Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i Transworld Motocross

“THE LANGUAGE OF FRIENDSHIP IS NOT WORDS BUT MEANINGS.” —HENRY DAVID THOREAU In addition to an unbelievable career, one of the best things that motocross has given me is a lot of great friendships. Motocrossers are a special breed, and that usually means the sport consumes you. Most of the guys I know ride on Saturday, race on Sunday, work on their bikes on Monday and Tuesday, and somehow find a way to sneak away for a midweek moto, too. If you’re a real moto dude, everything else that you do revolves around riding or racing, including your other hobbies. One of my favorite guys to ride and race with is Masa Shirotani, or “Video Masa” as he’s known best. I first met Masa years ago in Japan while attending…

When it comes to experiencing the goodtimes culture of motorcycle racing, Red Bull’s Day In The Dirt is what many consider the epitome of just that. Often referred to as the “MX Woodstock,” the event is best described by race founder and director Kenny Alexander as “a big party broken up by a couple of races.” We think that anyone who has attended in the past would agree that this is a perfect description! The race falls on the weekend after Thanksgiving and is one that you must attend to truly appreciate. Families, pro racers, Hollywood film and stunt professionals, grassroots racers, and a fair share of motocross media make the pilgrimage year after year for a weekend of campfires, laughs, a few adult beverages, and plenty of racing action.…

Rider: Eli Tomac Hometown: Saugus, CA Years Wrenching: 12 Past Riders: Danny Smith, Josh Grant, Brett Metcalfe When you look to the highest levels of motorcycle racing, the mechanical perfection and build quality of a race bike is a work of art in itself. But the bikes aren’t just built to look good—they must be durable, too. Behind the scenes are guys like Brian Kranz who work tirelessly on these beautiful factory machines to assure that DNFs are nowhere in sight. With the emergence of the very fast Eli Tomac in recent years and the dominant fashion he’s won by, it’s evident that he, his motorcycle, and his mechanic, Kranz, are working in harmony. Tomac and Kranz have that special bond—so much so that Eli brought Kranz along for the…

We’ve all been there: It’s your first time riding a track, you’ve arrived with the sole purpose of crushing it, you’re sure that you’ll be the fastest of all your buddies, and then you see a jump that makes your tail go straight between your legs, immediately deflating your ego. Motocross can be scary, and that’s part of why we do it—it’s a rush to overcome that fear of a big booter. This is something every rider young and old has encountered at some point, and there’s nothing quite like launching a good-sized jump for the first time or claiming bragging rights of a big huck. Enter Josh Hill, the tutor for this month’s Skills section. Josh enjoyed a career that many kids dream of that had both highs and…

When KTM debuted its 350cc four-stroke motocross bike in 2011, it was easily the most intriguing bike of the year. Sized smack-dab in between the 250 and 450 SX-F models, people wanted to know if it rode more like a fast 250 or a slow 450, and we fielded hundreds of questions every time we took our test bike to the track. In Europe, Antonio Cairoli has proven that the machine can be dominant on the MXGP circuit after amassing five world championships aboard his 350 SX-F with relative ease. In the United States, however, the bike didn’t enjoy similar success, as then Red Bull KTM riders Andrew Short and Mike Alessi piloted the 350 SX-F in the 2011 Supercross series and Nationals with no success. The deeply tilled start…

Nick Wey Sponsors: Roy’s Cyclery, Giant Bicycles CRANK BROTHERS CANDY 11 PEDALS $450 Crank Brothers is famous for producing the lightest cross-country mountain bike racing pedals on the market, but the Candy 11 pedals are designed with a little more support and durability in mind. Featuring all titanium and aluminum construction with stainless-steel springs, the Candy 11 pedals possess a ribbed platform around the clip mechanism to provide added support and traction when you’re not clipped in. High-quality double-sealed bearings help keep the pedals spinning smoothly, and they also come with a pair of highquality brass shoe cleats. crankbrothers.com ALPINE STARS HURRICANE FUNCTIONAL JACKET $89.95 When is a jacket not any old jacket? When you’re mountain biking of course! In the saddle you need a jacket that will protect you…

YOU KNOW THE TYPE: tough as nails and as determined as all hell to get his way. Cooper Webb is a racer through and through, and what he may lack in natural talent, he more than makes up for with raw aggression and a never-say-die attitude that’s carried him to multiple race wins and one major championship thus far in his professional career. Some mistake his confidence for cockiness because he’s never been one to mask his distaste for defeat or downplay his intentions of winning, but Webb doesn’t have time to worry about such formalities—he’s too busy trying to figure out how to get better at his craft, and that craft is racing. You spent a lot of time during this off-season on the 450, which is great for…

Interstate 5 South winds through southern Orange County, California, and then it’s a straight shot down the 805 and into greater San Diego. An interchange onto Interstate 8 East passes through Hotel Circle and past the ancient and clapped-out Qualcomm Stadium before rolling straight on through El Cajon and into the Cleveland National Forest. Then comes a long stretch through the Imperial Valley—skirting the US and Mexican borders all along the way—before motoring through Coyote Wells and El Centro. Next up it’s the 111/Brawley Bypass and the California 78 East route where a big green mileage sign reads, “Glamis, 21 miles.” Twenty minutes later everything turns to sand and sagebrush, and it’s a right turn at the ramshackle Glamis Beach Store and a bumpy, rocky, pothole-filled ride into Wash 4…