MXA has provided four maps (in the tables included in this article) that we liked during our testing (and we still make changes on a daily basis for different test riders). These maps don?t come with the GYTR Power Tuner. As it comes out of… Read More...
Q: FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2013 KTM 250SX BETTER THAN THE 2012 KTM 250SX? A: Yes, wholeheartedly yes. It is hard to keep track of all of the changes that KTM keeps making to the 250SX two-stroke. But, the changes they made for 2013 are… Read More...
FIRST AND FOREMOST, WHAT IS A TM MX 450FI-ES? A: Don?t you ever wish we could return to the good old days when bikes had names like Elsinore, Cyclone, Super Rat and Green Streak? They were descriptive and didn?t require a college degree in… Read More...
The idea behind a shootout hasn?t changed much since the Earps and Clantons met at the O.K. Corral. The plot is always the same. The antagonists come face to face to settle a grudge, and the winner is determined by who draws the fastest,… Read More...
Q: FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2013 YAMAHA YZ250 BETTER THAN THE 2012 YZ250? A: No. The last true-to-life YZ250 changes came back in 2011 when Yamaha switched to a single global spec. Boiled down to its basics, a 2006 YZ250 is a very close… Read More...
Q: FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2013 KTM 450SXF BETTER THAN THE 2012 450SXF? A: Wholeheartedly yes. Q: WHAT DID KTM CHANGE ON THE 2013 ENGINE FROM THE 2012 MODEL? A: It is much simpler to explain what hasn?t changed between 2012 and 2013. The… Read More...
Q: FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2013 CRF450 BETTER THAN THE 2012 CRF450 ? A: Yes. As an overall package the 2013 Honda CRF450 is significantly better than the 2012 CRF450 (and by proxy the 2009,… Read More...
There is an inherent ?hope gene? in every person that believes 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 it… Read More...
It has been a long and winding road, fraught with peril and surprises around every corner. But, the MXA wrecking crew managed to get through testing the 2013 250 four-strokes with nary a scratch. As for our six bikes, they took the brunt of… Read More...
FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2013 KX450F BETTER THAN THE 2012 KX450F? A: Yes, but only incrementally. Apart from the Kayaba air forks, the 2013 KX450F is a kissin? cousin to the 2011 and 2012 KX450Fs. Q: WHAT DID KAWASAKI CHANGE ON THE 2013… Read More...
By Billy Musgrave I must admit that I inherited MXA 's KTM 250SX project bike by default. I was third in line, but eventually the end user. Jody had started the project originally, but he had other assignments and handed it over to my… Read More...
Perhaps you recall our test of the Cylinder Works big-bore Honda CRF270 we tested in the May issue. To summarize, the bike was a blast. The big-bore kit catered to a wide range of riders, but we felt that it could be improved. Following the… Read More...
The most important thing you should have learned after reading last month's ?MXA 450 Four-Stroke Shootout? is that there is no such thing as the ?every-man bike.? Though the Kawasaki KX450F took top honors, all the bikes in the field have… Read More...
Former factory Yamaga motocrosss race Doug Dubach is known around the industry as ?Mr. Yamaha.? A longtime test rider for the manufacturer, Dubach has been influential in many significant Yamaha motocro ss innovations. Doug's finger is on… Read More...
Q: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A 250MX AND A 300MX? A: Since the TM 250MX and 300MX did not have any identifying marks telling which bike was which, it was impossible to tell them apart. Often we would send a test rider out to try a new… Read More...
Yoshimura's 2013 Honda CRF450 bike test is significant for several reasons. Let us count the ways. (1) The 450 four-stroke with the most updates for 2013, the Honda CRF450 has received considerable attention from consumers and, in turn,… Read More...
When it comes to building or rebuilding a Honda CRF450 , the MXA wrecking crew has several options. First, we could go with OEM-spec engine parts for a freshly rebuilt 450cc engine. This is the most common rebuild, and it breathes new life… Read More...
Would you be surprised if we told you that aside from the top-tier racers on the professional circuit, the most tricked-out bikes on the planet can be found on the starting line of the Over-40 and Over-50 Intermediate classes? It shouldn?t.… Read More...
It's easy to think that Cylinder Works is pandering to cheaters with their line of big-bore engine kits. There is no doubt that cheaters are drawn to what Cylinder Works has to offer, but, in truth, most big-bore engine kits go to riders… Read More...
FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2013 SUZUKI RM-Z450 BETTER THAN THE 2012 RM-Z450? A: Yes and no. First of all, it would be hard not to be, given that the 2012 Suzuki RM-Z450 was really the 2011 RM-Z450 with a red stripe on the seat cover. So,… Read More...
FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2013 RM-Z250 BETTER THAN THE 2012 RM-Z250? A: To be precise, a better question would be ?Is the 2013 RM-Z250 better than the 2011 RM-Z250.? Why? Suzuki didn?t make any major changes to the RM-Z250 in 2012. Aside… Read More...
FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2013 HONDA CRF250 BETTER THAN THE 2012 CRF250? A: Yes. There is, however, a caveat. It is by no means the best CRF250 ever built (we still have fond memories of the carbureted 2009 model), but it's the most… Read More...
Q: IS THE BETTER THAN THE 2012 MODEL? A: Yes, but we?re splitting hairs here. It's nearly identical to last year's bike. If our feet were held to the fire and we were forced to say yea or nay, then Husqvarna did enough miniscule… Read More...
IS THE 2013 YZ250F BETTER THAN THE 2012 YZ250F? A: No! Is it worse? No. The 2013 Yamaha YZ250F is the same bike as last year, aside from the graphics, black handlebars and a white rear fender. It is, much like Dolly the sheep, a clone of… Read More...
FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2013 KX250F BETTER THAN THE 2012 KAWASAKI KX250F? A: Yes! Last year the KX250F romped the competition in the MXA 250 four-stroke shootout. To say that the 2013 model is superior doesn?t bode well for other… Read More...
Q: FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2013 KTM 250SXF BETTER THAN THE 2012 KTM 250SXF? A: It would be hard-pressed not to be, because the 2012 KTM 250SXF was the slowest and heaviest 250 four-stroke made in 2012. Q: WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THE… Read More...
The 2013 model-year season is in full bloom. Everyone has been talking about the 2013 Honda CRF450, but the 2013 CRF250 has been low-key (even though it is joined by the street-legal CRF250L and the electric-start, automatic-clutch CRF110F… Read More...
By John Basher With age comes wisdom, and clarity is not far behind. Not to sound dour, but the race of life will be over for all of us sooner rather than later?which is why, at the ripe old age of 30, I wanted to expand my horizons in… Read More...
From the new frame and the second generation of the polyamide subframe to the new bodywork and new WP closed-cartridge fork with patented four-chamber technology, no stone remains unturned when it comes to the chassis. The new double-cradle… Read More...