Is Barcia Back?

Justin Barcia interview

Posted on January 08, 2018

Everyone loves a good comeback story in sports, and heading into the opening round of the 2018 Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship series, all the hype was focused on the comeback of Team HRC’s Ken Roczen, but a rider known to us all as BamBam stole some of that spotlight and ignited a comeback story of his own.

At the end of the 2017 season, Justin Barcia found himself in that unenvious position that many former superstars who had a couple bad years tend to find themselves in: the unemployment line. With some back-to-back injuries and a few lackluster seasons with the JGRMX team, #51 had gone from having teams jump at the opportunity to pay him seven figures to ride their bikes to having nobody wanting to pay him anything. While Justin showed flashes of brilliance with an incredible MXoN ride and some outdoor overall wins in the 450MX class, in Supercross the two-time 450SX main event winner had literally become a non-factor. With so much emphasis placed on SX performances and some in the paddock questioning his overall desire teams opted to simply look the other way this “Silly Season”.

As the prospect of racing as a privateer in ’18 was staring Justin square in the face, Justin checked his ego at the door, loaded up a privateer Honda and showed up at the Monster Energy Cup on his own dime. At the Monster Cup, he finished sixth overall with a 10-6-5 scorecard on the night, but more importantly, he showed he was far from finished and willing to swallow his pride and do whatever it took to get to the races. Soon after, Davi Millsaps went out injured over at the Monster Energy / Knich / Yamaha factory racing team, so the team slapped a #51 on the bike and signed BamBam to what amounted to a six-race trial deal to fill in for Davi. After what happened on Saturday night, though, we’re thinking we will likely be seeing Justin under that tent for all 17 rounds of SX and possibly even beyond.

From the first practice on at A1, Justin was near the top of the board in qualifying and ended up qualifying for the night show with the third fastest lap. In his heat race, he got a sixth place start and by lap five he was in the lead, running away with a dominant heat race win. In the main event, Justin started in second behind Monster Energy / Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac and stayed surprisingly close before inheriting the lead when Tomac threw it away in a rhythm section. Justin led for for just three laps before getting swallowed up by the pressure of Red Bull / KTM’s Marvin Musquin and Rockstar / Husqvarna’s Jason Anderson and pushed back to third. From there you know some thought Justin might drop anchor and lose a podium, but instead he latched onto to Anderson and kept Roczen at bay back in fourth to cross the line with a surprising opening round podium.

Whether or not this one podium means BamBam is back for good remains to be seen, but what we saw out of him on Saturday night definitely has me leaning towards him possibly being a factor throughout the season if healthy. After his possible career rebirth performance at A1, Dan Lamb caught up with him to talk about how the Yamaha ride came to be and his debut with the team in Anaheim.

What a difference a couple months makes, Justin. At Monster Cup, I talked to you and you were setting up your own pits and digging around looking for a light so you could work on your own bike. A couple months later and you’re back on a factory team, leading the main event and standing on the podium.

It shows just never give up. I didn’t know what was going on, but I got the call from Yamaha and I was super grateful for the opportunity. It’s six races right now. I’m taking it race by race. My goal is to turn it into something way more long term because I want to be in this sport for a few more years to come. Tonight was great. The team’s awesome. They’re very positive, supportive. They have a lot of experience, and putting myself with them seems like a great fit. I can’t complain.

Did you chase this down when Davi got hurt or did you just get a call?

No, I got a call actually a day or two days before Monster Cup and they wanted me to race Monster Cup on their bike, but I just put so much work and money into my own setup that I couldn’t do that. I told them if there was something long term, I’d love to be in that situation. It kind of went back and forth. No one really knew what was going on with Davi, so I was just back home for a month after Monster Cup just riding a stock bike, you know, the bike I had before Monster Cup. And I was thinking something’s gotta give because I’m not sure what I’m gonna do. It was like either someone needs to call or I’m going to start putting together my own team. And that’s a lot of work. So, I didn’t really chase it, but I definitely knew I deserved a fresh start. At Monster Cup I had not very long on the bike and I showed that I’m still pretty quick. I didn’t light the world on fire, but still.

You still kind of have a name. (laughs)

Unfortunately in this sport, name doesn’t mean anything; it’s results. I know how it is. Hard work pays off.

Did you surprise yourself about how quick you were up to speed on the Yamaha today? In qualifying you went right to the top of the board and stayed on the board [top 5 times in his session] all day.

Yeah, I mean, I just believed in myself. During the month and a half I’ve been out here in California for the season, I just took a new look at life. “One,” I said, “am I gonna race still?” And I said, “Yeah, I want to race still.” And then I thought, “Two, I want to be back to where I’ve been in the past.” So, alright, I’m gonna have to hit the restart button like fully: new team, new me. I’m gonna get married next year. I put together a group of people that I believe could bring me back to this position, so surprised? I’m not necessarily surprised. I wanted to come out of here top five, so I exceeded my expectations. That’s awesome.

Talk about the main a little. You were leading after Marvin Musquin crashed and looking good. What was going through your mind at that point?

I don’t know. I’ve been in that situation before. It’s been a long time, but I wasn’t like crazy nervous. I was just having fun. I told myself, “Let’s just have fun all day. Whatever the outcome is, is the outcome.” I put in the work. I’ve been putting in the work for years, but it just didn’t pay off unfortunately. Today it did and it felt great. I was first, second, third…

When you got to third, were you worried about losing a podium at all with Roczen coming.

Well, I seen Roczen behind me and I seen Anderson in front of me and I said, “I don’t want to go backwards so I might as well go forwards.” There was a fine line on that track to where pushing it too hard could cost you a crash, so I was trying to find that fine line. I did. I made a couple of mistakes which cost me obviously second or the win. But yeah, it was a cool night.

Did you catch a little late race adrenaline there at the end because you were catching Jason Anderson again for second?

Yeah, I started reeling him back in. I was like, “Alright, cool.” I started pushing a little harder in a few spots and, like I said, trying to find that edge of the track. My fitness is awesome. I felt good, felt strong, and I believe we’re just going to keep building and getting better and better.

Welcome back to the podium and the press conference.

Thanks a lot. I appreciate it.

Dakar Day 2

Motorcycles

Walkner adds another victory for the official KTM tea© Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool

Joan ‘Bang-Bang’ Barreda was the clear winner in the motorbike race, finishing almost three minutes clear of sand specialist Adrian Van Beveren. KTM’s Matthias Walkner took third place while local favourite Pablo Quintanilla finished in sixth to the delight of the Chilean fans. Defending champion Sam Sunderland, stayed in touch in seventh place.

Selected standings

• 1. Joan Barreda (Honda) 02:56:44
• 2. Adrien Ven Beveren (Yamaha) a 00:02:54
• 3. Matthias Walkner (KTM) a 00:04.24
• 7. Sam Sunderland (KTM) a 00:06:01
• 10. Toby Price (KTM) a 00:06:40
• 13. Antonie Méo (KTM) a 00:08:43
• 24. Laia Sanz (KTM) a 00:21:13

Barreda overcomes the second stage with authority

"A hard, tough stage with quite a confusing part at the beginning where we had to keep our concentration. I jumped a dune hard and I really felt that in my hand over the next few kilometres", said Joan Barreda. "The final part was very fast and I was able to pick up quite a bit of space and in the end it turned out well. Tomorrow we have to open the track and everything changes again, but we always knew that it would be that way and we just have to keep on as best we can".

SuperEnduro World Champuionship

Cody Webb takes victory at SuperEnduro in Germany

 

KTM’s Cody Webb put in a stellar ride at round two of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship to claim the overall victory in Poland.

In the Prestige category it was another exciting night with a combative atmosphere amongst the riders, who were subject to many mistakes and falls, including a big pile-up at the start of the 2nd race. 

It was Cody WEBB (USA - KTM) who won on the night, although he was closely followed by reigning World Champion Colton HAAKER (USA - Husqvarna), who was disadvantaged during the third heat by a collision with his teammate. 

"It was not easy,” told Webb. “I learned from my mistake in the first moto in terms of my starting position. So I'm very happy with this end result!”

 

Photo Credit: Robert Lynn

Billy BOLT (GB - Husqvarna) was third overall at the end of the races, but he was forced give his place to Taddy BLAZUSIAK (PL - KTM), who benefitted from a revised penalty from the FIM. 

The Polish rider originally picked up a 20-second penalty for an unauthorised jump on the first lap, but this was later reduced to 10 seconds. A 3rd place which made a difference of 4 points.

As for the home favourite, Manuel LETTENBICHLER (D - KTM), he finished in 7th overall after losing ground in the heats despite initially making great starts.

A1 Where's Short?

Andrew Short - Dakar

While his old friends will be lining up for the opening round of the AMA Supercross championship at Anaheim stadium, former supercross and motocross hero, Andrew Short will be putting his best foot forward in his first ever Dakar Rally.

Despite his calm attitude, the name of his team sponsor suits him well. Short shows up on the Dakar after a rock star career in American Supercross and Motocross. Spectacular on his bike, he takes on a whole new challenge far from the dirt tracks and SX stadiums that he was used to. After stopping his career in 2016, the Colorado native needed something new, something different. He started hearing about that Dakar speaking to the late Kurt Caselli and then got a better taste of off-road events while on a vacation at the Sonora Rally. A new chapter finally opened at the beginning of the year, first with Honda and now with the Husqvarna Factory Team and his debut has been impressive. Third of the Sonora Rally, he then captured a fine 16th spot in Morocco where most of his future Dakar rivals were already competing. But the American wants to take it easy and not get carried away for his first Dakar. He knows the jump into the unknown is a massive one.

“I started riding when I was 5 and turned pro at the age of 17. At 18, I packed my bag and decided to race for a living. I enjoyed an amazing career. I fell in love with off-road racing when I came to see the Sonora Rally and I decided to follow my heart. I know it doesn’t make sense but it’s a huge dream to be able to combine my love for bikes and such an adventure. Riding is a passion. I would have regrets not fulfilling such opportunities. I showed up on the Morocco Rally with no preparation but I really had fun there. You have to respect the conditions. I loved the camaraderie and the brotherhood between the riders. I really don’t know what I’ll feel like during the Dakar. The riding is easy for me but the navigation, the experience, the way you prepare for a stage, the nutrition… all that is new. Physically it’s obviously completely different. I was used to short races. I don’t know how my body will react. Basically the whole Dakar concerns me, and the biggest thing would be not to make it to the finish. First, I have to respect it, then if I come back, I’ll push harder. I’m not focused on a result. I’m worried about the unknown.”

“I’m really excited about taking the start of my first Dakar. After racing motocross and supercross for 16 years as a professional experience becomes automatic year after year. Being a rookie for rally racing I can admit the anticipation and nerves are higher than normal. Since I took the decision to switch into rally racing a few months ago, I did everything possible to better prepare myself for the Dakar challenge. My goal is to keep my mind calm during the next few days and be ready to take in all the new experiences. I want to learn and improve as the race goes on. The cold and the heat and the sand dunes will be the biggest challenge for me and not so much the sand dunes. I’m really excited for this challenge and I believe it’s going to be a life experience. I want to get to the end of this race so that I can get better for the future.”

Marvin Tops A1

Marvin the Marvelous - A1

Posted on January 07, 2018

Kenny Roczen said all the hype about Marvin Musquin was bullshit, Eli Tomac said in the pre-race press conference he would be limiting mistakes. Turns out both men were wrong and it was the two-time world MX2 champion, Musquin who celebrated in Angel stadium this morning.

“To win tonight definitely was not expected,” Musquin said. “It was a difficult day but I tried to stay calm and we were able to make it happen. I had a bad start in the Main Event but we put everything together and we were consistent, it was a long Main – but this is what we’ve been working so hard for. I can’t thank everyone enough for their support!”

Tomac threw it away, and Roczen who started around 12 seconds behind the leader in the opening laps ended around 10 seconds behind Musquin at the end. While he passed a lot of riders, he will need some weeks before he is anywhere near the old Kenny Roczen.

When Eli Tomac took the holeshot, everyone inside the Angel stadium must have though it was all over. He didn’t get too far ahead of second placed man Justin Barcia early, and Peick, Martin and Musquin were holding the other top five places, but it was Musquin who was on fire, moving into fourth quickly, then third.

Roczen starting in 12 was quickly into 10^th, but it was clear he wasn’t riding like his pre-injury speed, as expected with 12 months off the bike.

Just as Musquin moved into third, Tomac had a three second lead over Barcia, and was six seconds ahead of Musquin, while Roczen moved into sixth place. Anderson was also coming through as he battled with Peick for fourth spot.

Roczen had a near accident as he chased team-mate Seely but held it together. Then on the seventh lap, Tomac went down hard, handing the lead to Barcia, but with Musquin just two seconds back, it wouldn’t be long before the Frenchman took the lead.

Tomac was back in 20^th after having to stop to do his pants up, that had come undone in the crash. Again, the American rider once again showing his lack of concentration in important moment.

Roczen moved up to fifth and Musquin was all over Barcia. Bullshit or not, the Frenchman must be the favourite for this year’s AMA Supercross Championship.

Jason Anderson was second at the start of the first 450 heat race and made the move for the lead in the second lap. He fought with Cole Seely for position and battled in the top three in lap 2. He got into the lead shortly after, pulled a gap, and claimed the first 450 heat race victory of the season to transfer directly to the 450 Main Event. 

He was seventh at the start of the 450 main and worked his way up to fifth by the second lap. He stayed focused and held his ground as he battled and passed Weston Peick for fourth in lap five. He moved into third after leader Eli Tomac went down and set his sights on moving into the top two with 10 minutes to go. 

He was on the move and hunted down Justin Barcia down second before making a clean inside pass for the position with seven minutes to go. He continued to set a blistering pace and consistently improved his time with each lap. He ended the night with a second-place finish.

“This was a rather smooth day,” said Anderson. “I was able to get a good start in the heat race and then got the win there. Then I was able to make some good moves in the main and work my way up to second. I think it was a good opening round and it puts me in a good position for the rest of the season.”

Now with Tomac with zero points and a possible shoulder injury and Roczen clearly not his old self, Marvin Musquin, the mister nice guy of American racing might just do a Ryan Dungey and cruise to a title in 2018. Its early going, but I know who I have my money on.

Dakar Motorcycles Day 1

Motorcycles

Last year’s Bike champion Sam Sunderland picked up where he left off by setting the quickest time in the first special. The Red Bull KTM Factory Team rider finished ahead of Adrien van Beveren (Yamaha) and Paul Quintanilla (Husqvarna). Fourth place went to Spain’s Joan Barreda (Honda). His team-mate and fellow Dakar champion Toby Price, who is still recovering from the severe injury that ended his 2017 campaign, finished the special in 14th place.

Sam Sunderland: “I’m happy to have start strongly, but it’s only 30 kilometers, so it doesn’t mean much, it's only the first day of a long race. I went on the attack, of course, because we’re in a race! The title and I start with a victory, which is fantastic!”

This is Dakar! - Dakar 2018

New Signing: Ryan Villopoto To Yamaha

 

Whenever a new deal is on the horizon, it is usually leaked at some point and most people are aware that it is happening. The fact that Ryan Villopoto is now a brand ambassador for Yamaha caught most by surprise, however, as he has been such an integral part of Monster Energy Kawasaki in the last ten years.

"All good things must come to an end," he wrote on social media. "Proud of all the great things I have done and achieved throughout my racing career both amateur and professional at Kawasaki. They will forever be a part of my legacy. Excited for my next chapter and partnership." Villopoto later stated that he is "excited to join Yamaha Motor USA. Thanks to all involved can’t wait to get to work and show you guys what we have in the works."

It is thought that Villopoto will undertake various projects as a brand ambassador at Yamaha. There is no doubt that his face will continue to pop up frequently, as he is involved in the industry through many avenues.

Starting Tips!

Bones on Suspension!

BARE BONES: QUESTIONABLE PRACTICES CAN’T BE TOLERATED

By Bones Bacon

This is one article that is going to be a little difficult to write, but I feel it has to be done. I know I am going to offend some people, but that is not my intention. I believe I have a responsibility to help guide riders into making the right decisions about their suspension. I don’t want anyone to have suspension problems that may lead to them being beaten up or, in a worst-case scenario, crashing.

“LOTS OF RIDERS ARE SUSPENSION SHOPPERS WHO JUMP FROM TUNER TO TUNER IN SEARCH OF THE MAGIC SETTING. I’M SURE THAT MY SUSPENSION HAS ENDED UP ON SOME OTHER SUSPENSION SHOP’S RE-DO LIST. BUT, THAT’S NOT WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT.”

Over the years I have seen a lot of messed up suspension—broken parts, parts put in wrong or just sloppy workmanship. But, as of late, I have noticed that a lot of riders are sending me stuff that has been worked on by another suspension shop. This isn’t unusual. Lots of riders are suspension shoppers who jump from tuner to tuner in search of the magic setting. I’m sure that my suspension has ended up on some other suspension shop’s re-do list.

But, that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about shoddy work from local suspension shops—things that are so egregious they could cause a rider to get hurt.

Here are some examples: When taking the valving off the end of the shock shaft or a fork piston-holder assembly, there is some delicate grinding or machining that has to be done to get the ends of the shafts un-peened. All manufacturers peen over the ends to make sure the nuts don’t come loose. After aggressive grinding, there may not be enough threads left to securely put the nut back on. On fork shafts, sometimes a tuner needs to make a new piston holder with more threads so that the new locknut will be fully engaged. On the shock, it is very critical to grind or, as I do, machine the peened-over area on the shock shaft so the nut can be removed and still have enough threads left for a new nut to be reinstalled after the re-valve has been done. I’m shocked at the number of components I get in my shop that have nuts that are barely held on by a couple of threads.

Another common problem are shocks that have been reassembled with too much oil volume inside the shock body. Most modern shocks have a bladder inside the reservoir that isolates the oil from the nitrogen. If there is too much oil in the shock, the nitrogen bladder will stay in a collapsed shape. When this happens, the collapsed bladder cannot respond to the oil being displaced into the body as the shock compresses. This can cause the shock to hydraulic lock, which can rupture the shock and cause it to break at its weakest point. It’s bad, dangerous and very expensive if this happens.

When I take a fork or shock apart and find that questionable practices have been used by whoever worked on it before, I get angry. I am not talking about their valving, spring rates, oil viscosity or setup choices; it’s more about their knowledge, experience and passion to do a good job. I don’t like suspension shops that take shortcuts—out of ignorance or negligence.

When picking a suspension company to send your components to, it should not be about who can do it the cheapest. It should be about who has the experience, knowledge, concern and funding to make the necessary replacement parts and do the job correctly. Most important, they should take pride in their workmanship.

Think of your suspension shop in the same way that you think of the clinic that is going to do Lasik surgery on your eyes. Are you going to go with the doctor who can do it for the cheapest price? Or, are you going to research the doctor’s credentials, get references from previous patients and check his tech equipment? Trust me; not every suspension shop is perfect or flawless, including mine. But, if the desire and passion are there to do the best job possible, then that is your best investment.

Jim “Bones” Bacon has tuned the suspension of the biggest names in motocross, including Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael, Ryan Villopoto and Adam Cianciarulo. If you have a suspension question, send it to mxa@hi-torque.com.