Fast Trakt Issue 2

yz250 WE BUILD THE ULTIMATE TWO STROKE

legends speak leisk, gall, dack, grabham, roberts, ballard, byrne, carrol

TYE SIMMONDS TAkes flight!

moss bros absence speculation grows

ferris goes back to back THE CDR RIDER closes in on gibbs

MOTOR MOUTH

gear bag

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1: LIMITED EDITION KEN ROCZEN SECA FLEXAIR GEAR JERSEY - 25% lighter than standard jersey • 4% Lycra blend, allows for stretch with rider movement • TruDri fabric keeps rider’s body temperature balanced • Targeted ventilation PANTS • 4-way stretch, TruMotion chassis • Durable & lightweight • TruMotion fabric has the highest abrasion durability test rating of any stretch pant in motocross • Targeted ventilation to keep rider cool

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2: Force Accessories Billet Radiator Guard

4: LEATHERMAN SIGNAL

- Available in Blue - Fits 2008-2016 KTM/Husqvarna/Husaberg - RRP $249.00 - Available from https://forceaccessories.com.au/

* 19-piece multi-tool offering versatility for all situations * Includes emergency whistle, fire starter, hammer & blade sharpener * Multiple levels of practicability * Tool list includes needle-nose pliers, regular pliers, replaceable wire cutters, wire stripper, combo knife saw, thread loop, can opener, bottle opener, bit driver, carabineer, box wrench * RRP: $285

3: Enduro Sump/Exhaust Guard YZ250/YZ250X - Offering all the same features as the standard sump guards - Side skirts to help protect the lower frame rails - Includes critical engine components such as the water pump, ignition cover and clutch components - Full coverage protection to the lower side of your YZ250/YZ250X two strokes exhaust pipe

MOTOR MOUTH

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5: HEAT DEMON GRIP WARMERS * Extend the riding season * No external resistor or other parts needed to install * 3-position (off, high, low) metal toggle switch or surface-mounted plastic rocker switch * 2-stage heat settings * Draws 3A (36W) in high position * Easy to install

6: STATES MX HYDRATION SYSTEM The States MX Hydration System is a 2L drink system ideal for those long days riding.

Hydration is a key element in managing fatigue

and general health.

It also has plenty of storage space for the trail rider. The pack comes standard with a chest strap and waist strap for personal fitment. The hose and mouth piece has a shut off valve to prevent leaks.

A fully waterproof rain cover is strategically fitted in the base of the pack and can be accessed by zipping open the compartment and placing the elastic-edged cover over the complete bag.

Padding and venting are also standard features in the area in contact with the rider’s back for added comfort. A range of spare parts is available for the States MX Hydration System

including new mouthpieces, 2L bladders and bladder caps. * $54.95

7. Acerbis Impact Helmet -Ultra lightweight shell -Premium strength -Two different shell sizes (XS-S-M) and (L-XL-XXL) -Double-D ring closure -Interior is washable, hypoallergenic and breathable -Adjustable visor -10 ventilation ports for extra air intake - ECE 22 05 approved - $329.95

MOTOR MOUTH

Roczen and J-Mart Reign at Spring Creek

THE PAIR WERE STANDOUT RIDERS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CLASSES.

BY HAYDEN GREGORY

Ken Roczen returned to the winners circle in the 450 class, sweeping both motos in another dominant performance. In the first moto, Tomac and Roczen quickly separated themselves from the pack before embarking on a battle out front. Tomac defended several attempts from Roczen before the German finally made a pass stick.

Once in front Roczen kicked into another gear, pushing forward to claim his eleventh win of the season ahead of Tomac and Marvin Musquin in third.

The second moto played out similar to the first with Roczen finding the lead early before checking out on the field. Musquin finished 28 seconds behind Roczen in second while Tomac fought back from a poor start to claim third.

The double moto victory hands Roczen his sixth clean sweep of the season for a total of 13 wins from 16 motos.

"Today was tough as we were faced with a few challenges throughout the day, including a bent shifter during the second moto," said Roczen.

"Fortunately I was able to grab clean shifts in order to make sure that I did not take the chance of losing points. Overall I'm happy to walk away with another win, but I need to go home and improve my starts so we can get out front a little sooner."

A 3-2 result by Musquin placed him second for the round, the best result of his rookie career.

"I love this track and I'm really happy that I was able to put together two strong motos," said Musquin. "All I need to do is keep getting good starts and I know that I am capable of finishing inside of the top three each race.

Eli [Tomac] and Ken [Roczen] are very strong right now, but I think we are slowly improving and getting closer to them."

Eli Tomac scored third after finishing on equal points with Musquin.

Roczen now leads the championship 55 points ahead of Tomac while Musquin is nearly a hundred points further back in third.

In 250 racing, Jeremy Martin broke through for his first round victory of the season. The opening moto saw the Martin brothers hit any early 1-2 with Cooper Webb and Joey Savatgy hot on their tails. Alex Martin held the lead as Webb rounded up his brother and continued to push forward.

A small crash with three laps to race then gifted Webb the lead with Alex remounting in third place. Webb would go on to take out the race ahead of Jeremy in second and Alex third.

In moto two, Alex Martin scored his second holeshot of the day followed by brother Jeremy and Adam Cianciarulo. Alex once again lost control of his bike on the opening lap, losing a number of positions while Cianciarulo moved into the lead. By lap three Jeremy Martin controlled the race as 450 Class Championship Standings

250 Class Championship Standings

1 Ken Roczen, Suzuki - 387 2 Eli Tomac, Kawasaki - 332 3 Marvin Musquin, KTM - 243 4 Justin Barcia, Yamaha - 215 5 Christophe Pourcel, Husqy - 202 6 Broc Tickle, Suzuki - 171 7 Cole Seely, Honda - 151 8 Justin Brayton, KTM - 144 9 Justin Bogle, Honda - 136 10 Ryan Dungey, KTM - 131

1 Cooper Webb, Yamaha - 337 2 Jeremy Martin, Yamaha - 299 3 Joey Savatgy, Kawasaki - 287 4 Alex Martin, Yamaha - 270 5 Zach Osborne, Husqvarna - 237 6 Austin Forkner, Kawasaki - 221 7 Aaron Plessinger, Yamaha - 217 8 Arnaud Tonus, Kawasaki - 163 9 RJ Hampshire, Honda - 153 10 Adam Cianciarulo, Kawasaki - 150

Savatgy and Zach Osborne also made their way past Cianciarulo.

Savatgy then also made a mistake dropping to fifth, while Cooper Webb shot through the field. Webb moved into third before then making easy work of Osborne for second.

Jeremy Martin remained unchallenged claiming moto two victory and round honours in the process.

"Anytime you are able to win your hometown race in front of family and friends is a special moment," said Jeremy Martin. "The last couple of weekends we have been able to turn things around and improve the bike, along with my health. I believe we are in a good position, but we need to start gaining some points on Cooper [Webb] so that we can take this championship down to the wire."

Webb maintained his championship lead in second place after finishing on equal points with J Mart. Alex Martin rounded out the Spring Creek podium in third.

"I'm happy to leave with a moto win today and maintain our points lead in the championship," said Webb. "The goal for me is always to win, but I knew Alex and Jeremy would be strong today and I'm happy to have been battling with them for the win."

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will continue next weekend for the ninth round in Washougal, Washington.

Beaton Fights for MX2 Championship

JED BEATON HAS TAKEN VICTORY IN CONONDALE FOR ROUND SEVEN OF THE 2016 MOTUL MX NATIONALS.

By Hayden Gregory

Ferris Goes Back to Back in Conondale The CDR Yamaha rider has closed the gap between championship leader Kirk Gibbs and himself.

By Hayden Gregory Round seven of the 2016 Motul MX Nationals headed north to Queensland and it was Dean Ferris taking early points with victory in the GoPro Superpole event.

In moto one, Dylan Long got the pick of the starts before Todd Waters and Dean Ferris quickly assumed the top two positions. The leading duo began to check out on the field and set up a bar to bar battle for the lead. In chase, Kade Mosig, Kirk Gibbs and Dylan Long commenced a battle of their own for the minor positions.

Out in front Waters held a comfortable gap over Ferris and was able to hold on for moto victory. The race for third would come right down to the final few turns with Gibbs making a few late attempts to pass Mosig, however the Kawasaki rider would just manage to find the finish line first.

Jay Wilson scored the holeshot in moto two before the top three championship contenders, Ferris, Waters and Gibbs all moved into the race lead. In a dramatic opening lap Waters found himself crashing into the dirt, recovering in fourteenth place, all but dashing his chances of round victory.

Mosig pushed up into third place with Ferris and Gibbs well and truly battling for vital championship points. By the halfway stage Waters had miraculously pulled back into fourth place with an amazing charge through the pack.

As the chequered flag waved, Ferris was able to claim race victory just ahead of Gibbs. Ride of the day undoubtedly

went to Waters who was able to clinch third place late from Mosig despite a huge early crash.

A 2-1 scorecard handed round seven victory to Ferris, closing the championship gap to just 6 points between Kirk Gibbs and himself.

“I’m really happy to get another round win,” Ferris explained. “It was one of those rounds where it could have gone either way because of the conditions. I’m usually pretty comfortable in the mud, but so are Todd and Kirk,” Ferris shared.

“Two wins in a row is a good start to the second half of the season for me.

After that round at Wanneroo, I’ve just wanted to lay a solid foundation and I feel like we’re doing that.

“I’ve got six points to make up on Gibbs now, and compared to where we were two rounds ago that gap was pretty big, being down 27 points. But we’ve bounced back, and that’s what CDR Yamaha is all about.”

Waters earned second place for the round after a hard fought second moto saw him finish the day 1-3 while KTM’s Gibbs landed third (3-2).

Thor MX1 Championship Standings 1) Kirk Gibbs – 470 points 2) Dean Ferris – 464 points 3) Todd Waters – 455 points 4) Kade Mosig – 381 points 5) Matt Moss – 381 points 6) Dylan Long – 359 points 7) Jay Wilson – 296 points 8) Jacob Wright – 291 points 9) Michael Menchi– 265 points 10) Daniel Banks – 253 points

Serco Yamaha’s Wilson Todd recorded the fastest lap in qualifying before Raceline Pirelli KTM’s Dylan Wills secured the first MXStore holeshot of the day.

By lap two Wills had lost his lead to Nathan Crawford while Kale Makeham was also benefiting from a good start in third. Championship contenders Jed Beaton and Caleb Ward were deep back in the pack in ninth and 12th places respectively.

With less than ten minutes left in the moto, Beaton began to work his way forward making up four spaces in quick time to find himself in fifth. Crawford continued to assert his dominance out in front stretching a 24 second lead to Wills.

In the final few laps Beaton continued to press forward, moving into third place, before then also catching Wills for second. In a disappointing end Wills then crashed from his bike losing his podium position and dropping back to ninth. In a similar move through the pack, Caleb Ward had also made easy work of the other riders to climb into third place and salvage some vital championship points.

In moto two, Wills claimed his second holeshot of the day before Beaton moved into the race lead just a few turns later. Jayden Rykers pushed into second place while Wills held onto third ahead of Todd, Crawford and Ward.

Beaton soon began to check out on the field looking the favourite for round victory.

The longer the race went the more comfortable he looked and as the chequered flag waved, Beaton proved too strong for the other riders.

Rykers impressed for second place while Wilson Todd won the battle for third.

Beaton secured round seven victory ahead of Crawford and Rykers moving within seven points of the championship lead.

“Today was a good day. I really want this championship, and like I said, I’m going to do everything I can to get it. I’ve been working really hard with Ross (Beaton) over the past two weeks, and it’s paid off today,” Beaton said.

“I was confident coming in to the weekend. Conondale is my favourite track so it didn’t really matter what the conditions were like, I’d hoped that I would go well, and even with having so much rain and the track forming up the way it did, I knew we could do it.

“I got a bad start in the first race, but I managed to fight back and take second, then to take the win in the last race was awesome. We came here with a goal, and it all came together so I couldn’t be happier.”

With three rounds left to race the battle for the MX2 championship remains hotly contested with the top six riders separated by just 20 points.

Motul MX2 Championship Standings 1) Nathan Crawford – 447 points 2) Jed Beaton – 440 points 3) Caleb Ward – 431 points 4) Jayden Rykers – 393 points 5) Wilson Todd – 354 points

6) Dylan Wills – 334 points 7) Hamish Harwood – 309 points 8) Joel Wightman – 299 points 9) Kyle Webster – 296 points 10) Dean Porter – 291 points

MOTOR MOUTH

MXGP 2017 PROVISIONAL CALENDAR A PROVISIONAL CALENDAR HAS BEEN RELEASED FOR THE 2017 SERIES. The FIM Motocross World Championship will next year host 19 rounds including a few new venues such as Pangkal Pinang in Indonesia and Baldasserona, San Marino. Following a one year hiatus the GP of Uddevalla will return as will a shift back to the French site of Ernée.

The full calendar can be seen below:

JEFFREY HERLINGS BREAKS HIS COLLARBONE

Rd1 – 25 February – Losail, Qatar Rd2 – 5 March – Pangkal Pinang, Indonesia Rd3 – 19 March – Neuquen, Patagonia/Argentina Rd4 – 26 March – Leon, Mexico Rd5 – 9 April – TBA, Italy Rd6 – 23 April – Valkenswaard, Europe Rd7 – 7 May – Latvia, Kegums Rd8 – 14 May – TBA, Germany Rd9 – 28 May – Ernee, France Rd10 – 4 June – Matterley Basin, Great Britain

THE MX2 RIDER SUFFERED A NASTY CRASH AT THE DUTCH MASTERS LEAVING HIS CHAMPIONSHIP HOPES IN JEOPARDY. Words Hayden Gregory Flying high in the MX2 World Championship, no rider has matched the pure speed and riding ability of Jeffrey Herlings this year. Through 12 rounds, the Red Bull KTM rider has won an astonishing 23 of 24 motos.

Attempting to race at the Dutch Masters, Herlings has crashed from his bike resulting in a broken collarbone and the need for immediate surgery with plating. At this stage the extent of the injury is unknown and we are unsure how much racing Jeffrey is set to miss.

Fellow MX2 contender Pauls Jonass was one of the first riders to see Herlings post race.

“I didn’t see the crash,” Jonass said. “Because he pulled away quickly and I didn’t see him on the track, I saw him going into the pit area and I knew it wasn’t that

good, because Jeffrey is tough and when he usually crashes he continues. I spoke to him a little after the finish, because he went early to check up with the doctors.

He was positive and said it wasn’t a big deal. I think he will be back soon.”

With six rounds left to race he currently leads Jeremy Seewer by 169 points meaning a return by season’s end should still see Herlings capture his third world title.

This is the third straight year that injury has jeopardised a certain world title for the Dutchman after fracturing his femur in 2014 at a charity event before breaking his collarbone and dislocating his hip last season.

The typical recovery period for a broken collarbone is 4-6 weeks so it will be unlikely to see Herlings line up on July 24 at Loket for the MXGP of Czech Republic.

JASIKONIS NAMED AS TOWNLEY’S REPLACEMENT Arminas Jasikonis is a name you may not yet know, but the Lithuanian born youngster is touted for big things on the race scene.

Earlier this week Ben Townley was ruled out for the rest of the season with severe internal injuries and the Suzuki team was on the lookout for a replacement rider.

Team Suzuki General Manager

Stefan Everts thought Jasikonis was the perfect fit reaching out to give him a factory ride in a world championship series.

“I’m happy to be able to give a young rider the chance to join a team at MXGP level. I’m looking forward to experience what Arminas can do,” he said.

YZ250 WE BUILD THE ULTIMATE TWO STROKE

LEGENDS SPEAK LEISK, GALL, DACK, GRABHAM, ROBERTS, BALLARD, BYRNE, CARROL

TYE SIMMONDS TAKES FLIGHT!

MOSS BROS ABSENCE SPECULATION GROWS

FERRIS GOES BACK TO BACK THE CDR RIDER CLOSES IN ON GIBBS

NEWS

TRAIL NOTES

t rolled into u a n r e g g ju The KTM as heavy e c a r t r e s e d the Hattah utright win o e h t r o f s e it f a vo u r

KATO HAMMERS

HATTAH F resh from its Finke success, the KTM juggernaut rolled into the Hattah desert race as heavy favourites for the outright win. Although Toby Price wasn’t part of the team, having already left to take on his Rally duties, both Tye Simmonds and Daniel Sanders saddled up on those deserteating 500EXCs, making for a tough line-up to beat.

Hattah takes place just outside of Mildura, Victoria, and is most likely the largest motorcycle race in terms of competitors in the country. It’s been running for 15 years and continues to grow. The race is over eight laps or four hours (whichever happens first) of the 38km loop, which is predominantly deep sand and this year was particularly sadistic.

It was a tight battle between Simmonds and Sanders from the outset, with the two exchanging the lead around 10 times in the mid to closing stages. “It was on all day with Chucky,” said Simmonds. “I had a bit of a game plan and by the fourth lap I realised it wasn’t going to work. I wanted to try to outrun him and get out of there, but we probably swapped for the lead eight to 10 times over two laps.

The first time he passed me he was screaming his head off. I sort of got a bit of a kick out of that; it was funny!”

Sanders, who has been riding in career-best form in the last 12 months, said, “I got the win at Prologue and it was good to take off first. Tye blew past me a couple of minutes in and I sat on him for a couple of laps. As soon as the lappers

came into play on the third lap, we passed each other about 10 times — it was sick. I had good fun with him. It was pretty funny; he’d get screwed up by a lapper and I’d come past him, giggling. Then on the fourth lap, he had a big moment and just saved it and then I hit the same thing after him and cartwheeled and lost him. I still had a bent front end on the fifth and sixth laps and I couldn’t get my head around it, but I pulled the gap down in the last two laps and got down to 12 seconds, so it was sort of my fault I lost it.

But that’s racing, and it was a good experience and good fun out there.”

It’s pretty amazing to think they were laughing and having fun because the track this year was brutal and Simmonds’ hands at the end of the race looked like he’d fended off a pit bull for four hours.

The first 450 in and third overall was Beau Ralston on a Yamaha WR450F. Ralston had just come off a somewhat disappointing Finke to fall short in Hattah to only two of the many 500s in the field. “This is one of the hardest races to do as you just go wide open for four hours,” he said. “It’s like a big sand-based motocross track so there is no relaxing out there and by the last couple of laps, the track is rough and the sand is deep and is really hard work, but the reward is worth it in the end. I like racing here.”

Just off the podium, veteran rider Glenn Kearney jumped back on a Husky FE501 (he’s been on a 250F all year) and put in a bolter for fourth place. GK’s pretty awesome to watch at Hattah.

OFFROAD ADVANTAGE

If you’re a fan of racing in Australia, consider this for a moment: about 650 entrants took on the weekend in Mildura. That’s just a few weeks after 420 took on Finke. Toby Price’s story ended up on 60 Minutes in between and on the weekend of Hattah, SBS’s Speedweek showed a special on Finke — that’s national television. Well over 20,000 spectators (official numbers from Finke alone were 20,000) watched all of this live and obviously a lot more watched it on national TV. This is offroad, not motocross where a full grid of 40 in the 450 class is a deceased species. Both Hattah and Finke had huge scrutineering events (Ian Moss played at Finke) that brought each of the towns together with the teams, bikes and riders and allowed fans to get to know them all better and make a real connection.

Add to that the fact that the Australian offroad ISDE representative teams are the champions in every single class, while the number of Aussiebased riders that have made an AMA Supercross main in the last 10 years

is a slim, single-digit number at best — not to mention where we finish in the MXoN without Reed or Metcalfe.

This isn’t about bashing motocross, it’s about giving credit where it’s due and too often overlooked.

Our offroad guys and girls are world class and the events they’re competing in are beyond the scope of anything else on the domestic racing calendar. We might be biased — this magazine is called Australian TRAILRIDER after all — but numbers don’t lie. Offroad/enduro/desert racing is huge in Australia and it ain’t playing second fiddle to anything else anymore.

HATTAH DESERT RACE TOP 10 1. Tye Simmonds — 4:06:28.673 2. Daniel Sanders — 4:06:41.133 3. Beau Ralston — 4:17:11.530 4. Glenn Kearney — 4:23:45.385 5. Peter Boyle — 4:30:50.831 6. Lachlan Stanford — 4:30:58.926 7. Jacob Smith — 4:33:58.024 8. Daymon Stokie — 4:34:24.055 9. Lyndon Snodgrass — 4:34:47.048 10. Jack Simpson — 4:36:02.155

NEWS

TRAIL NOTES

SPECULATION GROWS ABOUT MOSS BROS ABSENCE Speculation about the reasons for the absence of brothers Matt and Jake Moss from the Conondale round of the Motocross Nationals has been running rife over the last 24 hours. Before the round Matt Moss released a statement on social media stating he wouldn’t be riding for ‘personal reasons’ while there was no word from Jake. It’s highly unusual for two Factory team riders to miss a round with very little explanation, but for two from the same team to miss a round it’s almost unheard of. That said, there has been no reason to doubt genuine motives as both Matt and Jake are known as fierce competitors who would need something pretty serious to hold them back from racing.

The main point of the speculation stems around a compulsory ASADA (Australian Sports Anti Doping Authority) drug test carried out on four riders from three teams at the Murray Bridge round. It’s heavily rumoured that two riders are in trouble while one refused the test only to change his mind when the penalties for doing so where made clear. While this is all conjecture at this stage, Kawasaki released this brief statement today: “Kawasaki Motors Australia can confirm Matt Moss and Jake Moss were absent from the Conondale round of the 2016 MX Nationals on Sunday, 17 July, due to sporting disciplinary circumstances still currently under investigation. Further information will be released in due course.”

There is no explanation on what the disciplinary circumstances are and given nobody can point to an on-track incident, which is made all the more unlikely given they ride in different classes, the conjecture that the Moss brothers have fallen afoul of ASADA is growing beyond any concrete evidence being submitted. It would certainly be a blow to the sport let alone two great careers (with bans of up to four years within ASADA’s powers) should the speculation be true but again, beyond silence and semi-cryptic messages there is no further proof that any rider has been caught with an illegal substance in their system.

There is also no explanation as to who is dispensing the disciplinary action. It’s a reasonable assumption that this can only come from Motorcycling Australia, who are yet to reply to our question on the matter.

PHILLIPS HOLDS ENDUROGP LEAD DESPITE DNF On the opening day of competition Phillips steered his Sherco 300 SEF-R into second place behind Christophe Nambotin. The result eased pressure on the Australian and provided him with some comfortable breathing room at the top of championship standings.

On day two however, mechanical issues literally put a spanner in the works with the Australian forced to retire from the round.

“It was a real shame to have my first DNF of the season,” said Phillips after the race. “I felt really storing this weekend. I’m so happy with the bike and team package but I’m still 18 points in front so looking forward to another good race in France. It’s such a pity as I was in a really good position but that’s how it goes. On to the next one.”

The mishap was a huge hit to the team and has somewhat now tightened up the championship with one weekend left to race.

Phillips still holds an 18 point lead in the E2 division and a 15 point lead in the outright.

“The eyes of enduro racing enthusiasts around the world were focussed on Matt Phillips last night,” explained Sherco Australia’s Stephen Tuff. “After carding more good championship points on Saturday, Matt was edging closer to sealing the deal for Sherco. His DNF last night would be tough to take but Matt is so positive. He just accepted it and is already looking forward to the final weekend of GP racing in France. He’s a tough competitor with unwavering character. No doubt he’ll come out all guns blazing in France.”

The final round of the EnduroGP World Championship will take place in France on September 10 and 11, where hopefully Phillips can stand on top of the box as deserving World Champion.

Championship points E2 1. Matthew Phillips 234 Australia – Sherco 2. Mathias Bellino 216 France 3. Loic Larrieu 198 France Enduro GP 1. Matthew Phillips 2. Steve Holcombe 3. Eero Remes

198 Australia – Sherco 183 UK 181 Finland

YZ250 WE BUILD THE ULTIMATE TWO STROKE

LEGENDS SPEAK LEISK, GALL, DACK, GRABHAM, ROBERTS, BALLARD, BYRNE, CARROL

TYE SIMMONDS TAKES FLIGHT!

MOSS BROS ABSENCE SPECULATION GROWS

FERRIS GOES BACK TO BACK THE CDR RIDER CLOSES IN ON GIBBS

DA BUILD: YZ250

POLISPORT PLASTICS Polisport helped us achieve the look we wanted, supplying black fork protectors, a blue front numberplate and blue side panels for the YZ. They are high-quality and great-fitting aftermarket plastics.

T

his is a little project I’ve thrown around in the DA office for years but for whatever reasons had just never made happen.

Earlier this year I rode a YZ250 after not having done so for a while. It instantly got me excited to fire up this idea and make it happen.

We started with a brand spanking new 2016 Yamaha YZ250 and then I went about choosing parts that I felt were premium products to bring together an ultimate build of sorts. To me this is an ultimate build-up that’s within reason: parts that add to the performance, look and feel of the bike without spending another $10K on top of the initial purchase.

I raced plenty of YZ125s and 250s through the

2000s and also spent a good chunk of time in the US through that era and have always felt the Factory YZs of 2004 and ’05 were damn cool-looking bikes.

That’s the look I wanted to base this bike on: really corporate and clean looking, the look that factory bikes had before outside sponsors were required to top up budgets.

I didn’t want a whole heap of coloured anodised alloy parts, just a dash of carbon fibre, titanium and the odd speck of GYTR blue. The works Pro Circuit pipe and silencer not only increase performance but add a look that can’t be matched with any other product. The R304 Shorty silencer is a work of art, manufactured using a combination of carbon fibre

and titanium; it doesn’t get any better. I changed out some white plastic for blue and black, switched to a plain black gripper and made the majority of sponsor logos white.

Overall, I think the bike has come up pretty damn sweet and it should be just as damn sweet to ride.

We’ll bring you that feature in the next issue but, for now, here’s a rundown of everything we’ve done to this YZ so far.

ODI CFT HANDLEBARS I chose to fit ODI CFT McGrath Bend handlebars, a high-quality product and a very comfortable bend. The Controlled Flex Technology takes some of the harshness out of what usually transfers into your hands. It works via a telescopic cross bar that allows some movement.

MOTOKIT GRAPHICS Motokit are the ones responsible for getting the look just the way we wanted and providing us with the full kit to make it happen.

ODI EMIG V2 LOCK ON GRIPS Emig V2 lock-on grips by ODI were my choice here. The lock-on system is hard to beat and the grip’s half-waffle design and soft compound are great to ride with. If you haven’t tried the lock-on system, give it a shot — no more grip glue or wiring.

ARC PERCH AND LEVERS An ARC clutch perch and both brake and clutch lever add a premium touch to the controls. Both levers are folding, so the chance of breaking one in a crash is much less. The clutch perch has a very-nice-to-use easy-adjust wheel and also comes with a nylon sleeve to allow it to rotate in the event of a crash. The finish on the perch is of the highest quality, right down to the tie-wire detail.

PRO CIRCUIT WORKS PIPE Additional performance from this product along with, as the name suggests, a real works look.

FEATURE: LEGENDS

legends Some of the greatest Aussie racers share their memories and thoughts D ASTORY MIEN on their epic careers

&

PHOTOGRAPHY ASHENHURST

CRAIG DACK

If you had to give up all your wins (titles or races) but two, which two would you keep and why?

My race in 1986 Motocross des Nations in Maggiora, Italy, when I finished second in class and fourth outright: David Bailey P1 500cc, Rick Johnson P2 250cc, David Thorpe P3 500cc then me — and I almost passed him on the last lap. And my first Mr Motocross title, 1986, as that’s all riders wanted to win back in the day and it set my career.

Can you name two rivals that got into your head?

I didn’t really have that feeling but two of the toughest riders on track were Jim Ellis in MX and Jim Holly back in the indoor SX days.

Was there a track that you believe you had nailed throughout your career?

I was pretty good around Manjimup in comparison

to other rides at the time. It’s a really physical track, a lot of rocks that smash into your body. Half the track is sand and half red dirt with lots of ball-bearing-size rocks. I won that four times and you really knew you’d raced at the end of the day, that’s for sure.

Was there a track that gave you nightmares?

A track in New South Wales called Dargle. I broke my femur there two times on the same jump in separate crashes.

Which one of your race bikes was the standout?

My 1992 YZ250 had a lot of special parts on it and I still have the bike now.

Is there a race that didn’t go well and haunts you to this day?

A round of Mr Motocross in 1987 at Broadford. It rained all day and I just couldn’t get it together; in fact I pulled out of the last moto out of frustration, which I’ve never done before. Was very down on myself.

Do you believe your era was the best for racing?

My era saw the Mr Motocross slowly die but indoor SX go crazy. I became rather popular with the mainstream general public because we had lots of TV and we were filling houses almost three nights in a row. It really captured the general public and put our sport on the map to even a larger audience than the Mr Motocross era, so my era had its impact, that’s for sure, but I don’t know what defines the best.

If you could give your younger self advice about racing, what would it be?

Enjoy the journey more, not just the result. Most people that know me know I can take life a little too serious sometimes so, looking back, it would’ve been nicer if I’d embraced the situations I was in, places I saw, people I met etc. It may have lengthened my career by putting a little more enjoyment into it, not just 24/7 hard work.

A round of Mr MX in 1987 at Broadford, it rained all day and I just couldn’t get it together – DACK

MICHAEL BYRNE

If you had to give up all your wins (titles or races) but two, which two would you keep and why?

I’d have to say my ’98 Australian 125 MX Championship: I had to win just about every moto more or less after a DNF early in the series. I managed to claw back the points and win the championship. The other would be my 2000 Thumper Nats championship on the XR 650. I was injured right before the series started and I was riding an XR 650, which was a long way from a motocross race bike. We got the bike working as well as we could and then I guess I got comfortable on it. It was pretty cool to win on that thing.

Can you name two rivals that got into your head?

Not really; I had rivals but no one that really messed with me.

Was there a track that you believe you had nailed throughout your career?

It would have to be Unadilla; I always felt pretty comfortable there and had solid results. It’s the closest to a natural-terrain track that we raced so I guess all the years of racing Thumper Nats must have helped.

Was there a track that gave you nightmares?

I always struggled at Hangtown.

Which one of your race bikes was the standout?

It would have to be my 2009 Factory Suzuki RMZ 450.

Is there a race that didn’t go well and haunts you to this day?

Unadilla 2012. I was leading the 450 moto and broke my leg about 20 minutes in. I didn’t even crash, which makes it a little more frustrating.

Do you believe your era was the best for racing?

I think it was a pretty good era of racing from a competitor point of view both in Oz and in the US. I raced with the likes of Reed, McFarlane in Australia and then McGrath, Carmichael, Stewart, Reed, Tedesco, Langston, Larocco, Windham, Tortelli, Vuillemin, Villopoto and more. It’s actually pretty cool when I look back at that. It was also not a bad time financially for the industry, especially in my earlier years racing in the US. I probably got two or three years of when the sport was really strong; then the money started to drop off as it headed into the GFC period.

If you could give your younger self advice about racing, what would it be?

Don’t sweat the small stuff and believe in yourself a little more.

AJ ROBERTS

If you had to give up all your wins (titles or races) but two, which two would you keep and why?

I’ve had a similar discussion with my wife; I have trophies from when I was a kid and I won’t get rid of them. I think when you work so hard to achieve your goals that each trophy is just a reminder of all your stepping stones in life that hopefully build into a successful career. So no, I wouldn’t give any up! But I’m most proud of my A4DE result in 2006 racing against Shane Watts and Juha Salminen (first 450 class, second outright to Juha) and the other would be my first AORC championship outright in 2005.

Can you name two rivals that got into your head?

None, but Josh Strang was by far my hardest rival to race against over a full season.

Was there a track that you believe you had nailed throughout your career?

That’s a tough question for enduro. We never really hit the same track twice; they always change.

Was there a track that gave you nightmares?

Anything with loose rocks.

Which one of your race bikes was the standout?

I raced a YZ300 once and it was crazy good — never a dull moment.

Is there a race that didn’t go well and haunts you to this day?

No haunting.

Do you believe your era was the best for racing?

I believe my era was a turning point for Australian enduro racing and I’m proud to still be a part of that evolution.

If you could give your younger self advice about racing, what would it be?

Don’t wait for anyone; always make the most of opportunities.

“Your first big wins are always your best” – Ballard

GEOFF BALLARD

If you had to give up all your wins (titles or races) but two, which two would you keep and why?

MY first ISDE Gold in 1981 and first USA title in 84.

I reckon your first big wins are always your best and most memorable!

Can you name two rivals that got into your head?

Ed Lojak from the USA and Phil Lovett.

Was there a track that you believe you had nailed throughout your career?

The old Katoomba MX track Was there a track that gave you nightmares?

A race in the USA called the Blackwater 100. It was a bike and body wrecker!

Which one of your race bikes was the standout?

The Maico 490 1981 is my favourite all timer.

Is there a race that didn’t go well and haunts you to this day?

It was at a Six Day in Czechoslovakia in 1982 when I got a nail in my tyre and got three flats before I discovered it.

Do you believe your era was the best for racing?

The 70s and 80s era was amazing but maybe the 50s and 60s was even better from talking to the older guys! You certainly had to be a bit more of a mechanic, though. I definitely think though that they were even more fun than today!

If you could give your younger self advice about racing, what would it be?

Don't worry about what your competition is doing.

Just believe in yourself and always look ahead!

STEPHEN GALL

To be able to reach a personal higher level in the world rankings, I’d prefer a more recent era — GALL

If you had to give up all your wins (titles or races) but two, which two would you keep and why?

I would certainly keep my four MR MX Titles and, although not racing, the stunt riding and coordination work on the recent Mad Max: Fury Road movie.

Can you name two rivals that got into your head?

Initially, Anthony Gunter when I was working my way to the top of Aussie MX and then a young Jeff Leisk towards the end of my more dominant period.

Was there a track that you believe you had nailed throughout your career?

Toowoomba’s Echo Valley MX track — won many races there. The big one was one of my four 250cc Aussie MX champs, coming back to riding after two months in an arm cast.

Was there a track that gave you nightmares?

Broadford MX track in Victoria for MX and Oran Park for road racing. No track worried me in dirt track racing.

Which one of your race bikes was the standout?

The 1981 Factory OW51 500cc motor in the Yamaha production frame. The 500 power valve two-stroke motor had an unbelievable spread of power!

Is there a race that didn’t go well and haunts you to this day?

Last round of two Mr Motocross final races where I lost the lead and championship of the Mr MX series.

The first was in ’79 to Anthony Gunter, who received a factory 500 Suzuki to convincingly beat me that day at Sydney’s Amaroo Park raceway; and the last round of the ’83 Mr MX at Broadford, crashing while attempting an uphill double jump and losing valuable points to the winner, Ray Vanderberg.

Do you believe your era was the best for racing?

To be able to reach a personal higher level in the world rankings, I would prefer a more recent era where Australia’s developing MX speed has produced more world-class riders.

If you could give your younger self advice about racing, what would it be?

My advice would be have more patience with racing decisions, learn to set up my machinery better and practise on rougher/tougher tracks.

BEN GRABHAM

If you had to give up all your wins (titles or races) but two, which two would you keep and why?

First one I’d keep would be my 250cc 4/s class win at the 1998 ISDE in Australia when I was only 17, as I’d raced the Italian ISDE the year before and finished like 72nd in the 125cc class. It was such an eye-opener and got me very motivated to go home and put in a lot of hard yards on the bike and off the bike. So when I got that win in 1998 I learnt to trust in what I believed worked and [it] set me up at a young age to know what worked and didn’t to move forward racing.

The second would be my fourth Finke Desert Race win in 2011. I won after crashing on the way to Finke on the first day at the 160km mark. I missed a gear, went over the bars, dislocated my wrist, smashed some bones [and] tore my thumb ligaments. But I’d put so much into the lead-up to this Finke and was feeling so good that I just had to keep going regardless of the pain and when I did cross the finish line in first place it was all worth the pain.

Can you name two rivals that got into your head?

No one got into my head to a point where I’d worry about them. The only time I’d ever think about another rider was like at Finke, for example. I knew Toby was my main competition so I’d try and work out where I was faster or slower so I could use that with getting ahead of him where I knew it was going to be dusty and he was faster so he couldn’t pull away — just things like that.

Was there a track that you believe you had nailed throughout your career?

I would have to say Finke came pretty easy to me from 2007–2011. I just jelled with it and even in 2011 with a busted hand I still felt comfortable out front.

It’s nice having the feeling that you can’t do wrong on a high-speed track like it is.

Was there a track that gave you nightmares?

The only race that has literally ever given me a nightmare was the Condo 750 when I hit a kangaroo in 2012 and broke my back. Not sure if it was the drugs in hospital but I had some pretty horrible dreams for a night after that one.

Which one of your race bikes was the standout?

If I had to pick one it would be the 2009 KTM 505 XC-F I won Finke and Hattah on that year. This was my first year with KTM and I was so comfortable on that bike I never changed a clicker on the suspension from the moment I jumped on it at Alice Springs. The best thing is I still have that bike.

Is there a race that didn’t go well and haunts you to this day?

I’ve had a good racing career and never really held onto a bad race in my mind, so I wouldn’t say I have any memories or races that haunt me.

Do you believe your era was the best for racing?

I look back at photos and footage of racing back in the 70s and 80s and to be honest it looks like they were the years, so I wouldn’t say mine were the best. But I do think they were a lot better for many reasons than what it is these days. Events have got so much easier over time and, with land harder and harder to get for events, so many of the venues are just worn out and don’t look anything like the amazing events and tracks even I raced in the 90s.

If you could give your younger self advice about racing, what would it be?

That would be a hard one because no matter what I did tell myself I know a younger me wouldn’t have listened to it at all, anyway. I probably wouldn’t tell him anything, actually, because I’d be happy to do it all again.

JEFF LEISK

If you had to give up all your wins (titles or races) but two, which two would you keep and why?

My first GP win in Finland 1989 and AMA 125 moto win at Hangtown, 1987.

Can you name two rivals that got into your head?

Ricky Johnson and Ron Lechien.

Was there a track that you believe you had nailed throughout your career?

Noble Falls, WA. Was there a track that gave you nightmares?

Not really, but I can think of a few that would challenge me more than others.

Which one of your race bikes was the standout?

My 1989 CR500.

Is there a race that didn’t go well and haunts you to this day?

AMA Supercross at San Diego in 1986, my first season. I qualified well and was well placed in the main when Billy Liles landed on my head and as a consequence I broke my jaw!

Do you believe your era was the best for racing?

Yes, it was. Racing was still affordable. You could survive on your prize money alone.

If you could give your younger self advice about racing, what would it be?

Fitness is king. Always believe in yourself.

I qualified well and was well placed in the main when Billy Liles landed on my head and as a consequence I broke my jaw — LEISK

TROY CARROLl

If you had to give up all your wins (titles or races) but two, which two would you keep and why?

The 2003 MX2 class MX Nationals would be one. It was a great year for me; I won every moto except one, which was at Horsham in the mud — I got caught up with a lapped rider. Otherwise it would have been a perfect season. The second one would have been the 2005 MX1 supercross championship.

I won the SX Master in 2014 and I’m not sure why but the 2015 was by far the best supercross championship feeling I ever had.

Can you name two rivals that got into your head?

Not really. I think every year there’s a lot of hype around someone changing teams and looking really good in pre-season races but at the end of the day it was up to you to make sure you were doing more work. But if I had to say a couple of guys, one would be my brother Quentin in 2003 before he was injured and Troy Dorron.

Was there a track that you believe you had nailed throughout your career?

Echo Valley was always good for me because I lived in Toowoomba but the other one would have been Coastal in WA. I loved that place; you had to man up there and you knew that that night you were going to sleep well.

Was there a track that gave you nightmares?

Gilman, SA. I hated that place with a passion. I could never ride it; I really struggled there.

Which one of your race bikes was the standout?

This is tricky! Any of my Kawasakis, by far. The 2005 Yamaha 250 two-stroke was my favourite, for sure — I loved that bike.

Is there a race that didn’t go well and haunts you to this day?

Motocross of Nations, 1997. It was really tough at the age of 17; representing your country was tough. I would’ve loved to do it again later in my career.

Do you believe your era was the best for racing?

We had great crowds and great prize money so in some ways, yes. But as for the riders and the speed they ride at now, they have us old guys covered [laughs]. I really enjoy watching and working in this industry that I love.

If you could give your younger self advice about racing, what would it be?

Where do I start? I could fill the magazine [laughs]! I would’ve just said what my mum and dad always said to me and we hear it all the time: “Life doesn’t give you what you want. It gives you what you deserve!”

PHOTO SHOOT: TYE SIMMONDS

TYE SIMMONDS THE OFF-ROADER TEARS UP THE ENVIRONMENT FOR AN EXCLUSIVE SHOOT WITH DIRT ACTION

PHOTOS DAMIEN ASHENHURST

HIS RELAXED DEMEANOUR ALMOST MAKES YOU FORGET WHAT HE CAN DO UNTIL HE STARTS THE BIKE AND MONSTERS ANYTHING ON OR ABOVE THE GROUND

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YZ250 WE BUILD THE ULTIMATE TWO STROKE

LEGENDS SPEAK LEISK, GALL, DACK, GRABHAM, ROBERTS, BALLARD, BYRNE, CARROL

TYE SIMMONDS TAKES FLIGHT!

MOSS BROS ABSENCE SPECULATION GROWS

FERRIS GOES BACK TO BACK THE CDR RIDER CLOSES IN ON GIBBS