Innehållsförteckning för Issue 248 från Dirt Action

MOTOR MOUTH NEWS The RideADV crew have dished up two days of epic adventure riding for Yamaha WR250R riders. The 2022 WR250R Rally was held in and around Wauchope, NSW, on 16-18 October 2022 A gap in the wet weather meant the 35 participants in the sixth annual WR250R Rally enjoyed prime conditions. The trails featured everything from twisting tarmac to forested twin track as they made their way around picturesque Tapin Tops and Bago Bluff — a great selection of terrain that is sure to keep owners of the cultstatus adventure bike coming back for more. But the Rally is not just about primo trails. Steve Parish is on his fourth WR250R Rally and explains: “What I really like is the repeat offenders you get to meet. They start…

MOTOR MOUTH CAMP & RIDE Welcome to Camp and Ride. We love getting out in the great outdoors, ripping dirtbikes, cooking a killer feed and shooting a few yarns over a couple of beers, so let's dedicate these pages to all things camping and good times! PATRIOT CAMPERS TH610 The Patriot Campers TH610 is a serious bit of kit! It's 6.1 metres long in total, including the base camp section up front which provides storage, water, power, kitchen facilities and more. Not only will you haul your toys to remote, off-road destinations, but you can camp there with them for longer. AUD $83,090…

FEATURE 2023 KTM TEST There's no doubt the 2023 KTM range has some serious changes. The all-new shape of the plastics makes a bold impression and that's just the beginning of not only the changes, but also the improvements. TWO-STROKES OF GENIUS Let's start with the two-strokes, which are the most talked-about KTMs thanks to the electronic fuel injection. New for 2023, the experts at KTM have changed the shape and design to the frame for all two-stroke models. In fact, the 125, 250 and 300 all have the exact same frame. All the mounting points are the same so you can swap an engine over in the same frame if needed. To me, this is just another way KTM are stepping up the development game. Normally, if you're riding…

FEATURE WORLD SUPERCROSS SX Global came out swinging after being announced as the promoter of the World Supercross Championship by the FIM. While the original announced dates of the 2022 pilot season dwindled to just two and they more than ruffled some feathers in the USA, the promoters promised an incredible event and they delivered. ROUND ONE: CARDIFF, UK VENUE: PRINCIPALITY STADIUM A huge crowd filled Principality Stadium in Wales. Eli Tomac and Ken Roczen were set to go headto-head in the UK for the first time, but it wasn't all smooth sailing for some of the biggest names in the sport. Chad Reed suffered a fuel pump failure in his bike and ended his season with a list of injuries. Josh Grant's chain snapped, knocking him out. There were…

FEATURE HUSQVARNA FE 501 The Husqvarna FE 501 is a bike that has always been on my bucket list. I love a big, torquey, monstrous engine which isn't an overly aggressive beast, in a nimble chassis — the Husqvarna FE 501 in a nutshell. I had some pretty big plans with the Husqvarna FE 501 that all unravelled sometime late last year. I was pumping through a rocky creek crossing when I made a mistake and was spat off the bike in fairly ungraceful fashion. It was a pretty tough hit on my right wrist and elbow — it felt broken, to be honest. After having a scan and X-rays, it was actually more of a long-term issue as my scaphoid bone was moved around 5mm into the wrong position…

Everyone's favourite Aussie glove brand continues to jump from strength to strength, so it's no surprise to see Fist smashing its way to the top of the ladder. We're huge fans here, and we're stoked to share their ever-expanding range of moto, BMX and MTB gloves with our readers. When it comes to the connection between you and your bars, there is nothing more important than feel. The sublimated four-way stretch twill spandex upper on the Fist glove paired with a single-layer Clarino palm makes for the best fit on the market. Less is more with this minimalistic, multiple-use glove. Taking that allimportant Insta pic or punching out a quick text has never been easier on the track or trails, with conductive thread in the index finger and thumb. So…

MOTOR MOUTH NEWS The Reflex helmet embodies the infusion of style and technology to create a class-leading product that is essential for riders at the highest level of the sport. Available with a carbon fibre or fibreglass composite shell, the Reflex features Koroyd® technology integrated into a premium dual-density EPS liner in conjunction with the MIPS® Brain Protection System. The Reflex is a helmet that is as much a work of art as it is purpose built to support a racer's needs when things go wrong out on the track. THE ULTIMATE DAMAGE CONTROL SYSTEM » Koroyd's welded tubes crumple instantly and consistently on impact, absorbing maximum force in a controlled manner to minimise energy transferred to your head ADVANCED BREATHABILITY AND COOLING » Air flows consistently through the open…

FEATURE YAMAHA YZ250 BUILD We take the 2022 Yamaha YZ250 and throw it back to 2002, the year Chad Reed burst onto the AMA scene. The year was 2002. A young Aussie by the name of Chad Reed had arrived in the USA, fresh off a second position in the World Motocross Championship. Chad didn't want to be in the lites or 125cc class, he wanted to race the best of the best. However, unproven to the American industry, Reed signed with the Yamaha of Troy powerhouse team in the 125cc class. To kick off his 2002 campaign, Chad stepped onto the Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke to compete on the opposite coast to his 125cc class. Despite being an Australian champion, some extra supercross experience after a year in Europe would…

FEATURE YAMAHA YZ450F Some may say the previous Yamaha was too much of a handful for the average rider, or that the bike had a wider feeling than some. While that could be an accurate statement, the YZ450 over the last couple of years has been a dominant bike in Australia and around the world. So did it really need an overhaul? After our initial test on this bike, we are sure glad it's had one. It's lighter, smoother and an incredibly impressive machine. I'm a pretty picky dude when it comes to setting up a dirtbike and how I feel on the bike. Since I've stopped racing and riding all the time, I've somewhat steered away from the Yamaha YZ450F. Without the fitness I once had, I had trouble…

01 Freeze your hydration pack bladder the night before the ride. Or at least refrigerate it — sucking down warm water when you're thirsty is as satisfying as a turd sandwich. Some blokes like to insert a frozen cold pack up against the water bladder to keep it cold, too. Adding some red cordial to the bladder is said to kill off bacteria in the water as well as making it tastier. 02 Spray your boots and lower pant legs with insect surface spray to deter leeches. They are the vampires of the bush and they find their way to some pretty unpleasant places on your body. We also spray around the cuffs of our jersey as well as put insect repellent on our necks and arms. It's giving me…

MOTOR MOUTH NEWS Geez, young rippers have it good these days! How badarse is the KTM 50 SX Factory Edition? Loaded with goodies and upgraded from the KTM 50 SX, the Factory Edition is now available in KTM dealerships around Australia. LANCE RUSSELL NAMED A TOP CONTENT CREATOR Kawasaki ambassador and DIRT ACTION contributor Lance Russell has been named as a top content creator by The Influence Index, landing in at spot 55, the highest ranking for a motorsport influencer. “I have found that everyone has questions about freestyle riding. If they have seen a group like the Freestyle Kings at a show, they want to know how we do flips, how you practise a backflip, does it hurt when you crash, what are the extra levers for, how do…

MOTOR MOUTH NEWS Red Bull KTM Factory Racing has announced that MXGP legend Tony Cairoli will front the squad as team manager. The nine-times world champion, who was still competing at the highest level with AMA Pro national appearances this summer, won six of his championships on KTM and has been a Red Bull KTM factory rider since 2010. He will work with fellow former multi world champion Joel Smets, who will train and coach a selection of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders and other athletes in the group. “2022 was a change for me and now this is another chapter,” Cairoli said. ’ It was great to race again this year but it was also positive to take a small step back from racing and see things in…

FEATURE RIEJU MR 300 RANGER WHAT IS A RIEJU? Essentially, what you are looking at is the previous GasGas platform. When KTM purchased GasGas, Rieju acquired all the tooling and inventory for the previous GasGas two-strokes. That GasGas platform had been given a full redesign in 2018 with capital from Torrot, which specialises in electric products. WHAT IS THE MR 300 RANGER? The MR 300 Ranger is a 300cc two-stroke aimed at the entry-level trailrider. These bikes are not built nor designed to be raced in an enduro event but they are capable motorcyles for what they're designed to do. The Ranger sits a fair bit lower than the MR 300 Pro and Racing models, has much softer suspension, and despite being at a lower price than other 300 two-strokes…

FEATURE APRILIA TUAREG 660 REPELLED BY THE BIG UNITS OF 1000CC-PLUS THAT ARE SEEN AS TOO HEAVY, TOO CUMBERSOME AND OFTEN TOO EXPENSIVE, A LOT OF RIDERS ARE LOOKING FOR NIMBLE, LIGHT AND A LOT MORE LIKE A DIRTBIKE THAN A ROAD BIKE. To many, the holy grail of adventure bike design offers as close to an enduro feel as possible. Repelled by the big units of 1000cc-plus that are seen as too heavy, too cumbersome and often too expensive, a lot of riders are looking for nimble, light and a lot more like a dirtbike than a road bike. To date, there have been three modern bikes at the premium level that fit the description: Husqvarna's 701 Enduro, KTM's 890 Adventure R and Yamaha's Ténéré 700. Now there are…

How rad would a track cake be? Why don't you get in the kitchen with Mum or Dad and try this out? So easy! Just grab yourself a Woolies or Coles ready-baked cake, cut the icing off, grab a ready-done butter cream (found in the baking section! and boom — track cake! OK, maybe not quite that simple. Let's break it down. STEP ONE: GRAB THE SUPPLIES Most supermarkets will stock what you need. Grab a ready-baked cake (more than one and stack them if you need to feed morel, grab your supplies like TeeVee Snacks (the perfect whoops], Tim Tam tabletops, lolly snake berms and Milo roost or ruts. Go nuts! Get creative! Grab it all — if it's not used for the masterpiece cake, I'm sure it will…

Big isn't always best. That's certainly the case with the Yamalube 75mL Chain Lubricant Spray. The mini-sized can is awesome for the van, the toolbox or the spares kit. Not only is the size of the can a benefit, the Yamalube Chain Lubricant Spray is of the highest quality. It's designed to lubricate, extend chain life, protect against rust and not come off the chain easily. We have been using it on the Yamaha YZ250 long-termer you find in this issue and haven't been able to find a single bad thing to say about it. The stock chain has lasted brilliantly. — Matt Bernard FEATURES INCLUDE: » Extreme adhesion » Longer application intervals » Significantly extended chain life » Practically impossible to throw off » Excellent penetration » Optimum lubricating…

MOTO MANUAL HOW TO As you improve and start to race higher-profile events — anything from state level and upwards — you will find the track prepared a little differently from your average club day. The track will most likely be ripped and well watered. It will be deep and muddy in practice then, in theory, come good for racing without the need for additional watering throughout the day. These conditions will produce deep ruts and lots of them. Most corners will have a whole bunch of options and picking the correct one makes a big difference. BE AWARE When a track forms up with plenty of deep ruts, it's so easy to get flustered and stick to using the same line lap after lap. It's a trap you need…