2013 Husqvarna TC250R. Husqvarna's signature Red Head ?which made its debut on the 2012 TC250 ? is central to the 2013 model year lineup. All 250/310 engine platforms now come with the Red Head DOHC design, including a new F1-inspired… Read More...
By John Minert After all of the 2012 bike test and shootouts are done, every MXA test rider is allowed to build his dream bike. There is no budget, not limit and no rules. It is a reward for spending almost a year riding what the test… Read More...
By Dennis Stapleton I spend most of my time switching bikes. When I'm testing I get to ride every new bike and when I'm racing, normally in some foreign country, I ride the bike the promoter provides me. I don't spend a lot of time on one… Read More...
By John Basher After all of the 2012 bike test and shootouts are done, every MXA test rider is allowed to build his dream bike. There is no budget, no limit and no rules. Test riders can choose the bike they want, the parts they want, the… Read More...
Honda's four-spring clutch is a thing of wonder?most Honda CRF450 owners wonder what Honda's engineers were thinking. If you ride hard and put it away wet, odds are that Honda's four-spring clutch will not be in good working order by the… Read More...
There is an inherent ?Hope Gene? in every person that believes that things will get better, that tomorrow is a better day, that good things come to those who wait and that this year's new model is better than last year's new model. And so… Read More...
The MXA wrecking crew spends the majority of its test time racing and riding brand-new production motorcycles, but early on in each test session every bike gets its day on the dyno. It really isn?t all that revealing because by the time its… Read More...
Q: FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2012 YAMAHA YZ250 BETTER THAN THE 2011 YZ250? A: No. Last year, the 2012 YZ250 was changed slightly so that the same motocross bike sold in France could be sold in Texas. Prior to 2011, there were Euro-spec… Read More...
Let's face it, not everyone is in the market for a 2012 250 four-stroke. That's okay with us. There are many choices when it comes to purchasing a motorcycle?two-stroke, four-stroke, 125, 250 and 450. Depending on your… Read More...
Q: ARE THE 2012 HUSQVARNA CR125 AND CR144 THE SAME BIKE? A: They are the same bike, but both start life as a CR125! When you buy a CR125 in the USA, Husqvarna automatically includes the 144cc kit with the necessary cylinder, head, piston… Read More...
2012 KTM 250SX: There was a time when the Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke could compete on equal terms with the KTM 250SX, but in the last two years the six-year-old YZ has been surpassed by KTM's superior engineering. Q: FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE… Read More...
WHAT IS IT? It's an exhaust system with two muffler cores. It was only available for Hondas and Suzukis in its 2011 debut year, so the KX250F system is brand new. WHAT'S IT COST? $1095.00 (carbon), $1045.00 (titanium). CONTACT?… Read More...
Q: WHAT'S THE STORY WITH THE TC250? A: After flying under the U.S. radar for a few years, Husqvarna debuted the current-generation TC250 as a 2010 model. The big buzz was about its all-new ?X Lite? engine, which was touted as the smallest,… Read More...
There will be 400 of these bikes made (in two batches of 200). This is not the 2013 KTM 450SXF, but it must have stay in a Holiday Inn Express. There is an inherent ?Hope Gene? in every person that believes that things will get better, that… Read More...
What is it about a project bike that makes the MXA wrecking crew drool like kids in a candy store? Maybe it's the endless possibilities. Perhaps it's the list of trick components that litter the bike. Maybe it's the allure of testing one… Read More...
Q: WHO IS TM AND WHAT IS A BOUTIQUE BUILDER? A: Italy-based TM is a boutique motorcycle builder. Boutique companies are small, intense and passionate manufacturers that build with their hearts instead of their pocket books. Sometimes,… Read More...
Q: FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2012 YZ125 BETTER THAN THE 2011 YZ125? A: No. The 2012 YZ125 might as well have been sub-contracted out to Xerox because it is a carbon copy of the 2011 model, which was the same as the 2010 model. The 2012… Read More...
You don't see TM's tooling around most local tracks. It is rare, exotic, jewel-like and as close to a works bike as any production bike can get. Q: FIRST AND FOREMOST, WHAT IS A TM? A: TM is an Italian boutique brand that was started… Read More...
KTM is excited to announce the release of its first-ever digital brochure highlighting the new 2012 450 S-F Factory Edition motorcycle. The new model which has been showcased by Red Bull/KTM Factory rider, Ryan Dungey, is now on… Read More...
Q: FORGET ALL OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS. IS THE 2012 YZ250F BETTER THAN THE 2011 YZ250F? A: Survey says...yes! Yamaha's engineers must have taken MXA 's 2011 YZ250F test to heart (along with the complaints of thousands of YZ250F owners),… Read More...
WHAT IS IT? The Yoshimura RS-4D uses the same basic design and dimensions as their standard RS-4 system, but with the addition of a unique dual-core muffler design. WHAT'S IT COST? $1045 (titanium with carbon end cap), $1095 (titanium with… Read More...
The MXA wrecking crew started out testing he stock 2012 KTM 300XC. That test is out in the February issue of MXA. It is an alll-encompassing look of the stock bike (but it will cover the basic mods needed to turn the 300XC into an 300SX).… Read More...
Q: FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2012 KTM 125SX BETTER THAN THE 2011 125SX? A: We don?t know, because KTM stopped importing the 125SX to the USA four years ago. Still, we know that KTM has made quantum leaps forward since 2008. Q: WHY IS THE… Read More...
Q: IS THE KTM 150SX STILL THE ONLY KTM TIDDLER SOLD IN THE USA? A: No, the KTM 125SX motocross bike is back for 2012. Three years ago, KTM made the 125SX obsolete by introducing an identical motocross bike with more power?the 144SX. After a… Read More...
Q: WHERE HAS TM BEEN? A: TM's niche in motocross is as an exotic, expensive, boutique brand mixed in among the mega manufacturers. They are like the exotic Italian sports cars of the motocross world. When Americansstarted cinching… Read More...
The plight of the Yamaha YZ125 brings a tear to the eye of every MXA test rider. For 14 out of the last 17 years, the YZ125 has been the best 125cc motocross bike made. Unfortunately, with the advent of the 250cc four-stroke, the YZ125 has… Read More...
As the niche marketing specialist of dirt bike manufacturers, KTM has a wider variety of models than Baskin-Robbins has flavors. However, the model you won?t see at your KTM dealership is a motocross-specific Open class two-stroke. The KTM… Read More...
There are only three reasons why anyone would want to start an expensive and time-consuming AMA National race team. (1) Winning. The thrill of victory. There's no greater feeling than winning. Garnering victories and championships is… Read More...
Mike Alessi's KTM 450SXF was the last of the carbureted Mohicans. The petcock will become a thing of the past on the National circuit and KTM SXFs. When KTM asked MXA if we?d like to test the last carbureted 450cc works bike they… Read More...