LIKE YOU’VE NEVER READ IT BEFORE
SLIPPERY START TO 2019 THE QUESTION STILL REMAINS
WHO’S NEXT?
WHAT’S IN THE STORY? #1 MX Nationals Round 1 Recap #2 Thor MX Spring Release Product Review #3 Fast 5 - 5 Questions with Latimer, Ravenhorst & Wills #4 Inside Dirt YZ250F Project Bike #5 Who is Michael Murphy? #6 2019 MX Nationals Dirt Action Fantasy
Extreme weather conditions make for the toughest, most brutal first round to date. ROUND 1 - APPIN
RACE RECAP 2019 MX NATIONALS
With over 130mm of rain falling on the Appin circuit, riders and teams alike, were tested to new limits, the weather calling the event short with riders coming together in the decision to only race one moto.
ROUND 1 - APPIN
THOR MX1 2019 MX NATIONALS
In light of the treacherous, gruelling conditions we saw the likes of THOR MX1 winner Todd Waters, the only man on track to be jumping several jumps, and working his way from a first turn crash all the way through the pack to take a first place finish.
CURRENT STANDINGS - THOR MX1 1 47 Todd Waters 35 2 45 Hayden Mellross -3 3 5 Kirk Gibbs -5 4 24 Brett Metcalfe -7 5 14 Jesse Dobson -9 6 58 Justin Rodbell -10 7 188 Tomas Ravenhorst -11 8 4 Luke Clout -12 9 48 Joben Baldwin -13 10 33 Cody Dyce -14
ROUND 1 - APPIN
PIRELLI MX2 2019 MX NATIONALS
Hard charger and consistence Jy Roberts who was fastest qualifier and fastest man on track in the Raceline MX2 class taking out the win.
CURRENT STANDINGS - PIRELLI MX2 1 100 Jy Roberts 35 2 6 Jay Wilson -3 3 1 Wilson Todd -5 4 149 Issac Ferguson -7 5 27 Riley Dukes -9 6 199 Nathan Crawford -10 7 17 Cooper Pozniak -11 8 64 Dylan Wills -12 9 302 Wyatt Chase -13 10 18 Aaron Tanti -14
ROUND 1 - APPIN
MOTUL MXD 2019 MX NATIONALS
New Zealander Maximus Purvis, proved he is a dominate force in the mud after a solid performance walking away from round 1 with the red plate in the Pirelli MXD Class.
CURRENT STANDINGS - MOTUL MXD 1 145 Maximus Purvis 35 2 22 Rhys Budd -3 3 73 Micheal Murphy -5 4 64 Hugh Roache -7 5 84 Caleb Clifton -9 6 121 Liam Walsh -10 7 72 Regan Duffy -11 8 754 Jayce Cosford -12 9 224 Dale Lyons -13 10 111 Liam Andrews -14
Series
promoter
Kevin
Williams
explained the decision to only do one moto. “With the extreme conditions presented to us through out the day, the schedule waschanged several times to try and accommodate. Before I personally went around the pits and spoke to riders and teams, and the decision was made that after each class doing one moto and getting some championship points the day would be called off. It is never a situation you can plan for however in light of the decision we still saw some amazing talent bought to the surface� Finished Williams
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PRODUCT REVIEW
2019 SPRING RELEASE
BY JOE STEVENS
Thanks to the guys at GAS Imports I received a box of the 2019 THOR spring release Prime Pro and Pulse gear sets that you will have seen the likes of Cooper Webb and Marvin Musquin (to name a few) wearing in the AMA Supercross series. Over the last few weeks I’ve been spinning laps at the track to get a feel for what the spring release THOR ranges have to offer the consumer. I did a far more detailed breakdown of the 2019 THOR gear range in a previous article that you can read in Issue 27. But for the spring release I’m going to focus on the RADIAL boot release and my favourite colorways for the gear and how you can combine these to win the all-important “LIT KIT” award at your local track.
I was able to easily drop my ankles or stand up on the balls of my feet when needed without the boots feeling clunky or hindering my movements
RADIAL BOOT
THOR has stepped up in 2019 releasing the RADIAL boots that are a step into the mid to high level boot range for the brand. The radial boot offers a functional race inspired design and I was impressed right away by the short break in time and positive feeling I had right away on the foot pegs. The radial Axis hinge system on the ankle offers great flexibility but not at the cost of safety (lock out systems in place to avoid hyperextension) and this complimented the great feel on the foot pegs as I was able to easily drop my ankles or stand up on the balls
of my feet when needed without the boots feeling clunky or hindering my movements (even from putting them on fresh out of the box). The toe area of the boot (which is a big factor for me in deciding if I like a pair of boots or not) is very low profile and shifting gears was an easy transition without fear of getting my boot caught or having to move my gear shifter 10 times to make shifting with new boots work (we have all been there). The buckle locking system is smooth and precise and with only three buckles you don’t have to spend all morning doing up your boots before you go ride. I have yet to have a buckle get stuck even in muddy gritty conditions so that’s a massive plus point for me because there is nothing worse than cold hands and stuck boot buckles. A mesh liner on the interior finishes the boots functional design keeping your feet breathing well and at a low temperature. True to size my street shoe size was a perfect match for the boots.
WHITE
BLACK
BLACK/RED
ORANGE/YELLOW
As per the usual mantra with THOR products the price point is very affordable for the level of product they offer and at RRP these boots will only set you back...
$399.95 RRP That sits at half price or more to the “premium� level boot brands and in my opinion you are not compromising very much or at all in regards to function, fit and safety features in the RADIAL boots.
PRIME PRO APOLLO Black/Mint
If you are new to the THOR gear ranges see Issue 27 to read a more detailed breakdown of the Prime pro range. Prime pro is the top end “athletic cut” range for the brand and they have really killed it with this black/mint colourway. I’m not always a fan of the solid jerseys mix matching with lighter pants however this one blends in perfectly and can literally look amazing on any bike manufacturer colourway.
Webb on orange looks great, Plessinger on Blue and Yamaha looks like they were made for each other and as you can see from my images riding a Kawasaki it looks very impressive also!
Maintaining all the same great features the Prime Pro range offers with superior comfort, ease in mobility while riding and an athletic cut fit that doesn’t hug too tight while being super lightweight on a riders body. Add in the rebound black/mint gloves and you are good to go.
LIT KIT TIP #1 Match the PRIME PRO APOLLO – Black/Mint set with a BLACK set of Radial Boots and black helmet to really kill it on your Instagram likes.
PULSE FACTOR A c i d / Te a l
If you are new to the THOR gear ranges see Issue 27 to read a more detailed breakdown of the Prime pro range. The PULSE range is more of a traditional fit and function gear set from the THOR brand but carries some of the great assets over from the Prime Pro range, delivering at a more affordable price point and more durable gear set life span. This gear set is BRIGHT and you need to be prepared for this when you first put on this gear set and catch a glimpse of yourself. But
this has so many bonuses on track as far as visibility for both your mechanic, support crew and other riders. Not to mention you’ll stand out like Marvin Musquin at A1 when you rock this gear set at the local track on a Saturday morning. Keeping with the PULSE ranges great features this set offers great ventilation in the jersey (not to the point of being an issue in winter) moisture wicking fabric technology in the jerseys and a ratchet and Velcro side hip strap combo to ensure the pants sit snug and don’t slip even on the biggest seat bounce or huck a buck. Throw in the Agile Acid Gloves to complete the kit.
LIT KIT TIP #2 Combine the PULSE FACTOR acid/ Teal set with a aqua or teal set of goggles and black radial boots to complete the look!!
PULSE AIR Red/ White
Keeping in theme with the PULSE range this is THOR’s fully ventilated pants and jersey option for a hot summer’s day racing/riding. Offering all the same great features as the traditional PULSE range, the AIR set offers additional ventilation to the arms and torso of the jersey along with the front and back of the pants. I was super impressed with how much air flow this gear set offered me while riding on a hot summers day and this gear set will be a massive asset to those riders living in the North of the country where heat and humidity is a factor all year around.
Although I wouldn’t recommend wearing this in winter, having this PULSE AIR set in your gear bag as an option for a hot day at the track is a smart move.
LIT KIT TIP #3 Match the PULSE AIR – Red/White with the white Radial boots and DRAFT red/white gloves to complete the white on white with red look!
FA S T F I V E I N T E R V I E W F R O M S O M E O F M X N ’ S TO P R I D E R S
R I C K Y L AT I M E R What is your biggest career highlight? Biggest career highlight would have to be Horsham 2017 when I went 5-3 for 4 o/a just shy of the podium. being my highest ever finish in a national race and hope to get more results like it in the coming races Why did you start racing? I was brought up in a very Motorsport based family and cause u can start Mx at such a young age we started it and were hooked Who do you look up to? My chilled hood hero was Ricky Carmichael his true grit and determination to be the best was unreal but these days Justin Brayton for his humble approach toward racing and his underdog background is something to be inspired by.
If you weren’t racing, what would you do? If I wasn’t racing dirt bikes I’d find something with an engine to race, I couldn’t just sit at home on my weekend haha What’s the most important part of your training program? Cardio is the biggest part of my training program I’m someone who likes to finish a race as physically strong as I start.
FA S T F I V E I N T E R V I E W F R O M S O M E O F M X N ’ S TO P R I D E R S
T O M A S R AV E N H O R S T What is your biggest career highlight? I wouldn’t really pin point a certain moment to be my biggest career highlight. I’ve won an international event in China. I achieved multiple podiums in the U19 SX Championship. Achieving a a Top 5 at the AusX Open was pretty big for me. Most recently competing in the AMA Supercross also. Why did you start racing? For me I was quite a good football player, but I hated the fact of putting in 100% and looking over at a team mate who is sitting on the ground picking Daisy’s. That’s a big part of why I love motocross / supercross. When you succeed it’s all you and when you fail you’ve got no one to blame but yourself.
Who do you look up to? I wouldn’t say I really look up to many people and I don’t say that with any disrespect. I just have a big amount of respect for anyone who is willing to do almost anything to pursue there dreams. If you weren’t racing, what would you do? I would have played football or basketball for sure. What’s the most important part of your training program? The most important part for me is trying to find a healthy balance of riding and enough training which includes gym, cycling, running etc. Whilst working a full time job it’s pretty easy to run yourself into the ground both mentally and physically. So finding a balance is the most important aspect of my program.
FA S T F I V E I N T E R V I E W F R O M S O M E O F M X N ’ S TO P R I D E R S
DY L A N W I L L S What is your biggest career highlight? Passing all the fast MX2 guys at Ranch MX national and going on to win the Overall Why did you start racing? I started racing because I fell in love with the sport when I was introduced to it in 2000 when I was 4 years old. Who do you look up to? Ricky Carmichael for sure, that was my guy when I was growing up, I used to love watching him race and although I hated when he’d get beat I loved the way he would bounce back.
If you weren’t racing, what would you do? If you follow my Instagram I think it’s pretty easy to know what I’d be doing if I wasn’t racing MX, I’d definitely be trying my hand at cycling. What’s the most important part of your training program? Obviously riding my MX bike is very important to my training program, but as far as off bike training, definitely cycling, I would say that that is the most important part of my training purely because I love it, it’s easy for me to get out and go and ride my Giant.
THE BEST DEALS ON PRO CIRCUIT EXHAUSTS. CONTACT RACELINE PERFORMANCE TODAY!
Engine
IMPORTER & DISTRIBUTOR
Suspension
Service
+ Spare Parts
For 2019 Inside Dirt has the use of a 2019 Yamaha Yz250f as our project bike thanks to Yamaha Australia. By now just about everyone (unless you have been living under a rock) will have seen the glowing reviews of this bike in the shoot outs all over the world. With finetuned improvements on an already solid package, this new generation 2019 YZ250f has improvements through the motor / chassis and most importantly a very positive improvement to how these changes land on the track. Just ask Jay Wilson, a member of the Yamalube Yamaha racing team here in Australia who took possession of the 2019 a few days before the final round of the 2018 MX Nationals at Coolum and won a moto on essentially a stock bike with some suspension work. Oh and he’s the 2018 Austraian Supercross champion now too.. Yep, the bike is THAT good.
This article is not another bike review but instead a new series we are debuting in 2019 where we modify this 2019 YZ250f project bike with aftermarket parts appropriate to a riders level out on the race track. With this new format we hope to help you with getting the right equipment on the right bike to help improve your riding experience on the track and speed at the races. These “stages” of the project bike build will be of the following format:
STAGE 1 - CLUBMAN STAGE 2 - ADVANCED STAGE 3 - EXPERT STAGE 4 - PRO
Stage 1 - Clubman Bike Build Let’s get started with the clubman bike build. This stage entails rolling your freshy in stock form off the showroom floor and preparing for your first few outings at the track. A “Clubman” build for me is an initial set up of a bike for the rider to find comfort and get up to speed on the track. All rather basic stuff to start off with setting the rider sag, feeling out the clickers settings on the suspension and where they have been set from the OEM (I’m on the heavier side at 85kg for a 250f so I have to go harder on everything right away) and then it’s on to the controls. We took possession of the NEKEN SFS triple clamps and I knew right away these would be a perfect fit for the initial build of the project bike . The Neken SFS triple clamp is a system features a Hydraulic and pneumatic shock absorbing canister in the bottom of the handlebar clamp. To break it down this very unique system is basically a triple clamp/handlebar mount combo that features additional suspension for your handlebar / controls point of contact with the bike in the form of aluminium air canisters under the handlebar mounts.
All this technical stuff is nice but what does that mean out on the track? Well, with a simple high pressure pump (similar to what you would use on air forks) you can adjust the air pressures for the shock absorption under the handlebars just like you would your suspension. The higher you go with the air pressures the harder the feeling through the bars go’s ending up with a very “stock” feeling front end at the highest pressures. This is a good way to start out for the sake of comparison as once you start to drop the psi’s down to a lower level is when you start to notice the magic happening.
The key features I noticed with this product was far less vibration coming through my front end, less aggressive chatter and feedback from the front wheel / bars and a far more accurate feeling front end for turning and charging straight line ruts due to a calmer and more responsive front end. It is really quite noticeable the more aggressive you charge down hills or through jump landing transitions that this system really comes into its own. I’m struggling a little to describe the feeling of control and confidence you gain at high intensity through rougher sections because it really is so unique to this product however that “feeling� is what we as riders are always chasing and this set up certainly helped me jump on a new bike and have a confident and attacking feel within a few laps.
The NEKEN SFS system comes in two packages that being AIR and SPRING. The AIR version featured in this article retails at $1290 and if you’re looking for a more budget conscious version we also tested the SPRING version of the product that has all the positive traits of the air system for a cheaper price at $859. Neken products can be ordered via GAS IMPORTS through your local dealer. Check back in the next issue of Inside Dirt where we will be adding more after-market parts and services to the bike build for the “Advanced” level of rider.
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WHO IS
MICHAEL MURPHY?
1 2 1
M X D
The surprise package of Micheal Murphy competing in the MXD class, had a stand out weekend in some of the toughest conditions we have ever seen, at Round 1 of the Pirelli MX Nationals in Appin NSW, two weeks ago finishing in a solid third overall.
How old are you? I am 17 years old.
When did you start racing? Think I started racing at the age of 9 on a KX 65, and loved it straight away.
What’s your top 3 career highlights? My main one at the moment would have to be the third place at Appin, my second one would be last year winning all my races except for I think it was 4 or 5 races, then my last one would have to be 2016 finishing second in the Victorian titles against Bailey Malkiewicz.
What do you enjoy most about racing? Definately the competitive side of it I enjoy a lot.
What off bike training do you do? I mountain bike ride a lot at trails and things that get your adrenaline rushing, and I have a spin bike that I use a fair bit.
How many times a week do you ride? I’m lucky to ride once during the week as both my parents work but usually and riding both days on the weekend.
Before you went into round 1 at Appin what were your expectations? My expectations were to finish in the top 10, i was very surprised with the 3rd overall.
What are your hopes for the rest of the series? I’m hoping to finish top 5 but I’ll be happy with a top 10 since it’s my first year racing all the nationals .
Whether you’re a stats wizard perfecting your betting technique, or just looking to one-up your mates, Dirt Action’s 2019 MX Nationals Fantasy is the place to do it. For the first time ever, we are providing another platform for you to engage and add interest to the country’s premier motocross racing series! Sign up to create your profile and choose a nickname to easily identify yourself on the leader board. Get selecting for a chance at round prizes, and fight for season points so you can secure an overall season prize.
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