FACEBOOK PHOTO OF THE WEEK

I have to say I’m shocked with how popular the CRF450 still is after being a less-than-stellar since 2009–at least in our eyes. This year the bike looks exactly the same as last year. There have been changes to the CRF450 for 2016 (click HERE to see all 2016 Honda CRF250 & CRF450 changes). We can always hope that Honda can get back to where they were in 2008. Boy did we love that engine. Join MXA’s Facebook page by clicking HERE.

MY FIVE FAVORITE BIKES SINCE BEING A TEST RIDER

TOMMY HAHN’S 2007 FACTORY HONDA CRF250

I still remember the day I rode this bike like it was yesterday. At the time I was still racing full-time trying my hand at Supercross and doing some testing and photo-shoots for MXA on the side. Eight years later, Tommy Hahn’s Factory Honda CRF250 is still my favorite bike to date. Why? Tommy Hahn was around 155 pounds and 5’10. Guess what? I was the same weight and height as Tommy at the time (wish I was the same weight now). Not only that, but we had the same preferences with lever and bar position as well as suspension and engine characteristics. So, the bike felt like it was made for me. This bike was as close to perfect as it could get, for me. Oh how I had dreams about racing that bike.

RYAN VILLOPOTO’S 2007 PRO CIRCUIT KX250F MOTOCROSS DES NATIONS BIKE

Back in 2007, RV was still just a kid that hadn’t hit his growth spurt yet (which wasn’t a big one when it did hit) and I got to ride his “des Nations” bike just a few days after it was raced at Budds Creek in, 2007. The cockpit was extremely compact. It felt as if I was riding a 85. The sag was probably around 150mm as RV was just a fly on the seat at time. The bike didn’t suit me at all. At this time, 250 four-stroke engines were still new to the market, just as air forks are now. This is where Mitch Payton had a strong advantage. He had the 250 four-stokes dialed in above and beyond the competition. How? The engine was so high strung that is had to be swapped with a fresh one every two hours. Bottom line, he did his homework. Given the time limit on the engine,  I was only allotted 20 minutes on RV’s bike (our of fear of due engine failure if MXA broke the two-hour barrier). Still, I had a grim from ear to ear. I was blowing by 450’s while going up Glen Helen’s Mt. Saint Helen. That engine was way ahead of its time.

JOHN BASHER’S 2015 YAMAHA YZ125

I have begin to realize that I have been brain washed. The more my racer mentality has faded away, the more I realize how fun two-strokes are. If you care more about having fun than getting passed, the YZ125 will always leave you with a smile. Every year John Basher claims the YZ125 as it is his own child. He build his dream bike out of it, which, surprisingly, isn’t anything special. The suspension and engine is left virtually stock. Why? Simple, they are virtually perfect in stock trim. The suspension can handle anything from a bantam weight racer to a sumo wrestler with just a change in sag and a few clicks of adjustment. The engine is not a rocket-ship, but with a Pro Circuit pipe and a few bolt on parts the powerband is easy to ride and incredibly fun. I love the light simple feel of the YZ125 and that is why I feel it is not only the safest bike on the market but also the best bike you can buy for the money. Check out the entire build of John Basher’s YZ125 HERE.

SEAN COLLIER’S 1997 KX500

I never thought that an obsolete, dated looking Kawasaki KX500 would ever make my list of favorite bikes, but this was no ordinary KX500, it was “The Beast.” This updated KX500 had a 2015 KX450 front end that was mated with a 66 horsepower engine that C4MX built for Sean Collier. The power curve on the bike was eye-watering. The top-end power felt never ending. Yes, this bike was a beast, but it was much easier to ride than one would think. The power was smooth from bottom to top and the bike felt lighter than a 450. The new front end allowed the forks to stay up in the stroke and the oversize front brake made “The Beast” slow down with ease. It was a bike you had to respect as it tracked incredible straight, but when it got a little sideways hope that you had a Saint Christopher medal around your neck. This bike give me the adrenaline rush of a lifetime. If you are an adrenaline junkie like myself this obsolete bike will give you the fix your looking for. Check out the MXA video of “The Beast” HERE.

2014 KAWASAKI KX85

Last year Kawasaki gave MXA a KX85 for a few months to test. After our mini riders had their way with it I wanted to take it for a spin. This lead to me taking the KX85 with me everywhere I went. I loved riding this bike. Surprisingly, with my weight I couldn’t bottom out the suspension and the engine pulled me around just fine. I was able to do the majority of the jumps on most tracks. My favorite part, it turned like a dream. No big bike could even come close to the KX85 turning ability. I might be a grown adult, but I am still a just a big kid at heart. Find more information about the Kawasaki KX85 HERE.

#MXATALKSINSTAGRAM

Ben Townley posted this picture of Jeffrey Herling’s just before his handlebar hit the ground from scrubbing too hard. This caused Herling’s to flip over the bars. It also broke Jeffrey’s collarbone. Watch the crash by clicking HERE.

START YOUR OWN REVOLUTION! WIN A HUSKY TC 250!

Enter the 2015 2 Stroke Revolution contest brought to you by Boyesen, FMF Racing and Motocross Action Magazine!

Signup once for your chance to win a 2015 Husqvarna TC 250, or win over $2000 in monthly prizes from Boyesen, FMF Racing, PJ1, Torc 1 Racing, DP Brakes, Evans Cooling, Forma Boots USA, EKS Brand, Adventure Center Powersports, MotoSeat, MSR, Sunstar, Goldentyre USA, Decal Works, Darius Company!

Boyesen and FMF Racing both headline the 2015 2-Stroke Revolution contest and have collaborated with other powerhouse brands like PJ1, Torc 1 Racing, DP Brakes, Evans Cooling, Forma Boots USA, EKS Brand, Adventure Center Powersports, MotoSeat, MSR, Sunstar, Goldentyre USA, Decal Works, and Darius Company to bring an awesome lineup of prizes directly to YOU each month! The 2 Stroke Revolution Contest lasts 5 months, leading up to the Grand Prize drawing to be held on July 31^st, 2015. Each month, one winner will be randomly selected to win some of the coolest products on the market today. Simply go to the 2 Stroke Revolution signup page, and submit your entry! All monthly and grand prize winning entries will be announced first on Boyesen’s Facebook page. Also look for winning announcements on motocrossactionmag.com. Click HERE to sign up for free!

LACR SUMMER SCHEDULE

Summer is almost here & Starting July 5th our Saturday & Sunday practice times will be changing to 8am-1pm. Go to www.lacrmotox.com for detailed information.

DREAM JOBS– JAMES CURRY SADDLE TUBES OWNER

STARTING POINT: “I have been racing and riding off-road for 30 years. I have a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, went to Law School and became a Patent and Trademark Attorney. Bottom line, I have become sick and tired of running heavy duty tubes and high tire pressures. Six years ago, I experimented in solving the pinch flat problem with something simple and effective. After five years of running 8-10 psi with soft to intermediate tires, I new I was on to something.”

THE JOB: “This year I got motivated to develop my ‘proof of concept’ experiments into a product. I have been through three generations of prototypes with eight riders involved in developing my product–including myself. I am ‘Saddle Tube,’ from concept, to development, to prototype testing, to manufacturing, shipping and sales. I really believe my product has motocross applications. With standard duty tubes you can run the lower pressures for optimal traction.”

“THE WILD ONE” MARLON BRANDO’S PERSONALLY OWNED 1969 HARLEY DAVIDSON HITS AUCTION
 

Nothing personifies the meaning of a pure leading male legendary screen icon as that of Marlon Brando.  The movie star best known for his enigmatic roles in “The Wild One,” “The Godfather” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” to name only a few, was the epitome of sought after movie star, Hollywood bad boy and misunderstood but admired screen god. On Saturday, June 27, 2015, fans and collectors will have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to bid on Marlon Brando’s personally owned Harley Davidson at Julien’s Auctions Beverly Hills. (Lot #791, Estimate: $200,000-$400,000).

Marlon Brando’s image on a motorcycle was established with his role as Johnny Strabler in The Wild One (Columbia, 1953). The image of a strapping young Brando sitting on that motorcycle is famous not only for its imagery but for the personification of attitude and importance Brando established for himself in Hollywood history. The motorcycle being offered is accompanied by the original State of California Department of Motor Vehicles Notice of Transfer from Los Angeles Harley Davidson. The Harley Davidson FLH Electra-Glide motorcycle was purchased by Brando in 1970. This Harley-Davidson could be the only Brando motorcycle available.

Other celebrity motorcycles which have recently sold at auction include the Jerry Lee Lewis’ Harley Davidson (Sold for $385,000) and Buddy Holly’s motorcycle (Sold for $450,000) offers a glimpse into the collectability of celebrity cycles including this once owned by “The Godfather” himself.

This is not Brando’s Harley.

Marlon Brando once said “It still pleases me to be awake during the dark, early hours before morning when everyone else is still asleep. I’ve been that way since I first moved to New York. I do my best thinking and writing then. During those early years in New York, I often got on my motorcycle in the middle of the night and went for a ride anyplace. There wasn’t much crime in the city then, and if you owned a motorcycle, you left it outside your apartment and in the morning it was still there. It was wonderful on summer nights to cruise around the city at one, two, three a.m. wearing jeans and a just a t-shirt with a girl on the seat behind me. If I didn’t start out with one, I’d fine one.”

Interested collectors and media can view the Marlon Brando 1969 Harley-Davidson this week at Julien’s Auctions Beverly Hills gallery located at 9665 Wilshire Blvd across from Saks Fifth Avenue.  Marlon would often ride for miles on end on desert roads in the American Southwest.  One can only imagine the thoughts and ideas that came to Brando on such solitary trips throughout his celebrated career.

The Marlon Brando 1969 Owned Harley-Davidson will be offered during Julien’s Auctions highly anticipated Hollywood Legends Auction event June 26-June 27, 2015. Registration is required to bid in this live auction and can be done in person at the exhibition and auction, or online before the sale at the JuliensAuctions.com Registration page to bid by phone, proxy or in person, or online at JuliensLive.com to bid live online, or by calling (310) 836-1818.

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