MOTOCROSS ACTION’S WEEKEND NEWS ROUND-UP: THIS IS HOW YOU WHEELIE, AUSSIE DRUG TESTS, FLASHBACK TO AMERICA-KIWI STYLE & YAMAHA’S GP TEAM VIDEO

On Feb 18, 2013 Last updated Mar 12, 2018

ATLANTA SUPERCROSS RESULTS
450 class:
1. James Stewart
2. Ryan Villopoto
3. Davi Millsaps
4. Justin Barcia
5. Trey Canard
6. Ryan Dungey
7. Eli Tomac
8. Jake Weimer
9. Chad Reed
10. Mike Alessi

250 East:
1. Wil Hahn
2. Dean Wilson
3. Marvin Musquin
4. Blake Wharton
5. Jeremy Martin
6. Justin Hill
7. Gavin Faith
8. Kyle Peters
9. Vince Friese
10. Zach Bell

YAMAHA’S GP TEAM IS READY FOR QATAR: SEE THE BIKES AND MEET THE RIDERS IN LESS THAN ONE MINUTE

AUSTRALIA TO IMPLEMENT A NEW DRUG TESTING PROGRAM…FOR OLD SCHOOL DRUGS

News out of Australia’s sanctioning body is that Motorcycling Australia will begin a new drug testing program. In a throwback to the 1980s, the Australians won’t be looking for EPO, HGH, Testosterone or other performance enhancing drugs, but instead they will test for amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, meth and opiates. This may cast the world of Australian motorcycle racing in a strange light, but a few years ago the AMA Nationals were considering having riders blow in a breathalyzer before allowing them to go to the starting line…but when one specific rider dropped out of racing they dropped the idea.

“Motorcycling Australia is committed to maximizing the safety and well being of our riders and officials, and this education and screening program aims to ensure we provide the safest possible environment,” said Claire Lawrence, Motorcycling Australia’s national risk and compliance manager.

2013 NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH TOWNLEY, MACKENZIE, COOPER…LIKE AMERICA IN THE 1980s

MXA PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: CYCRA GRIP ARMOR BAR ENDS

If you are a multi-purpose kind of racers, who switches back and forth from motocross of offroad, then you need to look at Cycra Grip Armor bar ends. They are perfect for riders who use bark busters for offroad riding and take them off for motocross. Or they would be great for a crasher, who rips the ends off his grips every weekend.

Cycra Racing Grip Armor Bar Ends are designed to protect grips and throttle tubes from side impacts. Billet machined alloy hardware are topped with ultra high-impact plastic rings fit perfectly with steel and alloy bars to extend the life of your grips. The additional weight adds damping to the bars for improved feel.Installation is easy. Simply cut the end of grip and throttle tube flush with bar end, insert bar end inside handle bar, hold rings steady as you tighten until flush. $22.95 at www.cycraracing.com

THIS ISN’T MOTOCROSS…BUT CHRIS PFEIFFER CAN WHEELIE 25 DIFFERENT WAYS

YOU CAN’T GO TO THE INDY DEALER SHOW, BUT WE TAKE YOU THERE

KYLE CHISHOLM TO REPLACE THE INJURED JOSH GRANT AT JGR YAMAHA

CHAD REED TALKS ABOUT THE WEIGHT ON HIS SHOULDERS AND HIS LEAP OF FAITH

RYAN HUGHES INJURY UPDATE

Ryno back in the day.

Ryan Hughes crashed at Pala Raceway on February 20. Doctors operated to relieve the pressure on his spine and placed rods and screws from T2 to T7. Although there was some temporary paralysis from the swelling, since the surgeries all feeling and movement has returned. According to Ryan’s wife Jennifer, his racing days are over, “but he will continue to teach and give back to the sport he loves most.”

TOUR WIL HAHN’S HOUSE ALONG WITH EVERY BURGLAR IN TEXAS

YOUTHSTREAM IS SEXIST…OR IS THAT REVERSE SEXIST?

Under FIM rules, a rider can only race the 250 World Championships until they turn 23 (then they have to move to the 450 class). Except that earlier this week, they changed the 23-year-old rule so that female racer Livia Lancelot could race the Qatar and Thailand GPs. Changing the rules for one rider, mostly for the entertainment value of having a women at the races, seems weird when this year Tommy Searle and Jeremy van Horebeeck were kicked out of the 250 class for being 23. This rule change for one rider and one gender is typical Youthstream politics.

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE KTM JUNIOR SUPERCROSS CHALLENGE

CURRENT AMA 450 SUPERCROSS POINTS

(After 8 of 17 races)
1. Davi Millsaps (Suz)………….174
3. Ryan Villopoto (Kaw)………152
2. Ryan Dungey (KTM)………..148
4. Trey Canard (Hon)…………..135
5. Chad Reed (Hon)……………127
6. Justin Barcia (Hon……………116
7. Andrew Short (KTM)………..102
8. James Stewart (Suz)……….100
9. Justin Brayton (Yam)………..91
10. Matt Goerke (KTM)…………79

CURRENT AMA 250 EAST SUPERCROSS POINTS

(After 2 of 8 races)
1. Dean Wilson…………..47
2. Wil Hahn…………………45
3. Blake Wharton…………40
4. Marvin Musquin……….35
5. Kyle Peters……………..31
6. Justin Hillt………………..31
7. Gavin Faith……………..28
8. Vince Friese……………24
9. Jimmy Decotis………..20
10. Lance Vincent………..20

CURRENT AMA 250 WEST SUPERCROSS POINTS

(After 6 of 9 races)
1. Ken Roczen (KTM)…………..138
2. Eli Tomac (Hon)………………121
3. Cole Seely (Hon)……………..95
4. Jason Anderson (Suz)……….88
5. Kyle Cunningham (Yam)…….83
6. Martin Davalos (Kaw)………..82
7. Zach Osborne (Hon)………….82
8. Joey Savatgy (KTM)………….62
9. Christian Craig (Hon)…………62
10. Jessy Nelson (Hon)………….60

THE LONG VERSION OF YAMAHA’S “Y DO I RIDE” TV COMMERCIAL

PHOTO WITHOUT A CAPTION

UNBELIEVABLE NEWS FROM A TWO-DAY ENDURO: 20 RIDERS MISSING AND ONE CONFIRMED DEAD

According to the Jakarta Globe: Rescuers have managed to find 70 motorcycle racers previously reported missing in the depths of an East Kalimantan jungle, but 20 others remained missing as of Sunday evening. “About 20 others are still declared missing. The evacuation team has continued to search for them by tracking the route set by the steering committee of the race],” the head of the Kutai Kartanegara office of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Darmansyah, said on Sunday.

At least one man from Australia died on Saturday during the two-day enduro racing event. Headley Michael Adrian, 35, was among racers participating in the “Balikpapan Two Days Enduro 2,” which kicked off on Saturday to commemorate the 116th anniversary of the East Kalimantan city of Balikpapan’s founding. Adrian was believed to have died of dehydration in the middle of a 124-kilometer extreme track connecting Balikpapan and the capital city of Samarinda through the depths of the Tahura jungle.

USED IT, ABUSED IT, TESTED IT: MOTION PRO TITAN THROTTLE TUBE

Motion Pro tested many different materials by hitting them with hammers and dropping weights on them before a deciding on the exact recipe for the Titan’s plastic. The secret formula had the right combination of strength and flexibility, plus low-friction properties for easy twisting.

VERDICT: Motion Pro didn’t want to settle for a better-than-stock throttle tube, they wanted to build the most crash resistant throttle tube on the market. How can a piece of plastic be more durable than a CNC’ed piece of aluminum? If aluminum is bent or dented in a crash it will deform and not return to it’s original shape. The Titan Tube is more rigid than OEM plastic throttle tubes, but more flexible than aluminum. That flexibility may make a material seem weak, but it adds resilience. The result is an amazingly durable throttle tube. $24.99?www.motionpro.com or (650) 594-9600.

PLAY RIDING WITH STEFAN EVERTS’ SON LIAM AND HIS FRIENDS

THIS WEEK’S BIRTHDAYS: GUY COOPER TURNS 51

Feb. 24…Guy Cooper 1962
Feb. 24…Scott Sheak 1974
Feb. 24…Alley Semar
Feb. 25…Craig Anderson 1978
Feb. 26…Billy Laninovich 1983

Feb. 26…Jean-Sebastian Roy 1974
Feb. 27…Rick “Super Hunky” Sieman
Feb. 27…Ryan Morais 1983

Feb. 28…Kevin Windham 1978
Feb. 28…Ryan Clark 1978

Feb. 28…Wayne Hinson

ASK THE MXPERTS: NITROGEN IN KAYABA PSF FORKS

Dear MXA,
Why hasn’t MXA recommended running nitrogen in the 2013 Kayaba PSF air forks. Nitrogen doesn’t expand as much when heated, it is lighter, is used in shocks, and all race cars run nitrogen instead of air in their tires.

There is nothing wrong with running nitrogen instead of air, but the advantages would hardly be noticeable to the average racer for these reasons.
   (1) Expansion. Air is a mixture of 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen and other trace gases. Boyle’s Law dictates the expansion rates of gases, and with the exception of water molecules in air, they expand at the same basic rate.
   (2) Weight. Nitrogen is not lighter than air, but it is less dense. However, the density difference is not significant. Air density is 0.08018 pounds per cubic foot and nitrogen density is 0.07807 pounds per cubic foot. Hardly earth shattering.
   (3) Tires. Nitrogen is used in tires and shock absorbers because nitrogen molecules are physically larger than air molecules. The larger molecule size slows leakage through rubber tires or rubber shock bladders by approximately 30 percent. The air in a PSF fork is not in contact with the rubber seals.
   (4) Water vapor. The water vapor content of air is what causes the difference in expansion rates as the temperature rises in the fork. It should be noted that both Showa and Kayaba began testing their air forks with nitrogen, but over time decided that the advantages weren’t worth the extra trouble.
   (5) Nitrogen versus air. On a benefit scale, nitrogen would work better than air.

KEN ROCZEN LEADS THE KTM CREW IN AN AUDITION FOR “SO, YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE”

USED IT, ABUSED IT & TESTED IT: PIRELLI EXTRA X TIRES

Pirelli’s idea with the original Extra tire from a few years ago was to sacrifice a degree of pure performance in specific conditions to gain consistency of performance across the board. And, most importantly, build a durable tire. The Extra X is a newly updated version.

VERDICT: MXA test riders put many hours on the new Extra X and were impressed with the durable rubber compound and added knob supports on the rear. Most long-lasting tires take a big step down in performance in the name of durability, but the MXA test rider felt that the Extra X was only a small step down in performance and definitely at the top of its class in durability. We tested a 120/90 rear, but would have preferred a 120/80 rear or 110. The bigger 120 volume allowed the sidewalls to wallow when off-axis forces pushed the tire sideways. $105.95 to $132.95 (depending on size)?www.us.pirelli.com

WORLD TWO-STROKE CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE APRIL 7, BUT THEY HAVE A COUPLE WARM-UP RACES STARTING THIS WEEKEND

THE GREEN ARROW RIDES AGAIN: THE ATLANTA SUPERCROSS TRACK MAP

          WIL HAHN IS ONE OF THE POD PEOPLE

          ASK THE MXPERTS: EIGHTEEN VERSUS NINETEEN

Dear MXA,
   I own a WR450 and a YZ450F. One has a 19-inch wheel and the other an 18-inch front wheel. What’s the difference?

Apart from the size the differences are as follows:
     (1) The 19-inch tire was developed for Supercross. It hooks up better on hard-packed dirt, goes across the whoops with less bounce and provides a more accurate feel under side loads (like in hard-pack corners). On the downside, it delivers a much harsher ride and is prone to pinch flatting.
   (2) The 18-inch tire absorb landings and bumps better (thanks to its larger volume), puts a wider footprint on the ground and is less likely to pinch flat. On the downside, it bounces in the whoops and wallows under hard side loads. For the average motorcycle rider, the 18-inch tire is a better choice. The 19-incher was really designed for Supercross and then pushed on the local guys.
   (3) The weight difference between the two is negligible when you factor in the rims and spokes, but there is a technology gap (in that most of the new tires are designed as a 19-incher and then handed-down to the 18-incher).