MotoFactory

This 2000 Honda CR125 was originally a budget build that we did almost 9 years ago now. We could never get it to run all that great but didn’t have the time to troubleshoot it correctly until now. We enlisted the help of project bike builder extraordinaire Jay Clark to help us out and it’s a good thing we did. Jay and Brad from Para Pros found out that the engine had multiple internal issues and was in need of a complete rebuild from the rebuild that it was supposed to of had. Check out the exclusive first studio photos of the finished bike below. We worked with a variety of industry leading companies on this build like Decal Works, Faster USA, Pro X, Wiseco, Dunlop, OMS Products, Motoseat, ODI, San Diego Powder Coating, Works Connection, Galfer , VHM, FMF, Specbolt, UNI Filters, Motion Pro and 2SM Performance. The FMF Gold Series Fatty and shorty silencer throws us back to the early ‘2000s. 2SM Performance makes billet engines covers for the late ’90s and early ‘2000s Honda’s CR125 and they are available to the public in a variety of color combinations. Chris Johnson and the crew at San Diego Powder Coating blacked out the frame and swingarm for us the first time we built this bike almost 9 years ago and it still looks this good! TM Designs makes replacement rear chain guides for Honda 2-Strokes that are more durable than stock and still actually available for purchase. Brad at Para Pros handled all the engine works once Jay Clark was able to locate all the parts we needed using Wiseco and Pro X parts. Special thanks to Willy Amaridio for giving us an old Honda CR125 cylinder out of his collection, the build would have been doomed without his help. The Specbolt Nickel Wurks complete engine hardware kit really makes this engine look amazing next to the custom black anodized 2SM Performance billet ignition cover. Brandon and the crew at AHM Factory Services handled all our suspension needs on this 2000 CR125 build. Jay liked to use the 7/8 ODI handlebars because it gives it a period correct feel. He also used a Works Connection clutch perch assemble, ODI lock-on grips and new Motion Pro throttle. Colin and the crew at Faster USA rebuilt our OEM Honda wheels using a grey Cerakote on the hubs, black Excel rims and stainless steel spokes. Jay wrapped the new wheels with Dunlop MX34 tires and added some Pro X brake rotors. Motoseat made a black gripper cover with white traction ribs to match the Decal Works graphics. Closer look at the rebuilt engine that is now outfitted with a VHM billet aluminum head that features optional domes. IMS Products still makes replacement Core pegs that offer a lager platform and a more aggressive tooth design compared to the OEM Honda units. Stay tuned for more on this 2000 Honda CR125 project, this is just the beginning of coverage on this build. The post 2000 CR125 PROJECT WITH WISECO : 2-STROKE TUESDAY appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

JCR teammates Preston Campbell and Baja Veteran Justin Morgan took the overall win in the 2024 Vegas To Reno after a very close battle with Bryce Stavron and Jack Mentha from Mount Helen, Australia. JCR/Honda had another entry with the #N10 Factory HRC Rally Team of two-time Dakar winner Ricky Brabec and his Dakar podium Teammate, Skyler Howes, splitting the race in half. Each rider has won V2R in the past. The race started pre-dawn at 5:45 a.m., with starting intervals of one minute apart based on the competitors’ qualifying times. Campbell was second off the line. The race was shaped into a heated battle with the top 4 bikes gapping the field. By the halfway point (Race mile 268), N10- Brabec had physically passed all bikes and had control of the race. At the central service pit, JCR crews refueled the Factory rally bike and installed fresh tires, all in a 1-minute + pit stop. Skyler Howes took over from Brabec for the remainder of the race. Unfortunately, Howes had a high-speed crash in a G Out about 5 miles out from the pit and was unable to continue. The BITD response team responded, stabilizing and transporting him to safety. The N304 bike of Campbell/Morgan was fighting for the lead position at this point, and the top three were locked in a tight battle. Preston, who was trailing the lead bike in second and was able to make the final pass at pit 11 (Race Mile 427) and lead the rest of the 555-mile race to the checkered flag to add “Vegas to Reno” to his growing list of wins. RESULTS MC OPEN PRO Preston Campbell, Justin Morgan Bryce Stavron, Jack Mentha Shane Logan, Corbin Mcpherson, Ryan Surratt Hayden Hintz, Trevor Hunter Nic Colangeli Paul Sylvestre, Jarrett Curley Jarett Megla, Matthew Combs Justin Carnes, Justin Kennamar Steward Baylor, Jacob Argubright, Thaddeus Duvall, Rachael Archer, Kevin Archer DNF Ricky Brabec, Skyler Howes The post 2024 VEGAS TO RENO appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

Dirt Bike Magazine tests the 2025 Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda, Husqvarna, and KTM at Glen Helen Raceway. We haven’t received the 2025 GASGAS MC450F yet but once we do it will officially be shootout time. Our shootouts last months and as we get closer we wanted to share some content and information we have collected to this point. We also got some clips of Jason Anderson, Broc Tickle, and Robbie Wageman getting some laps in. THIS IS A VLOG AND NOT A TEST VIDEO (don’t say we didn’t tell you). Hang out with the Dirt Bike crew, have some laughs, and learn all about the 2025 450 models here!  The post 2025 450cc MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT PREVIEW : DB VLOG #18 appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

For some riders, it’s all about the thrill of the hunt. The process of building a project dual-sport bike is like going on a safari where you don’t know who’s going to bag whom. Sometimes, the right parts present themselves for an easy catch; other times, the search is long and arduous with aftermarket traps and pitfalls. Many would-be bike builders resign themselves to the “stock is best” philosophy. For this 2024 KTM 500EXC-F project we decided to take the low-risk approach. Almost everything we installed is from KTM’s in-house aftermarket sources. That means either the KTM PowerParts catalog or WP Pro Suspension. For those who don’t know, WP is wholly owned by Pierer Mobility these days and comes out of a factory right next door to KTM. This project was built almost entirely with products from KTM PowerParts. WP PRO The cornerstone of the project is suspension. That presents the most room for improvement and the biggest investment. The standard fork on the 2024 EXC is the spring version of the Xact air fork, which we celebrated as a huge improvement over the previous open-cartridge Xplor fork. It could have been taken to the next level by a good aftermarket tuner, but we really wanted to go beyond the next level with this bike. The WP Xplor Pro 7548 fork is more or less designed for the EXC. This is a closed-cartridge fork that uses no shim stacks. WP has developed cone-shaped valves that do not deform with time or impacts. It’s not an easy thing to build and requires perfect precision, that’s why cone-valve technology has never made its way to production bikes. It’s not cheap. Beyond the design, the materials are all works-level. The axle carriers are made from billet and the internal parts are hard-coated. The price? Somewhere in the neighborhood of $3500. Yes, that’s brutal, but think of it as a multi-bike investment. You can pass this fork to your next bike and perhaps the one after that. It, quite frankly, will never wear out. The KTM hard-parts billet triple clamp is also a distinct upgrade over the stock forged clamps and offers variable offset if you feel you’d like to experiment with the way your bike handles in turns. The shock that goes with that fork is the Xplor Pro Components PDS rear shock. Keep in mind that this is a shock designed to run on a no-linkage design. The WP damper, once again, is made specifically for that application, and the build quality is far superior to the stock components. The price is around $2250. Can we rationalize that? Sure. It isn’t unusual to pay $1000 to re-valve and re-spring the stock shock. By going with the WP Pro components, you still have your original shock to sell separately or on the bike. See there? If you try hard enough, you can justify anything. All the graphics are custom-made in our blue theme by Decal Works. DUAL-SPORT LIFE Next on the list is the wheelset. We have always believed that any dual-sport or adventure rider has to have two sets of wheels. One can be set up for dirt only with full knobs and perhaps a mousse or tire balls. The original wheels can be set up for the street. They can keep the stock Continental TKC80 tires and don’t necessarily need rim locks. That means that wheel balancing is much easier, and you get a smoother ride on pavement. For real dirt rides, the KTM Factory wheelset is a great value. The price is in the $1029 range. This particular set came out of the Husqvarna catalog for the blue color. As anyone knows who has ridden a KTM dual-sport bike for more than a mile, the Christmas tree that hangs upside down from the rear fender is just dying to get sucked into the rear wheel along with your license plate. You can take it off, but you have to relocate the blinkers and the license plate holder. Most of the other parts are all about the look. Anodized reservoir covers never enabled anyone to win a race, but they certainly look cool. Same goes for the billet clutch and brake lever, plus the both are easily adjustable and very difficult to break. We confess, we installed full knobs. For us, pavement is an occasional means to connect trails. WHAT ABOUT THE MOTOR? KTM doesn’t have anything in the catalog that will violate state or federal laws. When a dual-sport bike is homologated to pass EPA noise and emission standards, that’s the way it’s supposed to remain unless you convert it into a closed-course competition bike. Aftermarket part builders and engine tuners can actually get in trouble for anything that alters noise or emissions output on a homologated bike. Having said that, very few riders have ever been busted for making subtle modifications. Just know this: the louder a motorcycle, the more attention you attract. More and more dual-sport riders are leaving the stock mufflers in place but making secret modifications to the mapping. That way you get a substantial increase in power without any difference in noise. The worst thing you can do is the reverse of that. A loud competition muffler with the standard mapping will run much worse than a stock EXC. There’s no limit to where you can go, what you can do and how fast you can do it with a properly built EXC. RIDE LIKE IT’S A RACE Regardless of any motor modifications, the real star of this build is the suspension. It’s downright amazing. It has all the cushiness of the original bike in rocks and on tight trails, but it can also get up and run with the fast guys. It can handle whoops and jumps like a true race bike. There are still riders who won’t accept PDS suspension for anything more than trail riding. This bike can change any mind that hasn’t been petrified. It’s stable, level and doesn’t have any of the notorious PDS “stinkbug” feel. Hard-core trail riders will still love it because of its ground clearance. Oh, yeah, it’s lighter, too. Going in, we knew that not many people would break out the platinum card for this kind of project. After riding it, though, it’s difficult to walk away. You don’t have to work the numbers all that hard for something that makes you smile like this. The WP Xplor cone-valve fork is virtually works-level suspension. Is that overkill for a dual-sport bike? Yes. No apologies. The post PROJECT BIKE SPOTLIGHT: 2024 KTM 500EXC appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

American motocross’ newest champion was crowned at the penultimate round of the 2024 Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, as Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan captured the 250 Class title and the coveted Gary Jones Cup at the Yamaha Budds Creek National Presented by Call 855 Treeman. A morning of rain gave way to partly sunny skies with high temperatures and high humidity for a challenging afternoon at Southern Maryland’s Budds Creek Motocross Park, where the 10th round of the summer saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider and points leader Chase Sexton secure his fifth straight 450 Class victory to move one step closer to the Edison Dye Cup, while Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen grabbed his third 250 Class win of the season amidst Deegan’s title clinch. 450 Class Moto 1 The opening moto got underway with Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper side by side exiting the first turn, with Lawrence edging ahead for the MotoSport.com Holeshot. As they cleared the first jump, Cooper made contact with Lawrence and crashed hard. The incident pushed Lawrence off the track and allowed Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger to move out front as Lawrence rejoined in second. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Christian Craig started third, with Sexton in fourth. After a couple laps, Sexton was able to get around Craig for third. Back up front, a battle for the lead was brewing as Lawrence closed back in and applied pressure on Plessinger. The Honda rider was patient and waited for his opportunity to attack. He then made the move with relative ease a little less than 10 minutes into the moto. Once out front, Lawrence posted his fastest lap of the moto to establish a 2.5 second lead. On the following lap, Sexton dropped his pace to pass Plessinger for second. At that point, 13 minutes into the moto, 3.9 seconds separated the title combatants. The margin stabilized at just over three seconds for most of the moto, but Sexton picked up the pace approaching the final five minutes. The KTM rider moved to within 1.8 seconds of the lead as they navigated lapped riders, but Sexton tipped over and remounted in second, eight seconds back. Lawrence went unchallenged the rest of the way and brought home his third moto win of the season by seven seconds over Sexton. Plessinger finished in a distant third, followed by Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac in fourth in his debut moto of the season, and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson in fifth. Chase Sexton captured his fifth straight win and inched closer to the 450 Class title. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. Moto 2 The final moto started the same way as Moto 1, with Lawrence leading the field out of the first turn and sprinting towards the MotoSport.com Holeshot. Plessinger tucked into second with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart in third. Sexton started fifth but made passes to quickly close in on Stewart. Plessinger went on the attack on the opening lap and made the pass on Lawrence briefly, but the Honda rider responded to reclaim the position and solidify his hold of the lead. Sexton, meanwhile, passed Stewart for third. Lawrence, Plessinger, and Sexton were able to distance themselves from the rest of the field in the opening laps and set the stage for a three-rider battle. Just over 10 minutes into the moto, Plessinger mounted another challenge for the lead and showed a wheel to Lawrence at several parts of the track. However, Lawrence held him off to stay out front. That allowed Sexton to apply pressure on Plessinger for second but was unable to make a move. The points leader bided his time and then pulled the trigger on a pass that allowed him to move into second. However, he gave the position up with a tip over a quarter lap later, remounting in fourth before quickly making the pass on Stewart to move back up third. With the final 10 minutes approaching, Sexton closed back in on Plessinger and made another quick pass on his teammate to once again grab second. The leaders were separated by 4.5 seconds as the race clock continued to count down. Sexton laid down lap times more than a second quicker than Lawrence to begin taking chunks out of his deficit. Soon enough, Sexton had closed to within striking distance of Lawrence as a battle for the win took shape with a little more than six minutes remaining. Sexton closed in and jumped at his first opportunity to make a pass, storming by Lawrence to move out front with five minutes to go. With the lead in hand, Sexton quickly gapped Lawrence and moved out to a margin of more than two seconds. Sexton never looked back and stormed to his 11th moto win of the season, and his ninth over the last 11 motos. He took the checkered flag 9.4 seconds ahead of Lawrence, with Plessinger a distant third. Hunter Lawrence was once again on the cusp of his first premier class win. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. Overall For the second week in a row a tiebreaker was needed to determine the overall winner, as Sexton’s 2-1 effort continued his dominant run with his fifth straight victory and his sixth win of the season. Lawrence was forced to settle for his sixth runner-up result of the summer (1-2), which has included back-to-back tiebreakers. Lawrence led 25 laps over the course of the afternoon, compared to Sexton’s five, all in the second moto. Plessinger rounded out the podium (3-3) to extend his streak to three. Sexton’s lead over Lawrence in the championship standings sits at 28 points entering the final round, with Lawrence the only rider mathematically eligible for the title. Plessinger sits third, 95 points behind Sexton. Aaron Plessinger is on a three-race podium streak. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. 1st: Chase Sexton, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (2-1) “The first motos have been tough on me, but second motos I come around. Even though I couldn’t keep it on two wheels today, it was a good race. That second moto was awesome. I found a good flow and I’m excited to be back on top.” 2nd: Hunter Lawrence, Team Honda HRC (1-2) “It was tough. I was starting to feel it [physically] at the end. Traction was getting away from me and I kept having to find different lines for the scoop tire to get traction. Those second motos keep getting me, but we’ll continue to fight. Keep knocking on that door and it’ll open eventually.” 3rd: Aaron Plessinger, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (3-3) “I just need to look at some tape and see where they’re [Sexton and Lawrence] better than me. I thought I had them today, but they’re the best riders in the world for a reason. I feel so fortunate to be able to race alongside them. I couldn’t be happier with how I’ve been riding the past few weeks.” 450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish // Points) Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., KTM (2-1 // 47) Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda (1-2 // 47) Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM (3-3 // 40) Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Husqvarna (6-5 // 33) Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Kawasaki (5-6 // 33) Christian Craig, El Cajon, Calif., Husqvarna (7-8 // 29) Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (4-11 // 29) Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki (9-10 // 25) Phil Nicoletti, Cochecton, N.Y., Yamaha (8-12 // 24) Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha (4-7 // 33) 450 Class Championship Standings (Round 10 of 11) Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., KTM – 454 Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda – 426 Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM – 359 Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 337 Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Kawasaki – 328 Dylan Ferrandis, Avignon, France, Honda – 288 Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Husqvarna – 271 Christian Craig, El Cajon, Calif., Husqvarna – 217 Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda – 210 Fredrik Noren, Lidköping, Sweden, Kawasaki – 178 250 Class Moto 1 The first moto began with Deegan leading the field out of the first turn for the MotoSport.com Holeshot, while Kitchen gave chase from second ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Julien Beaumer in third. With drying track conditions, the opportunity to be out front was advantageous for Deegan, who quickly built a multi-second lead on the field. That allowed Kitchen and Beaumer to settle into second and third, respectively. As the moto approached the halfway mark Deegan had moved out more than 10 seconds ahead of Kitchen, while Beaumer came under fire from Team Honda HRC’s Chance Hymas. The Honda rider closed in and made a quick pass on the rookie to move into podium position. Not long after that, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle got by his teammate for fourth. Deegan’s lead surpassed 20 seconds entering the final five minutes of the moto as Kitchen’s pace dropped and caused him to get passed by both Hymas and Vialle on the same lap. From there, the battle for second intensified between Hymas and Vialle. Back up front, Deegan tipped over in the closing laps, but it did little to impact his significant advantage. Meanwhile, Hymas went down on the final lap and dropped outside the top five. Deegan cruised home to his ninth moto win of the season by 12 seconds over Vialle, with Kitchen in third. Beaumer followed in fourth, while Triumph Racing’s Joey Savatgy finished fifth. The win was enough for Deegan to clinch the title ahead of the second moto. Levi Kitchen is the hottest rider in the 250 Class with three wins in four races. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. Moto 2 As the field stormed into the first turn to open Moto 2 it was Kitchen who emerged out front for the MotoSport.com Holeshot, followed by Triumph Racing’s Jalek Swoll and Beaumer. Fresh off clinching the class title, Deegan started in 15th place. As the first lap unfolded Kitchen was able to put some distance on the field, while Hymas made a charge up to second, with Swoll third and Beaumer fourth. Hymas pushed in the opening laps to close in on Kitchen and apply pressure for the lead. The Kawasaki rider rode tactfully to fend off any pass attempts, but Hymas persisted. Kitchen then went on a run and forced Hymas to settle 10 minutes into the moto. Deegan, meanwhile, stalled out in 10th place in his effort to climb through the field. Kitchen was able to build on his lead through the middle of the moto and managed a margin hovering around 2.5 seconds. However, Hymas closed in once more entering the final 10 minutes of the moto, as lapped riders added another layer of complexity. Behind them, a battle for third took shape between Swoll and Vialle, with the KTM rider able to take the position. Kitchen withstood the threat and sprinted away in the late stages to take his fourth moto win of the season by 3.7 seconds over Hymas, with Vialle in third. Deegan remained in 10th place for his single-worst moto finish of the season. Tom Vialle minimized his points lost to Kitchen with a runner-up finish. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. Overall Kitchen’s 3-1 finishes secured his third career victory and now gives him three wins in the last four races, including back-to-back wins the past two rounds. Vialle earned his third runner-up finish of the season (2-3), while Deegan still managed to grab the final spot on the overall podium in third (1-10). Deegan became the 35th different rider in 53 seasons of Pro Motocross to capture the Gary Jones Cup for the 250 Class title and did so in his second season of full-time competition. He’s amassed five victories through 10 rounds, with podium finishes at all but one race. He’s also earned nine moto wins through the first 20 motos of the season. While Deegan has wrapped up the season crown, the battle for second in the championship continues between Kitchen and Vialle, who are separated by 14 points heading into the final round. Haiden Deegan clinched the 250 Class Championship after finishing third. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. 1st: Levi Kitchen, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki (3-1) “That was all heart for me [in Moto 2]. It’s late in the season and I’m just trying to get on a roll. Better late than never, I guess. I’m starting to get that feeling back that I had Supercross [winning races] and I want to be that guy. I’m really looking forward to what’s ahead.” 2nd: Tom Vialle, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (2-3) “My starts were not very good today. I had to come from way back in both motos. I still had a lot of speed today and was able to make some passes. I’m happy with the result.” 3rd: Haiden Deegan, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (1-10) // 2024 Champion “It takes a lot of sacrifice by my team and my family to get here [the championship]. It’s unreal to win a championship again [after the 2023 SMX title]. It’s just starting to kick in and I’m so happy right now. All I wanted to do was get to the finish line and hold this number one plate.” 250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finishes // Points) Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki (3-1 // 45) Tom Vialle, Avignon, France, KTM (2-3 // 42) Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha (1-10 // 37) Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda (8-2 // 36) Jalek Swoll, Belleview, Fla., Triumph (6-4 // 34) Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM (4-7 // 33) Pierce Brown, Sandy, Utah, GASGAS (7-5 // 32) Jordon Smith, Belmont, N.C., Yamaha (10-6 // 28) RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Husqvarna (9-8 // 27) Ty Masterpool, Paradise, Texas, Kawasaki (11-9 // 24) 250 Class Championship Standings (Round 10 of 11) Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha – 445 Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki – 383 Tom Vialle, Avignon, France, KTM – 369 Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda – 311 Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Kawasaki – 289 Ty Masterpool, Paradise, Texas, Kawasaki – 283 Pierce Brown, Sandy, Utah, GASGAS – 257 Jalek Swoll, Belleview, Fla., Triumph – 255 Jordon Smith, Belmont, N.C., Yamaha – 219 Ryder DiFrancesco, Bakersfield, Calif., GASGAS – 218 The 2024 Pro Motocross Championship will come to an exciting conclusion next Saturday, August 24, from the motorsports capital of the greater Indianapolis area, where a 450 Class champion will be crowned at the Tucker Freight Lines Ironman National Finals from Crawfordsville, Indiana’s Ironman Raceway. The 11th and final round will feature comprehensive live streaming coverage exclusively on Peacock, starting with Race Day Live Presented by MotoSport.com starting at 7:00 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET, followed by uninterrupted moto coverage starting at 10:00 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET. The race will also be simulcast domestically in Spanish via the Telemundo Deportes YouTube Channel. The post 2024 BUDDS CREEK NATIONAL MX, RESULTS & HIGHLIGHTS appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

No modern motocross bike generates such diverse reactions as the Yamaha YZ450F. Some love it, others don’t. There’s even discord among recent teammates on the Monster Energy Star Yamaha racing team. Last year Eli Tomac was a true believer while Dylan Ferrandis listed it as the primary reason he left the team. Tomac, it should be pointed out, rode the bike exclusively in Supercross while Ferrandis almost entirely rode outdoors. Could the bike be that different in the two settings? Maybe. We just received the 2025 version of the bike and even among Dirt Bike’s most seasoned test riders there are wildly diverse opinions. After the mega redesign of 2023, Yamaha turned its attention to the 250 in 2024. Now, the 450 is back in the crosshairs, but there are only subtle revisions. The motor is unchanged aside from a few extra oil passages in the clutch inner hub. The chassis got new linkage, changes to suspension valving and a lighter rear shock spring (from 5.8N/mm to 5.6). The lower motor mounts were also changed–sort of. Previously, two motor mounts were sandwiched together. Now they are single and have a slightly different shape. Other changes are very detail oriented; things like a beveled area on the footpeg mount, a new throttle tube and so on. Essentially, it’s been the same motorcycle since 2023 when it lost weight and had a major personality transplant. The 2025 Yamaha YZ450F has an MSRP of $9999. The Monster Energy edition is $10,199. That personality is first and foremost defined by horsepower. The YZ450F makes a ton of power and isn’t exactly subtle in its delivery. You twist the throttle and it moves out hard and fast. Most riders love it for that reason alone. Even though we know that few riders can use that kind of power effectively, we all like the feel and the reward. It’s a thrilling bike to ride. Those of us who run out of talent before the YZ runs out of power generally want to tame it down through the use of Yamaha’s Power Tuner. This is the smartphone app that Yamaha introduced four years ago to the delight of hardcore engine tuners. For weekend riders–i.e. The riders who needed it most to calm down the bike’s manners–the Power Tuner was far too difficult to use. You could change parameters easily, but there were no guidelines on the results you should expect from those changes. Now, it still allows intricate tuning through changes in fuel mixture and ignition advance at different rpm and throttle openings for the hardcore guys, but there is also a dumbed down thumb slider to go from “smooth” to “aggressive.” You can also adjust traction control and launch control on the app. The handlebar switch lets you swap between any two maps on the fly. Weirdly, there’s no dedicated button for turning traction control on or off. You do have one for launch control. The suspension on the YZ only gets better as conditions get worse. The only problem with that slider is that it’s too dumbed down and doesn’t differentiate between top-end, mid-range or low-end. If you want more specific control, the Power Tuner App has three preloaded recipes: Smooth linear, Hard-Hitting and Linear-Torque. You can actually see those formulas represented on a chart to help understand and where they make what changes. For the most part, we chose Smooth-Linear and left it there, but the possibilities are endless. Once you calm down the YZ, almost everyone loves the motor AND they find it’s effective for racing. It turns out that it’s much easier to take performance away from a fast bike than add it to a slow one. Most riders like the way the Yamaha handles as well, but you need to understand that the new YZ isn’t like the ultra-stable Yamahas in the old days. It has very quick, responsive steering. That’s been a trend across all makes and models in recent years. We chalk it up to Supercross influence. The Yamaha is still very stable in a straight line, but once you chop the throttle and lean over, the front wheel isn’t as planted as the Yamahas in the old days. The solution, as contrary as it sounds, is more throttle. Despite the quicker steering, the YZ still likes you to be aggressive in turns and “steer with the rear.” It’s a tough combination to get used to, but once you get it, you get it. Pete Murray cooking at Glen Helen. The suspension changes for 2024 are aimed at making the bike more level as you enter turns. It’s a good move and the YZ will probably be the overall suspension champion once again. The rougher the track the better the suspension works. Keep in mind, though, that the YZ is designed with elite riders in mind. If you’re a 40-something intermediate and you expect the YZ to deliver a plush ride on your over-prepped Saturday practice track, you might be disappointed. Other bikes are cushier where the bumps are small and the landings are smooth. Our advice is to come back at the end of the day. The Yamaha loves crummy conditions. We still love many of the changes that came in 2023. Tops on the list is the layout. The YZ450F is a truly comfortable motorcycle no matter how you’re shaped. There are some complaints from short riders. They love the bike once they’re moving, but when stopped, the seat height is a bit excessive. Other items that everyone likes include all the controls, the brakes and the clutch. Yes, that’s right, even the clutch, which still has an old-fashioned cable. Tomac loves cables. As a side note, Yamaha does offer a hydraulic clutch as an accessory and, for us, it’s excellent. The pull is lighter, the actuation is consistent and it never faces. Tomac is simply a different kind of human. We will keep on testing the 2025 Yamaha YZ450F right up until our 2025 shootout, which is right around the corner. Stay tuned. BUDDS CREEK This weekends Budds Creek National will be broadcast live domestically on Peacock and Internationally on the SuperMotocross VideoPass beginning with Race Day Live at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET and coverage of all four motos of the 250 Class and 450 Class airing at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET, followed by the post-race show at the conclusion of the afternoon. VINTAGE SALVATION Vintage bikes are very close to our hearts and nothing hurts as much as when we find that O.E. parts are no longer available. Thanks goodness for Vintco. They now have replacement cranks for the no-longer-supported Kawasaki KDX200. I have one in my garage that I’m afraid to ride because of the scarcity of parts. VEGAS TO RENO As of right now, Vegas to Reno is happening. According to Best in The Desert’s live tracking, Preston Campbell is leading as they close in on the finish. More info to come! CAN-AM RETURNS Monday, Can-Am will reveal its new motorcycle line. We already know that an electric dual-sport bike is on the list, but it will be interesting to learn more. We’re happy to have them back! See you next week! –Ron Lawson The post RIDING THE 2025 YAMAHA YZ450F: THE WRAP appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

We have the 2025 Kawasaki KX450 in our hands! Is it better? What’s changed? How does it perform on track? Our editor Mark Tilley answers everything in this raw style video we uploaded. This is a “first person” “pov” style video. Enjoy  The post 2025 KAWASAKI KX450 VIDEO TEST : EDITORS POINT OF VEIW appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

How about a little Dick Burleson ‘Pre Husqvarna’? In 1971, John Penton invited Burleson to race on the American Trophy team that was competing in the International Six Days Trial at the Isle of Man. Even though his bike failed, leaving him with a DNF, Burleson was enthused about representing his country in international competition. The next year, Burleson was invited to the ISDT again racing a Penton, this time in Czechoslovakia. That year, Burleson finished with a bronze medal. From 1973 to 1981 Burleson won 8 consecutive Gold Medals! The post DICK BURLESON FIRST ISDE : BLAST FROM THE PAST appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

For this week’s Two-Stroke Tuesday , we take a look at Rick Johnson’s iconic 1984 YZ250. This is the bike that he won the championship on that year, and it set the tone for things to come because it was a production-based bike. By 1984, Yamaha knew that some sort of production rule was coming and decided on a preemptive strike. At the start of the season, they brought Broc Glover and Ricky Johnson into a conference room and told them that, for the 1984 season, they would be riding production-based bikes. Both of them would be allowed out of their contracts (which stipulated that they would be provided with works bikes), but the decision was not negotiable. They both decided to stay. Sadly, the 1994 YZ250 that Rick Johnson rode was not very good in stock form. It had been redesigned the previous year but was still behind the Honda and Suzuki. RJ’s bike improved with a pipe, porting and a few special parts, but even the front suspension was based on stock components. The fork had a Simons Anti-Cav kit and little else. The rear shock was, at least, an Ohlins. Still, he won four out of 10 Nationals that year and went on to win the des Nations with Jeff Ward, David Bailey and Johnny O’Mara. A year later he went testing with Honda. “I tested on a training track near Carlsbad,” he said in an interview with the LA Times. “When I finished the test, I wondered why Team Honda hadn’t won every race.” RJ signed with Honda for the 1986 season. Today, the very bike that RJ rode in 1984 is owned by Hugh Parker. It looks just like it did at the end of the ‘84 season, right down to the stock Z-spokes and the drum rear brake. The 1984 YZ250 had Yamaha’s second attempt at a linkage rear suspension. A year later, it would move to a configuration that isn’t too different from the style used today. Some factory hardware was used, but even the footpegs were frighteningly stock. The motor had some porting and a longer rod than the stock YZ. RJ’s 1984 YZ250 is a piece of history and is well-documented. He has been offered the opportunity to ride the bike in subsequent years, but declined. BEHIND THE BUILD Behind The Build is our weekly focus on some of the most exotic bikes to roll out of the Dirt Bike shop. Here’s a look at a very special Kawasaki KX500 that got the off-road treatment. Look closly: that’s a KTM chassis. Click on the photo to learn more. TWO-STROKE THEATER What to learn more about KTM’s all-new for 2023 two-strokes? We got to ride the new 300 as well as all the other competition models at Red Bud last week. Click on the image to watch Mark Tilley ride his brains out! The post RICK JOHNSON’S 1984 YZ250: TWO-STROKE TUESDAY appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

Photo : Mack Faint The Enduro Engineering Grassman National treated more than 450 riders to Ohio single-track for round seven of the 2024 Redline Oil AMA National Enduro Series, presented by MSR and Beta Motorcycles. Ohio Woods Riders laid out the longest national enduro in recent years, at 81 miles. Race day temperatures couldn’t have been any better, starting off in the low 50s and working into the mid-70s. Unfortunately, it’s been a dry summer in the state, so the race course was extremely dry. Dusty conditions on the trail made visibility a challenge at times. Riders jumped into a 4.5-mile test at the beginning, and then tackled a 7-mile long section following that. Test 3 provided riders with 8.5 miles of trail to test their abilities. The day finished with longer sections — an 7.5-mile, 7-mile and 10-mile test to round out the day. With 36 miles of transfer throughout the day, riders had some time to recover between tests. Photo : Mack Faint Overall Podium Enduro Engineering’s Josh Toth has been on a winning streak this year, clinching six-straight overall win so far. He got off to a bit of a rocky start at the beginning, taking fourth through the first test after a fall, but the GasGas rider quickly turned up the heat. He went on to win all of the remaining tests. At the end of the day, the NE Pro1 rider had bested the runner-up by more than 53 seconds to earn a unique trophy – a grassman wooden carving. “I’ve been second place in this series three or four times now, and I’m sick of losing,” Toth said. “So, I don’t plan on stopping what I’m doing now. So, hopefully I’ll finish the rest of the year out strong and keep it going. [This race] didn’t go very smooth for me at all. A little mishap — I ran over some ribbon in test one and lost my rear brakes. I was kind of overriding and pushed the corner. A big branch caught my throttle and threw me down. Test two or three, I broke my shifter off like first mile. It was just stuck in third gear, and I think it honestly helped me. I was just frustrated and mad the whole time thinking I was behind. I was just hammer down and just trying to roll all the tight spots. Trying to keep my momentum up and keep the RPMs up — not smoke the clutch by the end of the test hopefully. I ended up winning that test. Overall, really good riding and just a few mishaps here and there.” Photo : Mack Faint FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Jonathan Girroir captured second overall in Ohio. He opened the day with a win in Test 1. The next four tests saw him in the runner-up spot. The day concluded with Girroir taking third through the sixth section. He was unable to attend the podium presentation, as he needed to travel to the airport, but was excited about putting it on the box for the fourth time in 2024. Photo : Mack Faint Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Trevor Bollinger claimed third overall. The Georgia-based rider took second through the first test, before taking fifth in Test 2. He then collected a trio of third-place results before wrapping up the day with a fourth-place result in the final test. “I really went home and did some different stuff on the bike,” Bollinger said. “I really went back to the fundamentals, and it seems to be helping a lot… It feels really good to put it on the box here, and my goal is to try to keep it on the box the rest of the year. I really enjoy riding these things and have a lot of fun at them. It was easy to make a mistake out there today. I was trying to be aggressive, but you had to be really patient coming into the turns and stuff. I didn’t hit the ground but maybe two or three times. Kept it solid. Nothing too crazy.” Photo : Mack Faint NE Pro2 Podium Entering this round, KTM’s Grant Davis was the NE Pro2 points leader. Unfortunately, a crash in Test 4 — resulting in a shoulder injury and withdrawal from the race — could have a profound impact on his championship chase this year. Yamaha’s Nathaniel “Bubz” Tasha has been lurking behind Davis this season and was able to top the NE Pro2 overall podium for the third time. The day started off with a test win for him in his class. He followed it up with no less than a second or third-place finish in each of the rest of the tests. Photo : Mack Faint Hunter Smith grabbed the runner-up spot aboard his KTM. A third-place in the NE Pro2 class through Test 1 set a good foundation for the day. He went on to collect a test win in the second section, as well as the final test. In Tests 3 and 4, he put his machine in second-place, while dropping to fifth in Test 5. Ultimately, he finished the day just 3 seconds behind Tasha. Photo : Mack Faint The Enduro Engineering Grassman National marked the fourth time this year that Red Bear Racing’s Will Sievenpiper has put himself on the podium. While he had hoped a solid start to the day with a second-place class finish in Test 1 would set the trajectory for the next few tests, he would walk away with a fourth and seventh through the next two sections. It wasn’t until Test 4 that his momentum picked back up, taking the test win. He followed it up with third-place finishes in the final two sections. Photo : Mack Faint Women’s Elite Podium After taking third at round six, Red Bear Racing’s Rachael Archer rebounded to the top of the podium again – notching her sixth Women’s Elite win of the season aboard her Kawasaki. She set a phenomenal pace, even after a crash in the first test. By day’s end, she had bested second-place rider Shelby Turner by almost five minutes on the day. Photo : Mack Faint Turner, aboard her Enduro Engineering GasGas, has put together a consistent season — she’s yet to finish off of the podium. A crash a week ago left her with a partially-separated shoulder, but the Canadian fought through the pain. Although she earned a fourth-place class finish in Test 1, she collected third and second through the remaining sections to bring home a second-place overall finish in Women’s Elite. Photo : Mack Faint Beta rider Emma Hasbell landed third overall on the day, after clicking off strong results all day. It marked the first-ever pro podium for last year’s Beta Cup winner. She collected a trio of third-place test finishes, and two runner-up performances as well. Canada’s Emma Sharpless didn’t let her first-ever national enduro intimidate her. She showcased her skills to claim fourth in Women’s Elite on her KTM. Top Amateurs Cole Whitmer clinched his second class win of the year on his GasGas. The Pennsylvanian dominated by taking every test win for the AA class. 250A rider Chase Landers has yet to lose a national enduro this year. The KTM rider conquered his class, capturing every test win and finishing 1 minute and 43 seconds ahead of the runner-up. View full event results and series standings at nationalenduro.com/scoring. The Wiseco Flying W National will take place on September 8 in Cherryville, Missouri. Overall Results – Enduro Engineering Grassman National 1. Josh Toth (GG) 2. Jonathan Girroir (KTM) 3. Trevor Bollinger (HUS) 4. Evan Smith (HUS) 5. Steward Baylor Jr. (KAW) 6. Nathaniel Tasha (YAM) 7. Hunter Smith (KTM) 8. Will Sievenpiper (KAW) 9. Nicholas Defeo (KAW) 10. Cole Whitmer (GG) Series Overall Standings 1. Josh Toth (GG) – NE Pro1 2. Steward Baylor Jr (KAW) – NE Pro1 3. Johnny Girroir (KTM) – NE Pro1 4. Evan Smith (HUS) – NE Pro1 5. Grant Davis (KTM) – NE Pro2 6. Grant Baylor (KAW) – NE Pro1 7. Nathaniel Tasha (YAM) – NE Pro2 8. Will Sievenpiper (KAW) – NE Pro2 9. Ryder Lafferty (GG) – NE Pro1 10. Trevor Bollinger (HUS) – NE Pro1 The post 2024 GRASSMAN NATIONAL ENDURO RESULTS appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

The 2025 Yamaha YZ450F is here! The Yamaha features a new linkage, new throttle tube to get rid of “yama-thumb”, a new clutch, new suspension settings, new engine mounts, and new map switch button. The engine characteristics have remained same as 2024. See what our editor Mark Tilley had to say about it on day 1 of testing. This is a raw style video we have put together for our subscribers to check out. No fancy filming or rambling stat numbers. Just the bike, what’s new, and how it feels on track. Enjoy.  The post 2025 YAMAHA YZ450F VIDEO TEST: EDITOR’S VIEW FIRST TEST DAY appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

The 2024 Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, kicked off its stretch run of the summer with an anticipated return to action from the lush rolling hills of Central New York’s iconic Unadilla MX for Round 9 of the season. After a week filled with rain from Hurricane Debby, racers and fans were greeted with balmy temperatures, abundant sunshine, and perfect track conditions for the ELF Fuels Unadilla National, thanks to the proactive efforts of the event organizers to preserve the racing surface amidst the storm. It provided a fitting setting for Unadilla’s 55th anniversary celebration, which saw tiebreakers determine the overall winner in each class on a highly competitive day of racing. In the 450 Class, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider and championship leader Chase Sexton edged out Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence for Sexton’s fourth consecutive win. In the 250 Class, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen emerged with his second career victory over Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider and championship leader Haiden Deegan. 450 Class Moto 1 The premier class opened its first moto with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine of Aaron Plessinger out front for the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Lawrence, aboard a new 2025 Honda CRF450R, and Sexton. After getting passed by Sexton for second, Lawrence battled back to reclaim the position and continued his push forward, eventually catching and passing Plessinger to grab hold of the lead before the completion of the opening lap. On the following lap, the KTM teammates battled for second, with Sexton able to get the better of Plessinger. From there the top three settled in and distanced themselves from the field. At the halfway point of the moto Sexton was able to erase the deficit to Lawrence and made the pass for the lead. However, the Honda rider took advantage of a faster line in the next section to get back around and reclaim the top spot. Lawrence then moved out to a lead of nearly two seconds. From there the momentum continued to yo-yo between the title combatants, with each possessing a stronger end of the racetrack. On the final lap, less than a second separated the top two as lapped riders factored into the battle. Sexton showed a wheel, but Lawrence closed the door and never looked back. Lawrence captured his second career moto win by 2.3 seconds over Sexton, which ended the points leader’s seven-moto win streak. Plessinger finished in a distant third, with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson rounding out the top five. Chase Sexton’s Moto 2 victory proved to be the difference maker in capturing his fourth straight victory. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. Moto 2 The final moto of the afternoon started with Sexton at the head of the pack exiting the first turn, which he carried to the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb, who made his first start of the summer in a return from injury, and Phoenix Racing Honda’s Dylan Ferrandis. Lawrence found himself well back in 10th, behind many of the fastest racers in the class. The clear track proved to be a huge advantage for Sexton, who was already more than five seconds clear of the field at the completion of the opening lap. With Sexton well out front, the focus shifted to the battles behind him as Webb and Ferrandis were challenged by Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen, also making his first start of the summer, who made savvy passes to fight his way up to second. Ferrandis then passed Webb for third and brought Anderson and Lawrence along with him to push Webb out of the top five. As the moto reached its halfway point Sexton had built a lead of nearly 14 seconds over the field, while just three seconds separated Roczen in second and Lawrence in fifth. Ferrandis was able to make a charge on Roczen and move into second. Anderson then closed in and made the pass on Roczen for third, with Lawrence following through into fourth. In the closing stages of the moto Lawrence picked up the pace and was able to make the pass on Anderson for third. He then looked to track down Ferrandis over the final two laps. On the final lap Lawrence was able to take advantage of some lapped riders to slip by Ferrandis and take second with just a few turns to go. Sexton led wire-to-wire to wrap up his 10th moto win of the season by a margin of 7.1 seconds over Lawrence, with Ferrandis a close third. Hunter Lawrence earned a moto victory aboard his new 2025 Honda and finished in the runner-up spot. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. Overall With identical moto results, Sexton (2-1) and Lawrence (1-2) finished tied atop the overall standings with the second moto tiebreaker going to Sexton for his fourth straight victory, fifth win of the season, and 11th of his career. With his late charge in Moto 2, Lawrence was able to prevent any points loss in the championship in a runner-up effort, while Plessinger (3-4) made late passes in the final moto to grab the third and final spot on the podium. Sexton remains 28 points ahead of Lawrence with two rounds remaining, while Plessinger’s fourth podium finish of the season moved him into third, 88 points behind Sexton. Aaron Plessinger battled hard in the second moto to secure his fourth podium finish of the season. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. 1st: Chase Sexton, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (2-1) “I knew a lazy first lap wasn’t going to cut it. I’ve been working on my starts and got my first holeshot of the summer, which was awesome. I was able to sprint out to a big lead and manage it from there. I focused on shorter stuff during the break [in the schedule] in an effort to be more well-rounded and that paid off.” 2nd: Hunter Lawrence, Team Honda HRC (1-2) “It was a tough track to pass on and the roost was gnarly. A great first day on the 2025 bike. I would have loved to have the overall, but still a good day [in second]. I feel like a new man [after the schedule break] and now I’m back to being the Hunter I know.” 3rd: Aaron Plessinger, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (3-4) “I was so far back on the first lap. It was a hard-fought ride. I’m not sure where I started, but I just clicked another gear [physically] and it felt so good to climb through the pack. It was definitely hard fought, but I knew I just had to keep getting one more position. It was an all-around good day.” 450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish // Points) Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., KTM (2-1 // 47) Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda (1-2 // 47) Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM (3-4 // 38) Dylan Ferrandis, Avignon, France, Honda (6-3 // 36) Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Kawasaki (5-5 // 34) Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha (4-7 // 33) Ken Roczen, Mattstedt, Germany, Suzuki (7-6 // 31) Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Husqvarna (10-6 // 28) Christian Craig, El Cajon, Calif., Husqvarna (9-8 // 27) Grant Harlan, Justin, Texas, KTM (11-10 // 23) 450 Class Championship Standings (Round 9 of 11) Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., KTM – 407 Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda – 379 Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM – 319 Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 317 Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Kawasaki – 295 Dylan Ferrandis, Avignon, France, Honda – 273 Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Husqvarna – 238 Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda – 210 Christian Craig, El Cajon, Calif., Husqvarna – 188 Fredrik Noren, Lidköping, Sweden, Kawasaki – 160 250 Class Moto 1 The opening moto of the afternoon got underway with Kitchen leading the field to the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of his teammate Ty Masterpool. Behind them riders jockeyed for position, with the Team Honda HRC machine of Chance Hymas settling into third before going on the attack to pass both Masterpool and Kitchen and move into the lead before the completion of the opening lap. Not long after, Masterpool went down from third and dropped outside the top 20, which moved Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Max Anstie into third, just ahead of teammate Deegan. The top four remained unchanged through the first half of the moto and pulled away from the rest of the field, with double digits separating Deegan, in fourth, and Triumph Racing’s Jalek Swoll, in fifth. Back out front, Hymas was able to establish his biggest lead of the moto entering the final 10 minutes, opening a margin of 6.5 seconds on Kitchen, who started to feel pressure from the Yamahas of Anstie and Deegan. Soon, Deegan started to increase his pace, which allowed him to make his way around Anstie for third and give chase to Kitchen. The former teammates started to engage in a spirited battle when Hymas crashed out of the lead with just under five minutes remaining. Kitchen moved into the lead, with Deegan second and Anstie third. Hymas eventually reentered the race, one lap down. The battle for the lead intensified again as Deegan was able to take advantage of an inside line to get alongside Kitchen and make the pass. Kitchen attempted to fight back, but Deegan solidified the move and put some distance on the Kawasaki. Over the final two laps Kitchen got within striking distance, but it wasn’t enough as Deegan stormed to his eighth moto win of the season by 1.5 seconds over Kitchen, with Anstie following in third. Team Honda HRC’s Jo Shimoda made a late charge to finish fourth, while Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Garrett Marchbanks finished fifth in his first moto with the team. Levi Kitchen’s Moto 2 win gave him the tiebreaker to earn his second career victory. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. Moto 2 The second moto started the same way as Moto 1, with Kitchen leading the field to the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Masterpool, who then crashed out of second and dropped deep in the field. Masterpool’s misfortune allowed Shimoda to move up into second, with Deegan in third. The clear track worked heavily into Kitchen’s favor as he was able to move out to a multi-second advantage that he managed for most of the first half of the moto, forcing both Shimoda and Deegan to settle in. Kitchen’s lead slowly started to shrink as the moto neared its halfway point and soon Shimoda found himself within striking distance. Deegan, meanwhile, lost touch with the lead pair. Back up front, the battle for the lead started to take shape as Shimoda began looking for alternate lines. Despite being slightly quicker, Shimoda was unable to mount a pass attempt as Kitchen rode well to counter any potential moves. As they started to navigate lapped traffic, it allowed Kitchen to gain some breathing room. As he continued to give pursuit, Shimoda went down with a little more than two minutes to go and was unable to finish. That moved Deegan into second and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle into third. With no pressure from behind, Kitchen cruised home to the fifth moto win of his career by 15.6 seconds over Deegan. Vialle finished third. Haiden Deegan saw his points lead grow once again in a runner-up effort. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. Overall By virtue of their identical moto finishes, Kitchen (2-1) and Deegan (1-2) finished the afternoon tied atop the overall standings, but the second moto tiebreaker went to Kitchen to secure his second career victory and his second win in the past three races. Deegan maintained his comfortable lead in the championship with a runner-up finish, while Swoll gave Triumph its first ever podium result as a manufacturer in third (6-4). Deegan’s lead in the championship grew once again and now sits at 70 points over Kitchen, who moved from third to second. Vialle, who finished 11th overall due to a crash in Moto 1 (22-3), dropped to third and sits 81 points out of the lead. Deegan is now able to clinch the championship at the next round. Jalek Swoll’s second career podium finish was a historic one for Triumph Racing. Photo Credit: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. 1st: Levi Kitchen, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki (3-3) “This feels amazing. I needed that break (in the schedule). I feel refreshed. Jo [Shimoda] and I were sending it in that [second] moto, but he went down, which sucks. I hope he’s ok. Two holeshots, this is amazing. I feel so great on the bike. It was a really good day for me.” 2nd: Haiden Deegan, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (1-2) “After seeing guys go down around me I realized I have a comfortable points lead [and didn’t need to push]. This is still second place and a really good day for me. Levi [Kitchen] was on it today, so congrats to him.” 3rd: Jalek Swoll, Triumph Racing (6-4) “I’m ecstatic. It feels like it’s taken longer than it should [to finish on the podium]. To come out here and ride so good in front of all these fans and on a track like this, it’s awesome. This was long overdue.” 250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finishes // Points) Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki (2-1 // 47) Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha (1-2 // 47) Jalek Swoll, Belleview, Fla., Triumph (6-4 // 34) Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Kawasaki (5-5 // 34) Max Anstie, Newbury, England, Yamaha (3-8 // 34) Pierce Brown, Sandy, Utah, GASGAS (7-7 // 30) Jordon Smith, Belmont, N.C., Yamaha (12-6 // 26) Ty Masterpool, Paradise, Texas, Kawasaki (9-9 // 26) Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM (8-10 // 26) Ryder DiFrancesco, Bakersfield, Calif., GASGAS (10-11 // 23) 250 Class Championship Standings (Round 9 of 11) Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha – 408 Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki – 338 Tom Vialle, Avignon, France, KTM – 327 Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Kawasaki – 289 Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda – 275 Ty Masterpool, Paradise, Texas, Kawasaki – 259 Pierce Brown, Sandy, Utah, GASGAS – 225 Jalek Swoll, Belleview, Fla., Triumph – 221 Ryder DiFrancesco, Bakersfield, Calif., GASGAS – 204 Jordon Smith, Belmont, N.C., Yamaha – 191 The post 2024 UNADILLA NATIONAL MX, RESULTS & HIGHLIGHTS appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. 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Eric Crippa was honored earlier this week by a gathering of motorcycle royalty in Granada Hills, California. Eric was on the ground floor of motocross in the U.S. He started with Husqvarna, working with riders such as Gunnar Lindstrom, Brad Lackey, Kent Howerton and Chuck Sun. When Chuck Sun moved to Honda in 1979, he brought Crippa along with the blessing of Lindstrom, who had also moved to Honda by then. He later moved to development and press relations. Crippa did not fit the mold of the modern factory mechanic. He was unconventional, creative and messy. There are stories of him taking a hacksaw to the frame of a factory race bike in order to change the geometry. His tactics were shocking to the elite Japanese engineers, but he got results and they learned to love him. Eric was famous for taking off jogging during breaks in testing at the track–he would wear his signature turtleneck, legion hat and work boots. There was nothing inside the box about Eric. The gathering in Granada Hills attracted celebrities from all corners of the motorcycle world: Brad Lackey, Chuck Sun, Broc Glover, Gunnar Lindstrom, Lars Lindstrom, Dave Arnold, Jon Stillman, Johnny Campbell, Jimmy Lewis, Goat Breker and many, many more. It wasn’t a weepy, sad affair; it was alive with great stories like a giant family reunion. Eric passed away of heart failure last month. He was 74. Dave Arnold, Gunnar Lindstrom and Charlie Keller were the prime movers of the Eric Crippa tribute. Jimmy Lewis, Charles Halcomb, Chuck Miller and Tom Webb. Zapota Espinoza and Chuck Sun. BLAST FROM THE PAST Damon Bradshaw riding his 1991 factory Yamaha. Back in 1991, I got the opportunity to ride Damon Bradshaw’s factory YZ250. It wasn’t really that much fun. I was stopping where I was supposed to be going, turning in the straights and going straight in the turns. Plus, they were all watching me. Brian Lunnis was there, Keith McCarty was there, even Doug Dubach and Jeff Emig were there. They all watched and smiled while I tried to ride Bradshaw’s works 250 around DeAnza Cycle Park’s dry, burnt motocross course. Why was it so hard to ride? The handlebar was wide and tall and the levers were rotated so high that I almost had to take my hand off the grip to use the clutch or front brake. The rear brake was adjusted as high as it would go and also had a little platform welded on top of the pedal to make it higher still. If some kid showed up at the local MX track with his controls like that, the rest of his class would point and laugh. Funny thing, though; nobody points and laughs at Damon Bradshaw. Me, riding Damon Bradshaw’s 1991 factory Yamaha. Poorly. On the track, all that stuff would make any bike hard to manage. I had to lift my foot all the way off the peg to get to the rear brake–it felt like I was trying to step on the side of the engine case. Then, because I’m simply not strong enough to stand on one foot while braking for turns, my heel would invariably drop back down to the footpeg, which would lock up the rear brake. In several turns, I came to a dead stop just because I couldn’t get my foot off the brake. Another time I stalled it because I couldn’t get to the clutch lever in time (I wasn’t looking in the right spot)–not that I could have pulled in the clutch, anyway. Most people lengthen the clutch actuation arm for more leverage to make the clutch pull easier. Damon likes the arm shortened for less leverage. That way, the clutch releases more suddenly, the way Damon likes it. Godzilla would die of terminal arm pump if he had to do a lap on Bradshaw’s bike. There’s a lot more to the story. It’s all published once again in the October print issue of Dirt Bike. Damon Bradshaw rode his bike quite well. I did not. UNADILLA UP NEXT After a short summer break, Pro Motocross is up and running once more this weekend. The riders will visit Unadilla in New Berlin, New York. The racing will be broadcast live domestically on Peacock and Internationally on the SuperMotocross VideoPass beginning with Race Day Live at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET and coverage of all four motos of the 250 Class and 450 Class airing at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET, followed by the post-race show at the conclusion of the afternoon. HUNTER LAWRENCE’S NEW BIKE At Media Day for Round 9 of the AMA Pro Motocross series, Team Honda HRC revealed that Hunter Lawrence will campaign the brand-new 2025 CRF450R during tomorrow’s race at Unadilla MX. Typically, teams stick with current model-year machinery throughout the calendar year. However, Hunter has been a big fan of the new platform since he rode an early prototype nearly two years ago. The 2025 CRF450R was developed in close collaboration with Team Honda HRC and the Lawrence brothers, as well as Team HRC in the MXGP Championship. Hunter and his team are confident that the bike will be competitive at the top level early, and making the switch now will give them a head start on gathering data and developing the factory version. Currently, the plan is for Hunter to race the 2025 CRF450R through the remainder of the AMA Pro Motocross series, and for him and Jett to use it for the upcoming SuperMotocross series. BILL WEST William (Bill) Carroll West, 88, a pioneer in the promotion of Supercross and Motocross events, passed away on July 28, 2024, after a lengthy illness. “The motorcycle racing community lost a friend, and another one of its modern era founders, in the passing of Bill West,” said Roy Janson, Commissioner of Motocross. “Bill was a larger-than-life character, who squeezed a lot of living into a single lifetime. He was a simple man who enjoyed great business success over his lifetime. His love of the sport of motorcycle racing left lasting contributions in the world of amateur motocross, professional motocross, and professional supercross. It’s a bit redundant to try to relist all the programs that Bill’s work and efforts influenced, but it’s correct to say that they include every major motorcycle racing program and series existing today.” PLUSH, WELL LIT OFFICES While we were in Granada Hills for the Eric Crippa tribute, we stopped by the previous home of Dirt Bike. It was barely a block away on Sepulveda Blvd. This was the headquarters for Dirt Bike, Motocross Action, Three Wheel Action, Mountain Bike Action, BMX Plus and Dirt Wheels through the ’80s and early ’90s. We moved to Valencia in 1993, then had to move back when the Northridge earthquake leveled our new office in January, 1994. The old office was much closer to the epicenter, but sustained less damage. We moved back to Valencia when the office was rebuilt six months later. The old place still looks pretty good. The neighborhood improved, apparently, when we moved out. See you next week! –Ron Lawson The post HANGING WITH FRIENDS OF ERIC CRIPPA & RIDING BRADSHAW’S 1991 YZ: THE WRAP appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

The 2025 Yamaha YZ450F is here! We met up with Media Relations Manager Mike Ulrich to go over what’s changed since 2024. We will have an Editor’s Point Of View Video coming soon but for now…see how different the 2025 model is over the 2024 YZ450F.  The post 2025 YAMAHA YZ450F VIDEO : WHAT’S NEW THIS YEAR appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

On this week’s Two-Stroke Tuesday we give you look back at Tyler Bowers’ Kawasaki KX500 build with an early ’90s theme appropriately named “The Unit.” Bowers had lots of help with this build but was right there getting his hands dirty every step of the process. We have items from BRC Canada and Moose Racing featured in our 2-Stroke Hardware section. Dirt Bike Magazine video expert Travis Fant has edited together RAW two-stroke action of Ryan Dungey, Ryan Villopoto, Josh Grant, Jordan Smith, Gerad Steinke, and eventual winner Shane McElrath from the 2018 Red Bull Straight Rhythm so don’t miss 2-Stroke Theater this week! If you are a fan of big-bore two-strokes there is an exclusive link to our MotoFab Industries Yamaha YZ345 build at the bottom of this post. Just click on the image for more. Classic lines with modern technology hidden underneath. “The Unit” is one deadly machine! The Boyesen Supercooler helps flow more coolant keeping the engine running cooler for improved power. Zoomed in you can tell Bowers and his crew really did a great job on little details. New titanium bolts and stainless steel fasteners go a long way. Jeff at SDG hit a home run on this seat design. Has that old school feel with the new school materials and functionality. Bowers said it was exactly the look he wanted. Docwob imports has tons of items on “The Unit,” but what stands out the most is the handmade aluminum tank. This thing is twice as cool in person. As you can imagine it’s not cheap. Modern day brakes, aftermarket KX Guru linkage arm, custom side cases, tons of Superlite titanium hardware, and a Pro Circuit Works style pipe. This build is the definition of a sleeper project. A complete KX450 front end was used on this build and took some modifications. Look close and you can see a small but very useful item from Trick Engineering by the lower triple clamp. Those are Xtrig clamps and A-Kit Showa fork with all kinds of factory internals that cannot be bought at your local dealer. The engine was completely rebuilt with a mix of aftermarket and OEM parts. Tom Morgan ported the cylinder, the crank was balanced and the transmission was polished. Bowers had the plastic ignition cover and case saver Cerakoted to match. Bowers and his crew went out of their way to use the stock front number plate and fender. He wanted to keep the classic lines of the KX500. Look behind the bottom of the number plate that grey piece is a one-off 3D printed item done by Tyler’s buddy. There is a lot more to come on this build including a full feature in the printed magazine and of course a couple videos. 2-STROKE HARDWARE BRC 500CC 2-STROKE KIT 500cc two-strokes aren’t dead. The crew at BRC Racing has a kit available for 2007/16 KTM250/300 models converting it into a modern day 500cc two-stroke. The kit has everything you need including all bearings, seals, gaskets, and fasteners. Contact : BRC Canada MOOSE OEM REPLACEMENT RADIATORS OEM replacement radiators are now available through Moose Racing at approximately 50 percent less than OEM pricing. The radiators are designed to meet the exact specifications of the stock radiators. Contact: Your Local Parts Unlimited Dealer or www.mooseracing.com 2-STROKE THEATER If you like the big bore machine featured on this week’s Two-Stroke Tuesday check out this Yamaha YZ345 built by Howard Jenkins at MotoFab Industries. Click the image below for more. The post TYLER BOWERS’ KAWASAKI KX500 BUILD: TWO-STROKE TUESDAY appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

The 2024 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship Presented by AMSOIL came to a thrilling conclusion on Saturday, as the final 17 classes took to the track one last time. Once the dust settled on another memorable week of racing, MX Sports celebrated all 36 championships and additional special award recipients at the annual banquet on Saturday evening. On the heels of capturing the 250 Pro Sport title one day earlier, Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Drew Adams entered Saturday’s final moto for Open Pro Sport in control of his own destiny thanks to wins in the previous two motos. When the gate dropped to begin Moto 3 it was the KTM of Noah Stevens out front for the STACYC Holeshot, but he was quickly passed by the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing machine of Cole Davies. Adams emerged within the top five and showed patience on the opening lap as he settled into fifth. As the opening laps unfolded it was Davies who continued to lead, while NSA Factory Yamaha Team’s Avery Long gave pursuit from second and Adams following in third. The lead trio remained unchanged through the middle portion of the moto, which is when Adams started his push to the front. The Tennessee native got around Long for second and then erased a deficit of more than three seconds over the next couple laps to catch Davies and seize control of the moto lead. From there, Adams quickly distanced himself from the field. The Kawasaki rider went unchallenged the rest of the way and easily completed the 1-1-1 sweep of the motos by a margin of 8.8 seconds over Davies, with Long in third. SLR Honda’s Parker Ross was fourth, with NSA Factory Yamaha Team’s Leum Oehlhof in fifth. Adams capped off an impressive performance at the Ranch with his second championship of the week and sweep of the Pro Sport divisions. Long earned another runner-up finish (7-2-3) to secure second place in each Pro Sport class, while his teammate Oehlhof finished third overall (3-8-5). Open Pro Sport Moto 3 Results Drew Adams, Chattanooga, Tenn., Kawasaki Cole Davies, Waitoki, New Zealand, Yamaha Avery Long, New London, Minn., Yamaha Parker Ross, Herald, Calif., Honda Leum Oehlhof, Oak Hills, Calif., Yamaha Open Pro Sport Overall Podium (Moto Scores // Event Total) Drew Adams, Chattanooga, Tenn., Kawasaki (1-1-1 // 3) Avery Long, New London, Minn., Yamaha (7-2-3 // 12) Leum Oehlhof, Oak Hills, Calif., Yamaha (3-8-5 // 16) Drew Adams capped off a dominant week at the Ranch with a 1-1-1 sweep in Open Pro Sport. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports, Inc. Moto 3: Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C Much like the 250 B class, the battle for the Schoolboy 2 title came down to a head-to-head battle between Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green teammates Caden Dudney and Landen Gordon. Dudney’s back-to-back moto wins entering Saturday gave him a two-point advantage over Gordon, with Dudney carrying an added boost of confidence by capturing the 250 B crown the day prior. As the field exited the first turn to begin Moto 3 the two title combatants positioned themselves at the front of the field, but it was the Rock River Yamaha of Logan Best who grabbed the STACYC Holeshot and assumed the early lead. Best remained out front through the opening lap, but Dudney was on the charge and successfully moved into the lead on the following lap. Knowing he needed to keep his teammate within reach, Gordon made a push to climb from fourth to second, which put the championship rivals 1-2 in the running order. Gordon was the faster of the two early on and was able to get within striking distance of Dudney as they approached the halfway point of the moto. As he looked to apply pressure on the lead, Gordon slid out and experienced a small tip over that didn’t cost him a position but did allow Dudney to reestablish a comfortable lead. Not long after he remounted, Gordon’s bike hit the dirt again, which caused him to lose several positions and drop outside the top five. With no threat behind him, Dudney enjoyed a double-digit lead over the field that he managed all the way to the finish to complete a 1-1-1 sweep of the motos by a margin of 4.3 seconds. A spirited battle for second saw Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Amateur Team rider Landon Gibson make a late charge in which he completed a last-lap pass for second place, which dropped EBR Altus Motorsports Yamaha’s Landon Hartz to third. Dudney’s second championship of the week came in dominant fashion as he secured the Schoolboy 2 crown by seven points over Gordon (2-2-6). Gibson’s last lap pass in the final moto proved to be significant in the overall standings as it moved the Husqvarna rider into podium position in third (5-4-2). Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C Moto 3 Results Caden Dudney, Athens, Texas, Kawasaki Landon Gibson, Peachtree City, Ga., Husqvarna Landon Hartz, Wilsonville, Ala., Yamaha Ryder Malinoski, Wyoming, Minn., Yamaha Alexander Fedortsov, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C Overall Podium (Moto Scores // Event Total) Caden Dudney, Athens, Texas, Kawasaki (1-1-1 // 3) Landen Gordon, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki (2-2-6 // 10) Landon Gibson, Peachtree City, Ga., Husqvarna (5-4-2 // 11) Caden Dudney captured his second title of the week in Schoolboy 2. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports, Inc. Moto 3: Supermini 1 (12-15) Another tight battle headlined the final Supermini 1 moto as KTM rider Grant McDonald’s exceptional consistency gave him a slight edge over fellow KTM rider Aidan Zingg, who had gotten on a hot streak with multiple moto wins across each Supermini division. As Moto 3 got underway both title contenders were able to position themselves up front, but it was the GASGAS of Dannyn Reed who started with the STACYC Holeshot and jumped out to an early lead over the field. McDonald slotted into second, while Zingg was not far behind in third. While Reed inched away from the field, Zingg looked to apply pressure on McDonald for second. Reed enjoyed a multi-second lead as the moto approached the halfway point, only to get caught in a rut and tip over. That allowed McDonald to take over the lead with Zingg right behind in second, while Reed remounted in third. Zingg took hold of the moment and went on the attack. He made the pass for the lead at the halfway point and was able to quickly establish a multi-second lead that he added to over the second half of the moto. Needing a win to boost his title hopes, Zingg wrapped up his second straight moto victory by 4.4 seconds over McDonald, followed by Reed in third. Zingg’s strong finish to Supermini 1 action came up a single point short in the end, as McDonald relied on a trio of second place finishes to emerge with the championship, despite not winning a moto. Zingg finished in the runner-up spot (5-1-1), while Reed rounded out the overall podium in third (5-1-1). Supermini 1 (12-15) Moto 3 Results Aidan Zingg, Hemet, Calif., KTM Grant McDonald, Cairo, Ga., KTM Dannyn Reed, Payson, Utah, GASGAS Vincent Wey, Murrieta, Calif., Husqvarna Kane Bollasina, St. Louis, Mo., KTM Supermini 1 (12-15) Overall Podium (Moto Scores // Event Total) Grant McDonald, Cairo, Ga., KTM (2-2-2 // 6) Aidan Zingg, Hemet, Calif., KTM (5-1-1 // 7) Dannyn Reed, Payson, Utah, GASGAS (3-6-3 // 12) Unparalleled consistency allowed Grant McDonald to capture the Supermini 1 title. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports, Inc. Moto 3: Supermini 2 (13-16) Even though he narrowly missed out on capturing the Supermini 1 title, Aidan Zingg still had a championship within reach in Supermini 2, where he carried a one-point advantage over Team Husqvarna Amateur Racing’s Vincent Wey and a two-point lead over Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Carson Wood. With three riders in the hunt for the Supermini 2 crown, tensions were high when the gate dropped to begin Moto 3, which served as the final race of the 2024 event. As the field emerged from the first turn it was Reed who earned another STACYC Holeshot aboard his GASGAS, but he was soon passed by the KTM of Kane Bollasina, who held the lead briefly until both Zingg and Wey stormed to the head of the pack to occupy the top two spots. Despite heavy pressure from Wey, Zingg maintained the lead for a couple laps, but Wey went on the attack and posted the fastest lap of the moto to take control of the lead. Once out front, Wey continued to push the pace and was able to move out to a lead of 4.4 seconds. Unfortunately for Wey, his pace slowed dramatically just past halfway. He lost the lead to Zingg and continued to lose positions, eventually dropping outside the top five and well out of contention. Back up front, Zingg was in control of the moto, but did need to contend with some pressure from Reed in second. Less than two seconds separated the lead duo in the closing laps, but a slight miscue by Reed on the final lap gave Zingg the breathing room he needed to bring home the moto win by 4.1 seconds. Wood, who was forced to climb through the field, battled his way up to third, while Bollasina and Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Ryder Ellis rounded out the top five. Zingg’s 1-3-1 moto scores earned him the Supermini 2 championship by four points over Wood, who earned a runner-up finish (5-1-3). Reed took the final spot on the overall podium in third (8-4-2) via a Moto 3 tiebreaker with Wey (3-2-9). Supermini 2 (13-16) Moto 3 Results Aidan Zingg, Hemet, Calif., KTM Dannyn Reed, Payson, Utah, GASGAS Carson Wood, Zephyrhills, Fla., Kawasaki Kane Bollasina, St. Louis, Mo., KTM Ryder Ellis, North Fork, Calif., Kawasaki Supermini 1 (12-15) Overall Podium (Moto Scores // Event Total) Aidan Zingg, Hemet, Calif., KTM (1-3-1 // 5) Carson Wood, Zephyrhills, Fla., Kawasaki (5-1-3 // 9) Dannyn Reed, Payson, Utah, GASGAS (8-4-2 // 14) Aidan Zingg’s breakout week culminated with the Supermini 2 championship. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports, Inc. Moto 3: Junior (25+) All week long the Junior division had been one of the most competitive of all 36 classes at the Ranch as three riders were in the thick of the hunt for the championship. A three-way tie headlined the first moto of the morning on Saturday, as Phoenix Racing Honda’s Heath Harrison looked to capture his third class title in four years, with both Honda rider Jacob Hayes and Yamaha rider Cole Martinez looking to prevent a successful title defense for Harrison. With a winner-take-all scenario on the line, excitement was high as the field stormed out the gate to begin Moto 3, which saw Hayes seize the moment to secure the STACYC Holeshot and grab the early lead on a clear, fresh racetrack. The early advantage for Hayes put immediate pressure on Martinez and Harrison, who were able to jockey for position on the opening lap and ultimately settle into second and third, respectively. As had been the case all week, the battle amongst this trio raged on, as they each mirrored one another’s lap times and stayed within a few seconds of one another. Despite the persistent pressure behind him, Hayes rode incredibly solid out front and never put a wheel wrong. Even as Martinez closed in and got alongside Hayes in the closing laps, the Honda rider didn’t flinch and was able to put some distance on Martinez coming to the white flag. Hayes impressed every step of the way in a wire-to-wire effort that put an exclamation point on his third career Loretta Lynn’s title. He took the checkered flag 4.3 seconds ahead of Martinez, who held off a late charge from Harrison, who finished third. Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX Yamaha’s Brandon Haas finished fourth, with Kawasaki rider Steven Mages in fifth. Hayes’ back-to-back moto wins completed a 3-1-1 effort for the week, which clinched the Junior title by a single point over Martinez in the runner-up spot (1-3-2). Harrison rounded out the overall podium in third (2-2-3). Junior (25+) Moto 3 Results Jacob Hayes, San Antonio, Fla., Honda Cole Martinez, Campverde, Ariz., Yamaha Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., Honda Brandon Haas, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki Junior (25+) Overall Podium (Moto Scores // Event Total) Jacob Hayes, San Antonio, Fla., Honda (3-1-1 // 5) Cole Martinez, Campverde, Ariz., Yamaha (1-3-2 // 6) Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., Honda (2-2-3 // 7) Jacob Hayes prevailed with the title in a hotly contested Junior division. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports, Inc. Special recognition goes out to Owen Covell (Schoolboy 1), who joined Adams and Dudney on Saturday in sweeping all three of the motos in their respective classes en route to capturing class championships. All said, only seven athletes achieved the 1-1-1 sweep at Loretta Lynn’s in 2024, which remains a rare and challenging feat. 2024 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Champions 250 C: Ryan Jaramillo, Los Lunas, N.M., Yamaha Girls (11-16): Lachlan Turner, Gardnerville, Nev., GASGAS College (18-24): Noah Stevens, Danbury, N.C., KTM 65cc (7-9): Kannon Zabojnik, Rowlett, Texas, Cobra 250 C Jr. (12-17) Limited: Drew Roberts, Kemp, Texas, Yamaha 450 B Limited: Diesel Thomas, Raymond, Neb., Husqvarna 85cc (10-12) Limited: Nolan Ford, Fairfield, Calif., KTM Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C: Owen Covell, Plymouth, Mass., Yamaha* Senior (45+): John Boruff, Maynardville, Tenn., Kawasaki 250 C Limited: Austin Ellis, Grass Valley, Calif., Honda WMX: Kyleigh Stallings, Yukon, Okla., Kawasaki 65cc (10-11): Jaydin Smart, Berry Creek, Calif., Cobra The post 2024 LORETTA LYNN AMATEUR NATIONAL MX, FINAL DAY appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

The staff at Dirt Bike Magazine spends the day comparing the all new KTM 250SXF to the new Triumph TF250X at Glen Helen Raceway. We bring out a few test riders and gather their feedback to give a raw comparison on these two motorcycles. The KTM and Triumph both have good qualities to them. Which one is better? Well that’s up to you but we hope in this video you are able to gather enough information and make a choice. THIS IS A VLOG! Come have some laughs with us at the track and enjoy this completely behind the scenes day of testing with the crew. Thanks for hanging with us!  The post TRIUMPH TF250X & KTM 250SX-F COMPARISON : DB VLOG 17 appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

Beta’s 300RR two-strokes provide a reality check for the off-road world. While all the Austrian brands are marching headlong into the mouth of the technological unknown, Beta’s engineers have decided there’s still room for improvement with traditional hardware and proven designs. The latest Beta 300RR Race Edition doesn’t have fuel injection, an electronic power valve or multi-phase mapping. It does, however, bring further refinement to the table for technology that’s been a pillar of engine design for years. The 300RR Race Edition now has a twin-spark-plug ignition. That’s in addition to the features that Beta puts on all its Race Editions, which include KYB suspension and a lengthy list of detail upgrades. Beta’s Race Edition two-strokes also do away with the oil injection that is present on standard RR models, pushing the traditional technology theme even further. The Beta 300RR Race Edition has a long list of upgrades over the standard models. Tops on the list is the twin-plug ignition and KYB suspension. TRADITIONAL WITH A TWIST If you’ve been around for a year or two, you might know that twin-sparkplug motors are not new. The concept goes back to the very beginning of internal combustion and was fairly common on motorcycles in the ’70s. Back then, the thinking was that large motors needed two flash points for thorough combustion. The problem was that the ignition systems of the time really weren’t that powerful, and we soon learned that one powerful spark was better than two feeble sparks. In aircraft engines, however, the twin-spark design was embraced wholeheartedly because of their more robust electrical systems. Now, fast-forward to 2024 and motorcycle ignition systems present a dramatically under-appreciated advancement in motorcycle design. The Kokusan generators and ignitions that come on virtually all modern two-strokes are powerful and reliable. It was time, Beta engineers decided, to revisit an old concept. The twin-spark-plug ignition is only available on the 300 Race Edition, which is the most expensive two-stroke in the company’s lineup at $10,399. For that you also get a quick-release front axle, handguards, aluminum footpegs, a bi-metal sprocket and a bunch of anodized goodies. Under it all is Beta’s two-stroke package, which has a 36mm Keihin PWK carb, a case reed with Moto Tassinari pedals, a mechanical power valve, a six-speed gearbox and an electric starter. This year the frame has been updated with increased rigidity in certain planes of motion, but it retains steel construction with a central backbone. Pete Murray can get a little loopy at times. FIRST THINGS FIRST Before we get too focused on spark plugs and Race Edition parts, you need to know that the Beta 300 twostroke platform is still absolute magic for tight trails. To be fair, technical riding at low speed is the stronghold of almost all 300 two-strokes, but the Beta goes a step further than most. The power delivery is smooth and unstoppable. It feels like it has the flywheel from a trials bike. It doesn’t, of course, but Beta’s experience in the trials world means the company knows something about making gentle, tractable power at very low rpm. When you’re in rocks the size of bowling balls, the Beta somehow finds a way to hook up and minimize wheelspin, even if your throttle control is sloppy. If you stomp on the rear brake and chop the throttle in a tall gear, you can make the motor stall on purpose, but it simply never happens in real-life situations. From that low-rpm magic zone, the power progresses upward and onwards to a decent peak around 8000 rpm. It’s a powerful bike, but it doesn’t feel especially brutal on top because it’s so smooth and sweet. In an outright drag race, it will hang with any other off-road 300 two-stroke, although the recent newcomers in the motocross world have a distinct edge. The KTM 300SX and Beta’s own 300RX have a surge in the upper middle that the RR can’t match. That’s okay; you don’t necessarily want that kind of hit on an off-road bike. Some of those machines are on the brink of being unmanageable even on a motocross track. Off-road, they are completely impractical. Another aspect of the 300RR motor that’s impressive is how well it’s jetted and how much latitude that jetting offers. It doesn’t ping, detonate or miss a beat. In our time with the bike, temperatures ranged from the 50s to the 90s. It ran the same. We also used it from sea level to 4000 feet without feeling the need to re-jet. That was unheard of in the old days. We can credit the Keihin PWK for some of that, but we also believe it’s about the aforementioned advancement in ignition systems. What the twinspark- plug design brings to the table is difficult to say without back-to-back testing, but we understand that dyno figures show a slight improvement. We also know that in the aircraft world, there’s a dramatic decrease in output when you manually disable the second set of spark plugs. Is that applesto-apples? No, but it demonstrates that a dual-plug system can be more efficient. THE RACE EDITION FACTOR Beyond the dual-plug feature, the Race Edition’s biggest bonus is in the suspension department. The KYB AOS closed-cartridge fork is a very big upgrade over the Sachs fork that comes on the standard edition. Same goes for the KYB shock. In front, the Race Edition’s springs are rated at 0.44 kg/mm, which is one step stiffer than those of the standard RR model. In the rear, both versions come with 5.2 kg/mm springs, but the difference in performance goes far beyond spring rates. The KYB suspension is more consistent and stable. It’s set up for a very cushy ride, so the Race Edition is at its best in tight, slow-speed sections, much like the motor. At a faster pace, you have to be mindful of chassis movement. This is particularly noticeable when you grab a handful of the very powerful Nissin front brake. You’ll get a surprising amount of fork dive. Riders who plan on competition will probably have to look to the aftermarket to get the most out of the KYB components. There are about a zillion shops that know how to do that. Overall handling is typical of Beta motorcycles, which is to say very good. The bike comes in at 233 pounds without fuel, and it feels reasonably light and agile. KTMs, Husqvarnas and GasGas 300s used to have a weight advantage, but that has gone away in the fuel-injection age; all are now within a pound or two of each other on the fantastically reliable Dirt Bike scale. The Beta does feel like it’s slightly larger than those bikes. Tall riders will feel right at home; the rider compartment is spread out and roomy. Shorter riders might have to suffer with a seat height that is just a bit higher than most off-road bikes. The second spark plug is somewhat hidden at the rear of this head. Both plugs have a hotter heat range than the one on the single-plug motor The Nissin front brake is as powerful as anything in the dirt bike world. Maxxis tires come on the majority of Beta’s off-road bikes in the U.S. OFF-ROAD CRED Over the years Beta has paid its dues with off-road guys. They’ve proven to be reliable and well thought out. The fact that it has push-button seat removal is one example; on many a group ride, someone is going to have a battery issue. The Beta is always the bike elected to provide a jump because it has such easy battery access. We also love the front-axle grab handle, the handguards, the skid plate and the 2.5-gallon fuel tank. Beta has earned its place at the highest tier in the off-road hierarchy. The company has achieved that by doubling down with proven features and established designs. That doesn’t mean that Beta will never adopt new technology. But, you can be certain that when that happens, it will be the right time to move on. The post 2024 BETA 300RR RACE EDITION: FULL TEST appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

We have been getting more opportunities to ride electric bikes of various sorts. Some are better than others. The fact that Beta is offering the Explorer is an endorsement of sorts. Here’s a company that specializes in the most hard-core off-road bikes in the world, and they are on board with E-motos. As a side note, I’ve started using the term “E-Moto” a little reluctantly. They aren’t regular motorcycles, and the term “E-Bike” generally refers to bicycles with pedal assist. E-Moto will have to work until a better name comes along. So the Explorer is an E-Moto from mainland Asia. Beta does not make them in Italy. It was, presumably, made to Beta’s specifications. I got interested in testing one when Rodney Smith (who works for Beta) said he was actually buying two of them for himself. It turns out you have to have two of anything this weird. It doesn’t mix with regular motorcycles because it doesn’t have the range or power to ride where normal bikes go, and normal bikes are too loud and big to go where the Explorer is at its best. I’ve been riding it on the trails around my neighborhood and having a blast. It’s smaller than a motorcycle and is great for tight, twisty switchbacks. I’ve made many of these trails myself on a mountain bike, so I feel I have the right to ride them as long as I don’t make any noise or get in anyone’s way. Admittedly not everyone has their own personal trails, and E-Motos definitely are not welcome in heavily ridden mountain bike areas. You can explore some cool stuff on the Explorer, hence the name. You can get in trouble, too. Setting those issues aside, the Explorer sits between the Surron Light Bee and the Surron Ultra Bee in terms of capability. It’s a little bigger and faster than the Light Bee, but the Ultra is faster and bigger yet. It has Standard mode, Rabbit mode and Rocket mode. In Rocket, it’s almost as fast as an Ultra bee, but you only get about 10 seconds at a time. I’m sure that hacks will be developed to make Rocket last longer, but it might backfire with overheating issues or even chassis breakage. I figure there’s a reason it lasts only 10 seconds. It still tops out at 47 mph. According to Mark Tilley’s son Jacob, it’s short enough to work well on BMX jumps, which isn’t true of all the other electric bikes on the market. So far, nothing has broken under Jacob, and that’s saying something. He’s gotten over 2 hours of riding on it and had enough charge to get home. When the bike is brand new, it has an oddball safety feature (just like several other bands). If you touch one of the hand brakes, it cuts out the motor. This can be a nuisance. Rodney actually disabled this before giving the bike to us. The Explorer sells for $5190 We have several other E bikes of different sorts and we are learning more about them. Check out the full test in the October print edition of Dirt Bike. CHANGES ARE A COMIN’ This flier on E-Bike rules came in the mail with the water bill in a local So Cal suburb. Currently many suburban neighborhoods are awash with kids on electric bikes. Horse trails and sidewalks have turned into all out raceways. Some local authorities are taking action and many bikes have been seized. One serious problem has arisen; the bikes are often unregistered. Some don’t even have VIN numbers, and that creates real problems if the bikes are impounded. Some can’t be reclaimed. We don’t know how this will turn out, but it’s almost certain that changes are afoot. THE FORGOTTEN HUSABERG The 2009 Husaberg FE450 The 2009 Husaberg FE450 has been largely forgotten today, but it was designed around revolutionary ideas that blew apart some long-held convictions and principles. This was a motorcycle designed in Sweden and manufactured at the KTM factory in Austria. Underneath the bike’s new hardware was one prime directive: centralize the mass. The crankshaft was not only the heaviest single part of the motor, it acted as a gyroscope, which had dramatic effects on handling. Husaberg placed the crank in the exact center of the bike and then attempted to place as much of the bike’s non-rotating weight as close around that point as possible. In order to do this, the crank was placed over the gearbox, and the top end was angled forward at 70 degrees. Fuel injection had just arrived in those days, and the Keihin throttle body was placed above the motor while the fuel tank was wrapped around everything else. The center of the bike was dense with tightly packed stuff. The Husaberg was a serious effort at mass centralization. Today, these are highly coveted motorcycles. We expected the bike to be ultra stable and impossible to turn. That wasn’t the case. So much for traditional thought. The Husaberg turned more or less like a conventional bike. It had some unusual traits, certainly, but they weren’t at all bad. The most striking characteristic was that the rear wheel got traction all the time. It hooked up and resisted stepping out of line. The flip side came in loose turns where you needed to break the rear wheel loose. It resisted. You couldn’t be tentative about kicking the rear wheel out. It’s clear to us that the Swedes had extreme trail riding in mind for this bike. It had a lot of ground clearance and a very tall footpeg location. That makes it easy to get over huge rocks and logs. It had a version of PDS no-link suspension, so there was no linkage to hang down. Plus, it was a very light bike for the time. The bike weighed 251 pounds without fuel. That was outrageous for an electric-start bike of the time. The 2009 FE450 wasn’t the final chapter in the Husaberg story, but it was the last true product of the Swedish brain trust. The concept of having a separate line of motorcycles simply didn’t pencil out, and soon bikes carrying the Husaberg name were nothing more than rebadged KTMs. The concept of mass centralization, however, proved itself, and was incorporated into many of the bikes we ride today. They might not have upside-down motors, but it turned out that you didn’t need to go to such great lengths to accomplish the same goal. HELMETS OF THE STARS Back in the early ‘90s, if you were a pro motocrosser, you wore either a Bell, a Shoei or an Arai. And, if you were important enough, it was painted by Troy Lee. Back then, custom paint jobs were the mark of success. Almost all of the helmets also bore Jeff Spencer stickers, as he was considered the trainer/dietician who was mandatory for victory at the highest level. In 1991, we took the helmets right off the heads of the top riders and shot photos of them all. We probably gave them back before they had to go to the start line. Damon Bradshaw was a Bell man early before becoming a Shoei man. The Camel sticker was mandatory in Supercross back then. Riders didn’t like to be behind Jeff Matiasevich for a number of reasons. Staring at this was just one. Guy Cooper’s Arai had a clean look that would be popular today. This one is free of crash damage. Must have been new. Jeff Emig’s Shoei from 1991 had an elaborate chain link motif. Mike Kiedrowski’s Bell was another Troy Lee creation. Troy himself did all the paint jobs from a hanger at Corona Municipal Airport back then. Larry Ward’s battle-scarred Bell Moto 5. To this day, Jeff Stanton still wears an Arai helmet on his adventure bike tours. Jeff Ward was on board with Troy Lee early in his career. The aftermarket visor was Troy’s first products beyond the labor of painting helmets. See you next tine! –Ron Lawson The post RIDING THE ELECTRIC BETA EXPLORER: THE WRAP appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

The third day of racing at the 2024 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship Presented by AMSOIL was undoubtedly one of the most important of the week as the majority of the 36 classes of competition embarked on their second motos. The second gate drop is where the title fight for each respective division takes shape heading into the deciding third moto, and Thursday produced another thrilling morning and afternoon of action. Moto 2: Open Pro Sport In four motos this week at the Ranch, Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Drew Adams has made quite a compelling case as the single-fastest racer at the event. If not for a first-turn crash in his first race of the week in 250 Pro Sport, Adams could very well be undefeated in his quest to claim Loretta Lynn’s two most high-profile championships. On Thursday, he notched his latest triumph in Moto 2 of Open Pro Sport. The key to Adam’s continued success was his ability to get a good start and position himself at the front of the pack. While he missed out on securing the holeshot and early lead, the Tennessee native settled into third on the opening lap and went to work. He posted the fastest lap of the moto on his third circuit and stormed into the lead in the sand pit with an impressive move around the outside of STACYC Holeshot recipient and early leader Noah Stevens and his KTM. Once out front, Adams set sail and was able to build a lead of more than five seconds in a matter of a couple laps. The Kawasaki rider never looked back and continued to lay down the fastest laps on the track to eventually establish a double-digit advantage. He took home his third moto win of the week and his second straight in Open Pro Sport by a margin of just over 12 seconds. While he was unable to pose a threat to Adams, a runner-up effort from NSA Factory Yamaha Team rider Avery Long continued what’s been a strong week for the Minnesota native. Although his results haven’t been an indication of his speed, and his fortunes have been up and down, Long has asserted himself as a formidable contender and occupied second place for the majority of the moto. Rounding out the top three was SLR Honda’s Parker Ross, who has also shown impressive speed but has posted a mixture of results this far. The California native started inside the top five and stayed in the thick of that battle for most of the moto before making a strong push at the end that saw him climb from fifth to third by the time the checkered flag flew, just a couple seconds away from second. Ross was followed by defending class titleholder Cole Martinez aboard a Yamaha, while Stevens held on for fifth following his stellar start. With 1-1 results Adams holds a commanding lead in the overall standings, seven points clear of Long in second. The third and final Open Pro Sport moto will take place on Saturday. Open Pro Sport Moto 2 Results Drew Adams, Chattanooga, Tenn., Kawasaki Avery Long, New London, Minn., Yamaha Parker Ross, Herald, Calif., Honda Cole Martinez, Campverde, Ariz., Yamaha Noah Stevens, Danbury, N.C., KTM Drew Adams remained in dominant form with the Moto 2 win in Open Pro Sport. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports, Inc. Moto 2: 250 B Following an emphatic wire-to-wire victory to kick off Schoolboy 2 action on Wednesday, Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Caden Dudney carried tremendous momentum into Thursday’s second moto of the 250 B division. A third-place result in Moto 1 put Dudney well into the title hunt alongside his Team Green teammate Landen Gordon, who was dominant en route to the opening moto win. As the field roared through the first turn it was once again Gordon leading the way with the STACYC Holeshot, but Dudney was determined and went on the attack, making his way from fifth to first in just a few corners to seize control of the early lead. Dudney proceeded to cement his hold of the top spot by posting the fastest lap of the moto on the ensuing lap, which put him more than five seconds clear of Gordon. From that point forward, Dudney managed the gap to perfection. To his credit, Gordon kept his teammate honest through the middle portion of the moto and remained within striking distance. However, his pace dipped in the closing laps. Out front, Dudney never wavered and sustained his unmatched pace all the way through to the finish to wrap up another dominant performance by 24.8 seconds over Gordon, who slowed on the final lap to secure the runner-up finish in another 1-2 effort for the Team Green squad. Finishing third was Rock River Yamaha’s Logan Best, who held the position for almost the entirety of the moto despite consistent pressure from Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX Yamaha’s Ryder Malinoski, who finished fourth. KTM rider Carter Malcolm rounded out the top five. With 1-2 scores, Gordon maintains a slim lead in the overall standings, just a single point ahead of Dudney’s 3-1 scores. The battle for the 250 B crown is poised to be a head-to-head showdown between the Team Green duo, with Moto 3 scheduled for Friday. 250 B Moto 2 Results Caden Dudney, Athens, Texas, Kawasaki Landen Gordon, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki Logan Best, North Port, Fla., Yamaha Ryder Malinoski, Wyoming, Minn., Yamaha Carter Malcolm, Elizabeth, Colo., KTM Caden Dudney enjoyed a statement moto win in 250 B. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports, Inc. Moto 2: Supermini 1 (12-15) Another budding young talent who entered Thursday’s action with a wave of momentum was KTM rider Aiden Zingg. The California racer put forth an impressive ride on Wednesday to secure the Moto 1 victory in Supermini 2 and entered the second moto of Supermini 1 competition eager to improve upon his fifth-place finish in the opening moto and leverage his late surge. One of the major storylines entering Moto 2 was the absence of opening moto winner Darren Pine. The GASGAS MOB rider crashed out of Moto 1 in Supermini 2 and suffered a broken femur, ending a promising week in heartbreak. Without the class leader in the field, Moto 2 of Supermini 1 became an opportunity for someone to take control of the title fight. As the field emerged from the first turn it was the KTM of Kane Bollasina out front with the STACYC Holeshot. The Missouri rider held onto the top spot through the opening lap but gave way to Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Carson Wood, who brought Zingg along into second. A faster Zingg applied pressure on Wood and started to look for alternate lines, but control of the race was handed to the KTM rider when Wood crashed out of the lead and dropped to the tail end of the field. Zingg assumed the position out front and never looked back. Zingg went unchallenged the rest of the way, but the action behind him was fierce as four different riders engaged in a battle for the podium spots. Bollasina held second for most of the moto, but Team Husqvarna Amateur Racing’s Vincent Wey was all over his rear fender every step of the way, while Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Ryder Ellis was ready to strike from fourth. This ongoing battle allowed KTM rider Grant McDonald to join the fray from fifth as the fastest of the foursome. McDonald passed Ellis, which pushed Wey to eventually make the move on Bollasina for second. On the ensuing lap Wey nearly crashed in The Ten Commandments but managed to keep it on two wheels. However, it allowed both KTM riders to get past. McDonald then made one final push on the last lap to get by Bollasina. Back out front, Zingg captured his second moto win of the week by 7.2 seconds over McDonald, with Bollasina in third. Wey followed in fourth, while Ellis completed the top five. With a pair of runner-up finishes McDonald now sits atop the overall standings, with a two-point edge over Zingg. The championship deciding third Supermini 1 moto will commence on Saturday. Supermini 1 (12-15) Moto 2 Results Aidan Zingg, Hemet, Calif., KTM Grant McDonald, Cairo, Ga., KTM Kane Bollasina, St. Louis, Mo., KTM Vincent Wey, Murrieta, Calif., Husqvarna Ryder Ellis, North Fork, Calif., Kawasaki Aiden Zingg is on a roll winning the second Supermini 1 moto. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports, Inc. Moto 2: Masters (50+) Following a wire-to-wire performance in Moto 1, all eyes were on Munn Racing KTM’s Mike Brown entering Moto 2 as the 11-time Loretta Lynn’s titleholder continued his redemption quest for a pair of 2024 championships. The only rider seemingly standing in Brown’s way was defending champion Jeff Emig, but the Husqvarna rider had yet to get a start and engage in battle with his rival. Off the start, Brown got a huge jump but was just edged out by Kawasaki rider Gregory Pamart for the STACYC Holeshot. The advantage was short lived as Brown shot into the lead and quickly sprinted away from the field. Emig enjoyed his best start of the week and moved into second but found himself seven seconds behind Brown by the completion of the opening lap. From that point forward it became another clinical performance by Brown, with lap times that were consistently around three seconds quicker than Emig. The lead ballooned to nearly 20 seconds at the halfway point of the moto and continued to grow, soon approaching a half minute. Brown once again ran the moto essentially by himself and brought home his third moto win of the week and second in Masters by a margin of 32.6 seconds over Emig. Pamart parlayed his holeshot into a third-place effort, while Suzuki rider Barry Carsten and Husqvarna mounted James Max finished in fourth and fifth, respectively. A perfect 1-1 start to the week has Brown in control of his own destiny in the overall standings, but Emig is right where he needs to be with 2-2 finishes, just three points back. The final Masters moto will take place on Friday. Masters (50+) Moto 2 Results Mike Brown, Bristol, Tenn., KTM Jeff Emig, Riverside, Calif., Husqvarna Gregory Pamart, Birdsboro, Pa., Kawasaki Barry Carsten, Bayville, N.J., Suzuki James Max, Elizabethtown, Pa., Husqvarna Mike Brown (33) continued his dominance of the Masters (50+) class. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports, Inc. Moto 2: Junior (25+) The opening moto of what was expected to be a highly competitive Junior class didn’t disappoint on Tuesday and set a sense of anticipation for Moto 2 on Thursday. Defending titleholder and Yamaha rider Cole Martinez entered with the edge, but his rivals in Phoenix Racing Honda’s Heath Harrison and fellow Honda rider Jacob Hayes were set to battle every step of the way. As the field emerged from the first turn to begin Moto 2 it was a familiar sight as Hayes duplicated his efforts from the opening moto and put his Honda at the head of the pack, this time securing the STACYC Holeshot along with it. Martinez was in pursuit from second, while Harrison made some early moves to slot into third, putting the three title contenders out front. Hayes set a fast pace in the early stages, setting the fastest lap of the moto in the opening laps, but Martinez matched the pace and was able to keep within striking distance of the top spot. Harrison, meanwhile, settled slightly further back in third and let the race come to him. All three riders stayed exceptionally consistent through the heart of the moto, which allowed them to pull away from Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX Yamaha’s Brandon Haas in fourth. As the lead trio entered the second half of the moto Martinez looked to mount his attack and attempt to get around Hayes, which became more complex as they navigated lapped riders. Martinez appeared to be slightly quicker, but as he attempted to complete a big triple into the sand pit the Yamaha landed slightly off balance and washed out, which sent Martinez tumbling in a big impact. Harrison assumed second, while Martinez was eventually able to remount in third, albeit well back of the leaders. With the minutes winding down on the moto, Harrison faced a deficit of 7.6 seconds to Hayes but continued to push. On the final lap, in the final turn, Hayes stalled his Honda and needed several seconds to get it refired. When Hayes finally resumed, Harrison was approaching at full speed but came up just a few feet short as Hayes crossed the line a mere nine tenths behind. Martinez soldiered home in third, with Haas fourth and KTM rider Kyle Swanson fifth. Following the second moto, these three combatants sit in a three-way tie atop the overall standings, which will set the stage for a winner-take-all Moto 3 in the Junior class on Saturday in what will be the first moto of the day at 7:30 a.m. local time. Junior (25+) Moto 2 Results Jacob Hayes, San Antonio, Fla., Honda Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., Honda Cole Martinez, Campverde, Ariz., Yamaha Brandon Haas, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha Kyle Swanson, Adkins, Texas, KTM Jacob Hayes (90) emerged triumphant in the highly competitive Junior (25+) class. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports, Inc. 2024 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship Thursday Winners 250 B Limited: Seth Dennis, Brooksville, Fla., KTM 65cc (10-11) Limited: Carter Gray, St. Clairsville, Ohio, Cobra Mini Sr. 1 (12-14): Dane Pappas, Livermore, Calif., GASGAS 125 Jr. (12-17) B/C: Owen Covell, Plymouth, Mass., Yamaha 250 C: Ryan Jaramillo, Los Lunas, N.M., Husqvarna Girls (11-16): Mayla Herrick, Thornton, Colo., GASGAS College (18-24): Jaxon Pascal, Hudson, Colo., Honda 65cc (7-9): Kannon Zabojnik, Rowlett, Texas, Cobra 250 C Jr. (12-17) Limited: Toby Yakel, Battle Ground, Wash., Kawasaki 450 B Limited: Flynn Watts, Te Puke, New Zealand, Yamaha 85cc (10-12) Limited: Nolan Ford, Fairfield, Calif., KTM Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C: Owen Covell, Plymouth, Mass., Yamaha Senior (45+): Gregory Pamart, Birdsboro, Pa., Kawasaki 250 C Limited: Drew Roberts, Kemp, Texas, Yamaha Micro 3 (7-8) Limited: Tate Brush, Atwood, Tenn., Cobra Micro 1 (4-6) Shaft Drive Ltd: Mathis McKenzie, Minford, Ohio, Yamaha Micro-E (4-7) Limited: Mickey Fluhart, Brandywine, Md., Cobra Micro 2 (4-6) Limited: Ezra Armbruster, Garden Grove, Calif., Cobra Day 4 action from the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship can be seen exclusively on RacerTV. The post 2024 LORETTA LYNN AMATEUR NATIONAL MX, DAY 3 appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

The complete line of Fly Racing gear is arriving at your local WPS shop now! Here is some information on what you can expect to see directly from the crew at Fly Racing: Welcome to 2025! FLY Racing is proud and excited to release the 2025 line to the off-road motorcycling world. For the past 27 years, FLY Racing has endeavored to push the boundaries of performance. A dream started as simple designs drawn on a cocktail napkin, has grown into the quintessential off-road motorcycling apparel brand. Leading the way for FLY Racing is the revolutionary Formula S helmet. The first smart helmet of its kind, the Formula S has brought never-before-seen technology to riders worldwide. This cutting edge helmet applies the game changing Advanced Impact System (AIS), enhanced with RHEON Impact Energy Cells. Since 2018, the FLY Racing Formula helmet line has been the gold standard in helmet safety and performance. New in the 2025 FLY Racing apparel lineup, riders will find updates and improvements throughout the offering. Durability has been increased in the high-wear knee area on the EVO and Lite pants via the addition of aramid fabric surrounding the heat resistant leather panels. The BOA Fit System continues to wow the world with its micro-adjustability. Since partnering with BOA in 2015, there simply has been no fit on the planet that can compare to what FLY Racing has created. With the widest lineup in the off-road world, we rest assured that we have exactly what you’re looking for. FLY Racing’s commitment to progression can be seen in the goggle lineup, too. The addition of the Zone Elite brought a top-tier goggle to the fray. Its injection molded polycarbonate lens offers unparalleled clarity and peripheral vision to those that need it most. From the race ready Zone Elite to the enthusiast friendly Focus, FLY Racing has a goggle for every ask. 2025 is a renaissance year in the story of FLY Racing. Improvement. Refinement. Fearless Pursuit of perfection. That’s the FLY Racing way and we will never back away from that endless chase. The post 2025 FLY RACING GEAR AVAILABLE NOW appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

The 2025 KTM 250SXF is here and Mark Tilley takes it out to the track for our viewers to check out. This is a raw and dirty video showcasing the bike and Mark Tilley’s thoughts. Hence the title point of view. We want to share some videos with everyone that gets to the point without glossed over beauty shots and babbling statistics. Hope you enjoy a first hand experience with our editors!  The post 2025 KTM 250SX-F EDITOR’S VIEW : VIDEO IMPRESSION appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи

The second day of action at the 2024 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship Presented by AMSOIL saw the completion of the first set of motos for all 36 classes of competition in addition to the beginning of the second motos for select divisions. Highly competitive, unpredictable racing defined Wednesday’s competition and set the stage for the heightened levels of intensity that will emerge as the week rolls on. Moto 1: Open Pro Sport The most dynamic class at the Ranch, Open Pro Sport features a unique mix of elite prospects and vastly experienced veterans, which combines for a one-of-a-kind battle for the coveted AMA National Championship. Case in point, defending champion Cole Martinez spent nearly a decade in the pro ranks and is accompanied by the likes of Andrew Short, Heath Harrison, and Jacob Hayes this summer. Despite the wealth of experience on the gate, it was youth that grabbed the spotlight during Wednesday’s opening moto. Specifically, Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Drew Adams. After an incredible 34th to fourth climb in 250 Pro Sport on Tuesday, Adams enjoyed a much less dramatic outing in the Open division. The Tennessee native positioned himself in a prime spot off the start in third and showed patience in a methodical march to the front. Adams was consistently the fastest rider on the track and put an exclamation point on his pass for the lead with the fastest lap of the entire moto. He continued to pull away over the second half of the moto and took the checkered flag 16.2 seconds ahead of the field. Following Adams across the line was fellow Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green rider Enzo Temmerman to complete a 1-2 for the decorated OEM effort. The California rider began the moto in second but quickly moved into the top spot on Lap 2 and brought Adams along with him. From there it became a showdown between the Team Green racers, with Temmerman pacing the first half of the moto before ultimately settling into the runner-up position. The podium was rounded out by NSA Factory Yamaha Team rider Leum Oehlhof, who emerged with the STACYC Holeshot and paced the field on the opening lap. He ran third for most of the moto, but did drop outside the top three for several laps after he lost the spot to his NSA Factory Yamaha Team teammate Avery Long. However, Long encountered late misfortune, which allowed Oehlhof to reclaim the spot the rest of the way. KTM rider Noah Stevens followed in fourth, with KTM Orange Brigade’s Jeremy Fappani in fifth. Moto 2 for Open Pro Sport is scheduled for Thursday. Open Pro Sport Moto 1 Results Drew Adams, Chattanooga, Tenn., Kawasaki Enzo Temmerman, Visalia, Calif., Kawasaki Leum Oehlhof, Oak Hills, Calif., Yamaha Noah Stevens, Danbury, N.C., KTM Jeremy Fappani, Scottsdale, Ariz., KTM Drew Adams charged to victory in the first Open Pro Sport moto. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports, Inc. Moto 1: Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C Another class brimming with prospects, Schoolboy 2 also garnered a lot of attention on Wednesday with a talented lineup of B class racers. In the end, it became a showcase of dominance for Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Caden Dudney, who parlayed the STACYC Holeshot into an impressive wire-to-wire performance that saw the Texan make a major statement. Dudley established a multi-second lead of more than three seconds on the opening lap and continued to add to that advantage, cruising to the finish line 12.9 seconds clear of the field. The Team Green squad secured another 1-2 effort thanks to a strong closing stretch from Landen Gordon, who took the 250 B win on Tuesday. A fifth-place start forced the California native to engage in a slew of battles early on and it took several laps for him to generate some forward momentum. However, once he got rolling, he became the fastest rider on the track over the second half of the moto and made a last lap pass to snag the runner-up finish. Third place went to EBR Performance Altus Yamaha’s Landon Hartz, who took advantage of a strong start to pursue Dudney in second for nearly the entirety of the moto. The Alabama native was very consistent throughout the moto, except for one lap at the halfway point of the moto. That one slow lap caused Hartz to lose valuable ground to Gordon and ultimately saw the Yamaha rider settle for third. Fourth place went to Rock River Yamaha’s Logan Best, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Amateur Elite racer Landon Gibson rounded out the top five. Moto 2 for Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C is scheduled for Friday. Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C Moto 1 Results Caden Dudney, Athens, Texas, Kawasaki Landen Gordon, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki Landon Hartz, Wilsonville, Ala., Yamaha Logan Best, North Port, Fla., Yamaha Landon Gibson, Peachtree City, Ga., Husqvarna Caden Dudney went wire-to-wire to capture the Schoolboy 2 opening moto win. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports, Inc. Moto 1: Supermini 1 (12-15) & Supermini 2 (13-16) The Supermini class is the highest and most competitive level of the minibike division as up-and-coming racers begin to harness their talents and showcase the capabilities of these small motorcycles. Whenever the gate drops on a Supermini moto, it’s a must watch. The opening moto didn’t disappoint in showing the competitiveness of the division as the final results saw the top four finish within four seconds of one another. The race began with the Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green ride of Carson Wood out front with the STACYC Holeshot. Right behind him was Darren Pine and the new GASGAS MOB effort, followed by KTM rider Grant McDonald and GASGAS rider Dannyn Reed. Wood faced heavy pressure from Pine in the early laps but maintained his hold of the lead. However, Pine’s persistence paid off as Wood crashed out of the lead just before the halfway point and remounted in fourth. With first place in his grasp, Pine laid down consistent lap times and successfully managed a small margin over McDonald, while Reed lurked in third, ready to make a move if the opportunity presented itself. The gap between the leaders dipped under a second in the closing laps, but Pine didn’t falter and secured a tight moto win by just 1.2 seconds over McDonald, with Reed right behind them in third. Wood gained ground late to follow in fourth, while KTM rider Aidan Zing rounded out the top five. Darren Pine emerged with the win in a highly competitive Moto 1 in Supermini 1. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports, Inc. The action was similarly exciting in the opening Supermini 2 moto, which began with the KTM of Jace Baker secure the STACYC Holeshot, only to be passed initially by McDonald, who was then passed by second generation racer Vincent Wey aboard his Team Husqvarna Amateur Racing machine. The opening laps soon saw a captivating battle between Wey and Reed, who moved up to second, followed closely by KTM rider Brody Barth and McDonald. As Wey looked to inch away, both Barth and McDonald made the move around Reed. While Wey continued to lead, the other three members of the lead foursome continued to trade positions. That battle allowed Zingg to become the fifth player in the fight, with the California rider overcoming a drop down to 10th in the running order early on. As the race surpassed the halfway point the top three started to tighten up with Wey facing heavy pressure from both McDonald and Zingg, who were the two fastest riders on the track. With just a few laps remaining Zingg laid down the fastest lap of the moto to vault from third to first on the same lap and set sail through the finish, leaving both McDonald, who moved up to second, and Wey behind him. Zingg stormed to the moto win by 3.9 seconds over McDonald, while Wey lost pace late to finish third. Fourth place went to Barth, while Wood battled back from a 25th-place start to make an incredible charge to fifth. Supermini 1 (12-15) Moto 1 Results Darren Pine, Montgomery, Texas, GASGAS Grant McDonald, Cairo, Ga., KTM Dannyn Reed, Payson Utah, GASGAS Carson Wood, Zephyrhills, Fla., Kawasaki Aidan Zingg, Hemet, Calif., KTM Supermini 2 (13-16) Moto 1 Results Aidan Zingg, Hemet, Calif., KTM Grant McDonald, Cairo, Ga., KTM Vincent Wey, Murrieta, Calif., Husqvarna Brody Barth, Seymour, Wis., KTM Carson Wood, Zephyrhills, Fla., Kawasaki Aidan Zingg prevailed in a wild first moto for Supermini 2. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports, Inc. Moto 2: 250 Pro Sport As the wave of second motos got underway over the second half of Wednesday’s action it provided an opportunity to see the budding superstars of 250 Pro Sport return to the track. A dominant performance by Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies gave the New Zealander all the momentum for the second gate drop, but he ended up not factoring into the battle for victory. As the moto got underway, NSA Factory Yamaha Team rider Avery Long was at the head of the pack with the STACYC Holeshot. Long was able to maintain his hold of the lead early on, but a hard-charging Drew Adams, fresh off his Open Pro Sport triumph, had his sights set on tracking down the Yamaha. However, Adam went down and lost several positions, eventually remounting in sixth. Back up front, Long enjoyed a comfortable margin over his NSA Factory Yamaha Team teammate Leum Oehlhof but gave it up with a crash in the Ten Commandments. That allowed Oehlhof to take over the lead as Adams remounted in second. As the moto entered the late stages it looked as though it was going to be a head-to-head battle between the Yamaha duo. However, they made contact with one another and both fell to the ground. That opened the door for Adams, who had clawed his way back up to third, to seize control of the moto. Once out front with a clear track, Adams set sail and easily distanced himself from the field. The Tennessee native went on to wrap up a sweep of his two Wednesday motos, taking the checkered flag 3.5 seconds ahead of SLR Honda’s Parker Ross, who kept it on two wheels to capture a quiet runner-up finish. Long rebounded to finish third, with Oehlhof fourth. Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Enzo Temmerman was fifth. The Moto 2 victory vaulted Adams to the top of the 250 Pro Sport overall standings, tied with Long. The third and championship deciding third moto for 250 Pro Sport is scheduled for Friday. 250 Pro Sport Moto 2 Results Drew Adams, Chattanooga, Tenn., Kawasaki Parker Ross, Herald, Calif., Honda Avery Long, New London, Minn., Yamaha Leum Oehlhof, Oak Hills, Calif., Yamaha Enzo Temmerman, Visalia, Calif., Kawasaki Drew Adams went two-for-two with moto wins on Wednesday. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports, Inc. Moto 2: Senior (40+) After an exciting first moto saw Andrew Short prevail with the win aboard his KTM, all eyes were on the potential rivalry between Short and Munn Racing KTM’s Mike Brown as the Senior class returned to the track for Moto 2. A fall while leading the first moto proved to be a difference maker for Brown, who entered Wednesday determined to get back on top the podium. As the gate dropped to open the second moto it was indeed Brown who seized the moment to charge to the STACYC Holeshot and sprint away from Short and the rest of the field on the opening lap. Brown proceeded to establish a torrid pace through the first half of the moto, which allowed him to eventually build a lead of more than four seconds over Short, who kept Brown honest for several laps. As the moto wore on, Brown’s consistency allowed him to move further and further away from the field. His lead soon grew to double digits as wrapped up a convincing wire-to-wire performance to steal the momentum from Short, who finished nearly 13 seconds back in the runner-up spot. Finishing third was defending champion Jeff Emig, who once again was forced to battle his way forward from a start outside the top five. While the podium result is an improvement for Emig, he’s yet to have a chance at mixing things up with Brown and Short at the head of the pack. Honda rider Shane Kelleher finished fourth, while fellow Honda rider James McNeill rounded out the top five. With one moto win and a second-place finish for each, Brown and Short sit tied atop the overall standings after two motos. It will all come down to the third and final Senior (40+) moto scheduled for Friday. Senior (40+) Moto 2 Results Mike Brown, Bristol, Tenn., KTM Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM Jeff Emig, Riverside, Calif., Husqvarna Shane Kelleher, Cumberland, R.I., Honda James McNeill, Washingtonville, N.Y., Honda Mike Brown captured a wire-to-wire Moto 2 win in the Senior class. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports, Inc. 2024 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship Wednesday Winners 65cc (7-9): Beckham Smith, Canyon, Texas, KTM 250 C Jr. (12-17) Unlimited: Kaiden Vargas, Newcastle, CA, Honda 450 B Limited: Seth Dennis, Brooksville, Fla., KTM 85cc (10-12) Limited: Nolan Ford, Fairfield, Calif., KTM Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C: Owen Covell, Plymouth, Mass., Yamaha Senior (45+): Shane Kelleher, Cumberland, R.I., Honda 250 C Limited: Sawyer Treadwell, Tecumseh, Okla., Husqvarna WMX: Kyleigh Stallings, Yukon, Okla., Kawasaki 65cc (10-11): Jaydin Smart, Berry Creek, Calif., Cobra Vet (30+): Brando Haas, Chesterfield, Calif., Yamaha 450 B: Diesel Thomas, Raymond, Neb., Husqvarna 125 C: Carson Asay, Vancouver, Wash., KTM 85cc (10-12): Braxtyn Mes, Temecula, Calif., Husqvarna 65cc (7-9) Limited: Maverick Gresham-Lewis, Yuba City, Calif., GASGAS Mini Sr. 2 (13-15): Dane Pappas, Livermore, Calif., GASGAS 450 C: Jason Norwood, Howell, Mich., Husqvarna The post 2024 LORETTA LYNN AMATEUR NATIONALS, DAY 2 appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. 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The dragons have been slain. Going forward, the biggest issues for dual-sport bikes have nothing to do with weight, suspension, power or any kind of performance. Today’s street-legal dirt bikes aren’t all that different from full-blooded cross-country bikes. What’s left? Price! Who would have guessed that we would ever have to pay $12,000 for a dual-sport bike? That’s what makes the Honda XR150L special. It’s a legitimate dual-sport bike that’s approved by every government agency that has a say in the matter, and it sells for $3099. You could have four of them for the price of one Husky dual-sport. The 2024 Honda XR150L sells for $3099, making it the most affordable, legitimate dual-sport bike in the U.S. Even the Yamaha TW200 is $2000 more expensive. We installed DOT-approved knobbies on our test bike. The stock tires are very pavement-oriented. The drum brake is decidedly old school but gets the job done. TURNING BACK THE CLOCK There are motorcycles that cost less than the XR150L, and some of them have all the equipment to look street-legal. Most are fake. In order to be legitimate on the street, a bike must be approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation. Some states will issue a license tag for virtually anything, but they leave it to local law enforcement to sort out legitimacy. Very few of the imports from mainland Asia have actually gone through the expensive and time-consuming certification process required by the U.S. federal government. The Honda XR150L has, and somehow it’s still less expensive than most of the purchase-online counterfeit dual-sports. It’s easy to see where Honda shaved production costs. The little XR uses technology from 30 years ago. It has an air-cooled, two-valve motor with a real-live carburetor. Don’t ask us how that slipped by. The rear wheel has a drum brake, and the suspension is non-adjustable. It does have electric start, a six-speed gearbox and a hydraulic front disc brake. If you want to jump in a time machine, you can go back to 1995 and pay $3149 for a Suzuki DR125ES with most of the same features. The most important factor in the Honda’s price tag is the place of manufacture. It’s assembled 1000 miles south of El Paso at Honda of Mexico. So are a number of Honda’s small-displacement street bikes and several automobiles. It’s still a Honda with all the same checks and balances as anything made in Japan. WHEELS AND GEARS No one expects to get a premium dual-sport bike for $3000. Not these days. So, you have to adjust your expectations. The XR150L is cheap transportation that happens to be capable of off-road excursions. The XR has performance that’s similar to a Yamaha TT-R125, but with considerably more weight. It comes in around 270 pounds without fuel, whereas most small-bore four-stroke trail bikes are about 200 pounds. You have to plan all your off-road adventures with that in mind. Hard-core trail riding and racing are off the table. If you accept those limitations going in, the XR performs extremely well. The motor is a little gem. It fires up instantly with the touch of the button and doesn’t need nearly as much warm-up time as most small-displacement four-strokes. We didn’t know that carburetors were capable of this. The motor runs without missing a beat to about 9000 rpm and produces around 12 horsepower. If you’ve been around for a few years, you remember bikes like the Honda XL175, which had similar numbers in the mid-’70s. Compared to bikes of that era, the XR150L is capable of miracles. It tops out at 70 mph, so it can keep up with highway traffic. And, it’s a six-speed, so it has gearing that allows trail riding as long as the hills aren’t too steep and the ground isn’t too soft. Plus, the bike is truly comfortable. The seat height is an honest 32 inches, even with a thick, cushy seat. The technology might look like it’s straight out of the ’70s, but the XR runs much cleaner and starts more easily than the four-strokes of that period. DOS AND DON’TS Here’s what you can do with an XR150L: —You can commute to work or school. —You can go on leisurely trail rides as long as you trade the stock tires for rubber with real knobbies. —You can put it on the bumper of your motorhome for transportation around the campsite. —You can go over 70 miles on a gallon of gas. —You can get away with very little maintenance. Nothing will break, but you might have to charge the battery and oil the chain. —You use it for transportation in the pits at the track. —You can sell it for almost as much as you paid in two or three years. Here’s what you shouldn’t do with the XR: —Don’t try to keep up with full-time off-road bikes. The weight and ground clearance are the two biggest limitations, followed by suspension and—oh, yeah—horsepower. —Don’t go hill-climbing. The stock tires are too street-oriented, and the stock gearing is too tall. On the flip side, the clutch can deal with surprising abuse and doesn’t fade. —Don’t jump anything. Again, the bike will put up with abuse, but make no mistake, jumping more than a few feet on the XR is abuse. We don’t understand how some street-legal bikes are allowed to have carburetors and others aren’t. It has something to do with fleet averaging. ALONG FOR THE RIDE We love the XR. It gets thrown into the truck for almost every race and photo shoot. Clearly, you have to measure the XR150L with a different standard. Back in 1973, the editors of Dirt Bike pictured a Honda XL175 in a pigpen and made it the brunt of jokes. Today, we would love to have an XL175 back, especially if it sold for the same price it did back then. The XR150L isn’t that cheap, but, adjusted for inflation, it’s close. And, in 2024, that’s what we need more than longer suspension travel and more horsepower. 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With the support of the AMA and MX Sports, 1st-10th place winners from ten classes at the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Championship July 28 -August 3, 2024 can earn funds toward educational expenses. This includes tuition for any private K-12 school, vocational, or college tuition. Funds from generous donations within our industry are transferred into individual 529 education plans. Scholarship Race Classes Micro 2 (4-6) Limited, Micro 3 (7-8), 65cc 7-9, 85cc 10-12 mod, Girls, Schoolboy 1, Schoolboy 2, College, 250 B Mod, 450 B Mod Payouts 1st – $350, 2nd – $300, 3rd – $250, 4th – $200, 5th – $150 6th-10th – $100 Donate Here Photo Courtesy SuperMotocross League 1st place podium checks will be held high at the final moto thanks to Yamaha Blu Cru, MX Sports, 6D Helmets, Pro Circuit, Canvas and On Track School. We would like to thank our sponsors who helped make this event possible and look forward to earning more community support for our student athletes. The post SCHOLARSHIP RACING AT LORETTA LYNN’S appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine. Просмотреть полный текст статьи