A Look at a Factory Honda

Inside Chase Sexton's Factory HRC Honda CRF450 with mechanic Jade Dungey. Jade walks you through the in depth details of all the trick parts that Chase is running in 2021 for his 450 Supercross debut. Factory Showa forks, custom made Cycra number plate, riveted chain, custom chain blocks, titanium footpegs, works triple clamps, coated engine cases, different footpeg position two stroke start button and much more. We break down Chase's bike to the nitty gritty and don't miss a thing! Enjoy geeking out on one of the best looking bikes in the pits with Factory Honda mechanic Jade Dungey. 

Lots of Works Connection add ons to this Factory edition

www.worksconnection.com

RT Talks EKS Goggles with Dirt Buzz

Podcast Episode 006 – Rich Taylor of EKS Brand Goggles

My guest on this episode is Rich Taylor, former top Pro Motocross and Supercross Racer, test rider, Hollywood stuntman, and current owner of EKS Brand Goggles. Rich has been behind the helm at EKS Brand for over ten years now, worked as a magazine and OEM test rider, and worked for Smith Optics for a time before he started EKS Brand. With so many great stories, we’ll be sure to have Rich back as a guest soon.

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A True Legend...Zoli Berenyi Sr.

 If you have been around motocross very long particularly Vet moto you have heard of Zoli. If you were lucky you got to see him ride.  He had a unique style and you could always pick him out from the crowd usually because he was out front. I did not know Zoli well but always enjoyed speaking with him when we were at the track together. I was always amazed not only with his ability to ride but to smile at life even with the crippling arthritis he suffered. David Pinkman has written an excellent tribuute to Zoli that can be found at  www.motocrossactionmag.com  I highly recommend you take a few minutes to go there and read more about this legend. The story is dated Feb 13th

Like any motocross racer who suffers an injury, the accepted procedure is to recover as best we can, then get back on the bike as soon as we can. Zoli experienced more than his share of MX-related injuries, but his battle with arthritis was really like a new get-off injury to be faced every day. Grateful that he remained able to swing a leg over his bike, Zoli did as much as he could to battle the disease. He allowed himself to become a virtual pin cushion and test mule for new arthritis medications and treatments, and may have been as well known in the medical community as he was in the world of motocross. But his aim was always the same: to get back on that motorcycle and feel the freedom that racing motocross gave him. As long as he could do that, there were no grounds for complaint, even when he was forced to tie his crooked fingers to the handlebars with duct tape.

Benjamin Herrera to race for Sherco in GNCC

12 February 2021 | GNCC

FactoryONE Motorsports, AKA Sherco USA, have announced Benjamin Herrera has signed with their supported race team MCS Racing Sherco to compete in the 2021 GNCC series, select Hard Enduros and “possibly” also EnduroCross.

In recent years the Chilean rider has stretched his off-road wings far and wide with distinction by racing a mixed bag of major extreme enduro events plus the SuperEnduro and EnduroGP World Championships, notably as a factory rider with Beta Racing for three years, as well as clocking up ISDE gold medals and multiple national titles.

“I am really excited to be riding on Sherco this year,” said Herrera. “I am looking forward to putting in my best effort which will hopefully translate to podiums in both enduro and extreme off-road events. I am really thankful for this support from Sherco USA as I know how difficult things are with COVID-19. It really means a lot to me.”

GNCC will be a new discipline for Benja who joins compatriot Ruy Barbosa in stepping into the premier North American off-road racing series in 2021. Herrera will race onboard an SEF 450 Factory in the championship which begins next week, February 21 at the Big Buck GNCC.

Herrera will be joined by 2017 250cc National Champion of Chile and fellow ISDE Gold medalist Sebastián Taverne plus 18-year-old Lucas Valdebenito, a two-time ISDE silver medalist and the 2018 Sand Enduro National Champion of Chile.

Sebastián will be racing in the XC2 class on an SE 250 Factory and Lucas will race in XC3 on board an SE 125 Factory. They will be joining 15-year-old Jack Joy to further bolster the “NextGen” programme under Rod Marshall’s MSC Racing Sherco.

“We are very happy to provide support for Benji, Seb and Lucas.” said Ron Sallman, president of FactoryONE Motorsports. “Benji is an incredible ambassador for the sport and has accomplished a great deal in his career to date. I am looking forward to seeing what they can accomplish this year. He will make a great addition to MCS Racing Sherco.”

As mentioned, the riders will primarily focus on GNCC, but will mix in various National Enduros, extreme off-road and possibly the full EnduroCross season.

Webb stops Roczen’s streak with Orlando win

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  Post: Anthony Sansotta

Commanding victory closes points gap to 12.

Image: Octopi Media.

Cooper Webb battled his way to the top step of the podium to slow Ken Roczen’s momentum at the first of two Monster Energy Supercross rounds in Orlando.

A wet and soggy start to the day at Camping World Stadium set the stage for round seven of the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross championship. The AMA and Feld released a revised schedule in the morning, cutting the untimed practice sessions to give the track crew ample time to remove the tarps that covered the track and prepare the racing surface.

While this limited track time for the riders, the move proved to be fruitful, as the track came together well by the time racing kicked off.

Zach Osborne (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) rocketed to the front as the gate dropped in the main event, with Justin Brayton (Muc-Off Honda), Roczen, Webb, and Justin Barcia (TLD Red Bull GasGas) taking the top five spots on lap one.

Early in the race, a mistake by Osborne in the whoops nearly put him on the ground, letting Brayton and Roczen sneak by for the top two spots. Webb found his way past Osborne shortly after to take third as Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac got off to a rough start that had him buried deep inside the top 10.

Webb made a move from third to first four minutes into the race, passing Roczen and Brayton into the same corner in dramatic fashion. Barcia slid past and into the third spot, the move bringing Osborne with him and dropping Brayton to fifth. Dylan Ferrandis had a huge crash around the same time that ended his night, though the Star Racing Yamaha rider leaving the stadium under his own power was a good sign.

With 15 minutes left, the top three paced each other and settled into a solid groove,  just over a second separating the trio. Joey Savatgy (Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM) crashed out of sixth after a good start, allowing Tomac to take the position and set his sights on the top five.

Barcia began to pour pressure on Roczen ahead of him until he had a massive moment in the whoops, sending his legs off the side of the bike. The GasGas rider made what would ultimately be the save of the night, with him continuing in fourth, his mishap allowing Osborne to slip into the final podium spot.

Meanwhile, Webb had his own troubles in the whoops but he recovered well in the following lap, opening back up a two-second lead. Roczen made a charge in the closing lap of the race, pulling the gap down to less than one second, but Webb held on to take his 13th career 450SX main, his second of the season.

After attempting multiple passes, Barcia couldn’t seal the deal for the podium spot on Osborne, giving the Rockstar Husqvarna rider his first podium of the season. Barcia held on for fourth with Tomac recovering well for fifth.

Aaron Plessinger (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) charged through the pack to take sixth place on the night, finishing just ahead of Marvin Musquin (Red Bull KTM). Musquin’s up and down season continues following a podium finish last week. Just behind them, Malcolm Stewart (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) came across the line for his third consecutive top 10 finish in ninth.

After qualifying fastest on the day, Adam Cianciarulo’s speed never materialized in the main. The Monster Energy Kawasaki mounted rider spent much of the race hovering outside of the top 10, making a move to take 10th late in the race. Dean Wilson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) scored points in his return to racing following injury, finishing the night in 12th place.

Webb’s win helps inch him closer to Roczen in the 2021 450SX Championship points standings as he cuts the gap to just 12 points. The series will continue next Saturday night for the second and final night of racing in Orlando at Camping World Stadium.

Detailed Results

2021 Supercross

Why is it always Vince Friese in the way?

Houston...Supercross Is Back!

Honda’s Ken Roczen (#94) had the speed to win but kept his pass attempts clean and eventually settled for a second place finish to start the year in a good points position

Barcia Three-Peats!

Barcia makes winning GasGas 450SX debut a reality at H1

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  Post: Alex Gobert

Image: Octopi Media.

Last week it was a marketing stunt at ‘A1’, this time it’s for real as Justin Barcia powered to a first-time win by TLD Red Bull GasGas at Houston 1, making it three opening round victories in a row.

On debut with the factory MC 450F, a composed Barcia kept Ken Roczen (Team Honda HRC) at bay to win by 1.015s after 20 minutes plus a lap, that duo untouched as Monster Energy Supercross took off tonight.

A mid-race surge by Roczen wasn’t enough to deliver the new CRF450R a winning debut, but on a night where some of the best in the business faltered, second position was a satisfying start to the 17-round series.

Rounding out the podium was Marvin Musquin (Red Bull KTM) after getting the holeshot in his first 450SX since 2019, but 20 seconds outside of the victory. He was ahead of Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Kawasaki) and Malcolm Stewart (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha).

Veteran Justin Brayton was quick out of the gates and put in a solid effort for P6 in what was the premier class debut of Muc-Off Honda Racing. Despite missing much of the pre-season with a hand injury, last year’s 250SX West champion Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) rode to seventh.

Ferrandis was directly in front of teammate Plessinger, who appears to be improved now back at Star, while title threats Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM) – the 2019 champion – and current Pro Motocross champion Zach Osborne (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) overcame a challenging affair for top 10 finishes.

Of the top riders that were further back, defending champion Tomac salvaged 13th following multiple run-ins with Vince Friese (Smartop Bullfrog Spas MotoConcepts Honda), as top qualifier Chase Sexton (Team Honda HRC) had to settle for 14th after being caught up in a major crash involving Martin Davalos (Monster Energy Team Tedder KTM).

Another former champion Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) was inside the top 10 for much of the final, however, he dropped down to 15th position in the closing laps in a frustrating end to his night at the opener.

Monster Energy Supercross will continue this Tuesday, 19 January, with round two of the 2021 season once again to be held in Houston for the second of three events to commence the series at NRG Stadium.

Benavides clinches Dakar Rally title for Honda

Benavides clinches Dakar Rally title for Honda

By:

Jamie Klein

Jan 15, 2021, 7:05 AM

Kevin Benavides clinched his first Dakar Rally title on Friday's 12th and final stage of the event, giving Honda back-to-back wins in the motorcycle class.

Having initially held a lead of 4m12s after Thursday's penultimate test of the rally, Benavides' hopes were given a boost when his advantage over KTM rider Sam Sunderland was revised upwards to 5m07s due to a failure with the organisers' GPS equipment.

Starting the deciding Yanbu-Jeddah stage third in the running order, Benavides gained 10 minutes on Sunderland in the opening 99km as the Briton struggled opening the road.

From there, Benavides was able to manage his advantage as he fought Honda teammate Ricky Brabec for the stage win, ultimately missing out to the American by 2m17s.

But with Sunderland finishing 13 minutes off the pace, it was enough for Benavides to wrap up a first outright victory in the Dakar and a second in a row for Honda.

The 32-year-old becomes the first Argentinian rider to win in the motorcycle class of the Dakar, or indeed a title in the legendary rally-raid in any category other than quads.

Brabec surpassed Sunderland for second overall to make it a Honda one-two - the first for the Japanese manufacturer since 1987 - 4m56s behind Benavides.

Sunderland had to settle for the bottom step of the podium after finishing only 12th on the final stage, 15m57s behind Benavides.

KTM rookie Daniel Sanders held on for fourth place, while privateer Skyler Howes (KTM) won his battle against Sherco's Lorenzo Santolino to seal fifth place.

Pablo Quintanilla was the only factory Husqvarna rider to make the finish in seventh place, but Yamaha's sole remaining works representative Adrian van Beveren wasn't so lucky, suffering engine problems just 30 minutes into the stage.

Van Beveren's demise helped works KTM man Matthias Walkner - who was ruled out of realistic contention as early as Stage 2 - finish ninth behind KTM privateer Stefan Svitko.

Argentina's Manuel Andujar sealed victory in the quads category, having taken the lead on Stage 7 following the

Supercross Is Back...Start is Minutes Away

Osborne avoids injury in Houston 1 press day scare

Section: Competition Post: Alex Gobert

Heavy fall for reigning outdoor champion during 450SX media session.

Image: Supplied.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Zach Osborne has managed to avoid injury following a major scare in press day today, around 24 hours out from round one of Monster Energy Supercross.

Osborne was ejected over the handlebars of his factory FC 450 during Friday’s media session, later confirming he would be fit to ride the opener.

“All good after this little mishap today, thank you to everyone who asked and checked in,” Osborne wrote in a brief update on social media. The incident was captured on film by French media outlet LeBig USA (embedded below).

It’s anticipated that Osborne could be an outsider of sorts for the premier class title over the next 17 rounds, picking up his first victory in Salt Lake City’s 450SX finals last year and then going on to win the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.

“I’m not sure if it’s really a confidence thing, but I think the overall mindset of winning a championship in the premier class has changed a little bit for me,” he explained earlier this week. “Getting the outdoor win and just some clutch overalls that I really needed helped my overall mindset and goal a lot.

“For me, that’s the biggest thing, to check some of those boxes that needed to be checked and I can really move forward with that in my back pocket. I kind of rolled Salt Lake into the outdoors, but still, it’s tough, this class is deep and it’s going to be tough to win races no matter how many you’ve won.”