TWO-STROKE SPOTLIGHT: MICHAEL FRASER’S 1995 KAWASAKI KX250

Restored 1996 Kawasaki KX250.

“My bike is a 1995 Kawasaki KX250 that I bought for $1500 and restored over the summer of 2016. I completely disassembled the bike and replaced or re-furnished everything from the ground up. I did all the work myself except for the powder coating and the suspension rebuild.”

“The frame and sub-frame were sandblasted and powder coated with Kawasaki color-matched powder. The swingarm was also blasted and powder-coated a gun metal grey color. The front and rear suspension was professionally rebuilt and re-valved by Donny Ellis at Pro-Action Suspension located in Airdrie, Canada.”

This is the model that Mike LaRocco raced in the 1995 Supercross season.

“The engine was rebuilt top and bottom and fitted with an FMF Gold Series pipe and FMF silencer. New radiators and hoses were fitted as well. The graphics, sponsor style decals and seat cover were all from Evo-Mx.com. Front and rear brake calipers and master cylinders were re-built and also fitted with new brake lines and EBC brake pads. All the frame, steering and suspension bearings were replaced with Pivot Works and All Balls Racing bearings.”

New paint, plastics, chain, sprockets, pipe and much more to make this old-dog looking new again. 

Miscellaneous parts:
Pro Taper handle bars with Emig V2 lock on grips and Cycra Racing hand guard deflectors, Hammerhead billet shift lever, Renthal sprockets with D.I.D Gold chain, Boyesen ignition cover, Acerbis plastics.

Editor’s note~Please keep those submissions coming. If you would like your bike to be featured in the “Two-Stroke Spotlight,” please email me at [email protected]. All I ask is that you give a breakdown of your bike and a detailed description of the build. Please also send a few photos of your steed. By submitting your bike for the “Two-Stroke Spotlight,” you agree to release all ownership rights to the images and copy to MXA. Please don’t email me spam or try selling me Taylor Swift concert tickets or email me spam. I already celebrate T-Swizzle’s entire collective, and there will be “bad blood” if you send me junk mail. See what I did there? Happy submitting your smoker.

#WHIPITWEDNESDAY

Rider: Ricky Carmichael
Location: Atlanta Supercross
Date: February 25th, 2017
Photographer: Brian Converse
Camera: Nikon D4
Lens: 300mm f/2.8
Focal length: 300mm
Exposure: 1/1000 sec.
F-stop: 4
ISO: 3200

THEY SAID IT: DAYTONA SUPERCROSS

Jeremy Martin– “Honestly, I was surprised that I qualified so good. These guys are really fast and they’ve had a lot of experience. I just had a good feeling today. That new Honda is an amazing bike. Today was my eighth day on the bike and I’ve really enjoyed it and working with the whole Factory Honda team. The bike’s good. I had 18th gate pick and I was on the outside. I knew I had to do something, so I threw it into the first turn on the outside and I railed the crap out of that berm. Just tried to do my best, but I knew the green machine was coming. To be able to lead, I think it was 10 laps, was just so cool. I have much respect for everyone in the class. I just got a good start and put myself in a good position.”

Cole Seely– “Today was all right. There are some positives to take away but a lot of negatives too so I’m a little bummed. I still finished in the top five so that is good but Dungey edged me out on the last lap with only two turns to go so I was almost fourth, which was unfortunate. I made some big mistakes here and there but also hit some pretty bad lapped traffic. It’s so frustrating that those guys just don’t get out of the way sometimes. I really just want to move forward though. I’ve been in the top five or six the past four rounds, which is great and all, but I want to be up front. It’s that plain and simple. I need to start putting myself in a better position off the start.”

Jordan Smith– “The start really hurt us but I think I was able to show some good speed out there tonight. I feel like if we had one more lap, I may have been able to get onto the podium, but we’re leaving with a solid result after a few weeks of ups and downs. We’ll see if we can get back on the box next week.”

Alex Martin– “I really thought the main event was going to go differently. After the tough start, it was hard for me to really get into a groove. I picked off some people right away but then struggled to get back going. I’d like to take the positive learning experience from the top qualifier and heat win into Indianapolis so we can hopefully get back on the podium.”

Ryan Dungey– “Obviously the start wasn’t what we were looking for but we did our best to climb through the pack. The track was actually really difficult to make a pass on, which ended up costing us time in the beginning. Making passes was a lot easier in the second half of the race because we had some more space to work with. Next week is a new week and we’re looking forward to protecting the points lead and changing up the strategy moving forward.”

TOP FACEBOOK POST OF THE WEEK

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: FLY RACING KINETIC MESH RACEWEAR

Fly’s new Kinetic Mesh racewear. 

When it starts to get hot, it’s time to break out Fly Racing’s Kinetic Mesh Racewear. The superior breathability of the durable mesh-tech panel design allows massive airflow that will keep you cool and comfortable. Available in three distinct styles, the Crux graphic is inspired by low-poly art to achieve a clean tech look, while the Relapse graphic pulls inspiration from hand-drawn concert posters from some of the FLY Racing design department’s favorite bands. The third graphic is the newest version of Fly Racing’s Rockstar mesh racewear and is one of the most ambitious and artistic efforts put forth yet. This gear was inspired by our respect and appreciation for rock and roll legends, old school tattoo styles, and good ol’ days race culture. No matter which graphic you choose, Fly Kinetic Mesh Racewear is designed to keep you cool and comfortable. Available now at Fly Racing dealers nationwide. www.flyracing.com

29 PALMS 3RD ANNUAL MARINE BASE JAMFEST 2017

29 Palms Marine Core base.

By Dennis Stapleton

When I received an email for the 3rd annual 29 Palms Motocross Jamfest event from David Chavez, the President of Pro sports MVP entertainment and promotions, I got excited knowing that I would get to go put on a show for the men and woman of the Marine Core out at the 29 Palms base in the California desert. As I have travelled around the world to different motocross events, its always nice to ridea  special events that has a purpose. My long time friend, Ricky York’s was also joining us to help out with the event. He was in charge of keeping the riders in line for this event as he was on the side lines this year with an injured knee. We all know rounding up 12 dirt bike guys is not that easy, especially when there are strict rules to even come on the base.

The track was made out of deep sand out in the desert. 

As Hawaiian Pro racer Brian Medeiros and I left Lake Elsinore, California, we realized that it was getting late in the day and had to get on the gas so we could get to 29 Palms in time to receive our base pass and make the riders meeting at 6:00 pm. When pulling into the Holiday Inn Express, we had got smoked by the FMX riders as they were the first to arrive. Kenny Bell, Destin Cantrell, and Jimmy Fitzpatrick suggested we should all jam down and get the base passes before all the other riders got in so we could cut the delays. This event was a solo trip as there are not enough passes to bring the whole family, so most of the 12 riders came from all around Southern California and car pooled the few hours drive. After getting cleared to come on base, we went back for pizza and went over the schedule of Saturdays event.

Not only did the Marine’s get live racing, they also got live as well. 

Saturdays Event

On Saturday, we headed out to the track with the warm sun and a low wind, which is a good thing out in the desert for 9:00 am as Californa has had a wet and fairly cold winter. I knew the day would be long with the FMX show and a rock band all doing their thing in the middle of the MX race. When arriving to the track, I saw MX track builders John Steiner and Brandon Patton completing the finishing touches to the track so that it would be ready for the day. Like any event that keeps growing, things only got better. I was impressed at what an amazing job they did on the track. The track was a one minute sand track, kinda like a mini Daytona. The crowd couldn’t get right next to the track with all the rules there was, so there was no need for a long track running way out in the desert where no one can see.

John Jelderda (274) cheers on Dennis Stapleton in one of the head to head races. 

The schedule called for two 10-lap heat races, where they took the top three into from both heats into a head-to-head two lap sprint race. This got quite exciting on a track that looked so easy, saw the riders struggling to hit their lines every lap. The result was some bar banging excitement.  The main event was a 20-lap race and the sand track had become much softer, making the most important part of the race all about the holeshot. Ssand was flying everywhere back behind the leader.

John Jelderda won the 20-lap main for the second year in a row. 

When the green flag flew, my Dunlop MX11 scoop tire would do the trick to get me out front with 12 riders all going in different directions on the first few laps  in an attempt to find a spot out of the roos. At the end of the race, John Jelderda took the win for the second year in a row. I finished runner up for the second year in a row with Jeremy McCool rounding out the top three. It was a fun and we were glad to go out to 29 Palms and put on a motocross show for the Marine Corps.

SUPERCROSS KNOWLEDGE: DAYTONA SUPERCROSS

The start of the first 450 heat first.

By Broc Bridges

1. Eli Tomac now has six victories on his Kawasaki, which is tied with Jeff Emig for sixth on the brands all-time Supercross win list.
2. Eli Tomac has now joined Mike Kiedrowski, Ricky Carmichael, and Ryan Villopoto as Kawasaki riders to win Daytona back-to-back.
3. Adam Cianciarulo earned his 4th career 250 Supercross class victory in Daytona and his first since Detroit of 2014.

Eli Tomac in opening ceremonies in Daytona.

4. With Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo winning Daytona, Kawasaki now has the most brand sweeps in Daytona with five (2007, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2017).
5. Dylan Ferrandis earned his first career podium with a third place finish in the 250 East Class.
6. Jeremy Martin finished second place in his first career 450 Supercross class start. Aboard Ken Roczen’s Factory Honda machine, Martin led half of the race before Tomac over-took the two-time 250 outdoor National champion.

Adan Cianciarulo gets his first win of the season.

7. Jason Anderson put his Husqvarna on the podium in Daytona with a third. It was Husqvarna’s first podium in Daytona since Kent Howerton in 1975. Anderson finished fourth in Daytona last season and was making his 42nd career start. He now has 24 career top five finishes.
8. Ryan Dungey has 115 top five finishes in 127 starts averaging 91 percent.
9. Chad Reed rode to his 196th career top-10 finish with a sixth in Daytona. It was his 11th top-10 finish in his 12 Daytona starts. He has 213 career starts and seven top-10’s on the 2017 season.

Chad Reed is the veteran of the class.

10. Josh Grant made his 76th start in Daytona and earned his fourth top-10 of the season and 41st of his career.
11. Justin Brayton made his 114th start which ties him for 19th on the all-time starts list with Jeff Stanton. Brayton finished ninth for his 87th career top-10.

WHAT THE MXA WRECKING CREW IS UP TO

We shot our KTM 450SXF Powerparts bike in the studio before it hit the dirt.

Dennis Stapleton taking the bike through its paces.

We tested a Yamaha YZ85 that was once neglected. We found it a new home. 

Mini ripper, Eric Burdell, ringing out the YZ85 to see what it can do. 

2017 RACE SCHEDULES: BE THERE OR BE SQUARE

California is the richest race state in the union, with seven major events in 2017. Folks in Michigan should rejoice, as Supercross (Detroit), Arenacross (Grand Rapids) and the Lucas Oil Nationals (Red Bud) visit “The Great Lake State.” And those residing in the Pacific Northwest will be happy hosting a bevy of events, from Supercross to the AMA Nationals.

2017 MONSTER ENERGY SUPERCROSS SERIES

January 7…Angel Stadium…Anaheim, CA (West)
January 14…Petco Park…San Diego, CA (West)
January 21…Angel Stadium…Anaheim, CA (West)
January 28…University of Phoenix…Glendale, AZ (West)
February 4…Alameda Coliseum…Oakland, CA (West)
February 11…AT&T Stadium…Arlington, TX (West)
February 18…U.S. Bank Stadium…Minneapolis, MN (East)
February 25…Georgia Dome…Atlanta, GA (East)
March 4…Rogers Centre…Toronto, Canada (East)
March 11…Daytona Speedway…Daytona, FL (East)
March 18…Lucas Oil Stadium…Indianapolis, IN (East)
March 25…Ford Field…Detroit, MI (East)
April 1…America’s Center…St. Louis, MO (East)
April 8…CenturyLink Field…Seattle, WA (West)
April 22…Rice-Eccles Stadium…Salt Lake City, UT (West)
April 29…MetLife Stadium…East Rutherford, NJ (East)
May 6…Sam Boyd Stadium…Las Vegas, NV (East/West)
*Visit http://www.supercrosslive.com/ to purchase tickets

2017 AMSOIL ARENACROSS SERIES

January 7-8…U.S. Bank Arena…Cincinnati, OH
January 13-15…Van Andel Arena…Grand Rapids, MI
January 20-22…Royal Farms Arena…Baltimore, MD
January 28-29…Bridgestone Arena…Nashville, TN
February 4-5…Freedom Hall…Louisville, KY
February 18-19…Sprint Center…Kansas City, MO
February 24-26…Georgia Dome…Atlanta, GA
March 3-5…Landers Center…Southaven, MS
March 11-12…Smoothie King Center…New Orleans, LA
March 18-19…Moda Center…Portland, OR
March 24-26…Livestock Events Center…Reno, NV
April 1-2…Golden I Center…Sacramento, CA
April 22-23…Denver Coliseum…Denver, CO
May 5-7…Orleans Arena…Las Vegas, NV
*Visit http://www.supercrosslive.com/ to purchase tickets

2017 LUCAS OIL PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

May 20…Hangtown…Sacramento, CA
May 27…Glen Helen…San Bernardino, CA
June 3…Thunder Valley…Lakewood, CO
June 17…High Point…Mount Morris, PA
June 24…Muddy Creek…Blountville, TN
July 1…Red Bud…Buchanan, MI
July 8…Southwick…Southwick, MA
July 22…Spring Creek…Millville, MN
July 29…Washougal…Washougal, WA
August 12…Unadilla…New Berlin, NY
August 19…Budds Creek…Mechanicsville, MD
August 26…Ironman…Crawfordsville, IN
* Visit http://www.promotocross.com/mx/tickets to buy tickets

2017 FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

February 25…Losail…Qatar
March 5…Pangkal Pinang…Indonesia
March 19…Neuquen…Argentina
April 2…Leon…Mexico
April 16…Trentino…Italy
April 23…Valkenswaard…The Netherlands
May 7…Kegums…Latvia
May 21…Teutschenthal…Germany
May 28…Ernee…France
June 11…Orlyonok…Russia
June 25…Maggiora…Italy
July 2…Agueda…Portugal
July 23…Loket…Czech Republic
August 6…Lommel…Belgium
August 13…Frauenfeld…Switzerland
August 20…Uddevalla…Sweden
September 3…Charlotte…USA
September 10…Assen…The Netherlands
September 17…Villars sous Ecot…France