MOTOCROSS SCUTTLEBUTT & TASTY INSIDER MORSELS

Click on images to enlarge

MOTORCYCLE SUPERSTORE TO FOLD INTO J&P CYCLES

motorcycle-superstorePowersports Business has reported that Motorcycle-Superstore.comwill be combined into J&P Cycles. They report that this will lead to dozens of layoffs from Motorcycle-Superstore in the upcoming weeks. For now, www.Motorcycle Superstore.com will continue to function as a website, but eventually Motorcycle Superstore will be shut down and all customers enquiries will be directed to J&P Cycles at www.jpcycles.com. It has not been decided if J&P will take on any of the dirt or offroad related business and J&P said in a letter to vendors, “we are assessing the offroad and adventure segments and determining if they are good fit at J&P Cycles.” This is the latest major change since the merger of Tucker Rocky Distributing and the MAG group (MAG acquired Motorcycle-Superstore in March of 2012).

GRANT LANGSTON — “MOTOCROSS TRAINING WITH THE CHAMP”

langtsonvideoFew riders in professional motocross have elevated themselves to the level achieved by South Africa’s Grant Langston. Grant was the 2000 FIM 125cc World Champion, 2003 AMA 125cc National Champion,  2003 AMA Supermoto Champion, 2005 AMA 250cc East Coast and 2006 AMA 250cc West Coast Champion. The pinnacle of Grant’s career came in 2007 when came from way back int he points to win the AMA 450cc National Championship for Yamaha and, he capped off that season by winning the the U.S. Open Championship in Las Vegas. Since then Grant has transitioned into riding coach, television commentator and successful business owner. Grant decided to share his vast knowledge in this one-of-a-kind production. In Grant’s 98-minute DVD, the champ covers motocross techniques that are very seldom shared and highly coveted. As an added bonus, GL also shares a 50-minute story of his life, “Making of a Champion.” The video is available at www.grantlangstonmx.com for $24.95 (plus shipping).

DEL AMO MOTORSPORT IN SANTA ANA TO HOST MASSIVE A1 AUTOGRAPH SESSION

delamomotoersportsantaaanaDel Amo Motorsports, located in Santa Ana, California, will host a massive Supercross autograph night on Friday, January 6, from 5:00 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monster Energy & 51 Fifty Energy Drink will be in the house to offer free samples. Here’s the roster of racers schedule to attend:

SUZUKI
Broc Tickle
Justin Bogle
Justin Barcia
Weston Peick
Matt Bisceglia
Ronnie Stewart
KAWASAKI
Eli Tomac
Josh Grant
Austin Forkner
Joey Savatgy
Justin Hill
HONDA
Ken Roczen
Cole Seely
Andrew Short
Jimmy Decotis
Jeremy Martin
YAMAHA
Chad Reed
Cooper Webb
Tyler Bowers
Hayden Mellross

DAKAR RALLY COURSE IS HIGHEST EVER

2017dakarThe 2017 Dakar Rally started yesterday with a short 39 km special stage and a long 415 km transport section of 415 km that took them to Argentina. The opening 38 km stage won’t play a big role in the eventual winner of the Rally, but it does determine the starting order for Tuesday’s stage —where the real action begins across a dusty chalk-like section. The two things that dominate this year’s Dakar Rally are altitude and weather. Out of the 13 total days of the rally, six will be spent at altitudes of over 10,000 feet. The riders will even go above 15,000 feet when crossing the Andes on the third special from San Miguel De Tucuman to San Salvador De Jujuy. The longest stage is the 527 km sixth stage to be run in Bolivia. Unpredictable weather will add a further twist to proceedings. With rain forecast for the next 10 days in Bolivia, this means that along with spending long days in at oxygen-depleted altitudes, the riders and crews will face some unique challenges this year.

DAKAR STANDINGS (STAGE ONE)
1. Xavier De Soultrait…Yamaha….00:28:20
2. Juan Perdo Garcia….Sherco…00:28:22
3. Ricky Brabec…Honda…00:28:3

DAKAR STANDINGS (AFTER STAGE TWO)
1. Toby Price…KTM…02:37:32
2. Matthias Walkner…KTM…02:40:54
3. Paulo Goncalves…Honda…02:41:23

SUZUKI RECALLING 8613 V-STROM DL650’S FOR SHORT-CIRCUIT

2012-suzuki-vstrom650The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that Suzuki Motor of America, Inc., is recalling certain 2012-16 model-year DL650 motorcycles. A short circuit of the stator wires may prevent the battery from properly charging, causing an engine stall and increasing the risk of a crash. The potential number of units affected is 8613. The motorcycles were manufactured from August of 2011 through October of 2015 and effect 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 DL650 models (also known as V-Strom 650s). In the affected motorcycles, the alternator stator may have insufficient heat resistance, resulting in a short circuit of the stator wires. Suzuki will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stator, free of charge. DL650 owners may contact Suzuki customer service at (714) 572-1490 and refer to recall number 2A67.

THE ANAHEIM ONE TRACK MAP

a1supercross

NOT ENOUGH FACTORY RIDES IN 2017? NONSENSE

anaheimstadium9When the gate drops for the 450 main at A1 the gate will be full. The question isn’t if there are enough factory riders, it’s whether any 450 privateers can make the main.

Who comes up with the clap-trap that good riders are being left out in the cold because there aren’t enough good rides to go around. The proven riders who did not get picked up for a 450 Supercross ride in 2017 are limited to the Stewart brothers and Dean Wilson. These riders were not selected because of team manager doubts about their health, motivation, entourage, existing sponsors or cost. Every other potential contender is on a factory or factory-backed team. Here is a list of 21 AMA 450 Supercross riders who are collecting factory-backed pay checks. The 21 paid riders include:
1. Ryan Dungy (KTM)
2. Trey Canard (KTM)
3. Marvin Musquin (KTM)
4. Blake Baggett (KTM)
5. Davi Millsaps (KTM)
6. Benny Bloss (KTM)
7. Cooper Webb (Yam)
8. Chad Reed (Yam)
9. Eli Tomac (Kaw)
10. Josh Grant (Kaw)
11. Cole Seely (Hon)
12. Ken Roczen (Hon)
13. Justin Brayton (Hon)
14. Vince Friese (Hon)
15. Mike Alessi (Hon)
16. Jason Anderson (Hus)
17. Christophe Pourcel (Hus)
18. Weston Peick (Suz)
19. Justin Barcia (Suz)
20. Broc Tickle (Suz)
21. Justin Bogle (Suz)

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE & GET MXA FOR FREE: WE ACTUALLY PAY YOU

febmxa2017coverInterested in getting a new bike this year? The February 2017 issue of MXA is on the news stands now and includes the long-awaited 2017 MXA 450 Shootout. You should be reading MXA, and if you subscribe now you get a $25 gift certificate from Rocky Mountain ATV/MC which more than pays for your subscription.

Do you subscribe to MXA? You should. We know that you think that print magazines are dead and that the internet will fill the void, but most of the stuff in the current issue of MXA won’t appear on the web for several months, if at all. Luckily, you can get all of MXA on your iPhone, iPad, Kindle or Android by going to the Apple Store, Amazon or Google Play. Better yet get the Digital desktop version at https://hi-torque.com/product/motocross-action-digital-edition/ for $9.99 a year.

The MXA test riders prefer the print version and not just because it is delivered by a uniformed employee of the U.S. Government, but because right now you can get 12 issues for under $20 and get a free $25 Gift Card from Rocky Mountain ATV/MC. That means that there is a profit to be made in this deal for you. For the Print magazine go to: https://hi-torque.com/product/motocross-action/

• SUPERCROSS APPEARS TO HAVE SURVIVED PRE-SEASON TESTING

These four riders (Canard, Roczen, Dungey and Tomac) will all have a shot at winning, but most pre-race experts (who most likely won’t be post-race experts) believe that Ken Rocaen (94) will be unbeatable…and that Ryan Dungey (5) will play it cool and wait for Kenny to beat himself. Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

Christmas and New Years are often a time when Pro riders take some time off from spinning mind numbing laps to spend precious quality time with their families. With four days to go until the gate falls on the 2017 Supercross season, here are few pertinent facts:

(1) Movie reference. So far, no pit pundit has called the 2017 season the “Perfect Storm.” If this holds true for the next couple days we will have dodged a weak analogy to a movie that is 17 years old —and would require the every rider on the track to go down with the ship.

(2) Injured reserve. So far, fingers crossed, no major players have been injured in the lead-up to the Anaheim 1 opener. This is a rarity in modern Supercross.

(3) More races. So far, it looks as though an alliance of team managers has stopped, or at the very least slowed down, Feld’s desire to increase the number of Supercross races in a season from 17 races to 22. Hopefully the same holds true for their play-off idea.

(4) Factory rides. Contrary to all the sturm und drang about riders being left out in the cold, most riders who deserved a ride on a high-profile factory-backed team got one for 2017. The exceptions are the Stewart brothers and Dean Wilson, but each team has its reasons for who it chooses and who it doesn’t. There are over 40 riders that are on factory or officially factory-backed teams (and that doesn’t count the smaller privateer teams). That is enough paid riders to fill every spot in both the 250 and 450 Mains at a Supercross.

2017AMSOIL ARENACROSS SERIES STARTS THIS WEEKEND

2017arenacross007

“THE DAY AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE” RACE THIS SUNDAY, JAN. 8, 2017

thedayafterthenightmultiREM will be hosting a special motocross race the morning after the Anaheim 1 Supercross. It will be held on Glen Helen’s USGP track and will be a perfect opportunity for you to practice all you learned while watching Anaheim 1 on TV. For more info go to www.remsatmx.com

25-RACE 2017 SOCAL OLD TIMER’S SCHEDULE BEGINS THIS SUNDAY

socalotmxascheduleFor more info go to www.socalotmx.org.

FIVE-RACE 2017 TEXAS WINTER SERIES STARTED AT FREESTONE LAST SUNDAY

texaswinterseries2017For more info go to www.freestonemx.com

SIX-RACE FLORIDA WINTER SERIES STARTED LAST SUNDAY

2017floridawinteram

PRO TAPER INTRODUCES CUSTOMER HOTLINE & TECH SUPPORT PROGRAM

fuzionPro Taper press release: Since 1991 when ProTaper revolutionized the moto market with the introduction of the 1-1/8” Taperwall handlebar, the brand has been focused on enhancing the riders’ experience. Coinciding with the just released 2017 digital catalog is ProTaper’s new customer service hotline and an expanded tech support program. “ProTaper prides itself on our race proven and champion-approved technological advantages on the track,” says Brand Manager Paul Perebijnos. “So it was time to up our game on the customer support side so that we can provide the best possible customer service experience.” This is not some off-shore call center, but a dedicated team of U.S.-based CSR professionals.

“We had some issues with incoming calls and emails disappearing into cyberspace in the past, however we now have a dedicated CSR team answering the phone and a tech team an e-mail away,” he adds. Call 951-736-5369 to speak to a live person during business hours or e-mail [email protected]. Further enhancing the ProTaper experience, the digital catalog can be readily browsed online or downloaded with nearly 100 pages packed with everything from grips, levers/perches, throttle tubes, foot pegs, sprockets, chains and more. “The index of product applications in the catalog enables you to dial in your bike like the pros, from Max Nagl to Colton Haaker. When it’s time to upgrade your riding experience, turn to innovations from ProTaper,” says Perebijnos. See the entire collection of ProTaper’s race-proven products in the 2017 catalog: http://online.fliphtml5.com/lxnd/gxac/#p=1

LOOKING FOR THE MOST EXOTIC MOTOCROSS BIKE IS THE USA? TM IS IT

2917tm300aMXA has been spinning laps and making adjustments to our 2017 TM 300MX-FI for the past month. TM also makes a 300cc two-stroke, but the decision to make a 300 four-stroke is a very unique decision. Word is that they built a 350 prototype, but elected to go with 300 to maximize the performance as a mid-size machine instead of mini-450.

There is little doubt that TM Motorcycles are the rarest of all breeds on the American motocross scene. Built in a small factory in Pesaro, Italy, TM produces around1200 machines year. When you consider that those bikes represent world-wide production and are sub-divided in 85, 125, 144, 250 and 300cc two-strokes, plus 250, 300 and 450 four-strokes. Add in the factor that TM production is also separated into motocross and enduro models, you can see that owning a TM makes you apart of a very exclusive club.

2017tm00mxleftMXA’s 2017 TM 300MX-FI. It comes with Kayaba SSS forks, air filter in the gas tank, fuel tank under the seat, billet wheels, blue Excel rims, electric start, two map settings, six-speed transmission and hydraulic clutch.

MXA has already tested the 2017 250MX-FI four-stroke and are in the process of putting the 2017 TM 300MX-FI (FI for Fuel Injection) through its paces, we thought we’d help you find the closest TM dealer near you.

tmdealer2017For more info on the TM dealer near you, go to www.tmracing-usa.com

HAVE YOU SEEN MXA’S 2017 450 SHOOTOUT VIDEO?

2015 THROUGH 2016 DUCATI SCRAMBLERS RECALLED

ducatiscramblerDucati Scrambler.

Ducati is recalling certain 2015 and 2016 Scrambler models because of a problem with their side stand position sensors. The recall affects 5502 units in the U.S. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the side stand pivot bolt may not be of sufficient length. As a result, the nut may detach and the bolt loosen, consequently preventing the sensor switch from properly detecting the position of the stand. When an affected Scrambler is parked, this may prevent the engine from starting. When riding, the sensor switch pin may become disengaged, causing the engine to stall. It may also be possible to start the engine and begin riding with the side stand deployed.

Ducati first received warranty claims related to this problem in June 2016. Ducati then began a global analysis of the problem and found a total of 34 related cases. On Dec. 5, 2016, Ducati initiated recall proceedings. No related crashes or injuries had been reported. Dealers will install revised side stand pivot bolts. The new bolts have 17mm of thread compared to 15mm of thread found on the original bolts and have a black surface treatment (the original bolts were gray). Dealers will apply 35 Nm of torque (compared to the 24 Nm previously specified) and apply threadlock.

AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSOCIATION OBJECTS TO SCOPE OF TWO NEW NATIONAL MONUMENTS

Print

The designation of two new national monuments by President Barack Obama this week could jeopardize access for responsible motorized recreation on more than 1.6 million acres of public land in Utah and Nevada. Using the Antiquities Act of 1906, the president designated 1.35 million acres in southeast Utah as the Bears Ears National Monument and nearly 300,000 acres in Clark County, Nev., just northeast of Las Vegas, as the Gold Butte National Monument. The Antiquities Act authorizes the president to issue proclamations to protect “historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest,” while limiting those designations to “the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected.”

The AMA is “concerned about continued access to these public lands for responsible motorized recreation. With the national monument designation comes a review of management plans that could curtail or eliminate some off-road riding areas. These new designations cover far larger areas than needed to ensure that historic landmarks are preserved. None of the Utah congressional delegation wanted this, and many Nevadans were opposed to it, too.” Utah’s attorney general has threatened a lawsuit to reverse the Bears Ears designation, and the Utah congressional delegation vowed to pursue legislation to undo it. A study by UtahPolicy cited by U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) found that 60 percent of Utah residents opposed designating the Bears Ears area as a national monument, while 33 percent supported the proposal.

WHAT THE 2017 MOTOCROSS BIKES ACTUALLY WEIGH

 2017ktm450sxfangleThe lightest 450cc motocross bike is the 2017 KTM 450SXF. It weighs 22s pounds. That is 2 pounds less than the Husqvarna, 9 pounds less than the Kawasaki, 11 pounds less than the Honda, 16 pounds less than the Yamaha and 18 pounds less than the Suzuki.

These are the actual weights of the currrent crop of 2017 motocross bikes. They are weighed with the official AMA and FIM system of empty gas tanks, but all other fluids.

2017 HONDA
Honda CRF250…224
Honda CRF450…233

2017 HUSQVARNA
Husqvarna TC125..195
Husqvarna TC250..212
Husqvarna FC250…220
Husqvarna FC350…223
Husqvarna TX300…224
Husqvarna FC450…224

2017 KAWASAKI
Kawasaki KX250…221
Kawasaki KX450…231

2017 KTM
KTM 125 SX…194
KTM 150SX…194.5
KTM 250SX…211
KTM 250SXF…218
KTM 350SXF…221
KTM 450SXF…222

2017 SUZUKI
Suzuki RM-Z250…226
Suzuki RM-Z450…240

2017 YAMAHA
Yamaha YZ250F…222
Yamaha YZ450F…238

FMF ANNOUNCES 2017 SUPERCROSS SUPPORT SCHEDULE

fmf_powercore-2Coming off the 2016 250SX West Region Championship FMF is excited for the start off the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross season. The FMF Rider Support Crew will be on board to help out with any rider support needs. Keep an eye out for our FMF Event Support Sprinter van at the following races:
Jan. 7…Angel Stadium…Anaheim, CA
Jan. 14…Petco Park…San Diego, CA
Jan. 21…Angel Stadium… Anaheim, CA
Jan. 28…University of Phoenix…    Glendale, AZ
Feb. 4…Oakland Coliseum….Oakland, CA
You can subscribe to MXA three different ways — Here are your choices

ARENACROSS ROAD TO SUPERCROSS: RIDERS WHO GOT THEIR SUPERCROSS TICKET SPUNCHED

_DSC19961_Kyoshi_Gavin Faith Ricky Carmichael_Arenacross_Las Vegas_05082016Gavin Faith (left) celebrates his 2016 AMA Arenacross Championship with Ricky Carmichael (right) of “Road to Supercross” fame. Photo: Kyoshi Becker

To Qualify through the “Road to Supercross” program a rider must earn 3 points in a minimum of 2 cities (1 point for making a main event and 1 point for finishing in the top ten). It should be noted that some of the listed riders already have their AMA Supercross licenses. Look for the following riders when the AMA Supercross series comes to your town.
Austin Forkner
Gavin Faith
Chris Blose
Benny Bloss
Ben Lamay
Austin Politelli
Kyle Regal
Steve Roman
Jon Ames
Ryan Breece
Chris Canning
Sean Cantrell
Joey Crown
Carlen Gardner
Cory Green
Jacob Hayes
Chris Howell
Jared Lesher
D.J. Macfarlane
Steve Mages
Marcus Nilsen
Jace Owen
Connor Pearson
Dylan Rouse
Travis Sewell
Chase Sexton
Gared Steinke
Keith Tucker
Scott Zont

THE DUTCH DENTIST’S USGP BIKE AT MECUM LAS VEGAS MOTORCYCLE AUCTION ON JAN.25-28

mecumsuzukiwolsinkusgpxAt the South Point Hotel on January 25-28, Mecum Auction House will be selling Gerrit Wolsink’s 1977 United States 500cc Motocross Grand Prix winning Suzuki RM370.

mecumssuzuki1977usgpWolsink’s Carlsbad USGP  is unrestored—the only way that classic race bikes should ever be sold.

For more info on all of the motorcycles in the auction click here.

HOW IS YOUR TWITTER GAME GOING? UP IT BY FOLLOWING MXA

mxactiontwitter1Follow us to see fresh content every day at www.twitter.com/MXAction or on twitter at “MXAction”

SUBSCRIBEINTERNAL

You might also like

Comments are closed.