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ALL THE ACTION WAS IN OZ THIS PAST WEEKEND

The tourists. Although two of these four visitors to Australia are Aussies, they have become more like Americans. Michael Byrne, Chad Reed, Ricky Carmichael and Cooper Webb near Sydney Harbor.

RESULTS: SYDNEY SUPERCROSS NIGHT ONE (SATURDAY)
450 Class
1. Chad Reed
2. Gavin Faith
3. Dan Reardon
4. Cooper Webb
5. Daniel McCoy
6. Lawson Bopping
7. Kade Mosig
8. Kale Makeham
9. Cheyne Boyd
10. Luke Styke

250 Class
1. Jimmy Decotis
2. Wade Hunter
3. Jackson Richardson
4. Geran Stapleton
5. Lewis Woods
6. Jack Simpson
7. Joel Wightman
8. Luke Wilson
9. Luke Clout
10. Tomas Ravenhorst

RESULTS: SYDNEY SUPERCROSS DAY TWO (SUNDAY)
(Not a points paying race for the Supercross Championship)
450 Class
1. Cooper Webb
2. Chad Reed
3. Lawson Bopping
4. Daniel McCoy
5. Dan Reardon
6. Cheyne Boyd
7. Robbie Marchall
8. Aaron Tanti
9. Jono Krusic
10. Josh Spanos

250 Class
(Not a points paying race for the Supercross Championship)
1. Jimmy Decotis
2. Jackson Richardson
3. Geran Stapleton
4. Joel Wightman
5. Tomas Ravenhorst
6. Jesse Madden
7. Jake Vella
8. Lewis Woods
9. Jack Simpson
10. Kyle Webster

 

PAYING TRIBUTE TO ONE OF MOTORCYCLING’S GREATS

Riding will start at 9:00 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m. This year, The Kurt Caselli Foundation will have the main track available for open riding as well as the kids track and an off-road loop.A raffle ticket will be handed to each participant at the gate and the raffle will take place at 11:30 a.m. A silent auction will be held at 1:30 p.m. with all proceeds going to The Kurt Caselli Foundation.

New for this year is the Caselli Team Challenge where two riders will pair up and participant in an 8-lap race. The riders will need to use only one bike and switch off each lap. There can only be one Pro rider on each team. The start will be Lemans-style with one boot from each of the starting riders in a pile in front of the start line. Riders will run to their boot first and then back to their bike before taking off on the first lap. An entry fee of $20.00 will go toward The Kurt Caselli Foundation. The race is limited to 30 teams with a grand prize and custom-made trophy awarded to the winning pair. For more info go to www.kurtcaselli.com

MEMORIES OF THE WAY WE WERE: JOEL ON A PUCH

Everybody remembers Joel Robert as a Suzuki factory rider (teamed with Sylvain Geboers, Roger DeCoster and Harry Everts). A smaller number remember that Joel made his name and won his first couple 250 World Championships riding Czech CZs. But, few remember that Joel raced a Puch after leaving Suzuki.

MOTORCYCLES YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF — AJP

AJP, which stand for Antonio J. Pinto, is a Portuguese brand that has yet to make inroads in the American market. Pinto was a seven-time Portuguese National Enduro Champion and his first AJP was a 125 two-stroke in 1991. In 2007 the hybrid aluminum-steel frame was introduced that combines the two materials into a steel front section and aluminum backbone. Note the see-thru swingarm.

AJP currently offers three models: the PR3 is a smaller-framed bike for short riders; the PR4 is available in Supermoto, trail and enduro variants; The PR3 and PR4 models are available with 125cc and 200cc two-stroke engines and as 240cc four-stroke; The PR5 is a fuel-injected, liquid-cooled, 250 four-stroke.

WHERE TO BE, WHEN TO BE THERE & WHAT TO WEAR

The last 3 of REM’s 40-races in 2015 will be on December 5, 12 and 19. Don’t worry, they will start another 40-race run in 2016. For more info go to www.remsatmx.com.

2015 AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Dec. 5……………………………..Melbourne, Vic

2015 GENEVA SUPERCROSS
Dec. 4-5………………………….Geneva, Swis

2015 OTHG MX CHRISTMAS GRAND PRIX
Dec. 6……………………………Pala, CA

REM’s LAST THREE 2015 RACES
Dec. 5……………………………Glen Helen
Dec. 12…………………………..Glen Helen
Dec. 19…………………………..Glen Helen

BIRTHDAYS OF THE STARS: BRUCE BROWN IS 78, JEFFRO IS 45

Nov. 28…Jeremy van Horebeek 1989

Nov. 29…John Rice
Nov. 29…Brandon Butler
Nov. 30…Jacob Saylor

Dec. 1…Bruce Brown 1937
Dec. 1…Stanton Barrett 1972

Dec. 1…Jeff Emig 1970
Dec. 2…Jiri Dostal 1979
Dec. 3…Craig Decker 1975

Dec. 3…Danny LaPorte 1957
Dec. 4…Tiger Lacey 1982
Dec. 4…Greg Blackwell 1953

Dec. 4…Ryan Dungey 1989

Dec. 4…Jim Gibson 1961

Dec. 5…Casey Johnson 1975

ASK THE MXPERTS: WHAT IS THE BEST 2014 YZ450F MAP

Dear MXA,
    A couple weeks ago you listed MXA’s EFI map for the 2016 Yamaha YZ450F, but I have a 2014 YZ450F. What should I be running?

Above is the map that we ran with our stock YZ450F exhaust system (and the same holds true for the 2016 YZ450F map that we ran recently). It is important to note that we run a different map with aftermarket exhaust pipes.

 

MXA PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: SYSTEMS POWERLIFT ELECTRIC BIKE STAND

When the Powerlift stand is all the way down the bike can be rolled over it — until you press the foot pedals. Powerlift’s electric bike stand ensures you never have to lift your bike onto a stand ever again. With the simple roll-on/roll-off method getting your bike on a stand has never been easier.

Thanks to the wonderful world of electricity the Powerlift can lift a maximum of 440 pounds and cycle over 100 times before it needs recharging. It is fully adjustable for different heights. For example the MXA gang uses it to change tires, by lowering it until the rear tire just kisses the ground—that way we don’t have to lift the rear wheel when putting it back on the bike.

Once the bike is all the way up, it is easy to work on. The Powerlift stand looks heavy, but weighs under 20 pounds. The retail price is $359.95. To order go to www.n-style.com or www.powerliftsystem.com or call (800) 831-9043.

GARY’S SON WINS 2015 BAJA 1000 TO GO ALONG WITH HIS 2014 ISDE GOLD

Justin Jones, Mark Samuels and Colton Udall.

For an entire year Ox Motorsports/MSR riders Mark Samuels, Colton Udall and Justin Jones (son of four-time 250 National Motocross Champion Gary Jones) have been dreaming of redemption. The trio put their Honda CRF450X on the top of the podium at the 48th Baja 1000 to not only avenge last year’s uncharacteristic lapse when Justin Jones was hit by a truck (breaking his hip and forcing him off of the 2015 ISDE Junior Trophy Team, which led to victory in 2014), but to win the overall and Unlimited Motorcycle class for the third time in the past four years. They also gave Honda its 25th overall SCORE Baja 1000 win.

Despite drawing a start from the back of the pack, the Honda riders set a blistering pace and began picking off the competition almost immediately. “I started ninth off the line and just kept pushing away,” said team leader Colton Udall. “I passed a bunch of guys… except for Shane Esposito.” At Race Mile 133, Justin Jones jumped on the bike and set out after Espositi’s machine, which he passed when that Honda crashed. Jones stretched the lead until Race Mile 356, where he switched with Samuels.

Samuels was a man on a mission attempting to keep archrival (and last year’s Baja 1000 winner) Ricky Brabec and his Kawasaki team in his dust. Mark rode to race mile 563 before turning the bike over to Udall for the final 250 miles. “We nailed our pits, hung our lights perfectly and everything went really well,” explained an elated Udall from the top of the podium.

GOING THE DISTANCE VIDEO

DAN ALAMANGOS PHOTO OF THE WEEK

In this photo an unnamed graduate of the “Greg Groom School of Creative Line Choice” (it’s Mark Hall) heads towards a tight left-hand turn. Notice that he is standing, has his elbows up and perfectly position to follow his mentor’s racing advice.

Then, like perfection, he shows all that he has learned at the knee of his master and goes straight across the infield towards the next corner. Only at the last second did he look up and see the ever-present spying eye of Dan’s camera.

HAS OSSA BEEN LOST IN THE GAS GAS SHUFFLE

The 1976-1/2 Ossa 250 GP II.

With bankrupt Spanish brand Gas Gas finding a sugar daddy buyer to save them from dissolution what does it mean for Ossa? Back in 2014 Ossa was on the road to revival when Gas Gas stepped in to form a manufacturing partnership and a merger that saw both companies combining their engineering, operations, and human resource operations under one roof. It was said that the two Catalan brands would remain distinct in their products, but the economy of scale was of no benefit for either brand — as Gas Gas crashed into receivership. Luckily for Gas Gas, they were saved from bankruptcy court when the Torrot Group acquired ownership of the brand last week. The Barcelona-based Torrot Group, which makes electric bicycles, trial bikes and kid’s minis, claims they will get Gas Gas back to full production by next year. This buy-out might well mean that they also own the Ossa brand name as well, but we don’t think that Torrot has the wherewithal to revive both Gas Gas and Ossa. This could be the end of Ossa—until the next revival attempt.


The Ossa Monocasco concept bike. And electric bike replica of a classic Ossa road racer.

The actual, true-to-life, Ossa Monocasco road racer. Do they look anything alike?

The bike that Ossa thought would put them on a map — a fuel-injected, backwards-cylinder, two stroke offroad bike.

Jody Weisel on an Ossa GPII at the old Escape Country track in Trabuco Canyon in 1976. According to Jody this was the best way to get an Ossa to turn.

Twin-cylinder Yankee Z 500 used two Ossa top-ends bolted to a single crankcase.

This may be the only Ossa you’ll be able to buy in the future.

VISITING THE PAST: WHAT THE HECK IS A HECKEL?

Long before anyone thought of using plastic on a boot, let alone making a hinged boot, the Heckle boot had already come and gone.

 

OVER-THE-HILL-GANG CHRISTMAS MOTOCROSS ON DEC. 6

The race will be at LACR. Find out more info at www.othgmx.org

ALL THE BIG RACES OF 2016: MAKE PLANS NOW

2016 AMA SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Jan. 9…………………….Anaheim, CA
Jan. 16………………….San Diego, CA
Jan. 23………………….Anaheim, CA
Jan. 30………………….Oakland, CA
Feb. 6……………………Glendale, AZ
Feb. 13………………….San Diego, CA
Feb. 20………………….Arlington, TX
Feb. 27………………….Atlanta, GA
March 5………………….Daytona, FL
March 12………………..Toronto, CAN
March 19………………..Detroit, MI
April 2………………..….Santa Clara, CA
April 9………………..….Indianapolis, IN
April 16………………….St. Louis, MO
April 23………………….Foxboro, MA
April 30………………….East Rutherford, NJ
May 7…………………….Las Vegas, NV

2016 AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
May 21……………………Hangtown, CA
May 28.…………………..Glen Helen, CA
June 4..………………….Thunder Valley, CO
June 18..…………………Mt Morris, PA
June 25.………………….Muddy Creek, TN
July 2.…………………….Red Bud, MI
July 9..……………………Southwick, MA​
July 16.…………………..Millville, MN​
July 23.…………………..Washougal, WA
Aug. 13..………………….Unadilla, NY​
Aug. 20..………………….Budds Creek, MD​
Aug. 27.…………………..Crawfordsville, IN​

2016 FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Feb. 27……………………..Losail, Qatar (Saturday)
Mar. 06……………………..Suphan Buri, Thailand
Mar. 13……………………..Sepang, Malaysia
Mar. 28……………………..Valkenswaard, Holland (Monday)
April 10……………………..Neuquen, Argentina
April 17……………………..Leon, Mexico
May 1……………………….Kegums, Latvia
May 8……………………….Teutschenthal, Germany
May 15……………………..Pietramurata, Italy
May 29……………………..TBA
June 5………………………St Jean d’Angely, France
June 19…………………….Matterly Basin, Great Britain
June 26…………………….Mantova, Italy
July 24………………………Loket, Czech Republic
July 31………………………Lommel, Belgium
Aug. 7……………………….Frauenfeld, Switzerland
Aug. 28……………………..Assen, Holland
Sept. 3………………………Charlotte, USA (Saturday)
Sept.11……………………..Glen Helen, USA

2016 MOTOCROSS DES NATIONS
Sept. 25………………………Maggiora, Italy

2016 AMSOIL ARENACROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Jan. 9-10………………….Cincinnati,OH
Jan. 15-17………………..Baltimore, MD
Jan. 22-24………………..Allentown, PA
Jan. 30-31………………..Greensboro, NC
Feb. 4-7…………………..Colorado Springs, CO
Feb. 13-14………………..Omaha, NB
Feb. 20-21………………..Tampa, FL
Feb. 27-28………………..Birmingham, AL
Mar. 12-13………………..Lafayette, LA
April 2-3…………………..Ontario, CA
April 9-10…………………Salinas, CA
April 16-17………………..Tacoma, WA.
April 22-24………………..Nampa, ID
May 6-8…………………..Las Vegas, NV

2016 KTM JUNIOR SUPERCROSS CHALLENGE
Jan. 16……………………..San Diego
Jan. 23……………………..Anaheim II
Feb. 6……………………….Phoenix
Feb. 20……………………..Dallas
Feb. 27……………………. Atlanta
Mar. 12…………………….Toronto
Mar. 19…………………….Detroit
April 9……………………….Indianapolis
April 16……………………..St. Louis
May 7……………………….Las Vegas

2016 CANADIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
June 5…………………..Kamloops, BC
June 12………………….Nanaimo, BC
June 19………………….Calgary, Alb
June 26………………….Regina, Sask
July 10…………………..Courtland, ON
July 17…………………..Ulverton, NS
July 24……………….….Pleasant Valley, NS
July 31…………………..Moncton, NB
Aug. 7……………………Deschambault, QC
Aug. 14………………….Barrie, ON

2016 ITALIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Jan. 31…………………….Alghero
Feb. 7………………………Lamezia Terme
Feb. 15…………………….Ottobiano

2016 AMA NATIONAL AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Aug. 1-6……………………..Loretta Lynn, TN

Photos: Dan Alamangos, Debbi Tamietti, Ray Archer, John Basher, Massimo Zanzani, JGR Yamaha, KTM, Honda, Dewitt Knox III, John Ker, Chad Reed Facebook and MXA