MOTOCROSS ACTION’S WEEKEND NEWS ROUND-UP: AMERICAN, CANADIAN AND EUROPEAN POINTS STANDINGS; PLUS HOPETOWN, ELI ‘S THOUGHTS & BYRNER’S BIRTHDAY

                                               
ELI TOMAC SELF ANALYZES HIS 2013 AMA NATIONAL PERFORMANCE

                                               
MARCUS SCHIFFER INJURED: WILL NOT BE ON TEAM GERMANY TO DEFEND THEIR MXDN CROWN

Marcus Schiffer (left) with Max Nagl and Ken Roczen at the 2012 MXDN.

Marcus Schiffer broke his wrist a week ago in Holland and is out for the rest of the 2013 season. Last year Schiffer was considered to be the weak link on the German MXDN team, but he held up his end of the bargain along with Max Nagl and Ken Roczen to give Germany the victory. Germany has to find a new third man.

                                               
THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS: WHAT THE MXA WRECKING CREW DID THIS WEEK

MXA’S Daryll Ecklund puts the 2014 KTM 350SXF through it paces at RaceTown.

Monday, June 3: As always after a long weekend, the MXA gang split up to catch up on cleaning their gear, ordering parts and catching up on works.

Tuesday, June 4: We spent the day at Competitive Edge testing Hot Cams cams. We wanted to test the cams on the same track, on the same day and in quick succession?so we chose the Competitive Edge track because it doesn’t change much over the course of the day. We started with the stock cam, install a different lift cam, install a second cam and returned to the stock cam. We did it all in a couple hours and could really feel the difference.

Wednesday, June 5: Dyno day. We ran our 2014 KTM 250SXF and 350SXF on the dyno. We also ran through a bunch of different pipe combinations and sound tested both bikes.

What is MXT/SFF? And aren’t those Kayaba forks?

Thursday, June 6: John Basher and Travis Fant had to go to a top-secret Yamaha introduction in Huntington Beach, while Jody and Daryll Ecklund went to Glen Helen to do suspension testing with MX-Tech’s Jeremy Wilkey (and some pipe testing). We took Ryan Abbatoye along to help us run through a couple different sets of forks and shocks. Since Dennis Stapleton dislocated his shoulder and broke his arm in a surfing accident, he is on the sidelines so Abbatoye was a big help (one week ago Ryan’s team finished third overall in the Baja 500). We will resume this test at Saturday’s REM race.

Friday, June 7: John Basher, Daryll Ecklund, Ryan Abbatoye and Travis Fant met the KTM mechanics at Race Town 395 to do shake-down cruises on the 2014 250SXF and 350SXF. It is a chance to try different settings, suspension settings, oil heights and do the final break-in on the new bikes (although they were broken in on the dyno). Jody went to Glen Helen to handle some unfinished testing business?and while he was there he took the Glen Helen water truck for a joy ride and broke it. Oops!

Saturday, June 8: All the stuff we were testing during the week went with us to Glen Helen on Saturday morning to race at REM, where the rest of the gang joined us to sort through the 2014 KTM 250 and 350SXF, exhaust pipes, suspension and other secret project testing. We brought nine bikes with us to run through the gamut of products and tests and rotated test riders through their assignments. It was a great day.

                                               
SEE THE COVER OF THE NEXT MXA ? THE JULY ISSUE WILL BE ON NEWS STANDS SOON

HANGTOWN WOMEN’S WINNER MISSES MT. MORRIS…OR YOU COULD SAY SHE MISSED 33% OF THE WMX SERIES

Well, there is always next year.

New Zealander Courtney Duncan broke her wrist and missed this past weekend’s Mt. Morris National, which was round two of the three-race WMX series. Without stretching the point?she will be in a big points hole?if she is able to ride the WMX final at Southwick.

                                                
JOIN TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE  FATHER PAUL’S 30 YEARS OF PRIESTLY SERVICE

On Friday, June 21, at the Mammoth Lakes St. Joseph’s Church parking lot Father Paul Boudreau, known to motocross racers as “The Bazzer,” will be celebrated for his 30 years of service to the Catholic Church. The party will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and will be held “Under the Tent.” There will be a BBQ with the main entree provided. But guests and well wishers are asked to bring a side dish, dessert or salad to share. RSVP please! Mary Jo Bauer at (760) 934-2253. Donations accepted, made payable to St. Josephs, P.O. Box 336, Mammoth Lakes, CA. 93546. For more information please email [email protected]

                                                
HOPETOWN REUNION ON JULY 13

                                                
WHO IS THE GUY ON THE HONDA CR500?

Former factory rider DeWayne Jones and his street-legal Honda CR500.

While testing at Glen Helen on Thursday the MXA test crew heard the unmistakable sound of a Honda CR500 two-stroke. We looked up, but couldn’t see anything but a street bike coming towards us in the pits. Surprise! Not only was the street bike a modified (and street legal) 1995 CR500, but the rider was former Team Yamaha, Honda and Can-Am factory rider DeWayne Jones. DeWayne is the older brother of four-time 250 National Champion Gary Jones?who he had ridden out to Glen Helen to visit with.

DeWayne during his Team Honda days.

DeWayne Jones finished 9th in the 1973 AMA 250 National Championships and had a second place finish at the 1973 Lake Whitney National. DeWayne finish in the top ten in seven out of 12 rounds in 1973.

This isn’t your typical Honda street bike.

DeWayne is still racing, but his current discipline is dirt track. He also runs DeWayne Jones Performance Suspension where he works on dirt track, supermoto, road race, ATV and MX bikes.

                                                
THIS ISN’T MOTOCROSS, BUT IT IS COOL IN A 1970’S STYLE FLASHBACK WAY

The modern version of a GP classic.

If they could do it for John Player Norton, couldn’t they do it for works motocross bikes? The iconic 1973 John Player Norton Monocoque was raced in the World Road Race Championships by Peter Williams and Dave Croxford. Now, Peter Williams Motorcycles, will produce 25 replica examples to commemorate Williams’ victory at the 1973 Isle of Man TT Races.

Peter Williams on a John Player Norton back in the day.

Only 4 John Player Norton Monocoques were ever built (plus one prototype), largely due to the labor involved in hand building the complex frame. Thanks to modern CAD techniques, Peter Williams Motorcycles have developed a frame faithful to the original, but able to be updated technologically. Based around a stainless steel replica of the famous John Player Norton monocoque frame, each bike will feature a Mick Hemmings-built, Norton Commando, 750cc, air-cooled, parallel twin engine with a Quaife five-speed gearbox. The cost? $100,000 for one of the 25 machines. For more info go to www.peterwilliamsmotorcycles.com.

                                                
FMF’S BAJA 500 VIDEO: LOTS OF FAMILAR FACES & MILES OF UNFAMILIAR DIRT

                                                
WHAT THE SUZUKI GRAND PRIX TEAM TOOK AWAY FROM THEIR AMERICAN EXPEDITION

Eric Geboers, Clement Desalle and Kevin Strijbos.

Clement Desalle: “The trip to the U.S. was really nice. It was good but it was really busy. All the time we were flying, waiting to fly, getting rental cars, going to hotels then changing to other hotels. Tomorrow we have a long trip back home. It was really nice though to train on different tracks. I had some good races and some good fun on the bike and also learned some things that we can use to improve in the future. It was a nice team here with all the guys. We checked out some things in California too and that was fun.”

Kevin Strijbos: “I think overall, the whole trip here went quite good. It was a good feeling. I want to thank Rockstar and the whole Rockstar Energy Racing team for what they did for us. It was a great opportunity and I hope I can come back and do some more races here. We learned a lot from the team here about setting-up the bikes and setting-up the start system we are now going to use in Europe. It was awesome to be part of the team and I’m glad I did it.”

Dave Gowland (Rockstar Energy Racing Team Manager): “Having the Europeans over here for the last two weeks was good. Obviously we’ve been able to spend a lot more time with the mechanics and been able to get some insight into what they’re doing over there. What they’re faced with, what we’re faced with; and some of the obstacles and challenges that we’re having to try to push towards the front. It’s been a really good experience to have them over here. The riders are really good. Obviously it’s a little more laid back because they aren’t in the championship hunt over here and they know that they’re not going to be. So the experience to come over and have good results is something that’s kind of unique. It’s fun, but all-in-all it’s just something we’ve always strived for; to have this sort of Trans-Atlantic effort. I think this was the first step to maybe doing that.”

Eric Geboers (Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 Team Manager): “Both my riders, Desalle and Strijbos experienced a great level of competition in Colorado and Tennessee. Even with the one-day race format, the high temperature and/ or altitude difference ? which we are not used to racing in ? we can return home with great satisfaction of this U.S. journey. Rockstar Energy Racing prepared two fantastic bikes and level of support which made this transition smooth and professional. Our riders and mechanics are returning home with big eyes and plenty of ideas to integrate into our racing back in Europe. I hope we can see more of these global efforts to establish with all our sponsors. Big thanks everyone who helped to make this happen.”
                                 
                                                
THIS WEEK’S BIRTHDAYS: MICHAEL BYRNE CELEBRATES HIS 29TH BIRTHDAY FOR THE FIFTH TIME
June 7…Ricky Ryan

June 8…Manuel Priem 1981
June 9…Brad Hagseth

June 9…Antonio Balbi
June 10…Ronnie Renner 1977

June 10…Michael Byrne 1979
June 12…Randy Hawkins

June 13…Tommy Searle 1990

June 13…Dick Mann 1934
June 14…Keith Johnson 1982
June 14…Nick Evennou
June 14…Jeff Gibson 1982
June 14…Jimmy Button 1973

                                                
ASK THE MXPERTS: THE PREHISTORIC ERA OF AIR

This isn’t an optical illusion. One CRF450 fork leg is shorter than the other.

Dear MXA,
    If air forks date back to 1976, why didn’t it last. Why were oil and springs the preferred product for all these years?

Topping out. When you put air in forks to replace the stock springs, as they did in the early 1970s, there is nothing to stop the forks from topping out (which means when the wheel left the ground the forks shot downward with alarming force). So, while it is true that from 1974 to 1976 local racers embraced air forks (and typically removed the springs and installed the Schrader valves themselves), the technology was not available 40 years ago to deal with topping out, initial stiction and inadequate rebound damping. Modern PSF air forks have a negative spring that tries to draw the forks up as they are going down. This negative spring is the reason why Honda and Kawasaki PSF forks get shorter when you let the air out. And the reason they don’t top out.
                                 
                                                
AMA 450 NATIONAL POINTS STANDINGS

(after 4 of 12 races)
1. Ryan Villopoto……193
2. Ryan Dungey……..177
3. Justin Barcia………114
4. Trey Canard……….120
5. Mike Alessi………..116
6. James Stewart……104
7. Tyla Rattray…………95
8. Ryan Sipes…………79
9. Jake Weimer……….69
10. Broc Tickle………..67

                                                
ASK THE MXPERTS: TO MAP MY 350SXF OR NOT TO MAP

Dear MXA,
    I’ve been thinking about putting a big-bore kit in my 2011 KTM 350SXF for quite some time now. Will I need to remap with this kit? Being that the 2011 bikes are 3 to 4 percent richer than needed, would that be enough to compensate for the larger bore?

Only the 2013 KTM 350SXF needs to be remapped for a 365cc kit. According to Cylinder Works, the 2011 and 2012 350SXF’s ran fine with the stock map. 2013 KTM 350SXF owners can find the map we ran on our 2013 KTM 365SXF at www.cylinder-works (at the end of the MXA bike test).

                                                                                       
AMA 250 NATIONAL POINTS STANDINGS

(after 4 of 12 races)
1. Ken Roczen………….185
2. Eli Tomac……………..170
3. Marvin Musquin…….163
4. Blake Baggett……….141
5. Zach Osborne……….127
6. Jason Anderson…….100
7. Cooper Webb………….90
8. Justin Bogle…………….89
9. Jeremy Martin………….88
10. Kyle Cunningham……81

                                                
MEMORIES! ANCIENT ARTIFACTS OF THE WAY WE WERE

We asked around the pits and very few modern motocrossers had every heard of a Carabela 125 Marquesa. Carabela was never a major player in the USA, although Billy Grossi raced the 250 Nationals for them in 1977, and at Mexican races Carabela would pay start money to American cherry pickers if they raced on one. Can you name the most famous Mexican motocross bike ever made? (The answer is at the bottom of the page).

                                                
WMX NATIONAL POINTS STANDINGS

(after 2 of 3 races)
1. Sayaka Kaneshiro…….86
2. Jessica Patterson……..72
3. Taylor Higgins…………..72
4. Jacqueline Strong……..61
5. Sara Pettersson……….58
6. Mackenzie Tricker…….55
7. Courtney Duncan……..50
8. Amanda Brown…………44
9. Lindsey Palmer…………42
10. Sade Alexander……….41

                                                
USED IT, ABUSED IT, TESTED IT: ARC MNEMLON COMPOSITE FOLDING LEVERS

They said it couldn’t be done and 50 years of motocross history had proven them right?until Bob Barnett came along. What did ARC’s Bob Barnett do? He built the first unbreakable lever. Not only did Bob build an unbreakable lever, but a folding one at that. And, he got the factory teams to test it, approve it and race with it. This is the lever that many factory riders choose.

VERDICT: ARC logged in 27 different composite recipes before settling on the Mnemlon (the “n” is silent) matrix composite. The Mnemlon Composite lever is so pliable that you can bend it in a circle. Test riders worried that they would feel the flex under braking, but in motion they never noticed it. ARC pioneered the folding lever concept, and now they are the first with an unbreakable lever. These levers are tough. $69.95 (lever only), $189.95 (lever and RC-8 perch) ? www.arclevers.com or (714) 543-0362.

                                                                                                     
450 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS

(After 8 of 18 races)
1. Tony Cairoli…………………377
2. Gautier Paulin………………321
3. Clement Desalle…………..309
4. Ken De Dycker……………..277
5. Kevin Strijbos……………….243
6. Tommy Searle………………239
7. Max Nagl……………………..190
9. Jeremy Van Horebeek…..171
8. Rui Goncalves……………..168
10. David Philippaerts………..145

                                                
FOR TREY CANARD AND JUSTIN BARCIA BEING ON TEAM HONDA IS A DREAM COME TRUE…THEY TALK ABOUT LIVING THE DREAM

                                                                                                     
250 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS

(After 8 of 18 races)
1. Jeffrey Herlings…………397
2. Jordi Tixier……………….287
3. Jose Butron……………..247
4. Glenn Coldenhoff………237
5. Christophe Charlier……230
6. Dean Ferris………………197
7. Max Anstie……………….193
8. Jake Nicholls…………….181
9. Alessandro Lupino…….162
10. Dylan Ferrandis……….149

                                                
WHAT KEVIN STRIJBOS SAW DURING HIS VACATION IN THE USA…INCLUDING RUNNING OVER CLEMENT DESALLE 12 SECONDS IN
                                 

                                                                             
CANADIAN 450 NATIONAL POINTS STANDINGS

(after 2 of 9 races)
1. Brett Metcalfe……..94
2. Tyler Medaglia…….78
3. Teddy Maier……….72
4. Bobby Kiniry……….65
5. Morgan Burger……59
6. Gavin Gracyk……..59
7. Colton Facciotti…..50
8. Jeremy Medaglia…49
9. Brock Hoyer………..49
10. Dylan Kaelin……..48

                                                
TYLA RATTRAY ON THE MALDIVES, JAMES STEWART AND HIS BEST DAY EVER
 

                                                                                
CANADIAN 250 NATIONAL POINTS STANDINGS

(after 2 of 9 races)
1. Austin Politelli…….97
2. Kaven Benoit……..87
3. Brad Nauditt……….76
4. Topher Ingalls…….72
5. Josh Clark………….64
6. Richard Grey…......57
7. Jared Allison………54
8. Blake Savage…….44
9. Nathan Bles……….42
10. Parker Allison…..42  

                                                
ANSWER: THE MOST FAMOUS MEXICAN MOTOCROSS BIKE WAS…..

In 1975 four-time 250 National Champion Gary Jones invested his winnings into starting his own motorcycle brand. The Jones family bought the failed Cooper enduro bike from Maico distributor Frank Cooper and set out to turn it into a real motocross bike. It wasn’t easy as the Moto-Islo factory had no experience with serious race bikes. Originally called the Jones-Islo, it was renamed the Ammex (for American-Mexican) when it went on sale in 1975. Unfortunately, the Mexican peso collapsed and the Ammex was a victim of the monetary crisis. Reportedly 5000 bikes were made, but only 1500 were exported to America. There were ten 360cc bikes built, but they were for Gary Jones to race and were never put into production.