Indholdsfortegnelse for October 1, 2015 i Dirt Action

In the course of a year we test so many bikes we generally lose count at some point. From motocross and enduro to trail and adventure (even electric), we love nothing more than to get on a new-release machine and give it some stick. It’s even more special when we get the chance to test a factory race bike and, to choose one from the best we’ve ridden this year so far, it’s hard to go past Glenn Kearney’s Husqvarna. The testing process is different for each type of bike but we always try to find the best place and conditions — although with the scarcity of available motocross tracks around the country it’s getting harder to do that. We have a test team that’s been at it longer than…

This sport is made up of many different characters. Some are young and some not so much these days. Some are funny and others rarely smile. Some are salt-of-the-earth and some are complete tools. There are riders you know just need a bit of a break to get ahead, there are those who’ll win if you put them on a kid’s trike and then there’s the ones who won’t make anything out of all the effort that goes into being a pro rider, no matter what tools they’re given. That’s sport. But the commitment to being a pro racer, be it enduro or motocross, is undeniably greater than that needed to do just about anything else in life. Discipline and focus. Intensity and preparation. These aren’t words a banker or…

There’s no other sport on Earth like it. Motocross is a mix of style, grace, brutality and torture. It engages and at times dominates the senses as the sights, sounds and smells of a furious 450F or a 125 two-stroke work their magic. Once you’ve been bitten by the bug, there’s no turning back. It’s like a drug. A drug with a holeshot button. Australia has produced more than its share of world-class riders who’ve excelled both at home and overseas. Jeff Leisk, Chad Reed, Michael Byrne, Andrew Macfarlane, Craig Anderson, Mackenzie Tricker and Megan Rutledge are just a few of the names to find top results or title wins in Europe and the US. We now have two factory riders in MXGP, Todd Waters and Dean Ferris, both capable…

Should Caleb Ward be winning as much as he is? He doesn’t have the fastest bike, the biggest parts budget or the epic-sized semi-trailer. He’s a privateer with some very good and strategic help behind him and he wins simply by being the fastest and most consistent guy on the track. In 2014 he showed his speed but was put down by the negative side of this industry because he did it on a two-stroke. Well, in 2015 he’s proved he can win, and win well, on a four-stroke. Caleb is a good kid with an appreciation of what he has and what he needs to do to succeed. He spent a day with photographer extraordinaire Greg Smith and they captured some of the best riding images from 2015 thus…

Ask anyone who’s not totally into dirtbikes what they know about the sport and they’ll most likely have heard of Chad Reed. While Australia has had a proud history of riders heading to Europe or the US and doing well, Reed has gone so far beyond just doing well that there’s really no one else to compare him with — and the sheer length of his career is mind-blowing. Consider this: Chad won his first AMA title way back in 2002 (East Coast Lites). Some riders get maybe a 10-year career but Chad’s still considered a contender 13 years after he arrived in America. That’s not even taking into consideration the fact that he actually turned pro in 1998. Chad was a good yet inconsistent junior rider, but from the…

Is there any better way to spend your day than on your bike and in the bush? We think not. Trailriding is the lifeblood of the sport. It’s the entry point for most, an obsession for some and a career for those who take it to extremes. This country has more wide open spaces than most and it comes in three colours: brown, red and green. In comparison to exploring or trail hunting on a bike, the average four-wheel-drive owner will never take in all there is to absorb in the outback. Locked in the air-conditioned cab, they might have super-comfy, heated seats to keep them pampered all the time. But on a bike, tree branches give you five as you pass by, all the changing smells and fluctuations in…

We all know the feeling. You don’t really know where you are but you see the next corner up ahead and you just need to know what comes after it. Discovery and exploration: that’s adventure riding. Whether you’re loading up a bike for a long haul, hitting some mountain trails for a day to see what you can find or just visiting a favourite spot, it doesn’t matter; you’re doing it right. Adventure bikes come in all shapes and sizes and there’s less of a stigma attached to not owning the latest and greatest machine and gear than there is at a motocross track. A bloke on a 1991 Kawasaki Tengai can line up alongside a BMW R 1200 GS without question. If you’re heading in the same direction, the…

We venture down to the dark, damp basement of the DA office and fight off the cobwebs and remains of previous editors (Damo picked out his spot while he was there) to bring some of the coolest pics from the past back to the light. From RC to Price, Gall, Marmont and Everts, these beauties were dug out and placed lovingly on the page.…