Matrix Concepts 4th of July Sale

Eli Tomac - Going for Four

 

Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Eli Tomac is without question going to be tough to beat in this years AMA Nationals. More confident than ever and ready to put some pain on his rivals. It is a family sport for the Tomac's and while Eli is the man in motocross, his father had more than enough success in his sporting life.

A supercross championship in the bank, and that fourth 450 motocross championship is the next goal. I wouldn't want to be the opposition, because the 2020 version of Eli Tomac is a beast.

Cairoli and KTM in 2021

 

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Nine-times FIM Motocross World Champion Tony Cairoli will push for yet another title in Red Bull KTM Factory Racing colors in 2021 for what will be his eighteenth season in Grand Prix and the twelfth on a works KTM SX-F.

The 34-year old Sicilian and his crew, helmed by Claudio De Carli, united with the KTM Motorsport Department in 2010 and instantly delivered the factory’s first title in the premier class with the innovative KTM 350 SX-F. Cairoli remained undefeated until 2014 and then used the latest generation of the KTM 450 SX-F to secure his ninth crown in 2017. In total the KTM/Cairoli package has given the manufacturer six championships in the last decade.

In terms of achievements, popularity, professionalism, longevity and enduring passion for motocross, Cairoli is the reference in MXGP and is still fiercely competitive at a time when the category has vast depth of talent and speed. Cairoli will again form part of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s MXGP ‘Dream Team’ on KTM 450 SX-Fs alongside Jorge Prado and Jeffrey Herlings; boasting a combined number of fifteen championships. Tony Cairoli: “I’m really motivated for another good season next year so I’m really happy with the renewal of my riding contract. We’ll see what 2020 has in store but my goal is to aim for the championship and again in 2021. I’m very proud to have been so long with this factory team and I still want to write some pages in the history of KTM motocross.” Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director: “It says a lot for Tony as a rider and a person and an athlete that he is still so competitive when MXGP is at a top level. He could have walked into other teams when it was clear he wanted to continue in 2021 but it was important for us to extend his story with KTM and that couldn’t make us any happier. We have no doubt that he has the desire to go for a tenth title either in the season we will eventually have in 2020 or in 2021. It makes us all very proud to have a team with the caliber of Tony, Jeffrey and Jorge. I believe we can be the ones to beat again in MXGP with this strong trio and combined with the whole team and technical crew with Claudio, Davide, Dirk and everybody who makes the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team tick.” Claudio de Carli, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Tony expressed his willingness to ride for at least another year and this obviously makes us happy and confirms his truly unique character and attitude for the sport. His final choice to remain with KTM gives us great satisfaction because it also confirms the good job we have been doing responding to his technical requests and the strong bond we have established over many years. Next season Tony will be in his twelfth year with KTM, and with my crew for the eighteenth. I think this says it all! We’re really proud of him and would like to give thanks to KTM for making this next chapter possible.”

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79 Amateur Championship MX...McKenna Takes Two!

Davey Coombs of Racerx gives us a look back at some moto history with his account of the 79 National Amateur Championship which took place at the old Hangtown track in Plymouth, CA. Many of us of a certain age were lucky enough to ride the Plymouth track back in the day. A lot of great riders put in many laps on that track and it was the site of some great Hangtown races. Take a few minutes to read Davey's reporting, I found his account of the torn $100 bill very amusing but that may be because I know both of the individuals involved.

Follow this link to Racerxonline

https://racerxonline.com/2020/06/24/saturday-night-live-before-lorettas-1979

Eli Tomac SX Champion 2020

First look: Yamaha Ténéré 700 Rally Edition

 

 Yamaha are celebrating their iconic Dakar Rally 1980s heritage with a special ‘Rally Edition’ version of the hugely popular Ténéré 700 Adventure bike.

Since Yamaha launched the Ténéré 700 it has quickly established itself as the best-selling middleweight adventure bike in Europe with over 8000 units sold to date. At Enduro21 we don't spend a lot of time on Adventure bikes but from the time we have, the latest Ténéré has a character which stands apart from the other big capacity bikes on the market – this ain’t no dirt bike but it sure doesn’t suffer from the same girth issues some have. It’s also a good price by comparison to its rivals in the showroom. 

Yamaha is building on that success of the new model Ténéré 700 with this Rally Edition model celebrating those iconic years of Dakar Rally in Africa and arriving with a host of additional components to up the off-road anty. 

Ténéré 700 Rally Edition highlights:

• ·         Iconic heritage colours with historic Dakar factory race bike influence 
• ·         Enhanced Rally feeling from Rally Seat, tank grip pads and off-road handlebar grips 
• ·         Lightweight Akrapovič slip-on muffler 
• ·         Extra protection from the heavy-duty skid plate, radiator guard and chain guard 
• ·         Durable LED flashers front and rear 
• ·         689cc, four stroke, CP2 engine delivering high levels of linear torque 
• ·         Lightweight and durable double cradle tubular steel frame 
• ·         Slim, compact and ergonomic body 
• ·         Aggressive rally-bred face with 4 x LED headlights 
• ·         Adjustable long-travel front and rear suspension 
• ·         Tough and lightweight 21 inch/18 inch spoked wheels with adventure tyres 
• ·         Switchable ABS for on the fly adjustment

Launched in 2019, the Ténéré 700 is the result of one of Yamaha's most intensive development programmes that involved some of the world's leading rally raid riders testing and evaluating the prototypes in a wide range of terrain all over the world. With its compact and agile chassis as well as a characterful and torque-rich, 689cc, CP2 engine, this best-selling middleweight adventure bike delivers off road performance with long distance comfort on the highway. 

Proudly assembled in France by a dedicated workforce alongside the Ténéré 700, the new Ténéré 700 Rally Edition features a special blue and yellow livery that pays homage to the Yamaha race bikes ridden by JCO and Serge Bacou in the '83 and '84 editions of the Dakar rally. 

Yamaha lovers will recognise the iconic design from the XT600Z of 1983. Black Yamaha speedblock graphics reinforce the historic look, making this an authentic tribute to the men and their machines that inspired so many riders to travel beyond the next horizon in their search for new adventures and lasting memories. 

Increased protection  

The Ténéré 700 Rally Edition has a higher specification as standard including a 4mm aluminium, heavy duty skid plate protecting the engine and lower frame tubes, and which also features a tool box mounting point. The black aluminium radiator protector is designed to prevent the ingress of small sticks or stones – and the laser-cut aluminium chain guard enhances the premium style of this special edition model.

Rally Seat  

The exclusive one-piece Rally Seat runs straighter under the rider and gives a 20mm higher riding position at 895mm. Its dual material construction also has the white Yamaha logo complements the iconic heritage colours.  

Akrapovič slip-on muffler

The 689cc, CP2 engine is fitted with an Akrapovič slip-on muffler emitting a richer and throaty sound that Yamaha says enhances the high-torque sensation when accelerating. This lightweight can is fitted with carbon heatshields.  

LED lights  

The Ténéré 700 has distinctive headlight configuration as standard and the new Rally Edition adds compact LED flashers at the front and rear for a sleek look to this edition. 

Grip pads  

Special rubber grip pads on the tank sides come as standard on the Rally Edition. They provide added knee and inner thigh grip while riding. The new model also has more off-road spec handlebar grips.

 

Yamaha got the apps to match

Yamaha’s free MyGarage app is a quick and easy way to build a virtual Yamaha online and experiment with different combinations of Genuine Accessories and see which components work best for you on a bike. Using the MyGarage app anyone can create their dream version of the Ténéré 700 Rally Edition and view it in from any angle in high definition.

The MyRide app enables Yamaha riders to track every ride and record a variety of data including lean angle, acceleration, top speed, elevation changes and distance covered. Images can be added to the trip data and shared on social media, and information can be saved and stored under the customer's own account. It's the best way to add another dimension to every ride and allows riders to rediscover their favourite journeys.

Colours: Sky Blue and black speed block only.  

Price and availability: The Ténéré 700 Rally Edition will be available at Yamaha dealers starting in July 2020. Contact your national Yamaha dealers for more information on the local price.  

Gajser as Racing Returns in Slovenia

In what was one of the first national motocross races to take place anywhere in the world; Team HRC’s Tim Gajser took a race win in the Slovenian championship at Semic.

As with any event in his home country, a good crowd turned up to see the reigning MXGP world champion and he didn’t disappoint, taking a race win with a comfortable margin of victory.

Amid the enforced MXGP season pause, it was a good chance for Gajser to shake off the rustiness of not having raced since he went one-two at the MXGP of the Netherlands in Valkenswaard on March 8th. And with the 2020 calendar ever-changing, it was a step in the right direction to see a European country hosting a motocross event, with the general public in attendance given that Slovenia has declared itself free from COVID-19 and therefore aren’t implementing social distancing measures.

"It was great to be back at a race track again." Gasjer commented. "Obviously we are all going through a tough period of time, but to finally have a race, with a gate-drop against other riders means things are slowly but surely getting back to normal.

"I always enjoy doing these Slovenian races because the fans are very supportive and it is just a nice atmosphere at the tracks, and everyone is relaxed and having a good time.

"I got a nice race win and was happy with my riding on the Honda CRF450RW and it was a useful experience after such a long time without competition.

Right now, the next scheduled world championship event is the Latvian GP on August 9th and while that is still quite a long way off, it is still a date that gives Team HRC something to aim for as they look to begin preparations for restarting the season.

"During this period, I have been keeping up my training, maybe not to the same intensity as I would normally, but to a high standard still, just in case the MXGP season started again quickly." Gasjer continued. "That hasn’t been the case unfortunately but I feel like I can be back at my best very quickly.

"I have been enjoying the break though and doing things I wouldn’t normally be able to do during the season and just trying to keep busy and active. I ride a few times during the week to make sure I am in bike-shape but I am definitely missing going racing and being with my Honda teammates.

"I don’t really know how the 2020 calendar will all work out and how many races I’ll have to prepare for, but I will be ready for whatever situation and I really believe they can figure out a good solution. I hope everyone is staying safe, staying positive, and I will see you at the races soon.

With Gajser currently sitting in second place and teammate Mitch Evans eager to return from his shoulder injury, there will be a lot of excitement for when the season does start up once again. However, first up with be another Slovenian round at the old GP circuit in Orehova Vas next weekend.

KTM 2021

 THE 2021 KTM SX RANGE REACHES NEW LEVELS OF TECHNOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE Drawing on feedback from elite racers, the 2021 KTM SX introduces carefully considered refinements and performance updates across its range.

New Honda CRF450R???

For a few months now, we’ve known Honda’s planning to debut a new 450 motocross machine. Now, we know what it looks like, thanks to a set of design drawings Honda’s filed to protect its visual copyright for the new CRF450R.

When Honda debuted its offroad motorcycle lineup for the year, there was no new CRF450R. What’s up, Big Red, are you planning to abandon the 450 MX segment? Not likely, as Honda’s factory MXGP team has been flogging a new big-bore bike this season … or at least, they were, until the season shut down two rounds in (the UK and Dutch rounds were completed, and then the coronavirus pandemic happened). But the MXGP machine is a race bike, and therefore you’d expect some changes with the production version.

So what do we see? Lo and behold, Honda’s gone and re-routed the exhaust, from a dual-canister setup to a single muffler. What does that mean? Um, lighter weight, probably, but who knows what else? Honda hasn’t dropped any details about the engine yet, although a change in exhaust likely means a change in tuning. What else can we spot? The keen-eyed scribes at Motorcycle.com point out the machine in this photo has a hydraulic clutch, not the cable clutch that’s on the current-production CRF450R.

ROCKSTAR HUSQVARNA’S 450SX PODIUM SWEEP

Zach wins his first 450 Supercross! 

 

Zach Osborne was third early in the race and he passed his teammate Dean Wilson to get into the second place. Then, he caught up to his other teammate, Jason Anderson, but he wasn’t able to pass him. Finally, on lap 23 of 25, Zach got around Jason for the win. All three of the Rockstar Husqvarna riders spoke briefly about Husqvarna employee Scott Burtness on the podium. Scott passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, the day before the race. After his win, Zach Osborne said:“we lost a really valued coworker at Husky yesterday and this one is for him.”

Anderson and Wilson fill out the podium!

Jason Anderson led for the majority of the Main Event, but when his seat fell off, he wasn’t able to maintain the same pace and Osborne was able to get around him. Although he hasn’t won a Supercross since 2018, Jason was still classy on the podium and maintained his light hearted personality.

Dean Wilson’s podium finish was a bigger surprise. Dean has been riding well this season, but his starts hindered him from getting on the podium. He was emotional on the podium and explained that he wanted to win, but also that he was happy to be on the podium and to gain experience leading laps.