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I RIDEFOR VIEWS LIKE THESE
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KEN ROCZEN SIGNATURE SERIES
AIRBRAKE™
MXBy the time he was a teenager, Ken Roczen had already earned a
unior world championship, and it put him on a trajectory of success
hat continues without limits. Talent and drive took him from back-
o-back masters championships in his native Germany to a World
Championship in MX2, then up to the 250 class where he became
he West Coast Supercross Champion in 2013. The next year saw him
at the top of the podium in the 450 Pro Motocross Championship,
making him one of an elite group of riders who earned the title in
heir rookie season.
When a racer is that skilled at his craft, he deserves a namesake goggle that salutes
his style while offering all the performance he demands. Introducing the Ken Roczen
Signature Series Airbrake™ MX, a design that salutes Ken’s love for the California
festyle. Oakley artists decked the strap with surfboard stripes and palm trees, and
he colors keep the attitude on the edge of menacing. We put Ken’s racing number
on an outrigger and a custom strap wrap that proudly carries a print of his signature.
his premium Oakley goggle comes with a custom Microclear bag for frame
torage and lens cleaning.
www.OAKLEY.com.au
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“Since it first appeared in 2012, the 350EXC-Fhas been a roaring worldwide sales success for
KTM. But it never managed to win the blue-ribbonEnduro 2 World Championship. Until now, that is!”
80
F U T U R E 7 M E D I A
10
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InsideNOV-DEC 2015 // ISSUE #53
REGULARS
12 CONTRIBUTORS
An artless attempt to summarise the life
and times of three freelancers we dig.
14 EDITORIAL
Dealing with the consequences of being
as washed-up has-been that never was.
18 FRAMED
Three big, striking images that showcase
three of the world’s most illustrious races.
26 BIKE DISSECTED
An intriguing insight into the mods made
to Josh Sheehan’s ‘Triple-Flip’ CRF450R.
80 BIKE DISSECTED
We finally get a detailed look at KTM’s
first EWC title-winning 350EXC-F.
108 TECH: FOOT CONTROLS
Set-up tips to make sure your boots
remain best friends with your bike.
111 3 PRIZED POSSESSIONS
The Jerkyls’ El Presidente itemises
the first things he’d grab in a house fire.
112 RIPPING YARN
The story behind Jeff Emig’s favourite shot
of himself from the 1992 MXdN in West Oz.
FEATURES
L o g o n t o w w w . t r a n s m o t o . c o m . a u
f o r m o r e i m a g e s , i n t e r v i e w s ,
i n f o & v i d s . O r f i n d u s o n
34 PICTORIAL:
2015 ISDE FROM SLOVAKIA
Inside the Australians’ history-making
success, and the inexplicable meddling
by officials and the French-backed FIM.
50 PROFILE:
RYAN VILLOPOTO
The recently retired RV opens up about
his ‘Euro experiment’ and what really went on with his bike and body this year.
61 BIKE:
FOUR 2016 YAMAHA 250s
A year ago, Yamaha’s only 250cc enduro
bike was an ageing WR250F. Now they’ve
got four models to choose from. We tested
the two- and four-strokes back-to-back.
70 PROFILE:
CHAD REED vs JAMES STEWART
These two great rivals began their Pro
career on the same night in 2002. And
their battle will soon resume in Australia.
86 PROFILE:
ROMAIN FEBVRE
While everyone’s still figuring out how
to pronounce his name, he’s cementedhimself as the world’s best MX rider!
96 HOW-TO:
RACE ENDURO
Multi-time national champ, Chris
Hollis, explains how to properly adapt
your riding skillset for when the
pressure’s on in a racing environment.
70
50
WIN: 2016 FC450 PLUS a year’s supply of Bel-Ray oil & lube!
94
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REGULARCONTRIBUTORS
12
By all accounts, Romain Febvre is a
down-to-earth, hard-working, almost
self-effacing character. Which, let’s
be honest, is not exactly how the rest
of the world tends to regard the French.
Emotional, passionate, brooding and even
neurotic, yes. But salt-of-the-earth and
laconic? By and large, no! Hailing from
a small rural town in the east of France,
Febvre grew up and raced in relative
isolation, and his quietly spoken demeanor
reflects that. He’s popular with the media
and race fans, but never been ‘one of
the boys’ with the other riders in the pit
paddock, which is why most rivals
tend to regard him as aloof and even
indifferent. The fact he’s consistently
kicking their arse every weekend,
seemingly without trying, might
have something to do with that!
Wasn’t it great to see the young Frenchman
go head-to-head and beat America’s
best riders at the USA stop of the MX
World Championship, and then repeat
the schooling a week later at the MXoN
in France. If winning the 2015 MXGP world
title with a few rounds to spare wasn’t
enough to convince everyone that Febvre
was the real deal, then his performance
over those two back-to-back weekends
sure did. Not only did Febvre out-ride
and out-think the Americans – and
everyone else, for that matter – he
also demonstrated that he’s packing
an endless repertoire of new-gen riding
moves to match the best of them. And,
captured by Ray Archer’s ubiquitous
lens, this late-season scrub on his 60th
Anniversary YZ450F sure demonstrates
that. Right now, this guy – who few of
us even knew a year ago – is undoubtedly
the best motocross rider in the world.
Cover UncoveredMXGP rookie, Romain Febvre, en route to handing Yamaha its first
premier-class Motocross World Championship title in eight long years.
MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS
Gary Freeman raced motocross for 10 years.
In 1990, he won a UK magazine competition
to race a 1991 Honda Britain CR125 and join
DBR Magazine ’s test team alongside ex-GP
racer Rob Andrews, which was his gateway
into motocross photography and journalism.
In 1995, he quit his day job and began studying
for a BA (Hons) Degree in Photography at
Nottingham Trent University. After 10 years
of testing production and factory motocross
bikes for various magazines, Gary established
Redeye Media Ltd – a creative photo and video
production company based in the UK, shooting
anything from private jets to high fashion
to train toilets (true), but the passion for
anything on wheels remains.
John Pearson spent most of his young life
tearing around paddocks at his family
farm aboard a 1983 XR80R. In his teenage
years, he raced motocross at the Armidale
Motorcycle Club in NSW. And that’s where his
passion for sporting photography started.
John spent a number of years supplying the
AMCC with photos and travelling to arenacross
events – and even some MX Nationals rounds
– before finally stepping into the world of the
Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC).
John developed a photography business –
On The Pipe Images – that has allowed him to
follow his lifelong dream of shooting some of
the best off-road racers in the world. He was
first published in issue #51 of Transmoto .
GARY FREEMAN
JOHN PEARSON
Mark Kariya started his two-wheeled career
about half a century ago when he was
assigned the chore of checking the sprinklers
twice a day at his family’s orange grove in
southern California, which he did aboard
a Honda CT90. But what really sparked his
motorcycling love affair was going to watch
two of his cousins race for the first time. Well,
maybe that and the movie On Any Sunday . From
there, he was hooked for life and has managed
to live that passion daily through his work as a
freelance photojournalist. It’s also afforded him
the opportunity to ride and race all over the
world in just about every facet of the sport.
MARK KARIYA
ANDY WIGAN
RAY ARCHER
N o p r o b l em, j u s t h ea d t o transmoto.com.au,o r z i n o . c o m t o g et y o u r h a n d s o n a n yo f o u r p r i n t o r d i g i t a l b a c k i s s u es .MISSED AN ISSUE? ISSN: 1839-0358
E n j oy T h e R i d e
MANAGING EDITOR
Andy Wigan | andy.wigan@transmoto.com.au
ART DIRECTOR
Wayne Smith | wayne.smith@transmoto.com.a
ONLINE CONTENT MANAGER
Kurt Teague | kurt.teague@transmoto.com.au
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
Fourohfour | Greg Smith | Jorden Bethune
AMERICAN CORRESPONDENT
Eric Johnson
EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT
Jonty Edmunds
REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS
Geoff Ballard, Garry Blizzard, Mark Brown, Ben Bunda, JefCrow, Simon Cudby, Nick Dole, Ben Foster, Benjamin TuffyJosh Green, Danny Ham, Ian Hancock, Amanda KirkpatricEric Johnson, Mark Kariya, Scott Keegan, Derek MorrisonTony Nolan, Grant O’Brien, John Pearson, David PingreeBeau Ralston, AJ Roberts, Ken Roche, Damian Smith, RyneSwanberg, Cameron Taylor, Jason Weigandt, Peter Whitak
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Phil Osborn | (02) 9965 7324phil.osborn@coastalwatch.com
DIGITAL ADVERTISING
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EVENTS MANAGER Robbie Warden | robbie.warden@3cmg.com.au
SPIRITUAL LEADER
Kim Sundell
PRINTED BY Webstar Australia
DISTRIBUTED BY Network Services
Transmoto Dirt Bike Magazine is published 6 times a year by TDBPty Ltd, ACN 141 679 423, 681 Barrenjoey Rd, Avalon, NSW, 210Phone (02) 9965 7364. Transmoto Dirt Bike Magazine welcomphotographic and written contributions. Send with a stampeself-addressed envelope to 681 Barrenjoey Rd, Avalon, NSW, 210We do not accept responsibility for unsolicited material providin this way. Transmoto Dirt Bike Magazine retains reprint righcontributors retain resale rights. Views expressed by the authors anot necessarily those of the publishers.
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I’d never had a lash at dirt track. No, despite riding since I
was a kid and editing dirt bike magazines for nearly 20 years,
I’d never cut a lap around a flat track circuit of any variety.
And because dirt track has been a rite of passage for so many
Australian riders, it’s a bit embarrassing to admit that. I mean,
I hadn’t been purposely avoiding it. Or had I?
When a mate who’d founded a recreational group of mature-aged
circle-work jerks – now called “The Jerkyls” – urged me to sample
dirt track during one of his ‘SundaySlide’ sessions at Nepean
Raceway, I suddenly felt a strange pang deep
in my gut. So maybe I had been avoiding
it all these years after all. I’d never got
nervous before riding a new trail, enduro
or motocross track, so why the trepidation
with dirt track? Dunno. Maybe it had
something to with those concrete walls in
such close proximity to high-speed corners.
Anyway, on a beautiful Sunday morning
in spring, the time had come. The boys
from The Jerkyls had sourced me a
cobbled-together 1976-ish YZ cum IT in
dirt track trim, and I was raring to go on
the fantastically well-prepped Nepean circuit. I even convinced my
missus, Sonja, to come along for the day. She isn’t much into bikes,
so I sold her on the idea that this infamous track was surrounded by
a picturesque gum forest, where she could walk the dog and indulgein a spot of sketching. If I’m honest though, I’d invited her along for
moral support as I popped my dirt-track cherry.
The “YZIT250” was an interesting way to introduce myself to the
discipline, mainly because its stonking engine was accompanied by
non-existent brakes and suspension that felt like it rode on rubber
bands. But, after a few heart-stopping moments, I found some
sort of rhythm and even managed to back the thing into the odd
turn. Lap by lap, I got a little more daring and sideways. And before
long, I was having a ball. Sadly, a flat tyre – which almost pitched
me off the thing at the end of the fifth-gear straight – put a
premature end to the session. But I’d become a danger to myself
and others by that stage, so it was probably fortuitous timing.
Back in the pits, adrenalin finally in check, I ran into Sonja.
“How was it, sweetie?,” she asked, more out of duty than interest,
it seemed. “Great!,” I said. And then, because
I couldn’t help myself, “How did I look
out there?,” I asked, pathetically. After an
awkwardly long pause, she said, “Umm, a bit
kooky.” And she wasn’t joking. “Your elbows
were down,” she mercilessly continued, “and
your head was bobbling around quite a lot.”
Wow, that hurt. “My head was bobbling
around? Seriously? Did you even know
which rider I was out there?,” I enquired.
“Yeah, of course. The guy in the yellow
helmet,” she said, before throwing a stick
for the dog and disappearing again,
apparently oblivious to the blue helmet that hung off my forearm.
I didn’t know whether I was thankful that she’d been watching
another rider the whole time, or pissed off that, after being together
for 22 years, she couldn’t single me out from the other blokescutting laps. Or both. But in Sonja’s defense, I rarely wear the
same gear or helmet two rides in a row. Accordingly, I got my
ego back in check and laughed at the fact I’d actually thrown
out a ‘look-at-me’ line to her. Thanks to this dirt track caper,
I’d clearly regressed to my teenage years. And, damn, it felt good!
L O O K A T M E ,
LOOK AT ME!
“Thanks to this dirt
track caper, I’d clearly
regressed to my
teenage years. And,
damn, it felt good!”
ANDY WIGAN THOMAS WALK
TRANSMOTOEDITORIAL
14
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HEAVYI S
NO TFASTSTOP SABOTAGING YOUR MOTOS
GET THE LIGHTER, FASTER VERGE HELMET.
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MOTOCROSS OF
NATIONS
Everyone loves to rally behind a home-
team, right? Think State Of Origin. Okay, not
everyone who lives in New South Wales or
Queensland is into rugby, but most will find
time to watch these annual showdowns,
or at least follow the results, because the
players aren’t competing for money or some
trophy; they’re out there for pride and glory.
And when your home-team wins, you get to
feel that pride, and be a part of the victory.
Now, think about how the 80,000 screaming
French fans felt when Gautier Paulin, Marvin
Musquin and Romain Febvre won the 2015Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations at
Ernée. The crowd was roaring all weekend,
cheering for their riders, and that surely
helped the Frogs take home this year’s
Chamberlain Cup – Team France’s first ever
back-to-back win. While Justin Barcia was
able to hold his own in the MX1 class, and
Cooper Webb had some amazing battles with
Febvre – the 2015 MXGP champ – Team USA
finished the event in second Overall, ahead
of Team Belgium. The Australian squad,
consisting of Todd Waters, Dean Ferris
and LukeClout, finished in seventh.
RAY ARCHER
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5 things you don’tknow about this event:
WHO: AMA Supercross pilots
WHAT: 2015 Monster Energy Cup
WHEN: October 17, 2015
WHERE: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1 In 2011, Ryan Villopoto won the
inaugural running of the Monster
Energy Cup, sweeping all three Main
Events to take home $1,000,000. The
impressive feat is yetto be repeated.
2 No rider has won the Monster Energy
Cup more than once. Besides RV, other
winners include Justin Barcia (2012),
James Stewart (2013), Davi M illsaps
(2014) andKen Roczen(2015).
3 Ken Roczen has won the last two
AMA Supercross season openers
at Anaheim. His 2015 Monster Energy
Cup victory could lead him into a
thirdconsecutive A1 win.
4 In 2015, Jason Anderson became the
first rider to holeshot all three Main
Events. He finished the 2015 event in
third Overall after missing the Joker
Lane in theopening moto. Doh!
5 Finishing second Overall in 2015 was the
ever-consistent Ryan Dungey. This is
the fourth time Dungey has finished in
second at the MEC. That made it a Red
Bull 1-2 at the Monster-sponsored event.
SIMON CUDBY
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RED BULL
STRAIGHT RHYTHM
Red Bull Straight Rhythm broke the Internet
when it was first unveiled on YouTube in 2013.
One year later, the concept of riders going
head-to-head on an unwound, half-mile-long
supercross track was brought to life. James
Stewart won the inaugural running in the
Open class and, after spending 16 months
under a drug-related suspension (which
banned him from racing FIM-sanctioned
events), was able to return to racing on
October 10 at Pomona, California, to win the
2015 edition of Red Bull Straight Rhythm.Think about that – he sat out the entire 2015
season, and was still able to show up at his
first race back and make guys like Ryan
Dungey and Ken Roczen look slow, (although
RD5 did give him a serious run for his money
at one stage). We’re not saying that JS7 will
be able to rock up at Anaheim 1 and dominate
the 2016 proceedings, but there’s no doubt
that he’ll be up there running with the top
guys, where he belongs. We have to give
props to Stewart’s ‘baby’ brother, Malcolm,
who claimed his first Pro title in the Lites
class at Straight Rhythm,too.
RED BULL CONTENT POOL/GARTH MILAN
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CAMERA SHOWN AT: ACTUAL SIZE
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COCKPIT
Freestyle motocross riders are very particular about the way
they set up the cockpit of their machines. A lot of tricks are
executed through or around the bars so confidence in the
set-up is important. Josh opts for a higher bend Tag Metals
6091 bar to give him a little more room to get his larger-
framed body through with tricks like the Stripper Flip.
He uses Tag soft waffle grips, and a set of Klayver custom-
made Flip Levers that he then modifies slightly to suit his
style. As Ash points out, “Josh doesn’t like the levers toohigh so he heats up the metal lever with an oxy torch and
bends them closer to the bars. They look trick, are very
durable, and they are essential for tricks like Super Flips,
Indy Flairs, Stripper Flip and Cordova Flip.” To ensure the
front-end remains pointing straight ahead while letting go
of the bars mid-trick or landing no-handed, Josh uses a GPR4
steering damper that combines with the top triple clamp.
“He is pretty picky with how the steering damper feels”, says
Ash. “He bleeds it often before each event as the change in
temperatures moving from one country to the next causes
a little air to build up in them. He also uses a thicker 15 or
20-weight oil so he can increase the resistance if necessary.”
PERFORMANCEWhen Josh trains at his compound in Donnybrook, Western
Australia, he tunes his bike to perform his tricks at sea level.
Josh has to be so in tune with the performance of his bike’s
engine because attempting a trick like the Double Flip with
either too little or too much power could mean under- or
over-rotating ... with dire consequences. In fact, Josh won’t
attempt the Double Flip in Mexico City because it’s 2200m
above sea level and the engine’s performance suffers
massively due to a lack of oxygen. “At higher altitude stops
on the tour,” says Josh, “I’ll get Ash to put in a high-comp
piston and a different cam to regain some of the lost bottom
to mid-range power. But in Mexico, it still doesn’t give me
enough power to safely execute the Double.” Ash says they
also try different high-octane fuels – and to an extent the
fuel-injected CRF450R tunes itself in different altitudes – but
they can tweak it either side to improve the power for theconditions. “With the custom aftermarket ignition, we have
a bunch of settings with different power curves to choose
from to best suit different locations’ temperature and
altitude,” says Ash. “It has nine different preset maps,
one dial that replicates the pilot jet, mainjet and needle,
plus the idle. That lets us run the engine richer or leaner
so there’s plentyof adjustment to get it right.”
UNDER THE KNIFE
Core FMX fans will remember the old days where riders
hacked away at their two-banger’s plastics and seat to create
grab-holes. It wasn’t always pretty, but it did the job. Josh’s
CRF450R thumper is a little more complicated as the airbox is
closed off for emission control, so he has to spend some timecutting out the guts and top to make room for his grab-holes.
He cuts the plastic sideplates enough so he can easily get his
hand around the side of the seat, which he only trims slightly
because he says it’s just too uncomfortable to ride around
with the foam trimmed too lean. “Lucky I’ve got big hands,”
says Josh. “I’d rather have the fatter seat for comfort over
a thinner one that’s easier to grab.” The pleated seat cover
Josh uses is more for looks, and although it offers grip to
stop him from sliding backwards, Ash says it’s the grip tape
that makes the big difference. “Josh is very picky with his
grip tape becausehe can’t afford to slip off the back of the
bike halfway through a Double Flip rotation,” Ash points out.
“He’ll cover the frame and about a third of the side plastics
to ensure his legs have a good area to grip.”
BIKE
DISSECTED
28
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GEAREDFORGRUNTAsh tells us Josh likes to pull away from a standing start in second gear so they replaced the
13/48 standard gearing with a much shorter 13/51 combo for most locations. “This improves
bottom-end response,” explains Ash. “The engine also revs out quicker, which means Josh
can judge his speed easier heading at the ramp and is less likely to over-jump, thereby
making it safer. He can still jump a 110-foot ramp in second, and at courses such as Mexico
with high altitude, we’ll g o one tooth higher again to compensate for the loss of power.”
HOT,HOT,HOT!With freestyle motocross, there’s a lot of slow riding and idling, so the engine temperature
heats up quickly and runs hot, especially with the four-strokes. The standard radiator cap
is rated at a pressure of 1.1 Bar so Josh runs a higher-spec cap with a rating of anywhere
between 1.4 and 2 Bar to stop the bike from overheating. According to Ash, “You’ll notice
radiator coolant pissing out from a standard bike after idling for a while, so it’s important
for us to make sure the CRF450R doesn’t boil while Josh is waiting for his run to begin.”
TITANIUM,BABYJosh is always looking for ways to reduce the weight of his Honda CRF 450R because
the lighter it is, the easier it is to move around when executing rotating or spin-type
tricks. Just by removing the stock dual muffler system and replacing it with an FMF
titanium header and sin gle Factory 4.1 muffler, the bike dropped two kilos. Josh is moreconcerned about saving weight than finding more power, and he’s spent some coin this
season chasing those savings by replacing most steel bolts with titanium equivalents.
That includes the ‘big three’ bolts – wheel axles, swingarm pivot and engine mounts –
plus the bolts in the subrame, muffler, seat, plastic, front calliper, triple clamps, clutch
and brake perch. The standard footpegs have been replaced with titanium Raptor units,
and Josh also has a titanium shock spring that will save another half kilo. It all makes a
noticeable difference when he is launching into a 360, Double Flip or Flair.
RUBBER Josh’s bike gets shipped to each Red Bull X-Fighters event by the organisers and the tyres
are supplied to suit the type of dirt the course is built from. “Obviously the tyres don’t make
as big of a di fference as they do with motocross or supercross,” says Josh. “But sometimes
we ride on hardpack courses or, like the recent Athens round, very soft and loamy dirt. So it
still helps to have the right tyre for each round of the series to hook up better.” Josh runs15psi front and rear at most locations, and a little higher pressures for really hard surfaces.
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W hen flying through the air
upside-down, you need to
knowthe bike underneath you is
rock solid. So for Josh, it’s all about
having someone in his corner he
can trust to get things right. The last
thing he needsis doubt heading into
battle. “I like to understand how
things workon my bike and know
what changes affect w hat,” he says.
“At events I don’t have time to work
on my bike so it’s great to have Ash
at each X-Fighters event to bounce
ideasoff, and also someone I can
trust to make sure the changes are
done right. This allows me to focus
on the competition 100 percent
while he ta kes care of the bike .
Having that trust in my mechanic
enables me to keep my mind clear
and puts me at ease.”
Accordin g to Ash, Josh is as
switched on with mechanical
knowledge as anyone he knows,
which makes his job eas ier in th e
heat of competition. “Any changes
I need to make on the bike come
directly from him,” he points out.
“He’ll just say ‘suspension’s a bit
soft’ or ‘engine’s running lean
off the bottom’ and I’ll make the
changes. Josh is just really focused
at the events. He’s easy to work
with and d oesn’t stre ss out easi ly.”
The 2015 Red Bull X-Fighters
season hasn’t gone that well for
the 2014 champ. In a sport that’s
constantly evolving, Josh feels
he’s lacked progression this year
compared to his rivals. “I just
haven’t really progressed from
2014,” he says candidly. “I’ve made
a few small changes whereas Tom
Pagès has a few new big tricks and
has become more consistent with
his other tricks. Last year, I feel
I got lucky in a few head-to-head
rounds against Tom, where he
crashed out going for his big-banger
tricks. The same applied with
Clinton Moore last year. He was stil
finding his consistency, whereas I
felt comfortable with all my tricks
and put together consistent, solid
runs. This year, Tom and Clint
have had all their tricks on lock
and they’re making things a lot
harder for me to reach the top
step of the podium. I’ve also had
less time to train and prepare for
each round due to my Nitro Circus
commitments, and the time I put
into executing the Triple Flip.
It’s hard to find that balance.”
A TEAM EFFORT
SUSPENSIONWith trick evolution rocketing sky-high over the past decade, riders
have reallyhad to be on their game with bike set-up. The G-force in
Josh’s Double Flip alone is enough to blow suspension components if
they’re built incorrectly and not up to the task. Josh has worked closely
with Sydney-based Factory Spec Suspension’s Ken Wheeler to ensure his
KYB air forksand Pro Link KYB shock can handle the hardest of hits.
“My suspension is not that far off the set-up of a supercross bike with
harder compression and slower rebound,” says Josh. “Landing fromthe Double Flip is by far the harshest impact, so as long as I’m set up
correctly for that trick, everything else is fine. I’ve worked with Ken
to get a good base setting so the only thing I have to worry about is
adjusting my bike’s suspension to suit the climate I’m riding in. When it’s
cold, I notice my suspension stiffens, and vice versa in hot temperatures.”
BIKE
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ENDURO T h e N e w
F a c e O f
WhenAustralia’s first ever ISDE team returned fromthe 1977Czechoslovakia event witha 100%DNF rate, they’dnever have imaginedour Senior, Junior and Women’s teams would clean-sweep the top stepof the podiumat theSlovakian Six-Day in 2015. Nor would theyeverhave imagineda court of law would decide the event’s outcome!
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n case you hadn’t heard, Australia did alright at
the recent International Six Days Enduro (ISDE)
in Slovakia. Better than alright, in f act. They
absolutely killed it. Despite a fraction of thefunding and support that many other nations
receive, Australia’s World, Junior and Women’s
Trophy teams all won enduro’s Holy Grail.
It was the third consecutive win for our plucky
Women; the second time in history that our
Junior team won (the debut win being way back in 1995), and
the first win for our World Trophy team. Or was it?
Well, due to what can only be described as incomprehensible
officiating, Australia’s World Trophy team has had to swallow the bitter
pill of beingprovisionally relegated to second place behind France,
pending the outcome of an FIM legal hearing. Yes, it’s a sad day when
sporting events are decided by arcane workings of a legal system on the
other side of the world (and as they say, a slow apology is no apology).But the Aussies remain confident that justice will prevail and that they’ll
finally be recognised as rightful winners of the 2015 ISDE. After all,
that’s exactly how they were regarded by everyone (except the French)
after the French-run FIM’s baffling eleventh-hour “reintegration” of
eight disqualified riders – three of whom were French.
Without getting lost in the rulebook’s fine print or the inexplicable
meddling by legal teams from France’s federation and the FIM, let’s
take a look at the ongoing points of discussion, and try to separate
fact from fiction while this decision hangs in the balance.
ANDY WIGAN MARK KARIYA
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n Day 3, eight riders from five
nations missed a ‘route check’.
But because they didn’t seek (nor
gain) an advantage, they should
never have been disqualified from
the event in the first place.
It’s true that when these eight riders(three of whom were from France’s
World Trophy team) strayed off the
course, they did not take a shortcut,
but in fact rode a longer route before rejoining the course
proper. However, they rode past two “Wrong Way” signs
before finding their way back to the course. Other ISDE
indiscretions – such as a rider checking into a control
early or late – is seldom, if ever, due to a rider seeking
to advance their position. But, irrespective, it’s still
a fundamental mistake for which rules apply. In other
words, accidentally straying off the course and missing
the route check is not a mitigating factor.
The protests against the riders’ disqualifications
were made on the grounds that the course was notproperly marked.
The Clerk of the Course and members of the ISDE’s Jury
went out to inspect the relevant section of the course to
satisfy themselves that it was correctly marked and their
decision to disqualify the riders was the correct one.
After doing that, their decision remained unchanged.
The fact that all 500 riders – including these eight –
The 2014 Enduro 3 World
Champion, Matt Phillips,
got up to his usual antics at
the ISDE. Fans love the guy.
EVENT
2015 ISDE
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followed the correct course that very morning made it all
that much harder to understand why these eight strayed
off-course in the afternoon. It was not a consecutive
batch of riders who ‘followed the leader’ and went the
wrong way, either; the eight were separated by riders
who stuck to the correct course.
Under the rules of the ISDE, missing a ‘route check’
means the rider did not ride the course, which is a fundamental breach of the event’s rules.
One of the founding principles of enduro racing is
that riders must complete the entire course. It’s a
fundamental tenet of the sport, if you like. This stems
from the idea that enduro racing is not simply about
being the fastest rider; it’s also very much about riders
being able to maintain their bike and maintain their
focus while fatigued. Failing to follow the course arrows
is a clear sign that a rider has lost focus. Like waypoints
in the Dakar Rally, ISDE riders have no idea how many
route checks there will be on any given day. These
checks (where a plastic tag on the rider’s handlebars is
clipped by an official) are set up at random places and
times on the course, but will often be immediately after
a tough hillclimb or technical section, where riders riskdamage to themselves or their bikes. The route check in
question on Day 3 was at the end of a particularly gnarly
rock-strewn creek bed, where several riders (Australian
Daniel Milner and Beau Ralston included) derailed
chains or busted radiators. No one is explicitly suggesting
that this implies the riders missed the route check on
purpose, but it illustrates how missing it could materially
In 2013, Slovakia's Košice
was the European Capital
of Culture. In 2015, it copped
a dose of enduro culture.
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Josh Green was Australia's
only E1 representative. He
ran a smart and solid fifth
in the class on his Yamaha.
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affect a rider’s chances and the outcome of the race.
All five teams affected by the Day 3
disqualifications (France, USA, Spain, Great
Britain, Italy) protested the decision, so the initial
ruling must have been wrong. Right?
After the riders were reinstated for Day 6, the Italian
team’s management claimed they were pressured into
joining the French team’s protest on Day 3. Subsequent
actions by other teams involved suggested they were
similarly contrite about initially siding with t he French.
Allowing riders to ‘ride under protest’ in no way indicates
that their protest is likely to be evaluated favourably.
Even if the ISDE’s Jury found the eight riders to be
in the wrong, the punishment of disqualification
was too severe.
While some agree with this, it remains completely
besides the point. The rules under which the 2015
event was run allow only one course of action for riders
who failed to follow the course: disqualification. The
penalty is harsh because it reflects how crucial following
the course is to this event. To dole out a more ‘fitting’
punishment would be entirely arbitrary. That’s not to
uttingall thepolitics,
legal proceedingsand
emotional accusations aside,
therewere some incredible
individual performances from
theAustralian riders at thisyear’s ISDE.Here’s a snapshot...
WORLD TROPHY
Afteran event-long ding-dong
battlewith standout American
ISDE debutante,Ryan Sipes,
Australia’sDan Milner had
to settlefor a very narrow
secondin boththe E2class
and Outright. Milner posted
several Outright special test
andday-wins duringthe event.
Matt Phillips and Beau
Ralston finished fifth and
ninth,respectively, in the
E2 class, while Glenn Kearney
(a last-minute call-upto replace
Josh Strang) didbrilliantly on
an unfamiliarbike andnext to
no preparation to run20th inthehotly contestedE2 class.
Josh Green was Australia’s
soleE1-classentrant, andran
fifth Overall.
Lachy Stanford wonthe
E3class Outright onDay1.
Hewenton tofinish sixth
(andthe first four-stroke
rider)in theE3 class.
JUNIOR WORLD TROPHY
Three of Australia’s Junior
Trophy team riders were racing
their first ISDE (Broc Grabham,
Tom Mason andTyeSimmonds).
Thefourthmember of the
Junior team, DanielSanders,
wasracingonly hissecond
ISDE, andthe 20-year-old
stepped up big-time. Hefollowed in (his domestic
teammate)Toby Price’s 2014
footstepsby winningthe
E3 class Overall, andran
an astonishingfourth in
the Outright standings.
In theE2 class, Tye Simmonds
finishedan exceptionally
strong10th. He wasthe second
Junior rider in theclass.
Broc Grabham did well to run
34th in E2 aboard a 300cc
four-stroke machine after a
last-minute change from his
preferred 450cc Sherco
mount, while Tom Mason
posted a commendable
top-20 in the E3 class.
WOMEN’S
WORLD TROPHY
The Slovakian win made it
three in a row, with Team
Australia fielding the same
trio – Jess Gardiner, TaylaJones and Jemma Wilson –
for all three years. This year,
the Aussie women won by more
than 55 minutes over France,
withSweden a further 20
minutes back in third.
Tayla Jones won all six days of
competition and all except two
special tests – which were won
by herteammate, Wilson.
Jemma Wilson rode the entire
event with painful tendonitis
in both wrists to finish a stoic
second Overall in the EW class.
SLOVAKIA S t a n d o u t s I n
EVENT
2015 ISDE
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With a two-minute deficit to the
French, the Aussies rode out of
their skins in the final moto, but
came up one minute short.
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Junior team riders, Tom
Mason (#57), Tye Simmonds
(#59) and Broc Grabham
(#56) – three ISDE debutants.
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say the rules can’t be changed for subsequent ISDEs. But
for the 2015 installment, the situation is cut and dried.
Take for example the situation when Australia’s Peter
Savage was running alongside his bike as he pushed it to
the starting line of the 1980 ISDE in France, and his heelinadvertently kicked his bike into gear and caused it t o
bump-start the engine. According to the rulebook back
then, prematurely starting your bike meant exclusion
from the event. And that’s exactly what happened to
Savage – in spite of the fact it was widely regarded that
the penalty of was too harsh for this ‘crime’. The incident
prompted a discussion that saw the rule amended for
future ISDEs (the penalty was changed to one minute),
but Savage had to abide by the rules that applied at the
time he raced. In other words, rules and penalties can
be changed, but that needs to happen before an event;
not during or after it. To prepare themselves for the faint possibility that
the French team might be reinstated into the
results, Australia’s team management should have
manually kept tabs on the French riders’ results.
On Days 4 and 5, the French riders were racing under
protest, but seeing as they had been disqualified from
the event, Team France did not appear in the event’s
The Daniel duo – Milner
(left) and Sanders (right) –
were Australia's standout
riders this year in Slovakia.
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results for two days. Individual rider times did appear,
so Australia’s management team went through the
laborious job of manually adding up the combined
total for the disqualified French riders, to determine
the hypothetical position of a reinstated French team.
Given that Team Australia had amassed a 12-minute
lead over the second-place team, Italy, they rode
conservatively on Days 4 and 5 – never once suspecting
that the disqualified riders would be reinstated. Which
is understandable, given the protest against the initial
disqualification had been denied by organisers. Yes, the
Aussies were aware that, hypothetically, the French were
catching them, but it was only when the eight riders were
reinstated prior to Day 6 that anyone realised the French
team were two minutes ahead of the Australians. At that
late stage of t he game – with only Day 6’s final motocross
remaining – it was too late for the Aussies to react to
the “reintegrated” riders and the re-shuffled results.
Riding their hearts out on the final day, the Australians
halved the two-minute deficit to the French, but could
do no more. Remember also that by reinstating the
riders from France, GB, Spain, USA and Italy, Team Italy
was relegated from second to fourth. So they too will
be hanging on the decision of the FIM’s International
Disciplinary Court (CDI). The real question should be
why it took a few days between the decision to disqualify
EVENT
2015 ISDE
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onAtkins hasattended 20
ISDEs. He’s beenan integral
part of Australia’s management team
since 1998, and Team Manager since
2011. So, what did Don make of what
went down in Slovakia? We asked the
quietly spoken enduro tragic to help
put Australia’s stellar performance
– and the event’s officiating – into
clearer perspective for us.
TM: What does the whole
shemozzle boil down to in
your mind, Don?
DA: If a rider wants to race a
motorcycle discipline where he
or she is only judged on being
the fastest, then there are other
disciplines designed for them. If the
rider wants to demonstrate they’re
a more complete package, then
they’ll race enduro. And an absolutely
fundamental part of enduro is
following the course. Having every
rider complete the same course is
the central objective that organisers
of any enduro event work to achieve.
I’m not saying those eight riders
intended to do anything wrong
in Slovakia, but they did. And the
rulebook has very specific penalties
for that – disqualification.
How does the current situation –
where the decision has gone
above the event’s Jury and is
now being played out between
legal teams from the FIM and the
French federation – sit with you?
Not at all well. I find it interesting
that, prior to the event, there’s all thistalk between the countries of there
being “gentleman’s agreements” with
things such as helpers being allowed
to hand bumbags over to riders at
tests, but not putting extra parts or
tools in those bumbags. The next
thing you know, we’ve got lawyers
at 20 paces. I understand that the
process is there to allow for that. But
it remains very unusual that things
escalated so quickly. One minute, it’s
all about doing things for the good
of the sport; the next, the results are
being determined by courts of law.
My understanding is that the FIM’s
International Disciplinary Courtshould have a decision by October
23, but it appears unlikely that
that timeframe will be adhered to.
And until that decision is made,
there is absolutely nothing that
we or Motorcycling Australia can do.
In the 20 years you’ve been
involved with ISDEs, have you even
seen anything like this before?
No, never. Not that I’ve been aware
of, anyway. I’ve seen final motocross
races stopped and punch-ups between
riders and officials, but nothing like
this. I wasn’t aware that this sport
resortedto thoseextremes to sort out
theirproblems.I believe the Jury’s
President threatened to resign over
the way this was dealt with by the
FIM, so that’ll give you a feel for how
unusual these circumstances were.
I am bitterly disappointed about the
direction the sport has been taken.
If it’s any consolation, it seemed
as if an Australian win had the
unanimous support of all other
countries, and that even the
speaking to the Australian team
as rightful winners.
Yes, there was an amazing amount
of support for the Australian World
Trophy team after the French team
was reinstated in the results. That
support came from a range of
countries and officials. That’s nice,
but it’s not a consolation.
There are certainly lots of positives
to take out of Slovakia, though.
Absolutely. And it’s very unfortunate
that this preoccupation with the
protest and appeal process has
taken attention away from the fact
that our Women’s and Junior Trophy
teams both won the event, and
that Australian riders put in some
sensational individual performances.
I know of many long-time Australian
enduro aficionados who have welled
up with emotion about this incredible
achievement. And rightly so. Many
also made reference to the late John
Hall, who took Australia’s first ever
ISDE team to Czechoslovakia in 1977.In 2012, the French won the World,
Junior and Women’s Trophy Teams –
the only time that has been done.
If the decision goes in our favour,
not only would we match that 2012
French result, we’d take it one step
further because we also won a fourth
trophy – the Watling Trophy – this
year, which is awarded to the most
improved nation. I believe four
trophies at one event would be
unprecedented. It’d be a fitting tribute
for the dedication shown by many
people – riders and supporters – in the
Australian off-road scene for years.
What are the odds of Australiabeing belatedly announced as
winners of the World Trophy Team?
I honestly couldn’t say. But if I believe
in enduro and everything it stands
for – and this sport has been a huge
part of my life – then the French
federation’s appeal must be denied
and this win handed to Australia. I
think that, for the good of the sport,
you can’t ignore the rules to that
degree. And to some extent, the future
of the sport depends on the right
decision being made here. Otherwise, it
could establish a damaging precedent.
A c c o r d i n g T o T h eA last-minute call-up to
replace Josh Strang, Glenn
Kearney brought his vast
experience to the team.
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It might look like a celebration,
but it was equal parts protest
against being provisionally
relegated to second place.
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and reinstate the riders. That’s an untenable situation
in any sporting event, and for everyone involved. The
fact the FIM is an organisation run largely by the French
sure doesn’t help in this situation, either. In the public’s
eyes, it tends to give the FIM a FIFA-like bent quality.
And who’s to say there’s no merit in those views?
By standing on the top step of the podium, and then
walking off (instead of moving to the second step of
the podium), the Australian World Trophy team demonstrated poor sportsmanship.
Well, if that was the case, no one who attended the
presentation (French team and federation aside, that
is) seemed to think so. The Aussies were universally
cheered for their admittedly cheeky statement – a
protest by celebration, if you like. The French team was
universally booed by the large crowd when they finally
took their place on the top step of the podium – which
is unfortunate because the riders themselves had
little to do with the debacle. So, if anything, the poor
sportsmanship came from the crowd, not the Aussies.
Regrettably, things escalated later that night at Košice’s
downtown watering hole where a majority of t eams
and riders congregated. Such was the disgust about the
favouritism that the FIM had seemed to show the French
riders, the multilingual pub descended into a collectivechorus of “Fuck the French! Fuck the French!” for quite
some time. Sadly, in the whirlwind of emotion, even
punches were thrown. By all accounts, it was ugly
and unsavory. And if all the booing at the event’s
presentation didn’t do enough to leave a bad taste
in everyone’s mouth, then the drama that went down
that night at the pub sure did.
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GARYFREEMAN
REDEYE MEDIA, SIMON CUDBY, DAVID BULMER
THE GINGER
ENIGMAyan Villopoto is not only one of the greatest ever
dirt bike racers but, as a ‘lifer’ with both Kawasaki
and Thor, he’s also one of the most loyal. What will
add to RV’s enduring legacy is the fact he achieved
so much success while going bar-to-bar against
astonishingly talented opposition. He’s bettered
guys such as James Stewart, Chad Reed, Ryan
Dungey,and at least one additional emerging star each year –
Trey Canard (2011), Justin Barcia (2013), Ken Roczen (2014),
and many more. It’simpossible to explain how truly remarkable
that is. So his (frankly bizarre) crash at the Grand Prix of
Trentino back in April really wasn’t what any of us were
expecting. It appeared to be a rookie mistake from one ofthe greatest racers of all time; a mistake that, in effect, ended
his career more prematurely than anyone would have liked.
Why did Ryan Villopoto walk away from the
sport at the top of his game? How does he
think he’ll be remembered? Was his ‘Euro
experiment’ a mistake? And what does RV plan
to do with himself now? Transmoto ’s Gary
Freeman took the 27-year-old aside for an
exclusive photo shoot in Belgium, where Ryan
opened up about the strange secrecy that
defined his final 12 months in the sport.
PROFILERYAN VILLOPOTO
50
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THAT LOOP-OUT
It’s all over the Internet if you
fancy re-watching,but in essence
Ryan’s Trentino get-off was a classic
‘loop-out’, leaving him on the deck
and clearly in a lotof pain. Should
he havebacked off and let Desalle
through? In hindsight, probably.
But in the heatof battle, many may
have done thesame.“That crash was definitely weird,”
recalls Ryan. “It wentwrong so
quickly and I don’t remember
exactly what happened. Obviously
I was in themidst of a battle and
clearly madea mistake. I remember
landing off that single jump and the
suspension compressed on landing,
then recoiled. Everything happened
like a ‘perfect storm’ and I wasn’t
ready for it. Before I knew it, I was
upside-down. When I got up, I was
in some pain. It knocked the wind
out of me and made my whole lower
area hurt pretty badly.”
Grand Prix motocross racing is
dangerous, and that hardpacked
Trentino surface gave no mercy
as Villopoto slid off the back of his
factory Kawasaki at full noise. Right
after the crash, Ryan made a fast
exit across the Atlantic – back tothe environment, circle of friends,
acquaintances and professionals he
trusted. While he received a detailed
analysis of his injuries and thought
long and hard about his next move,
speculation went into overdrive.
From a bystander’s point of view,
it looked bad to read ‘Where is
Ryan Villopoto?’ headlines.
Rumour had it no one could get
hold of the American. And they
persisted for months.
“The injury I sustained was a
broken tailbone – my coccyx,” RV
says. “I broke it in four places so that
took a while to heal, and after some
time it was still giving me problems.
There was also soft tissue damage
around the L4 and L5 vertebra,
I believe, so we did work with a
chiropractor and obviously gave it
time to heal. Even now, if I sit on ahard chair or sit for a while and get
up, I can still feel the effects. I’m
told that will last a year. It is what
is and we did what we could, but in
the end it wasn’t going to be enough.
I was off the bike for some time and
to come back and race at this level,
I needed a longer time t o train.
“Yes, I did go quiet for while,” RV
continues, referring to reports that
he went off the radar after that crash.
“But we were trying to figure out
where things were and how much
time would be left in the season if I
returned. The window was closing
and after a while, together with my
trainer Aldon Baker and everyone
else involved, we made a decision.
Sure, it wasn’t as quick as people
would have liked, but there are a
lot of people involved. I had to go
to my personal major sponsorsindividually and talk with them
about a major decision like that,
but I’m happy with the decision
I made. I said before the season
stated that this would be my last
go at racing, win or lose. It didn’t
end up as we all would have liked
it, but it was a good experience
while it lasted. I’ve had knee surgery
three times, but my back injury
meant it was going to take me some
“I broke my coccyx, plusthere was soft tissue
damage around my l4
and l5 vertebrae. I’m told
that i’ll continue to feel
the effects of the injury
for a full year.”
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time to come back. People will say
what they’re gonna say. And that’s
fine. Nobody was living it expect for
me, and you’re never going to keep
everybody happy.”
A CASE OF ADAPTATION
So with a massive dose of
disappointment, the motocross
world had to accept that the eagerlyanticipated clash between the most
successful motocross racer in recent
US history and the rest of Europe
was over. But looking back at the
challenges Ryan faced, was he really
going to be World MX Champion
in 2015 when he was embracing a
new team, new bike, new tracks,
new countries and new cultures.
Was he really that good to be able to
overcome the changes to his routine
and still win?
“Yeah, it was different. Living
here in Europe and the travelling
to the first couple of overseas races
was different. Infact, everything
about it was different. Not one single
thing was the killer; it was just a
combination of everything, and
every little thing adds up. Over here
though, we were like, ‘Shit, we gotta
drive six hours to France because it’sraining here’ or ‘We’ve gotta go find
a hardpacked track’. So it was very,
very different from week to week to
week. It was never routine, but that’s
part of the game over here and the
riders are used to that.”
And what about the criticisms
that RV’s bike set-up was way off the
mark for the generally slower MXGP
tracks early in the season? “Looking
back at bike set-up, we knew it
was going to be a big undertaking,”
explainsRV. “I don’t think we knew
itwas going tobe so different. In
the States, we havemassivebraking
bumps cominginto theturns and
you guys have massive acceleration
bumps coming out of the turns. So
it’s flip-flopped. Sure, the GP circuits
have braking bumps, but I’ve found
most of the big stuff you set your
bike up for is acceleration bumps.Tracks are rough all over the world,
but there are definitely more choppy
bumps in Europe, so it calls for a
totally different bike set-up. It was
also tough fitting into a new team
because I’d only been with two teams
in my whole career. I rode for Mitch
Payton on a 250 team, but it was
only that 250 team. I was there for
my whole 250-class career and then
on the Factory Kawasaki team for
mywhole450 career. That being
thecase, comingto a differentteam
was a steep learning curve in itself.”
SLUGGISH START
So the gate dropped in Qatar – race
one, GP one and RV was left on
the start line with a stalled engine.
Unconfirmed rumours suggested
an electrical fault was to blame,but this left RV with a heck of a
challenge to hack his way through a
fast-disappearing pack. He was up
to 13th by lap five, posting lap times
that would have easily put him up
with the leaders, but a small crash
lost him five places. He finished
the race in ninth, a minute behind
eventual winner, Max Nagl. RV
finished the second moto in eighth,
which gave him seventh Overall, but
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he was alreadya full moto’s points
adrift of Naglgoing into the second
GP in Thailand. He won that GP’s
Overall with a 1-3result, winning the
qualifying raceby a staggering 33
seconds, and the first moto by more
than10 seconds. By race two though,
he seemed to haveblown out;
starting in fourth place and moving
up to thirdon lap three, and staying
there for the remainder of the race.
“Weknow that Qatar didn’t go as
planned,but there are races back
homein the States that didn’t go
as planned too,” explains RV. “I
didn’t planon crashing in Seattle
andtearing my ACL,for example.
Nothing is planned.It is what it is.
Things happen. I won in Thailand
andI was adjusting to the two-day
format. Sure, I probably could have
donesome things differently for
the second moto. I’ve trained, raced
andwon in hotter conditions, but
I’vebeen usedto it. But most of us
arrived in Qatar andThailand from
Europe, where we were still riding
in sweatshirts. It’s the shock factor
goingfrom one temperature to
anotherthat’sthe tough thing.
“I’ve beenbeaten at a lot of
differentplaces and won a lot ofchampionships, and you’re never
goingto win every race,” he goes
onto say. “Losing is a part of game
as well as winning. The year didn’t
turnout like we would have liked
it to,but that’s justthe way it is. At
firstit’s a big bummer, but you get
over it. As a racer there’s always
ups and downs,valleys and peaks.
You ridethe wavewhen it’s bitchin’,
andwhen it’s no goodyou make do.
Looking back at my GP racing, I
don’t regret beingbeaten at this or
that race. In fact,I won the second
GP of the season. So although I onlyhada short go at it,I think I fared
pretty well.If anyone wants to think
otherwise, thenflip the situation
and goto the USandrace.”
EUROPE vs AMERICA
There’s beenan age-old war of
words between these two motocross
worlds, but the general consensus
is that the standardof the AMA
and World Championship riders is
now closer than ever. Some suggest
this narrowing speed differential
is simply because of the internet
and the ease in which ‘information
sharing’ has allowed learning that
was not previously possible. For
example, when Team USA’s ‘dream
team’ of David Bailey, Ricky Johnson
and Johnny O’Mara trounced the
opposition at the 1986 MXoN in
Maggiora, they showed speed, style
and, most importantly, technique
that could not have been known and
emulated in Europe – other than
by going to the USA and observing
it first-hand, of course. These days,
riders can tune into an endless
supply of online video content that
givesa virtual first-hand insight into
who’s doing what and how.Take the
Bubba Scrub. Does a scrub photo
really demonstrate how it’s done?
Photos were all we used to have,
and once a team such as the 1986 US
MXoN entry arrived with a host of
tricks and killer speed, all the Euros
could do is watch ... and lose! Not so
nowadays. But how does RV view the
modern-day differences between American and European motocross?
“The GP guys aren’t any better
than we are in the States, and we’re
not any better than the GP guys,”
says RV. “It’s just a different lifestyle
and racing style. And the tracks
develop differently. We can take any
one of these Euro guys and most
of them probably wouldn’t make a
few laps around a supercross track.
It’s just that different. You might
have a few French riders who ride
supercross better than most, but the
bottom line is there’s not a whole lot
of Euros who head that way because
it’s tough, difficult and different.
And vice versa – there’s not many
Americans who come this way.”
LIFE BEYOND RACING
Even now, it’s still hard to believe
that at the age of 27, RV has retired
and the dream of seeing him over in
Europe, trading blows with the top
GP guys, is tough to let go of. It’s like
an action movie ending before the
first car chase. But perhaps we ought
to give the guy a break. He’s human
after all and he clearly wants to quit
while fit and live the rest of his life
in relative peace with the financial
security that a successful racing
career has brought.
“There’s a whole lot more to life
than living on the road and racing,”
RV says without any skerrick of
doubt in his voice. “I set goals and
I’ve reached them, and I’ve made
enough money to be able to stop. So
I want to quit while I’m ahead. I canlook back and see what I’ve done and
the sport’s been really good to me.
Racing motorcycles is something I
did, but that’s not my life. In racing,
I gave it all and I’ve sacrificed a lot to
be one of the best. I didn’t set out to
be that, and for me there’s a whole
lot more than just racing. I think
there are things I’ve missed out on
and I’ll be able to go and do those
now. The number one thing for me
is to be able to spend time with the
rest of my family – y’know, going
home when there are birthdays and
all the grandkids are growing up.
“Looking back, my dad was always
pushing me as a kid. My family
invested a lot of money in my racing,
so I couldn’t stop even if I wanted
to. I never thought about stopping
racing back when I was Amateur
though. I was okay at that level, but
then I turned Pro and gained a lot of
speed really quickly. And as I didn’t
finish school, I really had nothing to
fall back on. Racing was my job and
I had to make it work. What else was
I going to do? What else could I have
done? I know there’s some kids out
there who watch things on TV and
say ‘I wanna do that’, but that wasn’t
me. Sure, there’ve been times when
it’s been really good. But there’ve
also been really bad times. I’ll always
ride. But racing is something that I
did, and that’s over now.”
RV’s LEGACY
So the curtain’s come down on RV’s
superb career, but how will he be
viewed in the sport’s history books?
Has he done enough to stack upagainst the mighty Ricky Carmichae
or supercross legend Jeremy
McGrath? What do they think of RV
Does he care?
“I always looked up to McGrath.
He was the guy. I’d go to supercross
races as a kid and that’s who we’d
watch. I don’t consider Ricky as
the G.O.A.T. He was one of the
greatest of all time. So was McGrath
They’re both great in their own
way, in slightly different eras. The
accomplishments Ricky and Jeremy
both have to their names is huge.
“How RC or McGrath rate me,I don’t know,” RV goes on to say
matter-of-factly. “I don’t want to say
I don’t care, but everyone has their
own opinions. Some people like me,
some people were never a fan. But
that’s the way it’s gotta be.”
What about James Stewart –
clearly one of the fastest of all time,
but perhaps an unfulfilled potential?
How does RV rate him?
“James Stewart, I dunno. That’s a
“My decision to stop racingdidn’t come quickly. But i feltthat i had to go to my majorsponsors individually and talkwith them about it personally
before making any publicannouncement.”
PROFILERYAN VILLOPOTO
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2014 – 1st AMA Supercross
2013 – 1st AMA Motocross
2013 – 1st AMA Supercross
2012 – 10th Monster Energy Cup
2012 – 1st AMA Supercross
2011 – 1st Monster Energy Cup
2011 – 1st Motocross of Nations
2011 – 1st AMA Motocross
2011 – 1st AMA Supercross
2010 – 4th AMA Supercross
2009 – 2nd US Open of Supercross
2009 – 6th AMA Supercross
2008 – 1st Motocross of Nations
2008 – 1st 250 Motocross
2008 – 2nd Supercross Lites East
2007 – 1st Motocross of Nations
2007 – 1st 250 Motocross
2007 – 1st Supercross Lites West
2006 – 1st Motocross of Nations
2006 – AMA Supercross/Motocross Rookie of the Year
2006 – 1st 250 Motocross
2006 – 3rd Supercross Lites West
2005 – AMA Sports Horizon Award
2005 – 20th 125 Motocross
2004 – 1st 105cc Supermini 12-15 Youth Regional
2004 – 1st 85cc Modified 14-15 Youth Regional
2003 – 2nd 105cc Supermini 12-15 Loretta Lynn’s
2003 – 2nd 85cc Modified 14-15 Loretta Lynn’s
National
2003 – 1st 105cc Supermini 12-15
Amateur & Youth Regional
2003 – 1st 85cc Modified 14-15
Amateur & Youth Regional
2002 – 2nd Amateur National Championship
85cc (Modified & Stock classes)
2002 – 1st NMA 85cc Open
RYAN VILLOPOTO – CAREER SNAPSHOT
M
any of us are aware that Ryan Villopoto has won five AMA Supercross titles (250cc in 2007, and 450cc in 2011/12/13/14) and five AMA Motocross titles
(250cc in 2006/07/08, and 450cc in 2011 and 2013). But what about the rest of the achievements that aren’t as apparent? Here’s the full complementof standout results you’ll find on RV’s bulging CV:
“In the states,
we have massive
braking bumps
whereas the
european tracks
have massive
acceleration
bumps and
much more chop.
That’s what
made bike set-up
more difficult
initially.”
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question journalists ask – unfulfilled
this or that? Okay, well why don’t
you put the shoes, or boots, on the
other foot. Why aren’t you doing it?
Because you can’t. I get it. James
could probably be the best if he put
his head down and did what he had
to do. But that’s the way it goes.
That’s what makes different riders
great at different times. So if people
want to call anybody out who’s at our
level, they ought to do it themselves
and then see how it is.”It’s easier to leave than to be
left behind, because leaving when
the crowd wants more is a sure
way to be remembered at your
best. But leaving a sport that’s been
a part of your everyday life for so
long must be tough. However much
you put on a brave face, surely RV
will miss racing. Or will he? It may
be partly true that Ryan’s choices
denied his US fans a final farewell
anddeprivedthe Europeans to
witness the promised showdown
between two great moto continents.
But with Tony Cairoli, Clement
Desalle and Max Nagl all sidelined
through injury, and Gautier Paulin
all struggling to find form this
season, anRV title winwith so
many top guys MIA may not
have been the showdown we’d
all hoped for anyway.
“Had I continued, people
would say it wasn’t fair because
Tony Cairoli got hurt. You’re never
gonna keep everybody happy,”
reflects Ryan. “Some people in the
States were bummed to see me g o
to Europe in my last year of racing.
But they got to see me race a lot. I
think it was good for both parties
and most of the people over here
were pretty excited that I came.
“There’s always going to be
something you miss. Supercross is a
different animal for sure. It’s nothing
like Outdoors or GPs. Supercross
is cool. But to be that good, to bethe guy ... well, look what I had to
do. That takes a lot of work. Sure I
could have done things differently
in some areas. But my career has
been one of the better ones. There
are not many guys who can say
they can make a living, and a life,
from racing. I couldn’t ask for any
more. It’s a dangerous sport and
I’m healthy. Things can happen
even when it’s not your fault so
“Outdoors, the gp guys aren’t any
better than we are in the states,
and we’re not any better than
the gp guys. But most of these
euro guys probably wouldn’t
make a few laps around asupercross track.”
PROFILRYAN VILLOPOT
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I’mhappy with the way it’s turned
out.But whenyou decide to stop, the
window shuts very quickly because
you have to be at such a high level
to compete.And if you’re not at that
level, you’re just putting yourself at
risk.When youstop, you stop. I’m
not saying you can’t come back, but
you’vegotta be sharp to race.”
There’s bravado in RV’s voice as
he clinicallydissectshis exit from
racing life, but are there any regrets?
“I’d won pretty much every
championship there was to win in
the States,” he says. “So no regrets
about my GP decision. It was cool tosee and experience different things
overhere.I’llstillbe involvedwith
the team and Kawasaki and my
sponsors in the States. I’m already
getting calls to ride the 2016 bike, soI can now experience both sides of it.
ButI’ll alwaysbe a fanof racing.”
Although it’s impossible to know
whether Ryan Villopoto would have
become World Champion, it wasa fascinating, if brief, moment in
motocross history that may never
be repeated.
Ryan’s trainer Aldon Baker
once said, “The more you can
keep changes as small as possible,
the better.” In essence, change
was Ryan’s biggest challenge to
overcome in Europe, but he was
learning fast and clearly improving
at each race. True champions find
a way to win, and RV had already
won some tough battles. But the
outcome of his war in Europe
will never be known. In fact, the
speculation it’s given rise to will
only add to RV’s ongoing enigma –the ginger enigma.
RIDER TOTAL SX WINS SX CLASS (250/450) LITES CLASS (125/250)
Jeremy McGrath 85 72 13
James Stewart 68 50 18
Ricky Carmichael 60 48 12
Ryan Villopoto 52 41 11
Chad Reed 50 44 6
Kevin Windham 30 18 12
Ricky Johnson 28 28 n/a
Bob Hannah 27 27 n/a
Ryan Dungey 26 14 12
Damon Bradshaw 25 19 6
RV’s TOTAL CAREER WINS...
11 wins in 125/250 AMA Supercross (Regional)– x1in 2006, x7in 2007, x3in 2008.
20 wins in 125/250 AMA Motocross – x6in 2006, x5in 2007, x9in 2008.
41 wins in 250/450AMA Supercross – x2 in2009,x7 in2010, x6in 2011, x9in 2012,x10in 2013, x7in 2014.
12 wins in 250/450AMA Motocross – x1 in2009,x3 in2011, x8in 2013.
73total AMAwins – x6 in 2006,x5 in 2007, x9 in 2008, x3 in 2009, x7 in 2010, x9 in 2011, x9 in 2012, x18 in 2013, x7 in 2014.
1 win in MXGP – x1 in 2015.
“I don’t consider ricky CARMICHAELas the g.O.A.T. He was one of
the greatest of all time. So
was mcgrath. They’re both
great in their own way.”
SUPERCROSS WINS...
PROFILERYAN VILLOPOTO
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NO ONE KNOWS YAMAHA BETTERWHY RISK AFTERMARKET WHEN YOU CAN FIT GENUINE YAMAHA PARTS & ACCESSORIES?
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Yamaha Tall or Low Complete Seat....................
Or whatever else takes your fancy from your
Authorized Yamaha Dealer or the easy-to-
navigate Y-Shop.
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If you got it into your head that you wanted a new 250cc
Yamaha enduro bike for Christmas, 2014, your options
were very limited. Sure, there was the venerable old five-
valve WR250F, but that model hadn’t really been updated
since 2007 and had largely fallen off trail and enduro riders’
radars. Or, in a quiet corner of a rural dealer, you might have
found a decade-old YZ250WR in cobwebs – one of those
locally converted YZ250s that came with ADR, but little
else that suggested it was seriously adapted for enduro use.
Just a year later, however, Yamaha fans are spoiled for
choice. If you’re shopping for a 250cc bush-savvy Yamaha this
Christmas, you’re suddenly presented with four options – two
four-strokes and two two-strokes – each of which has been
carefully adapted to work off-road. Yes, the boys in
blue overalls have been busy; not only with building
all-new models, but with developing cross-country
variations of them too. From the ADR-compliant WR250F,
through to the ready-to-race, cross-country YZ250FX,
YZ250X and YZ250XR, Yamaha boasts a formidable
off-road model line-up for 2016; at a time that just happens
to coincide with the brand’s 60th anniversary celebrations.
But how do you decipher which of these machines is
best suited to you? How do they ride compared with the
motocross models they’re based on, and with each other?
What do they cost? And are they in need of any immediate
mods? With Mackay’s Gum Valley venue housing adjacent
motocross and enduro tracks, it was the perfect test
venue to get some answers to those questions.
SPOILT CHOICEIn the space of just one year, Yamaha has gone from having nothing of note in the
250cc enduro bike segment to four models. We compared these machines witheach other, and with the motocross models they are each derived from.
ANDY WIGAN iKAPTUREIMAGES, ANDYWIGAN
FOR
BIK
2016 YAMI 250
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WHAT IS IT?
The easiest way to think of the
2016 YZ250FX is as a hybrid
version of Yamaha’s 2015-model
YZ250F and WR250F. Essentially,
it’s a WR250F with firmer
suspension settings, a YZ250F
exhaust system (with mapping to
suit) and no lights or wiring harness.
Or,if you’d prefer, it’s a YZ250F with
a six-speed gearbox, an electric-start
and an 18-inch rear wheel.
Whichever way you look at it,
the FX sits somewhere between
its enduro motocross cousins;
a pared-down, lighter version
of the WR250F, designed with
serious racers in mind.
RRP: $11,499
2016 UPGRADES
Updated graphics.
HOW’S IT RIDE?
Compared with the WR250F, the
most obvious difference with the
FX is how much quicker it responds
to throttle inputs. With a less
restrictive exhaust, shorter gearing
(13/51) and mapping that’s much
closer to the motocross model’s, the
FX gets into the meat of its power
noticeably lower in the rev range.
It comes on with more punch and is
much happier to be short-shifted,
which is great for hillclimbs and
flowing singletrail where you’d
rather not be going up and down
through the gearbox.
Like the WR250F, the FX’s
chassis has a sweet combination
of sharp steering at low speeds
and sure-footage stability at pace,
and its suspension package feels
closer to a purpose-built enduro
bike than a full-blown motocrosser.
THE 2016 YZ250FXTHE FOUR-STROKES...
BIKE
2016 YAMI 250s
62
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But with less weight attached to its
handlebars (it has a number plate in
place of the headlight, and no full-
wrap hand guards), the FX’s chassis
has a more flickable feel. It might
not float over a bunch of small rocks
quite as effortlessly as the WR250F,
but it remains super-predictable and
doesn’t deflect off trail obstacles the
way a motocross bike tends to. And
with more bottoming resistance at
both ends, it keeps its composure on
big hits and jump landings, even in
the hands of heavier riders.
Interestingly, the FX’s 56N/mm
shock spring is actually firmer than
the 54N/mm coil used in both its
YZ250F and WR250F cousins. Why?
Because the 56N/mm spring works
better on the big, square-edged hits
and logs (that generally aren’t found
lying across a motocross track), plus
it needs to carry both a battery and
the average trail or cross-country
pilot who – including gear, gut and
Camelbak – is generally heavier than
the average MX2-class jockey.
FIRST MODS
Removeair filter frame’s mesh to
improve airflow (andre-map).
Fit YMA’s $500 Cross-Country
Kit, which includes a set of
hand guards, headlight, horn,
steel-braided brakeline, rear
tail-light/stoplight and a GYTR
alloy bashplate. In effect, the kit’s
components allows you to ride
the bike legally in states that offer
recreational rego.
WHO’S IT SUIT?
If you’re a dedicated off-road racer,
the FX is the obvious choice over
the WR250F – and not just because
it comes without all the superfluous
ADR componentry. The FX is lighter,
more firmly sprung and comes with
a punchier, more responsive engine.
At $11,499, not only does it cost $700
less than the 2016 WR250F; you’ll
also save another lump of coin by
not having to immediately buy a less
restrictive aftermarket muffler for
the thing. The same rationale applies
to those of you who are lucky enough
to live where Rec Rego rules apply
– especially if you’re an experienced
and/or heavier rider because you can
push the FX hard with confidence
in the bush, and happily carry that
aggression over to the motocross
track. The idea of a user-friendly
YZ250F with the convenience of
an electric leg will surely appeal to
older motocross riders too.
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WHAT IS IT?
It’s the second year-model of the
all-new machine that arrived in early
2015. The bike is based heavily on
Yamaha’s new-generation YZ250F
(sharing its four-valve, reverse-
oriented engine, rolling chassis,
suspension components and ergos),
but gets a six-speed transmission,
18-inch rear wheel, electric-start,
lights, and a swag of other engine and
suspension mods specifically aimed
at adapting it for off-road terrain.RRP: $12,199
2016 UPGRADES
Aside from the new black rims,
nothing is new for 2016. That said,
Australia and New Zealand are the
only markets in the world where the
2016 WR250F will be available in
Yamaha’s 60th Anniversary yellow
livery. In fact, it’s only available in
yellow for our market in 2016 – a
YMC Japan tip-of-the-hat to the
blue personnel in Oz and NZ who’ve
played a pivotal role in developing
this machine over the past 15 years.
HOW’S IT RIDE?
With only a colour change for
2016, the new bike rides just like
the 2015 one does. In short, it’s
light, agile, balanced, brilliantlysuspended, and comes with excellent
brakes and an engine that’s an
aftermarket pipe away from being
race-ready. The real magic in this
machine is not just its ability to
turn sharply in tight terrain, but
the fact its chassis remains so
stable and sure-footed at high
speeds. Whether you throw the
bike into a gnarly rock garden, land
off an erosion mound into a series
of jagged ruts, or whack a loose rock
midway though a corner with the
bike cranked over, the WR250F has
an uncanny ability to hold its line.
And if you head toTransmoto’s
website and watch the footage
of Luke Clout and Jay Wilson –
Australia’s 2014 and 2015 MX2-
class MX Nats champs – going at
it around Gum Valley, you’ll see
that the WR250F is no slouch
around a motocross track, either.
FIRST MODS
A less restrictive and lighter
aftermarket muffler.
Remove air filterframe’s mesh
to improve airflow (andre-map).
A multi-function digital speedo
(with an hour-meter function).
WHO’S IT SUIT?
The average trailrider will find
that this bike turns every corner,
every erosion mound and every
ride into a hoot-inducing play
session – no matter what the
terrain. The suspension is plush
over small bumps without
wallowing, and yet its damping
progression is so good, 85-90kg
riders will rarely get either end
to bottom. While Pro racers will
be happy with the standard shock,they’ll want firmer fork springs
and an aftermarket muffler
(to release the potential in the
machine’s fuel-injected, reverse-
oriented, four-valve powerplant).
But if national-level off-road
competition is your bag, you’re
likely to be better off buying a
cross-country-specced YZ250FX.
L O G O N T O
For an insight into Yamaha’s new-generation 2016 WR450F that’s was unveiled in mid-October, but won’t go on sale in Australia until January, 2016 (in both blue and 60th anniversary yellow options).
THE 2016 WR250FTHE FOUR-STROKES...
BIK
2016 YAMI 250
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WHAT IS IT?
Unlike the half-arsed off-road
conversions Yamahaperformed on
itsYZ250in thelate 1990s and early
2000s, this 2016-model YZ250X
is the realdeal. It’s Yamaha’s first
factory off-roadconversion for the
YZ250, indicating the companyis
nowserious about properlyadapting
theirmuch-loved two-stroke MXer
for off-road use.
The YZ250X runsan identical
frame, subframe,ergos and
bodywork as the motocross bike
it’s based on. Butthe X’s engine
comes in formajorchanges, andthe
KYB fork and shock getdifferent
internalsand much-revised damping
settings. Comparedto the YZ250,
the X’s powerplant usesa different
barrel, head, CDI,YPVS power-valve
setting, expansion chamber, clutch
springs and radiators, and puts its
power to the ground through a new
wide-ratio five-speed transmission
and18-inch rearwheel.
YMA alsoplans to release a
variant of this model, which they’re
calling the YZ250XR – with the “R”
designating Rec Rego. The XR comes
with YMA’s Rec Rego kit (detailed
for the YZ250FX on page 60) and
costs an extra$500.
RRP:$10,499(YZ250X),
$10,999 (YZ250XR).
2016 UPGRADES
The entire two-strokemachine is
new for 2016 – in it s off-road
guise anyway.
HOW’S IT RIDE?
After jumping off any of the four-
strokes, it immediately strikes
you not only how light, slim and
agile the YZ250X feels, but how
neutral its chassis balance is.
The 250X doesn’t pitch its weight
forward under engine braking
or squat excessively in the rear-
end under acceleration, and that
front-to-rear composure is very
confidence inspiring.
But how does it compare to
the YZ250 on which it’s based?
Well, as much as the YZ250
was perfectly jetted and pulled
seamlessly from low in its rev
range, it was a real handful around
the enduro loop. The close-ratio
gearbox and punchy power meant
you were constantly dancing on
the shifter or struggling to find
traction, while its fir m, MX-spec
suspension and 19-inch rear wheel
made the bike almost unrideable
though the rock-strewn creekbed.
All of which highlighted just
how far removed the 2016 YZ250X
is from the MX bike it’s derived
from. With its completely revised
powerplant, the X generates much
broader, smother and torquey power
and, combined with its noticeably
wider-ratio transmission, gets that
power to the ground a lot more
effectively. It still retains that punch
THE 2016 YZ250X (& YZ250XR)THE TWO-STROKES...
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BIK
2016 YAMI 250
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PROFILECHAD REED
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RESUMES
The end of the 2015 AMA
season sent Chad Reed into an
intervention and a reinvention.
The world around him dictated
that his impactful, inspiring effort with
TwoTwo Motorsports had to be wound up,
and that left him shopping for a new bike
brand and fighting back questions about
his age. But these are familiar battles for
Reed, who has risen above such challenges
time and again. And as he relaunches
himself at the much-hyped AUS-X Open
at Allphones Arena in Sydney at the end
of November, he’ll find another familiar
challenge ahead: James Stewart, the other
half of the greatest rivalry in the history
of the sport. Stewart is also coming
Down Under for AUS-X Open, and also
relaunching his career after a 16-month
suspension handed down by the FIM.
Yep, times change, but Reed versus
Stewart never does.Transmoto’s USA
Correspondent, Jason Weigandt,
spoke with Reedy to get his take on the
rivalry, the race, and whether the word
‘retirement’ has entered his vocabulary.
On the eve of Chad Reed’s homecoming for the AUS-X Open
in Sydney, our exclusive interview with the 33-year-old
Aussie suggests little has changed. After 14 AMA seasons,
he’s still outspoken, fired up and ready to do battle with
his longest-standing racing rival, James Stewart.
JA N W EI AND
SIMON CUDBY,
ACER
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Chad Reed and James
Stewart battling in Australia.
Sounds like this will be an epic
event. What even led you to do
this racein thefirst place?
CR:I always tryto do one race in
Australia peryear, I obviously have a
massivefollowing there and it’s were
my rootsare. Also it’s the one excuse
I get to guarantee myself that I get
to seemy family and friends. I was in
theloop withthe project before it wasevena reality, and I think with the
currentstate of racing in Australia –
from where it was when I raced there,
to whenI wasinvolved with the series
as a promoter, to where things are now
– thatthis is a sustainable event for the
future.It’srun at Allphones Arena, in
the OlympicPark precinct of Sydney,
andI’m excitedabout it.
You first rana ‘prototype’ of the
TwoTwo team at the Super X series
in Oz in 2010, and it seemed like
that vibe carried you forward,
even into the US scene.
Racing in the off-season is one thing
that I wanted to do more of this
year. When you do motocross and
supercross in the US, you’re on one
schedule, and it’s based on trying to get
as much rest and as little travel as you
can. That’s how gnarly the season is. In
my situation, as soon as I found out I’d
miss the rest of the Outdoors, I knew
I could do things like this, and yeah,I think it does help rejuvenate you
moving forward. It’s going to be fun.
Were you part of the process to
bring James over?
I wasn’t a part of James coming over,
but I’m supportive of it. James and
I obviously have a ton of history. It’s
going to be neat for Australian fans
to have James and I down there
together, that’s for sure.
Yeah, but where are you guys right
now? Will you have to avoid each
other during every moment of the
trip, or can you stand in the same
spotlight? So much has happened
between you two at this point, so
is it possible to coexist?
It’s been a never-ending thing between
him and me. One minute we’re cool,
the next minute we’re not. It is what
it is. We’re just competitive. You have
two individuals who have been around
for the same amount of time. My first
year in the US was his first year as aPro, and neither one of us want to lose.
That’s it. That’s all it is. The end result
is that we’re always finding each other
on the race track, and that’s a good
thing. That’s healthy. There’s a reason
why the two of us are by far the two
most popular guys out there. We race,
we battle, we have personality and
we show it. I think people love that
and they look back at us and see us
as the last of that era. We raced
against Ricky [ Carmichael ] and a
lot of the other great riders, and we’re
still around. So whenever we can
get to the pointy end of the field, the
fans love it. I remember last year at
Anaheim 2, the first race I won that
year, just how gnarly the fans were.
They were absolutely incredible! It
was a throwback weekend and we
ended up battling for the lead and it
was an amazing night. For me, I don’t
have a problem with James. If he
needs any help or advice while he’sin Australia, I’d be glad to help him.
Sure, we have our differences and
whatnot, but that’s just part of it.
The American fans never really
treated you as an evil foreigner,
but did you ever wish you could
switch roles with James ... where
you get to be the hometown guy?
We all know the peak of the world
scene is Europe and the US, so
realistically thinking that I would
ever race him in Australia wasn’t
Theduo’sfierce rivalry
began wayback in 2002
– Reed aboard a YZ250F,
Jameson a KX125.
PROFILECHAD REED
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something that came to mind. But at
the same time, you see it happening.
Look at when RV [ Ryan Villopoto ]
went to Europe; it was more difficult
and he wasn’t the same guy we all
knew. I had to adapt to so much at a
young age, and I’ve been travelling
the world since I was 11. Being away
from home is kind of like my normal,
but there is still a comfort in being at
home. I always looked at Ricky and
James and the fact their life as theyknow it never really had to change.
Their parents, their houses, their
property, all they ever had to deal with
is going to the races. I’m excited, but
going to Australia is in some ways as
foreign to me as it is to James. Yeah, I’ll
have my family around, but it’s not like
I have my truck. I have to get bikes just
like James does, and certain pieces
for the bike. So it’s not a complete
advantage for me, but it definitely will
be nice to have the roles reversed a bit.
James was on the radar in the
United States when he was like
five years old. But did you know
about him? Did you know he was
a guy you’d have to compete with?
I’ve always wondered that.
Well, I knew who he was. I grew up
in Oz and the Fox Terrafirma videos
were always a big hit. He was a big
Fox guy. But other than that, I didn’t
really know anything of him. He
was younger than me and I knewhe was a badass kid, but other than
that, Jeremy [ McGrath ], Ricky
[ Carmichael ], Ezra Lusk, Mike
LaRocco, Tim Ferry ... they were the
go-to American guys I always wanted
to race. I’ve raced James the whole
time. He’s totally my era – he’s only
two-and-a-half years younger than
me – but when I was coming up, he
hadn’t established himself as a Pro yet
You’ve been through a lot lately – a
shoulder injury, team shut down,
“It’s been a never-ending thing
between James and me. One
minute we’re cool, the next
minute we’re not. It is what it is.
We’re just competitive.”
Of all the heated battles
between Reed and Stewart,
the Jacksonville Supercross
in ’09 was the most intense.
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he’snoton his gamemostof the
season. With Carmichael heading
to retirement, Stewartdominates
most of theraces. AtAnaheim 3,
Reed gives hima challenge, so
Stewart gives him a shove into
the hay bales and takes the win.
ST. LOUIS SUPERCROSS, 2007:Stewart tries to make a pass, Reed
slices back inside and takes them
both down. Reed gets up first, but
Stewart catches him, then waits for
the same corner to pass him back
with some contact. Then the two
argue on the track after the race.
ANAHEIM 1 SUPERCROSS, 2009:
Team Kawasaki doesn’t want
Stewart back (they place their
bet on Ryan Villopoto) so he shacks
up with San Manuel Yamaha – the
team Reed has just left on bad
terms! Chad goes to Rockstar
Suzuki and wants revenge.
He’son the gas attheAnaheim
opener and passes Stewart. James
passeshim back, bobbles in the
whoopsand Reed smashes into
him. Stew’s night is done, Reed
recovers for third, and the points
chase is on. This season would be
a back-and-forth drama-fest, as
heated as we’ve ever seen it.
JACKSONVILLE SUPERCROSS,
2009: Stewart wins his way
back into contention, but then
crashes some, too, making this
late-season race critical. Stewart
makes a pass, Reed runs him high,
Stewart applies more contact and
rips the fork guard off of Reed’s
bike. Stewart wins, but an angry
Reed grabs the back of James’
jersey after the race and yells
at him. There’s also the now
infamous podium stare-down …
andthis wasn’t even thecraziest
momentof theseason.
SALT LAKE CITY SUPERCROSS,
2009: Another big battle, but
suddenly Stewart’s teammate
Kyle Chisholm, a lap down, runs
Reed high in a corner. Stewartpulls away from that point, and
all hell breaks loose after the
race. Stewart no-shows the
next week’s season-finale press
conference, so Chad is free to tee
off with a ten-minute trash talk
session. In the Vegas final, Reed
passes Stewart and gives him a
shove, but James stays up and
holds on for the championship.
PHOENIX SUPERCROSS, 2010:
Ready? Stewart crashes in his
heat race and breaks his wrist,
but races the main anyway.
Reed andStewartrun into each
other andboth go down, Stewart’s
bike lands on Reed’s hand and
breaks it. Reedshoves Stewart
off ofhim,andpulls off the track
and heads to the medic trailer.
Stewart heads to the pits and kicks
Reed’s bike off the stand. Reed is
suspended for a race by the AMA,
until they realise his shove was
due to the pain in his hand. It ends
up a disaster of a season for both
riders. Incidentally, the hand injury
puts an end to Reed’s incredible
record of not missing a race since
his rookie season in 2003.
ATLANTA SUPERCROSS, 2011:
Reed leads the whole way on his
new TwoTwo Motorsports Honda
until Stewart sticks a pass on him.
Now it’s the last lap, so Reed slices
deep inside in a bowl turn, they
collide andboth go down.
Just like oldtimes!
DALLAS SUPERCROSS, 2011:
Reed’s thepoints leaderon his
upstart team, untilStewart gets
buck wild in the whoops and
smashes into him.
ANAHEIM 2 SUPERCROSS, 2014: Monster Energy Supercross
hosts the annual retro night,
and it sure is as Reed sticks a
late pass on Stewart to take the
win, his first since 2012. For these
battle-hardened warriors, though,
something is different on the
podium: respect, as they shake
hands. Reed would win another
race before hurting his shoulder,
Stewart would go on a run and
notch five wins that season.
The old warhorses still have it,
and they still have each other.
The two rivals’ memorable
2011 Dallas Cowboys Stadium
crash, after which Reed lost
his lead in the title chase.
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wanted to be a better racer, and to do
that I needed to not be so committed
behind the scenes. Being an athlete,
you’re very protected; you’re focused
on performance, and the team keeps
all the BS away from you for the most
part. I just think that running the teammade me realise there’s no security
there. In these types of private teams,
it’s not sustainable to compete at the
level I want to compete at. As bike sales
return, the manufacturers pull back
support and move ahead on their own
projects. It makes it so tough. I just
want to be a racer again. I want
to be ignorant to those things, show
up, smile, wave and race a dirt bike.
As the TwoTwo team was so
successful from the start, did
people overlook just how hard it
was to run a team and win races
at the same time?
Racing in general can go left or right.
I think in 2012, it’s all the shoulda
woulda coulda, but if we made a left
turn, we challenge for the win in Dallas[ where Chad crashed hard while dicing
with Villopoto ], we challenge for the
championship. You win races, people
are happy, you ride the wave. And
we could be having a very different
conversation right now. As it worked
out, it went the opposite direction.
I got hurt in Dallas, we lost a sponsor,
you’re on your back foot, the next year
Honda releases an all-new bike I just
couldn’t come to grips with, then you
have to go back to buying bikes and
“When I led all 20 laps and won the
Atlanta Supercross this year, it’s
not like there was some special
magic thing that happened. I just
got a start and rode to my potential
and I won.”
It’s easy to forget that,
earlier this year, Reedy
won the Atlanta Supercross.
In fact, he led all 20 laps.
PROFILCHAD REE
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parts. You can’t run a multi-million
dollar program buying motorcycles.
That doesn’t make sense. I’m one of
very few people in the industry who
actually sells products for sponsors,
and at the end of the day, I’m spending
money to buy them. I’m not okay with
killing it for a brand and them sort of
taking advantage of me. That ate at me.So can we really judge your abilities
right now based on what we saw in
the 2015 season?
From my side of the fence, 2015 was
a disaster. Showing up in supercross
and getting tenths is not worth my
effort. And that’s sad, because tenth
in the world isn’t terrible. But I want
to be on the podium and have a shot
at championships. That’s all I’m there
for. If I’m short of that and I’m just
out there making up the numbers,
I’mout. What peopledon’t realiseis
that,everyyear myage getsquestioned
moreand more,andlastyear I was only
on thepodiumtwice.There willalways
be haters andthey’llalwaysquestion
everything,but still, thelist of people
whowon races in 2015is verysmall,
and I wasonit. Nothinghas changed.
So, like I saida year ago, maybeI’mdelusional,maybeI’m crazy – hey,
there’s some truthto allof that – but
I think I can still doit.WhenI won
that race this year [ Round8atAtlanta,
whereChadledall20 laps ], it’s notlike
therewas somespecial magic thingthat
happened. I just gota start and rode
tomy potential and I won. That’s my
opinion.So whenit’sall saidand done,
if I’m in the game mentally and do my
work, I can show up and still win races
and challenge for a championship.
REED STEWART
SUPERCROSS
Pro seasons in US 14 14
AMA SX Championships 2 2
AMA 125cc SX Championships 1 2
AMA SX 450cc Wins 44 50
AMA SX 450cc Podiums 124 73
AMA SX 450cc Starts 170 119Win % 26% 42%
Podium % 73% 61%
Top 5 % 87% 75%
Top 10 % 96% 93%
Missed Races % 16% 34%
MOTOCROSS
AMA 125cc MX Championships 0 2
AMA 450cc MX Championships 1 1
AMA MX Wins 11 48
AMA MX Podiums 51 66
REED vs STEWART – BY THE NUMBERS...“I’m one of very few people in the
industry who actually sells products
for sponsors. I’m not okay with
killing it for a brand and them taking
advantage of me. That ate at me.”
78
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Given that Antonio Cairoli
and his 350SX-F have
handed KTM multiple
MXGP World Championship wins
in recent years, it’s hard to believe
that the Austrian manufacturer
has only just notched up its maiden
350cc-powered Enduro World
Championship (EWC) title. In
2015, thanks to the super-fast
Frenchman Antoine Meo, KTM’s
350EXC-F finally secured theEnduro 2 title, almost five years
after the mid-capacity model
first appeared on the scene.
Figuring out exactly how to best
set up this ‘not a 250, not a 450’
machine for off-road use – while
competing against some seriously on-
form competition – hasn’t been easy,
even for the highly accomplished
KTM Enduro Factory Racing team.
So it’s taken a little longer than KTM
would have liked for its 350 to secure
the blue-ribbon EWC title. But in
2015, Meo came out swinging and
absolutely owned it. He put his near
career-ending wrist injury from 2014
behind him and became a faster,
smoother and smarter racer than
ever before. Twelve months ago, it
was Husqvarna’s Pela Renet who
was getting everything right while
Meo struggled. This year, with a
revised bike set-up, Meo held the
upper hand from the EWC seriesopener in Chile to the penultimate
day of the championship in France,
where he secured the title.
So, what changed this season?
Was it the rider or his bike? Well, it
was kind of both. Aside from the fact
a mellower engine setting allowed
Meo to ride his 350 harder and faster,
this year’s race bike is the product
of much fine-tuning and lessons
learned. Here’s an insight into what
makes this trick factory 350 tick.
KTM has amassed countless EWC titles, but the
blue-ribbon E2-class win has continued to eludetheir 350cc machine. Until now, that is. FrenchmanAntoine Meo has finally taken KTM’s worldwideshowroom success story, the 350EXC-F, to itsmaiden Enduro 2 World Championship win.
FUTURE7MEDIA
MEO ’ S MIDDLECHILD
BIKE: KTM 350EXC-F
TEAM: KTM Enduro Factory Racing
MANAGER: Fabio Farioli
RIDER: Antoine Meo
MECHANIC: Francesco Vardanega
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COCKPIT
Meo’sworkstation is fairlyconventional. He runsa Renthal
999handlebar and a seatwithharderfoam and a grippier
cover. A 7.5-litre fueltank off a motocrossmodel replaces
the 350EXC-F’s standard 9.5L unit (though KTMmakesit
transparent so that fuel levels can be checked quickly and
easily). Oneof Meo’sfavourite components is theNeken
SFS triple clamps – asthe top clamp offersan extra 10mm
of handlebar traveland two small shock absorbers – which
he runswith thestandard22mm offset. Titanium footpegs
aremade by Raptor and positioned 5mm further back than
standard to create theexactriding position Meowas after.
SUSPENSION
For a former motocrosser with such an aggressive riding
style, you wouldn’t expect Meo’s factory WP suspension
to be anything but very firm. He runs WP’s 52mm cone-
valve fork and a TRAX rear shock, with both the fork and
shock designed to work best when pushed hard. Meo’s
mechanic points out that the damping mods are focused
largely on ensuring the suspension at both ends gives
Antoine confidence. After a tough 2014 season, the
team started this year’s EWC with a different mindset.
And after ditching the traction control system, Meo has
been more than happy with his suspension settings.
DRIVETRAIN
Meo’s 350EXC-F runs a close-ratio six-speed g earbox that
arrives directly from the factory motocross bikes. It’s got
a taller first gear, and a shorter sixth. The team started
last year with 13/49 final gearing, but for most of 2015
they’ve been running a 13/50 combo. A Sup ersprox rear
sprocket is used, featuring heavy-duty steel teeth for
guaranteed durability, especially in muddy conditions. The
O-Ring chain is made by Regina, with a rivet link to reduce
the chances of a breakage. The extra strength chain guard
is produced by TM Designworks and bolted on to a special
aluminium swingarm case that Neken provides the team.
ENGINE
“We started with an EXC-F enduro engine and then swapped lots of parts from our
motocross engines,” explains Meo’s mechanic, Francesco Vardanega. Fitted with a
special Pankl piston and a motocross model’s crankshaft and camshafts, Meo’s mill has
plenty of similarities with Tony Cairoli’s previous-generation 350SX-F engine. Even the
ignition comes from the motocross bike, with the smaller rotor making just enough power
(though, as Vardanega points out, “It’d be better not to run all day with the lights on”).
One thing designed specifically for enduro use is the Hinson ultra-progressive clutch.
COOLING
Toimprove the efficiency
of the 350ccpowerplant’s
cooling system, the team
uses a pair of larger-capacity
radiators from KTM’s SXS
line-up (which can be found in
KTM’s PowerParts catalogue).
An automatic radiator fan is
always placed on the right side
of Meo’s bike.The system works
with thehelp of a thermostat
rather than an external switch.
Thefan is engaged every time
the engine temperature goes
above 90 degrees Celsius.
FUELINJECTION
The Keihin throttle body retains the standard 42mm diameter, but its injector sprays
fuel from the bottom up, instead of from the top. It’s been proved that this set-up
generates much improved power deli very and throttle response at lower revs, and has
already been applied to KTM’s motocross engines (albeit with larger 44mm injectors).
The team has spent a lot of development time with a variable mapping system, which
was supposed to work as a kind of traction control. But after Meo’s tough 2014 season,
it was ditched in favour of an engine with two basic ignition maps – smooth and powerful.
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BRAKES
Always wanting a littleextrapowerfrom his front brake,
Meo made KTM’smechanicsdevelop a personalised set-up.
Using an improved calliper (from Brembo’sfactory line) and
a longer lever, thefront brake offers some seriousstopping
power. Theteam also uses ‘new’ discs, developed by
Brembo. They’re thestandarddiameter buthave an all-new
design to ensure superior heat resistance. The rear discprovides an extra-progressive feel when braking because
Meo finds thestandardrear brake tooaggressive.
EXHAUST
Slovenian manufacturer Akrapovic develops the exhaust
system for Meo’s 350EXC-F. With the team relying on a
mostly standard aftermarket silencer, most of the work
is focused on the header pipe. The Akrapovic system
is especially designed for the 350EXC-F. It’s got larger
diameter tubing and a completely revamped design
throughout. Early in the year, Meo did test a header with aspecial resonance chamber (similar to the one found on the
production motocross bikes), but settled on this system.
WHEELS&TYRES
Excel rims are matched with extra high-strength spokes
and hubs from Haan, while Metzeler provides the Six Days
Extreme tyres and mousse tubes. Meo can select between
two different mousse options for the front wheel – one
soft and the other a little firmer – while there’s only one
available for the rear, which, depending on the type of
terrain, might be new or ‘slightly used’. Meo makes surehe spends some time training with new rear mousses so
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W ith Antoine’s injurylast year
restricting movement in his
rightwrist,we had to make a few
special adjustments to the bike. First of
all,Antoineloves the Neken SFS triple
clampset-up,which works like extra
suspension.The system works with
compressed air.We have the possibility
of puttinganything from 3 to 5 Bar
of pressure in them, but we normally
stickto 4.5.We also use a special
throttle cablewith a smaller-sized
reelthat reduces the throttle twist. It’s
developedbythe guys in KTM’s R&D
departmentand Antoine loves it.
“Antoinewants an engine with
a strong powerdelivery from the
bottom, but which also gives plenty
of horsepower at highRPM.I’dsay
our engine can be easily compared
to the standard 450EXC engine in
terms of power. Probably the most
remarkable thing on Antoine’s bike
is how hard he wants his suspension
set-up to be. He’s a rider who attacks
all the time so he needs a bike to
make him feel safe in any kind of
conditions. It might be a bit more
tiring in the long transport sections,
but when it comes to the special tests,
it’s to the point. Antoine also wants
a super-powerful front brake, so
we’ve made some adjustments to the
caliper for that, and we’re also using
a longer brake lever and a master
cylinder from the previous model.”
W hen I first tested the
350EXC-F two years ago,
I knew we had to work hard to
make it a championship contender.
We had a bike with lots and lots of
power and an extremely light feeling,
but it wasn’t anything like the
450EXC, which had plenty of
torque and could get its power
to the ground to find traction.
“We spent way too much time in
2014 developing a variable mapping
system, which worked like a traction
control. Traction was great at low
RPMs, but past the mid-range a big
amount of power reached the rear
wheel. It was like a turbo-boosted
engine that made me loose traction
a lot.We gavethis system too much
confidence and as my battle with
Pela Renet was raging last year, we
didn’t have time to focus on the bike
“Spending five months away
from racing due to injury actually
helped understand we’d gone in
the wrong direction with the bike.
So in 2015 we started all over again.
We removed the mapping system and
I started trying to get a better feeling
for traction with my right hand. With
the support of some great people
from the team, we managed to build
a bike that gave me the confidence
to win the title and to give back to
KTM for all the hard work they ’ve
done over the past few years.”
VARDANEGA, ON MEO’S SET-UP MEO, ON THE 350EXC-F
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LEAPFROG!
Halfway through this year’s FIM Motocross World
Championship, people began to ask questions about
this lightning quick French rider, and how the hell
his surname was pronounced. By season’s end,23-year-old Romain Febvre was being compared to
the sport’s all-time greats. Transmoto ’s David Bulmer
tracks the story of this MXGP rookie’s astonishing
journey from relative obscurity to world champion. DAVID BULMER RAY ARCHER, RINALDI YAMAHA
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Nobody thought Romain Febvre would be a podium guy, let alone
predict he’d go on to dominate the 2015 MXGP World Championship
and then school everybody at the Motocross of Nations. In fact, with
all the hype surrounding this year’s much-anticipated showdown
between Ryan Villopoto and Tony Cairoli, very little was even made
of the French rookie. After being forced to step up into the MXGP class this season
due to the controversial age-limit rule, Febvre wasn’t even the main guy in his own
team; Jeremy van Horebeek took that honour after an excellent 2014 season, and it
was the Belgian who got all of the pre-season press for Yamaha.
Yes, flying under the radar is a phrase that fits Romain Febvre – not just this
season, but for his entire career. At the beginning of this year’s championship,
few people knew too much about the 23-year-old, other than the fact he was asuccessful supermoto rider – and even that is something the humble, hard-working,
enigmatic Frenchman doesn’t go out of his way to speak about.
When Transmoto's Europe-based MXGP Insider columnist, David Bulmer, sat
down over breakfast with Febvre at the championship’s penultimate round in
Mexico, the rider who’d quickly become Yamaha’s main man may have been wearing
two-day old clothes (thanks to the airline losing his luggage), but there was no getting
away from the smile that almost permanently adorned his face. Despite the growing
media obligations and the fact he’s not nearly as confident with his English as he
is on a dirt bike, Febvre is loving life. And he has absolutely no problem talking
about his motocross career; a journey that has been anything but ordinary…
PROFILROMAIN FEBVR
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Is it true that with your
birthday being on December
31, you were actually just a few
hours too old for the MX2 class
this year, and had no option but
to step up into the MXGP class?
RF: Yeah, I think so. I’m not sure if
the cut-off is January 1 or the first
race on the championship [ the cut-
off is January 1 ], but anyway I was
too old. Last year, I was a little bitdisappointed. But with the results
I’ve been getting this year, I’m happy
to be racing in the MXGP class.
No doubt! That said, at one stage
you were almost 70 points down
on the red plate holder. Were
you even thinking about the
championship at that stage?
Until Germany when I got the
red plate, I didn’t think about the
championship at all. Not even
afterwards. I wasn’t even looking
at other riders’ results. I was just
looking at my progression; what I
needed to do to be better and better.
With such a long season, I was just
looking to score as many points as
I could in every moto. And if I had no
injuries and no DNFs, then for sure
it would be a great year. And a great
result! But for me, the moment I got
the red plate, I knew I could keep it
until the end of the season.
Throughout your career, youhaven’t won too many races,
and even when you won the EMX
title in 2011, you only won one
moto. What was it like to win that
first MXGP race in Great Britain
and then follow it up with the
Overall in France, in front of
your home fans?
It was great. In Great Britain, I
didn’t have a good feeling in the first
moto and I finished seventh. I was
really disappointed because I knew
I had the speed, but I was just stuck
behind some riders and I could not
pass. So I was just pissed off. But for
sure, the second moto went pretty
good. I had a good start and just I
passed everyone. I passed Cairoli,
Nagl, Paulin and Desalle to take the
lead. I was the happiest guy on the
track. That moto showed me that
I could do it. Then at the French
GP, I had not so much pressure
because I think everyone hadbigger expectations for Gautier
Paulin. So I just turned up thinking
like this, and obviously I ended up
winning my first GP in France. It
was just amazing. After that, I got
more confidence. I felt that I could
win on every track – even in the
Belgian sand at Lommel, I felt
that I had the speed. Sure, I made
some mistakes. But in Assen, I won
the second moto and proved that
I can have the speed on every track.
And that is the most important thing
for this championship.
When you won that EMX title, it
actually came down to the final
round in Lommel and you only
just scored enough points. Is that
when you realised you needed to
improve your speed in sand in
order to progress your career?
Yeah, for sure. Lommel in 2011 was
not good. I think I got both holeshots
and yet I finished 13th without anycrashes. So that’s not good [ He went
16-13, winning the title by 3 points ].
I didn’t practice at all in the sand, so
when I signed the first year in MX2
with the Jacky Martens team, I knew
that I needed to live in Belgium. I
knew it would be good for my career.
I knew that most of the top riders
lived or stayed there, so I stayed in
Belgium all the winter and all the
season. It was obvious that I needed
to practice in the sand in all weather
conditions. Now I look back and
“After winning the title, it’s been a bit difficultdealing with all the media and obligations.
But this is a good problem to have becauseafter the season, it will become quiet again.”
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“In Qatar, passing Villopoto there gave me a boost. Thenin Great Britain, when I passed Cairoli, Nagl, Paulin andDesalle to take the lead, it showed me that I could do it.”
MANAGERS’PERSPECTIVES...
ERIC EGGINS MOTOCROSS RACING MANAGER,
YAMAHA EUROPE
What is Romain like to work
with, Eric?
He is always giving it 100 percent.
And he gives 100 percent in the right
way as well, which makes him very
nice to work with. It is great to have
Romain on Yamaha. Basically, he has
the willingness to improve and the
willingness to win ... or to get better,
let’s say. To understand what you
need to do differently for the next
time, he is very quick to learn based
on his own feeling, and also based
on the team’s feedback. Plus – and
this is the most important thing – he
wants to ride. He likes riding and
he likes what he does, and this is
noticeable in his results.
After the early part of the season,
where Romain was quite a way off
the pace, what was the feeling
within the team?
We knew the winter was tough for
him. But compared to the early
season results of the other rookies
in the class, Romain showed the
motivation and the ability to learn.
We saw this because the gap from
him to the top riders narrowed very
quickly. And when he started to beat
guys who have won GPs – with all of
them very close in speed – that was
a great sign. That progression just
continued, but in a controlled way.
This is how Romain is; he just keepsimproving. We’ve all seen what he
did this year with the guys he raced,
so all we can do is go to work and
learn more for next season.
JACKY MARTENS
TEAM MANAGER, JACKY MARTENS
HUSQVARNA
You were team manager for Romain
for a couple years. What was he
like to be the boss of?
When Romain arrived on the team
in 2012, everything was new for
him because he had never been on
a factory team. He started fromcomplete zero. He began learning
about suspension and engine set-up
and everything you need to feel good
on the bike. So in that first year, we
tested a lot with him. For sure, it was
not easy because with a new rider
and a new bike, we had to learn about
the technique with the machine
and about his own riding technique.
During those two years, you could
see the improvement in his riding
and his results. Basically, he’s doing
exactly what we told him. And when
[Continued p87 ]
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I’m really happy I came to Belgium,
which is where I still live.
Later in 2011, you went over
to America and you raced the
Mini O’s. You did all right, too.
Why did you go and what was
that experience like?
It was good. It was my dream to
go there; the same dream a lot of
young riders aspire to. I had the
opportunity to go there with somefriends, but let’s say we went not
for the result; we went more for
the holiday and to do some riding
at what we knew would be a good
event. It was actually six days’
racing – three days motocross and
three days supercross. It was really
difficult because I’d never ridden
supercross before, but the result
was not that bad. I think I got a fifth
or sixth and then I had a DNF after
having a problem with the bike.
All the riders who finished in front
of me there, now race the Lites
class in America – guys like Justin
Hill, Jeremy Martin, Jessy Nelson,
etcetera. It was a good experience to
go there, and the supercross stood
out as something special.
Earlier this year, you got to
face another American, Ryan
Villopoto, in your rookie season
in the MXGP class. What
were your thoughts about thechampionship's opening round
in Qatar, where you actually
passed RV in that second moto?
My 6-7 result at Qatar was great
because I was not expecting
more than this. And I felt I rode
consistently for both motos. It might
sound funny to say I was happy with
a 6-7 result now. But at that time, the
team and me were just so happy –
about the result, about my speed and
consistency, about everything. We
knew I was not as ready or prepared
as the other riders. We knew I could
improve a lot from Qatar. Yes, maybe
my pass on Villopoto there gave me
some sort of boost. But after the
second round in Thailand, Villopoto
was strong so I was not expecting
much more.
We talked about you winning in
France. But then, a round later
in Maggiora, Italy, you had your
biggest crash of the year, whichcould have easily ended your
season. Did that change your
outlook on the championship
at all?
Yeah, for sure. I was really pleased
that I was not injured because it was
a huge crash, and it was my mistake.
What I leaned from that crash is
that I risked a lot just to make up
one position. Even if I didn’t get an
injury, the crash could have ended
the race with a bike problem. I was
so pleased that I was not injured and
I still won the GP, but it changed
my approach a little bit.
From that moment, you went
from strength to strength,
winning lots of races, and
eventually winning the
championship with two
rounds to spare at the new
GP in Assen, Netherlands.
Talk about that feeling.
The feeling is unbelievable.I did everything to become world
champion one day and I’ve been
dreaming of the day ever since I
started riding. So it’s really good.
It’s really good for the team, and
also really good for Yamaha. I think
it was eight years since Yamaha had
won the title, so it’s nice they did it
with me. I think it also shows that
I can perform under the pressure.
I hope for more championship wins
in the future.
In the weeks following the title
“A few years ago, I was not fast in the sand. I knewthat I needed to move to Belgium, where a lot of
the top riders are based. I’m really happy Icame to Belgium, which is where I still live.”
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you see that in his riding, it gives
you a good feeling.
Has it come as a surprise that
he's been able to get on the 450
and be so competitive so quickly?
Not really. He’s been riding a lot on
450cc-plus supermoto bikes, so he’s
used to big power. He just has the
technique. And when you know how
to handle all the technical points,
then it doesn’t matter whether it’s a
big bike or a small bike. It all depends
on the vision you have of yourself.
Was it frustrating that you couldn’t
retain him on your new team, or
was that out of your control?
We are an MX2 team. I wanted to
keep Febvre, but one of my sponsors
insisted they wanted Alexandr
Tonkov. I explained that Febvre had
begun to do what we were waiting
for, but I had no choice. I had to let
him go. It’s a shame as I knew he
was good; otherwise I wouldn’t have
started with him two-and-a-half
years ago. But it is how it is. For
sure, it’s a nice feeling to know that
a lot of his success came from our
experience and our teaching. I am
happy for Romain because he’s a very
hard worker. He’s always focused
on his fitness, on his riding, on his
technique. He has the mentality of
a winner and a professional.
ROGER HARVEY
GENERAL MANAGER (MXGP), HRC
Romain became world champion
in his rookie year in the premier
class. Put that achievement into
perspective for us, Roger.
To be honest, it’s quite amazing.
He rode a 250 nicely but he took
to the 450 incredibly well. And all
credit to him. He’s worked hard and
he’s fought hard, and you can see
he’s done his homework. There were
a few indications during early season
when the team was testing and
training that the 450 would suit
him down to the ground. But to
come and do that in his first year?
Well, nobody was expecting it.
Congratulations to the guy.
Is Romain someone you’ve looked
at as a prospective signing?
He came up as a consideration for
Honda, but not HRC because we
were a long way down the trackwith existing negotiations. And
based on Romain’s 250 record,
you would not have expected to see
him do what he’s done on the 450.
So, we looked at him, but it didn’t
really go any further than that.
Looking ahead, do you think he’s
the sort of rider who’ll be able to
cope with the pressure that comes
with being the champion; the guy
with the number one plate who
everyone is gunning for?
Yeah, I think he can handle that,
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PROFILROMAIN FEBVR
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win, howhas it been to be living
as a world champion? Is there a
lotmoreto dealwithnow?
For sure it’s a hugeobligation –
forthe media, forthe journalists,
foreveryone.Much moreof an
obligationthan I wasexpecting.I’m
not sousedto the mediaandsponsor
commitments,so ithas been a bit
difficult dealing with allthe phonecalls. Butit’s thejob.I understand
that. And when youhave this
problem, I think it’s a good problem
tohave. Atthe moment,I need to
dealwith allthat attention.But after
theseason, it will be quiet again.
Notso quickly, though. In two
weeks, it’s going to be as crazy
as it’s ever going tobe. Are you
ready forthe Motocross of
Nations inErnéewith all thatpressure;all those French fans
expecting youguys towin?
Yeah, I am so pleased to be racing
there.My firstgoal wasthe world
championship.Now that’s done,I
canenjoythe momentand thereally
good feeling I getfrom that. I feel
that I will nothaveany pressurein
Ernée because, like I said, my goal
was the championship. I achieved
that,and everythingafter thatis enjoyable. I have no pressure,
nothing. I like to be in this position.
Forsure, I willtryto enjoy the
experience of racingin Ernée with
allthe publicsupport. It will be really
amazing forthe Frenchteam,I think
We will try our best to win again.
But wewillsee. I was a spectator in
2005 – thelasttime theMotocross
ofNations was heldin Ernée – so
I’m sure it will be extra special atthat venue this time around.
“I think it has been eight years since Yamahawon the MXGP world title, so it’s really nice
they did it with me as the rider.”
Of course, the 2015 Motocross of Nations in Ernée, France, is now in the
history books, with the event being a massive success, and the crowd
breaking all records as they cheered on the home team to victory. Romain
Febvre played a vital role in that win, joining an elite list of riders to have won
both motos at the event, and matching Jeff Stanton's 1989 effort in Germany,
as the only other rider in history to go 1-1 at their very first MXoN. It capped
off a truly incredible year for a rider who wasn’t widely known before this
2015 campaign, but who has quickly become a global star and will be for
many years to come. Winning the US GP – and his dices with Cooper Webb
both at Glen Helen and at the MXoN in France – sure helped raise Febvre’s
stocks Stateside, too. And despite the return of guys like Tony Cairoli and
Clement Desalle for the 2016 MXGP World Championship, everyone will
have their work cut out to beat the #461 machine next season. And just think
if Febvre was born 24 hours later, none of this would ever have happened!
MXoN POSTSCRIPT...
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no problem at all. Without a doubt,
in fact. We’ve seen his grit and
determination this year, so he’ll
be a tough cookie to crack next
year. That’s what HRC is aiming
for; we aim to crack him in 2016!
GLENN COLDENHOFF
MXGP ROOKIE, TEAM ROCKSTAR
ENERGY SUZUKI
You raced Romain a lot last year.
What’s it like seeing a rival come
up at the same time as you and go
on to become the world champion?
Last year we had many, many
battles in MX2. Obviously I got
injured last season so I didn’t ride
all the championship. But Romain
definitely made huge steps over the
winter and you could see that he’s a
quick learner. With more and more
confidence, he became even stronger.
And that makes good results a lot
easier to come by.
Does the fact that you were able
to beat him a lot last year (before
that you can come back and achieve
similar results?
Yeah,sure. At the beginning of
this season I had many small
injuries, which made it difficult to
build momentum. There are a lot
of strong riders in the MXGP field,
but I know I can run with the top
guys. I’ve showed it already many
times. I do feel that I can also do
what Romain has done. But this
year, he was the strongest out
there and he showed that time
and time again. He’s really on it.
Next year though, he becomes
the man to beat; the guy with atarget on his back. Do you think
that added pressure will make it
harder on Romain?
Yes, I think so. Then again, he didn’t
show any nerves this year. He just
kept firing, and every single time
he was up there showing that he
was the strongest guy. But we will
see how strong everyone comes
out of next winter. We’ll see where
everybody is at. There could be a
lot of difference next year. Romain
proved that’s possible this year.
FEBVRE’S CAREER
2006 – Runner-up, French 85cc
Supermoto.
2007 – Champion, French 125cc
Supermoto.
2011 – Champion, EMX250.
2012 – 13th, MX2 (best moto 5th).
2013 – 12th, MX2 (best moto 2nd;
best Overall 2nd).
2014 – 3rd, MX2 (x1 moto win;
x1 Overall win).
2015 – MXGP World Champion
(x15 moto wins, x8 Overall wins).
PROFILROMAIN FEBVR
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After being fitted with these
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Accessories genuine parts, and
undergoing a series of mods as a
Transmoto project bike, this new-
generation 2016 FC450 will get a
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by one very, very lucky subscriber.
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W hether you’re a casual trailrider,an experienced campaigner or a
competitive racer, most riders strive to
improve their skills on every ride. While it is true
that riders can all improve their abilities through
trailriding – which teaches balance, patience and
smooth throttle control – taking those techniques
into a racing environment requires you to properly
adapt and consistently apply that skillset.
So for this issue’s how-to, we decided to take a
comprehensive look at how to develop and translate
your riding skills for the different terrain andobstacles you’re likely to encounter in an enduro
race. To examine the key techniques – things such
as body position, mental approach, line selection
and use of controls – we enlisted the help of Chris
Hollis, one of the best in the business. Armed with
his advice, you’ll be able to improve your race speed
– whether you’re riding hardpack, soft terrain or
tricky technical sections – and flog your buddies
senseless the next time you hit the trails together.
Take it away, Chris...
ENDURO
RACING
How to:
Whether you’re having a crack at the Transmoto 12-Hour or racing yourfirst serious enduro, you’re going to encounter a broad mix of terrain
and obstacles. So, to help you approach race day with confidence, here’ssome sage advice from multiple national off-road champ, Chris Hollis.
CHRIS HOLLIS & JACKSON REARDON JOHN PEARSON // FOUROHFOUR // ANDY WIGAN
DIRTTRACK
with Troy Bayliss
DEEPRUTS with Kade Mosig
FLAT TURNS
with Josh Green
HowTo
Missedanissue?Log on to www.transmoto.com.au to order
back-issues of Transmoto for more how-to features.
INTHE SERIES…
Transmoto Expert
CHRIS HOLLIS
Chris Hollis is a legend in the enduro scene,
who currently rides for the CDR Yamaha
Off-Road Racing team and is based out of
Byron Bay in NSW. Hollis has done it all ona dirt bike – he’s won two Outright AORC
titles, represented Australia at the ISDE,
won A4DE and Enduro-X titles on multiple
occasions, and even raced for Husqvarna’s
factory EWC team in Europe. And so far
second in the AORC’s E2 class, and third
Outright. All of which means the man is
well placed to dish out expert advice on
all the different facets of enduro. Take his
recommendations on board and you’re sure
to improve your abilities ... and crash less!
MAR-APRISSUE49
JUL-AUGISSUE 51
SEP-OCTISSUE 52
ENDURO
RACING
with Chris Hollis
Enduro thesedays is an all-out battle from start to
finish, and to be truly great you need to be able to
handle all types of terrain. With this issue’s how-to,
we’ve created a guide for everything you’re likely to
encounter as an enduro rider – from riding hardpack
and soft terrain, right through to mastering technical
sections such as rock obstacles and water crossings.And we grabbed one of Australia’s greatest enduro
riders of all time, Chris Hollis, to lend a helping hand.
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10YEAR
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Mental Approach
To be successful on hardpack, your
mental approach needs to be the same
each and every time – you should focus
on carrying momentum, remaining
smooth and minimising mistakes. And
you should even apply those key points
when practicing in hard terrain. For
me, the key to riding hard terrain well
is setting up early for corners, as this
allows you enough time to be patient.
Hardpack involves a never-ending
search for every skerrick of extra
traction you can find, and I am always
looking to avoid the slickest areas. It’s
also very important to get your hard
braking done in a straight line before
you tip the bike over too far on the way
into corners. From there on, the name
of the game is momentum. As with any
corner or obstacle you encounter on
a motorcycle, your vision should be
focusedwell ahead – toward the corner
exit or thenextobstacle onthe track.
Body Position
When traction is at a premium on
hardpack, it’s preferable to come in
a little faster and coast through the
corner, rather than trying to get on the
throttle really hard to build speed in
the middle of the corner. As the photo
on this page demonstrates, my body
position is quite upright on the bike
because this sweeping right-hander
was very hardpacked underneath
with loose bull dust on top. There
was barely any traction, so I couldn’t
really tip the bike over through the
corner. By keeping an upright position,
I’m getting the most out of my tyres’
ability to ‘bite’ into the ground (and
it’s definitely important to use the
right tyre forthe jobin this terrain – I
run Dunlop’s intermediate-hardpack
option, the Geomax MX52). Besides
sittinguprighton thebike, I also find
thebestposition isa neutral one – not
too far forward orback intheseat – as
this will allowyou totransferyour
weight on the pegs through the balls
ofyourfeet,to gain themosttraction.
Controls
Being smooth is the absolute number
one priority with hardpack terrain.
This involves all aspects of controls
use – from braking through to clutch
use and throttle control. When
braking on hardpack, traction is
limited. Therefore it is essential to
get it done in a straight line and early.
Your braking on this type of terrain
should be mainly done through the
front wheel – I would estimate that
the perfect mix is nearly 90 percent
front and 10 percent rear brake.
Also, something a lot of people
underestimate (or forget to use) on
hardpack is engine braking. I will shift
down a gear earlier than I normally
would and let the engine aid me with
braking. This also stops the unsettling
‘chattering’ sensation you often see
riders experience on hardpack.
Once braking is out of the way, it’s
important to maintain momentum.
I will usually carry speed with no
throttle through part of the corner
before gradually rolling on the gas.
If you’re using the clutch, it should
be done to keep the power smooth,
and not to build the revs quickly or
get to full throttle. Any time you slide,
you’re losing traction and speed,
so be patient and remember that
momentum is your best friend here.
HARDPACKEnduroRacingHow to:
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Soft Ruts
Softer tracks tendto havebigger
braking andaccelerationbumps,and
generallyform better,deeper ruts.
And as the track constantlychanges,
youneedto be adaptable. Mykey to
soft ruts isenteringthema littlebit
slower.This allows me to properlyget
into therut.If youcome intoo quickly,
it cancauseyou tostandthe bike up
or completelypop out of therut and
stuffthe corner.I carry momentum
through the mid-sectionof the corner
with little to no throttle, and then get
onthe gasprettyhardas I exit.Keep
your inside legand foot upto avoid
catchingit andlosing timeor, worse,
causingan injury. Withsoft ruts, you
havesomething to leaninto andplenty
of traction, soyou canusually be
aggressive withthe throttleon the exit
and build speedquickly. Softterrain
will often mean you’re heading straight
intoacceleration bumps onceyou exit,
so it’s importantto nailyour corners.
Body Position
I can’t overstate how important vision
is when encountering ruts – because
where your eyes go, your body and bike
will follow. You should have already
chosen your rut before you begin
braking, and be looking ahead past
the midpoint and towards the exit
of the corner. Once you’re in the rut,
your eyes should then have spotted
your exit, and be looking towards the
next obstacle or section of track.
In soft terrain – whether it is a rut, a
loamy flat corner or a sandy berm – you
have traction to work with, so your
body position needs to be adjusted
accordingly. You need to lean more
with the bike to get the traction to the
ground.Again, useyour outside foot
andlegsto grip thebiketightlyand
forceyour weight throughthe pegs.
Controls
With soft terrain comes traction, and
with traction comes the ability to
be a little more aggressive with your
controls. Braking can be done harder
and later, so use this to your advantage
by making up time (or making passes)
under brakes. A great practice drill is
just sitting a cone near a corner and
trying to hold the throttle on until
you pass it, then transition to brakes.
Keep moving the cone further towards
the corner as you improve. With the
throttle, you can definitely be more
aggressive; it’s just important to know
when to be smooth and when to go
hard. Carrying momentum is still the
most important thing, but once you
are able to lean into the rut or corner,
it’s time to crackher open andget
moving for a fast, explosiveexit.
Sand
Sand is a funny one, as it can suit ride
without as much technical ability – a
those with no fear! If you can hold th
power on, you can be successful in
sand. However, that does come with
risks. You need to stay off the brakes
as much as possible in sand. When
coming into corners, I don’t back off
the throttle completely as this preven
my fork from diving too much. I let th
engine braking and the sand itself do
the work in slowing me down. Again,
it’s key to carry momentum and get
back on the gas as early as possible.
It’s very similar to riding a jet ski, in
that you need to be on the throttle
to turn the thing. If you apply this
to sand, you will improve quickly.
Also try to stand as much as possible
Your legs are like another set of
shock absorbers. Andin sand you
needtwo setsof suspension,not one
SOFT TERRAINEnduro RacingHow to:
100
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104
Mental Approach
Confidence is really important for
technical terrain. Whether it’s logs,
water crossings or rocks, the best
way to improve and gain confidence
is to practice. A lot! Keeping calm is
also a key to being successful through
technical stuff. It’s super-easy to
get out of shape on a river crossing
or over a log, and you need to remain
calm and be able to use your skills and
controls to get out of the situation
cleanly. Plan ahead as you approach
a technical section, choose an entry
speedand gear,and then stickto it.
And be ready to adjust on the fly.
Controls
Your mental approach will only
get you so far, and at the end of
the day, it comes down to your
throttle, brake and clutch control.
For example, if you come up to a
large log on a trail and just chuck
a big wheelie into it, the rear wheel
will hit the log and throw the front-
end down, resulting in you going
over the bars. You need to control
theclutchand popthe frontwheel
up, just touchingthe log(wecall this
a wheel tap), andthendrive over the
log withyour rearwheel without
blastingthe throttle wide open.
Gettingthis right on larger logs
takes lotsof practiseand persistence.
Water Crossings As seen in the photo on this page,
I am nearly in the full attack position,
standing up and allowing my bike to
work underneath me, with my eyes
focused on the exit – that is, beyond
the rocks. This applies to all
water crossings, no matter how
big the rocks are. You need to
look ahead, be calm and use your
legs as an extra set of suspension.
If you are too aggressive on wet
rocks, you will spin, lose traction
and go down. You need to come into
the section with some momentum
and then be steady on the throttle
throughout. Don’t look to build speed
during the crossing. Just use the
torque of the engine and then get
on the gas once clear of the obstacle.
TECH TERRAINEnduroRacingHow to:
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Thereare two keyadjustments
on your rear Brembo brake –
pedal height and freeplay (Nissin
brakes, however, only come with a
freeplay adjuster). Set-up of these
two adjustments is all about personalpreference, but a lot of riders don’t
even know where to start. Freeplay
adjustment defines how much
movement there is in the brake
pedal before the brake comes on.
My experience is that most riders
don’t run enough freeplay, leading to
poor feel and excessive brake wear.
Unlike the front brake or clutch levers
– where 3-5mm of freeplay is ideal– the rear brake pedal needs more
like 10-12mm. That’s because the
rear brake is harder to feel with your
booted foot, meaning your inputs
tend to be much less precise. I like to
ride with my foot positioned on the
pedal, so I’m ready to stomp on it
when he needs it, and the longer
freeplay stroke means I can do this
without the pads constantly draggingon the disc. Too little freeplay in this
scenario would burn through a set of
rear brake pads in a couple of rides
and/or regularly boil the brake fluid.
REAR BRAKE ADJUSTMENT
1
DIY Workshop
FOOT-CONTROLSET-UP
W hat’s your idea of proper
bike set-up? For plenty
of blokes, optimal set-up
means forking out a pile of cash for trick
aftermarket parts. While it’s true that
judicious aftermarket mods will make
a difference to some bikes, the biggest
improvements canoften be madefor
free. According to former KTM Off-
Road team manager and eight-time
Australian 4-Day Enduro champ, Brad
Williscroft, small set-up changes –
especially the changes that improve
reliability, reduce service time or make
you feel more at home on the controls
– can make a massive difference to your
comfort, safety, speed and entire riding
experience. Over the next two pages,
Brad explains the key set-up changes he
likes to make to the components that his
size 12s come into contact with.
INTHE SERIES…IANHANCOCK
How to get your bike’s footpegs, rear brake pedal and gear-shift lever properlyadjusted for your big, booted hooves – all for nix!
CONTROL REFRESHIf you can’t put your finger on it...
DON’T GET DUSTEDKeep that box clean...
CARB MAINTENANCEGet those jets jetting...
AIR FILTRATIONThe right way to clean and oil filters.
FUEL INJECTIONHow to get the most from your EFI.
THROTTLE CARETips to maintainyour go switch.
FOOT-CONTROLSET-UP
Tweaking the boot/bike interface.
JUNISSUE44
JUL-AUGISSUE45
JAN-FEBISSUE48
SEPT-OCTISSUE46
MAR-APRISSUE49
SEPT-OCTISSUE52
NOV– DEC
ISSUE 53
Setting yourrear brake pedal height
is also about personal preference,
but I believe most blokes run their pedal
height much too low. The key is to get
the pedal height right for your natural
standing position, taking into account the
freeplay you have dialled in. If you havemore freeplay, you can afford to set the
pedal higher (so you can ride with your
foot resting on it). I like to set my brake
pedal about 10mm above the height of the
footpeg. With 10mm freeplay, the brake
comes on when the pedal is parallel with
the peg. This added height gives me enough
clearance to easily get my right boot under
the pedal while attacking left-hand corners
in the seated position, while also giving me
good feel for the rear brake when standing.
Travis Pastrana notoriously set his rear
brake pedal as high as it would go and then
added a 15mm spacer on the pedal’s tip, so
it ran almost 50mm above the footpeg!
REAR BRAKEPEDAL HEIGHT 2
TOOLS YOU’LL NEED
Ultra Copper Gasket Silicone
Allen Key
Spanner
Screwdriver
File
Pliers
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Mostmodern dirtbikes runanti-squealplates thatsit between the brake
pads and the caliper. When new, these plates clip on to the caliper or the
pads,but will oftendeform orget bent over time, meaningthey’ll continuallyfall
off whenyou’re changing or adjusting the pads. Most callipersare designedto
allowthe pads to beremovedwhilethe caliper andwheel arestill onthe bike
(by simply removingthe retainingpin), withthe platesitting in the calliper.
Butto keep theseplates inplacefor quickand easy brakepad servicing –particularlyin thebush– puta dabof Ultra Copper Gasket Silicone onthe
plates before assembly. Thiseffectively glues theseanti-squeal plates in place.
From factory, every bike has the footpeg retaining pin facing top-down,
with a washer and split-pin on the underside of the pegs. You’d think
this is logical, as gravity keeps the retaining pin in place, right? Well, the
problem with that set-up is that rocks and other debris can (and often do)
flick up and smack the split pin. In extreme situations, the split pin can
even come out, which means you run the risk of losing the retaining pinand footpeg altogether! As a result, I always reverse the retaining pin,
placingthe split-pin at the top, where it’s out of harm’s way.
REAR BRAKE ANTI-SQUEAL PLATESFOOTPEG PINS
Brake pads often get glazed
over if overheated, meaning they
lose bite and feel. Refresh them
by simply rubbing the pads in a
circular motion on a flat piece
of rough concrete.
While there are some super-
expensive brake fluids available,
Brad likes to run Dot 5.1. It’s a step
up from the standard Dot 5 fluid,
with a higher boiling point, but
without the excruciating expense.
If you’re especially hard on your
rear brake, you might want to
consider running aftermarket
brake coolers. They sit on either
the calliper or the top of the
master cylinder, and offer
increased fluid capacity.
Tips & Tricks
Likeyour footpegs, the tip of yourgear
lever is spring-loaded to minimise the
risk of lever damage when the tip takes a hit
from a rut wall, stick or rock. The problem
is that, if the tip of the gear lever gets
pushed in, it will often get wedged in the
folded-back position, as its return spring
is not strong enough to fold it back out
again. The main reason for this is that the
lever’s moulding is often too thick behind
the lever tip. To fix the issue, file away about
1mm of material immediately behind the
footpeg tip’s pivot point, so that the tip
can fold in and out with less obstruction.
GEAR
LEVER TIP
3 4
5
1
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2016 MODEL UPDATES New 22mm front axle
22mm offset triple clamps
Revised 4CS fork setup
New rear shock setup
New fork protectors with inmould graphics
Updated gearbox on FE 250 and FE 350
Updated DDS clutch on FE 450 and FE 501
Standard map switch
New front and rear disc brakes
New lightweight spokes
Blue anodised rear sprocket
New seat cover with high-grip
www.husqvarna-motorcycles.c
built to goas far as youdare to take it
THE 2016 ENDURO MODEL RANGE Agile handling, predictable power and ease-of-use are critical in tight and technical terrain. Exploring the depths of the deepest
forest is only half the adventure. The new Husqvarna Motorcycles enduro models are built to take you as far as you
dare to go – with the exceptional reliability and durability to get you back out again.
2 STROKE MY2016 TE125 | TE250 | TE300
4 STROKE MY2016 FE250 | FE350 | FE450 | FE501
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PRIZED POSSESSIONS Andy BakerRANDYFAKER
THE JERKYLS
My mate Bill andI started vintage dirt-tracking with no
intentionof winning, just surviving. We toldanyone who’d
listenthat it wasall about takingpart,not competingto
win, and beforewe knewit wehad 20guysriding withus.
Everyone gets a name – Chukka, G-Love, Choppa, Faker,
DP, Huggy, Scruff, Hoppo – plus we’ve expanded things
to include SlideNights at my garagewhere we give each
other shit trophies.It’s allaboutbeers, bikes andmates.
CHAMPIONFRAMEDRT1
I lovethe Redline Champion short-track frame. This
notorious frame (originally designed for the Yamaha RT1
motor) and the fibreglass fairing wereon Craigslist from
Idaho,USA. John Ewingfrom OldMateRacing built me an
awesome 360ccpiston so I could ride in thepre-’70s class.
There is no real information base for this machine, so
everything is custom-madeto fit.It’sa labourof love and
I don’t think it’llever reallybe finished. Atleast, I hope not.
MY CAMERAS
At age six, I got my first camera. It felt good and made
a great ‘click’. But the best feeling was taking pictures
of what I thought mattered; of my vision of the world.
Later, as a photojournalist, taking pictures took me to
places I could otherwise only dream of. They’d start
conversations and record history, and they’ve paid for
my life for 30 years. For light travel, it’s the Fuji X Series.
In extreme conditions, the Canon EOS has never let me down
Known more for his enthusiasm
than talent, Andy Baker (aka
‘Randy Faker’ – Jerkyl #47) was a
road rider who was subsequently
bitten by the On Any Sunday racer
dream. But, as Baker explains,
“Picking up motocross at age 45 had
its downfalls. And most MX outfits
look like teenagers’ bed sheets. Thatleft dirt track. So, not to look the total
goose, I snuck into Nepean Raceway
as a photographer one day and was
immediately hooked. Old bikes sliding
around a dusty oval? Heaven!”
Within a year, Baker had founded
The Jerkyls (an evolution of ‘Jerks
who ride in Circles’ or ‘Circle Jerks’),
commissioned a classic dirt track
movie called Back-Up, staged several“SundaySlide” days at Nepean and
made “SlideNight” evening a regular
occurrence for countless riders,
journalists and filmmakers.
Now recognised internationally as
flat-track jokers, The Jerkyls help
others who want to experience dirt
track, but aren’t there for podiums
or trophies. “Racing gets too serious,”
says Baker. “Riding in a gang, onthe other hand, gives you someone
to laugh at and someone to beat.
It doesn’t matter how fast or slow
you are. It’s all about chasing the
guy in front and having fun.”
You can’t help but like the cut of this
offbeat guy’s jib, so we hit him up for
an insight into the three possessions
he prizes most. Given Baker’s also a
professional photographer, he took itupon himself to shoot this selfie, too!
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RIPPING YARN
STORIES OUR SPORT IS BUILT ON
The 1992 MX des Nations in WA, where two enterprising Aussie‘journos’ jagged a show-stopping photo of Jeff Emig – an image
that remains the multiple AMA champ’s all-time favourite.
My mateTerryBaker is a
colourful character.And
I’m notjust referring to
TB’s wall-to wall tatts, no-f@#ks-given
attitude, or abilityto make each and
every day an adventure. As Hunter S.
Thompson once said, “When the going
getsweird, theweird turn pro”, andthat
right there prettymuch sums up TB.
Anyway, TB arrived at the 1992 MXdN
in Manjimup,WA, fresh from theISDE in
Cessnock.Armedwith histrustyhappy-
snap camera, TB hadattendedCessnock
as an aspiring sports photographer. He
didn’tshoot forany commercial benefit,
but simply asa true motofan.He’d carthisrollsof film tothe local chemist to
have them developed, andthen chase
down thepictured riders to signthe prints;
keepsakes for his personal collection.
After his Cessnock experience,TB
hatched a cunning plan for theupcoming
Motocross desNations – as it wascalled
backthen– atManjimup.“Wehit the
biggestrace ever on Aussiesoil,” he says
to me,eyes ablaze. “Weget theultimate
up-close access, take photos, get ’em
signed,generally killit on allfronts
andcome outsmiling!”I liked the
soundsof that.
TB hadbusinesscards made up, boldly emblazonedwith “Sports Photographer”,
while my anglewas to masqueradeas
a sports journalist from theGeelong
Advertiser . And,boom, wewereon our
way. With cards, a cameraand a ‘can do’
attitude, we literally slid into theeventon
theFriday morning, tyres smokingin our
hirecar.We headedstraightto the Media
tent, where we were asked for ourpasses.
Of course,we hadn’tsortedour media
accreditation, andthey hadn’theardof
eitherof us.But, havinganticipated this
hurdle, TB quietly passedoverhis business
card andsuggested that organisers “call
theoffice” to substantiate ourstories.
The‘office’was Terry’s home, where
he’d got his girlfriendat the time toplay
receptionist for the weekend, dutifully
answering every incoming call with, “Good
morning. You have calledthe Geelong
Advertiser . How may I helpyou?”She
went on to explain to organisers how Terry
andScott werecommissioned to write a
huge articleon the event for the paper and
to pleaseextend them every courtesy. And
just like that, we were granted credentials
– fullpit and track access, and free foodtoboot. Hello, MX Heaven!
With Manjimup being a remote country
town withlimited weekend trading hours,
we knew it’d be a real challenge to get
our photosprinted andthen signed by all
the riders,so our nextstopwasthe local
chemist. TB walkedstraight in,askedfor
theownerand launched into a convoluted
story designed to convince thechemist to
remainopen allday Saturday andagain
on Sundaymorning so he could print off
our ‘proofs’.Again,we hada little bit less
than no idea what we weretalking about,
butit seemedto be enoughthat weekend.
Somehow, the guy agreed. Without a telephoto lens,TB’s camera
wasn’t up to the task of gettingthe
long-range actionshots. So to capture
theup-closeimages we were after, we
developedan ingenious technique.TB
wouldlie on the track in front of the
oncoming racers. I’d grab himby his collar
andbelt andwhen thebikes werealmost
onus,I’d reef him off the track assoon as
I sawhis trigger finger move.Incredibly,
thetechnique workedwithout incident –
until KurtNicoll came barrelling through
on his Kato 500, blew straight through the
berm and right over the top of TB without
buttoning off one bit. TB wasn’t injured,
so who were we to complain?
On Saturday arvo, during the business-
endof timed qualifying, we were just
running amok on theinfield. Then, all
of a sudden, America’s Jeff Emig came
flying into the corner where we were
standing,and withno timeto check his
camera’s exposure or focus, TB just spun
around and started snapping. Pinned
the entire way, Emig laid it in flat and hit
that corner harder than any man, woman
or beast has the right to do.We wereboth mesmerised, andTB turnedto me,
deadpan, andsaid, “I gotit!”
After that session, we made a quick trip
into town where the local chemist printed
off our ‘proofs’. Sure enough, TB’s shot of
Emig – admittedly slightly out of focus
anda tadoverexposed– wasTHE shot.
Wereturned to the track Sunday morning,
and whenwe got tothe Team USA set-
up, TBpulledout the images toget them
signed (THE Emig shot, along withothers
of Mike LaRocco and Billy Liles). Emig
was so stoked with the photo, he signed it
on the spot and handed over his details,
asking if we could send a copy to theStates. Of coursewe could.
Who wouldhave thought that, more
than 20 yearslater, I’d be involved with
Jeff Emig on multiple Shift andFox
projects as both work colleagues and
mates. And we ‘closed the loop’ about
TB’s now legendary Manjimup photo
after our secondor third meeting some
yearsback now. It turns out that, to
this day, Jeff says it remains his all-
time favourite shot of himself.
SCOTTRUNCIMAN TERRY BAKER
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EMIG’S TAKE…
This photo was shot during a
Saturday practice session, and
this one turn – out of the hundreds
of thousands that I have taken in
my life – is now part of motocross
history. I first saw the photo on the
Sunday at Manjimup, when two crazy
Australians came up to me, presentedme with the photo – one of the most
insane photos I had even seen – and
asked if I would sign a copy for them.
It sounded like a good deal, so I
obliged. Team USA then went on to
win the Motocross des Nations for
the 12th year in a row. When I got
home, I gave a copy to my father,
Gary, who quickly had it blown up
as big as possible to go in the race
shop. Then a month or so later, it
re-surfaced in Dirt Rider Magazine for
all the world to see.
“It’s hard to believe that, more
than two decades later, we’re still
talking about an amateur photo
that was taken on a practice day
by Terry Baker and his sidekick,
Scott Runciman. But to me, it was
so cool that Terry – with Scott’shelp – had the balls to lay on the
track and put himself in danger
to nail it. It’s a sure sign that these
guys are hardcore moto fans.
“And I know exactly what you’re
thinking – ‘Did Emig pull it off, or did
he go down?’ Well, I’ll never tell, so I
guess only Terry and Scott know the
truth. Those two guys had the time of
their lives that weekend at the MXdN,
and they partied so hard after the
race, it’s doubtful they’d remember.”
“Terry just spunaround and
started snappingas Emig laid it
in flat and hitthat corner
harder than anyman, woman or
beast has theright to do!”
R O N N I N G
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