Innehållsförteckning för December 2017 från Dirt Action

PERFECT TIMING This shot was taken using a set of off-camera flashes. Nothing unusual there — we use ‘em all the time. Except that this time the control unit wasn’t on this camera. It was on Matt’s, who was standing a few feet away at a different angle. Which means when Damo took this shot at 1/1600th of a second, Matt did the same at exactly the same time and in that 1600th of a second, the flashes fired for Matt and just happened to light this shot as well. It’s like the photography hole-in-one. It’s a unicorn. It shouldn’t be possible but here it is anyway. MARVELLOUS MARVIN Marvin Musquin is having an epic finish to 2017. He went on a huge charge in the second half of the…

INDIAN MANUFACTURER HERO MOTORCORP SOLD 208,571 OF ITS 100CC MODEL, THE SPLENDER, IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR. YES, THAT WAS ONE MONTH OF SALES The electric revolution has well and truly begun. The shift from combustion engines is now inevitable thanks in no small part to legislation forcing some of the world’s largest manufacturers to end the production of petrol- and diesel-engine cars, which will mean a huge shift for motorcycles as well. Britain has decreed that all new cars must be electric by 2050; in France the cut-off is 2040. In Germany and Malaysia it’s 2030, while Scotland is 2032 and in Norway and the Netherlands it’s 2025. But the big two of India and China have also set dates and that’s what’s going to cement the demise of…

ONE-WHEEL WONDER Remember the Wheelie King, Doug Domokos? Back in the day, the American blew audiences away by wheelie-ing the entire length of a Supercross track and was a regular and much-loved visitor to Australia. Doug was also for a time the holder of the World Record for the longest wheelie, which was an astounding 233 kilometres. This was bettered in 1991 by Japanese rider Yasuyuki Kudo, who took it to 331.0195 kilometres. That record now sits with another Japanese rider, 33-year-old Masaru Abe, who has taken an unlikely machine and smashed the record for longest wheelie. Riding a tiny Yamaha Jog 125 scooter, Abe stayed on one wheel for a ridiculous 13 hours and covered 500.5322 kilometres, suffering so much arm and back pain in the process that he…

Aussie rider Hunter Lawrence capped off a huge debut ride in the Motocross of Nations, where he won the MX2 class and shaded a whole heap of the world’s best 450 riders, by announcing his plans for the future. Given the uncertain nature of Suzuki’s place in MXGP in 2018, Lawrence accepted a deal brokered largely by GEICO Honda in the US. The deal will see him race in the GPs for the 114 Motorsports Honda team throughout 2018 and then head to the States in 2019 to take a seat on the mighty GEICO Honda team. “To join GEICO Honda and their list of riders past and present is an honour,” said Lawrence via a press release. “My family gave up a lot to get me to this point…

Zach, following your outstanding 2017 season, are you now able to stand back, soak it up a little and appreciate just how good a year it’s been? “It feels great to be able to look back at such an incredible season. To me it felt like all the struggle finally came to fruition. For many people, winning races or a title would make them feel elated, super happy, but for me this year brought a huge feeling of relief more than anything else. Securing not just one but two championships in one season is a great reward for all the hard work I’ve been putting in for more than a decade now. It also gives me some extra motivation to keep working hard and keep moving forward.” Was it simply…

Here at DIRT ACTION, we feel it’s important to present a range of riders' opinions to our readers. There’s no point in five professional riders telling an average Joe what they should buy; it just doesn’t work. Our riders are all experienced riders with a range of speeds and riding abilities, from current pro to club-racing vet. CHRIS URQUHART – EX-PROFESSIONAL, LEVEL TWO COACH. Chris Urquhart is one of the most experienced and most highly regarded motorcycle coaches in Australia. Urk raced at a professional level in Supercross, Motocross and Thumper Nats, including racing for Star Yamaha, Serco Yamaha and Staintune Racing. He still knows his way around the track at a seriously fast pace and has the style to match. Urk leads our testing staff. CRAIG ANDERSON – 12-TIME…

“THIS BIKE IS LOADED WITH FEATURES SUCH AS ELECTRIC START, TRACTION CONTROL AND MAPPING THAT CAN BE CHANGED ON THE GO. ”— DANE THOMPSON CHRIS URQUHART The FC450 has such a primo look and feel. If you are chasing a bike that has that little bit of finesse, the Husky is for you. When I sit on the Husky I'm like, 'Yep, this bad boy is such a sweet ride'. The ergos of the FC 450 are so spot on and it’s such a balanced ride with more power than most will need in a lifetime. The WP air fork feels amazing and does no wrong all the way from the sharp, chattery bumps through to the big impacts. I ended up with 136PSI in the fork, which gave it…

THE LOOKS The new look of the RM-Z is darn cool. We give this bike a 10/10 for its sharp, edgy and modern appearance. The new blue rims on the 2018 YZ450F sets off the Yamaha’s new look, while the KTMs always look so cool. OUR PICK: 2018 Suzuki RM-Z450 THE ENGINES The engine on the YZ is extremely impressive and the added adjustability of the app-based tuning helps give it the edge over the KTM and Husqvarna, which are nipping at the heels of the Yamaha when it comes to engine performance. OUR PICK: 2018 Yamaha YZ450F HANDLING Each of our test riders commented on the handling of the KTM450SX-F and in turn the Husqvarna FC 450. The WP AER forks are one of the few remaining air forks…

DEAN FERRIS WINS SECOND MX TITLE Not too many people would’ve given Dean this title right from the start. Yes, he did win it in 2016, but that was his first and surely it gets harder, right? He’s been known to be a bit impatient at times, so what if he has a brain fart and gets hurt? OK, so he had one lapse in concentration all year and that cost him the only motocross moto he didn’t win in 2017. Dean spent some of the off-season in New Zealand racing (and perhaps getting ripped-off?) in their championships, which served as an excellent spring board for the Aussie series. It certainly can’t hurt spending any amount of time with Josh Coppins. From round one we saw a more composed Dean.…

I’m driving towards Bathurst and a surprise invite to test ride the all-new 2018 WR250F. The surprise is not that I got the invite, it's more as to why the event is even on. About a month prior, a test-ride report appeared on a Euro enduro website that they had test ridden the 2018 WR250F and that there were no changes. Now, it’s not normal for Yamaha Australia to gather a group of journos in a central location to advise us the new model now comes with blue rims. There has to be much more going on and I still have a few hours driving ahead to ponder what that is. The invite advised that we should be at Bathurst Rydges on Conrod Straight at 5pm for the digital presentation,…

SHOEI VFX-W HELMET I am super fussy when it comes to boots and helmets, especially the old brain bucket. I like a comfortable fit and to know that if everything goes pear-shaped, I’m as safe I can possibly be. When searching for that in a helmet, it’s pretty hard to go past a Shoei VFX-W. The fit is one of the most impressive aspects of the Shoei. Helmet fitment is a personal thing — we aren’t all built the same — so it stands to reason that not everything will fit. I’m a Shoei guy; it’s as if the VFX-W is meant for my particular skull. I have tried a huge range of helmets since working at the magazine and very few have come to the same level of comfort…

DAMON BRADSHAW @damonbradshaw45 As I turn the page in my Motorsports career, I want to take a moment to thank Monster Jam for an incredible 10-year ride, my crew, TJ & Melissa, my sponsors who continue to make this possible, and most importantly-my fans for their endurance over the years. 2017 brings new endeavors and I can’t wait to share what’s next! CHAD REED Chad Reed@CRtwotwo Weird MXDN to watch Clint @bundyroyal Would you consider coming to the Wild West and race the manjimup 1500 Chad Reed@CRtwotwo Have a bigger interest in finke ADAM CIANCIARULO Adam Cianciarulo @AdamCianciarulo The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result, which pretty much sums up my golf game. @DavidVuillemin We didn’t talk about SXDN when…

The 2018 AMA rosters are firming up with plenty of signings done and dusted. Davi Millsaps takes Reed’s spot at Yamaha, while Martin Davolas will head back to the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team to ride alongside Adam Cianciarulo, Joey Savatgy and Austin Forkner. Davolas impressed through the 2017 motocross season on a 450 but is a victim of the lack of seats in the premier class and so will remain on a 250 for 2018. Justin Hill has signed with the new-look AutoTrader.com/JGRSuzuki. Hill was with the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team but will now defend his 250SX West title on a Suzuki and then move to a 450 in 2019. Hill said of his signing: “I was blown away after taking a tour of the team’s headquarters in…

Motocross bikes have never been as advanced as they are in 2018. Potential customers are presented with a world of choice when they step into the local dealership. The 2018 line-up is mixed between air forks and tried-and-tested spring forks. All bikes are now EFI equipped with either computer-based tuning, plug-and-play tuning couplers or now app-based tuning. Add in electric start versus kick start and you’ve got one of the most exciting line-ups of bikes yet. OK, so let’s get the elephant out of the room first. No, there’s no red bike here being tested. Honda Australia was unable to provide a 2018 Honda CRF450R due to the bike's late arrival in the country. We tried to source a 2017 CRF450R from a local dealer as a comparison but unfortunately…

CHRIS URQUHART The 2018 YZ450 is a completely new bike from the ground up and riding onto the track the first time it sure was noticeable. My first thought as I rode around the first couple of laps warming up was that this bike feels so light and nimble. Once I got in a groove and started to throw down some harder laps, I became more surprised at how well the bike did everything. Probably my biggest surprise was how well the YZ450 tipped into corners and stuck to a line. This was something that immediately gave me a lot of confidence in the bike. Once I felt really comfortable, I turned my attention to the suspension and started chasing some bumps and some kickers off the jump faces to…

“THE SUZUKI HAS THE SMOOTHEST POWER OF ALL THE BIKES. I FEEL THE SUZUKI ENGINE WOULD BE GOOD FOR SOMEONE WHO REALLY LIKES TO TWIST THE THROTTLE HARD. THE SUSPENSION FELT REALLY GOOD RIGHT AWAY FROM THE STOCK SETTINGS.” — DANIEL HERRLEIN CHRIS URQUHART Suzuki have nailed it with the new RM-Z450. I immediately felt super comfortable on the yellow machine. I rode my warm-up session with the richest of the three maps and thought it was super smooth but didn’t hit hard enough for me. However, this would be a fantastic setting for a clubman rider or on hard-pack tracks. I ended up with the leaner map or standard, which really brought the RMZ to life. The overall feel was great and through the fast, sharp-edged bumps the RMZ…

All new for 2018, the Yamaha YZ450F an amazing 450 motorcycle for riders and racers alike. It’s lighter and more powerful, and the app-based tuning has given it that little touch ahead of the competition. The most talked about feature of the new Yamaha is the amazing handling. We had test riders from 70kg to 98kg, from current AMA professional to clubman, and each rider commented on how well the YZ handled around the Maitland circuit — that’s impressive. With Dean Ferris re-signing with the powerhouse CDR Yamaha team to race the 2018 Yamaha YZ450F here in Australia once again, you can expect to see plenty of blue around the race tracks in the new season. THE YAMAHA HAD A VERY STRONG MOTOR WHICH I LIKED A LOT. THE BIKE…

Egan Mastin had an MX Nationals season that played out like a fairy tale. Hard work and solid results all season culminated in a final-round showdown: three points shy of Championship leader Wilson Todd heading into the final round, Mastin won both motos and along with them the 2017 MX Nationals MX2 Championship. The fact it was all accomplished on a two-stroke just added to the story. A well supported but essentially privateer effort had put together a bike that was worthy of a championship. Here’s what I thought of the bike. HOW FAST IS IT? Well, it’s quick. It’s a 250cc two-stroke, so it feels like there is some power underneath you, and in the context of it being up against 250 four-strokes it is fast. What they have…

Gas Gas has been through some troubled times. The Global Financial Crisis hit the Spanish manufacturer hard and its collapse was heartbreaking for fans all around the world. You may remember the passion on display when rumours circulated that KTM was going to buy the brand. The Spaniards were not pleased. In 2015, a saviour stepped forward in the form of the Torrot Group, another Spanish company which bought Gas Gas and has set about restoring it to its rightful place on the world stage. Here in Australia, a new distributor was announced and it will be up to Urban Moto Imports (Royal Enfield, MV Agusta) to rebuild Gasser down under. So, now that it’s back and in full swing once again, the question remains: are the bikes any good?…

OK, you’ve come up to a mammoth waterhole and it looks deep. The entry and exit look steep and there’s no way around it. What do you do? There are a few approaches to consider. Banzai your way in pinned to the stop and make a lot of noise and mess, or creep your way in and putt across like you’re taking Nan for a ride through the botanic gardens? Neither of these methods is ideal; the best approach is somewhere in between. Rule number one: once you’ve committed to dropping in, do not throttle off at any point. Once you lose momentum, even just a tiny amount, things will get tough. Remember, what’s underneath the water will look like what you’re sitting on top of at entry, only chopped…

AS THE MODEL APPROACHES ITS 20TH YEAR, IT'S SATISFYING TO KNOW THAT WHILE SOME ITERATIONS HAVE BEEN BETTER THAN OTHERS, WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS ANOTHER CRACKER THAT LEAVES YOU TO JUST THINK ABOUT RIDING AND HAVING FUN Life with the WR450F has been pretty damn easy. Over the last year not a single thing on this bike has gone wrong and while I have busted a few plastic bits due to my own predilection for riding into trees, nothing has failed through use or wear. I like how the bike loosened up over time, which was interesting to track. It felt a little stiff for me at first but both the frame and suspension eventually bedded in. The frame in particular gets more flex and the ride becomes…

TOBY PRICE Super bummed I’m not riding this new beast that @ktmfactoryracing have built for me... The new bike feels amazing to ride and so much better in cornering, already thinking some crazy ideas I can do with this bike when I get one in Australia... Now our love hasn’t kicked off well cause she already threw me off but our connection will be strong soon #notgivingup #winnersneverquit #quittersneverwin RICKY CARMICHAEL #TBT two wheeling on a three wheeler back in 1985! Ain’t a damn thing wrong with sportin work boots and blue jeans as my kit either. TODD WATERS Summers on its way and plenty of rad activities happening. Cheers for the Fresh sunnies @oakleyaus_ nz @matmacmedia HUNTER LAWRENCE Fun day enduro riding with the lads! #straya DAVID BAILEY After…

AFTER RETIRING AS A PRO MOTOCROSS RACER AT THE END OF 2016 I STARTED RIDING MY BIKE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO AND FELL IN LOVE WITH IT SHORT TO RALLY Legendary US motocross rider Andrew Short has announced he will be joining the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rally team in a move that few saw coming. Short, who retired from racing in 2016, was previously working with Honda America, who have been big supporters of the US rider through most of his 16-year career. While his final race season was on a KTM, he went back to Honda in a testing/ mentor capacity but has now switched back again to the Euro side to take on a whole new ballgame. “I’m really excited to be part of Rockstar…

“ANYONE WHO’S FACED DOWN THE GNARLIEST OF HILLS WILL ATTEST THAT THERE’S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR POWER, AND THE SAME GOES FOR A RIDER LOOKING AT A TRIPLE STRAIGHT OUT OF A CORNER” THE YES VOTE The biggest mistake this industry at large has made is settling on the 450 four-stroke as the flagship model in any line. At first it was fun and intriguing to have a four-stroke performing as they did from 1998 onwards. But since then the mantra has been less weight and more power while the marketing has all been about win, win, win. This is nothing new, of course, but it comes at a time when there are less options for those not interested in winning, winning, winning and more interested in fun, fun, fun. While…

In a rare move — in fact it’s the first time we can remember this happening — Team HRC (Honda) released a statement addressing the stunning failures of Cole Seely’s shocks at the 2017 Motocross of Nations. Seely suffered a collapsed shock in both his motos, regardless of the fact that after the first time the shock was swapped out for a new unit. Normally some sort of cursory and non-specific excuse would be thrown out there to deflect attention and avoid the topic but in this instance, and in a credit to all involved, the team released a statement explaining what happened and why. And before we head into that, just be aware that Factory riders are given the choice to run either the KYB or Showa suspension, which…

For our shootout we chose the Maitland MX facility near Newcastle in NSW. The club prepped the track to perfection. We arrived to a freshly ripped, loamy surface and the legends from the club watered the track during the day for us. The circuit is littered with jumps, has a set of whoops and a couple of wide-open straights. There is a mixture of flat turns, berms and ruts to test the bikes' cornering. Over the day the track dried out and became a little harder in some spots, which was an excellent variety in surface to put the bikes to the test. All in all, the Maitland MX track provided an excellent venue to put our 450 range to the test.…

“I ENJOYED RIDING THE KAWI AND IT WAS HARD TO FINALLY GET OFF IT AS I WAS HAVING SUCH A BLAST.” — CHRIS URQUHART CHRIS URQUHART The green machine never disappoints with its comfortable, plush feel. I hadn’t ridden a KX450F in a while but after a lap I was charging into turns harder and harder thinking to myself, 'Man, this thing is super smooth'. Every time I ride a KX450F I seem to feel so comfortable to bring the pace up right the way from lap one. I think it’s a combo of the rock-solid power delivery and the way the bike always feels so planted to the track. To be honest, my favourite thing on the KXF was charging along the straights full gas and then lining up…

CHRIS URQUHART When I first rolled the gas on I thought, 'Wow, what a weapon'. Everything feels spot-on on this beast. The way the KTM launches as you roll the throttle on is amazing. I played around a lot on the KTM, hitting the same sections over and over in different gears and actually trying to pick some faults with the orange machine. The power is fantastic no matter what gear you are in. Whether you want to short shift or rev the thing to the moon, it just keeps going forward. The electronics work a treat too, with the two different maps and traction control option. This is far from a gimmick and makes a massive difference to how the power is delivered. I liked the balanced feel of…

Deaner, the master mechanic from Ronnie Mac, tells me: “Ronnie Mac just was born in our heads and we just did our first private videos for fun while we were still racing in Europe. It was in the Netherlands and while we were at the start there were 25 real drunken fans from Great Britain. They were going crazy and yelling 'Ronnie Mac! Ronnie Mac! Ronnie Mac! Ronnie mac! Ronnie Mac!' “It was amazing and there I knew we were onto something.” Fast forward to autumn of 2017 at the Red Bull Straight Rhythm in Pomona, CA. Let’s walk through the pits. Big semi-trailers with bigger tents in front and lots of big names hiding before they have to give autographs to the masses. Mike Brown, McElrath, Hansen — you…

Dean Ferris has seen all sides of the sport of motocross. He’s struggled and had to put everything on the line. He’s taken chances and made mistakes. He’s also evolved and proven himself and pulled it all together when it counted. Come the 2017 motocross season, it took an uncharacteristic mistake to rob him of the only moto he didn’t win all year. He lost one moto all year — just let that sink in. Every sport needs a champion to inspire the next generation, and for Australian motocross that champion is Dean Ferris. He is a complete package without pretence and he’s come at the right time. Aspire to be like Dean and even if you make it halfway there you’ll be a hell of a racer. Maybe more…

Ruts are one of the most technical obstacles you will come across on a motocross track. To get through a rut well takes great technique, confidence and plenty of practice. GET YOUR TECHNIQUE RIGHT Before you go down the repetition route and practise a rut 50 times, make sure you sharpen up your technique. That is the first step— get your technique right and then pump out the repetitions. STEADY IN, FAST OUT Don’t rush the entry into a rut. This is where you can blow the whole turn and is even more important to remember when you're learning. Steady up on entry and give yourself enough time to setup and enter the rut in the correct body position and on the right line. Once you have the bike in…