Jett Lawrence talks testing the new Honda for supercross

Jett Lawrence has given an insight into what testing a new bike entails as he heads into the first defence of his 450 supercross title. And, while he doesn’t seem to have a weakness as a rider, some are saying that having to set-up a new bike may give his rivals an opening that they have to take advantage of, especially in the early rounds if Lawrence is still searching for the perfect set-up.

An honest Lawrence told Jason Thomas at the SMX media day that it is taking time to get the bike in the right place:

“It definitely adds a lot more testing. We got through a lot more production testing on outdoors instead of supercross. So we have to go through a lot more parts, ‘does this part work? No, it doesn’t, okay, this part helps part helps this part but it makes this part worse. So, it is just a lot of that stuff, and it just takes time it is a lot more testing with that.

“But I am looking forward this year, this bike, I know it is going to be better, we just have to find the right parts for it right now and that’s what we are doing but looking forward to it (the new season).“

Now, one month later from those comments, it is race week for Anaheim one, and the world will see just how comfortable Jett and Honda are on their new machine in less than seven days.

It might be the glimmer of hope the competition need going into 2025, but if Jett still comes out and dominates like he did last year with the new bike on point, where does that leave the rest of the field mentally? The testing is done, the countdown is on to A1.

Paris Dakar Stage 1

The 2025 Dakar Rally's stage one separated the field into the top contenders are they are already putting time on their rivals. And it's only the first stage! Clearly, the top five are putting themselves in position to win as we go into a massive 48 Chrono stage tomorrow and the next day that will have the racers tackling almost 1,000 km of timed special tests.

Eli...Last Call

Eli Tomac is poised to face his trickiest task as another supercross season roars to life. Previously the most feared competitor in off-road sport, he was unable to halt the decline of his dominance. Now, as the first round of 2025 sits on the horizon, he is determined to reclaim his spot atop the 450SX podium.

Few would have been surprised had Tomac retired in the Autumn: his position in the record books is secure and he has little else to prove at the pinnacle of competition. Nonetheless, a lackluster 2024 term left him unfulfilled. Determined to rewrite the end to his storied career, he returns in familiar colors to rediscover the form that carried him to two 450SX championships.

There is not just one 'problem' that Tomac must resolve – it is a complex puzzle of performance, consistency and adaptation. It's a multifaceted challenge that makes his path to the number one plate so uncertain, yet such a thrill for fans across the world. In 2024, he achieved his fewest race wins since 2016, did not secure a single pole position and led 64% fewer laps than in 2023. The decline was perceived as more dramatic thanks to the spectacular arrival of Jett Lawrence.

Lawrence, like Chase Sexton before him, has introduced a new technique and approach to competition that riders like Tomac, Cooper Webb and Ken Roczen must adapt in order to remain competitive. Tomac has taken that one step further in a sense: he is leading the charge to introduce a 'scoop' tire at traditional supercross events and run extensive tests at Yamaha's training compound in Tallahassee to determine its effectiveness. The decision to innovate, rather than follow, underscores how pivotal the 2025 season is and the breadth of his phenomenal talent.

 

This innovation aligns with his broader focus to improve starts, another area where he struggled in 2024. Tomac started first in just three main events last term – two of those were Triple Crowns – marking his worst total since 2020. Starts are linked to confidence in most instances, so perhaps his subpar on-track performances sat hand-in-hand with him being worse than Lawrence and stablemate Webb on lap one? If effective, the scoop could bolster his confidence by addressing one of his key vulnerabilities.

It will be impossible to use the scoop at each round, despite his desire, but expect him to lean on the model with confidence whenever possible. How he handles circuits with soil too hard for the sand tire will be of interest to all. Will his confidence waver when that trusted tool is sidelined? His fluctuating performance could push rivals to explore their own options with the tire. Regardless of his results, Tomac could reshape the sport before making way for the next generation of stars.

This is irrelevant to Tomac, however, who is fixated on success. While some will doubt whether he can rebound after such a difficult 2024, he has proven that he can do that in the past. 2021 – the season that sat between his two titles – was mediocre. Uninspired and sporadically competitive, Tomac floundered in a state of flux and prompted rumors of retirement. Nonetheless, it had the opposite effect: he returned in 2022 and was superb (seven wins in nine weeks) en route to his second championship.

Simply, Tomac and those in the 'blue' corner will hope for history to repeat itself when the 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season starts on January 11. Anaheim 1 is set to be a critical point that will alter his course. To banish memories of a drab 2024 and place his competitors on notice, Tomac has to make an immediate statement at Anaheim 1 – an event he has won just once in 14 attempts. It could set the tone for a season of redemption or resignation.

Aaron Plessinger, "I Know I Belong Up Front"

The Cowboy looks to solidify his place among the sport’s elite with new confidence entering 2025.

If there is a SuperMotocross racer that resonates closely with the fans, enjoys the process, and is just straight-up having fun non-stop, it's none other than "The Cowboy" Aaron Plessinger. The Ohio native will enter 2025, his fourth year with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team aboard the KTM 450 SX-F. Last week on the SMX Preview Show, Plessinger spoke about goals, confidence, and fans ahead of the 2025 Supercross and SuperMotocross World Championship season.

In San Diego, this past 2024 Supercross season was a monumental step for Plessinger, as he grabbed that elusive career-first 450SX win that he had been looking forward to and held the red plate as the championship points leader for some rounds early on. It's not for the lack of effort or speed from The Cowboy; it's the mental side, "Some races, man, I don’t know—I just get nervous. Like Detroit a couple of years ago, I was so confident; I knew something good was going to happen. It’s that mentality I need to keep. A really hard thing for me in ’23 was just not knowing that I belonged up there. Last year (2024) was a really, really good stepping stone for me."

Plessinger made a big leap from previous years in the premier class this past season, which now has him in the conversation as a race winner on any given weekend and championship title threat as his confidence grows, "At times, I’ve struggled with confidence in my own abilities, but I’m getting to a place where I know I belong up front." This sport, yes indeed, is about having that top speed, but the confidence level a rider must have goes even further, and those first few years in the class were difficult. "When I first got into the Premier class, man, I struggled big time. Turning that ship around was tough, but I’ve come a long way."

 

"At times, I’ve struggled with confidence in my own abilities, but I’m getting to a place where I know I belong up front." 

Photo Courtesy of KTM Factory Racing

2025 will be his seventh year in the premier class, arguably the best we have ever seen from Plessinger. The goals for this upcoming season are easily stated, "The goal is to win, you know, to win and to be as consistent as I need to be." As the one guy who always enjoys being at the races more than anyone, the persona from his personality would be hard to tell, "My personality might seem laid back, but it’s all part of how I approach the sport. It helps me stay grounded and focused when it matters."

Plessinger's larger-than-life personality and relatable demeanor are key reasons he’s a fan favorite."I think why the fans resonate with me so much is they can relate to me because I’m a normal dude, you know? I just happen to be all right at racing dirt bikes. I’m just a big, hairy winning machine."

With his confidence at an all-time high and a clear goal of capturing race wins, Aaron Plessinger is poised to solidify his place as a championship contender in 2025. With Anaheim 1 just over a week away, could this be the year 'The Cowboy' takes his career to even bigger heights?

Wild "n" Wooly

Callum Hughes dominates the Wild 'n' Woolly

By Team TMX on 2nd Jan 25

Beta-mounted current British Expert Enduro Champion Callum Hughes completely dominated the 96th running of the Northampton club's Wild ‘n’ Woolly charity scramble. He got the holeshot, led every lap and lapped the entire field of 42 riders including second-place man Scott Bates. He made it look easy, which we all know it isn’t.

The Wild 'n' Woolly is far from easy

With the loss of the traditional home of the event venue at Blisworth in Northamptonshire, and with its replacement venue now sadly also lost to all motorsport, the club looked for another track that would first have a car park dry enough to park a hopefully a large number of charity paying spectators and a track wet enough to provide those spectators with the Woolly-signature wet muddy bits. Luckily, the lovely people at the Polesworth MX Track came to the rescue with their course just outside Tamworth.

It must be said that when the riders and spectators looked at the motocross track after some practice laps everyone thought it wasn’t going to be the usual Woolly-style race but boy were they wrong for just after a couple of laps at race speed some of the small puddles turned into deep ruts and two sections, one over the back of the venue, and another hairpin bend at the bottom turned into bottomless muddy bogs and the Wild ‘n’ Woolly spirit was saved.

Dead on noon and with the spectator car park full, the hour-long race started. Hughes powered his Beta into the lead and just disappeared into the distance. But as the rest of the riders followed him around the track, they were already turning into the colour of mud, with obscured number plates and already throwing goggles away.

By the third lap, and with Hughes already starting to lap riders, the boggy hairpin was already choking up with struggling riders and the first bike was pulled under ropes with a burnt-out clutch. All that effort for two laps.

By the halfway stage, and with Hughes finding lines that no one else seemed to see or try, the battle for second place was on between Bates and Harry Bradley. For some laps, the pair swapped places as first one, then the other would get held up either in the boggy bits or by fallen riders. With about 20 minutes to go, Bradley managed to open up a gap on Bates.

A helping hand is always welcome

With just a couple of laps left in the race, Hughes lapped the whole field. Bradley had a comfortable second place, with a trip to the podium on the cards. But his machine cried enough, stopped, and turned his race to a DNF, handing second place to Bates.

And so, James Barnwell (KTM) finished third with James Paczynski (GASGAS) fourth. Trials rider Alex Wigg (GASGAS) finished a creditable fifth, two laps down on the winner.

As the hour ended, a very happy Hughes crossed the finish line for his first Wild ‘n’ Woolly win. “It was great to lead from start to finish, and I think I lapped the second place as well,” he said. “I didn’t have any problems and just stayed smooth and ran my own race. I will have to give it another go to defend my first place.”

It’s funny that Hughes was classed as a Junior rider, as this event was run under motocross rules. 34 riders were classified as finishers, only eight DNFs were recorded and the event raised a lot of money for charity.

The Targets: 2025 Monster Energy SX

KTM...What Happened?

KTM Has 265,000 Unsold Bikes Just Sitting Around

Management committed to overproduction even after demand fell off

Legendary Austrian motorcycle brand KTM is up against the ropes at the moment getting pummeled. It was revealed during the company’s current insolvency hearings that it is sitting on a whole year’s worth of inventory, to the tune of 265,000 unsold motorcycles. In all my years on this big planet I’ve never seen company mismanagement on this order of magnitude. KTM owes its creditors some $3 billion, and apparently can’t move product to save its own ass. The future of orange is up in the air, and it probably won’t be a soft landing.

How the hell do you overbuild an entire year’s worth of inventory? The brand was hitting record sales numbers in 2023, and management apparently decided to crank up production, but never cranked it back down. A rough 2024 left the orange bike maker insolvent and loaded with unsold inventory and unpaid staff. The brand has resorted to layoffs, restructuring, and halting its MotoGP development program. KTM is rumored to pull out of MotoGP altogether, though denies it.

Predictably, almost all of this turmoil can be pinned on billionaire company CEO and corporate holdings company namesake Stefan Pierer. Management pushed KTM into overproduction for several months, despite plummeting sales.

Reports from Germany’s Der Standard indicate this number was disclosed during KTM’s insolvency hearings. Because outright bankruptcy would leave thousands of workers in the lurch, the Austrian government is pushing for a restructuring of the company’s debt, holding hearings with creditors and stakeholders to attempt to paint a way forward for Big Orange. Lawyers have argued that KTM’s issues stem from mismanagement, and that blue collar employees should not be punished for the missteps of their wealthy overseers

“In his presentation, lawyer Vogl also went into the causes of insolvency and also worked out a number of management errors,” says Der Standard, adding, “In 2023, sales had increased; although demand had decreased, motorcycle production was not reduced. From the resulting storage structure, the liquidity requirement increased by around 440 million euros between January 2023 and October 2024. More than 265,000 motorcycles are now in stock – that’s how many are usually sold in a year.”.

What’s the way forward for KTM? It seems likely that an outside investor will step in and rescue the ailing motorcycle manufacturer. India’s Bajaj already owns 49.9 percent of the company, and seems likely to increase its holdings for greater control of the restructuring. 49.9 percent of nothing is nothing, after all. 50.1 percent of the company is currently owned by Pierer Mobility. It seems likely that Stefan Pierer will be forced out of the company for his role in this disaster.

This case is one that will be studied in business schools for decades to come. Instead of burning cash in down times, it’s probably best to shore up your defenses and ride out the storm. What a fiasco!

KTM “fully committed” to customers

KTM delivers a strong message to customers during their current financial situation: “KTM guarantees the continuation of motorcycles being delivered through our authorised KTM Dealer network. The same goes for our spare parts, technical accessories, customer service support and warranties”.

2024 has been a year which, as KTM put it, brought “challenges” financially and has seen KTM AG currently in a 90-day period of self-administration which began on November 29, 2024.  

The message from the Austrian manufacturer as we head into a festive break is clear: “Heading into 2025 and the future, there are more jumps, ruts, and bumps ahead - but we are not letting off the throttle.” Expressed in a media release sent out today, December 20, 2024 which, though re-assuring for customers, does not mention staff it must be noted. 

The positive mantra seems to be aimed at reassuring its factory riders and race teams as much as, suppliers, dealers and customers we suspect, is to express they “remain fully committed to delivering exceptional experiences to our current and future customers” and that they will continue “to find our way to the top of the podium again”, pointing at the continuation of the racing programme which kicks-off at the Dakar Rally in early January.

KTM guarantee

KTM say the goal over the next 90 days is to stabilise the business while setting the foundation for sustained growth and success.

“Throughout this period, KTM guarantees the continuation of motorcycles being delivered through our authorised KTM Dealer network. The same goes for our spare parts, technical accessories, customer service support and warranties which remain unchanged, ensuring ongoing and unwavering support throughout this period.”

The ripple effect outwards from Mattighofen is already known to have affected businesses, suppliers and staff, and as of 24 hours ago, the Hard Enduro World Championship too.

Read more about that here: KTM’s financial woes affect Hard Enduro World Championship

There has been a strong push towards the end of 2024 also with new models aplenty appearing at motorcycles shows. KTM say the new models will be in dealer showrooms in the first quarter of 2025.

However, with staff being told to stay at home in the early months of the new year it is not exactly clear when those new models will arrive. By the same token this strong message from the company ahead of the festive holidays might be a last shout out while the staff take leave and the financial situation is formalised.

Aaron Plessinger recalls the road from heartbreak to victory

Jett Talks Consistency for 2025