Transmoto: The Dirt Journals - Honda Special Edition

THE

THE

DIRT

HONDA SPECIAL EDITION

J O U R N A L S Established

2014

Digital Flipbook

04

CONTENTS

PAGE

2

INSIDE CODY COOPER’S CRF450R RACE BIKE

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12 PAGE

THE RESURRECTION OF BEN TOWNLEY

20 PAGE

TEAM HRC’S DAKAR RALLY WEAPON

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28 PAGE

A L E X S A LV I N I ’ S E W C W O R L D TITLE-WINNING CRF450R

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BIKE DISSECTED

COOPER’S

RETURN TO RED We all know Cody Cooper has the speed to run with the best in the world, and he’s done exactly that on many occasions. The chariot that’s going to help him do it this year is his all-new Penrite Oil Honda CRF450R factory weapon. What makes it so special? Read on to find out…

BEN FOSTER

PIXEL PIG

BIKE: 2014 Honda CRF450R TEAM: Penrite Oil Honda Racing MANAGER: Mike Landman RIDER: Cody Cooper

C

ody Cooper’s no stranger to Australian shores or to racing on red bikes. The Kiwi rider has been racing here – and around the world – with some exemplary results since the early 2000s. Sure he’s won races and Lites-class titles in Australia, but he has struggled to convert his premier-class dominance in New Zealand into an MX1-class national title on Aussie soil.

Hoping to see the return to results that saw him grab an MX Nats Lites title for Honda way back in 2004,

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MECHANIC: Blair Meyer Cooper made the switch from Suzuki to Honda this year. His plan was to pump some fresh blood through the veins and take a reinvigorated approach to snatch MX1-class glory.

Like so many times before, Cooper was nearly untouchable on home soil and owned the 2014 NZ MX Championship, finishing 50 points clear of Yamaha’s Billy Mackenzie – who no doubt would have been a serious threat for his MX1-class assault across the ditch. But, alas, things definitely didn’t go to plan.

An off-the-track trip into a metal pole – that was part of an uncovered section of fencing – at the MX Nats series opener in Broadford, left Coops with a fractured eye socket, cheekbone and a terrible start to his season. Still, there’s no doubt his bike is one of the best-looking in the pits. As he already proved it’s up to the task of taking on the best. We got an insight into what makes this bike so competitive, and then asked his rival of many years, Cam Taylor, to tell us what the beast is like to ride.

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BIKE DISSECTED

RADIATOR SHROUDS Cooper has really long legs and has a tendency to get them caught on the OEM radiator shrouds. To remedy the issue, the team cuts a strip off a spare set of shrouds and rivets it to the top of the existing ones. The mod came from Ben Townley, who had similar problems.

TRIPLE CLAMPS & WHEELS There’s not a whole lot about these parts that are different to standard-issue items. Coops keeps the standard-offset triple clamps, and the wheels are pretty much the same as normal. Excel A60 rims are laced to EZE hubs. EZE also make the spokes and nipples. They’re claimed to have excellent durability and strength.

SEAT

REAR BRAKE This is an aftermarket part that Cody likes to use to eliminate brake fade or his fluid boiling during a race. Cody uses a custom-made cylinder extension and a Zeta cap. This cylinder extension allows him to run an extra 15-20ml of fluid, which helps keep his brakes a lot cooler.

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Cody’s very particular about having a firm seat and has to have a new, or near-new, seat for every race. He hates having a soft seat. Blair tried running two covers to keep it firm, but once they got to Oz, the parts budget became a bit better and they’re now able to accommodate changing it regularly. Blair doesn’t pressure wash the seats – he just uses a damp cloth and wipes them down as the water softens the foam really quickly.

RIDER – CODY COOPER

M

oving back to Honda was an easy choice for me. They still have that ‘sittingin’ feel to them, which I really liked the last time I rode one. I love my current bike and we worked pretty hard in the off-season

and during the early Kiwi races to get it working exactly how I want it. I had a good base to start from, as we had one of Townley’s old bikes. From there, it was just small steps in the right direction that made a big difference in the long run. We spent a heap of time on the suspension and just got it working so well. It’s easily one of my favourite race bikes I’ve ever had.”

FOOTPEG MODS Cody really likes the Works Connection footpeg guards. This is another recent thing, because he had trouble with mud getting under the pegs and jamming them up.

These guards stop the mud, are a clean and easy fit and the team just runs a bit of grip tape on the front, as Cody likes to hook his legs in for starts. He also likes a really sharp footpeg that gives him the best grip on the bike, so they run Raptors.

MECHANIC – BLAIR MEYER

I

love working with Cody.

I’ve worked with him before; although it was a while ago in New Zealand, so I kind of knew what to expect this year. Like any mechanic would, I always try to make things perfect on the bike and

that’s what Cody wants as well. He needs to be thinking about racing, not worrying about things on the bike.

He’s great with testing, particularly with engine stuff, and we have spent a lot of time on suspension this year, too. He’s such a good guy to work with though, and it’s a shame we had this crash to start the season, as I think he would have been a real contender.”

CLUTCH Using a longer actuating arm creates a lighter and more consistent clutch pull that Cooper favours. Ben Townley experimented with hydraulic clutches for Cody, but found that they tend to be too on or off for Coops’ liking, whereas the cable clutch offers smoother modulation. On top of that, the team feels that, with a second master cylinder on the bars, there’s an extra chance of a breakage and losing the use of the clutch. With cables, that rarely happens.

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BIKE DISSECTED

TYRES: Cody loves Pirellis, which is kinda convenient, as they are one of the team’s major sponsors. He’s also super-easy when it comes to choice. It doesn’t matter if it’s a road race circuit or deep loam; Cody religiously runs Scorpion MX32 mid-soft hoops.

ENGINE The engine package really isn’t that far from standard.

Obviously they unlock some power, but that power is just so much more usable. Cody likes a punchy bottomend, and a torquestrong engine.

Motocross tracks rarely provide the opportunity to be fifth-gear wideopen, so he likes it responsive from the moment he rolls the throttle on.

CAM TAYLOR - RIDE IMPRESSION…

I

GRIP DONUTS Not the fanciest bit of gear, but something Cody only just started using when he switched to Honda. He didn’t really start using them for any particular reason. Scott sponsor the team and they gave them a set. Once he tried them, he fell in love and won’t ride without them now.

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really liked Cody’s bike straight off the bat.

We’re pretty similar in set-up, with the same brand and bend of handlebars, same Zeta clutch perch, etcetera So I was able to hop straight on and feel familiar and comfortable instantly. He runs a pretty neutral set-up in general on his bike, really. There’s no quirks or weird things that really stand out. The rear brake pedal is a little higher than I’d normally run, but I got used to that pretty quick and his footpegs are razorsharp, which I actually really liked.

My regular ride is a 2014 Yami YZ450F, and I felt that Cody’s bike settled into the ruts better than my bike and required much

less effort on that front. The Yamahas are known for being on the bulky side, but I really noticed the difference between the Yami and the Honda by jumping on Cody’s bike, which was slim and agile in comparison. It’s not like the Yamaha is huge; I just felt the difference between the two.

Cody’s bike was really easy to move around on and just jam into ruts. I haven’t ridden a stock ’14 CRF450, but I’ve heard they are pretty mellow in their power delivery. While I’m sure Cody’s is considerably better than a stock bike, I still felt like it was really smooth and almost lacked a little punch for me, particularly through the mid-range. I really like a 450 powerplant strong through

the mid-range and torquey part of the power.

It allows you to hold third gear longer and keep everything a bit smoother. I felt Cody’s lacked that a bit through the mid-range.

It was really responsive off the initial part of the throttle, but just didn’t quite have what I was expecting after that when the power got into its stride. Still, it was a really nice, usable and fun-to-ride motor.

The suspension was impressive for me.

I’m lighter and smaller than Cody, so expected it to be a little firm – which it was to an extent – but it still did a really good job of complying with all the little bumps.

The bottoming resistance was superb, but it still performed really well

on the fast, choppy stuff, which is exactly what you’re looking for with your suspension set-up. The front-end traction was noticeably impressive and a big part of why it cornered and stayed in the ruts so well. Overall, it was a very easy bike to ride and get used to. It’s on the smaller side, which is a bit of a surprise considering that Cody’s quite tall, but it suited me well.

I was comfortable from the very first couple of laps and even from that early stage, it felt like a bike I could jump on and race tomorrow with very little concern. The Honda boys have done a really nice job prepping it and making a bike that performs just as good as it looks.”

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BEN TOW SIMON MAKKER RICE PHOTOGRAPHY

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WNLEY

F

ew motocross racers have experienced the soaring heights and gut-wrenching lows that have both blessed and plagued Ben Townley. With the exception of 2006, when he underwent a knee reconstruction, it seemed everything the likeable Kiwi touched turned to gold between 2001 and 2007. In this window, he etched his name on both World MX2 Championship and AMA Supercross Lites trophies, seriously challenged the great Ricky Carmichael at the MXoN, and came desperately close to an AMA Motocross Championship.

But then, seemingly overnight, Townley’s land of milk, honey and mantelpiece adornments transformed into an arid, lonely, barren wasteland as he battled an endless string of injuries and horrific luck you wouldn’t dream about.

Finally, after spending at least three of the past four years in one of the toughest wildernesses any rider has had to endure, BT101 is back. And he didn’t wait long to make an emphatic statement. Aboard a Pro Circuit KX450F at the Monster Energy Cup late last year, BT’s comeback to the race scene saw him pick up where he left off; immediately engaging in a brutal fight with Ryan Dungey and Ryan Villopoto, and finishing a strong second to Villopoto in the opening race. Afterwards, Townley voiced his intentions to return to the US race scene, but soon discovered that, after such a long hiatus, an Outdoors-only contract with one of the factory teams simply wasn’t going to happen.

BT then set his sights closer to home and scored a spot under Yarrive Konsky’s Carlton Dry Honda big-rig for 2012. It’s news that will have every other race team worried, because Townley is both the consummate professional and a doggedly determined fighter with blistering pace. And if anyone can end Jay Marmont’s four-year reign at the MX Nats, Townley can.

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THE WILDERNESS Only Ben’s close friends and family know how close he came to walking away from professional motocross last year. As the 26-yearold Taupo-born rider continued to battle injuries and demons, he swore he’d never again compete at an international level. BT said he was happy to continue racing New Zealand club races, but as far as he was concerned, he had walked away from the European and American race scenes for good.

“I lost all belief in my own ability after my big crash in February last year,” Townley admits, with a brutal frankness. “I’ve always thought my mental strength was one of my greatest assets, but I’d taken so many hits so regularly, I lost it almost completely. And it’s taken a lot of rebuilding. Even up until

Townley fell victim to another big training crash.

“I actually didn’t know the extent of the shoulder damage at the time and I kept preparing for the opening round at Glen Helen,” he explains. “When I took to the track, I just wasn’t strong enough. I did something to my wrist and my whole right side was totally weak. After the first two rounds, I pulled out of the series. It was really frustrating, but I needed some time off the bike to get healthy. My shoulder injury turned out to be a lot worse than we first thought and needed operating on.”

With 2008 a complete write-off, Ben took the time to return to his beloved home country and marry his long-time girlfriend, Lucy.

The shoulder rehabilitation process ruled him out for the majority of the 2009 season, but the extended hiatus in New Zealand

in the World MX Championship program had a thick red line through it, and the industry began to wonder if the Kiwi would ever return.

THE FIGHTBACK Finally, after an astounding twoand-a-half year absence from toplevel motocross, Townley made his much-awaited comeback at the AMA Motocross Championship in May, 2010. And it soon became obvious BT was back with a vengeance. At the second round in Texas, he finished third in Moto 2, before chalking up a second Overall at Colorado and a third Overall a week later at Red Bud. Haters and critics be damned; the Ben Townley of old was back and firing on all cylinders as he scorched to a fourth Overall in his comeback season.

“I was definitely back on track in

“Townley’s land of milk, honey and mantelpiece adornments transformed into an arid, lonely, barren wasteland as he battled an endless string of gnarly injuries.” four or five months ago, I honestly didn’t care if I didn’t compete at an international level again. I was done with it. Don’t get me wrong; I still loved racing and enjoyed riding at a club level immensely, but as far as I was concerned, my professional days were over. Totally!”

After claiming the AMA Eastern Supercross title in 2007, then finishing runner-up Outdoors, BT was short odds to claim an Open-class title in 2008. Fate, that cruel bitch, had other plans. After signing with the star-studded Team Honda Red Bull Racing team for ’08 (defending his Supercross Lites title, then moving up to the 450s for his preferred motocross discipline), Ben broke his foot when he came up short on a supercross jump while training, and was forced to sit trackside as Jason Lawrence and Trey Canard picked up the West and East titles.

After three months off the bike and with the Outdoor season approaching, BT was eager to make amends and prove he was a championship contender. But, with the series just a matter of days away,

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was just as important for his mental state of mind. “At that stage, I’d been racing professionally around the world for eight years and I was just enjoying being home with my family and friends, doing all the things I love,” he divulges. “I wanted to get back to the top level of racing again and it had been a couple of years since I’d been on the top step of the podium. The rehabilitation and extended break put the fire back in my belly.”

However, BT’s run of dastardly luck ran to a merciless script.

While preparing for the first three months of the 2010 World MX Championships (before heading to the USA for a punt at the AMA Motocross Championship with the Troy Lee/Lucas Oil Honda team), Townley perforated his bowel in yet another practice crash in NZ. To add insult to injury, this latest setback was just days before the birth of his first child, Levi. The emergency surgery required the surgeons to practically pull him inside-out, followed by another six weeks on the couch. Yet again, Townley’s name

2010,” he reflects. “I was thinking, ‘Okay, I now believe I have what it takes to achieve’. I was realistic that I wasn’t going to start winning right away, but I felt I was close to the level I was in during 2007.”

Townley rounded off his fairytale comeback with a moto win at the 2010 Motocross Of Nations in Colorado against the best riders in the world. “I was really pleased with that. It proved – to myself as much as anyone else – that I was still able to win. It was a real confidence-booster and I was excited about the possibilities of what 2011 would hold.”

HOUSE OF CARDS But again, Townley’s world came crashing down, and this time it was the straw that almost broke the camel’s back. BT opted to make a guest appearance at the Auckland round of the 2010 Super X Championship. It seemed innocuous enough – the local hero was brimming with confidence, and it was his first major NZ race in years.

BT’s CAREER SELF-ANALYSIS… We asked Ben Townley to look back over his career and offer a snapshot of each season. This is what he came back with...

2001 Signed a deal to race in Europe, but strained a ligament in my knee at Xmas, which set me back in my preparation for 2001.

Qualified for all but one of my GPs with the highlight a 10th at Round 5 in Genk, but then broke my shoulder blade.

2002 Had a good off-season at home in NZ preparing for 2002. Learnt about offseason training and lost a lot of weight.

Started the season with a second. Had five podiums during the season and gained my first ever 125cc Grand Prix victory in Sweden!

2003 In the USA, while preparing to do a few AMA Supercross rounds, crashed and broke my wrist, along with some internal injuries.

Flatting with Josh Coppins in Belgium, training and learning from him. Finished with two podiums after missing half the MXGP season.

2004 Awesome off-season, carried the momentum from the end of ‘03 into an off-season summer at home in NZ. Having a great season, winning motos just about every weekend and a lot of overall GPs. Well on the way to winning the MX2 World Championship.

2005

In 2005, on a sub-par KTM 450SX-F, BT took on Ricky Carmichael at the height of his powers, and almost won.

Partied a lot and celebrated too much into the offseason, hurting my ’05 off-season prep for the MX1 class. Battling with the best in the world. Won four GPs – two back-to-back – and finished third in MX1. MXoN in France was one of the best weekends of my career, period!

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BT’s CAREER SELFANALYSIS CONTINUED…

2006 Moved to the USA, riding for Pro Circuit Kawasaki.

Dislocated my knee and underwent a full knee reconstruction.

Returned for Red Bud National. One week later, my bike locked up practicing and injured my AC joint. Returned for last National at Glen Helen, finished third. Then a week later at the MXoN, finished a strong third with Team New Zealand.

2007 Carried my momentum into ‘07. Awesome winter and fully ready for my first full season in America.

Best season of my career – Lites East Coast SX Champion, Lites runner-up Motocross Championship, nine victories for the season.

2008 Injured my heel first day testing with Team Honda.

Battling an old shoulder problem, decided to get surgery to fix it.

2009 Surgery was unsuccessful.

Second surgery (a year on) to fix the problem.

2010 Back home, all healthy and racing again. Won the NZ Supercross Championship.

Racing for Troy Lee Designs Honda, getting back on track.

Got on the podium a couple of times, but still not hitting my stride.

2011 Worst off-season ever!

Dislocated hip and then concussion and broken jaw.

Still struggling with effects of head injury, returned to NZ to get sorted.

2012 Awesome off-season, healthy and fit again. Happy on my bike and happy in life.

Change of direction for my career with a new team in Australia.

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After his East Coast SX title in in ’07, BT staged an epic Outdoor season battle with teammate, Ryan Villopoto.

However, proceedings turned pear-shaped when he dislocated his hip in practice and was stretchered off to hospital.

“It was the beginning of a really, really tough time for me,” Ben muses. “I actually bounced back reasonably well, physically, and got back into training. But 10 weeks after Auckland, I had a crash that scared me more than any other.”

While practising at his new track nestled in the rolling hills above Tauranga, BT had a huge accident that left him with a broken jaw and knocked out cold for a full five minutes. Even though he can’t remember the incident, it triggered one of the toughest periods he’s ever had to fight through.

“The scary thing is you can’t gauge a head injury,” Ben explains. “You can’t go for an X-ray and find out what’s broken. It’s something I had

He was happy to be a local hero at New Zealand events, but as far as international racing was concerned, he was done.

“Whether I raced or not, I would still ride. And enjoy it a lot. But I wasn’t interested in the top tier of racing. I was certain I’d closed that door. But, slowly, my self-belief returned. I had openly said I would never race again internationally, but at the same time, I didn’t want to sell myself short.”

Ben says one of the keys to turning his mindset around was working with a sports psychologist in Hamilton, New Zealand. “It’s not something we’ve seen a lot of in our sport, and I think the power of it is somewhat underestimated. I’d dealt with so many injuries that my mental state of mind was in a mess.”

With the fire to race internationally starting to blaze in

in the opening moto, he confirmed that his fighting spirit was back; that he’d fought off his demons, pushed through an unthinkable wilderness, and come out the other side smarter, stronger, fitter – both mentally and physically – and hungrier than ever to return to this great sport and stand on top of the podium once again.

“I don’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering ‘what if’, you know?,” he says. “The timeline I had mapped out has been affected by the past several years, but I know I’m back in a position where my body’s healthy, and I’m mentally as strong as I’ll ever be.”

After his amazing comeback ride at Vegas, BT went on the offensive to search for a US motocross-only contract for 2012. At the same time, he kept his Australian options open and as doors began closing in the US.

“With the roar of bikes and smell of fuel consuming his senses as the 30-second board went sideways, BT was scared. The mental strength he had prided himself with for so long was in tatters.” to deal with personally and it was a really tough process.”

The rehabilitation procedure Townley underwent was huge. In the early stages, he had to rebuild his mental capacity by simply doing nothing. No reading, no TV – just endless hours spent sitting, resting and just being.

Just 10 weeks after his latest crash, BT thought he was ready and fronted up at the opening round of the 2011 World Motocross Championship at Valkenswaard in the Netherlands.

But something was wrong. With the roar of bikes and smell of fuel consuming his senses as the 30-second board went sideways, Ben was scared.

The mental strength he had prided himself with for so long was in tatters, and after a 19th and a DNF at that opening round, then a lacklustre eighth at the following round in France, BT made the toughest call of his life. He abandoned his Kawasaki contract and flew home.

At that point, Ben Townley had given up on all hope of returning to professional motocross.

his belly, Townley flew to the final round of the 2011 AMA Motocross Championship at Pala to negotiate a ride for the upcoming season. While hanging out with Mitch Payton under the Pro Circuit Kawasaki tent, the pair came to an impromptu arrangement for Ben to race the upcoming Monster Energy Cup. “It was totally a spur of the moment thing,” explains Monster Energy’s Communications Manager, Eric Johnson, who watched the adhoc agreement take place. “Monster had said we’d help him out if he wanted to ride the event, so Ben asked Mitch if he could do it. And Mitch laughed and said, ‘Sure, why not?’ It was a cool moment because you could see the genuine friendship between the two.”

RETURN OF THE KING Townley’s outing at the Monster Energy Cup proved he didn’t just have the mettle to compete at the upper echelon of motocross; he had the ability to win. As BT held off a tirade of attacks from Ryan Dungey

Negotiations heated up with Yarrive Konsky’s Carlton Dry Honda team in Australia until a deal was reached just days before the Super X finale last November.

“My focus had been on returning to the States, and I came close to signing as the third rider for Jeff Ward Racing, but they couldn’t find the budget,” Townley reveals.

“At the same time, I was speaking to the JDR KTM and Honda teams in Australia. And as the deals in the USA fell through, I chose to ride for Carlton Dry Honda, mainly because I know the bike.”

BT is the first to admit the Australian signing is a pivotal point in his career: “Don’t get me wrong; I wasn’t disappointed. But it was a massive turning point for me and it took a few days to sink in that I wasn’t returning to the US. So far, I’m really happy with the team. I made a few points and recommendations for how we can take it to the next level.

They’ve been very open-minded, and the team dynamics are already improving in leaps and bounds.”

Townley is also under no illusions;

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With the help of a sports psychologist, BT has regained that mental strength his career has been built on.

he knows the next 12 months could make or break his resurrected career.

If he fulfils his goals and dominates the upcoming Australian Motocross Championship, America should theoretically throw open its welcoming moto arms again for the Kiwi.

“The past 12 months have been rough and I did underestimate just how long it would take to get back to the strong mental state I’m currently in. I’m looking at 2012 as a rebuilding period to put my career back on track.

I need to win the Pro Open title in the MX Nats. And if I don’t, I’m going to have to answer a lot of questions, both to myself and the people around me.”

And of his career beyond 2012?

“I believe I’ve got many years of racing ahead of me,” a rejuvenated Townley says. “Winning a motocross title in the USA has been a dream of mine for a long time. The thought of lifting that Number-One plate at the end of an Outdoor season is what keeps me going.

That’s still the ultimate goal.”

“As BT held off a tirade of attacks from Dungey, he confirmed that his fighting spirit was back; that he’d fought off his demons, pushed through an unthinkable wilderness, and come out the other side – smarter, stronger, fitter.”

FROM ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE...

We asked a few of BT’s mates – team managers and racing rivals – to tell us about the Ben Townley they’ve come to know…

MITCH PAYTON

JOSH COPPINS

JAY MARMONT

YARRIVE KONSKY

“Ben is the ultimate professional. The year he and Ryan Villopoto raced at Pro Circuit Kawasaki was just flawless – they swapped moto wins almost every single round, and the two became good friends along the way. BT proved he was everything that we wanted in a professional racer. I would love to see Ben succeed after all the bad luck he’s had with injuries. I’d like to say ‘never say never’ and be able to help him achieve his dreams, as he’s one of my best friends.

He’s been through a spate of different injuries and I think he’s trying to get his feet underneath him right now. I think riding in Australia for the 2012 season is a good solution for him. I would’ve loved to have been able to offer Ben an Outdoor ride for 2012, but we just don’t have the dough at the moment. It’d mean we’d have another 450 guy – alongside Broc Tickle – on the team, and I’d have to run him out of a separate truck.”

“Ben has been through a really frustrating period where it seems nothing has gone right for him. I think he definitely got forced to return to the track a few times when he wasn’t ready, but I have respect for when he pulled out of the GPs last year. He is a smart kid who works hard and knows exactly what he wants. His speed, fitness and the amount of experience he has for his age will definitely play into his favour this year when he has a crack at the Australian Motocross title, but I think his main weakness – and he has very few of them – is wanting something too much. Ben has never been happy to just beat someone; he needs to smash them. In 2012, he has to look for a title, both for his sponsors and for his team. I’m going to make sure he finishes second to me, of course, but I hope we see a fit BT who finishes a season happy, and enjoying his racing again. We haven’t seen that in a long time.”

“I used to race Ben back in the Junior days, so it’s been great to witness the transformation from that kid into a man who can win against the best riders in the world. The last time I raced him was at the 2010 MX des Nations where he won the thing and I finished sixth. It’s going to be exciting having another big contender in the MX Nats, and he’ll definitely up the level of racing. But at the same time, having Billy Mackenzie and Josh Coppins race here over the past two seasons has elevated the riding level a lot, and we will all be ready for him. Ben will be strong and he’ll win races, but I think there could be a chink in his armour: the fact he’s racing in a championship he doesn’t really want to race in. Everyone knows his main goal is to race in the US, so it might piss him off to take a step back. We’re going to give it to him all season long, and I think it might put him off his game.”

“For several months prior to Ben signing with us, I encouraged him to explore all possibilities in America before agreeing to ride for anyone in Australia. I’m excited to have him on the team for many reasons.

His wealth of knowledge is priceless and we have learnt a lot from him already.

There’s no egotism in the team – we share a common goal of returning to the top step of the podium, and we’re happy to learn as much as we can from such an experienced champion. Ben is the consummate professional who’s grown into one of the world’s best racers. He’s an integral part of our team, a champion bloke and will work well together Brad Anderson and Ford Dale. Tony Hinton, GM of Honda Motorcycles, is eager to use this investment to spearhead Honda’s future direction. Honda understands the importance of aligning the brand with riders of Ben’s, Brad’s and Ford’s calibre.”

TEAM MANAGER, MONSTER ENERGY PRO CIRCUIT KAWASAKI

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FORMER WORLD #2 & GOOD FRIEND OF BT’s

REIGNING AUSTRALIAN MX & SUPER X CHAMPION

TEAM MANAGER, CARLTON DRY HONDA RACING

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BIKE DAKAR WEAPONS

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After winning a dozen consecutive Dakars, KTM is up against a very committed, here-to-win campaign from Honda in 2014. We look at Team HRC’s all-new Dakar Rally weapon, and the response it has prompted from both KTM and Yamaha for this year’s race.

TBM MAGAZINE HONDA HRC, KTM, JONTY EDMUNDS

DESERT

DUEL H

onda turned up at the Dakar back in January of 2013, and immediately found themselves in the middle of a war. Yamaha had found their feet (and speed), Husqvarna had turned their BMW hybrid into something competitive, and KTM – with Marc Coma injured just before the big event – were all hands on deck trying to save victory with their remaining Dakar-god, Cyril Despres.

Amid the skirmish – one of the most hotly contested Dakars in years – Honda didn’t exactly sneak in after 24 years in the Dakar wilderness. After all, you can’t hide a 40-man team. But they worked away, quietly and diligently. Johnny Campbell and Helder Rodrigues claimed just two podiums from the 14 stage finishes. The team banked two lower-leaderboard placings in the final reckoning and, by their own suspiciously modest goals, it was ‘job done’.

This year, however, there can be no downplaying the situation.

Honda has reworked their rally racer from the ground up. Team HRC has now got its own prototype motor and, with a very strong five-rider line-up, they could well manage to achieve in two years what was claimed to be a three-year goal: to claim Overall Dakar victory. In 2013, Honda had tried to hang onto the established teams with what was ostensibly a modified 10-year-old trailbike.

This year, Honda turned up armed to the teeth.

Not that they’ll have it all their own way. KTM has responded by making an all-new version of their 450RR rally bike, while Yamaha France has ... well, Yamaha now has Cyril Despres. You can spend a fortune in carbon fibre and on R&D, or you can simply buy yourself the fastest and most consistently winning rider in the paddock. It’s not like the Yamaha’s YZ450F-based bike is slow, either.

It has Dakar stage-wins to its name and proven reliability. So, while the Honda team is here in the biggest, meanest way possible, they’ve got one hell of a fight on their hands.

This is the story of a very special Honda, and what it’s up against.

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BIKE DAKAR WEAPONS

HRC’s MILLION-DOLLAR BABY

S

o what do we know about Honda’s new racer? Well, the team sure is reluctant to spoon-feed the press many details.

But we’ve still procured some pertinent facts, plus we got a very good insight into the team itself.

For starters, let it be said this team is a proper flagship set-up; HRC has hired some big names with plenty of experience who, running under the prestigious HRC colours, cannot afford to be shy. Their leader, Katsumi Yamazaki, is a man with formidable experience in world championship motocross and in Baja racing. He also headed up a small team who raced the experimental Honda EXP-2 twostroke that finished fourth in the

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1995 Dakar at its first attempt.

Yamazaki has solid R&D form, combined with a serious contacts book and a hefty budget.

Honda’s weapon is an interesting

the rules, but also the spirit of the rules. Of course, they’d carried out the most super-serious R&D. And just as back in the day, a factory RC45 WSB racer was twice what

“This is the first Honda single-cylinder off-road racer to feature a DOHC set-up since, we think, the XR500.” one. Last year’s Dakar bike was based on their CRF450X; because that’s how Honda had interpreted the production bike rules that underpin the Dakar’s current race format. Honda had obeyed not just

the road-going RC45 was, so too the 2013 Rally bike was way beyond a 450X with a big tank. But the fact remained that their X-based racer was still considered just a tad ... slow. That’s not a situation HRC can

countenance, so it was no surprise when they announced a whole new bike in October.

When it came to describing what’s gone into the new bike, Honda only gave this much away: “The 2013 Dakar Rally generated valuable data in key areas such as engine output, aerodynamic performance, durability and maintenance requirements, which was used as the basis for further design modifications and enhancements. The resulting all-new CRF450 Rally model retains the PGM-FI electronic fuel injection system that has shown proven performance in the severe and highly variable environmental conditions of the Dakar Rally.

LEADING MAN

T

eam HRC boss, Katsumi Yamazaki, won’t reveal too much about what’s in his Dakar Honda rally racer, but he has gone on record about his philosophical approach to the race...

“The most important requirement we are aiming for in this rally machine is overall balance. We need the bike to perform at top speed, but it can’t break down. We also need to keep weight down. I believe it is important to strike a superior balance between these opposing factors whilst making sure the machine does not overtax the rider. “Fuel injection is necessary due to the altitude difference. When you race in the Dakar Rally, you go from sea level to almost 5000m at the highest point. A carburetor cannot handle that altitude difference without the proper settings. But PGM-FI can. Another factor is temperature. During the Dakar Rally, temperatures can range from -10ºC to 45ºC. PGM-FI is in a league of its own when it comes to flexibly adapting to these kinds of changes. “We have developed this bike so that, like KTM, we can offer parts kits or completed bikes to amateur riders in the future. It may be expensive, but riders with more money to spend will be able to purchase a bike with the same specs as our rally machine. That is why we have designed

each part to be replaceable. My idea is to offer a cheaper base machine and optional high-performance parts for riders who want high performance. For example, we could even let customers choose the PGM-FI that we are using.

“At the Morocco Rally in 2012, our staff worked through the night, every night, to make engine repairs, and we somehow managed to last one week for that event.

But it would be hard to do the same thing for two straight weeks at the Dakar Rally. So we know we can’t just have a good machine. No matter how well it performs, if it has poor serviceability, our mechanics will get worn out. If they get tired, they will naturally be more prone to error and that will impact our end result. “My goal is for us to become the world’s number one off-road team. Being number one doesn’t just mean we have all the experts on our team; it means we are open with each other. This means we share information with everybody on the team. If someone is in trouble, we help them.

This kind of open team is the ideal off-road team. From the outside, it may look like confusion, but actually there is order in the chaos, not to mention a great atmosphere. I think that is what makes a team number one.

It’s the same for MotoGP or F1 racing.”

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BIKE DAKAR WEAPONS Husqvarna’s 2013 Dakar standout, Joan Barreda, has moved to Honda. With plenty of testing under his belt, he’s now a real chance for the win.

GOING THE DISTANCE

O

ne of the biggest factors coming to the fore with the recent 450cc ruling is engine longevity. A lot is being asked of these 450 motors (ridden by factory riders) and it’s virtually unheard of for a single engine to go the distance. The latest rules allow that, while you can make as many top-end refreshes as you like, the moment you substitute the bottom-end (crankcases, etc), then you’ll incur time penalties. The first engine change costs 15 minutes; a second change costs 45 minutes and after that, resources allowing, it’s a two-hour penalty for each engine swap you make.

In 2013, Honda required only one engine swap in the whole rally. KTM meanwhile changed the motors of Despres, Lopez, Pedrero and Grabham. And given that Cyril Despres’ winning margin at the 2013 Dakar was just over 10 minutes, then you can see a 15-minute penalty can easily make the difference between winning and losing. It certainly cost Chaleco Lopez his runner-up place when he had to change his motor for the very last day. No question, all the top teams will have been working on making their engines as tough and reliable as possible.

NAVIGATION

M

ake no mistake; the top 15 riders are all fast enough to win the Dakar Rally. The problem is that only two of them have thus far proven they can ride consistently fast and navigate accurately at the same time: Cyril Despres and Marc Coma.

For the rest of them, a day-win is tantamount to accepting the poisoned chalice. They take the glory in the evening; then the following morning, they’re first off the block and riding virgin trail. That means holding a course with no man in front; no tyre tracks to guide them in times of indecision.

They then face the agonising choice of sacrificing two minutes off their time to have the comfort of the second rider alongside (the top riders set off one every two minutes) or plough on and hope they don’t take a wrong turn.

Take a wrong turn and you may lose a few minutes. Alternatively, you might lose the whole rally – as happened to Olivier Pain last year. It’s enough to give you nightmares, and in rallying this is the difference between winners and also-rans. Going into this Dakar Rally, Cyril Despres is openly saying the rally’s outcome is going to be determined principally on this factor. Cyril reckons he can navigate effectively and he says Coma can, too. Of the rest, he’s rather less certain.

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“The chassis is still an alloy beam-frame, but is likely to be less X-model, and more one-off desert special that’s been anodised black to mask that fact.”

The new CRF450 Rally will be used by Team HRC and will be released to other rally teams as a production rally bike during 2014.”

More specifically, what they weren’t saying was that the new bike has a whole new engine. And remarkably, it’s the first Honda single-cylinder off-road racer to feature a DOHC set-up (not UniCam) since, we think, the XR500!

The motor, such as can be seen, has all the hallmarks of hand-built exotica. Sand-cast crankcases, trick rally-spec oil coolers, extra-large water-pump, an unusually large oil inspection window on the side of

the motor. The exhaust is now by Termignoni (last year’s had a Leo Vince). There are no more details than that, but everyone is aware of the new motor’s speed. At the recent Morocco and Merzouga Rallies, the Hondas led the way. Slow, they ain’t.

The chassis this year is still an alloy beam-frame, but is likely to be less X-model, and more one-off desert special that’s been anodised black to mask that fact. Fuel tanks are made in alloy, but there’s topgrade carbon fibre bodywork over the top; and take a look at the swoopy shape of the lower tanks.

That’s pure HRC magic right there.

Honda took to clay-sculpting their bodywork, then testing with their riders before determining the final shape. They’ve also led with the clear screen look, which no doubt must give the rider just that little bit more forward vision (and as we all know, every little bit helps).

As with last year, Honda has gone with a high-level front mudguard (where KTM has traditionally run a tyre-hugging variety), which is a better bet for those instances when mud is encountered (as happens in South America). The detailing is ... well, it’s what we’ve come to expect from HRC, it’s mint!

2014 DAKAR RALLY PREVIEW

A

fter 12 years of painting the Dakar orange, 2014 could be the year that KTM finally gets usurped by Honda or Yamaha. So who’s who for the upcoming Dakar Rally’s top three teams? Here’s a form guide to the 2014 race: HRC: Japan’s mega-factory set about hiring some of the world’s top riders before the 2013 Dakar Rally, but they were blighted after three out of five were struck down with pre-event injuries. For 2014, the team will head to South America with a stellar line-up up of Helder Rodrigues, Joan Barreda, Paulo Goncalves, Javier Pizzolito and Sam Sunderland. It’s the perfect mixture of experience (Portugal’s Rodrigues and Goncalves), local knowledge (Argentina’s Pizzolito), and young gun pace in the form of Barreda and Britain’s on-form Sunderland.

Honda can expect to have at least three of out five running in the top 10. And after four stage wins with Husqvarna last year, the phenomenally quick Joan Barreda will be the

hot favourite, closely followed by Rodrigues.

YAMAHA MOTOR FRANCE: In the blue corner, Yamaha has taken on a superstar to get themselves back on top. Over the years, they have had no fewer than nine Dakar victories, even claiming the first bike win in 1979 with the legendary Cyril Neveu. But in 2014, the hopes will rest on the shoulders of another Cyril – Monsieur Despres. Despite winning the last two consecutive years, there have been some PR difficulties for the legendary but mercurial Frenchman, and this fresh start with Yamaha could be exactly what he needs. Olivier Pain rides in a second Yamaha squad, having brought Yamaha an amazing four stage wins in 2013 (leading the rally up to the rest day) and finished strongly in sixth Overall.

KTM RACING: The Austrian brand has written and re-written the Dakar history books over the years, with an incredible 12 consecutive victories dating back to the late great

Fabrizio Meoni in 2001. However, five of those wins came courtesy of the aforementioned Mr Despres. How will KTM cope without the fast Frenchman? Well, for 2014, they will retain Spain’s Marc Coma.

The likeable 37-year-old has three wins to his name and can never be counted out, although he may be a little ‘rusty’ after sitting out the 2013 Dakar due to injury. Filling in for Coma last year was American hard-charger, Kurt Caselli. He took the race by storm and won two stages, and there were high hopes he’d make a powerful ally to Coma for 2014, but tragically, Kurt lost his life at the recent Baja 1000. Ruben Faria, previously Despres’ water carrier, has proven speed and consistency and will carry the support burden alone. And quick Chilean wildman, Francisco ‘Chaleco’ Lopez, will receive support from the factory squad and might conceivably be brought up to a full team member now. He aims to win his first Dakar after coming so close last year.

DAKAR BIKE EVOLUTION...

The Dakar started back in 1979 with a bunch of Frenchmen riding a hotchpotch collection of modified trailbikes across the Sahara. A young man named Cyril Neveu won, riding his own privately entered Yamaha XT500 the 5500km from Paris to Dakar (in Senegal) in 16 days. He’d customised his XT by way of welding a whole new top section onto the fuel tank to make a hefty 32-litre vessel, so he could make the required 500km between refuels. Other modifications were to strengthen the frame (and subframe), upgrade the suspension, and customise the seat to allow for the fabrication of racks to carry spares and survival equipment. This made for a fairly hefty rig, pushing around 180-200kg with all of the 35hp that the lowpowered trailies mustered. Getting to the finish back then was indeed victory in itself.

To get there first was the icing on the cake. ● Of course, given the extensive media ●

coverage of the early races, it didn’t take long for the factories to take an interest.

Within seven years (and at the head of what was a runaway arms-race), BMW had taken over with serious works-backed kit. Gaston Rahier’s 1986-winning bike was a cool 1043cc boxer twin that made 75hp and weighed a hefty 230 kilos once the humongous 60-litre fuel tank was brimmed. ● It was no longer an achievement just to arrive in Dakar; now you had to cross the finish line at 180km/h, maybe a little sideways, smoking a Camel (or Lucky Strike or Marlboro). Big bikes and big speeds upped the danger quota a good few notches, but regardless of the death and destruction it caused, the big-bike era would last right up until the end of the century – marked tragically by the death of the UK’s foremost desert racer, John Deacon, who was killed while racing the BMW R900RR in the

Pharaon’s Rally of 2001.

Subsequent to that came the re-emergence of the big singles (which had already proven more nimble and so quicker point-to-point than the outgoing twins). BMW led the early years, the late Richard Sainct being the man to beat on his BMW F650RR – a 700cc, 75bhp, 168kg beast. These were lighter and less thirsty machines, too, necessitating only 45 litres of fuel compared to the 60-plus of the bigger-capacity bikes. ● A decade later, KTM had taken control of the rally as most other manufacturers pulled out, but on paper, their ultimate African Dakar racer looked remarkably similar to the much earlier BMW. The KTM 660RR of 2008 produced 65hp, with a 162kg weight and 48-litre fuel capacity. ● It took a new continent – forced by civil unrest in North Africa – to bring another change to the Dakar bike. For 2010, the ●

second year in South America, the Elite class featured a 450cc limit. Primarily designed to reduce speeds (and improve safety) whilst tempting back the other manufacturers, smaller bikes allowed the creation of more technically challenging courses. The 450 rule brought back BMW/Husqvarna, Gas Gas, Sherco, Yamaha, Beta and Honda (among others). ● Having buried the big bikes once and for all, the 450 rule also brings us back to a more wieldy machine. The TE449-based Husky racer of 2011, for example, weighed in at 137kg with a fuel capacity of 30 litres – enough to make the maximum 250km between refuels today.

In fact, such are the changes in the Dakar – with more enduro-like terrain, more fuel stops and more teams – that the factory racers can now be based upon motocross bikes!

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BIKE DISSECTED

When Alex Salvini won the premier E2 class at this year’s Enduro World Championship, it was the sole title win for Honda’s CRF450R in 2013.

So, what makes this Italian’s race bike so good?

FUTURE 7 MEDIA

The

ITALIAN Job

BIKE: 2013 HM Zanardo Honda CRF450R TEAM: Jolly Racing MANAGERS: Franco Mayer RIDER: Alex Salvini MECHANIC: Tony Specer

J

olly Racing – the team that helped guide the late, great Mika Ahola to five consecutive Enduro World Championship (EWC) titles – is no stranger to success.

Between 2007 and 2011, they were an unbeatable double act. But in 2012, the team focused on the Enduro 1 class, and the year ended with little to celebrate. Returning to the premier E2 class for 2013, Jolly Racing signed former Husqvarna rider, Alex Salvini.

And it brought a return to the good old days for the Italian team.

Prior to season 2013, ‘Salvo’ hadn’t delivered any real championshipwinning form, only scoring ‘occasional’ EWC podiums since he switched from motocross to enduro at the start of 2011.

At best, he was considered a top-five guy, and certainly not an E2 title contender.

Pretty soon, though, Salvini proved he was the real deal and that 2013 would be his year to shine in the EWC. Salvini might have been held back during the off-season as he recovered from knee surgery, but it didn’t take long for the Italian to gel with his new team and his Honda’s CRF450R. Alex

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finished third Overall on Day 1 of the season opener in Chile. Just 24 hours later, he was standing on the top step of the podium, celebrating his debut Overall EWC win. And seven days on in Argentina, he had secured his third consecutive win. Leaving South America behind to return to Europe, Salvini sat atop the E2 championship ladder; a position he never relinquished.

Clinching the E2 title in style at the rain-lashed season finale in France, Salvini rode into the record books as the newly crowned Enduro 2 World Champion, breaking Italy’s EWC championship-winning drought.

He also handed Honda a coveted offroad crown – the only real highlight for the manufacturer in an otherwise average year. Just like Ahola before him, Salvini did what Honda’s MX GP team had failed to do. He’d secured a world title ... and he’d done it with a headlight on the front of his bike!

So what makes Alex Salvini’s world title-winning HM Zanardo Honda CRF450R so special? Here’s an insight into the likeable Italian’s expertly dialled EWC race bike…

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BIKE DISSECTED

FUEL TANK By their very nature, enduros are long distance races. So the fuel tank is one of the first modifications the team makes when adapting a motocross bike for the rigours of EWC competition.

Opting to use a hand-built carbon fibre fuel tank, the team was able to increase fuel capacity by one litre over the standard tank, without adding extra weight.

The super-trick screw-thread billet aluminium cap allows for a flush finish when fastened tight.

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COCKPIT For the cockpit, the team use a combination of Geco triple clamps, laced with Domino handlebars.

Running the same offset as standard, Alex prefers to run the triple clamps without the ‘silent’ rubber blocks.

It offers him more feeling over the front-end of the machine. Formally known as Tommi, Domino provides the braceless handlebars as well as the levers. Large in stature – Alex could play prop on the Italian Six Nations rugby team – he runs a higher-than-standard bar bend.

HEADER PIPE

FRONT BRAKE

There are some things money just can’t buy, and the Leo Vince spec header pipe run on this HM Honda CRF450R is one of them. It’s a unique, one-off, custom-made titanium header pipe, designed and handcrafted to Salvini’s exact needs. During winter testing, the team started out with a slightly shorter header, but after a lot of development, Salvo switched to a longer model midway through the season. This trick bolt-on offers smoother, less aggressive power for the EWC’s many technical sections.

Like a lot of parts on this beauty, both the front and rear discs are specially made for Salvini’s Honda.

Up front, Innteck make the disc. The dimension – 240mm – is the same as standard, but the material and design differ to suit Salvni’s preference.

The front calliper remains unchanged, but Salvini wanted a stronger and more responsive feeling from the front stoppers, so the team use a different brakeline configuration.

Like most European racers, Alex is very particular about his brake set-up.

RADIATORS

REAR BRAKE

British manufacturer, GMX, provides the aftermarket radiators. A world leader in cooling systems, GMX built these radiators to last ... and to tolerate the inevitable crashes in the EWC’s often-extreme terrain.

Stronger and slightly larger than standard, they’re sealed with a high-pressure Innteck radiator cap – which prevents lost coolant, should the engine overheat. To keep everything circulating nicely, the team also runs a larger water-pump.

As with the front-end, Innteck provide the stopping power for the rear. The design of the rear disc – drilled and wavy – prevents any brake fade during the 10-minute special tests faced in the EWC. Nissin provide the calliper and, again, the brakeline is changed to offer Salvini a more responsive feel. Attached to the rear axle, the red anodised bracket is designed to hold the calliper in place for wheel changes during the allotted 15-minute work period.

MUFFLERS

SHOCK Despite his motocross background, Salvini has an incredibly smooth and relaxed riding style. He relies a lot on the rear-end of the machine for feeling, so his rear linkage is totally different to the normal motocross set-up. It is longer to allow the bike to ‘squat’ more in the rear-end. Adding extra protection to prevent any possible breakage during the extreme tests in the EWC, Innteck designed a simple but very effective linkage guard for the team to use.

Oozing class, these sexy Leo Vince twin silencers offer that final ‘factory finish’ to Salvini’s world championship-winning bike. Longer than standard, the ‘twins’ easily keep the bike inside the allotted FIM sound limits while helping to keep the look of the production-based Honda CRF450R. The dual silencer arrangement helps deliver the sort of smooth and tractable power that’s ideal for enduro applications, and help keep the bike’s mass centralised.

FOOTPEGS The footpegs are specific to Salvo’s needs. He’s a big guy who tends to ride over the rear of the bike a lot, so the pegs are set 5mm further back than standard to accommodate that. Together with the modified rear linkage, Salvini has developed a set-up that’s feels much more natural for his riding style. The pegs’ studs are all replaceable, and their oversized centre-hole helps prevent the build-up of mud, which can compromise grip.

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BIKE DISSECTED

RIDER – ALEX SALVINI

I

’m so happy with my bike. Last year, I raced a 310cc. And the year before that, a 500cc bike. So it was great to finally get on a 450 for the EWC. It really didn’t take long to adapt to my new bike and team. In the beginning, we worked a lot on the feeling of the bike. I like to ride over the rear-end more than other riders, so we spent some time getting the linkage and chassis set up to suit that preference. Straight away, the power was great, but maybe just a little too much. We made it less aggressive and more tractable for the big hills and rocky terrain in the EWC. Overall, it’s the perfect machine for me.”

orking with Alex has been easy.

Obviously it’s easier because he’s Italian, but also because he knew exactly what he wanted with his race bike and how to get it. Honestly, it didn’t take long to set the bike up to his needs during the off-season.

Once we found the settings he was happy with, the bike was practically untouched during the entire EWC season. The only thing we changed was the header pipe, and that was mainly to suit the type of terrain we encountered in the back-end of the season. Proving that you can take a production-based motocross bike and build it into a world championship-winning enduro bike has been extremely satisfying.”

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