On-Track Off-Road issue 217

Photo: J. P. Acevedo – Adaptation: Kiska GmbH

UNRIVALLED RACE PERF 2022 KTM 450 SX-F

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Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations!

The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.

ED FORMANCE

MXGP

WORTH THE WAIT In 2018 Jeffrey Herlings cleaned-up and then wiped the floor with MXGP. Three seasons on and the 27-year-old had his second premier-class title but in vastly

Photo by Ray Archer

different circumstances. 2021 was a contest for the ages with a 5-point split at the end of 18 rounds

MotoGP

GET WORRIED Pecco Bagnaia and Ducati painted MotoGP red with four wins in the last six races and a deserved #2 plate for 2021.

The Italians won the Teams and the Constructors titles and will have a third of the grid in 2022. They were also pretty fast with the latest version of the Desmosedici at the Jerez test Photo by CormacGP

MXGP

THE LAST THROTTLE A final moto as a Red Bull KTM Factory rider and Tony Cairoli went out on-thegas and pushing for points. A broken gear shifter in the first moto at Mantova meant #222 couldn’t get close to a 180th podium result but his eighteen-year streak of at least one victory every season will probably never be matched Photo by Ray Archer

MXGP MANTOVA

MXGP - CITTA DI MANTOVA Mantova, Italy, November 10th

MXGP 1. Jeffrey Herlings, KTM 2. Tim Gajser, Honda 3. Romain Febvre, Kawasaki

MX2 1. Jago Geerts, Yamaha 2. Maxime Renaux, Yamaha 3. Kay de Wolf, Husqvarna

Blogs by Adam Wheeler & Lewis Phillips Photos by Ray Archer

MXGP MANTOVA

MXGP SBK BLOG BLOG

THE AFTERMATH

CREATED THANKS TO

What happens when all the tension, the nerves and the questions built up over weeks and months evaporate?

We all know the story by now. After 35 motos and 17.5 Grands Prix in a frantic second pandemic season of MXGP, a five-rider slug for the championship narrowed to just two racers – Jeffrey Herlings and Romain Febvre – who tied on points after the first of two outings at Mantova for the finale.

The two-hour build-up to the all-decisive second moto in Italy was as anticipated as I can remember from two decades working in MXGP. In 2014 a limping and gaunt Jeffrey Herlings stood an outside chance of his second world title and was beaten to the post by teammate Jordi Tixier by just four points in Mexico. In 2008 David Philippaerts – in front of a nervous partisan crowd at Faenza – needed just three points from the last moto to defeat Steve Ramon and did his best to steer clear of the

other Suzuki rider, the barrelling and bold Ken De Dycker, to squeeze to the post by 14 points. Mantova felt a whole new level of drama, especially when Herlings and Febvre lined up next to each other in the gate…

Fast forward almost an hour after that gatedrop and climax. Outside the Media Centre in Mantova there are noisy chants, shouts, music. Herlings’ title is being celebrated and acclaimed by a sizeable crowd that decided to skip work or college/school for the Wednesday showdown.

The fuss is amplified by Tony Cairoli’s MXGP swansong.

In walks Febvre alone. He trundles towards the press conference table at the head of the room, silver medal already in place around his neck and sits down. He stares into space and then

bows his head and holds it in his hands. I quickly look to see if he’s examining a page of results or scanning the screen of a phone and come to the realisation that the 29-year-old is processing the missed opportunity and perhaps recycling the brief second moto tumble that ended his aspirations of the title. It’s a heart-melting moment.

After what seems like an age, Tim Gajser enters and makes his own lonely walk to the other side of the table.

The celebratory noise outside continues. Gajser also looks solemn. He sits stern and expressionless. Both riders wait. It is a sad tableau eventually disturbed by the arrival of Herlings: a completely contrasting ball of energy and animation as the 2021 world champion.

BY ADAM WHEELER The Dutchman is gracious and respectful with his comments but the reactions and the body language of the three participants speak much louder on the emotional drain and power of the outcome of the series. At least two of the trio finished on the podium in sixteen of the eighteen Grands Prix. There were exciting cameos by the likes of Cairoli and Jorge Prado but these were the athletes that crafted such a gripping and rare contest of attrition.

Herlings was brilliant and deserved the championship.

He had the most wins, most moto chequered flags, most podiums and dwarfed qualification with 13 pole positions from 17 attempts. It might have been a minor travesty if he somehow missed the goal.

It was also a fine story after his injury nightmares of 2019 and 2020. His achievement showed that the ‘monster’ of form and

results from an imperious 2018 was no freaky fluke.

Gajser is an MXGP force of nature and the only shame of a season where he lacked the starts and, ultimately, the wins (just 4 GPs and 7 motos), was that the Slovenian missed out on being the youngest rider in the history of the sport to notch

“FEBVRE WAS THE FIRST TO LEAVE...

GAJSER MADE A SIMILAR DASH AND HERLINGS WAS SPIRITED AWAY INTO A SERIES OF PHOTOS, CELEBRATION SCENES, PRIZE-GIVINGS AND EVENTUALLY A RIOTOUS RED BULL PARTY...” five world titles. However, so much credit much go to Febvre. The Frenchman was sanguine on his chances of the crown. He admitted being satisfied merely to have a sniff after five

campaigns of injury frustration and hiccups.

The Kawasaki man went so close. Nine podiums drove him into the final joust with the awkward-looking red plate on the green KX, four of those trophies came in the last four rounds. He claimed only one Grand Prix win in 2021 but Febvre was the outlier that kept Herlings and Gasjer – the two main title combatants since 2018 – looking over their shoulders. His part in the spectacle enrichened MXGP even more.

Febvre was the first to leave after the press duties had been completed, making a swift exit to the sanctuary of his soon-to-be defunct team.

Gajser made a similar dash and Herlings was spirited away into a series of photos, celebration scenes, prizegivings and eventually a riotous Red Bull party. Darkness descended on Mantova but the Kawasaki team soon lit-up the

MXGP BLOG

paddock with their own festivities to mark the end of the season. Disappointment had given way to acceptance and the destruction of the KX450F with alcohol perilously poured on a red-hot exhaust were just some of the sights as the team wrapped 2021, an era of Kawasaki stewardship and their own existence.

Febvre’s forlorn post-race form had been replaced by joyful recognition and a desire to join in the mirth as a chapter ends.

From close and unpredictable action, surprising mistakes, collisions, crashes, near-misses and palpable tension, 2021 delivered an immaculate story that every race fan craves: the best riders, on the best bikes in the best conditions battling to the final minutes for the biggest prize. Mantova – round eighteen of eighteen, home to races 35 and 36 of 36 – introduced ‘anxiety’ and ‘pressure’ as other characters but the emotion emphasied the impact.

If only it was like this each season. Or would too much of a good thing lead to dilution?

Whatever label fits the final summary of 2021, it will be short-lived. As Herlings himself said in that closing press conference “in three-four months we go again, so there is not too much time to enjoy it. This was the most difficult championship but, wow, it was special.”

PRODUCTS

LEATT Leatt have finally presented their 2022 helmet range. The 9.5 (carbon shell), 8.5 (composite) and 7.5 (polymer) have all been built to pass the new ECE 22.06 check, and fly past the renewed FIM standard. The defence against rotational acceleration (up to a 40% reduction) comes through the 360 Turbine technology with its energy-absorbing discs. Leatt say: ‘The 9.5 Carbon Helmet and 8.5 Composite Helmet come with premium protective features like four densities of impact foam cut into five sections and a visor with breakaway function.’ Add careful attention to ventilation, a hydration port, a pro-elastic fit and washable anti-odour x-static liner and we’re talking premium stuff with advanced tech inside. Whatever the price or the priority, Leatt have a solution, and the designs/liveries are also pretty cool too.

Every one of the Leatt helmets packs a pair of the bullet proof Velocity goggles for free.

The 9.5 is shown here in black, the other images are of the 8.5.

www.leatt.com

MXGP MANTOVA

MXGP MANTOVA

MXGP MANTOVA

SBK BLOG BLOG MXGP

CREATED THANKS TO

GETTING BETA AND BETA Beta rumours were running rampant twelve months ago.

There was so much excitement and intrigue about the manufacturer entering the FIM Motocross World Championship, but that seemed to fall by the wayside once the bike rolled onto a racetrack. Beta proved that they are competitive at the very first Grand Prix in Russia – Jeremy Van Horebeek raced to a top-ten finish – and thus a lot of questions were answered.

There was so much more to think about though, as Beta did hit the expected growing pains whilst onlookers moved their attention elsewhere.

Van Horebeek started with that aforementioned bang and then struggled profusely around the halfway point.

Why so? Progress slumped, as all of the necessary resources were not in place.

The message has been clear from the start: the downfall is a lack of electronics and that makes it difficult to produce power for the start.

“Engine-wise we need more power and especially for the start,” Van Horebeek told us just a couple of days into January. “That is the main thing and the difficult part for us at the moment. We have a really good bike for riding – we are just a little short on the start. They do not use electronics like everyone else. I hope that we can start working with that as well. It is so much easier to work on the starts and to improve on the bike with that.”

Van Horebeek was hopeful when discussing that disadvantage at the beginning of the year. There was not too much progress in that area this term, unfortunately, as he started no higher than eighth all season and was in the top ten at the end of lap one just five times in thirty-six motos.

The start is so critical in the most competitive Grand Prix field in history, which makes his results on the new bike

even more impressive. Van Horebeek proved that he could run just outside of the top five, despite the obvious disadvantage.

“We have got some new stuff now and we are trying it,” Van Horebeek continued.

“From Maggiora in July until now, things have not changed much with COVID. It is not easy and it takes months to develop things. The bike is basic. It is already very good, but we do not have the hightech stuff. I think that we just need electronics and power.

I think that we are close [to getting electronics]. Things might come in a few weeks, so I will be in Italy to try some really positive things.

“We go one step forward and two steps backwards sometimes – that is not easy – but I am really thankful for how hard the team works. I wish I could do better. It is not so easy though! I have had quite a few DNFs this season, but

BY ADAM WHEELER

BY LEWIS PHILLIPS it is what it is. I knew this. I am disappointed in one way, because you do not want this, but it is a new bike.

It has only existed for one year. We have no electronics or anything – the chassis is awesome though. It has been awesome all year.”

Van Horebeek was coy when talking about the positive elements that have entered the picture, but his grin that stretched from one ear to the other said it all. Always one of the most candid riders, he was not afraid to confirm that he has been frustrated at points and especially when looking at where his speed could put him. There was also an overwhelming sense of positivity though, like he can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

An exciting prospect for any racer.

“I enjoy racing – I am in a happy place here,” he commented. “It was frustrating at some points

that I could not show more, but we spoke about it. You have to accept that this is a project. I think people need to think further than the results. It is really not easy to build a bike for this class and run in the top ten. Okay, we do not have the fastest bike. We have some really positive things though and even with myself – I am still able to do some good things.

I think people should give us some more time. We have not said the last word.”

“People should give us some more time.” A statement that strikes a chord. Why did the excitement vanish?

Beta should still be riding a wave of interest, with fans and insiders clinging onto every piece of information that trickles out. If this was Formula 1 or MotoGP then that would indeed be the case. Why is it that people are so eager to move onto the next big thing? A new manufacturer has waltzed into motocross at the worst

imaginable moment, which is a story in itself.

It is time to give Beta the attention and respect that they deserve. Two more seats have opened up, thanks to them, and that alone is worth celebrating.

PRODUCTS

FLY RACING Deep in Fly Racing’s 2022 product catalogue are some sturdy options for rider protection.

Off-roaders can count on the Revel Offroad Roost Guard (137.95 dollars) in black or white versions and with extra CE rated materials (153.95). It’s made from a BioFoam chassis that cuts down the need for potentially damaging plastics and has a series of air channels to help with ventilation and help reduce the feeling of bulk. It’s comfortable and easy for washing. The CE edition uses triple layer high density memory foam between the outer plastic and the BioFoam and has a neck-brace friendly design. Waist buckles and shoulder sections are well thought-out and adjustable for the best fit. The Revel Race Roost guard is the motocross version chest-and-back protection unit. Barricade Lite Elbow and Knee guards (73.95) come in four different size options. Fly state that the ‘HDM (High Density Memory) protectors are made of a special blend viscoelastic foam with memory function allowing for repeat impacts that passes CE EN1621-1 rating to level 1’. They have hidden stitching for better durability (they don’t catch on garments). There are four-way stretch panels on the rear, air holes and the whole unit is described as ‘soft, lightweight and low’. The Barricade range also includes torso protection (long sleeve and vest options) and Impact and compression shorts that have ‘thermoformed and perforated lightweight EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) foam padding in strategic positions to support hips, thighs and tailbone.’

www.flyracing.com

WATCH HIM! 5 MINUTES WITH…BOBBY BRUCE. One of the most vibrant youngsters in the 2021 EMX125 European Championship was Brit Bobby Bruce. The teenager clocked ten top-three moto finishes from the eighteen that formed the nine round competition and for what is the last two-stroke educational ‘level’ before EMX250 and the final vault to Grand Prix. The title was won by Italian Valerio Lata but Bruce was a buzzing presence at the front of the leaderboard on the Asa United GASGAS and gives the UK hope that some more fast-paced talent could be coming through the sport’s inverted pyramid structure.

He didn’t manage to grasp an overall win but his eyecatching performances were a litmus test for the validity of EMX125 and he is now already set for the next move.

We grabbed some time with the series runner-up, as he considers a pivotal fourstroke switch for 2022…

You’ve been a consistent menace in EMX125 this year: explain how…

I think it has just been the better starts. It has been a solid field. So, to get those starts and being one of the older ones in the gate I’m strong. I also think the mental side has a part to play and if you can have an

edge over the rest of the field then you’re ‘there’.

Other than that it about being strong all the way through the moto.

Was EMX125 the path and the ambition for you?

Definitely. The British Championship is good and there are some good riders but this is the main stage and where you get the most recognition. It’s the steppingstone if you are going to become a world championship rider because you have already raced a lot of the tracks: nothing is new. A lot of the circuits are very technical and different to anything you’d race anywhere else.

Do you feel you get enough attention by excelling in EMX125?

Yeah, as long as you are a podium guy week-in, weekout then you’ll have some eyes on you. But you have to be a top-runner or the opportunities are slim.

How do you feel about the transition to a 250?

Obviously, you have your doubts. I’ve not ridden one yet! It’s swings-and-roundabouts. There are some nerves…but I think with my riding style and being a bigger guy the 250 will suit me a lot more.

What’s been the reaction from fans? Do people like your attacking style? You roused the crowd at the British Grand Prix…

Yeah, it’s a shame we don’t have more rounds at Matterley because the crowd was unbelievable. You could hear them on every corner.

It would be good to take the step to EMX250 next year and maybe get even more people watching those races.

What’s your mentality? You can see other riders that struggle to transition from training speed to racing potential…

I think it is easy to get caught up in it [anxiety] when you look at the big stage for the sport but as long as you are happy and having fun then this is why we do it. Also, surrounding yourself with the right people. I have a good team and a trainer. As long as there are good vibes and you know you can achieve then it is just about going out and doing what you know you can do. You don’t really have time to get caught-up in other things. You just need to go out there and execute.

WHERE COMFORT MEETS CONTROL NO SHORTCUTS

The SCOTT Mellow Grip is a double density grip with a Vario Blok design surrounding a firm density core. The soft density Vario Blok pattern offers outstanding grip and helps combat arm and hand fatigue through reduced vibration. Grip donuts included!

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SCOTT MELLOW GRIP

MXGP SBK BLOG BLOG

TOUGH CHOICES?

CREATED THANKS TO

What was Yamaha’s thinking?

The news that MX2 World Champion Maxime Renaux will pivot from two successful seasons in the 250 class and jump into the three-man Monster Energy MXGP factory team at the age of 21 is unsurprising to say the least. Renaux comes across as level-headed and a focused individual, especially concerning his career path. Losing a year to a wrecked shoulder and damaged nerves has clearly given him some perspective on his choices and the narrow window of timing.

He spoke repeatedly of staying on the highly competitive YZ250F and defending his title in 2022, when he still has another two seasons in the class before aging-out. There was a sense as well that Renaux was piqued by the continual accusations that his 2021 championship was secured on the back of Tom Vialle’s injury and brief absence in

the campaign. There is little love lost between the Frenchmen; Vialle apparently was the rider that clashed with Renaux in the French Championship race at Ernee four years ago that led to the new champion’s severe shoulder injury. For all his wishes and sound reasoning towards MX2, Renaux eventually accepted a two-year contract to begin his MXGP chapter but should he be worried?

Yamaha’s MX2 year has been superlative. All three riders – Renaux, Jago Geerts and rookie (2020 EMX 250 European Champion) Thibault Benistant - won motos in 2021. Renaux and Geerts owned 9 of the 18 rounds and claimed 1-2 in the championship. It was a milestone term for the likeable Hans Corvers and his patient outfit.

Further along the Yamaha alley in the paddock, the MXGP squad were struggling. Jeremy Seewer took most of the season to regain his health and fitness, highprofile (and undoubtedly pricey) new recruit Glenn Coldenhoff could only deliver two podium finishes amidst rumours of dissatisfaction in setting up the YZ450FM to his liking.

Rookie Ben Watson, the in-form MX2 racer at the end of 2020, was briefed to learn during his first term in MXGP but was then swiftly booted to the sidelines and kept in the dark by race management when a predictably inconsistent maiden season was suddenly not good enough.

With Seewer and Coldenhoff under contract for 2022 and questions being asked about how Yamaha can quickly improve their performance in MXGP during the hard-

BY ADAM WHEELER est and most competitive era for the class, the onus inevitably fell on knee-jerk changes. Yamaha are likely to be the only factory team with a three-rider line-up for 2022 as Red Bull KTM slim their roster and the Austrian company reorganise their brands on the back of Tony Cairoli’s drift away from fulltime competition. Yamaha dithered on Watson’s contract renewal by mid-season.

Rumours of Jorge Prado potentially looking to break free of his KTM deal started to accelerate and alerted the attention of most MXGP team bosses. Yamaha were repeatedly seen in contact with the talented young Spaniard, although they were careful to state that they’d never sign a rider that was already tied to another manufacturer. Prado would have to instigate his own liberation and come onto the market. It was around this time that Renaux’s title bid was looking more and more secure as he went on a run

of nine podium finishes in a row.

Yamaha’s position in MXGP looked bleak as KTM, Honda and Kawasaki wrestled for honours. The nadir was the Grand Prix double header in Turkey where the trio were scraping the top ten for points around the tricky Afy-

“IF WE REMOVE THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES AROUND MXGP AND LOOK AT MX2 HISTORY SINCE 2010 THEN RENAUX’S CHANCES OF BLOSSOMING HIS CAREER SEEM RATHER GOOD...”

on hard-pack. Yamaha had the chance to snare Prado, and also had to contemplate Renaux’s promotion; he was nearing their first world title since 2015 and first in MX2 since 2007.

Either way it left Watson in the cold. Yamaha were perhaps unimpressed by the Brit’s hesitancy at attacking some of the tracks where he was visibly uncomfortable (and the 24-year-old already stated before the end of the season that his overly cautious approach was a misjudgement) but he also showed top ten speed and flashes of promise to indicate that he was fulfilling his initial objective and finding his feet in MXGP. A five-minute study of Watson’s career would show that the Brit is something of a slow-burn talent and the questions over his aptitude for a race situation have dimmed in the last two years with a hardening determination matching his ability. If Yamaha were quick to pull the trigger (or not, it would seem, as they let Watson drift into contract limbo) then it indicates that Renaux might also be given short thrift if he doesn’t deliver from the gate drop.

MXGP BLOG

The ideal of the privateer has all but faded from MXGP. It’s fitting that another Brit, Shaun Simpson, called a halt on his eighteen-year Grand Prix career at the end of 2021 because it was the Scot who took the last GP win as a privateer in 2013.

This situation means riders are scrambling for limited factory seats or satellite saddles that vary greatly in their resources and funding (which is a nice way of writing that some salaries are scandalously low). The riders market is even more cutthroat. Some are dropping – or even removing their price for the right opportunity, some are realising that the risk and the effort is barely worth it.

It feels like ripe opportunities in MXGP are hard to come by. Watson was winning Grands Prix just over a year ago. Now he is one of a growing crop that has been backed, evaluated and dropped at a ridiculously early age, well before most people would recognise as an MXGP

rider’s peak in terms of fitness and experience.

Perhaps he will be fortunate to find another factory to take profit of his expanding possibilities.

If we remove the socio-economic circumstances around MXGP and look at MX2 history since 2010 then Renaux’s chances of blossoming his career seem rather good. Marvin Musquin, Ken Roczen, Jeffrey Herlings, Pauls Jonass, Tim Gajser, Prado and Vialle were all champions that were thoroughly supported in the subsequent phase, although almost all hit the ground running in the next challenge; even Jonass was 2019 MXGP Rookie of the Year. The only anomaly is 2014 winner Jordi Tixier, who had already signed for Kawasaki in MX2 in 2015.

Even then Kawasaki filtered him into a learning season with KRT on the 450 for 2016.

It could be argued that Renaux is better than Watson, and more deserving of fuller Yamaha investment for MXGP. It will still be curious to chart his progress in what will be his third team in three years and in a time where – oddly – the pressure to produce is higher, even though the difficulty of the task is also mammoth; as Watson’s endeavours and treatment showed in 2021.

PRODUCTS

HURLINGHAM POLO

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jackets, trousers and accessories for both men and women. They also dabble in official team wear. The aesthetic fluctuates from conservative to younger designs while always keeping a smart edge. The company is rapidly expanding, particularly in Asia.

Products can be easily found and ordered through the website: www.hurlinghampolo1875.com

www.hurlinghampolo1875.com

HEAD-HIT

By Adam Wheeler,

Photos by Ray Archer & 6D

ASKING MXGP RACERS ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH CONCUSSION, THEIR FEARS AND HOW THE INJURY LEAVES A LASTING IMPACT OF A DIFFERENT KIND

FEATURE

C

oncussion is still one of the hot topics in sport injuries. The exact causes are related to rotational acceleration and the stresses on the brain caused by accident impact: a theme that many proactive helmet manufacturers are now trying to address with updated technology and innovation. Helmet standards and tests are also catching-up after the work of people like Mips and 6D Helmets have thrown wider light onto the subject. The symptoms can be consistent, even though recovery and rehab methods vary from person to person.

The FIM uses the SCAT5 concussion test for assessment of athletes who have suffered a head-hit but aside from baseline stats and cognitive tests the response of racers is largely personal and anecdotal.

To reveal more on how riders sustain concussion, how they deal with it and how it affects their approach to their job we spoke to three Grand Prix winners and gleaned specific info from one of the industry experts.

KNOWING CONCUSSION Shaun Simpson: Knowing if you’ve had a concussion is a hard question to answer. I’d say in my career I’ve had five

or six since 2004 when I had my first. A broken bone is very easy to diagnose. You can feel the pain, feel it moving or grating. A concussion though is tricky. I had my second one when I crashed on the stepdown at Loket [Czech Republic]. I came-up a little short and went over the handlebars.

It was ‘lights-out’ for a minute and a half, something like that. When you come-to then you know you’re concussed.

You feel hazy, you cannot remember things and people around you will say you were repeating yourself. Memory loss and repetition are the obvious marks but there have been other times when I’ve gone down, banged my head and felt pretty good…but deep down known that I’ve had a concussion. You have little moments where your vision changes, you feel a bit sick and light-headed. The problem is that sometimes you’ll knock yourself out and other times you’ll have a bang and a few light symptoms but still tell yourself ‘it’s not that bad, I’ll be alright! Get me back on the bike’ but it’s still a serious thing.

Pauls Jonass: I think most riders have either had concussions or some sort of head injury. For me the worst one was Loket in 2016. That was a tough one. There is no time frame for when it will be good again.

Arnaud Tonus: To really know, you need a doctor and a short time frame! Sometimes the symptoms will only appear a couple of days after. I’ve had that a few times: I felt OK but then two days later would be really dizzy, or like I’d want to throw-up. It can affect you differently but once you’ve had a couple then I think you are even more sensitive to it; a crash that wouldn’t have given you concussion and few years previous now does.

Once, I had symptoms a week afterwards. Now I can work with people and with a system where I can make a check and have a reference from a previous trauma. You can sometimes feel OK, but your performance goes down. I never had a big concussion where I was out for minutes.

I’d just feel dizzy. I was lucky about that but unlucky to have a few traumas in a row.

Bob Weber, CEO & Co-founder 6D Helmets: People will talk about a mild brain injury or a traumatic brain injury as concussions but pretty much all head-hits are concussions!

There are different grades and what we tried to do was say ‘here’s the problem, how can we make a safety device that protects against that?’

Our mission from the beginning was to think: how do we manage the energy associated with a crash impact? I don’t ever want to give advice to

MXGP & CONCUSSION

SIMPSON: “IF YOU LOOK LEFT AND TURN YOUR HEAD RIGHT THEN YOU FOCUS INSTANTLY. SOMETIMES IT TOOK ME ANOTHER HALF A SECOND OR SO AND IF YOU ARE RACING A MOTOCROSS BIKE ACROSS BUMPS, JUMPS AND LOTS OF CHANGING TERRAIN THEN IT’S TRICKY WHEN YOUR BRAIN IS HALF-A-TENTH BEHIND ALL THE TIME. YOU CANNOT GET YOUR TIMING RIGHT OR HIT LINES PROPERLY.”

FEATURE anybody about concussion but any moderate-to-severe crash and any sign of symptoms like vomiting, dizziness or shortterm memory recall should necessitate a visit to a doctor for a proper evaluation.

Arnaud Tonus: I do certain types of exercises regularly, so I know my level and I can know how bad a concussion might be when I do the exercise and see the result of the test. The basic concussion test is what most doctors use and they cannot do much more. You cannot see it on a scan, unless it is a really big trauma. The rest is on symptoms and how your feel. It’s difficult to know how and where you are with a head injury sometimes.

Pauls Jonass: I’ve had a few and normally it can be two weeks and you are back on a bike and feeling alright. You might have a headache sometimes or feel a bit dizzy. It was very tough for me after Loket because I was still in a good position in the championship so you have the sporting side but in terms of my health I lost my memory for a little while and I also remember voices from around me after the crash but I don’t have any images. I was sick and had head pain but assumed it would be a case of being out for one week, missing the next GP and then being back on the track. One week passed and I felt alright so we went to try the bike and I didn’t feel like myself. We drove two hours to reach the track then I

did one jump and it all felt like a dream. I stopped and said to myself ‘who the hell is on the bike?’. So, we went back home, waited another week, tried again but then I said ‘right, time to stop for one or two months because this is not working’.

Bob Weber, CEO & Co-founder 6D Helmets: There are different grades, and you can regain consciousness and not feel too bad: I’ve witnessed that. But generally there are also a lot of the common symptoms, even in guys that have not been knocked out.

They are still compromised on some level. Every individual is different and how they respond to impact on a different magnitude.

MXGP & CONCUSSION

Pauls Jonass: I went to so many doctors and specialists and nobody could really tell me anything. The year I won the championship [2017] I was still struggling with it. Luckily, while I was racing I was OK but many times I couldn’t do more than two laps in training.

I just got dizzy on track.

time. The same for the sport in fact: you feel that you’ve learned something about racing and it’s ‘in you’ but maybe the approach and the sport has changed and you need to go in another way with your technique. It’s always evolving, same for our knowledge of injury.

JUDGING SERIOUSNESS

Bob Weber, CEO & Co-founder 6D Helmets: Racers are trusting to some degree but maybe when you get to the level of a [Jeffrey] Herlings, [Tony] Cairoli or a [Marc] Marquez even, then they have reached the pinnacle part of their career and week-in week-out they are laying everything on the line to give the maximum perfor-

Arnaud Tonus: I feel that the more I go, the less I know.

Seriously! The more you learn about the complexity of the body – and for sure much more than when you were younger – the more you realise that you know very little. No situation is the same and you have to adapt all the

mance possible. Safety starts to come back into the equation then. When they are the guy who is tenth in the world and scraping to get into the top group then they couldn’t care less: whoever is going to give them a helmet and some money to wear then they’ll go with it. The guys at the next level are going ‘this is my livelihood and I need to protect it’. I think there is a shift in there somewhere for most of the guys depending on where they are in their career and their own personal outlooks.

Shaun Simpson: After I knocked myself out twice in a season and it put me in a spin about knowing how to ride properly and giving 100%

FEATURE

because I couldn’t quite see as normal. My depth of field recognition was a bit off. There was like a ‘delay’ to my vision.

I thought it might have been something with my eyes and my age so I went to have them tested. They were fine and I just needed time as the condition improved. Physically you can feel great and ready to go but if you cannot quite see as you want then it’s really hard.

Arnaud Tonus: I remember dislocating my shoulder once at walking speed. It is a strange sport. It about how you fall rather than the type of crash. It’s about impact.

Pauls Jonass: It’s frustrating that you can have a small tipoff but you hit your head and feel dizzy. It’s almost tough to take. Sometimes it’s not the head though, you block something in your neck and it’s the same thing. You end up riding dizzy quite a lot in motocross!

Bob Weber, CEO & Co-founder 6D Helmets: Rotational acceleration is the root of concussion and that has been proven by the medical community and numerous studies. Rotational acceleration is when a head impacts a surface either at a perfect

right angle to the centre mass of the brain – which is pretty rare actually – or at some degree of angle away from that, even as low as one degree. Any impact in that range, and it’s even been proven that the 90 degree impact to the centre of the brain – incites rotation. So, the brain is actually shearing inside the skull or trying to rotate as the force is applied to it. It’s this shearing and tearing motion to the brain that is causing these concussive symptoms or worse. When we started 6D that’s what we were trying to address: how can we reduce this rotational acceleration?

Our solution was that we needed to separate or uncouple an inside layer or liner in the helmet from the outside liner. We weren’t really looking at the lowenergy compliance. That was a side benefit that we discovered when we were testing our technology. We thought, ‘wow’, look how much better our system works at 4-5-6 metres per second…’ more than the other helmets of monolithic foam or how they had been designed for the last fifty years.

THE BRAIN Shaun Simpson: I’ve had the scans and the appropriate tests done but it can be hard to see details of a bone sometimes nevermind the complexity of a brain. Fortunately, I’ve always been in the bracket of ‘everything’s OK’ after scans and never needed any further checks for bleeding, swelling or fluids.

Pauls Jonass: I had a lot. I even had a process where liquid was put inside so they could see how the blood was flowing. Everything seemed normally, luckily. I think if you scan any motocrosser’s head then very few will be healthy!

Bob Weber, CEO & Co-founder 6D Helmets: I would venture to say that there has been more study on the brain in the last fifteen years than there has been in the last two hundred. Nobody seemed to pay too much attention to brain injury up until we realised that [American] Football players were having CTE issues, depression and even suicides. Where was all this coming from? This study of chronic traumatic encephalopathy disease as an accumulation of tau protein in

MXGP & CONCUSSION

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MXGP & CONCUSSION

the brain and where is it coming from and why is it happening has been correlated back to multiple low-energy impacts to the head-form. That’s a problem. The study has increased significantly and there are concussion protocols in most racing series now and there is better education that people suffering should take time off.

We are learning a lot more about brain injury now.

HEALING Arnaud Tonus: This is very different for everyone. For myself I would prefer to do nothing. Physical activity, for me, just delays the healing process with the brain. I might be OK on a bicycle but in the evening I’ll have a headache.

So, recovery could mean that I lose some physical condition but at least my brain is healing more efficiently if I do 100% rest for the first ten days. You have to respect the symptoms but it is very hard to do that. Sometimes your head is better but your neck is stiff and that carries the same issues, even if the brain is OK. I’ve also gone through the pain before. Three weeks after a concussion I decided to push through it, exercise and trust it will get better. You just have to learn as much as you can about your body.

Shaun Simpson: Time is a great healer. I remember Joel Roelants telling me that he spent days in a dark room, not seeing or talking to anyone. I was doing similar things but avoided bright lights, no screens, no TV which in this day-and-age is hard to do!

Pauls Jonass: The first week is the most important. You need to be relaxed, stay in the dark almost. Be easy on your brain somehow. For the time frame, you never know.

Shaun Simpson: It’s definitely different to a broken bone or another problem. If you sprain your ankle then you can feel it getting a bit better or getting a bit more flexible every day.

With a concussion you can get better, better and better and then go back three steps. Like any sport, you want to be back on the bike and up to speed as quickly as possible and the easy thing to do is push too much and get back too soon.

Bob Weber, CEO & Co-founder 6D Helmets: We know from our research that you need to rest, take time off and get proper counsel.

Pauls Jonass: All the other training I did was fine, but I struggled to ride the bike because you are going so fast and your concentration is so high. I would go into the corner, exit the corner but I’d

feel like my brain was only just entering the corner. It all seemed unreal. Like it wasn’t me on the bike. It’s a s**t feeling. You have to stop, you have to go home and you get depressed for the rest of the day. You wait, you try again and it’s the same. So frustrating. I just needed to rest. It got to the point where I said to a doctor “tell me what I have to do and how long I have to wait?!” He told me it should be better after one month without the bike. So, I went home to Latvia and forgot about racing and it eventually healed.

Shaun Simpson: The harder I pushed myself physically when I thought I was on the mend then this also had an effect. Above 80% of my heartrate and rushing blood around the body would really affect how your head felt and my vision.

QUESTIONING HELMETS Pauls Jonass: Wear the best helmet you can find. You only have one head. I had a really big crash and I think my helmet saved me. I always try to look at the positive side. You could criticise the helmet or any other form of protection but I was lucky to be wearing a good one that day.

Shaun Simpson: When you are younger you never really think about it…until it hits you

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once. You accept it as part of the game. But as you get older you do get more judgemental of helmets. I’ve been in a position a couple of times where I’ve had to wear a helmet that I didn’t fully trust which is a major contrast to the one I have now that I believe in fully. Right now, and in the future, if I had to go out and buy one I would look at the technology inside and what it could do for me. If you go for one of the premium brands and higher-priced helmets then nine times out of ten it will have performed very well in all the tests and have some innovation inside.

Arnaud Tonus: This is a big part of why I’m still in the paddock today. At one point I decided that I will ride with Arai because I had experience with it and I knew the quality behind it. I feel that I cannot change now. I’ve had concussions with other helmets – and also the Arai – but it became a priority for me to have that level of protection and its in my deal. If a team is locked to a helmet deal then I cannot ride for them. I’m grateful to Arai for the emphasis they put on safety. You can see from the shape that it might not be following the styles the market

has now but it’s done like that for a reason.

Bob Weber, CEO & Co-founder 6D Helmets: I was one of those guys when I was racing: I never worried about that type of injury. I got back on the bike and just continued to ride. A broken arm meant a cast and six weeks to heal.

We never gave a thought to the head. The worst part of the whole thing, in my opinion, particularly in the United States where we got used to the Snell standard of helmets being over-built and too stiff was that we always took the industry’s word that the Snell standard was all we needed. I worked in a dealership for ten years while I was racing and sold helmets day-in day-out and told people they had to have a Snell helmet. I never looked behind the standard to see what it was or what it meant. Even if I did then I wouldn’t have been able to judge if it was good or if it was bad. We learned so much about this through our study of concussion and brain injury and knowing that rotational acceleration was an issue and how could we address it. We were quite vocal in the beginning but it doesn’t really come up any more. In the States,

people were telling us that we needed to get Snell approved and we were replying that they needed to open their minds a bit more and get educated on the topic so they could understand why we were not going the Snell route.

Biggest injury fear Arnaud Tonus: Concussion is weird because you have that doubt that you might not get back to where you were before it happened. You cannot really measure the problems. You might feel like you are healed, but the performance of the brain simply isn’t there. You spend more energy because the brain is functioning differently. It is hard to accept this and to go through the process.

I’m lucky that I know some people that can really help with recovery but otherwise you are just told to rest and sleep. There isn’t really a protocol to heal. There is a guy in Switzerland who works on a technique with the inner ear, balance and with eyes closed and that was something I hadn’t really tried before. I always worked with vision. If the inner ear is unbalanced then you compensate with your eyes, so you need to close the eyes to re-balance and it was

MXGP & CONCUSSION

FEATURE a big help for me in the beginning. I had to re-exercise another part of my body. In our sport we tend to work only with vision but this other area can really affect your balance and your recovery. In my case the inner ear was affected after a concussion but you cannot know that yourself, you need to be tested.

Pauls Jonass: The back and the head: those are the scariest. There are a lot of unknowns. The head and the nerves are worrying. It is better not to think about it. If you imagination wanders then you are better staying on the sofa and not ride dirtbikes.

Shaun Simpson: Having twothree concussions in short succession then that’s when you start to read and learn about it more. You find out that dementia can come from people who have suffered with concussion. That can be the alarm bell to protect yourself as much as possible. Luckily that’s an approach that I’ve had throughout my career.

Everything had to be right: fit, safety, protection, braces, pads all the details. It might prolong your career and maintain your way of life.

Bob Weber, CEO & Co-founder 6D Helmets: I couldn’t sit here today and tell you that there will be a concussion-proof helmet at some point. We can only make a helmet so large because you have to be able to wear it comfortably and safely function in an activity without a huge melon on top of you. If the helmet became really big then we could manage the energy properly and but it’s not a real scenario. We are finding new materials all the time and we have done a lot of research on non utonium foams and EPP and EPS and we are combining them in our helmets today. Others are trying to build better energy performance management systems so I think we’ll continue to improve.

MXGP & CONCUSSION

JUSTIN COOPER

MONSTER ENERGY STAR RACING YAMAHA

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FEATURE

The next current one?

By Adam Wheeler

Photos by Ray Archer

JORGE PRADO ON LIFE AND ADVERSITY AFTER TWO YEARS IN THE SWIRL OF MXGP

FEATURE

J

orge Prado will turn 21 just before the start of the 2022 MXGP season. In his short life so far, the Red Bull KTM man has won two world championships, Grands Prix in both classes, become the most successful Spaniard in the history of motocross and sent his fans delirious in Madrid this year; invigorating a sport so long overshadowed by other racing disciplines in his homeland. His story of family sacrifice, outrageous talent, achievement and expectation is well known but it has recently encompassed a fair share of adversity…

Tony Cairoli: 36. Romain Febvre: 29.

Jeffrey Herlings: 27. Tim Gajser: 25.

Jorge Prado…20. It’s an understatement to say that the most junior of the 2021 contenders has time on his side but Prado has been in a hurry since he fast-tracked his way through the sport’s pyramid of categories and learned while he raced and while he won.

In the extended 2021 MXGP pre-season I tipped Prado to be world champion in just his fifth year of Grand Prix and his second in the premier class. He had already shown his chops during 2020 when his victory in the second of three races at Lommel drew him up to 3rd in the standings and into title reckoning.

A bout of Covid-19 promptly ended his campaign and his hopes (one that had begun with a broken femur and collarbone) but everything – his starts, his technique, his fearlessness – pointed to his validity of becoming the sixth rider since 2008 to own the championship through either his first or second attempt.

“I’M 20 BUT I’M SKINNY, NOT THAT BIG AND I’M NOT NATURALLY STRONG. SOMETIMES I EVEN IMPRESS MYSELF WITH HOW I CAN HOLD ONTO THE 450...”

some of the rockier parts of the mountain path reared into view.

During the interview we spend a long time talking about his recent tribulations; his baby-faced youthfulness now more chiselled and adult, and the same jovial conversation demeanour can still quickly change into a serious and pointed expression. Prado, speaker of English,

JORGE PRADO

This wasn’t the case. Prado continued his education in 2021 and against the hardest set of opposition he’d faced so far.

His instructive trip diversified to include forced racecraft, preparation, teamwork and politics and social media criticism.

There were more injury blows, both nothing quite in the same league as the physical barriers of 2020. In short 2021 was a classic sophomore term: where

FEATURE Italian, Dutch as well as his native tongue, is sensitive and open. He visibly gets goosebumps talking about some of the episodes of 2021.

During our talk in an Italian hotel and in the middle of the Arco di Trento triple on the hectic MXGP calendar that is a sizeable elephant watching us from the corner of the room. Despite having another two seasons on his KTM ‘group’ contract, Prado has been the source of relentless rumours for almost half the season that he’s unsatisfied and looking to change. With Kawasaki in the midst of an inter-team switch and Honda budgeted-out to Tim Gajser that leaves Yamaha, with their sizeable Monster Energy backing, as the sole courtiers if #61 frees wedlock and gets in a position to flirt.

“STARTS? WE HAD A BETTER ENGINE THIS YEAR BUT THE OTHER BRANDS ARE GETTING BETTER. THIS MEANS IT IS MORE DIFFICULT AND YOU CAN FEEL THAT WHEN YOU’RE IN THE GATE. THEY ARE GETTING CLOSER.”

It’s not a subject he wishes to broach today. Not one on the record. Perhaps it’s inevitable that a team of champions like the Cairoli/Herlings/Prado Red Bull KTM triumvirate would see one of the collective feeling neglected. With Cairoli waving goodbye to regular GP competition and Herlings leading the stats columns in 2021, Prado arguably needed a little TLC and recognition of

his worth. There is also gossip of an impending switch to GASGAS colours, which makes sense from a Spanish angle but edges the racer away from those KTM roots he had laid since he was 12.

From being the rookie and the young pup of the greatest Grand Prix team assembled, Prado is now in a period of change, back to being a team leader: a distinction he has held only once in his career.

At the time of writing Prado’s brand for 2022 is still officially unconfirmed but the waters have calmed in his current swell. The upheaval does seem typical of a year in which his bearings in MXGP have been somewhat subverted. How? It appears he’s keen get tuck into an explanation…

In your second year in MXGP it looked like you were gunning for the world championship but it didn’t happen…why not?

Well, it’s actually a hard question to answer. I know the results were there in 2020: I had a few wins, podiums almost got up to 2nd in the championship just before I got Covid. So, I knew – if I didn’t have any injuries – then 2021 would be good. [pause] I honestly expected to be a bit better than I was. The main problem was that my preparation was not good enough. I trained more than ever but in the wrong way. I rode the bike so much this year and put-in so many hours and good sessions but I think I missed a bit away from the bike. I trained a lot but it was not the right stuff. Going to Russia I crashed on the first lap from 2nd and had to push really hard to get back to something like 8th. In one way that was good because my speed was there but

So, you over-worked basically?

Yes and no. Off the bike we got a bit lost.

I couldn’t get 100% out of myself to be better on the bike.

And you know how to fix that now?

Yeah. It’s way-better now. My lung problem also cleared up and that was something we didn’t know until the GPs started because you never push in training as much as you do in a race situation. Even if you try to go full-gas in training it is still slower than in a race! Or at least that’s how it feels. So, I felt wayoff.

How do you deal with that mentally? It must be quietly worrying…

The problem was that the speed of MXGP was too high for my physical condition. I was put into a position where I had to figure out what was going on and, luckily, I started working with another guy and we solved the problem with the lungs. It became much better two weeks before Loket [Grand Prix of Czech Republic] where we got our first win and then it was pretty-much all

JORGE PRADO

going into the second moto I felt tired: it shouldn’t have been like that. We’d had many months of preparation so that was disappointing. If you want to fight for a title then heading into the second moto without any energy is not an option.

I’d worked hard and clocked the hours but it was obviously not quality or our planning was off. I still had a lung problem hanging over from Covid as well. I thought I was 100% but I was actually far from that. I remember especially in Oss [Dutch Grand Prix] it was warm and by the third lap I couldn’t breathe or ride the bike. I was done. I couldn’t get oxygen. It felt like I wasn’t in shape. All the guys were pushing and I couldn’t.

FEATURE

podiums. My lung capacity had shrunk, so with some natural supplements I could breathe much better. It was not a crazy change but it made a difference on the track. I could push more so then we started looking at how I could be stronger right to the end of the second motos and that takes time. You cannot just go mad during the season. We had to change things slowly. At Riola in Sardinia it was hot but I was in good shape and could do with Jeffrey [Herlings] in the second moto; it wasn’t bad when you are pushing at that pace.

I could keep that second position. Then we came to Germany [smiles]. Anyway, I learned a lot about myself and my best condition this year that will help for next season. It’s just a shame I didn’t know all this before Russia!

Does it have a big effect at home and away from racing when things are not going so well?

Yeah, I’m quite sensitive but I’m also lucky to be quite a positive person. I know I did everything I could or was in my hands to do the job. I give 100% always and the people around me know I am working super-hard. When things don’t go well you can think ‘I was not

luck this year’ but then you can also turn it around and say ‘I was lucky on a couple of occasions’. For example, the crash in Germany could have been a very tough moment because it was a very dangerous crash. You try to put everything in a balance and when you’re not 100% then all these things come up.

You try to focus like you are 100% but in reality, you are not ‘there’. You are being too careful, thinking too much about how you will ride and how you will move and react. It’s not a natural situation. [pause] I have to say it’s been a tough season, especially the last month. Mentally as well.

Do people forget how young you are?

I think they do. I’m 20 but I’m skinny, not that big and I’m not naturally strong.

Sometimes I even impress myself with how I can hold onto the 450It doesn’t look like that!

Luckily, I work a lot on that and I need to do it more for the future. The level of MXGP this year has been super-high. I doubt it has ever been better. The pace of the race is totally different. I remember in 2020 I won in Spain – and it’s probably the race I can remember the most about – I pushed for a couple of laps and

then made an easy rhythm. I didn’t have to do anything crazy and then in the last few minutes I pushed a bit more. That was it. This year it’s about pushing from lap one until the end. The pace has changed a lot. If you are not 100% in shape then, pfff, you will suffer a lot. The last ten minutes can be…woah.

The tracks are so bumpy then, especially in the second moto, and it’s tough to hold-on. It’s not impossible but very, difficult. I think when you are 20 you cannot get the heart and the strength of a guy that is 26-27 which is probably the best age for a motocross rider because you have that many years built-up of doing 35-minute motos. Of course, you also have more experience and

knowledge with bike set-up. Sometimes I feel I miss these things, that bigger heart.

Decent results in MXGP must have felt like excellent results in MX2…

Yes. Again, luckily, I’m used to starting in front and usually don’t drop so much!

It does depend on the situation I’m in.

In the last races this year I’m injured, so anything I get is positive. I don’t like it. I don’t like to ride for 5th or 6th position.

I’m not happy when I cannot give 100% and I’m not myself. I know the guys around those positions on the track are very, very strong. A couple of times this year that I started badly or made a mistake; the guys that are in 20th place

JORGE PRADO

“THE SPANISH GP WAS REALLY WELL ORGANISED. I THINK THE GRANDSTAND STRUCTURES ARE THE FUTURE. FANS CAN SEE SO MUCH MORE THAN BEING STUCK BEHIND SOME SORT OF BANNER. THE SPECTATORS WERE JUST AMAZING. MORE THAN TWELVE THOUSAND PEOPLE AND IT FELT LIKE MOST OF THEM WERE CHEERING FOR ME. I STARTED FIRST AND THE REACTION? I’VE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN MY LIFE.”

FEATURE are still fast! This class is definitely not easy, and my starts help me so much because I’m not the best at passing people.

You’re bad at passing?!

Yeah, so bad. I’m used to starting at the front, so I haven’t had to pass many people! It usually takes me a lot of time. I’m also not aggressive, despite what they say. I hope the racecraft will come with time but part of me hopes it comes in a good way because coming through the pack on a 450 is rough. You see people running off the track, having contact, being smashed with stones. I get stressed when I’m near the back. I don’t like it. It stops me ‘attacking’ because I feel the danger. Not good.

Fans and social media had you as the villain after Germany but the crazed scenes that followed you in Spain were intense. I’ve rarely seen public go as mad for any rider…

I got so many messages from people after Germany. Bad messages. Especially from people from Holland! I still get some now and I think if these messages come to light then I think these people will have some very big problems. If you send these messages in Spain then you go to gaol. The people were really rude when it was just a racing incident. I really don’t care about these comments.

These people make them because they are behind the telephone and not in front of my face. It was good that I could get back on the bike and try to race in France. I couldn’t really move my arm so it was tough but the scar got better, the stitches came out afterwards and I

They weren’t cheering for you just because you were winning…

Exactly. I’ve also had a lot of support in the bad times. It was nice to give them something back. We couldn’t have any fans in 2020 and Last Lap did a great job to be able to organise another GP this year. I wasn’t ready to push for the ‘overall’ that day, so a 2nd was already more than enough, more than I could have imagined going into the weekend. It was an outstanding GP. Was it strange though to go from ‘zero to hero’?

It felt that way. But, also, if you see it in a positive way then I think it helped me.

After Teutschenthal I was a little upset about all that had happened and the Spanish fans gave me a lift. It was like a light. I was able to think ‘I’m not doing that bad’. I almost started crying on the podium in Spain, and I was 2nd! The

JORGE PRADO

could train in Italy before Madrid. When I went to Spain I immediately felt ‘I have to do good here…’ I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform. I think I rode the whole Free/Timed Practice session! I was out there for 45 minutes making laps and pushing. I put everything I had out there for a good race day. The spectators were just amazing. More than twelve thousand people and it felt like most of them were cheering for me. I started first and the reaction? I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life. There was so much support and it wasn’t just for one lap it was every single one of both motos. It was nice to feel the warmth of the fans and how much they like and care about you. I’m lucky. Lucky also in that my fans are also big fans of motocross. I could feel that from talking to them or when I was signing autographs-

FEATURE fans were singing the national anthem and they filled the start straight. Like I said, I’ve never seen anything like it. Even talking about it now: it seems like some dream.

From a practical side, how was it? You couldn’t even move around the paddock…

With the one-day format it meant it didn’t affect me so much. We don’t need to move around, and the time passed quickly. The pressure I put on myself meant it was intense. By the time of the second moto I was mentally and physically tired…but I always want to give 100% and that drains energy. At the home GP it was even more like that. I never imagined that I could enjoy a race so much.

What stays with you more when you meet fans? Is it their reactions? Their appreciation of you? Meeting wide-eyed kids?

I wouldn’t say there is just one thing.

There were a couple that asked me to sign their arms on Saturday and they came back on Sunday showing me how they’d just had it tattooed. That was a bit crazy. There are some people that love the racing so much. Sometimes I feel bad because I can only give so much time on a race day. I do try and give as much as I can, and I hope people don’t get mad that they couldn’t get a photo or a signature.

When you meet a little kid who is almost shocked to see you then that’s very cool.

I mean, I’m only 20, I’m not that far from them! When I think that I’m this age, I’m in MXGP and I’m battling for a title; it’s pretty crazy. I always appreciate my life because I’m lucky to live a dream. I’m living my dream. I can be free with my mind. Do what I want. I love it.

Unlike, say, MotoGP, you are one of very few Spaniards cutting the top level in your sport. Do you feel a responsibility to grow motocross in Spain…?

I think we did a pretty good job because I don’t know how many years it’s been since we last had a rider pushing the sport and for world titles. It was hard to get to the level where we are now. I didn’t win in Madrid this year…maybe more people will come if we can push even more to make that happen next time.

Motocross in Spain is growing a lot. I think I helped with the two world titles, and I think it will come up even more. In any sport, when you have someone going for the top then it grows. We need to try and build a nice image to help that and having a Grand Prix in Spain is super-important. I think I also need to race more at home, so fans get to see you and can connect. You get closer to people. I raced one round of the Spanish championship this year and even though it was limited

by Covid it was still cool to do, so I hope I can make another one next season. When I was world champion I went to many [TV] channels that were difficult to get on, especially for a motocross guy. We also now have the Spanish 125 team that is helping young kids get to the world championship. I think we are all helping to expand the sport in a good way. I feel proud that we are opening doors. For Madrid I was getting requests for passes from influencers and people way-outside the sport. The Red Bull Motorsport manager was saying to me that it was incredible to see how many people we were moving. Of course, there is still a lot to do…but I am also very young. I’m hoping we can make a step.

JORGE PRADO

MotoGP

JEREZ TEST November 18-19, Spain

Blogs by David Emmett, Neil Morrison, Photos by CormacGP/Polarity Photo

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MotoGP BLOG

THE COMING RED WAVE It would be fair to say that Ducati has been on a roll recently.

The Desmosedici has won almost half of the MotoGP races in 2021. There has been a Ducati on the podium in all but four of the eighteen races in 2021.

Of the four races there was no Ducati on the podium, the best placed Desmosedici finished fourth on three occasions, fifth on the other. Ducati won the constructors title, the Ducati Lenovo team won the teams’ title, Pramac Ducati won the independent team crown, Johann Zarco was the best independent rider, and Jorge Martin was rookie of the year.

They wrapped up the 2021 season in Valencia with a clean sweep of the front row, their second ever, and their first ever podium lock out, with Pecco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, and Jack Miller finishing with a second of each other, and over five seconds ahead of Joan Mir on the Suzuki in fourth place.

All things considered, it was a good year, despite the Covid-19 induced engine freeze banning development from 2020 to 2021, and limiting development of aerodynamics, always two of Ducati’s strongest points. After winning the race at Valencia, Pecco Bagnaia praised the work done during the 2021 season to turn the Desmosedici from also ran into a bona fide weapon.

“Our bike was the same of last year, more or less,” the Italian told the press conference. “What we changed, I think, is that a ‘not turning bike’ becomes a ‘turning bike’. Now our bike is incredible.” He also pointed to the importance of Ducati’s current rider line up. “I think the riders that are using Ducati are incredible.”

So, the first preseason test of the 2022 season, two days at Jerez, was a chance for Ducati’s rivals to catch up. Unfortunately for Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, Aprilia, and KTM, it also proved to be an opportunity for Gigi Dall’Igna and the brilliant minds he has assembled at Ducati Corse to unleash the two years of ideas

they have been storing up on the MotoGP world. Pecco Bagnaia finished the test as quickest, nearly half a second faster than the man who stood between him and the MotoGP title, Fabio Quartararo. The bad news for the Frenchman is that Bagnaia clocked his fastest time in the middle of an obvious testing run, while Quartararo’s quickest lap was obviously set chasing a fast time on soft rubber at the end of the day.

The list of items Ducati bought to Jerez to improve the GP22 over the GP21 was extensive, and featured parts big and small.

A new engine, with a different character – riders remained tight-lipped, but more torque for better acceleration seems a safe guess – and a strange long exhaust as an obvious experiment with engine character. A new fairing which helped the bike turn better, and modified aero on the fork legs, to accommodate a relocated front holeshot device.

A new rear holeshot device was being trialled too, judging by the changed hydraulic cylinder configuration hiding behind the

BY DAVID EMMETT

front fairing. And that was just the stuff we know about.

“I said that the old bike was perfect already and we are improving this perfect bike,” Bagnaia said afterwards. “The lap time and the pace we are doing with medium tyres and with used tyres is incredible.

This means Ducati have done a really great job because to improve a bike that was already fantastic is not easy.” Those are words that should strike terror into the hearts of Ducati’s rivals.

While Fabio Quartararo did his best to put on a brave front, amidst expressions of frustration at a lack of progress from Yamaha, he also expressed his concerns about the Ducati.

“For me, clearly the old times that Ducati had, it doesn’t turn, it’s a big bike, for me this doesn’t exist anymore,” the Frenchman told us. “I think the Ducati right now, with the combination of the riders – I’m not saying that it’s the bike that makes the difference, because I hate to say that the bike is better – but the bike needs a rider, and the combination of the rider first, and the

bike that Ducati have makes that they are super strong. They are super fast and they look really strong.”

Does all this mean that Ducati will dominate the 2022 MotoGP season? Jack Miller was feeling confident. “I think we were ironing the kinks already out of the GP20 last year with the GP21 which was nearly the same bike. We were able to be very dominant at the back end of the season. Not myself in particular but Pecco and other guys. I think for sure if we can make any improvements I think we have a good chance of it.”

That is bad news for anyone not on a Ducati. And the riders on a Ducati include Pecco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, and Enea Bastianini, all three on a clearly upward trend. Jack Miller, who has a lot to prove, as does Johann Zarco. And Fabio Di Giannantonio, who was stunningly quick on his first outing on a MotoGP bike.

Of course, the really bad news is that Gigi Dall’Igna and his engineers have two months to go away and study the data from Jerez to build an even better bike for the Sepang test when preseason testing resumes in February. Ducati may finally claim the riders championship which has eluded them since Casey Stoner’s 2007 title. And even better, they won’t have to rely on the mercurial talent of a single rider.

MotoGP BLOG

OVERBLOWN OR WORTH THE HYPE? There was something approaching skepticism with regards to Pedro Acosta in the autumn of this year.

The Tiburon de Mazarron’s incredible start to life in the Moto3 world championship had raised expectations to such an extent that a recent run of results in which he scored 7th, 8th and 3rd places in just his 14th, 15th and 16th GPs could be considered something of a crisis.

That, and the fact he was carrying himself with the kind of swagger that would make Kanye West nod his head in approval suggested the 17-year-old might – just might – be taking his eye off the ball. And all of this as chief rival Dennis Foggia was putting together the kind of run that suggested he may be the more complete performer in this year’s Moto3 class.

Well, we all know how the final two races of the year played out.

Acosta’s performance in the Algarve GP showed he had lost

none of that spark as he swept to his sixth win of the season to become the second youngest GP world champion in history at 17 years and 166 days old. How he cut through the field from a poor qualifying of 14th and repeatedly took the fight to Foggia showed that nerves hadn’t even come into it. This was winning a title in a manner befitting a champion.

That cheeky wave to Foggia during warm-up was justified in the end.

It’s that natural confidence which has stood out to those that have met him. Kevin Schwantz was still in awe two days after meeting the Spaniard at the Grand Prix of the Americas. “Oh my gosh, he’s just a kid where you walk in the garage and he pukes confidence,” the ex-500cc champ told me. “He was like, ‘Oh hey! Nice to meet you, my dad used to call me Kevin! What a great kid. Well spoken. Just seems to love what he’s doing.”

He has the swagger. And triumphing this year is a remarkable feat.

But even then, it could be argued he needed the wayward movements of Darryn Binder to settle this year’s title in his favour.

There is also an argument that he is riding the best bike in the class, for the best team. So just how good is Acosta? And how good can he be? Aren’t we in danger of hyping him up ahead of a tricky step up to Moto2?

Well, possibly. But from the evidence we’ve seen so far, Acosta has justified every bit of attention he received. His results to date are staggering. He was victorious in last year’s Red Bull Rookies title, winning six of the twelve races.

He’s averaged 15.2 points per race this year when visiting four tracks – Losail, Le Mans, Silverstone and COTA – for the first time. In recent history, when the Moto3 field has been so even, only Brad Binder and Joan Mir averaged more (and they were in their fifth and second seasons respectively).

As Hervé Poncharal summed up his astonishing track record: “Not everybody has the career of Marc Marquez or Pedro Acosta where everything they do is without problem.”

Watch Acosta braking during any of his six victories in 2021 and it’s clear he has a gift for front

end feel when chucking out the anchors. “You can see he has really strong entry in the corners that makes him a really good race rider,” team boss Aki Ajo told me earlier this year. “He has really good confidence in entry, in both front and rear. He can turn and stop the bike really quickly.

We can see that riding styles are changing and Pedro again brings something new to what even some MotoGP riders are looking for.”

It’s true there was a dip in results midseason. But Acosta revealed on Sunday that his ever-increasing height was causing him some discomfort on the bike.

“I remember races like Silverstone and Aragon when I finished the race with a pain in the back,” he said. “After the summer it was difficult to keep fighting like we were. We started to take points and risked less.

Then we changed some things from Misano to here and we started to be competitive again.”

Little wonder he pushed KTM hard to promote him to Moto2 in 2022.

His secret to staying upbeat even in those difficult moments? Have fun. This was something Team Manager Ajo recognised from the early moments of his working relationship with Acosta. “We need to keep everything fun,” revealed the Finn. “We know that in the sport in many levels things are even too serious. If you are not enjoying it anymore then you can’t do your best or you can’t focus in the best way. With Pedro at the beginning of the year, and now again it’s working really well.

His main goal was to enjoy and then trust in himself.”

Perhaps it’s this atmosphere that allows Acosta to always appear so relaxed. He has that intangible ‘something’ that you can’t quite explain, but means he holds your attention. He doesn’t necessarily fall into the trappings that await most teenagers. “I was asking him after the second race in Qatar, ‘How was the week before you came to Portimao?’ Ajo told me earlier this year. “(Pedro) said, ‘I didn’t open social media and I changed my SIM card!’”

BY NEIL MORRISON

And it’s not arrogance; more a natural belief in what he can do. Take his first appearance in a MotoGP press conference at Jerez. Despite his limited English, he could joke and express himself well. In no way did he look out of place alongside Marquez and Fabio Quartararo. Then how about the advice he offered friend Remy Gardner before the Australian’s own crucial Moto2 outing on Algarve: “(He told me) ‘There’s moments that define you, but you define the moment,’ the Australian later revealed between laughs. “Like a philosopher but from a little kid.”

And that’s even before we get into the style with which he won those six races this year. I mean, not just any regular rider can overcome a 9s deficit and ride through the field to win their first race, as he did in the Doha GP. Or maintain their concentration in light of all the hype as he did at Jerez. Pretty much from the word go, watching Acosta has given you the impression that we were witnessing the beginning of something really special.

And on this year’s evidence, this is just the first chapter.

PRODUCTS

VERTEX PISTONS

As well as piston upgrades for scooters (!) renowned Italian fabricators Vertex have a host of engineering solutions for road bikes and off-road machinery where the firm has excelled in recent years of competition. The hardware for sport bikes has been developed in Moto3 in collaboration with the SIC58 Team and in Superbike and Supersport for 2022 models. They have been forged exclusively for track use and are offered in Replica or High Compression configurations

complete with rings, wristpin and circlips.

Among the advantages are reduced weight and an increased compression ratio that significantly increases engine performance without any loss of reliability. The Vertex Pistons road kits are already on the market for Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, BMW and Ducati 600, 1000 and 1200cc engines and are now available also for KTM DUKEs. For more details through the website click on an image.

www.vertexpistons.com

PRODUCTS

www.ktm.com

KTM At last! KTM have re-sculpted the fantastic 1290 SUPER DUKE R to create an updated version of the sport-touring SUPER DUKE GT. The initial GT was so well received on its launch that it almost pushed the 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S into the shade. We rode one and loved the extra usability but with every throbbing inch of the SUPER DUKE character to hand. The 2022 GT sucks all the assets of the SUPER DUKE to powerful effect. The EURO 5 rated, 175 HP, 141 Nm, 1,301 cc V-twin engine is the heart but the GT boasts a reliable and responsive WP APEX Semi-Active suspension system with anti-dive function. There is a new 7-inch TFT that allows important setup adjustments on the fly while the switchgear controls have been re-designed for the better. The SUPER DUKE’s lightweight wheels are in place and are wrapped by Continental ContiSportAttack 4 rubber. There is a new navigation setup called Turn-by-turn PLUS, which KTM claim will enhance the touring experience and the GT is the first Austrian model to carry the software. Turn-by-turn PLUS should make getting around, even in remote locations, much easier thanks to a list of improvements, such as more options and usability through the TFT. Don’t forget all the tempting PowerParts and PowerWear to augment the GT vibe.

FEATURE

Out

By Adam Wheeler

Photos by Polarity Photo

the other side

JOAN MIR WENT FROM BEING MotoGP #1 TO #3 IN 2021 AND MISSED A GRAND PRIX WIN AS THE SUZUKI MORPHED FROM DESIRABLE ALL-ROUNDERS TO SNAPPY LITTLE UNDERDOGS THAT YAPPED ON SATURDAY AND OCCASIONALLY BARKED ON SUNDAY. HOW DID THE 24-YEAR-OLD COPE WITH THE GLARE OF BEING MotoGP CHAMPION AND HOW DID HE HANDLE THE QUESTIONS AND FINGER-POINTING COMING HIS WAY BY THE END OF THE ’21 TERM? WE SAT DOWN WITH HIM IN VALENCIA TO ASK…

FEATURE

T

here is a light, end-ofseason vibe in our chat with Joan Mir in Valencia. It is the eighteenth and final Grand Prix of a campaign that has been far from a disaster for the reigning champions but also less than outstanding. The Majorcan dealt with being the fresh face of MotoGP but his narrative was swiftly replaced

by Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha, Marc Marquez comebacks and drama and the rise of Pecco Bagnaia and the rule of Ducati.

He’s chatty, chilled, doing media work on a Friday (an unusual slot for a Grand Prix… but much appreciated by this writer) and still has this endearing trait of giggling at own gags or humble assessments of the absurdities around him.

Mir (or more prominently MotoGP fans) might consider 2021 as a disappointment, especially as the Suzuki failed to claim a Grand Prix, but it would be foolish if a wider view diminishes his capabilities as a racer. Don’t forget this is an athlete who won the Moto3 title in his second season and the top prize in only his fifth. #36 is still a relatively young pup.

Mir did not roll onto the second row of the start grid until halfway through the season.

ahead of 2022 - were not the benchmark as they were in 2020. After being praised for its usability last season, the blue bike was downgraded as a machine slow to match the evolution of its rivals (even with the pandemic development freeze still in place) and Suzuki were again labelled as the small but plucky race department snapping at bigger rivals. The world champions deserved a bit better but arguably their real test comes in the build-up to 2022 when they will have to

“I THINK THE TITLE GAVE ME MORE ‘HUNGER’. BEFORE, JUST GETTING ON THE PODIUM MADE ME HAPPY BUT NOW I’M WAITING FOR MORE. IT IS HARD TO ACCEPT THAT I DIDN’T WIN A RACE THIS YEAR...” of the GSXR package. His six podiums were sporadic: two in Portugal at either ends of the season, Mugello, Assen and Red Bull Ring but by the Misano-COTA-Misano section he had all but conceded the championship to either Fabio Quartararo or Pecco Bagnaia.

Mir looked like he was fighting to quell his frustration during moments of 2021. His debriefs could be brief and terse as he was repeatedly asked to explain why Suzuki – and their committee-run leadership scheme, that was dumped

demonstrate progress to placate Mir. The rider has been publicly supportive of the team and the manufacturer but it’s hard to imagine his patience lasting for long if Suzuki cannot hike their competitiveness.

We bring this up with him at some point…but he’s also keen to veer away from the asphalt. We also wanted to know about the episode in his life where a dream was achieved but what happened when he woke up?

JOAN MIR

The lack of Saturday efficiency was undoubtedly a contributor to Sunday mediocrity as the term was marked by even closer race times, the slight advantages of ride height devices and the progress of the Desmosedici and, to a lesser degree, the Aprilia RS-GP that added more diversity to the upper half of the top ten disputes.

The champion regularly had to force the issue and run-ins, with Jack Miller in particular, were visual evidence of how much he roamed the limits

FEATURE

You went from being MotoGP champion to going through a tough title defence and then slipping into this status as underdog again in a period of twelve months. How did being MotoGP #1 change your life?

Well, I won in the year of Covid. What makes you famous is how you make the people feel and when there is nobody here [at the circuits] then the sensation of followers is less. Of course, winning the championship was a big thing for me but I don’t think the impact was the same as

winning a ‘normal’ MotoGP title. This is the truth. It’s not that I want to be famous, and I’m not in MotoGP to be famous. I love riding bikes and I love being in MotoGP but the worst part for me is not being able to go somewhere with my wife. People want photos and that’s fine…but I think I’d just prefer to be a MotoGP rider!

I gave 100% and I won last year, which was great, but the fame was probably the worst part!

Being the Covid-champion[laughs] That sounds bad!

Sorry. Putting it differently: people have seen you more through the TV and screens rather than in person…

Yes, and that’s another reason why they look at you in another way. I think my face is not really well known. People know that Joan Mir won MotoGP last year but they don’t necessarily know what I look like. It’s like I said, what gives you more followers and a following is when you can emotionally connect, and you can do that with what your actions on the track. It’s also possible away from the track but not in the same way. Last year I was not able to celebrate the title with anybody.

Nobody! Just my team, which was good in its own way but it wasn’t nice when you cannot be with your supporters and all the fans. Very strange.

Did realising your ambition give you more confidence in your life generally? You got married quickly afterwards…

Yes, when you are successful in your life and your job then

JOAN MIR

Did you find that friends and family looked at – or treated – you a bit differently?

Yes, this is true. It’s almost like you have more respect.

Unconsciously they look at you in a different way. It’s also something I don’t like much!

But…it’s fine.

FEATURE

you are more sure in yourself.

You know the way you are approaching life is good.

An example?

Of the difference…? Well, when you train. If you ride motocross, for example, and you are not getting good results in your job then you are asking more questions: ‘am I training well?’ ‘Am I training hard enough?’ Those little doubts are not there if your job is going OK. I know if I am super-fast in motocross and I can take the MotoGP bike and perform well then everything is in a good direction. The faster I am there, the faster I am here.

Life is more peaceful, I’d say!

Did you ride or train with more motorcycles because of the Covid delay?

I’ve trained in motocross all of my career and when we moved to Andorra I found there were more circuits in reach. In France we go to Bud Racing’s place and find some sand. In Mallorca I was never able to ride sand!

This meant I could improve my skills and my level. I also rode dirt track and some other activities, that’s why I think I made another step with my riding.

In 2021 were you riding better than ever…but the results didn’t really show it?

Yes, and this is frustrating.

I’m faster than ever – especially in my training and preparation – and I feel stronger than ever. I feel I am riding the MotoGP bike in the best way ever but…the results? Well, we cannot say we had a bad season because we had six podiums but for sure I expected more.

Wednesday. The day before I was already riding motocross.

We did the media work and I was then training again. I think the title gave me more ‘hunger’. Before, just getting on the podium made me happy but now I’m waiting for more. It is hard to accept that I didn’t win a race this year.

This is frustration. At Misano 2 I was ‘collapsed’. My mind was not on the job and I was not doing what I wanted to do.

I don’t know how to explain it exactly but I then stopped

anything to do with bikes for one week. It was a break that I hadn’t made since January.

I then came to Portimao and had one of my best weekends.

The getaway was a solution then…

A solution or perhaps it was just all the work I’d done during the season [was too much]. If you ‘collapse’ at the end of the season then that’s OK but to do it three races before the end? I was asking too much of myself.

You mention motocross a lot.

It’s a risky way to train but does the freedom of the discipline give you some sort of ‘release’?

I think if I improve my skills in motocross then I am improving them on motorbikes generally. Probably I do disconnect from road racing but I’m not disconnecting from that wish to improve myself every single day. I’m not a rider that uses motocross to ‘chill’. If I go out then I want to be fast.

I want to do all the jumps and if there is a guy there that is riding the European Championship [EMX] then I want to follow and measure myself!

There is not a lot of time to disconnect. I’m a super-competitive guy. I want to be the best in anything I do.

Does this piss-off your wife sometimes? [giggles] Exactly!

JOAN MIR

‘Is Joan Mir better than this bike?’ was a question that gradually surfaced this season. It seems a bit hasty considering the combination was the best less than a year ago and you have always been very positive about your situation.

But were there some doubts?

Well, it’s frustrating of course.

When I won the title in Valencia we moved to Portimao and then the season ended and I started doing some interviews in Madrid on the

FEATURE

Are you pretty quick off-road?

I think I’m ‘there’!

250 or 450?

450. I was riding motocross before road racing, so normally I feel pretty good with it. Also, I have to say coming back to your earlier question, I don’t ride motocross how I really want to.

Ah, so you don’t push much?

Oh, I push, but I don’t ride as much as I want or in different places just because of the calendar and because I also like to make some dirt track.

There is only so much time.

Motocross in the sand? A completely different story. I remember my first time. Afterwards I said ‘f**king hell, we have a lot of work to do…’ In sandy conditions it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel! You need a lot of laps and years of experience. Don’t go to Holland! One of the first times I went to Bud Racing, the track was totally destroyed with a lot of ruts. I came in and said ‘er, guys, will you be fixing the track?’ and they said ‘no, today it’s like this, we’ll fix it tomorrow’. I thought ‘maybe I don’t ride today…’! It was unbelievable. I really suffered.

How much does it burn when people say ‘he isn’t a top rider, he hasn’t won many races, he’sThey don’t know me. I don’t care. I have no interest in people

that say this. They should hear the people that live and work and train with me every day and every race. The people that form their own opinion [without knowledge] mean nothing to me. It’s like this.

They make me feel like I’m not a top rider but my value inside my team, to the manufacturers and to people that know about motorcycles is totally different.

I’m not worried.

Is it hard to block that out?

Everybody tends to read about themselves…

This is something I’m pretty good at. I just read the good messages! The ones that are negative I am able to block, and probably I have quite a few! This is only the beginning of my career. If people like me or not…in only a couple of years here I have two titles and I know this will have even more value over the years.

“THE PEOPLE THAT FORM THEIR OWN OPINION [WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE] MEAN NOTHING TO ME. IT’S LIKE THIS...”

JOAN MIR XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXX

PRODUCTS

BOOKS It’s almost December. A good moment to get some orders made online, and the end of 2021 brings some decent books into the shelves. Firstly, there is Stan Leroux’s MXGP annual ‘MXGP Album 2021’ with the usual round-up of races, interviews and other content that charts one of the best seasons in the history of the FIM Motocross World Championship. Now in its 13th year the book comes in two cover choices (Maxime Renaux or Tony Cairoli) and records the campaign through 192 glossy and high-quality pages. The book is available from early December. Sticking with motocross and Rob Andrews in-depth memoir of 1980s 500cc Grand Prix racing, ‘The Inside Line’, is now entering a third print run after an unsurprisingly positive reception. As we’ve previously mentioned, Andrews’ account is detailed, personal and captivating and is helped by a tremendous selection of imagery presented in an appealing 416-page layout. “I have been thrilled with the book’s reception and success,” he says. “I have received such amazing feedback, and many have commented that reading it made them feel like they were ‘on the journey with me’. To me that is a huge compliment and very satisfying.” Click on a picture to go to the website.

‘Open’ and has launched in his nature country but an English version is expected

by March 2021.

With Valentino Rossi flipping up the MotoGP visor for the final time in 2021, a raft of tomes is emerging to celebrate the Italian’s career and to try and encapsulate the impact he’s had on the sport.

Renowned Spanish journalists Pepe Burgaleta, Juan Pedro de la Torre and Chechu Lázaro have put together ‘Valentino Rossi. Che Spettacolo’; a 260-page roundup of #46’s career with over 400 photos and essays on his races and influence. The book is in Spanish but is very reasonably priced at 15 euros and is amazingly detailed. It also looks at the Rossi’s custom helmets and liveries through more than a quarter of a century of GP action. A different take, and in English, is Mat Oxley’s tireless work to chart every single one of Valentino Rossi’s races and then offer a wider portrait of the man. ‘Valentino Rossi: All his races’ will not be printed until January but comes in a glossy 336 pages and photos all the way through the icon’s career. Slick presentation and Oxley’s writing means this is the definitive statement on the man himself.

Last, but not least, we have 15 copies of a Marc de Reuver has promised full special print edition of OTOR 2021 with a disclosure on an unconventional career that selection of the best features and photomixed elite success, injury, controversy, graphs from 2021 for sale at 25 euros each. personal demons and defiance. The Interested buyers can send us an email at Dutchman’s autobiographical exposition, adam@ontrackoffroad.com and we’ll get written with journalist Tim Gerth, is called the postman busy.

MX BLOG

BACK TO THE 338...

CREATED THANKS TO

This past week Rockstar Husqvarna’s Zach Osborne announced his retirement from the sport of SX/MX. Osborne had another year left on his deal but a disc injury in his back didn’t improve as much as he would’ve liked so he hung up the goggles rather than go through a season where he couldn’t practice enough as he would’ve liked to stay competitive.

You might remember that there was a rumor going around this summer that he was indeed ‘done’ and that was the case. He was going to take a role with the team as a rider coach/test rider but then his back got better with some rehab, he flew to Austria for a meeting with the upper brass at KTM and it was decided he would go out for one more year.

Alas, it was not to be. The back injury flared up again and Osborne, to his credit, told Austria that the best he could do was ride a couple of

days a week and get fifths at best. He didn’t want to take the money to do that (other riders surely would’ve) and that he was out. The job of rider/coach wasn’t available to go back to due to internal team politics and he was completely out with the team that he helped deliver four titles. There’s no doubt that Zach’s not stoked to not have a role with the team and the tensions are a bit high over there.

But either way you slice it, Zach Osborne’s had a hell of a career in the sport and a most unlikely one at that. A MX2 GP winner, 250SX and MX race winner and champion, a 450MX race winner and title and a 450SX race winner. Osborne’s done it all in the sport and as far as we here at RacerX can tell, one of only eight riders in the history of the sport to have done that, joining Cooper

Webb, Eli Tomac, Kevin Windham, Chad Reed, Ken Roczen, Marvin Musquin and Mike Kiedrowski.

A highly touted American amateur rider coming up, Osborne flamed out in the USA with factory KTM and Yamaha of Troy and was forced to take a ride in the GPs with the English based Steve Dixon team. It was there that Osborne, unlike so many other American riders who headed over the Atlantic after not much success in the USA, thrived. He rode hard, found some billing in Europe and rebuilt his career a bit.

But even those MX2 results weren’t going to get him on the radar of many top American teams.

No, it was Zach heading back to America to race the opening rounds of the 2012 Supercross series with the support of Dixon.

BY ADAM WHEELER

BY STEVE MATTHES He collected a couple of podiums at the end of his stay and that led into a GEICO Honda deal for a couple of years. Osborne was back in the USA and if he had hung it up after his two years on the Honda, it still would’ve been a successful career for Osborne as not many racers make it back here on factory equipment.

perhaps an even better guy off it. Thoughtful, articulate and not someone who ever looked to point fingers at results that maybe weren’t as good as he (and we) thought they should be, Zach Osborne is the epitome of a pro’s pro.

You know the rest of the story, after two years at Honda he jumped to the Husqvarna squad, trained with Aldon Baker and that, combined with riding with Ryan Dungey, Marvin Musquin and Jason Anderson day in and day out got him to a new level.

Race wins and titles followed for Osborne as well as two chances to ride for Team USA at the MXDN.

I think the KTM group is really missing out on not keeping him on the team to help out the riders they currently have, he’s got the ability to help riders and hopefully at some point he can come back under the umbrella. To not have Osborne around the sport is a blow to it for sure.

For now, Zach’s going to help an amateur kid or two, maybe race some off-road races like GNCC’s here or there (provided his back allows it) and try to figure out what’s next.

Along the way fans, media and the teams he rode for discovered that as great as he was on the track he was

Take a bow Zach Osborne, you’ve earned it in what is a most unlikely, amazing career in the sport.

SX/MX BLOG

THE LINE ROLLS ON

CREATED THANKS TO

What will the starting line of professional AMA motocross races look like in three to seven years?

The recent wave of retirement announcements by riders is an appropriate reminder that they have a finite amount of time to reach accomplishments, earn paychecks, or fill the mantle with trophies, and it’s something that we will see more of as the current list of contenders near their 30s. But don’t let the list of farewell posts get you down, because the search for the “next big thing” never stops, and a handful of racers have already had championship hopes pinned onto them by their respective OEMs. Over the past two decades, every decision-maker at an American-based factory team has subscribed to the same ideals: find a young amateur with a stack of “titles” to their credit, get them to sign a multi-year contract that covers their pro debut, send a paycheck

that could support the entire family, and hope they live up to the expectations. Ideally, said rider would stay with the same OEM from the SuperMini to the 450 Class, but that seldom occurs, especially if energy drink affiliations, financial compensation, or a lack of results get brought into the situation.

Struggles by wunderkinds and successes by lesserknown peers have put this theory to the test, though, and it’s happening at the highest level. A lot can be taken from the Chase Sexton-Austin Forkner situation. Close in age and background (Forkner is 23 and from Missouri, Sexton is 22 and from Illinois), the two were fixtures of Midwest tracks during their adolescence, yet only one was billed as a future Supercross champion before

he ever rode a big bike.

Forkner has gotten elite support from Kawasaki since 2011, first as a mini cycle rider for Team Green, while Sexton was brought to Honda through the now-defunct AMSOIL/Factory Connection Honda program in 2015 as a 250 B rider.

Forkner was the first to go pro, as he joined Mitch Payton’s Monster Energy/ Pro Circuit/Kawasaki squad in 2016, finished in the topfive and won races as a true rookie, and established his role a front-runner in the 250 Class. Sexton’s debut came with GEICO Honda in 2017, and although he finished in the top-10 often, he wasn’t considered an immediate threat to Forkner.

The 2019 250 East Coast SX region was a turning point in both riders’ careers. Five Main Event wins by Forkner

BY ADAM WHEELER

BY MIKE ANTONOVICH had him well ahead in the point standings, but a hard crash in practice at the Nashville round caused severe damage to ligaments in his knee, which forced him to sit out that night’s race. Although Sexton didn’t win that evening in Tennessee, his secondplace finish in the Main Event closed the gap in the standings and set the stage for a suspenseful showdown in New Jersey. Unfortunately, Forkner’s attempt to ride through the pain proved impossible, and his withdrawal opened a clear path to the title for Sexton.

It’s no secret that the years since have been a challenge for Forkner. The knee injury required reconstructive surgery and a lengthy recovery, something he managed to complete in time for another run at a 250 SX title in 2022, but a hard crash at the finale in Salt Lake City required emergency surgery for lifethreatening internal injuries.

It is understood that Forkner

is entering the final stint of his current Kawasaki contract, and if he does not add a championship plate to the door of the PC rig in 2022, it’s likely he will not be re-signed or promoted to the Monster Energy Kawasaki team in the 450 Class. Sexton, meanwhile, is in the middle of a multi-year deal with Team Honda HRC, an agreement that will see him on the red bike through 2023, and has won multiple 450 Class races in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.

A similar situation is taking shape between Jett Reynolds and Levi Kitchen. Reynolds, a longtime Team Green rider and protégé of the Pro Circuit program with a private track in his California backyard, has been derailed by broken bones or bad luck over the past two years. Kitchen, meanwhile, was a virtual unknown from the woods of Washington that won his way into a ride with Star Racing last year. The duo’s final amateur duels and

transition to the pro ranks last summer were highly anticipated but postponed after Reynolds busted his collarbone at Loretta Lynn’s.

Both riders have now turned their full attention to 2022 are set to make their SX debut in the 250 Class.

Who’s next in the pipeline?

We’ll get a better idea of that in 2022, thanks in part to the addition of the 250 SX Futures division at the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross Championship. This revamped effort by the AMA and Feld Entertainment, which aims to help aspiring riders learn the skills of Supercross, is part of a larger plan to advance amateur racing in the US by letting them put in laps on the same tracks as the pros, experience a full race day, and compete for a nationally recognized title.

The seven Supercross rounds that will include the 250 SX Futures Class will be Oakland, Anaheim Two, Glendale, Arlington, Atlanta, Foxborough, and Salt Lake City.

By Align Media

PRODUCTS

PROTAPER Check out some juicy accessories or parts from supreme specialist ProTaper. The innovative American brand have a wireless hour metre using vibration-sensing tech to track the life of the motorcycle. Installation is apparently a cinch with a peel-and-stick system that can be bolstered by cable-ties for the sceptical. The metre costs just 49.99 dollars and could save a costly trip to the workshop. Dodge any hand or fingers issues with the light but strong brush guard kits (from 49.99 to 52.30) in seven different colours: yellow, white, red, orange, blue, green and black. The plastic is injection moulded while the mount is of aluminium and the bolts are stainless steel.

The kits fit all oversized and 7/8” bars.

Covers, ‘donuts’ and glue for grips will pad out any tool box or van container for those crucial maintenance moments. Lastly, don’t forget to keep the bike in a sturdy position to and from the track or the trail with the swivel carabiner tie-downs. This patented design is long and wide with 84”x1.5” nylon webbing and provides 1200lb (or 544kg) of industrial strength. They have a non-slip cam buckle and a hook-and-loop storage strap to wind and ensure better storage. Expect to pay the odd price of 38.26 dollars.

www.protaper.com

9.5 HELMET KIT // 4.5 BOOTS // 3DF BODY TEE

GEAR UP & RIDE 2022 MOTO 5.5 JERSEYS & PANTS

Tried and tested race fit. The 2022 Moto 5.5 Jersey and Pants is our top line riding gear. The Jersey is ultra-light, has welded seems for comfort, and offers ample ventilation while the stretch mesh ensures a race fit no matter what protection you choose. Full grain leather knees, engineered durability, and lightweight design make the 5.5 pants unbeatable. They also feature our Internal Knee brace System, that keeps knee brace wear and tear to a minimum.

THE SCIENCE OF THRILL

LEATT.COM

TEST

MULTIPLAYER

By Roland Brown, Photos by Roland Brown & KTM

TEST

F

or many off-road riders, it’s the unanswerable question: how do you combine a dirtbike’s essential attributes of lightness, agility and simplicity with the need to reach the rough stuff by road – and with the street rider’s contrasting requirements of cruising ability, comfort and sophistication? The demands of motorways and muddy forest tracks are so different that no bike can truly excel on both.

That hasn’t prevented KTM’s Enduro R from having a serious crack at it for more than a decade. While big, multi-cylinder adventure models have dominated the market, despite their weight and size, the Austrian firm’s dirt-friendly single has ploughed its own furrow, joined in recent years by sister marque Husqvarna’s nearidentical 701 Enduro.

The big-single format makes plenty of sense when it involves KTM’s LC4 engine, which over the years has grown in capacity and performance while gaining sophistication via numerous revisions. In this latest 693cc form it kicks out 74bhp at 7500rpm, and revs that high while remaining impressively smooth, helped by a second balancer shaft in the cylinder head.

The LC4 unit is also compact and light, which allows the whole 690 Enduro R to have a claimed dry weight of 148kg.

That’s around 40kg heavier than a true off-roader like KTM’s 500 EXC-F, but almost 50kg lighter than the firm’s 890 Adventure R, arguably the most dirt-oriented of the mid-capacity adventure class challengers.

You’ve only got to take one glance at the 690 Enduro R to confirm that it’s a much more serious off-roader than most of those. It’s tall, slim and pretty basic, an impression that remains after you’ve hoiked a leg over the firm, narrow seat.

The minimalist instrument panel now includes a gear indicator and tacho, but the latter merely consists of a crude line of digital 8 numerals that grows at slightly random intervals as the revs rise.

It’s typical of the 690 that the more important electronics work much better. You can now switch between Street and Offroad rider modes at the press of a button, the latter softening power delivery slightly, optimising front-wheel ABS and disabling the rear. And you can turn off the ABS and/or the impressively subtly-acting traction control, which given the single’s power is well worth having on slippery surfaces.

KTM 690 ENDURO R

TEST

“WHEN YOU HIT THE DIRT THE 690 END AND ITS ADVANTAGE OVER BIKES WITH M BARELY NEED TO PAUSE WHEN YOU TUR HANDLEBAR BUTTON TO SELECT MODE THE ORANGE SINGLE ONTO THE LOOSE S

KTM 690 ENDURO R

DURO R REALLY SHOWS ITS WORTH – MORE CYLINDERS AND WEIGHT. YOU RN OFF THE HIGHWAY. JUST PRESS THE 2, STAND UP ON THE FOOTRESTS AND AIM STUFF...”

TEST

Stability at speed is impeccable, and although the long-travel suspension inevitably gives a slightly vague feel when cornering, the multi-adjustable WP units are sufficiently firm and well damped to make quick road riding fun. The 21in front wheel’s single, 300mm Brembo disc and twin-pot caliper give reasonable stopping power, and the Mitas tyres grip respectably well despite sharing the bike’s offroad bias.

When you hit the dirt the 690 Enduro R really shows its worth – and its advantage over bikes with more cylinders and weight. You barely need to pause when you turn off the highway, apart from perhaps to let some air out of the tyres: just press the handlebar button to select Mode 2, stand up on the footrests and aim the orange single onto the loose stuff.

Suddenly that narrow seat feels just right, because you’re gripping it with your legs to help control a bike that steers superbly and responds faithfully when you nudge the wide handlebar or weight the footrests. The engine’s low-rev delivery is crisp and the fuelling sweet, whether you’re splashing through a muddy puddle or cracking the throttle enthusiastically on a gravelcovered fire road.

The chassis comes into its own off-road, too. Notably the suspension, which floats over minor obstacles and copes effortlessly with lumps and ruts that would give many so-called dual-purpose bikes hysterics. My off-road riding mostly involved English mud but having ridden a 690 over Spanish rocks and sand I can confirm it works equally well there. And if you get things wrong, that lack of weight becomes even more useful…

Unfortunately the 690 Enduro R is no lightweight on price, which (at £8999 in the UK) is comparable to plenty of alternatives with more cylinders and capacity. For that sort of money you might hope for an aluminium (rather than plastic) bash-plate and some luggage-carrying ability, if not for self-cancelling indicators.

But the Enduro R is built to a high standard and at least it’s

relatively inexpensive to run, with 50mpg-plus economy and fairly generous streetbike service intervals.

It can also be made more serious still via numerous accessories, both factory and aftermarket. The perfect dual-purpose bike will surely never be created – those contrasting requirements for street and dirt use will see to that. But for the time being, the 690 Enduro R arguably gets closer than anything else.

KTM 690 ENDURO R

As a streetbike the Enduro R is very capable, at least for a bike with a generous 250mm of suspension travel at each end. Its straight-line performance is outstanding for a single, whether you’re enjoying the lively, quickshifter enhanced acceleration on a twisty back road or cruising at up to 90mph, battered by the breeze but untroubled by vibration.

v

PRODUCTS

HUSQVARNA MOTORCYCLE The Norden 901 broke ground in November with an exhaustive press launch in the Azores. From the coverage we’ve seen so far then the blend of information/judgement and humour provided by 44Teeth is a decent and entertaining watch (have a click to see the video) for a bike that seems to have changed little from its prototype unveiling at EICMA two years ago. The Norden 901 shouts ‘premium’ over its KTM 890 ADVENTURE ‘sister’. The ergonomics are still expertly chiselled for the best compromise between travelling comfort and optimum handling on any terrain.

The feel and the agility of the Norden 901 seems to be one of the striking observations and praise-points from the first try-outs. Design and looks are always subjective and while one person will embrace the dark and functional look of the Norden another will see it as boxy and bulky. As for the tech specs, count on offroad and street ABS, lean angle sensors for the Cornering Motorcycle Traction Control, WP APEX suspension, Easy Shift function for clutchless changes, a 19l fuel tank, an Optimal Connectivity Unit for turn-byturn navigation as well as Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres on the tubeless, spoked wheels. The Husqvarna Motorcycles Functional Apparel Collection means it is easy to look trick while on the bike and Husqvarna Motorcycles Technical Accessories will sort any luggage demands or requirements. No words on pricing yet but don’t expect anything this sleek to be bottom dollar.

www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com

ES

ENJOY YOUR RIDE

WorldSBK BLOG

THE KING IS DEAD. LONG LIVE THE KIN The Jonathan Rea Era came to a close in Indonesia with an air of inevitability. Toprak Razgatlioglu is the new Superbike World Champion and the most exciting rider in the world...

It was fitting that after six years of unrivalled success that Jonathan Rea’s tenure as WorldSBK Champion came to a close with the Kawasaki rider claiming yet another victory. The Northern Irishman gave everything he had throughout this year and was riding as well as during any of his title winning seasons (yes, some mistakes were made as well) but the batton was passed to Toprak Razgatlioglu.

That’s what makes the Turkish star’s campaign so impressive. He didn’t achieve his title in a ‘down’ year for Rea. He forced errors out of the champion and put him on the ropes.

of the season about how if he was “winning races that the title would take care of itself.” It was easy to think this was the naivety of a first time contender. He was going up against the GOAT and the challenge was sure to be intense. The nods around the paddock was that Toprak’s plight would be fun while it lasted. At the Dutch Round when Garrett Gerloff skittled his fellow Yamaha rider it looked like it could be over before it really started.

Rea had done the treble and Toprak was 37 points adrift.

Nobody traditionally makes up that sort of margin over Rea with half a season remaining. But then nobody told Razgatlioglu.

Throughout 2021 Razgatlioglu amazed everyone with the approach.

He spoke in the early days

Rea would ace another five races. Toprak would win ten.

He’d claim more podiums and ever greater momentum.

By the time the series swung into Portimao, Rea was on the rocks. The Algarve venue has been his favourite track since making his WorldSBK debut in 2008. If he was to make a last stand it would be here. Crashes out of the lead in Race 1 and the Superpole Race meant Rea went to the end of season fly away rounds down by 24 points.

It was now Razgatlioglu’s championship to lose.

The Yamaha rider’s mindset never changed though. Right through to his title-bagging Indonesian podium he was trying to win. He’s everything that fans want a world class racer to be. On the bike he’s spectacular and off the bike he’s unique. Toprak’s life is based around bikes and doing everything he can to win. He was trained by Kenan Sofuglu to win and he has the same

NG

BY ADAM WHEELER

BY STEVE ENGLISH determination as his mentor but even better racecraft.

That ability came to the fore throughout 2021 with barto-bar scraps but never any contact with rivals. The most refreshing part was that Toprak could ‘take it’ just as well as dish it out. If someone got the better of him in a scrap he was the first to give them a thumbs up on the cooling lap. If anyone got upset, such as Scott Redding in Most, he simply moved on from it and ticked it off as a mental victory.

Toprak has the talent to be in MotoGP. His speed, consistency and battling nature are everything we want to see on track.

He also knows his value. When Yamaha offered him a satellite bike for 2022 he rejected it. As it turned out the Petronas Yamaha squad fell by the wayside and Toprak’s decision proved to be a blessing. Next summer though the big paddock will come calling and we’ll see his resolve.

When asked about moving paddock’s during his Champion’s Press Conference he joked that “I’ve always been keen to go to BSB. It looks like fun.”

MotoGP has never looked like fun to Razgatlioglu. After spending two years in the Red Bull Rookies Cup, and winning a race, he never felt at home.

The pressure and the cut throat nature of Grand Prix has never sat well with him.

Toprak Razgatlioglu is a product of the WorldSBK paddock.

A STK600, STK1000 and Superbike star he feels at home there. He knows the journalists and the teams and doesn’t have the same pressure he would have in MotoGP. Travelling from Turkey for 13 rounds versus 21 rounds means his life is good. He earns good money and he wins races. It’s hard to beat that life for Razgatlioglu.

The only reason he’ll look to move to MotoGP is for a factory seat that gives him a guaran-

teed shot at winning races and challenging for a title. He’s not interested in giving his heart and soul and getting the most out of himself and his bike to finish eighth when there’s the chance to be #1.

Razgatlioglu is Rea’s heir as the King of WorldSBK but if he stays in Superbike it will be by choice rather than being overlooked.

PRODUCTS

YAMAHA The Milan EICMA exhibition returned for 2021 and although not at full punching power in terms of brands was still able to put on a show in the Italian metropolis. Yamaha showed off two new models as the company finally managed to attract Valentino Rossi to the expo (unbelievably) for the first time.

The recently-retired racing icon unwrapped a special GYTR R1 Tribute with at least 18 special parts from WorldSBK development; from the tank to the carbon subframe to the Brembo brakes and trick Öhlins kit. Thoughts on the livery? It was made by Rossi’s friend and helmet-design wizard Aldo Drudi. To be honest, we’re a little underwhelmed but through tech specs alone Rossi certainly won’t be slow when he takes to Misano with the other VR46 riders. Yamaha expanded their Hyper-Naked line-up with the MT-10; the ‘daddy’ of the MT roster since popping up in 2016. The Japanese say the bike has ‘an uprated version of the acclaimed CP4 engine benefitting from increased power and torque, plus lower emissions for EU5 and improved fuel consumption. Now fitted with a 6-axis IMU offering a full suite of electronics the rider benefits from better control of the power, while new features like the up/ down Quick Shifter and tuned inlets further improve the riding experience.’ Don’t expect the MT-10 to land in Europe until early 2022.

global.yamaha-motor.com

BACK PAGE

By Polarity Photo

ON TRACK OFF ROAD

‘On-track Off-road’ is a free, monthly 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 MXGP, the AMA Motocross and Supercross series’, MotoGP, WorldSBK as well as the latest bike tests.

‘On-track Off-road’ will be published online at www.ontrackoffroad.com on the last Wednesday of the month. 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 Mike Antonovich AMA SX Blogger Cormac Ryan-Meenan MotoGP Photographer www.cormacgp.com Rob Gray/Polarity Photo MotoGP Photographer David Emmett MotoGP Blogger Neil Morrison MotoGP Blogger & Feature writer Steve English WSB Blogger & Feature writer Lewis Phillips MXGP Blogger Roland Brown Tester/Columnist Núria Garcia Cover Design Gabi Álvarez Web developer Hosting FireThumb7 - www.firethumb7.co.uk Thanks to www.mototribu.com for the share PHOTO CREDITS CormacGP, Ray Archer, Polarity Photo, KTM, 6D, Align Media Cover shot: 2021 MXGP World Champion 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’.