Q: FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2013 KTM 250SXF BETTER THAN THE 2012 KTM 250SXF? A: It would be hard-pressed not to be, because the 2012 KTM 250SXF was the slowest and heaviest 250 four-stroke made in 2012. Q: WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THE… Read More...
The 2013 model-year season is in full bloom. Everyone has been talking about the 2013 Honda CRF450, but the 2013 CRF250 has been low-key (even though it is joined by the street-legal CRF250L and the electric-start, automatic-clutch CRF110F… Read More...
By John Basher With age comes wisdom, and clarity is not far behind. Not to sound dour, but the race of life will be over for all of us sooner rather than later?which is why, at the ripe old age of 30, I wanted to expand my horizons in… Read More...
When wanted to ride Ryan Dungey's KTM 450SXF works bike we had a plan. It was a simple plan. We called KTM team manager Roger DeCoster and asked if he would give us Dungey's bike. Roger asked, ?When would you like it? What track do you want… Read More...
It is often said that the only difference between funding a race team and throwing money in a bonfire is that you?ll actually stay warm if you burn the money. That comparison isn?t far off. Fielding a professional motocross race team is a… Read More...
The big three of the hop-up world are pipes, cams and pistons?this trinity of parts compromises a major portion of every serious race program. The question is, what does does each piece of the hop-up puzzle bring to the overall picture? The… Read More...
From the new frame and the second generation of the polyamide subframe to the new bodywork and new WP closed-cartridge fork with patented four-chamber technology, no stone remains unturned when it comes to the chassis. The new double-cradle… Read More...
Daryl Ecklund (left) and Kurt Caselli go front end high in tandem fashion. By John Basher When it comes to working at MXA there are good days, and then there are great days. Yesterday fell into the latter category. Why?… Read More...
The 2013 Honda CRF450. FLYING INTO THE UNKNOWN By John Basher In my tenure at Motocross Action magazine, I?ve never been a part of such a secret operation as what Honda planned last week. I felt like I was told the… Read More...
This story is much more about an engine than about the bike itself. More specifically, it is about the trend that this engine represents. KTM's 2012 250SXF engine is an advanced, 248.6cc, water-cooled and fuel-injected mechanical marvel. It… Read More...
We wouldn?t be telling tales out of school to say that Suzuki has pressed the pause button as of late when it comes to motocross development. Maybe it's just us, but we can?t help but feel that Suzuki is coasting because of poor sales for… Read More...
Unless you have been living in a bomb shelter awaiting nuclear destruction, you know that MXA doesn?t see eye to eye with the AMA. Perhaps that's an understatement. In fact, MXA finds the AMA bureaucracy to be devoid of structure or… Read More...
2013 SUZUKI RM-Z450 For 2013, the RM-Z450 is also redesigned to give riders an even greater edge. Its powerful, four-stroke liquid-cooled four-valve engine features updates including a new lighter piston, revised piston pin and… Read More...
2013 Yamaha YZ250F: If you were expecting an all-new fuel-injected 250cc four-stroke engine, join the club. One thing we do know, the 39mm Keihin-carbureted YZ250F runs better than several EFI 250's from the other brands. 2013 Yamaha… Read More...
2013 KTM 125/150SX Benefiting mostly from the plastic, chassis and running gear changes (shared among every model), the 125SX and 150SX do not get any engine mods for 2013. 2013 KTM 250SX The 2013 two-strokes get U.S. spec suspension… Read More...
2013 KX250F AT A GLANCE? Upgraded Showa Separate Function Fork (SFF) provides more progressive damping force and features larger-diameter 48mm inner fork tubes for improved rigidity and less stiction.… Read More...
2013 Husqvarna TC250R. Husqvarna's signature Red Head ?which made its debut on the 2012 TC250 ? is central to the 2013 model year lineup. All 250/310 engine platforms now come with the Red Head DOHC design, including a new F1-inspired… Read More...
THE 2013 KX450F AT A GLANCE: New Kayaba Pneumatic Spring Fork (PSF) replaces the main fork springs with compressed air to reduce weight, provide easier and more effective tuning and improve bottoming resistance.… Read More...
Here it is! The 2013 Kawasaki KX250F introduction takes place at the Spring Creek National track in Millville, Minnesota. By John Basher By now I?m sure that you?ve memorized the literature provided by Kawasaki on the… Read More...
By John Minert After all of the 2012 bike test and shootouts are done, every MXA test rider is allowed to build his dream bike. There is no budget, not limit and no rules. It is a reward for spending almost a year riding what the test… Read More...
By Dennis Stapleton I spend most of my time switching bikes. When I'm testing I get to ride every new bike and when I'm racing, normally in some foreign country, I ride the bike the promoter provides me. I don't spend a lot of time on one… Read More...
By John Basher After all of the 2012 bike test and shootouts are done, every MXA test rider is allowed to build his dream bike. There is no budget, no limit and no rules. Test riders can choose the bike they want, the parts they want, the… Read More...
Honda's four-spring clutch is a thing of wonder?most Honda CRF450 owners wonder what Honda's engineers were thinking. If you ride hard and put it away wet, odds are that Honda's four-spring clutch will not be in good working order by the… Read More...
There is an inherent ?Hope Gene? in every person that believes that things will get better, that tomorrow is a better day, that good things come to those who wait and that this year's new model is better than last year's new model. And so… Read More...
The MXA wrecking crew spends the majority of its test time racing and riding brand-new production motorcycles, but early on in each test session every bike gets its day on the dyno. It really isn?t all that revealing because by the time its… Read More...
Q: FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2012 YAMAHA YZ250 BETTER THAN THE 2011 YZ250? A: No. Last year, the 2012 YZ250 was changed slightly so that the same motocross bike sold in France could be sold in Texas. Prior to 2011, there were Euro-spec… Read More...
Let's face it, not everyone is in the market for a 2012 250 four-stroke. That's okay with us. There are many choices when it comes to purchasing a motorcycle?two-stroke, four-stroke, 125, 250 and 450. Depending on your… Read More...
Q: ARE THE 2012 HUSQVARNA CR125 AND CR144 THE SAME BIKE? A: They are the same bike, but both start life as a CR125! When you buy a CR125 in the USA, Husqvarna automatically includes the 144cc kit with the necessary cylinder, head, piston… Read More...