On-Track Off-Road 2019 MXGP Special Edition

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NO AGE

222. 33. 86. Numbers, years and Grand Prix wins and they all carry a big red background after Tony Cairoli somehow continues to set the reference point in the premier class of Grand Prix. Last weekend marked his first victory on Argentinean soil for what was the fifth edition of the popular event at Neuquen Photo by Ray Archer

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Cooper Webb’s fifth success of the AMA Supercross season was the first part of a triumphant weekend for Red Bull KTM on two different continents. Check out Steve Matthes’ Blog in this latest issue for a take on the championship leader’s emergence as the main 2019 title contender Photo by KTM/S.Cudby

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IT’S BACK! Photographs like this – of HRC’s Tim Gajser hard on the throttle and gunning from one of Neuquen’s fast banked turns – want to make us rub our hands that FIM World Championship motocross is up and running again. Some of the scenes and action in Argentina were rapid and spectacular.

The sport remains as astonishing as ever, especially trackside where the fans can soak up these kinds of images Photo by Ray Archer

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TSHOT GRAND PRIX OF PATAGONIA-ARGENTINTA NEUQUEN · MARCH 2-3 · Rnd 1 of 19

MXGP winner: Tony Cairoli, KTM MX2 winner: Jorge Prado, KTM

Blog by Adam Wheeler, Photos by Ray Archer

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STILL THE RUNAROUND I could fill half the magazine with superlatives about Tony Cairoli since he rattled the grand prix establishment back in 2004, and funnily enough, the way he launched out of the gate and 28th position at Neuquen on Sunday was like recalling the wiry and electric teenager of that breakthrough season…not the supposed aging and defeated athlete that is now into his 34th year.

The genes Tony inherited from his late parents and his particular strand of determination; damn, they should bottle that shit.

was looking more competitive compared to the last two underwhelming seasons on the works Yamaha.

Jeffrey Herlings was not in Argentina. Cairoli revelled on centre stage in the same way that he went 1-1 in Italy last summer when his Dutch Red Bull KTM teammate was absent and sweating after collarbone surgery.

I’d argue that while Cairoli was magnificent again for just his third win of a season-breaching Grand Prix this decade his protégé Jorge Prado was even more accomplished in MX2.

Going further the speed of the Neuquen circuit was jaw-dropping and the terrain didn’t seem as rough as previous editions of the Grand Prix.

Prior to the fifth fixture to take place at the relatively new site Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Julien Lieber (who proved the new KX450F is not short of starting prowess with both holeshots) admitted “on the sighting lap for the second race on Sunday you are thinking ‘f**k, this is not going to be easy’. Still far from easy – and treacherous if miscalculated for a second (as Febvre will testify) – the Argentine soil was a fast ride.

Worthless speculation perhaps but I believe the form and apparent absence of anxiety that tripped up his 2018 attempt to win this Grand Prix carried Cairoli to success regardless. That worrying gate position added more gravitas to his performances, allowed perhaps an extra percentage of focus or desperation. Cairoli admitted that he risked more than he normally would in the two race starts and while his first moto was prime (taking the lead before the end of the opening lap) he was able to pace himself and deal with Tim Gajser (blunted slightly after his crash on Saturday) and Romain Febvre who

By Adam Wheeler

At the top of the pile for me was the surprise podiumees. Aussie rookie Mitchell Evans will have already alerted teams and brands with that debut MX2 trophy (repeating Prado’s feat from 2016 at Assen) on Hunter Lawrence’s vacant Honda 114 Motorsports machine while Jeremy Van Horebeek’s third place in MXGP was a defiant middle finger to the paddock that turned their back on the Belgian last summer. Honda must have been beaming with two red motorcycles on the podium; one a fettled HRC factory CRF and the other a stock bike that had been set-up for beach racing just three weeks previously. True, JVH was handed the champagne bottle after Febvre’s late highside in the second moto but he’d been fast from the outset at Neuquen.

Watching Jeremy was both entertaining and annoying. A talented rider and a friendly guy, Van Horebeek’s biggest weakness in recent years has been to fine-tune his focus. His best Grand Prix season was in 2014 with twelve podiums and his sole Grand Prix win and came at a time when he was the sole factory Yamaha rider in MXGP and had most of the resources and attention of Michele Rinaldi’s crew at his behest.

With the entry of Romain Febvre in 2015 – and the pressure of having to build on a world championship runner-up position - he started to slip into the position of team #2; a position that didn’t work with his impressive one-year term in KRT in 2013. The nadir was the ill-advised spat with Febvre, then world champion and fight-

ing hard against Gajser, in Germany that lost goodwill at Yamaha and created an awkward divide in the team. There was extra emphasis to deliver results after that episode and the injuries and lack of silverware in 2018 curtailed his factory status.

Fair play to Jeremy for sticking to his principles and refusing to ride-and-risk for a pittance but his situation was a mix of bad timing, some burned bridges and pre-judgement on his character to be a team player – and ultimately – a contender once more.

Will he be able to count on HRC support if the results continue in this vein? It’s hard to tell but with HRC and Honda Motor Europe existing as two separate racing programmes with different budgets, controllers and priorities it would take something special (or an exceptional incident such as rider injury) for crossover to occur.

In the last issue of OTOR I blogged on the importance of the first grand prix of the season.

Red Bull KTM set out their stall right away but I’m keen to see more of Clement Desalle and Gautier Paulin: the former steering the new Kawasaki all the way back from last place to secure fourth overall while the latter made sure of the top five on his first GP back with Yamaha.

The results sheets may seem like a 2018 status quo but the movements and liveliness of these two in particular outside of the podium trio give cause for encouragement.

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FINDING A WAY OFF MAX ANSTI LISTEN TO THE FIRST OTOR MXGP PROTAPER PODCAST OF 2019! CLICK HERE

THE ROUNDABOUT: IE OPENS UP

By Adam Wheeler, Photos by Ray Archer

FEATURE

MAX

Anstie is one of the true characters of the MXGP gate: an original teenage sensation with a deft technical touch both in sand and supercross but no stranger to injury setbacks, inconsistency of decisions as well as results. He’s moved through six teams in Grand Prix since arriving on the scene ten years ago as a fifteen year old and is a complex mix of intensity but also brevity; he’s an entertaining

speaker and talker without inhibitions. He had been closer to genuine greatness, most specifically in 2016 where he was briefly in the frame for the MX2 crown in his final term in the class, and in 2017 where he emerged as the brightest rookie in MXGP and with the 450. And then came the slime of the ’17 Motocross of Nations. Two wins on home soil was an astounding feat: the perfect swirl of performance, expectation, drama and delivery.

Max’s career seemed to follow suit in 2018 when a crash in warm-up for round three in Spain led to a concussion and a gentle slip away from the highs of confidence and acclaim that had been won six months previously.

The two-year stint with Rockstar Energy IceOne Husqvarna ended in a strange and unexpected way, leaving #99 considering his options and even considering a privateer effort in AMA competition. He

“YOU LOOK AT IT AND THINK ‘THERE’S JUST TWO GUYS WINNING EVERYTHING’ BUT IT IS DAMN HARD WHEN YOU ARE IN FIFTH, SIXTH, NINTH, TWELFTH PLACE OR WHEREVER: THEY ARE HOUNDING YOU EVERYWHERE.” I’ll have an opinion about something and they will as well and we come to the middle. We share ideas. It’s not like it’s ‘one way or the highway’. It’s a collaboration, and it’s nice because you feel good about the decisions you make together and move forward with. So I’m very pleased.

I’m lucky that Tim gave me this opportunity after last season where I did not know what I was doing. I didn’t do badly in 2018 – I still had three podiums – but a lot of teams already had their riders

signed-up and there are not many seats. I was caught in that period where people were changing, teams were moving from three riders to two and it was a tough time. It’s a tough sport at this time, especially if you are not dominating races.

So I’m thankful and happy. I’m in a good place.

Even though you’ve been on the scene and at a high level since you were 15-16 do you think you are a slow burner?

Your talent and technique has been there from the beginning but all the other aspects about being a Pro and contender is catching up: you’re getting wiser?

I do feel that. I mean, I’m 25 now and I’ve been in it for a while. I feel like I am learning and growing all the time.

Sometimes I still feel like a kid. You can always say ‘could have/should have/would have’ but could I have been better?

Yes. If I could re-do my career from when I was fifteen then I feel I could have won some championships by now. ButThe glory of hindsight…

That’s right. You cannot do that. It’s a waste of time. But I do feel what I have learnt in that time has been very good for me. At one point I was ‘I wish I had stayed with that team…’ or ‘I wish I had moved there…’ but I’ve come to realise that there has been some sort of ‘positive’ to every decision I’ve made in my life.

MAX ANSTI

Another team chance, maybe a bit more room to figure out what’s right for you. Many people might think: it’s time to deliver. Agree?

Yeah…it is a bit of a shame that people look at it like that.

We spoke with Max for our first I mean even for Tim [Mathys, OTOR MXGP ProTaper Podcast Standing Construct KTM this year – click on this line to Team Principal] he has to able have a listen – but wanted to to have confidence in what he ask a bit more about the highhas, and from my experience light-of-all-career-highlights, his so far the team is very bloody take on why it didn’t work at good. Solid, organised, strucIceOne and where he currently tured and also gives the rider fits into the make-up of MXGP… a 50-50 balance in that work relationship. was thrown a ring by the KTM group management and Standing Construct KTM’s Tim Mathys and is back with the brand that originally signed him to their junior programme in the USA.

FEATURE Matterley Basin in 2017 was something I had worked for and it came together for me on that weekend. OK, it wasn’t a championship but it is still something that not many people will get to do. It was very special. It was like a diamond.

Would you trade those hours of elation for a better championship campaign? Maybe more podiums and a couple of wins? One race can be quite fleeting…

Oh no. That day at Matterley… people can say what they want but I still go for the win all the time and I want a world championship. Realistically, if I were to keep people happy then I’d talk about reaching third in the world because Jeffrey and Tony are on such a good level, but – jeez – if you don’t aim high…There is nothing realistic about winning a world title: it’s a dream. It’s like an Olympic gold medal; it is something that hangs there maybe out of reach forever.

That’s why you have to have belief in yourself. You have to go for it; otherwise you’d have no chance. Who would you rather bet on to win the world championship? Someone that says ‘I hope for a top five or top three’ or someone who says ‘I want that world title’.

Even if you think ‘that’s a tall task…’ who will you bet on?

to do it. But coming back to the original question: I’d keep Matterley. And I’m planning to actually try and repeat that performance in the future in GPs. Matterley was cool.

You’ve won your ‘Cup Final’.

Even the British Grand Prix won’t come close to the Nations on home soil…

Yeah…[thinks] I reckon winning the Monster Cup would be cool! That event and something like a million dollars would feel nice! Seriously though, winning for the fans, the family, everyone that was

there and near a town I was born in: you couldn’t write it any better. I wasn’t expecting it at all and actually went into that weekend with the thought ‘shame it wasn’t next year when I would be really ready…’ I ended up winning and it was unreal and it affected my mindset. I thought ‘hang on: I need to believe and go for it more because this happened and I didn’t do anything different from any other week!’

MAX ANSTIE

The reality is that winning a championship, or a league or a medal is like making a soup of twenty or so ingredients: it’s hard to get it tasting good…

Exactly. But one of those ingredients is the belief that you are going to go for it.

You have to have that. If you start off thinking ‘I’ll go for third’ then you’re missing an ingredient straightaway. It’s not just me thinking this way.

There are a helluva lot of good riders and world champions believing the same thing. You have to be in that mindset

FEATURE

MAX ANSTIE “BEING STABLE WITH EVERYTHING AND HAVING YOUR ROUTINE AND DOING YOUR WORK. SURELY THAT HAS TO BE RIGHT? IT CANNOT BE ABOUT CHANGING EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE AROUND FROM YEAR-TO-YEAR.”

FEATURE

“I WAS THE ONE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN STRONGER BECAUSE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ASSERTIVE ABOUT WHAT I WANTED IN ORDER TO GO RACING. THAT PERIOD TAUGHT ME TO BE MORE PROACTIVE AND CONFIDENT IN MY DECISIONS...”

Leading that event must have put the heartrate and anxiety level through the roof. It couldn’t have been the same as leading the Swiss or Czech Grands Prix…

It was weird. I don’t read a lot of books but I’m quite ‘into’ my sports psychology and the idea of improving myself and I tried to blank everything out and concentrated on hitting my lines and marks. I could feel it. I could feel everyone around me. I remember watching the Nations there in 2006

and seeing Billy Mackenzie holeshot and the crowd went absolutely mental. In the race I was thinking ‘oh, crap, that’s me now’ but once I got over it I worked on making one turn and one section at a time. The only mess-up I had was when I went smoothly through one turn and caught the commentator shouting ‘ALL EYES ARE ON ANSTIE!’ and I dropped into the step-down and for fivesix seconds the pressure just hit me. I slid out and crashed and I thought ‘you idiot’. I had

a gap on Jeffrey and I knew I needed the biggest margin possible. I picked the bike up and that gap had gone. I gritted my teeth and said, “there’s no way I’m losing this, I’ll do whether it takes” and I got

quite a bit to think about with the job ahead?

Erm, not really. I’m just happy I have a bike that I like and I can race. There was a lot of talk about riders not doing this-or-that for ‘x’ amount of money whereas I said to Tim “I understand you have your two riders and I do need to make a living and we’re only here for a certain amount of time before we’re too old but the punches have to be rolled with and I want to race”. I wanted the bike and I have the equipment to do the job. Now I have to focus on the work and prepare as well as I can.

Fast forward. There is pressure enough in what you do but the Standing Construct team have had a disastrous 2018 with injuries. You’ve come into the team last and as their third signing. Is there

best decision of your career with a second year of the contract leading straight into IceOne for MXGP, one of the biggest and most resourceful teams in the paddock. 2017 promised much and finished

Seal off the period with Husqvarna for us. You had that MX2 ride in 2016 and it seemed like you made the

brilliantly and then the story ended a little meekly in ’18.

What’s your take now on that episode?

I still don’t really know why it didn’t work out. 2017 was pretty good. [pauses] I still haven’t really though about how I’d word this in interviews but I will not blame or point fingers or say “it was this-orthat or the team or whatever”.

I was the one that should have been stronger because I should have been more assertive about what I wanted in order to go racing. That period taught me to be more proactive and confident in my decisions and to trust myself. I should have created a clearer line between work and workrelationships. I’m a trusting person and I have learned not to fully open myself up.

If you do that then you have nowhere to move if things are not going well and the blame is being pointed in your direction. I was thinking ‘hang on, I’ve done everything I was told to do’. I was like a little kid and said yes to everything little thing that was asked.

I feel now I have matured. I have a lot of respect for all the people there at IceOne. Antti [Pyrhonen, Team Manager] is a great guy and a good team leader. Tommi, the trainer, is brilliant and taught me a lot.

That experience also taught me that while you think you are not just a ‘number on a bike’ you are in fact just that.

MAX ANSTI

right back to that precision every single lap until the flag.

Joy or relief?

Attainment. It wasn’t like empowerment, more like calm. Like assurance: in that everything I’d done and everything I had in my head proved that I can do it and I did it.

Nothing changed that night.

I went back to the truck and everyone was going mental and my fiancée said ‘you are never super-happy or superdisappointed…always just the same’ but the truth was that I didn’t have anything to think about. I came back and thought ‘there is nothing in that race I would change’.

There was no need to analyse or find fault. I was calm and was just asking everyone what they were doing later!

FEATURE I’ve been with a lot of teams and there are good connections and relationships but then you move, or are moved, on. A year, even two years, is short. I know I need to trust in myself and know what is right and insist on that. I’ve come a long way. People can look from the outside and think what they want to think but I want all my doors to be open for the future. I don’t know where I will be in a few years but I want to be able to speak to IceOne and Husqvarna again. If results come and the deals and interest is there then lets put them on the table. I have a lot of respect for Husky and they have brought me to where I am now. With every team I’ve worked with there has been good and bad. I had the best result ever at Matterley Basin with IceOne and I won’t forget that. I might have made some wrong decisions in 2018 and should have listened to my body when I crashed and hit my head. I should not have ridden so early and trusted myself more to know when was the right time.

I’m sure there will be a helluva lot more learning experiences this year and in the next few so bring them on. I’m going to be the best version of me that I can.

The classic Anstie weakness over the years has been that inconsistency – also wrapped up in starts – and how one moto can be so strong and the other less impressive. Can that be fixed in 2019 or will it take more time?

That’s the million dollar question. I don’t know the answer to that all I can do is focus on my training and what I feel. I will try to execute my starts to put myself in the best position. It is bloody hard, I can tell you. It’s not easy. The guys are quick and fast and I know you look at it and think ‘there’s just two guys winning everything’ but it is damn hard when you are in fifth, sixth, ninth, twelfth place or

It’s like a chunk of gold isn’t it? Max Nagl finds it for half a season in 2015 but it’s quickly heavy and soon gone.

Or maybe the opportunity to lead the championship is like a hot potato: everyone wants one but not everyone can hold it and eat it…

Hot potato! Yeah! I’m not sure.

My consistency or lack of it means I don’t really have the answer. I’d love to know Tony Cairoli’s reply to that question and would be interested to know the secret. An important thing as well is consistency in life. It’s like my story around the Nations and not being too ‘up’ or ‘down’. Being stable with everything and having your routine and doing your work. Surely that has to be right? It cannot be about changing everything in your life around from year-to-year I’m trying to make everything

in my life as smooth, easy and consistent as can be so hopefully that will come in the race. I also think you cannot expect every race to be brilliant…but I will do the best job I can. Preparation. I’ve been in Spain a lot this winter because I want more of myself when it comes to hard-pack tracks. I don’t know what it is about the sand but I find it comes quite easy to me; maybe everyone goes a bit slower, I don’t know! Whereas if I don’t get a good start on hard-pack then I tend to struggle. I’m trying to find the feel and improve, and that’s what every rider is doing.

Hopefully we can get it figured out and get our hands on that magic hot potato.

MAX ANSTIE

wherever: they are hounding you everywhere. We all know that consistency is key to being a title contender or wherever you want to be in the standings and if I want to be up there then I’m gonna have to learn it bloody quick.

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FULLY COMMITTED

Blog by Steve Matthes, Photos by KTM/Cuddy & Monster Energy

ATLANTA SUPERCROSS MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM MARCH 2ND Rnd 9 of 17 450SX winner: Cooper Webb, KTM 250SX East winner: Adam Cianciarulo, Kawasaki

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THE PERIL OF WRITING-OFF...

I said: “I’m not in a situation where I’m ‘the guy’ right now. If anything, you’re the championship contender.

Sure, I want to be there…but right now it’s a situation for me to learn from you - on and off the track - and be the best teammate I can be.”

That was Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb in November of last year on the Pulpmx Show talking about being teammates with a rider he once battled hard with in Marvin Musquin. He had just signed with the KTM guys after two start-and-stop frustrating years at Yamaha in the 450 class and no one thought that Webb was going to be anywhere near a championship player.

Well, after his wire-to-wire win in Atlanta this past weekend, Webb is your points leader by 13 with an incredible five wins this season. The next closest guy, Eli Tomac, has two. Musquin and Honda’s Ken Roczen don’t have one victory yet and Rockstar Energy Husq-

varna’s Jason Anderson, the defending champion, didn’t get one either before he exited the stage with an injury.

You would’ve gotten some seriously good odds from Las Vegas if you had told them that you wanted to bet on this outcome happening in 2019.

“It’s given me a whole new outlook. I really think without that I wouldn’t be as motivated and as driven as I am right now,” Webb said after his win in Atlanta about his two year struggle at Yamaha making him appreciate his position now. “I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason and sometimes you got to go to the low to get to the high. So it’s awesome.

I

just couldn’t ask for a better group of people to be around. Man, I’m just loving it. Obviously the results are great.”

To credit the switch to KTM as a reason for the turnaround means you would be right. The Austrian bike is smaller and seems to fit the diminutive rider better. You want to credit the move to Florida and working with Aldon Baker every day as a reason he is where he is, you’d be right there also.

Maybe you want to say that desperate times make for a desperate rider and that Webb, with three 250 titles to his credit is already a talented rider, just needed the pressure of some failure to make him refocus?

By Steve Matthes

Well, there’s probably a bit of truth in that also.

When I spoke with people last year that were close with Webb they never said he slacked off. There was never the hint that the big dollar contract from Yamaha made the kid feel content. Nope, those close to him told me that he was working hard, he was riding but injuries and unhappiness with the YZ 450-F weren’t a good combination.

PUT THE WORK IN AND EVEN THOUGH CHANGE CAN BE SCARY, SOMETIMES DOING THAT SHOCKS YOUR SYSTEM Then again, by Webb’s own admission, he practiced at a lower intensity than Baker would like and that had to change. He’s got Musquin and Rockstar Husky’s Zach Osborne pushing him every day (not too mention

Anderson before he was injured). All the numbers are coming up for Webb and he’s on his way to his first 450 title in what would be a major upset. The way he’s riding right now is simply amazing.

shootout in Atlanta to extend his lead in the 250SX series.

The season started off rocky for AC but he won his third race in a row and fourth out of sixth to almost have a race lead in the points.

Still, go back to more of Webb in November when he said to Musquin: “You’re a championship contender. I need to get to the point of winning the races first. I’m here to learn.”

It’s taken some time for everything to come together for Cianciarulo, injury after injury held him back from his true potential but he’s always been one of the very best riders in the 250 class, it’s just a matter of staying healthy. And truthfully, there’s been so many stops and starts for the kid (who’s actually a man now) that one would be forgiven for not fully buying into this little run he’s been having.

Quick learner huh? Stay tuned, this remarkable story continues to grow every week. ***

The kid that many sarcastically called “Baby Jesus” when he turned Pro is turning out to be all right you know? Once an amateur rival to Webb, Monster Pro Circuit’s Adam Cianciarulo won his third 250SX East/West

“It’s just the last few years have been frustrating because I’ve left a lot on the table, and most of it is just because I’ve gotten discouraged and really not done my best every time I’m out there,” Cianciarulo said after the race where he ran down

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his teammate Austin Forkner for the win. “There’re no miracles. I’m not doing anything spectacular. I’m just doing my thing. My ability and talent and the level of support I have is good enough for four wins out of six so far. With that being said, double-digit points lead doesn’t mean anything at this point in the season. We have four races left and these guys are super fast, man.”

One change for Cianciarulo is a break from his father and home life in Florida.

Nothing bad happened with him and his family, it’s just natural growth of a boy into a man. He’s not gone back to Florida, his home state and just focused on riding and training with ex-pro Nick Wey in Southern California.

Not something that many top guys want to do these days but for Adam, it’s a huge change for him and it’s working.

“I think the results speak for themselves,” Cianciarulo said about the change. “I’ve won four times this season and I’ve won three times in the last two years. Clearly I’m better. For me it was just about being better with my technique. I moved pretty much right across the street from Nick Wey and he goes to the track with me every day and it’s just as simple as having somebody there holding me accountable for riding the bike correctly. I’ve obviously been kind of squirrelly in the past and I needed to get my technique under control.”

“Instead of just going out there and doing sprints and doing motos, calling it a day and leaving your best out there – it’s not that I’ve ever short-cutted myself, but it’s a difference from having somebody there holding you accountable for how you’re riding the motorcycle.

I’m riding the motorcycle a lot better, so it allows me to go faster easier and it allows me to be safer on the bike. I think I just have more confidence. Three wins in a row – I haven’t been this confident since my rookie year.

So having some confidence really makes a difference.”

For Webb and for Cianciarulo they’re both proving that a rider’s recent run of results can be changed around. Things can go your way if you never give up, put the work in and even though change can be scary, sometimes doing that shocks your system and happens to cause a breakthrough.

But then again the talent and desire has to be there. Those who saw Webb and Cianciarulo as amateurs cannot be surprised by what’s been going on. It’s just taken a little longer than anyone thought.

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YCF

www.ycf-riding.com

French firm YCF are more than just fabricators of cool looking pit-or-mini bikes. The company have worked hard to expand their range of Chinese-fabricated models in the last half a decade (reaching sales of almost 10,000 units per year) and now cater for the smallest whim or learner or fun-loving adult motorcyclist. We’re talking electric starter models for kids as young as 3 all the way up to competitive 125cc motocrossers and Supermoto machines for Kart track use labelled by their ‘Start’, ‘Lite’, ‘Factory’ and ‘Bigy’ names.

We’ve tested YCF bikes in the past and found them to be durable, robust and quick little things at a very reasonable price point. The spares and parts stock hold in France means a swift turnaround and the ease of customisation (sticker sets and coloured accessories) is another big advantage. There is also quite a comprehensive distribution network, so sourcing a YCF machine should not be too much of a chore. Hit one of the images to go to the website and see more tech specs and availability.

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FEATURE

MAKING A FACTORY MXGP BIKE 3 WAYS THAT KAWASAKI RACING TEAM TURN A STOCK MOTORCYCLE INTO A WORKS MXGP ROCKET (AND HOW A NEW GRAND PRIX TEAM GO ABOUT FASHIONING A KTM INTO RACE SPEC)

By Adam Wheeler, Photos by Ray Archer & Elliot Spencer

FEATURE

MXGP

is the prototype playground for manufacturers exploring new ideas and limits for their dirtbike technology (and thus things like engine strengths and limitations that can feed into other powered-vehicles). Aside from strict guidelines on electronics to contain costs – no transmittable data can be sent while on track – the rulebook is flexible to other experimentation and brands and teams can speculate to the capacities of their budgets.

To be able to figure at the level of the FIM World Championship requires some fairly obvious modifications: engine-tuning for power delivery, suspension internals and customisation and weight-saving and ‘beefing-up’ of stock components to handle the rigours of two 30 minute and 2 lap MXGP motos per weekend.

The first round of 2019 in Argentina saw Jeremy Van Horebeek score a podium finish with a largely stock CRF450R and a rider like Tommy Searle obtain a top ten result with a production KX450F engine, so the technology in the start gate is not a million miles apart.

To find out exactly how a ‘factory’ bike is different though we asked KRT Team Manager Francois Lemariey – who oversees the efforts of Clement Desalle and Julien Lieberto explain the set-up transition for MXGP and to talk more about those obvious variations. “It is a long process because our factory bike, even if it looks the same, is quite different to a stock bike,” the Frenchman says.

“Around 90% of it is different to a stock bike,” he reveals. “We are not using many stock parts. Many are custom-made or are a small production part that we modify for some reason. Looking at the details is how you can get the best of what is a specific bike for a specific purpose.”

MAKING A MXGP BIKE

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1. GETTING LIGHT & FIGHTING TIME “A few months ago we received the preproduction bikes from KHI [Kawasaki Heavy Industries] in Japan to have a first look and start to work on the body parts like the fuel tank and sub-frame that take a long time to make because of the carbon.”

“On the other side there is an engine development process made in link with Japan and another engineering company we are working with, so it takes some time and a process. The target was to be ready with a race set-up straight after the 2018 season in order to be able to test with the riders. We like to do the first tests right after the last Grand Prix or races so the riders are still fit and raceready and we can get good feedback.

That also gives us time to react if we need to change a direction of development.”

“We change these components for technical reasons but our main job is to make a competitive bike for MXGP level, which is very high now in terms of competition between manufacturers and riders.

We are working to save weight but then add some weight to improve durability and give more protection to parts: there can be some intense races! We then have to adapt the bike to the rider’s wishes to get the perfect combination between the two. It seems the job we did in advance this year went well because the riders are happy with their new base. We still learn a lot as we get more and more hours on the bike and this helps with reliability: we need to be competitive but we must also finish the races strongly.”

“We have specific lifetime and mileage for every part and it is all logged. Things that need frequent changing might be items like grips and brakepads and other quick-wearing stuff. We like to chart the reliability so we can chase any issue we might have.”

2. HARNESSING THE HORSES “We change the exhaust system and work with Pro Circuit: they are doing a good job and we have a good relationship.

We have a technical manager living over there and who is travelling a lot of the time. Pro Circuit has a strong link with Kawasaki and we are always trying to work on our global brand image. So it’s important to us but the number one priority is performance and with Pro Circuit we are able to use their great experience and they are able to make what we’d like to test. They are flexible and open to test new things. Performance and quality is why we are working with them.”

“In our tests this year both riders went with two different choices for engine set-up. The exhaust changes the engine character and the feeling the rider can have on the bike so it helps to get good power in the right place for them. Julien prefers smoother and more linear power while Clement likes more of a snappy feeling.”

“During the season if we find something that makes an improvement then we’ll change it but it’s also a cost factor for Pro Circuit because it is all titanium material.

That’s why we make the winter tests to find a ‘base’ and then order the parts to be ready for the races. We define a spec and the Pro Circuit fabricate it for the year but we’re still able to be flexible.”

MAKING A MXGP BIKE

“A COMPLETE STOCK PART? THE CHAIN-SLIDER MAYBE! THERE ARE MANY PARTS THAT BEGIN AS STANDARD - BECAUSE THE KAWASAKI BASE IS VERY STRONG - BUT ARE MODIFIED. SO THE BIKE IS WORKED OVER FROM A-Z IN OUR WORKSHOP WITH THE PARTS FROM JAPAN AND OUR SUPPLIERS AND EVERYTHING IS CHECKED AND ASSEMBLED...”

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3. ALL IN THE DETAILS (AND WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER 10%?)

“The wheels are factory with the hubs and DID rims. This is for reliability in racing conditions and to again save some weight. To be honest we never tried the standard wheels in race conditions but an MXGP Pro rider is going at a different speed to almost anybody else, so the impacts on the bike are different compared to a hobby rider on the standard bike.

The wheels are part of a big cycle of transition: everything is linked to make a better racing package.”

“EVERY DETAIL THAT YOU CAN THINK OF WITH THE BIKE IS CHECKED AND REVISED AND CONFIRMED. WE GO WITH A BIG MAGNIFYING GLASS OVER EVERY DETAIL WE CAN...”

“Suspension is Showa factory material.

The triple clamp is XTRIG and they are able to be custom-made so Julien and Clement have a different set-up and specs. Every detail that you can think of with the bike is checked and revised and confirmed. We go with a big magnifying glass over every detail we can. We have different options for the seat, which is usually a weight-saver as well.”

“We use Renthal handlebars and most people know that Clement has a very special handlebar position so we are also working with them to try and benefit their products as well, and that goes for the same with all our partners.

The goal is to get the best out of each product and we’re lucky with the technical partners we have. The bars are based on the standard spec you can order in a shop but, again, we modify it to get it perfectly fitting to the rider’s needs.”

“What’s standard? Not even plastics!

Polisport are our partner there and sometimes we notice small differences with aftermarket brands. Polisport are good for saving some more weight and we know they will fit our Kawasaki 100%.

A complete stock part? The chain-slider maybe! There are many parts that begin as standard - because the Kawasaki base is very strong - but are modified, so the bike is worked over from A-Z in our workshop with the parts from Japan and our suppliers and everything is checked and assembled.”

MAKING A MXGP BIKE

FEATURE

AND WHAT ABOUT A SATELLITE MODEL? Outside of the KTM, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha and TM factory squads how does a satellite team and rider go about sculpting a production machine into something that can fight the prototypes? We asked OTOR’s reliable contact for insight into MXGP – Shaun Simpson (the last privateer to win in the premier class back in 2013) – to explain how the base of the motorcycle that has won the world championship for the last two years can be converted into a Grand Prix tool thanks to his new RFX KTM crew.

“A motocross bike has always been the same for me: it’s essentially an engine in a chassis with a set of handlebars, suspension and a set of wheels. The rider just sits on top of it. The three main parts of it that get tailored to you apart from handlebar offsets, grips and pegs and little things that can only affect the sensitivity of feeling – are the engine, the suspension and the ECU package. These have to be worked on in order to go racing. To give an example: in 2013 when I jumped on a Yamaha we rode it stock for a while and then I had the engine tweaked for better starts and I could ride it how I wanted but I still couldn’t put the motorcycle where I wished on the track. So then we put the WP Suspension in and the results followed the progression.

In 2013 we didn’t follow that with ECU work because it wasn’t as hi-tech then. Five years on it’s quite crucial to have the ECU working for you.”

“The engine on a 450: if you were going to a British Championship you could probably get away with a stock motor. In Grand Prix racing it is that much more important to have the bike tailored to the rider; it needs to get out of the start and work well for you in all conditions whether its rock-hard blue-groove tracks with wheelspin or deep sand where it is all about shifting as much terrain as you can. I tend to start with the standard bike and put some hours into it to properly assess it. The main thing about a standard KTM engine is that it’s absolutely bulletproof in terms of reliability. It will do fifty hours before you even have to do a piston change on it. The thing we have to look at with development is that we keep some level of reliability; we don’t want to tune it to a really high spec where we’re having to do rebuilds every two-five-ten hours.

“What are we looking for? Perhaps just a bit more overall power. I think the standard power output on a KTM 450 SX-F is very usable and very linear. When it comes-in it’s not too strong and not hard-hitting. So we try to increase it all the way through with some tweaks on the internals, piston combinations, valves, camshafts, compression ratios and all the different things you can work with to reorganise the puzzle. We did a lot of testing this winter and we have a package that I’m really happy with. That meant making sure we had 20-30 hours on the practice bike to ensure everything is OK and we know what will work for the GPs before we have to think about a new engine. We just need to see now in MXGP 2019 where we are for starts and on things like long hills and against the other guys.”

MAKING A MXGP BIKE

1) MOTORING ALONG

We also want something that we can replicate into my practice bike so that every machine is the same and there is not so much engine servicing work.”

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“It is one of the most important parts of set-up: the balance of the bike, how it enters the corner and how it goes over the jumps.

Waves sections are a big characteristic of newer tracks these days and if you are too soft then it won’t go through well. It still needs to be hard enough so it can absorb the bumps well but soft and plush enough so you can hit the corners and find traction. You will never find a base setting that is 100% for every track. You’ll always have to give-up a bit of feeling.

It has to be 90% good everywhere and you have to strive for that, then it is just about knowing your bike and when you see a bump in front of you being able to think ‘yep, I can hit that flat-out’.”

2) FINDING THE FEEL

MAKING A MXGP BIKE

“Suspension is a very, very important part in my opinion and goes hand-inhand with the engine because if you cannot put that power into the track….Both elements need to work together and suspension settings can be a bit of a minefield but I’ve always had good results with WP Suspension and we actually use aftermarket cone valve 48mm suspension on the front and the Trax shock on the rear. It is something that anyone can buy but we put our own settings onto it with the expertise of people like my Dad and brother who worked at WP. We have a WP service contract and that’s all part of it.”

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3) DON’T FORGET THE BUZZ “The ECU is a massive part nowadays especially for factory teams with more resources with electronics and telemetry.

Even for a small team like us it is something we work with a lot and we have a couple of different ECUs as well as the KTM standard so we can tweak it to the function of our engine. Things like Dyno work and fuel mapping to make sure the mixture is correct for the way our bike is running and it’s linked to our HGS exhaust and everything is in harmony. Traction control is also important on hardpack so that helps for wheelspin and the same principal applies to the metal gate for the start. We have start maps that reduces the power over the gate. It’s a major part. We try to make sure our bike is running as clean as possible and if there is an elevation changes – like Turkey last year was much higher than we expected – then the air fuel mix and the role of the ECU comes into play. It’s a complex part of the bike and one where we don’t use a stock part.”

“Other variations?

We obviously use race fuel and everyone has their own handlebars, grips and so on but my personal essential requirement is sharp footpegs. The standard ones are good but we use Pro-Pegs which are titanium and razor sharp and a bit larger than standard: a nice, firm place to put your foot down and that goes a long way. There is nothing worse than your feet sliding around when it’s muddy and you cannot use the muscles in your legs when you’re searching for grip.”

“I also change the seat. I’ve used one that it 2cm higher on all of my bikes for the last ten years. It’s something that I feel helps me out with my riding position. I sit a bit higher with my tall bars. If you imagine how many times you sit and stand in a moto then that little higher seat just makes for an easier ride, especially at the end of a race when your legs might be tired. I like a hard foam compound as well as a personal preference and grippy cover, so we have CFX seat covers and they seem to do a great job.”

MAKING A MXGP BIK

PRODUCTS

red bull ktm Unlike the race replica gear KTM’s Red Bull lifestyle collection still bears that distinctive factory team look but with a much more subtle and elegant design. The range encompasses both male and female garments and some accessories such as hats, mugs and sunglasses. The products form part of the heavyweight KTM Powerwear catalogue that not only boasts functional items for riding and training but also for fans of the brands or race teams looking for something more casual. With the popularity of Red Bull KTM teams from Dakar to Supercross to Motocross, Enduro and MotoGP then these clothes are ideal as much away from motorsports venues as they are in sight of a fast motorcycle. Click on an image to sort through the full 2019 offering.

Have a full scope of the KTM PowerWear collection here: www.ktm.com/en/ktmpowerwear

PRODUCTS

KTM Spring is starting to feel closer but that still means a mix of cold weather and showers are to come. If anyone – any KTM riders – are looking to renew their riding kit then taking profit of the company’s strong association with Alpinestars would be timely with the push of their Elemental GTX Tech-Air products. The collection consists of a jacket, pants and gloves with the emphasis on all-weather riding and adventurists. Protection and comfort are the paramount features of the gear with the Alpinestars Tech-Air airbag system (totally independent and based on the rapidfire technology seen in MotoGP) at the heart of the safety tech specs. Abrasion strength and a shield against the elements is provided by the three-layer Gore-Tex ‘membrane’ – as ever the promise is for durability and low weight but also something breathable and waterproof. The pants pay attention to structure around the knees and with adjustable protectors while the gloves have sectors around the fingers and knuckles while guaranteeing a fully waterproof unit. Any KTM dealer will be able to order or display some of the Elemental GTX Tech-Air.

Have a full scope of the KTM PowerWear collection here: www.ktm.com/en/ktmpowerwear

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WE HAD THE TOTAL PLEASURE TO SIT DOWN AND CHAT BIKES WITH KEITH FLINT WHEN HE VISITED THE 2011 DUTCH GRAND PRIX AND WAS STRUCK BY THE AMOUNT OF INTEREST AND ENTHUSIASM HE HAD FOR BIKES AND THE RACING...

RIP.

The charismatic singer regularly pulls on a lid and also gets onto the track thanks to his Visorvision Team Traction Control crew that competes in the Hottrax Endurance series at tracks like Brands Hatch and Mallory Park in the UK. He throws a Suzuki GSXR-1000 Evo spec. onto his knee when he can and boasts a few piece of silverware…

Keith, when did the biking bug bite?

I suppose when I was fourteen or fifteen around the fields on old mopeds or thrown-together dirt-bikes, stuff like that. I have two older brothers and they were into them. From a young age I just wanted to be on something with an engine. When I was sixteen I could get on a moped and passed my test as soon as I could at seventeen. I’ve been on bikes ever since and didn’t actually pass my car test until my early twenties.

I was never a fair-weather biker…two wheels you know? When you are younger its your first bit of freedom. I’ve always loved them.

So going racing was the next step…?

Yeah, in 1998 I was riding John Reynolds [former British Superbike Champion] superbike from the year before. I did a bit of production racing with that. Funnily enough I saw Roger Marshall at the British Superbikes the other day, he was team manager at the time, and I used to go out and practice with those guys; I’ve been very lucky with some great opportunities.

Do you actually get time to ride much with your schedule?

I pretty much get out every day. Go for a blast if I’m taking the dogs for a walk and I’ll go up to the studio on the bike whatever the weather. I do Endurance racing with my team Traction Control and you get a lot of track time and I buzz off those three days at a circuit. It’s awesome.

You talk about the buzz. There is actually quite a spiritual side to it all isn’t there?

That’s a fair point. You have to take enough of your brain out to go fast enough but leave enough of it in to actually have good control over the bike. It is a fine line and there is no other thinking involved. It is just you, the bike and the circuit. It is then just about finding the best line and being committed to every bend. There is something violently elegant or graceful about it. It is a contradictory pursuit.

What’s your take on the motocross?

I made it my mission this year – having been to the Isle of Man TT last year – to see as much racing as possible, whether it be club racing or through to MotoGP. The thing you see in most of the paddocks is just how cool the guys are, very down-to-earth and really passionate about what they do. I’m really impressed with this [Grand Prix in Valkenswaard].

Up until now the only motocross I had seen was local stuff down at our track Wakes Colne in Essex. [former British Championship circuit in east of England] I was really surprised to see this huge event and to see how big the sport actually is. The speed those lads carry across the dirt is amazing and a different level to what I had seen before. You have to respect them and be in awe of their skill and their talent.

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KEITH

Flint took-in the sights and sounds of a busy Dutch motocross Grand Prix on Easter Monday and after checking out the trick bikes in the CLS Kawasaki rig and the works Monster Energy Yamahas found five minutes to sit-down and chat about his riding and racing…

ON TRACK OFF ROAD

‘On-track Off-road’ is a free, bi-weekly publication for the screen focussed on bringing the latest perspectives on events, blogs and some of the very finest photography from the three worlds of the FIM Motocross World Championship, the AMA Motocross and Supercross series’ and MotoGP. ‘On-track Off-road’ will be published online at www.ontrackoffroad.com every other Tuesday. To receive an email notification that a new issue available with a brief description of each edition’s contents simply enter an address in the box provided on the homepage. All email addresses will be kept strictly confidential and only used for purposes connected with OTOR. Adam Wheeler Editor and MXGP/MotoGP correspondent Ray Archer Photographer Steve Matthes AMA MX and SX correspondent Cormac Ryan-Meenan MotoGP Photographer www.cormacgp.com David Emmett MotoGP Blogger Neil Morrison MotoGP Blogger & Feature writer Sienna Wedes MotoGP Blogger Matthew Roberts Blogger Graeme Brown WSB Blogger and Photographer Roland Brown Tester Núria Garcia Cover Design Gabi Álvarez Web developer Hosting FireThumb7 - www.firethumb7.co.uk Thanks to www.mototribu.com PHOTO CREDITS Ray Archer, KTM Cudby, Monster Energy, Elliot Spencer/RFX Cover shot: Monster Energy Wilvo Yamahas at Neuquen by Ray Archer

This publication took a lot of time and effort to put together so please respect it! Nothing in this publication can be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the editorial team. For more information please visit www.ontrackoffroad.com and click ‘Contact us’.