TWO-STROKE SPOTLIGHT: ERLEND JORDET’S 2016 AF HONDA CR125

This AF is built with a 2016 Honda CRF250 chassis.

“Here is my latest build of an AF 125 with a Honda CR 125 engine–it will be used in the Norwegian and Swedish championship. This bike is build from a Honda CRF 250 2016 chassis and has a Honda CR125 Engine with a 1990 Mugen kit. It also has a Boyesen Rad Valve and 38mm PWK air striker carburator.

The CR125 engine has a 1990 Mugen Performance on it. 

The cone pipe and carbon silencer is from Scalvini. The suspension is build by ESP1 Tech and we use conventional spring forks from 2014. To make the bike as light as possible we used carbon gas tank from CMT, carbon clutch and ignition cover and titanium footpegs from Works Connection. Wheels are from Haan Wheels with A60 rims.”

Carbon fiber is littered all over the bike. 

#WHIPITWEDNESDAY

Rider: Ricky Carmichael
Location: The Tonight show with Jay Leno
Date: May 11th, 2001
Photographer: MXA Archives

HOW WAS ELI TOMAC GOING SO FAST IN SALT LAKE CITY?

Eli Tomac came from 11th place to chase down Ryan Dungey for the win. Eli leads the championship by 3 points over Dungey. 

Before I stir the pot, I first want to start with stating Eli was going fast because of Eli. His ride in Salt Lake was the fastest, hardest and most intense ride I have seen since James Stewart back in his hey day. It was more than impressive. Eli’s ride last Saturday night was magical. I give it up to Eli, but I also have to say his factory KX450F had something to do with it. Or Ryan Dungey’s KTM 450SXF had something to do with it.

When watching Dungey in the lead he was riding in his comfort zone. As soon as he saw Tomac pass Musquin, Dungey tried to step up the pace, but his 450SXF wouldn’t allow it. The Salt Lake City track broke down in the main and Dungey’s setup just wasn’t ready for it. It looked too stiff and rigid for the rough conditions. Dungey was getting bucked from the square edges and his front end had a hard time tracking straight.

The stars have aligned for Tomac.

Tomac’s bike on the other hand had far more movement from front to rear. It would absorb chop allowing Eli to accelerate through it where Dungey had to back it off. The whoops were treacherous in the main event, but the rougher and more rutted they got, the faster Tomac would go. Everyone else was slowing down. Like I said before, I give it up to Eli, but he wouldn’t be going near as fast if he didn’t have the confidence he did in his bike setup.

The way Eli’s KX450F is handling reminds me of the way Chad Reed’s KX450F handled in 2014 when Chad podiumed 4 out of 5 SX races winning two of those race until he crashed out in San Diego. In the first part of the stroke it looked plush absorbing the chop getting the wheels in to track with the ground inside of deflecting like most Supercross suspension setups do.

Tomac had the fastest lap time of the night over half second over Dungey. Tomac was consistently a half second to a full second faster each lap. 

I believe for Ryan Dungey towin the championship over Tomac, the KTM crew will have to go back to the drawing board. Ryan’s 450SXF needs to be able to be pushed to the next level. Dungey’s technique, foot placement and body position all look on point, so I put the blame on the bike. I believe Dungey deserves to win. Not because he is the fastest, but because he does the best with the position and equipment he is given. He is a true champion. I admit to enjoy watching Tomac taking the pace to another level, but he will have his time to shine. He will be the force to recon with in the future. But right now it would be awesome to see Dungey go out with a bang.

MXA EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: JORDON SMITH TRAINING WITH JUSTIN BARCIA AT MILLSAPS TRAINING FACILITY

MXA PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: NEW RIDE ENGINEERING PERFORMANCE LINK FOR 2017 KX450F

Press Release: Our new KX450 link stiffens the initial part of the stroke for better control and less wallowing in rough sections of the track. Handling is improved in flat or off-camber turns and it allows the rear end to squat so the wheel can follow the ground better-a much better match with the 2017 shock and swing-arm. With the Ride Link, less effort is required to initiate turn-in and it keeps the bike going straight in whoops allowing the rider to be more aggressive. It also keeps the back end planted in breaking bumps. Recommended sag is 101-105mm. MSRP: $209.95 CONTACT INFO: www.ride-engineering.com or [email protected] (800) 805-1516.

THEY SAID IT: SALT LAKE CITY SUPERCROSS

Justin Hill- “This championship means everything [to me]. We’ve worked so hard. This is my fifth time around and I’ve had bumps along the way, which makes this win way more sweet. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid. This is awesome.”

Hayden Mellross- “Even though this wasn’t a career best finish for me, I still feel it was the best I have rode all season. I was able to ride strong for the entirety of the race and set some of the fastest times of the night.”

Tyler Bowers- “I’ve really missed being back at the races,” Bowers mentioned at the end of the night. “I don’t think I rode to my full potential; however, I know Top 10 is pretty strong after this much time off. I’ve got that race under my belt and I’ll work my butt off for the next two weeks and be ready for Vegas.”

Christian Craig-“Today was a great experience. I didn’t have huge expectations for tonight because I wasn’t sure where I’d stack up to all these guys with it being my first 450 Supercross race other than Monster Energy Cup, but I had honestly hoped for a top 10. I qualified sixth in practice, which I was pretty happy with. I went into the heat and just rode tight the first couple laps, made some mistakes, and I think the nerves just got the best of me. I transferred out of the semi with a fourth. In the main, I got a bad start and just tried to make little passes here and there and take advantage of people’s mistakes. With minimal time on the bike, I wasn’t too far off my goal by finishing 11th. This was a good preview of what I can expect leading into the summer. I’m excited for the opportunity that Honda has given me.”

Eli Tomac- “I was stuck in a tough position [off the start] and I had to make it happen. It was all I could do. We were feeling awesome all day and really had a few good spots on the track where I was able to make a lot of passes. The start wasn’t ideal at all. I had a flinch on the gate, so that was something else for us [to deal with], [but] I felt great the whole time. This was pretty cool to come back and do that.”

JORGE PRADO CROSS RUTS AND LAUNCHES OFF THE TRACK IN VALKENSWAARD

LIVE STREAMING NBC SPORTS GOLD INTRODUCES “PRO MOTOCROSS PASS” 

Live stream the 2017 AMA outdoor Nationals.

NBC Sports Gold’s”Pro Motocross Pass” features every race in the 2017 season, which begins with the Hangtown Motocross Classic on May 20, including Qualifiers, Moto 1s and Moto 2s. In addition to the 2017 season, fans can access full event replays of the 2016 and 2015 seasons. The “Pro Motocross Pass” can be purchased in advance in the U.S. and 13 international territories for $49.99 starting today by visiting NBCSportsGold.com.

In the U.S., NBC Sports Gold is available on Apple iOS, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and online at ProMotocross.com/live and NBCSportsGold.com. Fans in 13 different international territories can also purchase the “Pro Motocross Pass”:

PHOTO OF THE PAST: THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO

In 2001, Ricky Carmichael, Jeremy McGrath and Travis Pastrana were on the Tonight show with Jay Leno. Jeremy and Ricky went head to head for an exhibition race on live T.V. with Carmichael beating out McGrath by something like eight tenths of a second. 

2017 RACE SCHEDULES: BE THERE OR BE SQUARE

California is the richest race state in the union, with seven major events in 2017. Folks in Michigan should rejoice, as Supercross (Detroit), Arenacross (Grand Rapids) and the Lucas Oil Nationals (Red Bud) visit “The Great Lake State.” And those residing in the Pacific Northwest will be happy hosting a bevy of events, from Supercross to the AMA Nationals.

2017 MONSTER ENERGY SUPERCROSS SERIES

January 7…Angel Stadium…Anaheim, CA (West)
January 14…Petco Park…San Diego, CA (West)
January 21…Angel Stadium…Anaheim, CA (West)
January 28…University of Phoenix…Glendale, AZ (West)
February 4…Alameda Coliseum…Oakland, CA (West)
February 11…AT&T Stadium…Arlington, TX (West)
February 18…U.S. Bank Stadium…Minneapolis, MN (East)
February 25…Georgia Dome…Atlanta, GA (East)
March 4…Rogers Centre…Toronto, Canada (East)
March 11…Daytona Speedway…Daytona, FL (East)
March 18…Lucas Oil Stadium…Indianapolis, IN (East)
March 25…Ford Field…Detroit, MI (East)
April 1…America’s Center…St. Louis, MO (East)
April 8…CenturyLink Field…Seattle, WA (West)
April 22…Rice-Eccles Stadium…Salt Lake City, UT (West)
April 29…MetLife Stadium…East Rutherford, NJ (East)
May 6…Sam Boyd Stadium…Las Vegas, NV (East/West)
*Visit http://www.supercrosslive.com/ to purchase tickets

2017 AMSOIL ARENACROSS SERIES

January 7-8…U.S. Bank Arena…Cincinnati, OH
January 13-15…Van Andel Arena…Grand Rapids, MI
January 20-22…Royal Farms Arena…Baltimore, MD
January 28-29…Bridgestone Arena…Nashville, TN
February 4-5…Freedom Hall…Louisville, KY
February 18-19…Sprint Center…Kansas City, MO
February 24-26…Georgia Dome…Atlanta, GA
March 3-5…Landers Center…Southaven, MS
March 11-12…Smoothie King Center…New Orleans, LA
March 18-19…Moda Center…Portland, OR
March 24-26…Livestock Events Center…Reno, NV
April 1-2…Golden I Center…Sacramento, CA
April 22-23…Denver Coliseum…Denver, CO
May 5-7…Orleans Arena…Las Vegas, NV
*Visit http://www.supercrosslive.com/ to purchase tickets

2017 LUCAS OIL PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

May 20…Hangtown…Sacramento, CA
May 27…Glen Helen…San Bernardino, CA
June 3…Thunder Valley…Lakewood, CO
June 17…High Point…Mount Morris, PA
June 24…Muddy Creek…Blountville, TN
July 1…Red Bud…Buchanan, MI
July 8…Southwick…Southwick, MA
July 22…Spring Creek…Millville, MN
July 29…Washougal…Washougal, WA
August 12…Unadilla…New Berlin, NY
August 19…Budds Creek…Mechanicsville, MD
August 26…Ironman…Crawfordsville, IN
* Visit http://www.promotocross.com/mx/tickets to buy tickets

2017 FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

February 25…Losail…Qatar
March 5…Pangkal Pinang…Indonesia
March 19…Neuquen…Argentina
April 2…Leon…Mexico
April 16…Trentino…Italy
April 23…Valkenswaard…The Netherlands
May 7…Kegums…Latvia
May 21…Teutschenthal…Germany
May 28…Ernee…France
June 11…Orlyonok…Russia
June 25…Maggiora…Italy
July 2…Agueda…Portugal
July 23…Loket…Czech Republic
August 6…Lommel…Belgium
August 13…Frauenfeld…Switzerland
August 20…Uddevalla…Sweden
September 3…Charlotte…USA
September 10…Assen…The Netherlands
September 17…Villars sous Ecot…France