Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2019 i Dirt Action

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH… The San Diego round of the AMA Supercross Championship delivered some horrendous conditions. Despite the best in the world battling the mud, slop and lime burns, athletes like Ken Roczen dug deep to keep their championship hopes alive. RIDE ALONG WITH ME The GoPro Fusion is an incredible tool for action sports. The 360-degree camera captured this epic photo of Aussie freestyle motocross rider Lance Russell throwing his KX450 around. This is the type of selfie we can get behind!…

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The Moto-9 Flex is the latest offering from helmet company Bell. Taking the race-proven Moto-9 and re-thinking the fit and build of the helmet has resulted in an even better top-of-the-line helmet. Bell have dubbed this the most advanced helmet they have ever made. By utilising the segmented liner from the Segment bike helmet, a more personalised fit was achieved while the three-layer impact liner has created a progressive energy management system. This is designed to absorb low-, mid- and high-energy impacts. Other safety features include the MERS (Magnefusion Emergency Removal System), Eject helmet system provisions and the Flying Bridge Visor system, which allows the visor to break away in the event of a fall. All these safety features are wrapped in some of the best-looking paint jobs on the…

The KTM 690 Enduro R is a curious bike. In a lot of ways it defies easy categorisation and I suspect that’s because it’s not a simple fit for the Australian market. On one hand we have a country that adores the big bore — the 500s and 300s continue to sell well year after year, so you’d not be far off the mark assuming that bumping the CCs up to 690 and calling it an Enduro would draw a crowd. But the 690 weighs some 40kg more than a 500 EXC-F and produces only around 10 horsepower extra, so on paper alone it isn’t clear that it should be considered alongside what we call enduro. So is it an adventure bike? Well, almost — except that the fuel range…

The CRF was the bike most riders professed to be surprised by. It’s fair to say most expected less from it, but to a man everyone came away impressed and keen to see what it was capable of over a longer term. As we’ve described before, the CRF405L is what Yamaha should have released as the WR450R (Yamaha Australia knows this), but Honda beat them to it. We have more choice in ‘race-ready’ bikes than we need and a hole where all the trailbikes used to be. This is a problem arguably caused by the Japanese, but to see Honda address it directly is encouraging and they’ve done it damn well. The CRF offers typically Honda-like ergos that are open and very ‘on-top.’ It’s a somewhat racey feel, borrowed from…

Having been one of the most consistent models of the last 10 years, the Kato always commands respect when it comes to shootouts. For 2019, the 450 EXC-F is as we’d always expect — a narrow bike with open ergos, excellent stock fittings and finish and a light feel. The engine output feels incredibly linear with a decent range from bottom to top, and without any glaring holes along the way. It’s not an exciting engine compared to the Yamaha — the stock mapping is all about traction and a very direct right-hand feel — but it’s probably easier for the majority to wrangle on a long day or in sections that push the skill levels. The WP XPlor suspension is well suited to general trail pace but suffers as…

This was an intense choice at times and one that almost pushed the magazine past deadline time. The Yamaha WR450F is our 2019 Enduro Shootout winner and when all opinions were gathered it had beaten out the Sherco and Husqvarna. What is perfectly clear is that across the seven models we tested from the most expensive to the least, from the most exotic to most basic, the choices are amazing and each have strong claims to be the right bike for a large number of riders. The Yamaha has developed a great deal in the last few years and the package of an amazing engine mated to a razor-sharp chassis and the class-leading KYB, backed up by not just the mapping switch but the smartphone app tuner, makes this perhaps…

“What do you mean you haven’t been to a Nitro Circus show?!” That’s how our conversation started. I have been to more events than I can recall since I started riding dirtbikes in 1998, but for some reason I had never ended up at a Nitro Circus live show. My buddy Kirby and his wife Ash were planning to take their two little legends and moto lovers, Hendryx and Jed, to check out the action, and were surprised that I have never been to this world-famous show. It’s not that I hadn’t wanted to go, it just hadn’t happened. So stuff it, let’s make it happen! FAMILY FRIENDLY As some may have read and seen in the magazine, I am the proud dad to Everly. She’s an 18-month-old Energizer bunny…

Introducing the Fasst Co Flexx Handlebar. After a long day on the trails or at the tail end of a 30-minute moto, wouldn’t it be nice to not feel any small bumps, vibration and harshness through the controls? I had been aware of Fasst’s unique handlebars for a few years but had always been reluctant to try them. With the Pro Taper Fusion my bar of choice, I began searching for a bar with more flex after fitting a set of aftermarket triple clamps to an RM-Z450. With the slight change in ergonomics, the new clamps served their purpose in updating the turning characteristics of the bike, but left me with sore palms and arm pump due to the increased rigidity. The Flexx handlebar system utilises a series of compression…

With the exit of Dean Ferris from the CDR stable, there won’t be a #1 YZ450F parked under the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy awning. However, you do have two riders with their sights firmly set on the red plate. The CDR Yamaha YZ450F has proven itself on the world stage and in the hands of Luke Clout and Kirk Gibbs, so 2019 proves to be an exciting year for Yamaha. “This is our second full season on the current-generation YZ450F and it’s a sensational bike with a great chassis and powerful motor. Our time isn’t spent trying to develop the bike a great deal but rather personalise it for the individual rider as the production platform is so good,” said team owner Craig Dack. “Brad, Aiden and Gary are able…

The 2019 Dakar was a little bit different but a whole lot the same. Held entirely in Peru, the 41st edition was the shortest Dakar on record and saw 137 bikes taking on 10 stages. But at the end there was a very familiar orange hue to the podium. KTM won its 18th straight Dakar, which is an insane stat. To win the toughest race in the world for damn near two decades in a row is the result of such an enormous effort that it boggles the mind. “The 1-2-3 may look easy on paper, but if you follow the Dakar and how difficult it was to reach this result it’s just amazing what our people are doing,” explained KTM Motorsport Director Pit Beirer. “The bike preparation, logistics, trucks,…

One thing that’s got to be made clear here is that the Husky and the Kato feel very little alike. Everyone felt this and while it’s not hard to see why with the linkage and bodywork etc, it’s still surprising to what extent they differ given the base is the same. The FE 450 also benefits from adjustable pre-load (no tools needed) on the fork, a composite subframe (30 per cent carbon fibre), and a ‘bar-mounted engine mapping and traction control switch as standard. It can’t be understated just how much the subframe, fork adjustability, linkage and separate engine mapping come together to give this bike a totally unique personality. In fact, just the pre-load adjustment alone is a big deal on the Xplor fork. The standard engine mapping feels…

Sherco has two models available with the Racing and Factory both on offer through dealers. As both are equally accessible — the Factory model is not a limited edition — and of course registerable, we allowed it to be the model chosen for the shootout. The caveat here is that it’s a lot more expensive than the Racing model and in fact one of the more pricey bikes in the shootout. The engine and chassis on the two models are the same, but for that extra money you get a heap of small-ish upgrades. The biggest differences to performance come from the Akrapovic exhaust and KYB suspension. It’s pretty amazing how far this brand has come over the last 10 years. There have been flashes of brilliance over time but…

01 Designed with lightweight thermoplastic shells, Conehead technology and a high-flow vent system, the Scott 350 Pro is packed with value and safety. 02 As Pirelli is supporting a range of Australian and world motocross and supercross teams, you can be sure that the product you purchase off the shelf of your local dealer is tested by the best. This tyre was specifically developed with AMA motocross and supercross riders. 03 A range of colours and styles, including the pictured matte white, ensures you have a helmet design to suit the tastes of just about every rider. 04 Removable, washable liners and cheek pads make for easy care between rides. 05 The Scott 350 Pro helmet offers a stack of features at an entry-level price, retailing for the very sharp…

Before last season I hadn’t raced in three years, but I can openly say I have the bug again! The travelling with the family, the fun atmosphere, the feeling of ripping a good start against 40 riders — it’s addictive. So for the 2019 Amcross series I wanted to race again and I wanted to be on a rocket, a red rocket. I put my hand up to ride at the 450 Motocross Shootout to get an idea of what each 450 was like and which one I would ideally like to compete on. I made my decision based on comfort. Each 450 on the market is good in its own right, but I got on the Honda and just felt at home without making a single change. The Honda…

It’s official: we now have our very own 2019 Yamaha WR450F here at DIRT ACTION and we’re loving every minute of it. Taking delivery of the all-new enduro weapon from Yamaha Motor Australia HQ right before Christmas, the timing really couldn’t have been any better. Following the official media launch in early December 2018 at Stroud in New South Wales, we were eager to jump back on the WR450F for multiple reasons. Obviously, it’s a super-fun bike to ride, but I really wanted to spend more time on the bike to dial it in further and fine-tune everything as much as I could. THE HERE AND NOW So where are we at currently with the 2019 WR450F? It remains in stock trim at this stage, but that’s really no big…

KTM FACTORY EDITION 450 SX-F KTM’s 2019 450 SX-F Factory Edition has been revealed, with the latest model featuring a host of upgrades over the standard model. Produced in limited quantities, the 2019 Factory Edition features an orange frame, factory Selle Dalla Valle seat and exclusive 2019 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing graphics to give the bike that factory look. In terms of performance, the bike receives a combination of updates throughout. The powerplant features a new CP box-in-box postion and PANKL connecting rod, which is paired up with an Akrapovic slip-on silencer. Orange anodised factory triple clamps are also fitted along with factory wheels with D.I.D. Dirt Star rims, a composite skid plate, factory start for the fork, semi-floating front disc, a front brake disc guard and an orange…

Australians love a big bore. Whether it’s a five-litre V8 or a lawn mower with a 454 big-block jammed in, we love our steak sangers big and our engines even bigger. The same goes for dirtbikes. Aussies love their big bikes and always have. The XR650 sold by the bucket loads, the Husky and Kato thumpers are everywhere and Husaberg has what might well be the best big-bore ever made on its hands. We spent some time on the bad boy to find out what it offered and whether we should all be upsizing. WEIRD OR WHAT You all know the story: the Husaberg was kinda good, then kinda crap and now it’s kinda weird but damn good. The engineers stepped back, reimagined the entire range and released what we’re…

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After receiving a host of upgrades for the latest model iteration, the Beta RR 430 stands tall against the competition in terms of stock fittings and spec sheet comparos. The bike has one of the more unique ergo packages that takes a little to get used to, with a natural sitting position a little further back than most but a good amount of room to move about and shift weight. The RR 430 revs up quickly and while it doesn’t feel as torquey as the Yamaha, Sherco, KTM or Husky, it is a lively and fun bike on the open grass-track section we had as part of our test loop. It’s not as aggressive as much of the competition and as such would suit somebody looking specifically for a more…

We’ve been asked a few times why the KLX450R was included in this shootout and the answer is simple: it’s one of the best big-bore trailbikes of the modern era. Twelve years old and largely unchanged besides graphics, it’s easily the granddaddy of the assembled crew, but nothing about how good it has been to date has ever been made irrelevant because it was built off a great base to begin with. The engine is lively and fun. Being carbyfed as opposed to EFI, it gives that feel that’s all but disappeared from modern machines; where you can really feel it doing its work, coming on and chugging or tapped-out. It revs up quickly and while it doesn’t pack the torque figures of the competition — this means it isn’t…

Yamaha swung for the fences with the 2019 WR450F. The advances on the previous model are clear, with a massive improvement made in stock engine mapping that produces far more useable power and calms what was an angry and largely pointless output that made single trail bloody hard work. Present too is a mapping switch to utilise when the need for less aggression becomes imperative. The seat height is mercifully lower and a larger tank has been fitted for greater range, and of course you can tune and change myriad engine parameters via the very clever smartphone app. We’ve covered the bike’s new design a heap in recent issues so we’ll concentrate on how it stacks up against the competition. The WR-F is more of a race bike than it’s…

Pain is a part of riding dirtbikes. Nobody gets out of this game without crashing, and from scraped elbows to broken bones, we all know crashing hurts. Taking a tablet to ease the pain is so commonplace that few of us ever stop to think of the effects the drugs we take in have on us beyond easing the discomfort. I’ve smashed so much ibuprofen in my life because it works on the smaller stuff, but there is plenty of research available now on the increased risk of heart attack and stroke (Federal Drug Administration), or even decreased levels of testosterone in men (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America) after prolonged use of ibuprofen as found in Nurofen and Advil. This can get…

Selecting your riding gear will usually be the next decision you make following the purchase of your weapon of choice. There’s a huge range of options on the market and it can be a daunting task heading into your local dealership to select your kit, so this is where we come in! Let’s take a look at the 2019 Techstar jersey and pant combo from Alpinestars and give you the rundown on all of the features. We’ll also take a look at how these features perform in real-life situations on trails, tracks and in varied weather conditions. The Alpinestars Techstar jersey is made for performance and has been created using a lightweight, vented poly-fabric main chassis for moisture wicking and a performance fit. It also features pre-curved sleeves, seamless collar…

BRAKING MARKER The very first step to worry about when you need to slow the bike down is choosing when to do so. Choosing the right moment to get off the throttle and on the brakes is critical; if you’re slowing for a corner, it’s the difference between nailing your line in the turn or shooting off the outside of the track. In motocross we don’t have braking markers on the side of the track giving us distance to the next turn, so you have to get creative and make your own. Look for anything that’s a fixed object; it could be a track marker, a tyre bundle or a specific bump on the track that can help you judge consistently where you need to get on the brakes. As…