#WHIPITWEDNESDAY
Rider: Justin Barcia
Bike: 2019 Factory Yamaha YZ450F
Location: Angels Stadium
Event: Anaheim 1
Lens: 50mm
Focal length: 50mm
Exposure: 1/1250sec
F-stop: f/7.1
ISO: 3200
Photographer: Daryl Ecklund
TWO-STROKE SPOTLIGHT: CHRISTER NILSSON’S 2004 KAWASAKI KX250
“Hello from Sweden. My name is Christer Nilsson and I am 46 years old. I have been riding for most of my life. I am a two-stroke guy at heart. I am sending you my 2004 Kawasaki KX250 that I bought last winter. It had been sitting since late 2004 with only 18 hours on it. I took it apart, changed the things that needed to be fixed, such as the suspension and shock. Put a Doma pipe and silencer on it with a V-Force reed cage. A new Prox piston was also installed. The plastic and the graphics are original. So far I put about three hours on it and it runs fantastic. Hope you would put this up on MXA‘s Two-Stroke Spotlight. It would be so cool to see my bike on the site. Thanks for a fantastic magazine.” –Best regards Christer from Sweden
EDITORS NOTE: Please keep those submissions coming. If you would like your bike to be featured in the “Two-Stroke Spotlight,” please email me at darylecklundmxa@gmail.com. All I ask is that you give a breakdown of your bike and a detailed description of the build. Please also send a few photos of your steed. By submitting your bike for the “Two-Stroke Spotlight,” you agree to release all ownership rights to the images and copy to MXA.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: ELI TOMAC ON HOW GNARLY THE SOUTHWICK TRACK WAS
Here you kind of have to be gritty and really go for it the whole moto. It’s definitely the hardest track of the year physically, so you just have to tough it out. It was a pretty special day for us to go 1-1, and I’m proud of the team. We made a few small adjustments in practice to get everything dialed, and it paid off.”
THE AUGUST 2022 ISSUE OF MXA IS OUT! JAM-PACKED! SUBSCRIBE AND YOU WON’T MISS ANYTHING
Did you know that you can subscribe to MXA at virtually no cost to you—because when you subscribe you receive a Rocky Mountain ATV/MC credit for $25 towards anything is their massive inventory. Plus, all the content in 12 monthly issues of Motocross Action magazine—from four-stroke tests, two-stroke tests, retro tests, race coverage, new tech to product tests (most of which never appear on the internet).
The August 2022 issues has full tests on the 2022 Yamaha YZ85 and YZ85 Big Wheel, 2022 Suzuki RM-Z250, a full test of the ultra-cool retro-mod Husqvarna TC300 that Zach Osborne raced at the 2022 World Two-Stroke Championship, Josh Mosiman gives the full break-down on how his GasGas MC250 two-stroke got to 44-horsespower and a retro test on James Stewart’s 2005 Kawasaki SR 250. If that’s not enough for you, we sat down with Larry Brook to learn how he went from minicycle star to MXA test rider to AMA racer to team owner for Chad Reed and James Stewart to his rejuvenation running an amateur team to becoming the team manager of Suzuki’s official 250 Supercross and National effort.
If that’s not enough, go with us as we trace the 2022 Supercross season’s trail of broken dreams and broken bodies. And, don’t forget, you can will also get a $25 credit from Rocky Mountain ATV/MC that will more than cover the cost of your subscription. To subscribe call (800) 767-0345 or Click Here
WANNA RACE IN SOCAL? NEED TO RENT A BIKE? FIND A PLACE TO STAY? NEED MOTOCROSS INSTRUCTION: JUST CALL STAPO
In his spare time, when he’s not testing with MXA, racing in a foreign country, going to Japan or helping many of his motocross buddies, MXA test rider Dennis Stapleton opens up his house, garage, bikes and mechanics to help riders who would like to come to SoCal on a motocross vacation. He offers full service to all of the Southern California tracks for racers or for play riders. Whether you want to rent a bike, move in for a week, race at Glen Helen or take motocross lessons—this is one-stop shopping. Just send them an email (Stapoknobbyshop@gmail.com). If you’d like to live the SoCal lifestyle for a day, a weekend, a week, a month or three months, visit Dennis Stapleton’s’ website at www.knobbyshopsouth.org for more details!
SOUTHWICK // ROUND 6 OF THE 2022 PRO MOTOCROSS SERIES // by Ben Bridges
- Eli Tomac went 1-1 and wins his 3rd race of the season. Tomac now has 30 450MX wins.
- 8 consecutive seasons Tomac has won 2 or more overalls in the 450MX class, and he’s done it on 3 brands
- Tomac joins Ferrandis ’21, Langston ’07, RJ ’84 and Hannah ’79 and ’78 as Yamaha riders who won 3 races in a row in the 450MX class. All these riders won the championship that same season.
- Tomac now has 7 moto wins, a 5 moto win streak and 3 overalls at the halfway point.
- Chase Sexton went 2-2 for 2nd overall. It’s his 5th consecutive moto runner-up finish, and keeps his podium streak active.
- Sexton will keep the red plate at Millville with only a 1-point lead over Tomac.
- Aaron Plessinger got his 1st podium of the season and KTM’s 1st podium as well.
- Ken Roczen went 6-4 for 4th overall. Roczen nailed two holeshots and sits 3rd in the points.
- Max Anstie went 5-5 for 6th overall.
- Jason Anderson had a 8-6 day for 8th overall. Jason has been plagued by 1st turn pileups.
- Average finishes through 6 rounds – Sexton 1.9, Tomac 2.3, Roczen 3.8.
- Jett Lawrence went 1-1 for 1st overall, his 5th win of the season, his 10th career MX win.
- Jett Lawrence now is tied with Ron Lechien and Mike Kiedrowski at 10 winson the 250MX win list.
- Jett Lawrence now has 7 moto wins, 5 overall wins and the red plate back on his Honda.
- Joe Shimoda went 2-3 for 2nd overall, his 4th podium of the season and he sits 3rd in the points.
- Justin Cooper had a 3-4 day for 3rd, it was his 2nd podium of the season and he is 4th in points.
- It was only the 4th time this season that an American rider made the podium.
- Hunter Lawrence, who came into Southwick with the red plate, wentIn the 6-8 for 7th overall, but is still in 2nd in the points.
- In the 12 motos raced so far this season in the 250MX class, the Lawrence Brothers have won 9 of them. Shimoda, Kitchen and Mosiman have won the other 3.
FREE DIRT BIKE! FILL OUT MXA’S SURVEY FOR A CHANCE TO WIN THIS SSR BIKE
This is your chance to win this SSR SR140TR. It is loaded with premium components including disc brakes, upside-down forks, an adjustable shock and more. The MSRP of this bike is over $2000. But you can win it for free! All you have to do to be entered in the drawing is fill out the MXA Reader Survey.
MXA MOTO TRIVIA
WIN CODY WEBB’S 2023 SHERCO 2-STROKE // click the photo
TEAM TESTED // LEATT 3DF HYBRID EXT KNEE GUARDS
When it comes to knee protection, there are two options: knee pads or knee braces. Knee braces are for riders with knee injuries or a desire to avoid serious knee issues. They are expensive and uncomfortable. Leatt 3DF Hybrid knee pads do a good job of protecting your knees and shins from roost and the ground, plus they are flexible, comfortable and one-third the price.
VERDICT: If you’re not in the market for knee braces but are looking for the next best option, this is it.
SHIP YOUR BIKE TO THE 2022 WORLD VET MOTOCROSS CHAMPION AND HAVE IT SAFELY STORED UNTIL YOU ARRIVE
The 38th Annual Dubya World Vet MX Championship is quickly approaching on November 4-6, 2022. With over a thousand riders traveling from many different cities, states, and countries to compete for a prestigious World Vet Championship title, many riders require a place to ship and store their bike. Although you will have to arrange sipping from your country or state, you can ship your bike to Malcolm Smith Motorsports and pick it up there once you arrive in SoCal! Malcolm Smith can receive your bike from the shipper of your choice and store it for a $150 storage charge—and it will be safe until you come to pick it up before your race. For the $150 you get seven days of storage. After the seven days, you will be billed at $20 per day. Included in this service is holding the bike after the race for return shipping for a maximum of 7 days (billed at $20 per day). This service does not include any transportation of your motorcycle to the track, uncrating or mechanical work. For more info or to order this service Click Here
MOTOCROSS TIP // LAZY SHIFTING
MOTO TIP: Many riders are just lazy and try to get away with not upshifting if they are getting close to a corner. They just rev the engine and maybe even breathe it a little to avoid shifting up; however, it should be noted that a bike at half throttle in fourth is faster than a bike at full throttle in third. Thus, that last upshift can make you a tenth of a second faster—and tenths are hard to find. Conversely, lots of riders try to stay seated as they enter a turn, and because they are seated, they try to get away with not downshifting. The key to entering corners is to stand up, downshift at the proper moment, and resist sitting until you are at the apex.
MXA YOUTUBE CHANNEL | HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON
LOST BUT NOT FORGOTTEN // THE ATROCIOUS HANDLING 1998 HONDA CR125
ASK THE MXPERTS: DOES COLD GAS MAKES MORE POWER THAN HOT?
Dear MXA,
I’ve always heard that cold gasoline makes more power than hot gasoline. Should I be putting my gas can in an ice chest?
You could, but motocross is not Formula 1. The gain in horsepower, which is very small in any case, is caused by the cold gas being denser; however, on a warm 85-degree day, by the time you put 50-degree cold gas in your tank, ride to the starting line and sit there for 10 minutes waiting for your race to start, the 35-degree difference in fuel temperature will be greatly reduced, especially since the fuel tank sits directly over the Bunson Burner heat of a very hot four-stroke engine and exhaust pipe.
MXA ran a dyno test comparing 85-degree fuel and 50-degree fuel and found that peak horsepower was identical with both hot and cold gasoline. We did find a very small improvement at high rpm (after peak) with the colder fuel, but it was a very small percentage gain, in a very narrow rpm range, and disappeared in mere minutes as the fuel heated up.
CLASSIC MXA PHOTO
MXA MOTO TRIVIA ANSWER: Arne Kring sliding his Husky in 1970. The track was Arroyo Cycle Park, which we now know as the REM track at Glen Helen.