Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2017 i Transworld Motocross

A few years ago, that was one of my good friend’s Facebook status posts. With a recently reconstructed knee on the mend, he was obviously in that bitter state of mind that most old dudes like us sink into when healing up. Of course, he ended up buying another motocross bike a few months later, rediscovered his love for racing, and promptly blew out his shoulder. He was more realistic through that recovery process, though, and he was riding again before we knew it. Not even a life-threatening battle with cancer could keep my friend away, and shortly after being declared cancer-free following several rounds of chemotherapy, he snuck out— without telling anyone—to the track to take part in one of KTM’s demo days. These days, he’s back to riding…

Name: Ciaran Naran Age: 16 Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA Classes Raced: 250 Intermediate, Schoolboy 2 Sponsors: Matrix, DVS, Monster Energy, Fox Racing, Arai, Dragon, Leatt, Next Components, ODI, Motocutz, Pod, FMF, Galfer Dunlop, Vertex, DT1, Nihilo Concepts, Motion Pro, Cometic Gasket, Hinson, Moto Tassinari, 3 Brothers KTM ▪ Ciaran Naran first took a liking to racing thanks to his father, but his initial interest didn’t come with a set handlebars. Ciaran’s father, Bharat, is well established within the auto racing industry, as he’s worked alongside some of the sport’s most notable figures. It was inevitable for Ciaran to become attracted to the fourwheeled side of racing, and it wasn’t long before he became a frequent sight at the local racetrack. Around the age of six, Ciaran really began to take…

The Intense Tracer is one of the most popular and iconic brands in the trail/enduro bike market, and for 2017, the bicycle has been completely redesigned with a longer wheelbase, slacker front-end geometry, and a steeper seat angle. The frame and suspension linkage are made of carbon fiber, and the bike is outfitted—front and rear—with Fox Factory suspension components. At the heart of the new Tracer is an all-new rearsuspension design employs a dual linkage system that allows for plush suspension action and smallbump compliance, yet a progressively firmer rate as the shock dives deeper into its stroke. The bike yields 160mm of travel up front and 165mm in the rear—more than enough to satisfy a motocross rider who is using mountain biking to cross-train and gain greater fitness. On…

THE BIKE Last month, we rebuilt our old 2006 Suzuki RM250 test bike, and since then it’s become one of the most ridden bikes in our garage. Our good friends at Bill’s Pipes have made huge waves in two-stroke circles with their trademark Cone Look Pipes, which are actually production, stamped, expansion chambers, striped with a gas torch to have the look of a handmade cone pipe. Talk about trick! We had to have one. While we were at it, we had the guys at N-Style freshen up our graphics, and we replaced the clapped-out stock seat with a completely new unit from SDG Innovations. billspipes.com n-style.com sdg-innovations.com THE MODEL Sarah Sinclair is a full-time model and actress from the Lone Star State whose schedule is regularly jam-packed with work.…

Rider: Pat Foster Ability: Pro Age: 39 Height/Weight: 6’1”, 185 lbs. Bikes Ridden: 2017 Suzuki RM-Z450 From a performance standpoint, the 2017 Factory Edition is largely the same as the standard 2017 model, save for the trick Akrapovic muffler and mild fork enhancements. However, the orange frame, anodized parts, factory graphics, and pleated gripper seat raise the bar considerably over the already excellent standard model. It’s definitely one of the coolest-looking bikes ever! On the track, I am so pleased with the performance of the new WP AER 48 forks. Not only are they smooth and supple on the smaller chop, but they are also are substantial enough to absorb larger hits without blowing through the stroke—both traits that are not typical of other air fork designs. Easily the best-performing…

There really is something for everyone in Husqvarna’s revived stable of two-wheel machines: small machines for the next generation looking for their way in, mid-sized bikes that appeal to the everyday rider, and high-performance pieces that only the elite will manage to master. The 2017 TE 150 falls right in the middle of that spectrum, but specifically for the off-road market. Built off the European brand’s competitive motocross platform, there are some tweaks that make it better suited for the trails than the track. Husqvarna’s single-cylinder two-stroke engine serves as the base of the bike. Hidden inside the case is a crankshaft that’s been balanced to reduce vibration and features a beefy ignition rotor that controls the low-end hit of the powerband. The wide-ratio sixspeed gearbox is set to control…

Ken Roczen was set to conquer the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross Series. His confidence was apparent from the moment he walked into Angel Stadium of Anaheim for the preseason press conference, dressed in a tailored suit while his competition sat in their standard team-issue garb, and was reinforced with a stunning 16-second margin of victory just a few nights later in the 450 main event. He doubled down on the dominance with a hard-fought win over Ryan Dungey at the San Diego round, but things came crashing down at the return to Anaheim for the third race of the year. A mediocre start shuffled the young German racer deep in the pack, and he fought his way through the field until a slight miscue in a rhythm section sent him…

To help support Jessy and his quest to walk again, visit road2recovery.com/ cause-view/jessy-nelson. Six months ago, my life was changed forever. I was racing at the Unadilla MX National, and I hit a track marker and crashed. Normally, they are supposed to blow away if they are hit, but this one was solidly staked into the ground for some reason. I clipped it with my handlebars and crashed instantly. I was knocked out for a little bit, but when I went to sit up, there was no feeling below my nipple line and my legs didn’t work. I believe that the bike had landed on my back, and I’m still scratching my head about that track marker. My first thought was that I hoped it was just a bad stinger.…

AUTO TRADER.COM/MONSTERENERGY/TOYOTA/JGRMX/SUZUKI’S JAKE WEIMER Be Aware: Knowledge of the track and its condition are important. You need to be able to adapt to the track as it breaks down over the course of the day. There is no one answer when it comes to picking a line, and it will vary depending on the situation. Knowing when to change up your lines is important because it’s easy to stay in the same thing, even if they’re not faster. Late in the race we will cut down further and further in a corner, but it can get too tight and it’s almost stop-and-go. The Right Rut: You want to look for the line that’s going to allow for the most amount of traction. The lines with the most amount of moisture…

During the summer of 2015, 17-year-old Austin Forkner began an odyssey that would see the sensational young racer wind down his celebrated amateur career and begin tooling up for what would be his imminent arrival into the professional ranks. After signing on with Mitch Payton and the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki race team, first came a program of relentless training, testing, and riding as a member of the Corona, California-based outfit. Next came the Arenacross series and his career trajectory picked up critical mass when Forkner entered—and succeeded in— the 2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. Only one key objective remained on Forkner’s mission to the highest level of the sport, and that was lining up behind the starting gate for the season opening round of the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross…

Hometown: Santa Cruz, CA Years Wrenching: 8 Rider: Jo Shimoda Past Riders: Yuu Hoshino, Toshiki Tomita, Kohei Ogawa, Jeff Pestana Like most dirt bike enthusiasts, Cameron Camera’s interest in motocross racing began at a young age and quickly evolved from a part-time hobby into a potential career path for the Northern California resident as he pursued the life of a professional motocross racer. Camera eventually turned pro, but like many other racers was faced with adversity in the form of injuries and lack of funds, so he was forced to walk away from racing. Camera then got a job as a riding coach and mechanic at MX Clinic, a local motocross school owned by Jeff Pestana, a former National motocross and Supercross racer and a mainstay test rider for Honda.…