Transworld Motocross October 2018

“IF MY CAREER WERE A HAIRSTYLE, IT WOULD BE HELMET-HEAD.”—LAURA DERN With over a quarter century under my belt as a magazine editor, I still find myself excited about the new bikes, accessories, and riding gear that each new season brings. While new bike intros and press launches are nothing new, it seems that apparel launches are a relatively new thing from the aftermarket. This month alone, I’ve attended five line reveals, including one that took a couple of us out of state! Whether we like to admit it or not, motocross is a flashy, fashion-driven sport. Visually, the machines we race are vivid in color and are adorned with plenty of shiny parts that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are performance enhancing. And while a very small minority…

The life of a professional motocross racer in the United States is oftentimes admired and applauded by the fans who love and follow the sport. However, truth be told, it’s not by any means an easy way to make a living. For instance, a factory or factory-supported rider lives and dies on his results. Naturally, things can get tense quickly with that kind of pressure. Having said all that, the summer of 2018 has been an aggravating one for Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Joey Savatgy. “This outdoor season has definitely been far from what we wanted,” Savatgy said the day after the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship round at Millville, Minnesota. “I wish a lot of things. I wish we could figured it out sooner than did, but unfortunately, it’s kind…

Growing the sport of racing is our ultimate goal with the TWMX Race Series, and Jesse Hodges chose to enter his first race ever during our summer Terra Firma Series at the Milestone MX Park kickoff. A former professional golfer, Hodges is best known in motocross circles as the owner of Epoxy It SoCal, a high-end floor coating company that has been popular amongst racers who take pride in their garages. “At first I started Epoxy It SoCal as a fun side business, but it has really taken off and it’s allowed me to work with and meet some amazing people,” he said. Hodges chose a Yamaha YZ450F because at 6’4”, he knew that the bike would suit his stature best, and with the help of the friends he’s made…

THE BIKE Every time we throw a leg over the 2019 KTM 350 SX-F, we marvel at the fact that no one at the highest levels of the sport elects to race one of the midsized machines. Since it was introduced nearly a decade ago, the 350’s engine has gained a ton more power and torque, and is far more competitive than it was when Mike Alessi and Andrew Short raced it in the 2010 450 Motocross Nationals. The new ’19 bike, especially, is much improved, and the entire TWMX Testing Staff has been arguing over it, come the weekends. Of course, the team at FMF Racing figured out a way to coax even more low-end punch and top-end overrev out of the machine with its Factory 4.1 Titanium Exhaust,…

This Arai motocross helmet made its way back into my possession recently, and with it came a flood of memories. This particular helmet was painted by Alex Paul at AP Designs, and I believe I actually graced a cover of a mid-1990s Cycle News in it while testing a Yamaha YZ250 during my tenure there. By today’s standards the Arai MXC-Pro might look crazy to some with its two-piece design, but until it ceased production in 2005, Arai engineers strongly believed in the helmet’s protective qualities and would likely continue to produce it to this day had it not been for a change in consumer demand. The most obvious feature of the MXC-Pro helmet that distinguishes itself from others is its bolt-on mouthpiece. Arai designers believed that the “Rock Guard,”…

Intense Cycles is based in Temecula, California, and the brand has deep roots in the gravity side of mountain bike racing, thanks numerous National and World Championship titles in downhill racing. This year marks the first time that the brand has produced a full-suspension cross-country mountain bike, and as one might expect, it is definitely designed to get rowdier than most serious cross-country race bikes. After shooting GEICO Honda’s Chase Sexton aboard his Intense Sniper for last issue’s installment of Racers Who Ride, we were intrigued by the new bicycle and had to try one out ourselves. That said, we’ve spent the past several weeks suffering in the saddle of a Sniper XC Elite Build and are thoroughly impressed with not only its cross-country prowess, but ability to descend with…