MXA TEAM TESTED: MX CHAMP COMPLETE WHEELSET

WHAT IS IT? MX Champ USA’s complete wheelset lets you have your cake and eat it, too. In an effort to break the mold, MX Champ wheels are durable, affordable and come with impressive warranties.  

WHAT’S IT COST? $799.95 (front and rear).

CONTACT? www.mxchampusashop.com or (669) 696-8283.

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with MX Champ USA’s complete wheelset.

(1) Rim. All MX Champ rims are manufactured using aircraft 7050 aluminum with a special three-stage heat-treating process to achieve a T7351 hardness. The 19×2.15 rear rim weighs 3.79 pounds, and it’s designed and manufactured to perform for pros. MX Champ claims its rims are 15 percent stronger than the competition’s, and to back up that claim, the A90 is the only motocross rim in the industry backed with a limited one-year manufacturer’s warranty. If the rim is bent or cracked within one year, they will replace it for free. The MXC rims are available in a 21×1.60 front, and 19×185 and 18×2.15 rear with more sizes coming soon. 

(2) Hub. MX Champ also makes high-quality forged hubs with the same special three-stage heat-treatment process as the rims. The drilling angles in the hub are completed by an advanced, five-axis CNC machine, and they come on three oversized NSK bearings instead of the two-bearing setup that is stock on KTM. The hubs fit OEM brake rotors and sprockets, and they have a five-year warranty. Note: The warranty is only valid if the hub is used with MX Champ’s spokes and rims. 

(3) Spokes. MX Champ also makes its own spokes using ultra-strong T320H stainless steel for the spokes and 7075-T6 billet aluminum for the nipples. The forged spokes have a tensile strength of 16,801 N/m compared to other brands at 11,000–13,000 N/m. Each spoke has an anti-seize treatment to keep the nipple from backing off due to vibration. In addition to coming stock on their complete wheelsets, the MXC spoke kits are also compatible with OEM hubs and wheels. 

(4) Fitment. MX Champ makes wheels for all the major brands. The KTM/Husky/GasGas wheels come with multiple wheel spacers to ensure the wheels fit, no matter what model or year your bike is. Simply swap the wheel spacers and you can use these wheels on multiple bikes. They come with 22mm/26mm front spacers and 20mm, 22mm, and 25mm rear spacers.

Bonus tip: No matter what wheel you’re using, we recommend using new sprocket bolts (with Loctite) whenever you change a sprocket. Broken sprocket bolts can be catastrophic. It’s not necessary every time, but it’s worth it if you can find fresh bolts. 

Josh Mosiman ran MX Champ wheels on his 2024-1/2 KTM 450SXF Factory Edition at the Hangtown National.

(5) Performance. In true MXA race-test fashion, MXA’s Josh Mosiman raced with the MX Champ A90 wheels on our 2024-1/2 KTM 450SXF Factory Edition for 10 weeks consecutively (minus one weekend when he raced Pasha’s bike at the World Two-Stroke Championships). Josh used MX Champ’s wheelset with black rims, black spokes, orange hubs, and orange spoke nipples during the weekends leading up to the Pala and Hangtown AMA Nationals before switching them out for a fresh set (with blue hubs to match the graphics) for the Nationals. Unfortunately, he didn’t ship a set of MX Champ wheels to the Red Bud National where he cased Larocco’s Leap, blew out the rear wheel and broke his collarbone. 

Both sets of wheels held up strong without compromise—no flat spots, no cracks and no issues with spokes or sprocket bolts coming loose. Of course, you should still check your spokes and sprocket bolts regularly, but the MX Champ wheels held up better than the OEM KTM. Of course, they make wheels for Japanese brands too.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? The only complaint was cosmetic. We’d prefer to go without the silver strip on the rims.  

MXA RATING: We were skeptical at first, but the MX Champ wheelsets have held up to their bold marketing claims. They’re affordable and strong. Aftermarket wheels won’t make you ride any faster, but they will make you look cooler and can save you when casing or overshooting a big jump.