Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2018 i Transworld Motocross

“I NEVER LEARN ANYTHING TALKING. I ONLY LEARN THINGS WHEN I ASK QUESTIONS.”—LOU HOLTZ As the 20-year anniversary of TransWorld Motocross has begun to appear on the horizon, I’ve often marveled at just how much motocross media has changed through the years. When we launched in 2000, magazines were it, man. Would you believe that back then, being one of only two all-color magazines was a big deal? That’s right, only 18 years ago, many magazines were only part color and the rest of the pages were black and white. Oh, and get this, it wasn’t until we were a few issues old that we joined in on the party known as the World Wide Web! TransWorldMX.com started out as a modest, simple website that had only a few stories…

Cade Matherly has been a regular contender at the TWMX Race Series for quite some time, and he is a familiar site at the front of the pack in every class he enters. Mounted aboard a screaming KTM 125 SX two-stroke, Matherly has resisted the temptation to switch to a more powerful 250cc four-stroke because he believes that the 125 is helping him build a solid base of motocross skills. “I’ve only been 17 for a few months, so I think that staying on a two-stroke is a good plan,” Matherly said. “The two-stroke is teaching me a lot about momentum. A mistake on a 125 costs you about two seconds, whereas a mistake on a four-stroke only costs maybe a half second. You have to be perfect on the…

Eminent Cycles is a local (to us) bike builder based in San Diego, California, that offers customers the chance to custom-build a bike to their exact specs, rather than choosing from one of several different build options. This direct-sales model allows consumers to fine-tune everything from the usual frame size, component group, and suspension package all the way to the stem, seat post, and handlebar grips. Each bike is custom built to the customer’s exact specifications, then test ridden gently to make sure everything is kosher before the bike is boxed up into a smart container that only requires the installation of the front wheel and handlebar upon receipt. Better yet, Eminent includes a multi-tool, shock pump, and torque wrench—all the items needed to properly assemble the bike once it…

REAL TALK WITH ELI TOMAC At the season-ending round of the Monster Energy Supercross Series in Las Vegas, Nevada, among the celebrations there were also many who wondered what could have been. Eli Tomac pondered that very question himself. For the second year in a row, he won the most 450 Supercross Main Events of any rider in the field. This time around he claimed eight victories—just shy of the nine he won the year before. Despite this, Tomac also once again found himself down on points and unable to secure the championship. “It’s disappointing to say, but it’s pretty similar to last year when we had a bunch of wins and, once again, we don’t have a shot at the championship again this year going into the last round…

THE BIKE The 2018 Husqvarna Rockstar Edition FC 450 is an amazing bike, and it serves notice that Husky is out to successfully defend its Bike of the Year honors in 2019. Built specifically for new Supercross Champion Jason Anderson, the bike feels notably better than the standard FC 450, thanks to new bodywork, suspension settings, map settings, and some mild chassis changes that equal a much better feel on the track. To be honest, we didn’t plan on changing a thing on the Rockstar Edition bike, but our buddy Little D at FMF Racing insisted that we give a new exhaust system a try. Lo and behold, it added some usable low-end snap and broadened the overall powerband. We love it! WP Cone Valve spring forks and a WP…

REKLUSE TORQ DRIVE CLUTCH PACK What It Is Rekluse first gained notoriety in the off-road world, thanks to its revolutionary auto clutch assemblies, which are used by most top-level off-road and enduro race teams. In fact, thanks to the clutch’s ability to make a bike virtually impossible to stall, the system is practically a must-have for the technical Endurocross world. The Rekluse Core Manual TorqDrive clutch system, meanwhile, is popular in motocross and Supercross racing, thanks to its ability to transfer maximum power to the rear wheel with virtually no slip. The kit utilizes thinner-than-stock clutch and friction plates (oftentimes replacing the eight stock friction and drive plates with up to a dozen of each thinner Rekluse plates). For cable-actuated bikes like the 2018 Kawasaki KX450F we tested the product…

THOR MX HALLMAN RINGER JERSEY & PULSE BLACKOUT PANT JERSEY $50; PANT $99.95; GLOVE $25 Since its release, THOR’s Torsten Hallman-inspired designs have been some of their best-selling kits. However, these designs were exclusive to their motocross gear until now. The Hallman Ringer jersey has a minimalistic design, which is a reflection of the lightweight jersey that eliminates unnecessary bulk and material. Meanwhile, the Pulse Blackout pant is all-new and is constructed like a motocross pant, but with abrasion-resistant materials and enhanced durability. While we thankfully didn’t have to put this to the test, it’s clear that these pants were built to last. Paired up with Hallman Digit glove, this is a great kit for the trail. Not to mention, good-looking off-road gear has been long overdue! thormx.com VORTEX SPROCKETS…

A few weeks back, an official press release from the FIM and the World Anti-Doping Agency, more commonly known as WADA, revealed that Broc Tickle had been provisionally suspended for failing a drug test at the 2018 San Diego Supercross. The news quickly spread, and soon everyone was trying to figure out what exactly methylhexanamine was. For over a month, Tickle and the Red Bull KTM team waited for a test of his B sample to find out his fate, sharing only a handful of details in official statements. When the second test came back positive, Tickle was able to open up about the details of his side of the story. “FOR OUR SPORT, I DON’T THINK FOUR YEARS SHOULD BE A SENTENCE UNLESS YOU’RE REALLY INTO PEDS.” Naturally, Tickle…

In the grand scheme of things, our beloved sport of motocross is tiny in comparison to mainstream sports like baseball, basketball, football, or golf. That’s why it was so exciting when performance footwear giant Nike got involved for a brief four-year stint in motocross and Supercross. Though they were never scheduled to go into production, the Nike MX boot was worn by two of the biggest names in the sport—Ryan Dungey and James Stewart—and the custom kicks certainly drew a lot of attention. We caught up with 12-time champ Dungey and asked him to reflect on the Nike MX boot that he wore from 2010 to 2014. “After the 2009 season, my existing boot contract was up and my agent at the time, Tony Gardea, suggested to some people that…

It’s impossible to deny the performance capabilities that are offered by the simple two-stroke engine. In stock trim, the most desired performance attributes are crammed into a very small rpm range that a rider must do their best to remain in while on the track. However, with a bit of fine-tuning to the intake, engine internals, or exhaust system, the power output can be greatly increased over a much broader scale. When modifications are installed or performed individually, the small gains are easy to detect, but when packaged together, the nature of the engine changes altogether. Few people in the sport know the ins and outs of a two-stroke engine as well as the staff at Bill’s Pipes. Bill Cevera, the founder and namesake of the Southern California hop-up shop,…

Over the course of its lifetime, Yamaha’s TT-R125LE has become one of the most beloved dirt bikes by countless riders. Regardless of age, skill level, or discipline, many riders have had memorable experiences with the little blue four-stroke. The mild-mannered TT-R125 is a friendly and welcoming machine that serves an important purpose. Young riders will find the low seat height, ergonomic controls, comfortable saddle, and mellow powerband perfect for stepping up from a smaller chassis. These same features also benefit those who are less experienced and although the bike is small for a full-grown adult, they’ll most likely have a much easier time hopping on the TT-R than they would on a full-sized motocross bike. The 124cc air-cooled four-stroke is extremely durable, as is the rest of the bike, and…

With roots in Spokane, Washington, and later San Diego, California, it’s no surprise that AutoTrader/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing Team’s Brad Benesch found his way onto a motocross bike. At age 10 his father bought his first motorcycle and took him to Ocotillo Wells SVRA to learn how to ride. Brad was immediately hooked and continued to ride both off-road and motocross into his high school years. After realizing how much he liked tinkering with the mechanical side of his motorcycles, he decided that relocating to Arizona to enroll in MMI would be a great start to his dream of becoming a successful race mechanic. Fresh out of MMI, a job at Pro Circuit in Southern California was just the start he needed to get his feet wet in the industry. In…