Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2017 i Transworld Motocross

TAKE CARE OF ALL YOUR MEMORIES. FOR YOU CANNOT RELIVE THEM. —BOB DYLAN As I rounded the corner before the finish line jump to start my second lap, my forearms were already pumped, my heart was racing, and you couldn’t have fit a dime in between my butt cheeks. After 11 years, my first motos back aboard my trusty old 2006 Suzuki RM250 two-stroke were far from as amazing as I remember them being, and I wondered to myself how in the hell I expected to race the MTA Distributing Two-Stroke World Championship at Glen Helen in only four short days. Although I grew up riding and racing two-stroke dirt bikes, it had been well over a decade since I spent any serious amount of time riding a motorcycle that…

Price: $1,299.99 Application: 2017 Honda CRF450R What It Is Without a doubt, the most highly anticipated bike of 2017 is the all-new Honda CRF450R with its new chassis, powerplant, and suspension. Traditionally, the crew at FMF Racing is the first to have a high-performance aftermarket exhaust, thanks to both the tireless efforts of Don Emler in the dyno room and the brand’s exceptional relationships with all the manufacturers. In the new red rocket’s case, however, FMF seemed to delay its release of the Titanium 4.1 Megabomb System, even though the Gariboldi Honda team has been running them in the MXGP series. Turns out it wasn’t a lack of successful R&D that delayed the system’s release; FMF used the all-new bike to redesign the shape of its dual-muffler cans and give…

Price: $129.95 What It Is Let us start by saying the staff of TransWorld Motocross believes in investing in the highest-quality helmet possible, as motocross is a dangerous sport that can result in serious injury or death. A high price tag doesn’t always guarantee exceptional protection, though, as helmet safety theories vary greatly among every helmet manufacturer. That said, we encourage readers to do their own research and invest in the protection they believe in. Normally, we will not evaluate entry-level or pricepoint helmets, but in this instance we were impressed with the Vemar Taku before we even realized that it carried a $129.95 price tag. The helmet carries ECE 22.05 and DOT certifications, and its shell is made of ABS (or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, a common thermoplastic material). Multi-density…

RIDER KYLE PUERNER Price: $3,599 (fork), $2,499 (shock) Application: All KTM and Husqvarna MX bikes (tested here on 2017 KTM 450 SX-F) ▪ On a production level, WP suspension components have made a gigantic stride forward in performance and design in 2017 with the introduction of the new AER 48 air fork that replaced the horrible WP 4CS fork. As it stands, the WP air fork is widely regarded as the best performing production air fork. On the aftermarket level, WP has offered a highly regarded kit suspension package that consists of a Cone Valve (spring) fork and a TRAX shock. We’ve had that package mounted on our Kawasaki KX450F test bikes for a couple years now and are in love with the performance of the fork and shock. Recently,…

RIDER TALLON LAFOUNTAINE ▪ Over the last decade we have seen many variations of the electric-powered motorcycle. Small, boutique brands like Zero have successfully manufactured a range of specialty bikes for various uses, and KTM even has their own take on the unique demographic with the Freeride line, which is not currently imported into the United States. But to date, only Alta Motors has designed a competition-ready machine for serious motocross and off-road activities, the Redshift MX. Designed and assembled in California’s Bay Area, the bike shares very few similarities with other bikes on the market—either gas or electric powered—and are in a full production schedule that makes them available for purchase to customers. The design of the Alta Redshift MX is what sets it apart from the competition. A…

Price: $749.95 The VX-Pro4 has been long regarded as one of the most protective helmets in the sport, and with its latest update in structural styling (new mouthpiece and vent intake and exhaust channels) and much-improved graphics offerings, it’s again become one of the most popular. Arai uses a rounded, compact shell for strength and safety. The helmet also includes improved ventilation, an emergency release system, and fully removable padding for easy cleaning. When it comes to overall helmet comfort, it’s really hard to beat the Arai VX-Pro4, as it envelops your head in luxurious padding—the comfort liner truly is the softest we’ve tried. One of the things we really enjoy about the VX-Pro4 is its ability to dampen wind and engine noise. A quiet helmet allows you to concentrate…

Price: $74.95 (80/100-21 front), $102.95 (110/90-19 rear) The Washougal II tire from Kenda is the newest generation in its line of intermediate off-road terrain tires. By using a dual-compound construction, Kenda is able to offer a blend of soft and standard compounds to achieve excellent traction for a wide range of conditions. Kenda also created an all-new rear tread pattern to expand the tire’s usability to cover a wider range of conditions, and we’ve enjoyed the Washougal II on everything from hard-packed fire roads to loose sand washes. powersports.kendatire.com…

▪ Where Vsevolod Brylyakov grew up and first began motoring around on a motocross bike, there were no motocross magazines or live Fox Sports broadcasts of the Monster Energy Supercross Series, and sorting out and finding any of the global motocross websites was basically impossible. Something of an island in the stream of motocross reality, Seva (as he is commonly referred to) was born and raised in Izhevsk, Russia, an industrialized metropolis of 627,734 inhabitants located on the Izh River in the Western Urals. The place is, literally and figuratively, as far away from the more vibrant motocross regions of the world as one can get. “The only guy I knew of when I was a kid was Jeremy McGrath,” Brylyakov said the week between the MXGP of Trentino in…

▪ Marc Marquez is known around the world as the three-time and reigning champion of MotoGP, an international series that is one of the most-watched forms of motorsports in the world. During the 18-round championship run that spans from late March to the middle of November, Marquez motors around famed circuits like Phillip Island, Mugello, and Assen aboard an incredible piece of machinery: the Repsol Honda RC213V. Skills and speed are necessary to excel on the 1,000cc four-cylinder beast, but Marquez and others in the class make it seem like simple tasks when the starting lights go out on a Sunday afternoon. Due to a strict rules package set in place by Dorna—the promoters of the series—riders and teams are limited to riding their race machines only on events weekends…

Price: $699.99 Application: All four-strokes (tested here on 2017 Suzuki RM-Z450) What It Is Bill’s Pipes has been in the high-performance exhaust game for over 40 years, and its line of RE13 four-stroke exhausts target racers who are looking for high performance, exceptional durability, and great value. The RE13 system is made of stainless steel with an aluminum muffler can and a carbon fiber tip. Hits • The RE13 header pipe and resonance chamber are tucked in nicely and do not burn your boot or pant leg. • The fit between the header and muffler is precise and seals nicely. • The exhaust note of the RE13 muffler is deep and authoritative, without being overly loud, and power is improved from the middle of the powerband on up. • With…

Our annual pilgrimage to the homeland of Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha is like any other hunting expedition: You never really know what you’re going to get until you’re there. There have been some trips that yielded huge bounties—it was at the All Japan MX Nationals that we first saw the original Yamaha YZ250F, Honda CRF450R, Kawasaki KX450F, and Suzuki RMZ450, and also got the first peek at developments like Honda’s dual exhausts and Yamaha’s rearwardfacing engine—but there have been some journeys that we came home empty-handed. This year’s kickoff at Kyushu Motorsports Park in Kumamoto, Japan, gave us a sneak peek of what to expect from Suzuki and Yamaha in 2018, as well as a hint of what’s to come from Honda in 2018 and beyond. The lack of…

Back in the day, the White Brothers Four-Stroke World Championships was a one-off event that was highly regarded as one of the most laidback and fun events of the year in SoCal. For one weekend, the track was taken over by oddball machinery that mostly consisted of converted off-road trail bikes, with the occasional hand-built work of art thrown in. Through the years, guys like Rick Johnson, Johnny O’Mara, Donny Schmit, and even Jeremy McGrath headlined the race, long before the valve-and-cam machines of today took over. “It was always an amazing time,” Tom White of White Brothers fame says. “The small companies like White Brothers, Pro-Tec, and more would build these exotic handmade race bikes out of four-stroke trail bikes and show up to the race with them under…

Price: $114.95–$142.95 Plastic skid plates are some of the best protection you can add to your bike, and Moose Racing has you covered with their Pro Skid Plate. Each skid plate is built using a 6 mm thick, flexible highdensity polyethylene. This construction is 40 percent lighter than 4 mm aluminum and reduces the vibration associated with metal skid plates. The flexibility of the material also helps absorb impacts and won’t damage engine cases. Moose includes mounting hardware and complete installation instructions specific to each bike. mooseracing.com…

Price: $37.95 The 2017 Honda CRF450R and CRF450RX are two of the most exciting new bikes of the year. Changing oil on them, however, can be a messy affair because of their massive drain plugs that allow dirty oil to gush out of the case the second the drain plug is removed. Works Connection has invented a way to make oil changes simpler with its EZ Oil Drain System. Simply lean your Honda on its side, remove the drain plug, and install the EZ Oil Drain System. Next, prop your Honda upright, center a container below hightemp silicone hose of the EZ Drain, and release the clamp to start the oil flow. This is definitely one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” products. worksconnection.com…

Swade Snetsinger Age: 18 Hometown: Nuevo, CA Classes Raced: 250 and 450 Novice Sponsors: Mom and Dad ▪ The TWMX Race Series has been visiting some of Southern California’s best motocross tracks since the series came to be back in January of 2012, and since then we’ve seen our fair share of newcomers not only to the TWMX Race Series, but to motocross racing in general. Swade Snetsinger fits into this category, as his first gate-drop didn’t come until he was 15 years old, which is considered by some to be a relatively late start. “I asked my dad if I could race dirt bikes when I was younger, but he said, ‘No, nothing with a motor, yet,’” Snetsinger says. Although he learned how to ride a dirt bike at…

GT Pantera Elite Price: $1,300 Frame: Aluminum Wheelsize: 27.5” Fork: RockShox FS-Recon Silver RL-B1, 120mm Travel Drivetrain: SRAM SL-NX-1-A1 11-speed Brakes: SRAM DB-Level Tires: Schwalbe Rocket Ron Performance 27.5 x 2.8” gtbicycles.com ▪ The benefits of cross training for motocross on a mountain bike are unquestionable. In addition to getting an excellent cardiovascular workout, the skills required to navigate a trail on a mountain bike are very similar to those needed to go fast on a dirt bike. And best of all, training on a mountain bike is fun and easy to become addicted to. Since launching the MTB Madness section, we’ve tested lots of high-end mountain bikes that carry price tags that rival those of motorcycles. Truth be told, that’s what most manufacturers opt to provide for testing, as…

Price: $299 Application: All Japanese bikes (tested here on 2017 Honda CRF450R) What It Is The Magura Hymec Hydraulic Clutch kit replaces the entire cable actuated clutch mechanism of Japanese bikes and replaces it with a sealed hydraulic system that bolts on in a matter of minutes. A hydraulic actuation system eliminates the need for mid-moto cable adjustments, as it maintains a constant pressure point and automatically adjusts for clutch fade and plate expansion. Hits • Installing the Magura Hymec Hydraulic Clutch takes only a few minutes. Removing the bike’s fuel tank to route the hose where the clutch cable was is the most involved part of the process. • The clutch pull on our 2017 Honda CR450R was—as it has been on big red bikes for years—almost offensively stiff.…

GEICO HONDA’S CHRISTIAN CRAIG ▪ While berms and ruts are the norm for most motocross tracks, there is almost always a flat corner or two that can cause problems for many riders. Without a surface to lean the bike into, balance and throttle control are critical to successfully executing a flat corner. Honing these skills can not only improve lap times, but also keep the bike rubber-side down. For this reason, we turned to a guy with one of the smoothest riding styles: GEICO Honda’s Christian Craig. We watched Craig flow through this flat corner on the private Honda Supercross track in Corona, California, flawlessly, lap after lap, so we asked him to share some pointers with our readers. First And Foremost: If there was a rut, there’s something to…

♠ The path to becoming a professional motocross racer is a long and trying one for any athlete in the game. Of the countless racers that come and go, only a select few claim victory at the highest level of competition. For 21-year-old Jordon Smith, his entire life’s work recently culminated under the lights in Detroit, Michigan. Through a series of calculated gambles and a lot of hard work, Smith turned his dream into reality. We sat down with the friendly North Carolina native after a long day of summer outdoor testing to discuss what it’s like to grow up on dirt bikes, achieve his dream ride and turn pro, then leave a two-year contract extension on the table to find success aboard another brand of motorcycle. There’s no guarantee…

Hometown: Ithaca, NY Years Wrenching: 12 Rider: Cole Seely Past Riders: Steve Hatch, Blake Wharton, Tommy Weeck, Jacob Hayes, Justin Brayton ▪ With roots in upstate New York, Team Honda HRC’s Rich Simmons grew up around dirt bikes but never lined up to race. “I just rode, never well though,” Rich says with a laugh. Introduced to dirt bikes through his childhood friend and New York legend Paul Carpenter, Rich almost strayed away from the sport for good until he got the bug again and decided to pursue a career in motocross. “I kind of got out of it for about four years and then I realized how much I missed it, so I went to MMI out in Arizona,” he says. Flash-forward to graduation, and Rich linked up with…