2016 Kawasaki’s, Cameras, Crashes and bikes that may or may not exist. Ripping golf courses, some history, some tech and an angry goat, all right here!
Saddleback MX Park from the 70s
Most of you have heard of the famous Saddleback Motorcycle Park or some of you may have even ridden there and/or seen a race or two. The track is what some call the birthplace for American Motocross, located in the hills of Irvine California and it was the heyday of motorcross from the very late 60s to 1984. Here are some clips that were shot on 8mm film for a High School project back in the day. In today’s standards the place might seem like a dusty hard pack track but in the 70s this place was heaven on earth and you could even see the beach on a clear day.
2016 Kawasaki KX Video
Here is a look at the new lighter 2016 450cc Green Machine in action, check out our write up here: Click
Tracks Too Rough at the Pro Motocross Nationals?
Image: KTM
The social media races never know when to make up their minds. One year they say the tracks are too smooth and fast, next year they are cut too deep and dangerous. Well for sure this year they have been thus far very deep and very rutted. None of us mortal men like to ride axle deep ruts, especially when they lead up to a 80 foot blind double while in 4 gear with the throttle pinned. However these guys do it week in and week out during the outdoor season. Even Dungey spoke out on the podium at the Colorado National and commented how rough the tracks have been. It is not easy to prep a track with 65hp 120 series tires moving so much dirt. So should the tracks be smoother and faster or stay rough and with a slower pace, which is safer and who makes that call? Leave us your comments at the bottom of this page.
Total Domination until?
The big news of the week was at round 3 of the Lusas Oil Pro Motocross National. Honda’s Eli Tomac looked like he could sweep the entire series aboard his trusty Geico backed CRF450R after winning the first five motos and leading the sixth, yet, but, wow, crazy and very possible—he crashed and pile drove himself into the dirt. Early reports say he popped his shoulder out and he could be back next week, but we all know how PR and reports go sometimes. Then on Monday the bombshell hit and the team announced ET will be out for the rest of the season and will need surgery for his bad wings, Read the official PR below.
CORONA. Calif. (June 2) — Superstar motocross rider Eli Tomac will miss the rest of the outdoor season following a hard crash Saturday at the Thunder Valley National in Denver that injured both of his shoulders. The GEICO Honda rider had won the first five 450cc class motos of the season and was leading the second race in Denver when he went down on his own in a difficult section of the track.
“Eli was understandably upset when we were talking a little while ago,” team co-owner Jeff Majkrzak said. “Obviously, after the start he’s had, we were all hoping for a championship run. Injuries are an unfortunate part of this sport, and this one is very tough for all of us.”
Majkrzak reports that Tomac’s left shoulder has suffered a 100 percent tear of the rotator cuff, requiring immediate surgery. His right shoulder, which was dislocated in the crash and later put back into place by the Asterisk medical team, will most likely need surgery as well.
Is BMW going back to Baja?
We doubt it, but the wizardry of photoshop in the right hands can stimulate rumors and produce bikes a lot of us would like to have. This GS Boxer based dirt bike has remnants of the HP2 Baja race bike morphed with the new Waterboxer 1200cc engine. Even the exhaust has drawbacks to the BMW Dakar and Baja race bikes of the eighties. With the Scrambler style raging right now and BMW’s success with the nine-T this is a pretty interesting bike that is about as far fetched as BMW being back in the Baja 1000 at a factory level. But we can dream and drool! Here is the link to the story over at MedMagazine, all about BMW’s Click Here And here is another link to a BMW Baja racer from the mid 80s specially built, Click Here
Video War or Vidiots War: Chad Reed says See Ya to the Pro Moto Champs?
“The camera deal is worth more to me to stay at home then to go race the races…” also stating that, “If they don’t see that then, yeah, I’m out…”. This was said over at the Pulp MX show post Thunder Valley. Reed said if he can’t wear the camera of his choice, which also happen to be a new sponsor of his, he will sit out the rest of the outdoor season. GoPro apparently has a strangle hold (paid sponsorship deal) on anyone wearing a video camera on their person during either moto. Riders can run a different camera during practice but not during the race. Reed and a lot of chat board keyboard racers also agree. Regardless of the fact GoPro pays a lot of money for that right, some think that riders should be able to represent their sponsors regardless. Would Monster Energy ever say riders are not allowed to wear or show Red Bull helmets or are racers not allowed to use anything but Lucas Oil? I guess if they paid enough money the answer might be yes, but some racers might not show up. Riders and teams have all known about the GoPro deal for the past season, so is this Reed fuss real or more of a PR stunt to get the word out on the new 360 camera and cause some media stir. Crap, it worked because we are writing about it, way to go Reed, working for those sponsor bucks. Photo: Chad Reed Facebook
When Go Pro owns the Outdoor Nationals we’ll all be watching Rams and Dirt Bikes
How to ride: By Johnny Walker
This video is from late last year at the Erzberg Rodeo and JW makes one of the most challenging races in the world look almost fun. The Vid is a full length of his run so it is a little long but just shows how good of a rider he is and you how little he spins his tire even when the ground is muddy.
Erzberg 2015
And speaking for Erzberg, the 2015 race is right around the corner and you can watch it live on June 7th by clicking on the link, Click Here And below check out the best of the best get offs from the Berg.
Is this Yamaha’s 2016 surprise? YZ300E
This picture has been floating around the internet lately and is rumored to be Yamaha’s new off-road two-stroke. Claims have it as a 300cc with a six-speed wide-ratio transmission and electric starting. All we can say is that we will tell you exactly what Yamaha’s 2016 YZ line will be at exactly 6AM PDT on June 4th (that is this Thursday morning.) Set your alarms and check Fresh Dirt then.
Why, I guess someone let them: With Ronnie Renner
AMA Supermoto Rd2: Road America
Yes the sport is alive and there is a series. Here is a video highlight by Ryan Stephan from the Road America round. Defending series champion Gage McAllister won the main even followed by Eric Stump and former 2-time motocross and one time supermoto title holder Micky Dymond completed the podium
