MXA WEEKEDN NEWS ROUND-UP: “IF I DON’T GET THIRD, COME VISIT ME IN THE HOSPITAL. I DIG CARNATION!”
GENE ROMERO “CELEBRATION OF LIFE” EVENT AT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TRIUMPH THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 22
The life of famed dirt track racer and “On Any Sunday” hero will be celebrated on Saturday, June 22, at Southern California Triumph (the #1 Triumph dealership in the nation). It is located at 515 W. Lambert Road in Brea, California. The event will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. There will be an autograph signing at 1:00 p.m. by many racing legends—including Sammy Tanner, David Aldana, Bubba Shobert and many more! There will be a Burrito Truck serving Gene’s favorite meal, plus guest speakers, live music and a video slide show of Gene Romero’s career and memorabilia.
Fans can purchase a commemorative Gene Romero T-Shirt (above) depicting the Grand National Championship leathers Gene wore in 1970. 100% of the proceeds go to Gene’s family. The T-shirt will be offered for the special price of $20 at the Gene Romero “Celebration of Life” Event. The T-shirts can also be purchased online at www.ascotmotorsports.com.
EVERY 250/450 GRAND PRIX WINNER IN 2019
Tony Cairoli is a in trouble. Tim Gajser has won the last four 450 GPs in a row and has taken over the points lead. Last week Tony dislocated his shoulder and will be skipping this weekend’s German GP.
Date Venue 450 250
Mar. 3……. Argentina……………………….Tony Cairoli…………Jorge Prado
Mar. 24……England………………………….Tony Cairoli…………Thomas Kjer Olsen
Mar. 31……Holland…………………………..Tony Cairoli………..Jorge Prado
Apr. 7……….Trentino, Italy………………..Tim Gajser………….Jorge Prado
May 12…….Lombardia, Italy……………Tony Cairoli………..Jorge Prado
May 19……..Portugal………………………..Tim Gajser………….Jorge Prado
May 26…….France……………………………Tim Gajser………….Jorge Prado
June 9…..…Russia…………………………….Tim Gajser………….Jorge Prado
June 16……Latvia……………………………..Tim Gajser………….Jorge Prado
June 23……Germany
July 7………Palembang, Indo.
July 14……..Semarang, Indo
July 28….…Czech Republic
Aug. 4………Belgium
Aug. 18….…Imola, Italy
Aug. 25….…Sweden
Sept. 8……..Turkey
Sept. 15…..Shanghai, China
Sept. 22…..Hong Kong, China (Canceled)
450 points leader…………..Tim Gajser (Hon)
250 points leader…………..Jorge Prado (KTM)
CURRENT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS
Jeffrey Herlings title defense never got started and when he did finally show up ready to race he broke his ankle in Latvia. He won’t be repeating his 2018 FIM 450 World Championship.
450 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS
(after 9 of 18 rounds)
1. Tim Gajser (Hon)…351
2. Antonio Cairoli (KTM)…338
3. Gautier Paulin (Yam)…231
4. Jeremy Seewer (Yam)…220
5. Arminas Jasikonis (Hus)…212
6. Clement Desalle (Kaw)…208
7. Arnaud Tonus (Yam)…206
8. Julien Lieber (Kaw)…172
9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (Hon)…170
10. Glenn Coldenhoff (KTM)…168
Jorge Prado missed the British GP with an injury, but has won every other 250 GP this season.
250 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS
(after 9 of 18 rounds)
1. Jorge Prado (KTM)…347
2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Hus)…327
3. Jago Geerts (Yam)…257
4. Henry Jacobi (Kaw)…236
5. Tom Vialle (KTM)…216
6. Mitch Evans (Hon)…214
7. Ben Watson (Yam)…210
8. Adam Sterry (Kaw)…169
9. Davy Pootjes (Hus)…157
10. Michele Cervellin (Hon)…132
GETTING OUT IN FRONT OF IT: CHRISTIAN CRAIG ADDRESSES WADA INVESTIGATION
MXA AD OF THE WEEK: “BEFORE EVERY MOTO I LIKE TO TAKE A BIG PUFF”
We are willing to bet two things: (1) Roger regrets doing this advertisement for Visa cigarettes; (2) The money he made from Visa is long gone. There was a Visa-sponsored motocross team at the time and it wasn’t unusual for athletes, including famous cyclist Eddie Merckx, to do ads for cigarette companies. Cigarettes were mainstream in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s and the health issues were as well known. In a way it is no different than modern racers holding up energy drink cans—even though they don’t actually drink the product.
CLASSIC MXA TEST RIDER PHOTO: BEFORE HE WAS A STAR! SUPERMAC & THE INDIAN HEADDRESS HELMET
Jeremy McGrath wears the Troy Lee-painted Indian Headdress helmet—this was before MXA went to orange helmets and Jeremy hit the big time.
Jeremy says, “I got a cover of MXA on this Kawasaki KX250 in 1990. I remember everything about that day. I had a mullet and you can see it sticking out of the back of my helmet. The cover is memorable to most people because I’m wearing that Indian headdress helmet.”
WHO’S WHO IN AMA NATIONAL POINTS HEADING TO JACKSONVILLE ON SATURDAY?
Not only are Eli Tomac and Ken Roczen tied for the 450 points lead, but Zach Osborne and Marvin Musquin are tied for third.
450 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS
(After 4 or 12 rounds)
1. Eli Tomac (Kaw)…176
2. Ken Roczen (Hon)…176
3. Zach Osborne (Hus)…144
4. Marvin Musquin (KTM)…144
5. Jason Anderson (Hus)…139
6. Cooper Webb (KTM)…132
7. Justin Barcia (Yam)…99
8. Blake Baggett (KTM)…92
9. Dean Ferris (Yam)…89
10. Justin Bogle (KTM)…88
Hunter Lawrence has started to climb up the leaderboard. He is 7th in 250 National points.
250 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS
(After 4 or 12 rounds)
1. Adam Cianciarulo (Kaw)…186
2. Justin Cooper (Yam)…160
3. Dylan Ferrandis (Yam)…144
4. Chase Sexton (Hon)…134
5. Colt Nichols (Yam)…126
6. Michael Mosiman (Hus)…112
7. Hunter Lawrence (Hon)…111
8. RJ Hampshire (Hon)…104
9. Alex Martin (Suz)…87
10. Garrett Marchbanks (Kaw)…63
Adam Cianciarulo is four for four. Can he make it five for five in Florida?
Date Venue 450 250
Mar. 18……Hangtown, CA…………………Ken Roczen…………Adam Cianciarulo
May 25…….Pala, CA…………………………..Eli Tomac……………..Adam Cianciarulo
June 1……..Thunder Valley, CO…………Ken Roczen………….Adam Cianciarulo
June 15…….Mt. Morris, PA……………….Eli Tomac……………..Adam Cianciarulo
June 22…….Jacksonville. FL
June 29……..Southwick, MA
July 6………..Red Bud, MI
July 20………Millville, MN
July 27………Washougal, WA
Aug. 10……..Unadilla, NY
Aug. 17……..Budds Creek, MD
Aug. 24……..Crawfordsville, IN
450 points leader………Roczen/Tomac (tie)
550 points leader………Adam Cianciarulo (Kaw)
MXA PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: BLUR OPTICS B-50 MAGNETIC GOGGLE
MXA TEAM TESTED: TWIN AIR ICE FLOW RADIATOR CAP
Twin Air’s Ice Flow radiator cap increases the boiling point of the water in your bike’s radiator by increasing the amount of pressure inside the radiator. The difference between a stock radiator cap and a high-pressure one is dramatic. A motorcycle’s radiator cap is similar to the safety valve found on a chef’s pressure cooker. Since the boiling point of water increases when the water is placed under pressure, a radiator cap has a coil spring situated between two rubber seals. The stiffness of the spring determines how much pressure the water is under. As the water heats up, it expands. This expansion puts pressure on the radiator cap’s spring. When the radiator’s internal pressure exceeds the spring rate of the radiator cap, the hot coolant escapes and overflows between the two rubber seals. But, until the spring’s tension is overcome, the water will not boil.
Without any pressure on it, water will boil at 212 degrees Fahrenheit (at standard temperature and barometric pressure); however, a cooling system that is under 15 pounds of pressure will allow straight water to reach 250 degrees before it boils. For every pound of pressure exerted on the coolant, the static boiling point is raised by 3 degrees.
Most Japanese bikes come with 1.1 kg/mm2 radiator caps, while KTMs and Huskys come with 1.8 kg/mm2 caps. A 1.1 kg/mm2 cap can handle 14.22 psi before the coolant pushes the valve open and steam comes out the overflow. By increasing the radiator cap to 1.8 kg/mm2, the radiator can handle 25.6 psi, while a 2.0 kg/mm2 cap ups the ante to 28.45 pounds. The higher the pressure, the longer the water in your radiator will resist boiling.
Twin Air offers 1.8 radiator caps to replace the stock 1.1 caps on Hondas, Yamahas, Kawasakis and Suzukis. For KTMs and Husqvarnas, which come stock with 1.8 caps, they have a 2.0 cap, which is 176 kPa, 1.96 bar and 28.45 psi.
DIGITS? $24.95 — www.twinair.com or your local dealer.
MXA RATING: Water cools the delicate internals of your expensive engine. If the water boils, you will have an expensive aluminum doorstop on your hands. Luckily, there are simple spring-loaded devices that can stop your bike from puking.
WHAT’S ON THE PLATE: MXA’S 2020 HUSQVARNA FC450
The MXA gang was at Milestone on Wednesday for the first test day on the 2020 Husqvarna FC450. We worked on the all-new suspension settings, optional “American map,” and the new vented airbox cover (it also comes with an enclosed wet weather cover).
THIS WEEK’S BIRTHDAY BOYS: BLOW OUT THE CANDLES FOR JOSH GRANT (33), JEFF WARD (58), MARTY TRIPES (63) & DR. D (56)
June 20…Josh Grant 1986
June 20…Nick Schmidt 1990
June 20…Ken De Dycker 1984
June 20…Chuck Carrothers 1978
June 21…Andy Jones
June 22…Ronnie Faisst 1977
June 22…Jeff Ward 1961
June 23…Tim Cotter
June 23…Travis Baker 1990
June 24…Tucker Hibbert 1994
June 24…Petar Petrov 1984
June 26…Bengt Aberg 1944
June 26…Carl Nunn 1979
June 27…Craig Rood
June 28…Spud Walters
June 29…Ford Dale 1988
June 29…Fred Andrews 1965
June 29…Bob Haro
June 29…Marty Tripes 1956
June 29…Mart Rebeaud 1982
June 30…Doug Dubach 1963
June 30…Roy Janson
June 30…Kurt Caselli 1983
MXA TEAM TESTED: VP RACING T2 PRE-MIXED RACE GAS
T2 is a two-stroke racing fuel that is already pre-mixed with oil. It requires no mixing; just pour and go. T2 is a leaded fuel with a 105-octane rating (R+M/2). This is more than sufficient to provide all modern two-strokes with protection against detonation. T2 vaporizes better, burns cleaner, contains no ethanol and remains stable in a sealed container for up to two years. It should be noted that VP Racing’s T2 is formulated for modern water-cooled two-strokes. If you own an air-cooled two-stroke, please stick with VP’s C12 two-stroke fuel. C12 has a 113-octane rating and is recommended for compression ratios as high as 15:1. It is the go-to gas for ported, milled and air-cooled engines.
Modern pump gas has ethanol in it. Ethanol-blended pump gas can foul carburetors and goes bad after just a few weeks in storage. To address those problems, VP Racing Fuels has introduced T2, which is ethanol-free fuel.
T2 is pre-mixed at a 40:1 ratio with a top-quality, JASO FD-rated, certified premium two-stroke oil. Although VP does not say what two-stroke oil it uses in the T2 mixture, we would bet the pre-mix oil is Maxima and the fuel is VP Racing’s VPR fuel.
Thanks to its oxygen content and high octane rating, T2 produced more power in our KTM 250SX, Husky TC250 and Yamaha YZ250. Although the gains were modest across the board, the engine ran crisper. Pinging under a load was totally eliminated, and throttle response was better. The T2 offered a degree of consistency that pump gas can never guarantee. Consistent performance is especially important for riders on the road to far-away race events where they have to buy gas from strange stations. Although we didn’t have to re-jet for our mildly modified engine, it would be a good idea to carry a one-size-larger main and pilot with you to the track to deal with changing temperature and humidity conditions.
DIGITS? $73.00 in 5-gallon containers — www.vpracingfuels.com or (210) 635-7799.
MXA RATING: The decision to buy race gas for your smoker should be based on whether you want the power increase more than you want the money.
MOTORCYCLES YOU’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE: CAN YOU NAME THIS BRAND OF BIKE?
Believe it or not, this is a Czechoslovakian CZ Type 860 GP model with a 350cc V4 engine. The engine has a double-overhead camshaft, 16 valves, 8-speeds with Dell’Orto SSI carburetors. It produced 63 horsepower at 16,000 rpm. In Grand Prix road racing the Type 860 had several good results. It finished second at the 1971 Czechoslovakian Grand Prix when Bohumil Stasa finished second behind Jarno Saarinen on his 350cc Yamaha. In 1972, the bike almost won the Austrian Grand Prix, but with a few laps to go it suffered mechanical problems. In 1972 CZ quit Grand Prix road racing to concentrate its efforts on motocross..
MXA TEAM TESTED:NITROMOUSSE NITROGEN CHARGED FOAM TUBE
Nitromousses differ from typical offroad mousses used by desert and Baja racers in that the Nitromousse’s tube-shaped elastomer foam is charged with nitrogen instead of air. The nitrogen provides a livelier and more predictable feel than the typical mousse. Most important is that a Nitromousse can never go flat. However, We wish there was an easier way, but expect to sweat, swear and simmer trying to squeeze a mousse into a tire. We used a Kauritmoto TMT3 tire-changing tool, five tire irons and a Bead Buddy. It helps that you can’t pinch the tube during installation, but you can snap the tire’s bead if you get too forceful. We know ISDT riders who can change a mousse in under five minutes—not us. Nitromousse does provide a how-to video on its website.
In the first 30 minutes of riding, the Nitromousse feels like it has 15 pounds in it. Once broken in, it delivers the same feel as a tube with 12 psi in it (this can be confirmed by a squeeze-test comparison against a tire with a tube). Once it gets to 12 psi, it holds that pressure through many motos, but if you want it to feel softer it will eventually get softer the more you ride on it. The lifespan of a Nitromousse depends on how you use it. Run the biggest mousse size that you can squeeze into your tire, because if the mousse is alittle under-size it will get soft quickly.It will certainly last longer than the knobs on a motocross tire in normal racing. We used our rear Nitromousse for three rear tire changes. We estimate that it got down to about 8 psi at the end of the third tire’s knobs (and because it can’t go flat, it actually performed really well at this low pressure).
Compared to a standard-issue offroad mousse, the Nitromousse was a champ. It wasn’t as dead feeling or wallowy as most mousses. But, MXA wasn’t interested in comparing it to another mousse as much as to an air-filled tube. We started with Dunlop MX3S tires—one set with tubes set at 12 psi and one with Nitromousses. In back-to-back tests, we came to these conclusions: (a) If fear of flats is a major concern, you can run the Nitromousses without worrying about washing out or sliding around. They deliver a different feel, but it’s not a deal-breaker. Riders who use moussesall the time, prefer the feel tto that of the tube. (b) The front tire worked best in good dirt where it could be pushed. It was at its worst in off-throttle entrances to turns, where the front tire rolled over when not being pressed against the ground by power. The air-filled, tubed front tire was much better in these situations because you could vary the air pressure to meet the track’s demands. (c) The Nitromousse rear tire was a hit. Although not better than the air-filled tube, it wasn’t far off the mark. Plus, it can never go flat. (d) The phrase most commonly used to refer to mousses is “dead feeling.” Guess what? The Nitromousses do feel dead in the bumps. Every test rider said the same thing: “The tires worked okay, but the tires thud through braking and square-edged bumps. I could feel every thud in my hands and arms.” (e) Would we run them? Nitromousses work best for riders who can’t afford a flat tire. Virtually every FIM Grand Prix rider runs mousses. These racers don’t want to fly all the way to Indonesia only to get a flat tire. AMA National riders will run mousses on rocky tracks, but as a rule, they stick with tubes. The MXA wrecking crew was surprised by how well the Nitromousses performed, but the big draw is their flat-proof capability. Given their druthers, the test riders preferred air-filled tubes.
DIGITS? $124.95 — CONTACT? www.nitromousse.com or (608) 301-6764.
MXA RATING
The Nitromousse is the first mouse that can be used in motocross without having to make too many compromises. It works better as it gets broken in and never has to have the tire pressure checked. The one compromise that you’ll never have to make is nursing a flat tire back to the pits.
2019 MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN MOTOCROSS STARTS ON THIS WEEKEND
For more info go to www.mammothmotocross.com
CAMP REV CHRISTIAN MOTOCROSS CAMP AT SWAN RACEWAY ON JUNE 24-26
For more info or to register Click Here
NEXT OLD SCHOOL SCRAMBLES AT GLEN HELEN ON JUNE 30
For more information, please visit www.OldSchoolScramblesRacing.com
20TH ANNUAL HODAKA DAYS IN ATHENA, OREGON, ON JUNE 27-30, 2019
For more information go to www.hodakadays.org
GREAT PLAINS VINTAGE SERIES ON JUNE 30 AT PLEASANTON
The six-race Great Plains Vintage motocross series moves to Pleasanton in Kearny on June 30. For more info go to www.greatplainsvintagemx.org.
2019 AMA VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE DAYS ON JULY 5-7 AT MID-OHIO
For more information go to www.amavintagemotorcycledays.com
HOW THEY RANK: MXA’S 2019 250 FOUR-STROKE SHOOTOUT
BIG BIKE RATING: MXA’S 2019 450 FOUR-STROKE SHOOTOUT
YOU DO THE MATH! SUBSCRIBE TO MXA & GET A $25 CHAPARRAL GIFT CARD
If you subscribed to Motocross Action, the June 2019 issue of MXA would be in the throne room this week.
If you subscribe to MXA you can get the mag on your iPhone, iPad, Kindle or Android by going to the Apple Store, Amazon or Google Play or in a digital version. Even better you can subscribe to Motocross Action and get a $25 Chaparral gift card to spend on whatever motorcycle parts or products you need. And the awesome print edition will be delivered to your house by a uniformed employee of the U.S. Government. You can call (800) 767-0345 or CLICK HERE or click on the box at the bottom of this page.
2019 RACE SCHEDULE: THE SEASON IS RAPIDLY GETTING OLDER
The 2019 World Vet Championship will be held on November 2-3 (and there will be two practice days leading up the the race days to allow foreign riders to adapt to Glen Helen).
2019 AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
May 18……………………Hangtown, CA
May 25.…………………..Pala, CA
June 1..……………….….Thunder Valley, CO
June 15..…………………Mt. Morris, PA
June 22.………………….Jacksonville, FL
June 29..…………………Southwick, MA
July 6.………………….….Red Bud, MI
July 20.……………………Millville, MN
July 27.……………………Washougal, WA
Aug. 10..………………….Unadilla, NY
Aug. 17..………………….Budds Creek, MD
Aug. 24.…………………..Crawfordsville, IN
2019 FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Mar. 3…………………………… Argentina
Mar. 24……………………………England
Mar. 31……………………………Holland
Apr. 7………………………………Trentino (Italy #1)
May 12…………………………….Lombardia (Italy #2)
May 19…………………….……..Portugal
May 26……………………………France
June 9…………………………….Russia
June 16…………………………..Latvia
June 23…………………………..Germany
July 7……………………………..Palembang (Indonesia #1)
July 14……………………………Semarang (Indonesia #2
July 28……………………………Czech Republic
Aug. 4…………………………….Belgium
Aug. 18…………………………..Imola (Italy #3)
Aug. 25…………………………..Sweden
Sept. 8……………………………Turkey
Sept. 15…………………………..Shanghai, China
Sept. 22…………………………..Hong Kong (Canceled)
2019 WORLD OFF-ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP (WORCS)
Jan. 18-20………………………..Primm, NV
Feb. 1-3……………………………Glen Helen, CA
Mar. 1-3……………………………Lake Havasu, AZ
Mar. 22-24……………………….Peoria, AZ
Apr. 12-14………………………..Las Vegas, NV
Apr. 26-28………………………..Taft, CA
May 24-26……………………….Mesquite, NV
July 30-Aug. 4…………………McCleary, WA
Sept. 13-15……………………..Glen Helen, CA
Oct. 4-6……………………………Milford, CA
Nov. 15-17……………………….Primm, NV
2019 MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN MOTOCROSS
June 21-30……………………….Mammoth Lakes, CA
2019 CANADIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
June 1………………………………Wild Rose, AB
June 8………………………………Blackwater, BC
June 15…………………………….McNabb Valley, MB
July 13……………………………..Gopher Dunes, ON
July 20……………………………..San Del Lee, ON
July 27……………………………..Riverglade, NB
Aug. 3………………………………Deschambault, QC
Aug. 17…………………………….Walton, ON
2019 AMA NATIONAL AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
July 29-Aug. 3………………….Loretta Lynn, TN
2019 BRITISH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Mar. 10……………………………..FatCat
Apr. 14………………………………Lyng
May 5……………………………….Canada Heights
June 2………………………………Blaxhall
June 30…………………………….Desertmartin
July 21……………………………..Hawkstone Park
Aug. 11……………………………..Foxhill
Sept. 15……………………………Landrake
2019 BRITISH APICO TWO-STROKE FESTIVAL
May 25-26……………………….Marshfield MX
Aug. 3-4……………………………Iron Works Moto
Sept. 21-22……………………..Sellindge MX
2019 GERMAN MX MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIP
April 14…………………………….Princely Drehna
June 2………………………………Moggers, Austria
June 30…………………………….Molln
July 21……………………………..Tens
Aug. 11…………………………….Gaildorf
Sept. 1……………………………..Biel
Sept. 15……………………………Wood Gerlingen
2019 AMA VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE DAYS
July 5-7…………………………….Lexington, Ohio
2019 AMA NATIONAL AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
July 29-Aug. 3………………….Loretta Lynn, TN
2019 RYAN VILLOPOTO AMATEUR MOTOCROSS CUP
Aug. 22-25………………………..Grays Harbor, WA
2019 MOTOCROSS DES NATIONS
Sept. 29…………………………….Assen, Holland
2019 MONSTER ENERGY CUP
Oct. 21……………………………..Las Vegas, NV
2019 WORLD VET CHAMPIONSHIP
Nov. 2-3……………………………..Glen Helen, CA
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Photos: MXGP, Jon Ortner, MRC, Ray Archer, Brian Converse, Honda, Daryl Ecklund, MXA
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