Transworld Motocross March 2017

“YOU DON’ T KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING UNT I L YOU RE AL I ZE WHERE YOU’ VE BEEN.” —ENGL ISH PROVERB It’s hard to believe that we are in our 17th year of putting together TransWorld Motocross magazine, and even harder for me to fathom the fact that this marks my 27th year of being a professional fun-haver. I mean, sure, working as an editor in the motorcycle industry is a lot of hard work, but I’ll never take the fact that I make a living around dirt bikes for granted. The media world has changed drastically since I began my career at Cycle News back in 1990, and contrary to what one might assume, technology has actually made my job much more difficult. How so? In my Cycle…

As Eli Tomac enters his third full season in the premier 450 class, he’s not only older and wiser, but stronger and more comfortable, as well. The Colorado native struggled to adapt to his new Monster Energy Kawasaki KX450F in the first half of 2016, and that process wasn’t made any easier by a pair of recently repaired shoulders that were not up to full strength yet. By the end of the season Tomac looked much more at home aboard his green machine, and it was obvious that he and his Brian Kranz-tuned KX450F had finally gelled together. With a four-moto sweep of the two United States MXGP rounds plus the overall win at Monster Energy Cup, Tomac is undoubtedly one of the heavy hitters coming into 2017. We caught…

Robert Marmolejo Age: 51 Hometown: Corona, CA Sponsors: Summit College, Factory Backing, DR.D, ProTaper, Spectro Oils As motocross racers, we all know the condescending looks shot our way by medical professionals when we’re in the emergency room. That is unless you’re in the X-ray room at Corona Regional Hospital and Robert Marmolejo is shooting your films. A regular competitor at TWMX Race Series events, Marmolejo is a lifelong rider and racer, and motocross is a very big part of life for his entire family. “Riding is a family affair for my wife, two daughters, and me,” he says. “Whether it’s weekend trips to the desert with friends, racing or riding motocross on the weekends, or attending the local Supercross and motocross Nationals, we all love it.” Marmolejo credits Summit College—a…

YT Industries Jeffsy CF Pro One of the hottest brands in mountain biking as of late is the German brand YT Industries that takes a consumer-direct approach—without distributors and retailers—so as to maintain a moreaffordable price tag. The brand is best known for its popular downhill and enduro bikes, but in 2016 it debuted an exciting new trail bike dubbed the Jeffsy. Equipped with 140 mm of front and rear travel, the geometry of the 29er is aggressive to say the least. The build of the bike is impressive and especially so when you consider the price tag of the top-of-the-line CF Pro is only $4,499. On the trail the first thing we noticed about the Jeffsy was its weight, as it combines strong but exceptionally light components to go…

Price: $595 What It Is The Sidi Crossfire 3 SR is the latest version of the brand’s wildly popular Crossfire off-road boot, with three key refinements. The SRS replaceable sole has been completely redesigned, and the panel is now smaller and requires much less hardware (four screws as opposed to 16). The adjustable calf system boasts a wider range of adjustment for riders with beefy calves and/or knee braces, and the internal gaiter has a longer Velcro adjuster. A redesigned ankle pivot system now features a “hard” limit of ankle extension in each direction to guard against hyperextension injuries. Hits • Thanks to the redesigned calf adjustment system, the boot is easier than ever to slip your foot into. We sometimes struggled to squeeze our heels through the ankle area…

Price: $39.99 (jersey); $109.95 (pant); $29.99 (gloves) What It Is Mayhem-Lite is O’Neal Racing’s mid-level line of motocross apparel, and it combines high-end materials, sublimated graphics, and anatomically designed cuts for comfort while riding. Both the pant and jersey are designed with minimal weight in mind. Hits • The cut of both the jersey and pant is generous and easy to move around in. We could drop both a jersey and pant size if we were more concerned with looking svelte. • The Mayhem-Lite pant doesn’t have stiff, bulky, rubber leg patches, and instead draws its design elements from sublimation. • The right leg of the pant is equipped with a leather heat shield to protect your leg from the hot header pipe. The left leg has a grippy denier…