bosses in town! Beta’s 450 RX has been racing on the world MXGP tour for four years and the AMA USA Supercross series for two and has proven to be a serious contender. The Italian Beta engineers decided to “Go Big” for 2026 and add not only a 250 cc bike to race in the proper classes but also added a 350 RX smoker as well for everyone else! All Beta MX models are designed with the trademark RideAbility in mind. A motorcycle that is overall easier to ride. 250 RX: Another all-new model for 2026 is the smaller brother to the 350, the long-awaited 250 RX! Like the 350 version, this 2-stroke powered motocross model will appeal to all of those wanting a high-revving, lightweight 250 that can tear up berms with a distinctive sound that can only be heard from a Beta. The 250 RX also receives new engine cases along with the new cylinder, cylinder head, and exhaust. The 250 uses a single-spark head. Finally, a Beta Moto model that can run in many 250 classes. 350 RX: All new for 2026, this new model replaces the 300 version for the 2026 season. New engine cases, bore and stroke, as well as a twin-plug head to ignite the special power only a big-bore 2-stroke can provide. The longer crankshaft, combined with the final gearing ratio of 13/47, provides a large amount of torque and overall horsepower that will turn some heads. This new 350 motocrosser will thrive in many different track conditions. Clearly in a class of its own! 450 RX: Proven through races all over the world, including the USA Supercross series and MXGP. The 450 RX provides a ride like no other, quick turning yet stable; powerful yet easy to ride, are just a few things the press is saying about the 4-stroke model. An engine with enough power for a top-level pro rider while providing the right amount of power to the amateur as well. For 2026, the 450 RX receives a new cylinder head with improved flow that provides even more power. This, along with a matched intake manifold and a new exhaust, means the 450 will still bark with power but do it in a quieter way. A redesigned counterbalance shaft to reduce vibration and new mapping to go with the new cylinder head and exhaust. The All-New 350 RX 2-Stroke Model The Updated 2026 450 RX Additional Features of Each Model: 450 RX 4-Stroke Engine: The 450cc engine development was focused on providing riders a significant performance increase compared to the previous model, offering a stronger torque curve that can be used under all conditions. This achievement was possible due to a new cylinder head with a performance-enhancing piston, a new intake manifold, and a different exhaust system. The head’s overhaul – developed through CFD analysis and many flow bench calibrations – includes an improved intake duct to enhance air circulation inside the engine. The new manifold, following the flow line, has a longer internal horn to improve the tuning of pressure waves, and thus increase their fill while intaking air. The piston includes new coatings to reduce friction and improve its performance. A newly designed counter balancer was introduced to contain vibrations and reduce rider fatigue. Exhaust system: the head-pipe has been redesigned to create a greater flow and to provide increased power. This new 4-stroke exhaust system is completed by a silencer, redesigned with HGS to contain the DB output, in line with the new racing standards. Maps: Updated to perform better with the new motor configuration, with renewed start-up and limiter strategies. 250-350 RX 2 Stroke Engine: Both engine capacities received a completely new, purpose-built engine. The 350 RX was designed to obtain the greatest linear power delivery and give riders the option to exploit the great power available when needed, while the 250 RX can count on explosive performance, ready to compete in races under all conditions. » Head: The first noticeable difference when looking at the new engines is certainly the dual-spark-plug head on the RX 350 2Str, while the 250cc still relies on a classic single spark plug. This differentiates the two motorcycles’ character even further, with the 250cc providing riders with a high-revving engine that competes with the likes of 250 4Str bikes, while the 350cc manages to keep a greater torque and rounded delivery, enhancing its ease of recreational use, at lower speeds while still provides enough overall horsepower for race use. » Cylinder, piston, and power valve: to further differentiate the two bikes, apart from the obvious engine capacity, Betamotor engineers worked on new cylinders and pistons, designed specifically for each engine. The power valve, too, was calibrated accurately to manage the two deliveries by adopting different springs. » Crankshaft: the two motorcycles have a different stroke, with the 250cc reaching 72mm and the 350cc reaching 73.6mm. » Crankcase: new engine crankcases, with different internals between the two capacities, matched with each model’s crankshaft. » Gear box: gear boxes are shared between both models, with the only difference being the final ratios of the sprockets, 13/50 for the 250 and 13/47 for its big sister. Exhaust: also new for both models. Exhaust systems were designed to enhance the features of both engines, and differ in the internal silencer diameter, which is bigger on the 350. New components shared by all RX Models: Graphics: a modern race look, simple yet bold, the final touch to the Italian RX range. Radiators: their bearing structure was strengthened to prevent any deformation that might affect their operation, even during heavy-duty use. The following elements are confirmed on the entire range: Frame: geometry remains unchanged, yet the frame now incorporates a cast-in brace to further strengthen the frame around the steering neck area. This increases the reliability and stiffness of the frame’s area most subject to stress. Aluminum rear sub-frame and dedicated filter box: aluminum gives the right level of stiffness to the structure. Light, yet it has the rigidity to overcome the demands of motocross. Access to the filter remains on the left side of the bike, and is extremely easy and intuitive, as well as being tool-free. The push button seat also removes without tools. Kayaba (KYB) suspensions: fork (48mm) and single shock (50mm) are specifically calibrated on the new range models, focusing on their rideability and stability when the pace rises. The resulting setting is enough to make any rider confident, from amateurs to professionals. Nissin braking system: with floating calipers and 260mm Galfer discs at the front and 240mm at the rear, for powerful and modular braking. Chain: non o-ring, lighter and smoother. Lithium battery: lighter and a must for quick starts. Handlebar silent block: Xtrig Flexfit bar mounts provide a comfortable grip on the handlebar for enhanced control and reduced vibration. To complete our round-up of the bike: Engine maps: all the RX models are equipped with two specific engine maps (wet and dry), while the 4-Stroke model has also four levels of Traction Control (on/off/active with hard map/active with soft map) to manage the vehicle’s significant power in all terrain conditions. The button to select the map and TC is located on the handlebar bumpers. All RX will be supplied with a triangle stand. In addition, the 4 Stroke has four different throttle pulleys to customize the accelerator’s response. Prices are to be announced on Beta’s website here. The post BETA MX BIKES FOR 2026: NEW 350cc TWO-STROKE! appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

2026 MODELS ARE HERE! ARVE Error: Mode: lazyload not available (ARVE Pro not active?), switching to normal mode ARVE The post 2026 KAWASAKI MODELS ANNOUNCED!!! | VIDEO appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

By Gunnar Lindstrom Husqvarna is not only one of the oldest motorcycle makers in the world, it’s one of the oldest continuously operated manufacturing operations of any kind. Prior to building its first motorcycle in 1903, the mill at Huskvarna, Sweden, produced firearms and other goods dating all the way back to the 17th century. But, can you realistically say that the Husqvarna of 2025 is the same company that produced muskets for King Charles XI of Sweden in 1689? No motorcycle maker has such a complicated and serpentine history. It’s a story of stunning success, dark chapters and forgotten years. Here’s a brief overview of one of the greatest legacies in the motorcycle world. The Silverpilen of the ’50s was the bike that initially gave Husqvarna a toehold in the motocross world. THE RISE OF HUSQVARNA MOTORCYCLES As with most motor companies of the early 20th century, Husqvarna Moto’s formative years were interrupted by World Wars and huge economic swings. Some of those initial products were more bicycle than motorcycle; others were produced in partnership with other factories of the time. Through all of this time, the company’s sewing machine line was the biggest part of a multi-faceted business. It wasn’t until after World War II that the motorcycle company we know today began to develop its own distinct personality. In 1955, Husqvarna introduced a new, lightweight, 175cc motorcycle that they called “Silverpilen,” or “Silver Arrow.” It was a huge hit because it was under 166 pounds and could therefore be ridden by 16-year-olds. It was light and fast, and although originally designed as a road bike, it could easily be modified for the new sport of motocross. The factory built a few test bikes with better suspension and a full 250cc engine, and Rolf Tibblin was immediately successful on this bike. He became the European champion in 1959. Torsten Hallman soon joined the team and won his first 250 World Championship in 1962. These race bikes were not authorized by the corporate board and therefore built in a sort of factory underground. Some of the work was done after hours, under the table and paid for by either sewing machine or chainsaw accounts. The bikes and their riders were popular all around the factory and it was relatively easy to get help from the various departments, such as machining and heat treatment. As opposed to the dreary regular routine, employees thought it was fun and exciting to help support the race team in a sort of secret and underground way. And some riders would occasionally stop and talk, especially Rolf Tibblin when he was test riding a bike, and doing wheelies up and down the entrance road. The successes of the motocross team and their underground operation created great PR for Husqvarna, and eventually convinced the corporate board that for 1963, 100 MX bikes could be built using Silverpilen leftover parts, such as wheel hubs, fuel tanks and frames, sitting in warehouses. So for 1963, motocross motorcycles became an official Husqvarna product, although only 100 were made. Torsten Hallman said they were the most competitive motocross bikes available at that time, partly because of their low weight. All of them sold easily. And such was the success that the board allowed the newly created motorcycle group to make another 200 for 1964. Now, Husqvarna was officially back in the motorcycle business. In 1965, the motocross bikes were profitable and sales increased steadily, partly due to Edison Dye convincing the factory to sell bikes in the U.S. in 1966. The factory had been reluctant to sell motocross bikes to a country where there was no motocross. That was the official line. The addition in 1967 and ’69 of the very successful 360 and 400cc models created a new dilemma. The MX bikes were now taking up substantial manufacturing capacity at the plant. The machining and heat treatment of gears created bottlenecks on the assembly line as well as in the frame shop. These were the days of tremendous success with names like Hallman, Tibblin, Kring and Åberg. The first big year for Edison Dye’s U.S. Husqvarna business was 1967. He imported the sport of MX to the U.S. in order to sell his Husqvarnas. There were only a few 1966 models brought into the U.S. 1977–1986, THE ELECTROLUX YEARS In 1977 the entire Husqvarna concern was purchased by the huge Swedish investment company Electrolux that saw great business opportunity in the kitchen white goods and chainsaws. Some say several of the Electrolux board members did not realize that they had also bought the motorcycle product line in the transaction. The motorcycle group was now reorganized into a separate business unit. Husqvarna Motorcycles AB and all of management, R&D, manufacturing, and assembly were moved to an off-site location. Electrolux was, after all, an investment company, and if the motorcycle division could not consistently show a profit, they would be disposed of. And that was exactly what happened. Although the financial picture of Husqvarna Motorcycles had gradually improved, it was too little, too late. So, after nine years, Electrolux was ready to unload the division they never realized the PR value of, especially for chainsaws in the U.S. The 1975 Husqvarna 250GP CR is reputed to be just like the bike that Bob Hannah rode prior to Yamaha. THE CAGIVA PERIOD Husqvarna’s name was licensed to Cagiva S.p.A Italy from 1986 to 2007. Husqvarna had been one of the early developers of the modern lightweight four-stroke engine and had won an impressive number of off-road events in the early ’80s. That caught the attention of Giovanni Castiglioni, the owner of Cagiva. He was struggling to establish Cagiva as a brand. The name was from the first two letters of the people and the town where they were located. Castiglione, Giovanni and Varese. He recognized the prestige of the Husqvarna brand and got a license from Electrolux to use it exclusively in the motorcycle world. Cagiva took over a well-organized company and a dedicated dealer network. They relocated manufacturing to Italy and installed their own management in the U.S. and Europe, and within weeks it was obvious that Cagiva’s new business model was quite different from the established Husqvarna version. Many dealers resigned and took up KTM instead. Spare parts supply became a concern in the U.S., and dealers were often left hanging waiting for parts that were late or never showed up. In the mid-1990s Husqvarna U.S. formed a partnership with the Fast by Ferracci road racing organization in Pennsylvania to manage the U.S. distribution of bikes and parts. Larry Ferracci had a much better understanding of the U.S. motorcycle business, and provided knowledge and stability, something that had been missing all along. From that point on, a slow but steady resurgence of Husqvarna started. It was generally thought that the Ferracci organization should have been appointed distributors from the beginning. The original Swedish Husky four-stroke inspired the birth of Husaberg. KTM acquired that company 10 years later and used the technology to jump-start its own four-stroke racing line. At first Cagiva ran a very strong racing effort in Europe with two-strokes in motocross under both the Cagiva and Husqvarna banner with several world titles as a result. Jan Witteveen was a two-stroke master designer, tuner and manager. But, this was a time when four-strokes were coming into the market. So, Husqvarna launched a whole new line of four strokes and competed successfully for the Enduro World Championships, winning over 60 World Championships in various classes in enduro and Supermoto primarily run in Europe and somewhat at the expense of the motocross side. But finance was Cagiva’s weak side. Some years not a single Husqvarna bike was built due to lack of money to buy parts for assembly or filling spare parts orders. Husqvarna relied almost exclusively on outside vendors to produce and deliver parts just in time for assembly at the Cassinetta factory. Racing was similarly outsourced. Alessio Chiodi’s 125cc World Championships were managed by the Corrado Maddii organization, and the successful enduro team was led by CH Racing and Fabrizio Azzalin. In late 2006 the financial situation was so critical that Mr. Castiglioni was forced to accept an offer of $100 million from BMW Motorrad for the entire operation, including the bikes, the Cassinetta facility and worldwide operations. This started another remarkable time in the Husqvarna history book. Husqvarna was a pioneer in the early development of four-strokes for off-road competition. When manufacturing was moved to Italy, the four-stroke models were redesigned, but the architecture of the original Swedish design was still visible. 2007–2013, THE BMW CHAPTER In 2005 engineers at BMW Motorrad in Munich, Germany, had designed a new engine and frame that they must have presented to top management as revolutionary. The major breakthrough on the new design had resolved the age-old problem of the rear chain tension varying with different swingarm positions. BMW engineers designed an engine where the swingarm pivot and the rear sprocket were on the same shaft, and voila! Problem solved through clever German engineering. The frames were at first constructed out of stainless steel tubing with an aluminum swingarm and were very stiff. There were also several other features, such as the clutch mounted on the crankshaft and therefore small and light. The induction and air cleaner were where the fuel tank normally is, and the actual fuel tank was under the seat. In addition, the layout of the internal transmission needed an additional shaft for the countershaft arrangement, so the engine rotated in the opposite direction of a typical layout. This would prove to cause concern later on. Jacky Martens rode an Italian-built Husqvarna to the 500cc World MX GP Championship in 1993. It was the first MX championship for a four-stroke since 1965. To be cost-competitive, BMW chose to have the new engine built by Kymco in Taiwan. This new bike was indeed a revolutionary design, and they thought they had out-engineered the rest of the motorcycle world, and this would allow BMW to break into off-road where they weren’t represented at the time. It was called the G449X, then later the G450X, and was developed by the BMW test team in local German enduros. There was even a brief attempt at motocross. By 2008 they were ready to go big into the Enduro World Championship by hiring Husqvarna Enduro World champion Anders Eriksson. BMW spent a great deal of time and money developing the G450X prior to the purchase of Husqvarna. As it turned out, having the countershaft and the swingarm pivot concentric did not by itself guarantee success. In the 1980s several factories studied the optimal location of the countershaft sprocket. After much work, the countershaft ended up pretty much in the same place as before. It isn’t known how much homework the BMW team had done on benchmarking other dirt bikes for things like frame rigidity, weight distribution and the suspension-motion ratio. The fact that the engine rotated in the opposite direction of the competition added another variable. This new model line needed a sales outlet that didn’t compete with the established BMW street bike network. Seeing that Husqvarna in Italy was in financial distress and BMW had a kitty of cash to spend, it made sense to purchase the entire Cagiva facility—buildings and all—get the license to use the Husqvarna name, and add the new BMW dirt bike to the lineup. As soon as the purchase agreement was complete, BMW transferred German staff to Italy to manage the operation. The results from Eriksson’s 2008 season were modest—some would say poor, but in typical top-down authority, BMW thought that Eriksson was really now past his peak, and his contract was not renewed. Instead, for 2009, they contracted Enduro World champions David Knight and Juha Salminen, both multi-time World Enduro champions. But, despite how hard the riders tried, the results were not there. The team did not want to listen to any suggestions the riders had for changes or improvements. The most vocal of the riders was David Knight, who resigned after only six months, bought a Kawasaki, and immediately started winning again. But this did not stop the BMW team, who thought they had out-engineered the entire motorcycle community. Salminen hung on through 2010 but could only deliver an eighth overall in the Enduro World Championship that year. So, what was the problem? The riders said the bike felt too stiff, it was difficult to get traction, and because there was no protection of the bare engine up front, it had to be ridden carefully so as not to damage the starter motor, clutch, ignition or shift lever. Anders Eriksson spent a chapter of his book to describe the problems and how unresponsive the team was to suggestions from the riders for improvements. One of the most significant bikes to come out of the Husky factory in the ’80s was the 1983 TX510. It demonstrated that a four-stroke could be competitive with two-strokes of the day. MEANWHILE, IN THE FIELD In the five-year plan, Husqvarna would continue to provide their lineup as before, refreshed by BMW money, then add the BMW G450X that would be built in Italy and renamed the Husqvarna TE449. The strategy here was to replicate BMW’s purchase of the Mini automobile brand, where customers could eventually graduate to the real thing, a BMW. The first item on the list was to build a new Italian chassis around the Kymco engine. A more conventional frame was decided on, but the BMW concept of high-air intake and fuel under the seat was retained. In order to carry enough fuel, the seat height was at first too high. Then, an extra plastic fuel container was made available located behind the cylinder. The first prototype of the TE449 was ready in early 2010, but things did not work out very well. Although the Husqvarna lineup sold reasonably well, the main issue was that the bikes were too expensive to produce compared to what they could be sold for at retail. So, purchasing was the first thing to be attacked by the new owners by using known German suppliers for minor items. That did little to lower the overall cost. A TC449 (motocross configuration) and TX449 (cross-country) were added, as well as a 511. After the first transfer to Cagiva in 1986, no two-strokes of Swedish design or origin were manufactured. The models that carried the Cagiva name were re-badged as Huskys. It is well understood in Europe that German managers micromanaging an Italian factory is a recipe for conflict, which is exactly what happened. More conflict followed when BMW hired expensive consultants who proved to be either unqualified or too political, or both. The common language was English, although the Germans tried to teach the Italians key phrases in German. Morale sank further, and there were reports of Italian workers sabotaging the German effort by hiding bikes prepared for a dealer meeting the next day. In general, the Italians regarded the Germans to be there on vacation, to eat good food, drink good wine and watch Italian girls. The Kymco-built BMW motor found its way into the Husqvarna-branded model line but without the concentric countershaft design. The motor eventually was used for Hero’s Dakar Rally bikes. NEXT STOP: MATTIGHOFEN The financial losses by BMW Husqvarna continued to build, and by 2013, they had spent over $240 million to keep the factory going. German management saw no alternative but to find a willing buyer. But who? The product lineup had not kept pace with the competition. BMW literally had no assets other than the Cassinetta facility to sell. The Castiglionis were anxious to take back the operation, no doubt for very little money, but Husqvarna had no confidence that they were capable of resurrecting the brand financially, so they could easily have canceled the use of the name Husqvarna at this point, which would have been the end of our story. But, a license agreement was reached with Stefan Pierer and his KTM management group. It was for the use of the name only; they did not carry over any intellectual property or parts from BMW to KTM; although, it is thought that KTM took over some short-term responsibility for BMW warranties. And, the price was right—next to nothing! Juha Salminen was hired to ride the BMW G450X, and eventually ended up on the Kymco/BMW/Husqvarna hybrid. The 230 workers at Cassinetta staged protests, but the horse was already out of the barn. They were left high and dry. The Cassinetta facility was eventually sold to the Chinese Shineray Group, who also purchased the SWM brand in Italy and now produces a lineup of bikes in Cassinetta under the SWM label. Now, after 12 years of Husqvarna with Austrian parents, the brand seems to be thriving, having won several MX World Championships. Of course, it is a clone of the original KTM brand, but that business plan has worked out well for now. As this is written, KTM is going through well-publicized financial difficulties, but it is unlikely they will drop the Husqvarna brand; the benefits easily outweigh the liabilities. One way or another, the Husqvarna motorcycle brand will continue to survive. It’s a legacy that just won’t die. The post THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HUSQVARNA MOTO appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

Kawasaki has just announced its early-release 2026 models, which are arriving at dealers immediately. The two-stroke that the company teased at the beginning of the year has yet to be revealed. The news as of right now appears below in the official Kawasaki press release. The Kawasaki KX line of motorcycles stands as a continued symbol of high performance and competitive quality, trusted by riders to succeed on some of the most demanding tracks in the world. Today, the KX family remains a leader in both motocross and supercross, with the KX250 and KX450 consistently ranking among the top bikes in their respective classes. The game-changing KX450SR continues to turn heads at the track with its race-focused upgrades and factory-inspired design, while the KX250X and KX450X bring the heat to off-road races across the world. The mini-classified KX65 plays a crucial role in developing young talent, helping aspiring athletes build their skills and advance in the sport. Drawing design and performance insights from the Monster Energy® Kawasaki factory racing team, the 2026 KX motocross models uphold the brand’s legacy by delivering race-ready power, precision, and reliability. 2026 Kawasaki KX65 KX65 The 2026 KX65 is the smallest displacement motocross bike in the Kawasaki KX lineup, built to serve as the machine of choice for aspiring motocross racers driven to follow in Kawasaki’s championship footsteps. The durability and reliability that the KX models are known for create a dependable platform for young racers. Featuring a six-speed transmission, race-ready engine, strong stopping power, and superb handling, the KX65 builds champions. Its liquid-cooled, two-stroke 65cc engine and lightweight chassis deliver strong controllable power and exceptional handling that results in the ultimate recipe for winning races. The 33mm front forks and four-way adjustable rebound damping can perform at the highest level in aggressive terrain, while the rear is fitted with Kawasaki’s Uni-Trak® single-shock system with adjustable rebound damping and fully adjustable spring preload. 2026 Kawasaki KX250 KX250 Coming off of an all-new platform in 2025, the 2026 KX250 remains powered by a 249cc liquid-cooled, four-stroke engine that is designed to achieve strong performance across the rev-range and result in quick lap times and excellent holeshot performance. Now sharing much of the same features found on its KX450 brethren, the KX250 continues to push the limits of man and machine, blending new cutting-edge technology with its championship heritage. With its lightweight aluminum frame, high-performance Showa suspension, ODI Lock-On grips, KTRC, riding modes with handlebar-mounted switch box, and Bluetooth® connectivity using RIDEOLOGY THE APP KX, the KX250 continues to help pave the way for riders looking for the top step of the podium. With a strong and reliable platform to build on, the KX250 is the perfect tool for any avid motocross rider. 2026 Kawasaki KX250X KX250X The 2026 KX250X shares many appealing traits with its KX250 motocross counterpart but is truly built for off-road, cross-country competition. In addition to the effective KX250 base, the KX250X returns with several unique features such as suspension settings specially tuned for off-road competition, an 18” rear wheel, Dunlop Geomax AT81 off-road tires, sealed chain, and a side stand. KX450 Now in its sophomore year since its complete re-design, the KX450 returns for 2026 with its race-winning features unbroken. Building upon its legacy in the sport, the KX450 remains at the top of motocross excellence, blending cutting-edge technology with championship-capable pedigree. With its powerful 449cc engine, Brembo front brakes, and all the other defining features of the motorcycle, the KX450 continues to be a trustworthy companion for any avid racer. As riders prepare to tackle the challenges of the upcoming season, they can continue to put their trust in the unparalleled performance of the KX450 to take them to the top step of the podium. 2026 Kawasaki KX450SR KX450SR Following its successful debut four years ago in 2022, the KX450SR motorcycle is back for 2026. The “SR” or Special Racer designation represents the peak of Kawasaki race performance, and riders will feel the difference once they swing their leg over the SR. The KX450SR is purpose-built with high-value components proven by the Monster Energy® Kawasaki race team in Monster Energy Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross Championships. Building on the popular KX450 platform, the KX450SR is crafted for riders aiming for the class win. The motorcycle features elite racing components, like the Pro Circuit Ti-6 titanium exhaust and XTRIG Rocs-Tech triple clamp, special engine tuning, polished intake ports, and design elements taken from the Monster Energy® Kawasaki race team, which help enhance both its performance and factory racer aesthetics. 2026 Kawasaki KX450X KX450X Returning alongside the KX450 and KX450SR is the 2026 KX450X, helping to further expand and solidify the KX family of off-road motorcycles. The 2026 KX450X is an off-road cross-country competition model that features the same championship-proven technology found on KX race machines and has been purposely tuned for off-road competition. The addition of a 21”/18” wheel combination allows the power of the KX450X to be transferred directly to the ground and the Dunlop AT81 tires make sure the bike can handle the obstacles found in cross-country riding. The KX450X also comes with specific off-road suspension settings, sealed chain and a convenient side stand for when at a stop. RACER REWARDS Kawasaki Team Green Racer Rewards for 2026 supercross, motocross, and off-road racing will be available for riders looking to race their KX motorcycles. For more information and to register please visit the Racer Rewards section on Kawasaki.com. KLX MODELS KAWASAKI KLX®230R / KLX230R S The KLX230R is a beloved favorite among off-road enthusiasts, promising endless fun across diverse terrains, whether navigating woodland trails or taking on desert landscapes. At the heart of this trail-blazing machine lies the fuel-injected 233cc air-cooled 4-stroke single engine, meticulously engineered to deliver a perfect balance of power and torque, finely tuned for the low-mid range. A purpose-built high-tensile steel perimeter frame delivers unwavering stability on the trails and is held up by a long-travel 37mm telescopic front fork and New Uni® rear suspension that offer 9.8” of wheel travel front and rear. The KLX230R comes equipped with full-size 21” front and 18” rear wheels for efficient trail navigation, while a 240mm front brake and 220mm rear brake provide excellent stopping power. The KLX230R exudes the essence of a capable off-road machine thanks to its KX-inspired styling. The KLX230R S is built off the same proven platform and offers riders a reduced reach to the ground with a 34.4” seat height, noticeably lower than the 35.6” seat height found on the standard model. Additionally, the front wheel travel has been reduced to 8.7” on the front and 8.8” on the rear, improving confidence in both shorter and beginner riders. KAWASAKI KLX®140R / KLX®140R L / KLX®140R F The KLX140R motorcycle is available in three model variations, each promising an off-road adventure packed with unforgettable moments. Powered by a robust 144cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine, featuring an electric starter and keyless ignition, the KLX140R line of motorcycles deliver reliable performance. The broad, smooth, high-revving 144cc engine, paired with a manual clutch and five-speed transmission, ensures an efficient and user-friendly riding experience. While the standard KLX140R sports a 17” front and 14” rear wheel, the mid-sized KLX140R L offers taller riders enhanced ground clearance with 19” front and 16” rear wheels. The KLX140R F is equipped with full-size off-road wheels and tires—a 21” front and 18” rear—for uncompromising off-road capability. KAWASAKI KLX®110R / KLX®110R L The KLX110R comes in two variations, offering an excellent entry package for new riders eager to explore off-road. Built with a high-tensile steel frame, 30mm telescopic fork, and a single rear shock, the KLX110R ensures effortless handling and lasting durability. Featuring an automatic centrifugal clutch system, the KLX110R simplifies take-offs and gear shifts, enabling riders to focus on the terrain while maximizing the potential of the 112cc single-cylinder, four-stroke engine. For those seeking a taller stance and enhanced capabilities, the KLX110R L model offers a taller seat height (28.7” compared to 26.8” for the KLX110R), increased suspension travel, an extra 1.9” of ground clearance, and a four-speed transmission with a manual clutch. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned rider, there’s a KLX motorcycle ready to fuel your Kawasaki-powered adventures. 2026 Model Variations Kawasaki KX65 Color: Lime Green MSRP: $4,249 Availability: Now Kawasaki KX250 Color: Lime Green MSRP: $8,999 Availability: Now Kawasaki KX250X Color: Lime Green MSRP: $9,099 Availability: Now Kawasaki KX450 Color: Lime Green MSRP: $10,499 Availability: Now Kawasaki KX450SR Color: Lime Green MSRP: $13,599 Availability: Now Kawasaki KX450X Color: Lime Green MSRP: $10,699 Availability: Now Kawasaki KLX®230R Color: Lime Green, Bright White MSRP: $4,999 Availability: Now Kawasaki KLX®230R S Color: Lime Green, Bright White MSRP: $4,999 Availability: Now Kawasaki KLX®140R F Color: Lime Green, Bright White MSRP: $4,299 Availability: Now Kawasaki KLX®140R Color: Lime Green, Bright White MSRP: $3,699 Availability: Now Kawasaki KLX®110R Color: Lime Green, Bright White MSRP: $2,899 Availability: Now Kawasaki KLX®140R L Color: Lime Green, Bright White MSRP: $3,999 Availability: Now Kawasaki KLX®110R L Color: Lime Green, Bright White MSRP: $3,099 Availability: Now The post 2026 KAWASAKI KX & KLX MODELS appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. 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Kawasaki has announced an addition to its dual-sport line for 2026: the KLX239 Sherpa S ABS. This uses the same platform as the previously existing KLX230S but has more of an adventure bike application. This goes beyond the styling and extends to a tubeless rear tire. Additionally, the KLX230 DF will be offered. This is more utility oriented with a luggage rack, aluminum engine guards, a taller seat height and a black-out look. The 2026 KLX300S has also been released, along with an SM variant. The official Kawasaki press release follows. 2026 Kawasaki KLX230 Sherpa S For riders driven by a spirit of exploration, Kawasaki introduces the all-new 2026 KLX®230 SHERPA S ABS—a dual-sport motorcycle built to inspire confidence on and off the beaten path. Whether commuting through the city or venturing onto remote trails, the SHERPA S delivers a rugged, yet approachable, package designed for the modern-day trekker. The KLX230 SHERPA S builds upon Kawasaki’s proven KLX®230 S platform, featuring nimble handling, a low and confidence-inspiring seat height, and a design that merges sleek urban capability with durable outdoor performance. This machine utilizes a tubeless rear tire for more convenient repairs and enhanced convenience, along with a low seat “S” variant tailored for a wider range of riders seeking accessibility without compromising adventure. Whether it’s a weekend campout or a spontaneous journey down unmarked trails, the KLX230 SHERPA S ABS motorcycle is built to adapt. Its versatility makes it the ideal two-wheeled tool for those answering the call of the wild, delivering performance, style, and practicality in one well-rounded trekking machine. KLX230® SHERPA S ABS HIGHLIGHTS ● 233cc fuel-injected air-cooled single ● Compact perimeter frame ● Aluminum skidplate ● Handguards ● Low 32.5-inch seat height ● 21-inch front wheel and 18-inch tubeless rear wheel ● Disc brakes with selectable ABS ● Digital instrumentation with Smartphone Connectivity Non-U.S. model specs may be depicted. 2026 Kawasaki KLX230DF 2026 KLX®230 DF ABS READY FOR ANY MISSION When the terrain gets tough and reliability is non-negotiable, the all-new 2026 Kawasaki KLX®230 DF stands ready as the ultimate heavy-duty two-wheeled companion. Built to thrive in demanding environments, this rugged multi-purpose motorcycle combines durability, performance, and all-around usability to meet the needs of riders who require a machine that’s as capable as it is dependable. The KLX230 DF is built off of the KLX230 platform and comes equipped with many of the same great features found on the KLX230 SHERPA S ABS, including its 233cc fuel-injected air-cooled single engine, compact perimeter frame, aluminum skidplate, disc brakes with optional ABS, handguards and tapered aluminum handlebar, LED headlight, slim shrouds, rugged styling with earth-tone colors, and digital instrumentation with smartphone connectivity. The KLX230 DF also comes equipped with a generous 7.8-inches of front wheel travel and 8.7-inches of rear wheel travel thanks to long travel suspension, and 9.4-inches of ground clearance. Several exclusive features can also be found on the KLX230 DF, including engine guards that are attached to the bottom of the frame and add peace of mind when riding off-road and help protect the engine from tip-over damage. A rear carrier also comes as standard equipment and boasts a durable tubular steel black finish construction with a silver aluminum center plate. The 10×10-inch rear carrier offers 6.6 lbs. of cargo capacity with four welded bungee hooks for cinching cargo down. 2026 Kawasaki KLX300S The Kawasaki KLX®300 motorcycle has been providing unlimited on- and off-road fun for a wide range of riders. Staying true to its roots, the KLX300 lightweight dual-sport motorcycle comes ready with all the tools necessary to deliver an exciting riding experience, taking on paved streets, back roads, wooded trails and beyond. For 2026, the dual-sport KLX300 continues to let the good times roll with its sporty looks, while the KLX300SM also returns to the KLX lineup, offering an nimble, sporty package for navigating the streets. These models feature KX-inspired styling that is sure to turn heads on the dirt or the pavement. 2026 Kawasaki KLX300SM KAWASAKI KLX®300 / KLX®300SM The KLX300 and KLX300SM make their return for 2026, each offering a fun and manageable package for riders eager to hit the dirt or pavement. Powered by a 292cc liquid-cooled DOHC engine and featuring a slim box-and-tubular-section high-tensile steel perimeter frame, 43mm inverted cartridge-style fork, and a Uni-Trak® rear shock, the KLX300 ensures confident handling and durability. The aggressive styling on the KLX300 adds to the overall fit and finish that the KLX model lineup is known for. For those seeking the same comfortable and fun package for the street, the KLX300SM model offers the same engine and chassis, supermoto tuned suspension, powerful large 300mm diameter petal disc front brake and comes fitted with 17-inch front and rear wheels mounted on IRC street tires for plenty of spirited riding possibilities. Kawasaki KLX®300 Color: Lime Green, Bright White, Cypher Camo Beige/Ebony MSRP: $5,449, $5,649 Availability: Now Kawasaki KLX®300SM Color: Neon Green/Ebony, Battle Gray/Ebony MSRP: $5,849 Availability: Now The post KAWASAKI REVEALS ALL-NEW SHERPA S DUAL-SPORT FOR 2026 appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

2026 BETA 350RX TWO STROKE ARVE Error: Mode: lazyload not available (ARVE Pro not active?), switching to normal mode ARVE The post BETA ANNOUNCES A 350cc TWO STROKE! appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

By Tyler Shepardson Photos By Mack Faint To understand what Kailub Russell plans to do, you have to first understand who Kailub Russell was. The 35-year-old North Carolina transplant has spent the last four seasons away from professional competition, but he hasn’t spent that time away from the sport. Since retiring at the end of the 2020 season, Kailub along with his lifelong manufacturer, KTM, created a role as the exclusive trainer for the KTM Group’s off-road efforts. It was essentially a program to mirror Aldon Baker’s success in moto but on the woods side. During those four years he mentored and coached three out of the four GNCC champions that followed his own unprecedented title run. At the time he decided to hang up his boots and go out on top, Kailub had cemented his legacy as the “G.O.A.T.” His 67 overall GNCC wins stood alone at the top as the series’ winningest rider. With those 67 wins came eight consecutive GNCC overall championships. The bikes from those seasons now sit in his race shop in North Carolina as a reminder of the domination he achieved throughout his career on the front row. But the trophies, they sit in a trophy case surrounded by two additional GNCC XC2 championships, a National Enduro overall championship, three Full Gas Sprint Enduro overall championships and two ISDE World Trophy championships, including one from Team USA’s first-ever win in 2016 and another from 2019. Kailub has partnered with Randy Hawkins’ AmPro Yamaha team on a YZ450FX for 2025. This marks the first time Kailub with race GNCC on a 450cc machine. In years past he has won on 150cc, 250cc and 350cc platforms. THAT WAS THEN… So why would the then-30-year-old phenom decide to end his career in seemingly his peak years? “It was a lot of stress and pressure. You know, that kind of situation can lead you to make irrational decisions sometimes. I had a great career, and at the time I was more scared of losing than I had the desire to keep winning. So the thought of ‘what would happen if I lost?’ Kind of made the decision for me,” Kailub told us when we sat down to interview him about his return to racing. But this wasn’t an average rider contemplating on whether or not they could collect a paycheck and maybe a couple of podium bonuses for a few more years. This was one of the greatest riders in the sport’s history and the poster child for a brand that was torn between calling it a career or coming back with no goal other than to win and continue his legacy. This was a guy that famously signed his contracts without even having podium bonuses. Rather than collecting a check for top-three finishes, Kailub negotiated to have second- and third-place finishes bundled into his win-only bonuses. So, a second-place finish would earn him nothing, furthering the pressure on himself to win at all costs. And for the most part, that’s exactly what he did. In his eight consecutive championship seasons, he won 61 out of 97 GNCC races that he entered. That put his win percentage at 63 percent. Of the 36 races he did not win, he was on the podium at 25 of them, making his podium finish rate 89 percent of every GNCC he entered. Since his retirement, no GNCC champion has won more than three races in their championship season. That’s a big change in the norm. Only once did Kailub win fewer than seven races in a championship season—when he took six wins in 2019 before sitting out the end of the year from injury. Part one of Kailub Russell’s career saw him set the all-time GNCC record at 67 wins with KTM. AND THIS IS NOW “Life is kind of wild. I love to race and I love to ride. I’m still fairly young, but if I wait another three to four years, then racing professionally would be out of the question.” He told us candidly about his return, adding, “I’m just ready to do it again. Sometimes you just need a break. The stress can be overwhelming, especially in the environment where a professional athlete lives 24/7. At the top of a sport where you get beat up and you’re always under pressure, it’s always ‘what’s next.’ It takes a toll on your mind and body.” Through his four years off, he admitted that he finally found the joy and fun in riding again. This may be in part to his growing family and his oldest son Krue becoming more and more involved in racing. Before Kailub would clock in on Sundays wearing “Ranch Russell” gear and helping his guys out, you could find him chasing his son around the youth track. Now Krue will be able to chase Dad around the pro race and see firsthand how he spent his career. Despite his absence, Kailub Russell knows the current level of GNCC racing well. He trained three of the four champions who have won since he left. Russell has seen success early, leading the race and finishing second at round 2. Kailub’s return to full-time competition is one of the largest storylines to hit the world of off-road racing. But almost equally as groundbreaking is the fact that it isn’t with the bike brand his name is synonymous with. This year he made his return to racing with the AmPro Factory Yamaha team led by off-road legend Randy Hawkins. “I don’t want to look at it as if I have anything to prove because I wasn’t able to continue with KTM. I knew that there wasn’t a spot for me there any longer because their roster is full with Ben [Kelley] and Jonny [Girroir], and their succession plan is Gus [Riordan] and Grant [Davis]. They offered for me to race, but they also wanted me to keep training the guys, too. That’s not what I wanted; if I come back to race, it’s not going to be to ride around. Because that’s what it would turn into—it would be a [half-measure] effort, and I wasn’t interested in that.” Knowing that a return to KTM wasn’t an option, Kailub didn’t immediately go shopping. He spent the majority of his career riding a 350, and he knew that at another brand his options would be limited to just a 450. With that in mind, Yamaha stuck out to him as the best option. “I feel like the Yamaha with the reverse engine and the way the bike feels with the inertia is the best suit for me to ride a 450 in the woods,” he told us. Eye on the prize, its not a matter of if Kailub will win again it’s just a matter of when. THE NEW DEAL With his return window set and his weapon of choice selected, Kailub now sets his sights on getting back to his winning ways. His five-year deal with Yamaha includes two years of racing and two years as a brand ambassador for the bLU cRU. The third year of the deal is an option to either continue racing or sail off into the sunset in his role as brand ambassador depending on how he feels things are going. On the side of expectations, Kailub seems optimistic but reasonable. He knows that it’s going to take a few rounds to get back into the groove of competition, but definitely feels like winning again is possible. “I don’t think [winning] is out of the question. Let me put it to you like this: if I didn’t think that winning was a possibility, then I would’ve just kept my cushy job with KTM and said I’ve done enough.” Kailub knows what it takes to be a champion because he is only one away from Ed Lojack’s all-time record set at nine. He also knows the speed that the current champions are going, because he has trained all but one of them since he left. He has a drive you don’t find in very many people, and regardless of his time off the bike, that drive and mentality that got him to this point still remain secure in the nut that connects the seat to the handlebars. While the opening round of the season didn’t go his way, he is no stranger to adversity and actually welcomes it. Those who saw the glory days of Kailub Russell are in for a special treat, and those who came into the sport after his reign are about to find out what sets him apart as a competitor. Regardless of the outcome, the excitement of seeing him back on track is real. We will no doubt enjoy following him through the woods, watching the legend grow as he continues chasing “the hardest way to make an easy living,” as he would say. Check out the full interview at youtube.com/@onthepipepodcast. The post OFF-ROAD RACING: THE NEW KAILUB RUSSELL appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

We won’t claim to be totally ignorant to the Ducati brand, so the arrival of the Italian marque into the motocross world comes with a surface level of familiarity. But if you’re anything like us, your head is so far in the dirt that words like Panigale, Superleggera, and Desmosedici aren’t in your immediate vocabulary. In an effort to better understand the all-new Desmo450, and the signature desmodromic valve system that is at the heart of every Ducati, we sat down with Davide Perni, Technical Director Off-Road at Ducati. Davide is charged with bringing the MotoGP-dominating brand off the tarmac and into the dirt, a task that introduces new technology to the motocross world, and brings a whole new challenge to a brand famous for high revs, and breakneck horsepower. Putting Ducati power in the dirt is no easy task. Davide Perni talked to us about adapting the desmodromic valve system and Ducati technology to motocross. Photos: Ducati Breaking It Down “Unfortunately for us, we don’t often explain how the desmo system works, because it’s quite obvious for us,” admitted Perni. The desmodromic valve system has been elemental to Ducati for close to 75 years now, and is a well understood concept in the road racing world. Ducati engineers literally can’t recall the last time they were asked to explain it to anyone. Fortunately, Perni was patient enough to break it down in simple terms for the noobs in the knobby world. “In a normal valve engine, the cam works directly with the valve to open it, and to close the valve, normally we have a spring,” said Davide. “With the desmo system, you see that we have two profiles on the camshaft for each valve—you have one rocker arm for the opening and one rocker for the closing phase.” With the valves being both opened and closed mechanically, rather than using a spring, this means the poppet valves are under positive control at all times. The word “desmodromic” actually comes from two Greek words, “desmo” meaning controlled or linked, and “dromic” meaning a track or racecourse. Having this much control over the valve opening and closing has three distinct advantages, according to Davide. The Ducati Desmo450 is coming ashore in the U.S. with technology that we haven’t yet seen in motocross. “First, the acceleration of the opening of the valve is very high—more than the normal system. You can also have high acceleration for a normal system, but only for the opening phase. Not for the closing phase because you have a spring, and the spring is designed to have a proper force based on mass of the valve multiplied for the maximum acceleration that you want. “The desmodromic system allows us to have more time where the valve is completely open, also in the lower rev. This allows us to increase the quantity of oxygen and fuel that enter the cylinder. The opening phase of the valve is still bigger than [that of a] normal system. You can have a very big acceleration also for the slower rev.” “The second advantage is that you have reduced friction on the system,” Davide continued. Since the camshafts don’t have to press against the valve springs during the opening phase, this is less energy spent by the engine. The lack of frictional loss is most significant in the low-to-mid range. “The last advantage of this system, and this is our technological flag, is that you can achieve a very high rpm limiter with this system. You don’t have the limiter related to a coil spring.” Davide can lay out the precise engineering terms for you, but in plain language, you can rev it to the moon and it won’t float the valves. With the valves being both opened and closed mechanically rather than using a spring, this means the valves are under positive control at all times. Translation: it can reach extremely high rpm without floating the valves. “When you need to achieve a very high rpm, consider that our Panigale V4 production engine, the limiter is fixed at 16,500 rpm. That’s a standard homologated street-legal engine. But the normal timing system cannot allow this kind of rpm.” There is a lot of pride and heritage behind the desmodromic system, but that doesn’t mean Ducati is ignorant to the drawbacks, as Davide went on to describe. “The system is a bit complicated, and requires a lot of quality and accuracy in the manufacturing of the camshaft profile and the rockers. The weight of the completed system is a bit more than a normal system because you have two rockers, and the camshaft is a bit heavier than a normal camshaft.” Despite the weight, Ducati engineers maintain that the Desmo450 engine is the lightest DOHC 450cc engine in its class. “[Compared to] the competitors with two camshafts, the Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, our engine is still the lightest. The weight is only 26.5 kilograms (58.42 pounds). “The other bad point of this system is the cost,” Davide said. “The accuracy and the machinery that these camshafts require are very expensive. The cams and crankshafts are made directly inside our factory, and we manage by ourselves. Because I repeat, these are not easy components from a manufacturing point of view.” According to Perni, this also means we shouldn’t expect to see any third-party cams or cranks for Ducati dirt bikes. Ducati first used the desmodromic valve system back in the 1950’s—an era when valve control technology was a much bigger challenge than it is today. A Brief Desmo History The technology actually dates back to the 1950’s when the desmodromic valve system was adopted by (not invented by) Ducati. At the time, valve control technology was a major mechanical challenge, so renowned Ducati engineer Fabio Taglioni applied for the patent and built the desmo system into the company’s 125cc race bike. Ducati’s 125 GP Desmo ran away with the 1960 Grand Prix victory, and the desmodromic valve system has been fully embraced by the Bologna brand ever since. Thanks to modern materials, valve control is far less of an issue today, making the desmodromic system less of an advantage than it once was. But in the formative decades of Ducati racing development, the desmo system defined the soul of the company, and 65 years later, it sees no reason to alter course. It’s the system they know best, and there is a lot of pride and heritage behind the design. Ducati engineers somewhat reluctantly discovered that anything more than 68 horsepower in the dirt becomes too difficult to manage, even for top pro riders. Putting Power In The Dirt In terms of motocross, the horsepower race is over. At a certain point, big horsepower becomes more of a burden than an advantage, and we found that limit pretty quickly with the early generation 450 motocross bikes. This was apparently difficult for Ducati engineers to hear. Coming from the tarmac, where Ducati can deliver enough power to send you into a time warp, and enough ride-control technology to somehow keep you attached to the ground and moving in your intended direction, the idea of curbing power down for a more manageable delivery didn’t quite compute. Davide recalls back to the early days of Ducati’s motocross development. “We fight a lot in the beginning,” he said with a laugh. “Our 1000cc displacement bike is around 237 horsepower. For engineers, this means if you have around 230 horsepower per liter, this means a 450, more or less, you have a reasonable 100 horsepower, easy. But [our test riders] say, ‘Guys, please stop!’ Based on motocross, when power increases over 65 to 68 horsepower, a rider cannot ride well anymore. So, the target is not the maximum power because we’d risk creating an engine that nobody can use. For the 250, we will see. But for the 450, this is not the case.” Learning to limit the power rather than unleash it actually came during the Desert X development, which was an important step in Ducati’s understanding of riding in the dirt. Five-time World Enduro champion Antoine Meo was central to the Desert X development, Ducati’s adventure model that was introduced in 2022. Their first stab at a dedicated off-road bike was admirable, and the subsequent Desert X Rally (2024) was even more impressive. The most direct way to begin motocross testing was to take the 937cc twin-cylinder Desert X on the motocross track. The Ducati Desert X and Desert X Rally (pictured) were important steps in the Italian company’s motocross development. “It was quite crazy. When you see a 180-kilogram (400-pound) two-cylinder jump on a motocross track, people with the other motocross bikes were scared!” Perni said with a laugh. “But, that was really good to understand the potential of the system. It was a good experience for Antoine because when he understood the potential of the traction control, it pushed us to improve the system for off-road.” As we also know, nine-time FIM Motocross World Champion Antonio Cairoli along with Italian MX hero Alessandro Lupino are behind the Desmo450 development. Perni himself also comes from a motocross background, having worked as an engineer and race team manager for Husqvarna. The right people are on the job, but there was still a lot of push-pull in building Ducati’s understanding of the dirt. Fortunately engineers listened to the experts and came to terms with the blasphemous notion—more power isn’t always better in the dirt. They settled on a peak horsepower of 63.5 at 9400 rpm, and a rev limiter of 11,900. Modest numbers according to Ducati’s engineering math, yet still a benchmark for the class. Getting Plugged In Almost as directly in Ducati’s wheelhouse as the desmo valve system is ride control technology. While their expertise once again lies on the pavement side, adapting the electronics to the dirt was a vital aspect of the Desmo450’s design. Perni talked about the all-new Ducati Traction Control, or DTC. “We are experts on the electronics that apply to two wheels,” said Perni. “Ducati was the first manufacturer that put traction control on the production bike; it was 2007. Traction control is not completely new for off-road, but let me say that DTC is very different with respect to what is in the market now.” “The real advantage of our system is the traction is not like a map that cuts the power. We have an algorithm that is under patent pending, that can manage the answer of the system based on the acceleration and the position of the bike in space.” Perni says the “state of the art” DTC traction control system knows when the bike is in the air or on the ground. Rather than relying on wheel speed, DTC utilizes an onboard sensor to feed information to the electronics. “We use a sensor that is state of the art called BBS—Black Box System. Inside you have an accelerometer and gyroscope sensor. We’ve had this science for 20 years, so it is quite common technology. The challenge is using this technology without the speed of the wheels.” Ducati opted to go without wheel sensors not only because it felt there was a better way, but because FIM regulations do not allow it for competition use. Yes, Ducati expects that even the pros will want to use DTS. Keep in mind, they come from the road racing world, where the top teams in everything from MotoGP to World Superbike utilize a full suite of electronic rider aides. “The rear wheel speed, you can measure in some way, but the problem is that normally in off-road you still work with 30-, 35-, 38-percent wheel slip,” said Perni. “Consider that in the road race when you are more than 3-percent slip, the engineers go crazy because it’s too much. [laughs] Here we are completely in another world. “This group of electronic engineers develop a new software system, an algorithm we call Job Detection Function. The system recognizes when the bike is in the air and when it is working on the ground. Because when you are in air, you need the throttle to modify the balance of the bike, and in this moment, the system cannot cut the power. Job Detection Function is under patent because is a very important function on the system.” Launch control, engine brake control, two riding modes and a built-in quickshifter are also part of the electronics we can expect to find on the Desmo450. For the DIY crowd, don’t worry. “Obviously you have the possibility to disengage the system,” Perni added. “You want to switch off every control, you can do it, absolutely.” Despite the added complexity of the desmodromic system, Ducati says its Desmo450 has the lightest 450cc DOHC engine in its class. And? So how does it all work? Do the claims add up? We haven’t gotten our dirty hands on a Desmo450 yet. At this point our goal is to learn more about what’s under the hood and what exactly makes this bike unique. Now that we have a better understanding the Ducati-ness of this all-new player, we’re ready to put the desmodromic power and Ducati electronics to the test. Watch the pages of Dirt Bike Magazine for the full review of the 2026 Ducati Desmo450 motocross bike coming soon. The 2026 Ducati Desmo450 MX is arriving at U.S. dealerships this summer. The post DESMO 4 DUMMIES: ALL ABOUT DUCATI’S DESMODROMIC VALVE SYSTEM appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

The Monkey’s Paw taught us well. When you make a wish, you have to phrase your request very carefully. A long time ago, we all wished for a dual-sport bike that was a true dirt bike; one that was capable of riding to the racetrack, competing and then getting home. Poof! Suddenly, the Husqvarna FE501s is a reality. It’s an incredible machine that, at its core, isn’t that far removed from the bike that Malcolm Stewart just used to win the Tampa Supercross. There are only a couple of problems: First, we forgot to include the word “affordable” somewhere in the wish. Two, we forgot to wish for a less stringent set of federal requirements that regulate all dual-sport bikes. Both of those wish addenda are probably outlawed in the fine print of the three-wish handbook. The 2025 Husqvarna FE501s Heritage sells for $13,499. It is unofficially the most expensive off-road bike that Husqvarna offers. On top of that, if you want to unlock its true potential, you have to spend more—way more. The Husky FE501 Heritage edition has an MSRP of $13,499. The only Husqvarna that carries a higher price is the Norden 901 adventure bike. HERITAGE AND MORE Don’t get us wrong, we love the fact that the Husky Heritage 501s exists and wouldn’t want any part of a world where it didn’t. It’s simply a frustrating reality that dual-sport bikes of this level aren’t more accessible. What makes it the Heritage edition is a blue cosmetic treatment that adds $300 to the price of the standard FE501s, which is the second-most-expensive Husky in the off-road line. There are no mechanical differences. The FE501s got a major change last year. The frame was redesigned, the angle of the motor was altered and a long list of other changes brought it to the same page as the 2024 motocross bike. When we say this bike isn’t that different from the one that Malcolm Stewart rides, that’s not just hyperbole. It’s perfectly conceivable that the Rockstar Husqvarna team could use an FE501s as the platform for a Supercross bike. A lot of parts would need to be swapped out, but that’s true of any race bike used by a factory team. The stock parts that must be retained are the frame and engine cases, as per AMA rules, and the frame on the 501 was, in fact, inspired by the 2022 Rockstar Edition. The federal government has a long list of specs that are required of any street-legal motorcycle, starting with noise and emissions. The FE501s has a well-hidden charcoal canister, a reed valve in the intake boot and EPA-approved mapping (with no map switch). The Continental TKC 80 tires were chosen because they are less noisy in the drive-by sound test. Aside from DOT equipment like the horn, reflectors and lights, the FE has items you would want on any off-road bike, like a six-speed gearbox, hand guards, engine guards, a radiator fan, and, of course, a kickstand. It has a key ignition and a fork lock that have a distinct afterthought look. The 501 motor displaces 511cc, thanks to a 9.6mm increase in stroke over the 450 motor. Weird fact: the FE501s dual-sport bike has more rear-suspension travel and a taller seat height than the FC450 motocross bike. Why is that? The motocross bikes in Husqvarna’s line carry the distinction of having reduced suspension travel compared to KTM and GasGas MX models. This was done to lower the seat height and provide brand differentiation. That distinction does not extend beyond the motocross models. The Husky has the same suspension travel and seat height as the GasGas EC450F dual-sport. To confuse matters a little more, the KTM 500EXC has a dramatically taller seat height than any of them because it has PDS rear suspension without linkage. Up front, the FE has a WP Xact coil-spring fork. This replaces the earlier Xplor fork and is a hit. Many riders even prefer it to the Xact air fork that comes on the FC450 motocross bike. It is, of course, set up for off-road riding. Also, the Braktec brakes and hydraulics that came on earlier Husqvarna dual-sport bikes have been replaced with Brembo components. Last year Husqvarna gave the FE501s a remake that included a new chassis, new suspension and a partially new motor. It was an injection of technology straight from the Rockstar Husqvarna race team. OUT OF THE CRATE If you transported the current FE501s a few years back in time, it would make a great race bike. Heck, even today, you could take it right out of the crate and be competitive in a National Enduro with nothing more than a change of tires. It’s a phenomenal bike. It’s actually lighter than a first-generation YZ400F—mirrors, lights and all. On our scale, it’s 253 pounds without fuel. Dual-sport riders of 15 years ago wouldn’t believe this was possible. The biggest advancement is in fuel injection. Even with EPA mapping, the FE runs clean and crisp. There’s no backfiring, no hesitation and very few of the glitches that define bikes with U.S. emissions equipment. It will occasionally cough if you run the motor too low for too long, but it’s otherwise very smooth. The only real penalty for EPA blessing is outright horsepower. For a bike with 511cc of displacement, the 501 isn’t especially powerful. A 250 four-stroke will take it down in a drag race. The 501 peaks around 40 horsepower, whereas a 450 race bike approaches 60 horsepower. On the trail, of course, no one wants a full-blown motocross bike with that kind of output; it would be unrideable. The 501 is sweet, smooth and friendly. It all boils down to the kind of riding that’s on the agenda. If you take the Husky trail riding in the woods, it has all you need. If you go hill-climbing or desert riding, it could use more steam. The Heritage edition has a bright-blue color scheme that adds $300 to the price. We aren’t sure what heritage this refers to, but it’s a striking look. Husqvarna was wise to set up the suspension the same way. The fork and shock are perfect for brisk trail riding at moderate speed. The previous generation was far too soft, particularly in the front. It was good for plonking through rocks in first gear, but beyond that, it would dive and bottom. The new coil-spring Xact fork is still pretty good at the low-speed stuff, but its true calling is apparent when the pace picks up and you start play racing with your buddies. The current chassis compliments the suspension by providing a very level platform. Among the changes that came last year was the repositioning of the countershaft sprocket relative to the swingarm pivot. This reduces the seesawing that comes with acceleration and braking. Another characteristic of that chassis is increased vertical rigidity. That doesn’t sound like something you need for a dual-sport bike, but if you compare the new 501 to the previous one, the increase in overall stability is undeniable. Is it too stiff? That’s impossible to say, because the new suspension is so much better that the chassis rigidity is effectively hidden. The production motocross chassis has actually been altered once more since this generation to offer a little more flex. Husqvarna says they won’t update the FE until the next major model change, which is years away. For now, this FE501 has a far better chassis/suspension setup than any previous generation. In stock form, the FE501s has decent power, but there’s way more locked inside if you want to go looking for it. THE NEXT MOVE Since the beginning of time, dual-sport bikes have been the subject of intense modification. Nowadays, it’s a little weird because the government pays attention to such things. The state of California, in particular, can punish dealers and aftermarket manufacturers who encourage any changes that affect noise or emissions. That stops absolutely no one at home. The very first thing that most owners do in the privacy of their own garage is swap out the street-oriented stock tires. Full knobbies (DOT approved or not) make for a dramatic improvement in off-road performance, but the stock wheels do not have rim locks. They must be installed, or the increase in traction will tear off the valve stem. A single rim lock in each wheel will throw the wheel balance way off, so you have to use wheel weights to counteract bouncing on the pavement. It gets a little more complicated if you want to increase motor output. There’s almost 20 more horsepower locked up in that motor design depending on how far you want to go. Riders often make a change in the exhaust system and/or remove the reed valve from the intake, and find that it just throws the mapping out of balance. There are several ways to alter the mapping. One is to install a piggyback fuel modifier from JD Jetting. That can alter fuel mixture but not spark advance. Replacing the entire ignition with a Vortex or Athena product can alter both mixture and advance, which can provide a little more performance. Or, if you don’t mind diving into the dual-sport underground, it’s possible to remap the stock ignition, but you have to find a technician who really knows what he’s doing. They don’t advertise. All of these methods are frowned upon by the government and technically turn the bike into a closed-course competition vehicle. If you want to cover around 60 miles in the dirt, the stock 2.1-gallon tank is adequate. When the bike is ridden on the street for extended periods, not all of that fuel will be used because of the relatively high location of the fuel pickup. For longer rides, IMS offers a 3.2-gallon tank. The stock Continental tires will last a very long time, but serious off-road riding will demand full knobbies and rim locks. THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE The real danger in attempting to build the ultimate Husqvarna FE501s isn’t the Feds. It will be your family and loved ones when they learn you started with a $14K motorcycle and then spent thousands more in modifications. There are, however, some secrets that make for a better relationship. Our first line of advice is to save up for a Husky FE501s, leave it as stock as possible, and be content knowing that it is a far better dual-sport bike than anything that came before it. But, if you absolutely must take it to the next level, our second line of advice is to burn all the receipts, go riding and don’t overthink it. The post FULL TEST: HUSQVARNA FE501S HERITAGE EDITION appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи