Transworld Motocross November 2018

“THE ONLY SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE IS EXPERIENCE.”—ALBERT EINSTEIN Putting together the 2019 TransWorld Motocross 450 Shootout feature that you’ll find in this issue was quite honestly one of the first times in many years that I’ve enjoyed riding each and every one of the motorcycles in the comparison test. For us, testing began the day we took delivery of our first ’19 model 450 (the Kawasaki KX450 way back in June!) and came to a head a few days ago as we wrapped up the comparison with a full day of riding with six test riders and representatives from all six manufacturers on hand to fine-tune the bikes. In the end, it was the 2019 Kawasaki KX450 that came out on top of this year’s Bike of the Year contest,…

After a five-year stint in the MXGP series racing on circuits in the far-flung corners of Planet Earth, Thomas Covington is coming home when the final checkered flag flies in Italy. Born and raised in Alabama, the three-time Grand Prix winner has been a regular front-runner in the fiercely competitive MX2 class. The 22-year-old is slated to pack everything up and move from his current base in Lommel, Belgium, all of the way to the Inland Empire region of Southern California where he will ultimately begin training for the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Series. One thing won’t change, however, as he will remain a Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider when he crosses the Atlantic. “It’s a little bit sad, actually,” Covington said on the eve of the MXGP of…

The TWMX Race Series added a fresh new face in the Women’s Open class recently. Taylor Heiman is an accomplished off-road racer from Las Vegas who just started racing motocross, and she’s been making the trek to SoCal to compete in our events. If you’re an avid Supercross fan, you may recognize her from the Toyota Trucks Makeup To Mud profile that aired during the Supercross broadcasts. With Women’s class championships in both AMA Big 6 and WORCS, Heiman is an experienced competitor, but she is having a great time learning the ropes of motocross. “There are more girls involved in off-roading, but I love how motocross is a one-day affair,” Heiman said. “I like coming out to race the TransWorld series, because it has a different vibe. It’s super…

In 1987, Troy Lee was bit by the Jet Ski bug and started to spend his weekends in Lake Havasu. “I started painting helmets and Jet Skis for guys like Victor Sheldon and the PJS team,” Lee said. “At the river, everyone was into visors to keep the sun out of their faces, and these injection-molded plastic ones in particular seemed to be pretty popular.” Already in mass production with his aftermarket Troy Lee Designs helmet visors that were de rigueur in motocross, Lee decided to add a little style to the Havasu headwear, and the Troy Lee Designs Aero Sun Visor was born! “Like the motocross visor, I made the first versions by hand in my oven, and they were injection-molded later on,” Lee said. “I sold thousands of…

THE BIKE It’s no secret that we’ve been nuts about the 2019 Kawasaki KX450 ever since we first threw a leg over it back in June, and since then we’ve been excited to try different products that the aftermarket has developed for the all-new machine. First on our wish list was an aftermarket exhaust—not so much for performance, but for aesthetic reasons. The standard aluminum muffler is an eyesore, as its large rectangular mass looks like something that was designed more for a V-Twin flat track bike, not a 450cc MXer. FMF Racing was first to market with its Factory 4.1 RCT system, and in addition to looking better, it allowed the green machine to pull further in each gear and smoothed out the bike’s big low-end punch. You can’t…

Last year, Ryan Villopoto teamed up with Grays Harbor ORV in McCleary, Washington, to hold conduct the inaugural RV MX Summer Camp, a three-day riding camp that featured an exclusive track, highly qualified instructors, and plenty of off-track activities to keep the fun atmosphere of a true summer camp alive. This past August, Villopoto hosted the second-annual MX Summer Camp, and this one was even bigger and better. In addition to himself, Villopoto recruited former 125 Supercross and Motocross Champion Ivan Tedesco, 2010 250 Supercross Champion Jake Weimer, current racing superstar Adam Cianciarulo, EMX contender Darian Sanayei, as well as local pro racers like his brother Tyler Villopoto and Tommy Weeck, to help coach the 90 campers who attended this year’s event. Ranging from PeeWee racers to vet-class competitors, the…