Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2017 i Transworld Motocross

“FOUR-STROKES MOVE THE BODY, BUT TWO-STROKES MOVE THE SOUL .” —CRUSTY OLD GUY WITH AN ’01 CR250R AT MILESTONE MX This month we began production on our 2017 DVD movie release, Premix 2. Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last two years, you should already know that the original Premix featured today’s racers ripping around on two-stroke dirt bikes. I’m not sure when two-strokes became so popular again, but I do know that Premix is—to date—the best-selling movie I’ve ever worked on. A couple weeks ago I borrowed a very special motorcycle from my friends at Suzuki; it has a 2007 RM250 engine mounted inside a 2015 RM-Z450 aluminum chassis. A side project for fun by the guys in the R&D department, one can only fantasize that…

THE BIKE The MTA Distributing Two-Stroke World Championship was bigger than ever in 2017, and TransWorld Motocross fielded an entry in the LA Sleeve Pro Class with longtime test rider Tallon LaFountaine at the controls. Our 2017 Yamaha YZ250 test bike was bone stock five days before the gate dropped, but we managed to build it into a very competitive race bike in short order with the help of Jeff Springman at Bill’s Pipes. Springman dove into the engine and worked his magic, then completed the power package with a Bill’s Pipes Cone Look pipe, a Hinson Racing clutch assembly, Wiseco piston, and a Boyesen SuperCooler. LaFountaine’s sponsor, Race Tech, handled the suspension duties, and Factory Effex and SDG USA completed the aesthetics for us. Other important finishing touches included…

THE FOLLOWING INTERVIEW was done, for the most part, a few hours before what would be Chad Reed’s 221st career Supercross start. In the laid-back, grassy pit area, which surrounded Sam Boyd Stadium on the outskirts of Las Vegas, Reed sat with us and reflected on his remarkable tenure (read: longevity) in the sport. With a mood that was equal parts positive and reflective, the two-time Supercross champion was very cognizant, as well as comfortable with, the reality of his surroundings. Yes, while the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross Series was something of a whiteout as far as results go for the Yamaha racer, those inimitable and incandescent flashes of Reed’s speed and purpose burned bright on multiple occasions. In fact, enough so were these said occasions that one would be…

A few months ago during our annual pilgrimage to the All Japan National MX Championship opener in Kumamoto, Japan, we got an insider tip that returning to Japan for the third round of the series in Hiroshima would be a very good idea. As the race drew nearer, clues began to point toward a competition debut of a pre-production version of the 2018 Honda CRF250R. With no official factory 250-class effort in 2017, Honda HRC Japan’s team advisor, Takeshi Katsuya, would come out of retirement to race the all-new machine. With four All Japan IA2 Championships to his credit, the 37-year-old plays an important role in Honda’s race bike and new bike development, and certainly had the credentials to race the CRF. Upon arriving at Green Park Korakuen in Hiroshima,…

RD5 CAREER STATS 450 SX CHAMPIONSHIPS | 4 450 MX CHAMPIONSHIPS | 3 450 SX WINS | 3 4 (6TH ALL-TIME) 450 MX WINS | 3 9 (2ND ALL-TIME) 250 SX REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS | 1 (WEST) 250 MX CHAMPIONSHIPS | 1 250 SX WINS | 1 2 250 MX WINS | 7 CHAMPIONSHIPS | 1 2 (SX, MX, MXDN) TOTAL WINS | 80 450 SX PODIUM STREAK | 3 1 (1ST ALL-TIME) RACES MISSED | 1 2 ESPY AWARDS | 2 (BEST MALE ACTION SPORTS ATHLETE) * FIRST MOTOCROSS RIDER ON A WHEATIES BOX To be considered one of the elite riders in Supercross and motocross history is a rare honor held by only a select few. Of that group, it could be argued that Ryan Dungey has had one…

In stark contrast to the high speeds and aggressive nature of Supercross and motocross racing, observed trials is a category of off-road motorcycling in which speed does not matter. Although the discipline has gained some long-overdue exposure in recent years—thanks to the popularity of EnduroCross and its stars like Colton Haaker who cross train on trial machines—observed trials has remained, by and large, the most underappreciated form of motorcycling in the dirt. The El Trial de España is an annual two-day event hosted by the Southern California Trials Association (SCTA) that is widely regarded as the most important trials event on the West Coast. Two rounds of the local SCTA series are held on Saturday and Sunday, and the grand finale of the event is a pro rider exhibition that’s…

Motorcycle helmets have been around since the early 1900s, and in the past one hundred years or so, they have made incredible strides and advances in how well they protect our beautifully complex brains. Over the past two decades, however, a small group of passionate individuals based out of Sweden have been striving to perfect a way to further protect the brain from rotational force and strain when an impact occurs during a crash. From this small group grew MIPS, short for Multi-Directional Impact Protection System, and they are currently located in Stockholm. Their logo can be found on a variety of helmets, from bike helmets to motocross lids. We recently headed overseas to check out all of the information and technology behind MIPS, and the following pages dive deep…

Price: $75 (jersey); $199 (pant); $80 (glove) Troy Lee Designs is well known for its color designs and great riding gear. Each and every Troy Lee Designs product combines comfort, style, and quality into a great package, and their Radius Adventure line for off-road riding is no different. The jersey, pants, and gloves are race-inspired, but with the added functions and features necessary for riding off-road. One key feature to the jersey is the micro-mesh panels under the arms to improve ventilation. Airflow and ventilation are extremely important, especially for off-road. When it’s hot and dry—or the terrain demands low speeds—the last thing anyone wants is gear that doesn’t breathe well. The jersey comes in a bright orange color, with reflective logos and panels for even more safety. Even the…

Hometown: Bourneville, Ohio Years Wrenching: 10 Rider: Blake Baggett Past Riders: Levi Kilbarger, Darryn Durham, Ryan Morais, Andrew Short Nathan Alexander’s path to becoming a professional mechanic is quite different than others we’ve heard, and he may have eventually even found a job here at TransWorld Motocross had he kept up shooting and editing video. Growing up in Ohio, he was introduced to motocross through his uncle after the untimely passing of his father when Nathan was only 11 years old. Alexander first started to work on bikes by helping his buddy Nathan Skaggs maintain his privateer race bike, before later attending the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute. After graduation, he looked to find work turning wrenches, but he also enjoyed filming video at the same time and even created content for…

Name: Cade Matherly Age: 16 Hometown: Encinitas, CA Classes Raced: Supermini, Schoolboy Sponsors: Factory Connection, Sidi, 2XU, All American KTM, Split Designs, Matrix Beginning his journey in the world of motocross racing at the age of six, Cade Matherly took an interest in dirt bikes after being introduced to the sport by his father, Greg, who is a second-generation dirt bike enthusiast. Cade and his father are frequent TWMXRS attendees, as Cade has become a regular sight at the front of the pack at many of the rounds throughout the year aboard his Supermini. The kid from Encinitas, however, has recently made the switch to big bikes where he’s enjoying yet another new challenge. “The race pace in the big bike classes is a lot different than what I had…

Specialized Camber Expert 29 Price: $5,000 Frame: Carbon fiber with aluminum rear triangle Fork: Fox Float 34 Shock: Fox Float Performance Drivetrain: SRAM 1x11 Brakes: Shimano SLX specialized.com There are few ways to cross-train that are as effective as riding a mountain bike, and the most efficient bike to ride when climbing hills in search of superior physical fitness is a cross-country bike. Be it a hardtail or full-suspension XC bike, though, the shortcomings of said specialty bikes begin to glare when it’s time to go back down the mountain you just killed yourself climbing up. Although there are plenty of us who are willing to sacrifice the speed and comfort going down in favor of the efficiency going up, there is a category of bikes that can often do…

As much as we all love motocross, the fact remains that riding a dirt bike can be dangerous, and no matter how cautious and/or skilled you are, you are bound to hit the dirt sooner or later. We are huge proponents of safety equipment at TransWorld Motocross, and next to investing in a high-quality helmet and a good pair of boots, protecting your knees with a set of knee braces is at the top of our lists. Due to the side loads placed on a rider’s knees—and not to mention the twisting forces when dabbing a foot—while riding, injuries to the knee ligaments and meniscus are among the most common in our sport. If you’ve been unfortunate enough to have already suffered a serious knee injury, chances are good that…

In stock condition, the 2017 Honda CRF250R is a very good bike. Not excellent, not great, but very good. Blessed with a nimble chassis and superb handling characteristics, the bike is held back by an average engine that pulls great down low, has good midrange power, and lackluster top-end overrev. At the highest levels of the sport, GEICO Honda has their machines breathing fire, but in off-the-showroom condition, the bike is best suited for beginner and novice-level riders due to its relatively easy-to-ride, mellow powerband. Unless you’re a brand-new reader, you know that we are not huge fans of “new age” air fork technology. In addition to being a pain to adjust and monitor throughout a day of riding or racing, the performance of most air forks leave much to…