Transworld Motocross February 2016

“I BELEIVE THAT CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE.” —WHITNEY HOUSTON This month, the TWMX Race Series held a really cool event, the inaugural TWMX Mini Major, which was a three-day national-caliber event just for kids on mini bikes. The small-bike classes at our race series have always been among the most popular, and I always get a kick out of watching the parents work with their kids on the starting line, then sprint to the infield of the track the moment the gate drops. While there will always be some out-of-line mini parents who take things way too seriously, it’s usually really pleasant to watch families interact at the races. I never had a mini bike growing up because my parents didn’t want me to get hurt on a dirt bike…

ELI TOMAC In October, four months after a merciless slam to the dirt at the Thunder Valley National in Colorado, Eli Tomac, for the very first time, walked into the Monster Energy Kawasaki race shop in Irvine, California. Assembled amongst the shop bays and the parts counters when the smiling, gangly 23-year-old entered the space were the men—most of whom were about to meet Eli for the very first time—who would soon serve as his most loyal friends as well as his closest confidants. Eli Tomac was there to meet his new team, see his new bike, and get his first true look at the reality of his new surroundings. With his presence, Tomac was making it official: He was now Monster Energy Kawasaki’s handpicked racer to make a run…

Longtime readers of TransWorld Motocross may recognize this month’s poster model, Nathia Blane, as this month she makes a return appearance some eight years after her TWMX debut. At the time, Nathia was working the front desk at Troy Lee Designs and attending cosmetology school. Nowadays Nathia works as a hair stylist in Temecula, California, but she still does a bit of modeling and is getting her feet wet in acting. She recently appeared in an episode of CSI: Cyber. You can follow her on Instagram @nathiablane. THE BIKE Our 2016 Kawasaki KX450F test bike has racked up nearly 50 hours on its hour meter and has served as a test bed for a ton of aftermarket parts and products. WP has made its Cone Valve fork and Trax Shock…

When it comes to a brand dedicated to American craftsmanship, Intense Cycles is a perfect example. Based in Temecula, California, they are builders of high-end mountain bikes with roots in competitive downhill racing. That doesn’t mean they don’t build exactly what you’re looking for— they offer models perfect for all types of mountain bike riding and racing. Their Spider 275A model, tested in their Expert Build trim, is a 27.5-inch wheelbase bike with the linkage and suspension setup all aiming toward a shorter wheelbase for a quick and responsive experience. Intense certainly achieved their goal, and upon the first ride we noticed how easy the bike was to navigate through the tight single-track trails we’re used to carving at our local riding spot. What’s great about the geometry is the…

OSET 20.0 RACING Price: $2,899 What It Is Oset is an American-born, UK-based company that produces electric trials motorcycles for kids. A few years ago we tested a tiny version that was equipped with 12.5-inch wheels, but we have been longing to get our hands on the company’s largest model, the 20.0 Racing bike. Equipped with 20-inch wheels and a 48-volt motor that cranks out 1,200 watts of energy, the 20.0 Racing bike is ideally produced for kids ages eight to 12 years old, but it’s realistically large enough to be ridden by adults. Why an electric trials bike, you ask? Because it’s silent, so it can be ridden virtually anywhere! Any time spent on two wheels can be considered cross-training, and we’ve been able to entertain ourselves for hours…

It’s pretty obvious that motocross has evolved way past the two-stroke era, and racing at the highest professional levels will move forward with four-stroke technology. This doesn’t change the fact that there are still two-strokes being raced and ridden globally, all the way down to the grassroots amateur level. Heck, most kids learn how to ride and race aboard 50cc, 60cc, 80cc, and 125cc two-stroke machines before jumping to the next competitive level bike, a 250cc four-stroke. There’s certainly a transition period for anyone who must go back and forth between the styles of engine and their inherited handling characteristics. While filming our latest video release, aptly named TransWorld Motocross Premix, we did a segment with a talented rider named Sean Collier who has gathered a cult following based on…