Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2017 i Transworld Motocross

Over a decade ago, I almost walked away from TransWorld Motocross. A friend of mine owned a high-end wheel company and wanted to launch an automotive lifestyle magazine and asked me to partner up with him. Granted, I am no big-rim baller, but at the time the opportunity seemed fresh and exciting. As I had done with TransWorld Motocross a few years earlier, I suggested that we create a condensed sample issue to distribute to potential advertisers and subscribers, and we set out to gather content on weekends when I wasn’t working on TWMX stuff. I was pretty excited when I heard my first shoot would be with Snoop Dogg. Yes, that Snoop Dogg. I was instructed to be outside of “The Chuuch”—a home that was converted into a recording…

Evil Bikes is a smaller brand out of the Pacific Northwest, but their machines have a devoted following of MTB connoisseurs. No model in their lineup was built to chase a trend or win a popularity contest. Their 29-inch trail-oriented Following stuck to its moderate 120 mm travel guns for 2018 while everyone else snuck an extra 10 mm of squish under their trail bikes. Meanwhile, the smaller-wheeled Calling combines moderate travel and aggressive geometry into a super-techy mischief machine, and the Wreckoning is essentially a 29-inch downhill bike in a portable, pedalable package. Evil Insurgent Price: $6,199 (SRAM X01 Eagle Build as tested) Frame: Carbon fiber Wheelsize: 27.5” Fork: Rockshox Lyrik 150 mm travel Shock: Rockshow Monarch Plus 150 mm travel Drivetrain: SRAM Eagle X01 1x12 Brakes: SRAM Guide…

While protecting yourself in the event of the inevitable crash is of utmost importance, there are seemingly unlimited options when it comes to the manner in which you do so. Different materials, designs, styles, and even technology can be had among the many offerings of riding gear, helmets, goggles, and boots offered by the aftermarket. In an attempt to help you make your choices for the new season, we’ve gathered the most popular offerings from the sport’s premium brands and have them all in one place for a visual feast of motocross goodness. Enjoy! THOR MX Prime Fit Jersey – $59.95, THOR MX Prime Fit Pant – $119.95, THOR MX Verge Vortechs Helmet | ECE– $299.95 THOR MX Draft Glove – $24.95 Answer Trinity Jersey – $74.95, Answer Trinity Pants…

SEARCH 2018 HUSQVARNA FC 450 ON TWMX.COM FOR EVEN MORE TESTING DATA It’s remarkable to see the progression Husqvarna has made in just a few short years. The legacy of the European brand was once tarnished due to the misaligned ideas of past parent companies, but now that it’s close to KTM’s global operation, things could not be much better. White bikes are now a staple at tracks around the world and have scored wins at all levels of competition. In fact, the FC 450, the marquee machine in the motocross line, was selected as our number-one bike of choice in our 2017 450 Shootout. There’s no denying that there are traits shared by the KTM and Husqvarna motorcycles, but a few small differences in comparative models have a large…

Every racer has one thing in common: the dream of winning a championship. It’s that single goal that drives them to spend countless hours training on and off the bike, testing parts on long, hot days, and traveling across the country weekend after weekend. Out of the many who lay it all out on the line to be the top racer in the class, only one will be crowned champion. Looking at the depth of each field and the sheer number of competitors, it’s no easy task to earn a number-one plate. Zach Osborne came into 2017 determined to make it his year, and he succeeded. Following Osborne’s Eastern Regional 250 Supercross Championship, it was clear heading into the MX Nationals that he would be a contender for the 2017…

SEARCH 2018 SUZUKI RM-Z450 ON TWMX.COM FOR EVEN MORE TESTING DATA Back in April we journeyed to the All Japan National MX Championship series opener at Kyushu Sportsland in Kumamoto, Japan, and saw what was ultimately a great preview of the 2018 Suzuki RM-Z450. Piloted by former All Japan National Champion Yohei Kojima, the factory Suzuki RM-Z450WS featured the same all-new bodywork and chassis that found its way onto the production machine that will arrive on Suzuki dealership floors in September. The most obvious change made to the 2018 Suzuki RM-Z450 is the all-new chassis and bodywork. Both the new frame and swingarm were redesigned with the target of maintaining Suzuki’s traditionally excellent handling and cornering characteristics. The chassis itself is thinner and features new cast and extruded aluminum frame…

As Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac prepared for the final two motos of the year at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana, the 24-year-old was thrilled and determined to win the first major 450cc championship of his career that Saturday afternoon. He wasn’t alone either. A multitude of people affiliated with Kawasaki, a brand that loves to win, were extremely excited about the potential of winning a title. Taking all of this into account, there was a razor-sharp focus on the 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. After all, there was a lot on the line for Tomac, and everyone involved in his his program wanted to see it pay off. At the end of the day, though, it would all come down to Tomac to bring it home. “It’s cool…

THE BIKE Dubya USA is known best as the supplier of high-quality aftermarket wheel sets to the majority of the top racers and freestyle riders in the sport. As official importers and distributors of Talon, Kite, D.I.D, and Excel, they have everything you could ever wish for when it comes to building a strong set of hoops. Believe it or not, this Suzuki RM-Z450 is the Dubya USA shop bike, and in addition to having everything cool that they work with bolted on it, parts from Yoshimura, Works Connection, Hinson Racing, SDG Innovations, Pro Taper, and more were added to make this the coolest Suzuki we’ve seen in a while. THE MODEL Kelsey Sliwinski is a veteran when it comes to #twmxpinup experience—this is her fourth appearance within the pages…

▪ It was hard to miss the progress RJ Hampshire made in the final half of the 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. The talent possessed by the GEICO Honda rider had always been evident, but small issues on the track kept that from being reflected in the results. Late in the summer, Hampshire became one of the fastest riders in the field on any given weekend and battled for positions near the top of the running order, then capped off his year with a stunning 1-1 performance in the MX2 class at the MXGP of USA in September. What was the reason for the rapid improvement? Hampshire made it clear that sweeping changes to his program were the key, and he was open to explaining what was needed to…

SEARCH 2018 KTM 450 SX-F ON TWMX.COM FOR EVEN MORE TESTING DATA The 2017 KTM 450 SX-F finished second in our annual 450 MX Bike Shootout, bested only by its counterpart, the Husqvarna FC 450. A few months later, the 2017 Factory Edition 450 SX-F was released, but unlike previous FE bikes, it featured only a handful of small refinements: improved suspension settings; a larger, more-powerful battery; and race team–replica graphics. Following tradition, those changes found their way onto the 2018 450 SX-F. We’re not shy about our dislike for the “new age” air forks that have graced nearly every motocross brand in recent history, save for Yamaha. That said, the WP AER 48 fork equipped on the KTM and Husqvarna motocross bikes stands head and shoulders above the rest.…

SEARCH 2018 KAWASAKI KX450F ON TWMX.COM FOR EVEN MORE TESTING DATA For 2018, the Kawasaki KX450F returns without change, and that’s really not such a bad thing. After all, last year’s model claimed third place in our 450cc shootout and was an all-around solid platform. Highlights of the latest KXF include a 12.8:1 compression bridge-box piston, DFI couplers, push button–activated launch control, and adjustable pegs and handlebars. The Showa SFF TAC Air fork, 270 mm front brake, and slimmed chassis once again grace the new bike. Combined, these features make for a solid package with only a few minor areas of complaint. The KX450F has always been known for its strong, race-ready engine, and the 2018 KX450F meets those expectations easily. While it’s not the horsepower king of the class,…