Innehållsförteckning för August 2017 från Dirt Action

▪ Yamaha introduced the YZ400F into production in 1998 after a successful AMA season in 1997 ▪ In 1998, Doug Henry won the AMA National Motocross Championship aboard the YZF, becoming the first rider to win a modern-day championship on a four-stroke motorcycle ▪ The bike weighed in at 115kg, well above the weight of a 250cc two-stroke MX bike ▪ It was the first modern production four-stroke motocrosser aimed directly at competing against two-strokes ▪ This championship win turned out to be a glimpse into the future as the four-stroke, with its smooth, easy-to-use power delivery, became the bike of choice for both the racer and the everyday punter 1998 YAMAHA YZ400F SPECS ▪ Engine type: Liquid-cooled 4-stroke, DOHC, 5-valve ▪ Displacement: 399cc ▪ Bore/stroke: 92.0×60.1mm ▪ Compression ratio:…

You’ve just taken possession of your little one’s first bike. But now here comes the most important part of the riding journey: making sure your loved one is protected in the best possible way. Whether riding on a farm, on a friend’s property, in the backyard or at the local motocross track — no matter where you’re riding or who you’re riding with — having the proper safety and riding gear is a must. While it’s pretty straightforward to get protective gear for the bigger juniors, riding gear for the youngest of riders is a little more limited. But it’s out there and we’ve done the running around to help you find the protection you need. 1 HELMET: The number-one item on the shopping list. There’s nothing more important than…

At first sight, this bike is very impressive. It stops you in your tracks as you begin to notice more and more billet alloy, carbon-fibre and anodised parts, some of them subtle and some not so much. I think it’s a spot-on mix for a race bike that should demand some attention. If you look through the pits at a pro race in Australia you’ll be hard pressed to argue there’s a better-looking machine than this. I’ve known team manager Troy Carroll for a long time and, growing up racing with him, this is how I remember his bikes — always pretty badass and covered in trick parts — so it’s no surprise to me that his race team’s bikes are like they are. He definitely has an eye for…

THE 450CC POWERPLANT PUNCHES OUT A WHOPPING 63HP OF TAR-TEARING GOODNESS PAIRED WITH A SERIOUSLY IMPRESSIVE ELECTRONICS PACKAGE I’ve been lucky to ride some pretty amazing bikes since starting at DA — and ride some cool events, too. However, I’d never slipped on a set of leathers and had a crack at some supermoto. Husqvarna had an FS 450, its purpose-built supermoto machine, ready for a press test and when Boothy called I was quick to say yes. He may have rung for my photographic services while he was riding the motard, but I wasn’t leaving Eastern Creek without a few laps on possibly the sexiest bike ever built. THE MACHINE The Husqvarna FS 450 is based on the Husqvarna FC 450 motocross bike, the major differences being — most…

ONE THING IS CLEAR AND THAT IS DAVID WALSH HAS STARTED THE RACE IN THE BEST POSSIBLE MANNER ON DAV D WAL BES For the 42nd year running in a place that defies description and deserves a visit, the annual Tatts Finke Desert Race has taken place and, as we’ve come to expect, it was a long weekend without parallel So much pre-event talk was about which pros weren’t going to line up but also about how many punters were racing. With record entries, Finke continues to buck the trend of declining race numbers and a further 50 entries were allowed for 2017 to bring the bike category to a massive 650. Meanwhile, in the pro ranks, things were a bit more wobbly with Toby Price having to pull out…

VISION Where you look when attacking a whooped-out sandy turn will make a huge difference to how well you get through it. Keep your eyes up and looking well through the corner and all the way out the exit. Avoid fixing your vision on any one section of the corner; if you do, you’ll tend to ride to that point rather than through and out the otherside. Identify the deeper whoops so you can be sure to keep the front wheel from dropping into them but don’t fix your vision on them. It’s very easy to look at the biggest whoop and worry about it but, that won’t help you get past it. Make sure your eyes identify positive sections of the turn, not negative ones. BODY POSITION This is…

1. ACERBIS FRONT FENDER TOOL BAG Need a little more room to take some extra tools and gear on your next ride? The Acerbis front fender tool bag is the perfect solution with easy-to-install straps and a simple yet durable design. FEATURES: ▪ 95% polyester ▪ Capacity: 2L ▪ Compact tool bag (tools are NOT included) ▪ Fast locking system to the front fender with 4 metallic hooks ▪ Closure with adjustable straps ▪ Rubber base for a better grip ▪ Wide internal tools pocket ▪ Clear internal pocket for bushings 2. ANSWER TERRA-X ROOST DEFLECTOR Answer Racing’s Terra-X roost protector was specifically designed to pass the CE safety standard for roost protection. Light and comfortable to allow for ease of movement and offers superior ventilation. Close to the body…

▪ Nickname: Jatz ▪ DOB: 27/12/1994 ▪ First bike: Suzuki JR50 ▪ What age did you start riding? 5 ▪ Current ride/team: Serco Yamaha When and where was your first race and how did it pan out? First race was at Cairns Motorcycle Club. I got smoked, ha ha, but I had a lot of fun. Your greatest dirtbike-related achievement to date? Winning the 2016 SX title and also getting sixth at the AMA Santa Clara SX. If you weren’t racing, what would you be doing? Owning a coffee shop at Byron Bay. If you could make one change to your chosen sport, what would it be and why? More income. Because the income doesn’t match the physical risk [compared] to any other sport in the world. FAST FIVE 1…

Scott, how do you go from professional fighter to race promoter? I started out playing professional football on the Gold Coast and like every kid I suppose I did something in the off-season to get fitter. I got into kickboxing and really enjoyed it. I ended up throwing the football away and focusing on the fighting and had 67 fights for 60 wins with a total of 12 titles, including three world titles. Looking back, the fight scene was a bit like supercross in Australia. When I first started the fights were big events and the promoters really looked after the fighters. Then for a while there were some dodgy promoters around and I’m the type of guy who can’t sit back and watch that, so we started promoting our…

"OUR PLAN WAS TO STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM THE BITUMEN AS POSSIBLE It was pretty much a last-minute opportunity but one I was very interested in. Miles Davis was heading to Alice Springs; the plan was to ride his BMW R 1200 Rallye X from Melbourne, compete in the Finke Desert race and ride back home again. All on the same bike. A second R 1200 GS Rallye X was being freighted to Alice. It came up by chance in conversation that maybe it could be ridden up. It was offered to a couple of others and then I put my hand up and said, “Let’s do it.” So I was in. MD and I were off on an outback adventure to Alice. Once there, I would fly back…

One of the early pioneers in the Australian moto graphics industry, Craig Pownall — founder, owner and manager OF Ringmaster Images to this day — has just clocked up 20 years of designing and producing graphics for Australian riders, working on a weekly basis with some of the biggest names of the sport all the way through to local riders. Craig and the company have seen a lot of changes over the years, from the early days of doing everything by hand and screen-printing all graphics before moving into the digital age. In that time a new generation of moto graphic designers has flooded the market and it’s fair to say things are a lot different in 2017 from 1997 when the company started. In his own words, Craig tells…

1. FIRST-AID KIT A basic first-aid kit is a must and I definitely had one on hand. It’s a good idea to include a space blanket as well, as there will most likely be some time before help arrives, if required. 2. EMERGENCY CONTACT & COMMUNICATION For this trip I selected the DeLorme inReach twoway satellite-communication device. You can send and receive text messages, which is great for letting people know how things are going or for supplying more detailed information in the event of an emergency. It also has the ability to leave a track log as you’re riding and has an SOS function, too. 3. TYRE PUNCTURE REPAIR The most likely mechanical issue will be a flat tyre. I carried two plug repair kits along with eight CO2…

10 REASONS WE LOVE THE SHERCO FACTORY MODELS 1 The 300 SEF-R’s engine 2 WP XPlor forks with pre-load adjustment 3 Trick fluoro graphics 4 Akropovic exhaust on the four-stroke models 5 Light feeling in the trails 6 FMF exhaust on the two-stroke models 7 Super grippy seat dover 8 Hydraulic clutch 9 Blue Excel rims 10 Adjustable map switch Sherco has been an interesting company to watch grow. Founded in 1998, through the years the last of the French motorcycle manufacturers was built on solid basic foundations until just a few years ago, when it hit on a brilliant chassis and engine package and suddenly became a star in the ranks outside the big five brands. Since then, it’s had race wins in some huge events — none bigger…

"WE’RE THE PINNACLE OF THE SPORT AND WE SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TRYING TO WIN THAT CHAMPIONSHIP Jay, your appointment to this role would have come as a surprise to many observers. When did team management appear on your radar? I always thought it would be a good transition after being in the sport for so long. I have a lot of respect for the different team managers I’ve worked with over the years, and coming straight out of racing and having a new way of thinking, it was always a job I thought I could be good at and like doing at the same time. Communication is a very important element of team management and as a young rider you were very quiet. How did the transition happen to…

Just over 300km south of Perth in Western Australia’s beautiful southwest region sits the popular Cosy Creek circuit, home of the annual Shannons Insurance Manjimup 15000 and host of the 1993 Motocross of Nations. It’s hard to put your finger on exactly what makes this event one of the country’s most special races — perhaps it’s a combination of the vibrant atmosphere, a pool of riders from around the globe and a circuit that consists of sand and clay, testing each and every riders’ ability in front of the thousands of fans who flock religiously to the picturesque venue. ONE OF THE BEST EVER They say it every year but the 2017 edition was truly one of the best to date, from the numbers through the gate to the racing…

APPROACH SLOWLY Make sure you approach any potential steep descent slowly, you must be at a speed that will allow you to stop at any point if necessary before you go over the edge. You should also approach the descent in the standing position — that will get you ready for movements you will need to make and it also increases your forward vision, something that will help you see over the edge and assess the line you’re going to take. CHECK IT OUT This is where you have to make the quick decision as to whether you think you can ride down or not. When you’re building confidence with this sort of stuff, obviously your comfort level is going to be different from someone who’s done plenty of it.…

This month on the WR450F has been moist. Really moist. Biblical rains have visited and camped on us of late and things have got mighty wet. But that hasn’t deterred me from riding. I love riding in mud. The problem is nobody else I know likes it so I’m Neville No-Friends in the bush. Oh well, more for me, I say It was good to see the Pirelli Scorpion XCs biting in the slop. I had them pegged as medium-to-hard-pack tyres but they do a good job in the wet, too. I also removed the standard soft brush guards after smashing my fingers for the 1000th time and fitted a set of Acerbis X Factory solid handguards. I tend to touch-ride (smash trees through lack of talent) in tight terrain…

After weeks of putting in barely any hours on our Husqvarna TC 250 two-stroke, I finally pulled on my Just1 helmet and spent a full day riding myself into the ground — and, boy, it was worth it, despite not being able to move the following day! Nine-and-a-half hours in just over two months has to be some sort of record low in riding time for me. I’ll admit I was getting more than a little frustrated just looking at this two-stroke beauty sitting in the shed rather than carving out laps at the local tracks. First up this month was the second round of the 2017 South Australian Motocross Championships. After recently having Grant from Bike Tune help me with the rear-end setup, it was a good chance to…