Legendary Flat Tracker

Super-cool Flat Tracker inspired by a race legend

Motorcycle competition in the US during the 19070s and early 80s was dominated by a type of racing much less familiar to us on this side of the Atlantic.

At first glance, flat-track racing looks like speedway, with most events taking place on oval dirt tacks.

However the crucial difference is that the bikes used for flat-track have front and rear suspension – and rear brakes, allowing for a completely different cornering technique compared to speedway.

The Flat Track Series, sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association, covered five disciplines including the mile, the half-mile, short track (typically a quarter-mile), the TT Steeplechase (an irregular shaped course, with a jump) and the road race (actually not on roads, but on purpose-built tacks such as the Daytona 200).

The style of riding – sliding the rear wheel round corners, nowadays known as drifting – meant that a number of US flat-track racers went on to international success in the MotoGP world, including Kenny Roberts, Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey.

The advent of traction control, which limited rear-wheel sliding later reduced the advantage the flat trackers had enjoyed.

All of which brings us to a quiet market town in Cambridgeshire.

How so?

Well, Huntingdon is the home of the Herald Motor Company, creator of unique 125cc and 250cc motorcycles, the latest custom version of which is called the Flat Tracker.

I am happy to say, the firm has come on leaps and bounds since I first tested it’s original and excellent Classic 125 in 2014.

The line-up now includes a Classic 250 and a Cafe Racer 250 – featuring a four-stroke single-cylinder air-cooled motor.

The bikes are built in China and then upgraded for the British market.

And, more recently, Herald has been producing custom versions based on the 250.

The firm will also create customs with input from customers.

The Flat Tracker certainly looks the part.

The yellow-and-black colour scheme is based on a flat tracker that Ducati made for Australian former World Superbike champion and MotoGP star Troy Bayliss when he was racing for them.

The bike bears his signature and his race number.

It is also reminiscent of Yamaha’s US racing livery.

HMC’s senior engineer Martin Carter told Mirror Motorcycling: “We wanted to demonstrate that you don’t have to spend a fortune to build a custom bike.”

As to the inspiration taken from the Bayliss machine , Martin says simply: I just liked the look of it.”

The bike is pared down and minimalist – no front mudguard, no mirrors.

Like HMC’s other customs, upgrades include SBS brake pads, NGK spark plugs, a HiFlow filter and Venhill braided lines.

The front brake cylinder is taken from a Herald scooter and there’s a quick-action throttle and footpegs from a motocross bike.

The wide, upswept bars are custom made and the lovely seat is from the Redmax Speed Shop.

I loved the Flat Tracker.

The aesthetics and jumping on board took me straight back to my youth when I used to go to watch dirt-track racing on a Sunday afternoon.

Making 21bhp, it’s not going to blow your socks off, but that is irrelevant.

It’s an absolute joy to ride – light (130kg), agile and responsive.

It handles surprisingly well and braking, with front and rear single discs, is more than adequate – I just kept wanting to put my boot on the floor every time I went round a bend.

This is old-skool riding at it’s best – simple and fun.

And the sound from that 250 single, especially the pop when you close the throttle - magic.

heraldmotorcompany.com

Prince George BC ...Blackwater MX

National race prompts Blackwater reconstruction

Ted Clarke / Prince George Citizen

Jeremy Young of Prince George gets air at the Blackwater Motocross Park on Sept. 15, 2012. The Blackwater Motocross Park has “about two weeks of hard-at-it work to get the track and the facility ready,” before the two-day CMRC Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals, according to Andrew Forbes, president of the Prince George Motocross Association.   - Submitted photo by Tyler Sabourin

Like the rest of people of Prince George, Andrew Forbes just wants a few days of warm sunny weather.

The biggest motocross event the city has ever hosted is now less that one month away and Forbes knows there's still plenty of work left to do to get Blackwater Motocross Park ready for the two-day CMRC Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals. That work becomes a lot more difficult when it's too wet.

"We've got equipment and manpower ready to go, we're just waiting for the rain to stop and hopefully that's going to happen within the next week," said Forbes, president of the Prince George Motocross Association. "We've got about two weeks of hard-at-it work to get the track and the facility ready."

Last fall and winter, the owner of Forbes Industrial Contracting brought in his own earthmoving equipment to widen the access road to the motocross track at 28100 Blackwater Road and clear a parking space big enough to handle the swarm of as many as 5,000 people who could show up for the national races, June 10-11. That rough work still needs to smoothed out and Forbes has been waiting for the frost to leave the ground to make that happen.

"I would say we've almost quadrupled the parking area, said Forbes. "The other major improvement was, in order to host a CMRC national event we had to have free and clear access for an ambulance to get in and out. Previously, our driveway in was a single-lane goat trail so if you met somebody halfway in, somebody had to back up. Now we've built a full two lanes of access road so you can meet anywhere and still get by."

The other phase of the project is bringing in new material for the motocross track itself. Built on clay, from the day the facility first opened in 1996, Blackwater has drawn notoriety for the poor drainage of its track in rainstorms. The dirt has to continually be reworked to prevent it from getting packed into a rock-hard surface.

The club has a received a grant from Northern Development Initiatives Trust to replace the existing dirt with sandy loam. To do that, at least 100 truckloads of material have to be moved using highway vehicles which will then be reloaded onto smaller tracks for the trip the hill to the track. Using a bulldozer and an excavator, the new dirt will then have to be worked into the existing soil and spread on the track.

Rain has plagued the Prince George Motocross Club the last three years, whenever it tried to put on a regional series race, turning the track 30 kilometres southwest of the city centre into a mudbog.

"If we can get it to stay there, it will do wonderful things for our track," said Forbes. "Historically, the problem with the Prince George Blackwater track is we spend a large amount of money to get the right dirt on the surface and the very next race we have monsoon-like conditions.

"Because we have clay underneath the sand, every time we get a heavy rain the water has no place to go and we've had to scrape that beautiful material off. The new material has to be worked into the clay and the longer it's worked in the better results we'll have."

White Spruce Enterprises has donated the sand and trucks and Forbes says several other contractors, including O'Brien Training, have donated time and equipment to the project. Before the race, workers will have to get hay bales, flagging and plastic protective fencing in place to protect the riders.

"It's a completely different event than what Prince George is used to holding, we're going to have a number of food vendors, a number of motorsports vendors selling their wares or promoting their businesses," said Forbes. "Prince George is used to hosting amateur races. This is a show and for spectators it's going to be an exciting event. This is going to dwarf anything that's ever happened in Prince George."

 

National race prompts Blackwater reconstruction

Ted Clarke / Prince George Citizen

May 12, 2017 10:16 PM

•  
•  
•  
•  
• 
• 

Jeremy Young of Prince George gets air at the Blackwater Motocross Park on Sept. 15, 2012. The Blackwater Motocross Park has “about two weeks of hard-at-it work to get the track and the facility ready,” before the two-day CMRC Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals, according to Andrew Forbes, president of the Prince George Motocross Association.   - Submitted photo by Tyler Sabourin

Like the rest of people of Prince George, Andrew Forbes just wants a few days of warm sunny weather.

The biggest motocross event the city has ever hosted is now less that one month away and Forbes knows there's still plenty of work left to do to get Blackwater Motocross Park ready for the two-day CMRC Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals. That work becomes a lot more difficult when it's too wet.

"We've got equipment and manpower ready to go, we're just waiting for the rain to stop and hopefully that's going to happen within the next week," said Forbes, president of the Prince George Motocross Association. "We've got about two weeks of hard-at-it work to get the track and the facility ready."

Last fall and winter, the owner of Forbes Industrial Contracting brought in his own earthmoving equipment to widen the access road to the motocross track at 28100 Blackwater Road and clear a parking space big enough to handle the swarm of as many as 5,000 people who could show up for the national races, June 10-11. That rough work still needs to smoothed out and Forbes has been waiting for the frost to leave the ground to make that happen.

"I would say we've almost quadrupled the parking area, said Forbes. "The other major improvement was, in order to host a CMRC national event we had to have free and clear access for an ambulance to get in and out. Previously, our driveway in was a single-lane goat trail so if you met somebody halfway in, somebody had to back up. Now we've built a full two lanes of access road so you can meet anywhere and still get by."

The other phase of the project is bringing in new material for the motocross track itself. Built on clay, from the day the facility first opened in 1996, Blackwater has drawn notoriety for the poor drainage of its track in rainstorms. The dirt has to continually be reworked to prevent it from getting packed into a rock-hard surface.

The club has a received a grant from Northern Development Initiatives Trust to replace the existing dirt with sandy loam. To do that, at least 100 truckloads of material have to be moved using highway vehicles which will then be reloaded onto smaller tracks for the trip the hill to the track. Using a bulldozer and an excavator, the new dirt will then have to be worked into the existing soil and spread on the track.

Rain has plagued the Prince George Motocross Club the last three years, whenever it tried to put on a regional series race, turning the track 30 kilometres southwest of the city centre into a mudbog.

"If we can get it to stay there, it will do wonderful things for our track," said Forbes. "Historically, the problem with the Prince George Blackwater track is we spend a large amount of money to get the right dirt on the surface and the very next race we have monsoon-like conditions.

"Because we have clay underneath the sand, every time we get a heavy rain the water has no place to go and we've had to scrape that beautiful material off. The new material has to be worked into the clay and the longer it's worked in the better results we'll have."

White Spruce Enterprises has donated the sand and trucks and Forbes says several other contractors, including O'Brien Training, have donated time and equipment to the project. Before the race, workers will have to get hay bales, flagging and plastic protective fencing in place to protect the riders.

"It's a completely different event than what Prince George is used to holding, we're going to have a number of food vendors, a number of motorsports vendors selling their wares or promoting their businesses," said Forbes. "Prince George is used to hosting amateur races. This is a show and for spectators it's going to be an exciting event. This is going to dwarf anything that's ever happened in Prince George."

© Copyright 2017 Prince George Citizen

'Please support the Prince George Citizen and online news like this by purchasing a digital subscription.'

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Comments

NOTE: To post a comment you must have an account with at least one of the following services: Disqus, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ You may then login using your account credentials for that service. If you do not already have an account you may register a new profile with Disqus by first clicking the "Post as" button and then the link: "Don't have one? Register a new profile".

The Prince George Citizen welcomes your opinions and comments. We do not allow personal attacks, offensive language or unsubstantiated allegations. We reserve the right to edit comments for length, style, legality and taste and reproduce them in print, electronic or otherwise. Comments that contain external links will not be permitted. For further information, please contact the editor or publisher, or see our Terms and Conditions.

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National race prompts Blackwater reconstruction

Ted Clarke / Prince George Citizen

May 12, 2017 10:16 PM

•  
•  
•  
•  
• 
• 

Jeremy Young of Prince George gets air at the Blackwater Motocross Park on Sept. 15, 2012. The Blackwater Motocross Park has “about two weeks of hard-at-it work to get the track and the facility ready,” before the two-day CMRC Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals, according to Andrew Forbes, president of the Prince George Motocross Association.   - Submitted photo by Tyler Sabourin

Like the rest of people of Prince George, Andrew Forbes just wants a few days of warm sunny weather.

The biggest motocross event the city has ever hosted is now less that one month away and Forbes knows there's still plenty of work left to do to get Blackwater Motocross Park ready for the two-day CMRC Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals. That work becomes a lot more difficult when it's too wet.

"We've got equipment and manpower ready to go, we're just waiting for the rain to stop and hopefully that's going to happen within the next week," said Forbes, president of the Prince George Motocross Association. "We've got about two weeks of hard-at-it work to get the track and the facility ready."

Last fall and winter, the owner of Forbes Industrial Contracting brought in his own earthmoving equipment to widen the access road to the motocross track at 28100 Blackwater Road and clear a parking space big enough to handle the swarm of as many as 5,000 people who could show up for the national races, June 10-11. That rough work still needs to smoothed out and Forbes has been waiting for the frost to leave the ground to make that happen.

"I would say we've almost quadrupled the parking area, said Forbes. "The other major improvement was, in order to host a CMRC national event we had to have free and clear access for an ambulance to get in and out. Previously, our driveway in was a single-lane goat trail so if you met somebody halfway in, somebody had to back up. Now we've built a full two lanes of access road so you can meet anywhere and still get by."

The other phase of the project is bringing in new material for the motocross track itself. Built on clay, from the day the facility first opened in 1996, Blackwater has drawn notoriety for the poor drainage of its track in rainstorms. The dirt has to continually be reworked to prevent it from getting packed into a rock-hard surface.

The club has a received a grant from Northern Development Initiatives Trust to replace the existing dirt with sandy loam. To do that, at least 100 truckloads of material have to be moved using highway vehicles which will then be reloaded onto smaller tracks for the trip the hill to the track. Using a bulldozer and an excavator, the new dirt will then have to be worked into the existing soil and spread on the track.

Rain has plagued the Prince George Motocross Club the last three years, whenever it tried to put on a regional series race, turning the track 30 kilometres southwest of the city centre into a mudbog.

"If we can get it to stay there, it will do wonderful things for our track," said Forbes. "Historically, the problem with the Prince George Blackwater track is we spend a large amount of money to get the right dirt on the surface and the very next race we have monsoon-like conditions.

"Because we have clay underneath the sand, every time we get a heavy rain the water has no place to go and we've had to scrape that beautiful material off. The new material has to be worked into the clay and the longer it's worked in the better results we'll have."

White Spruce Enterprises has donated the sand and trucks and Forbes says several other contractors, including O'Brien Training, have donated time and equipment to the project. Before the race, workers will have to get hay bales, flagging and plastic protective fencing in place to protect the riders.

"It's a completely different event than what Prince George is used to holding, we're going to have a number of food vendors, a number of motorsports vendors selling their wares or promoting their businesses," said Forbes. "Prince George is used to hosting amateur races. This is a show and for spectators it's going to be an exciting event. This is going to dwarf anything that's ever happened in Prince George."

© Copyright 2017 Prince George Citizen

'Please support the Prince George Citizen and online news like this by purchasing a digital subscription.'

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Local pro Pettis sticking close to home

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Comments

NOTE: To post a comment you must have an account with at least one of the following services: Disqus, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ You may then login using your account credentials for that service. If you do not already have an account you may register a new profile with Disqus by first clicking the "Post as" button and then the link: "Don't have one? Register a new profile".

The Prince George Citizen welcomes your opinions and comments. We do not allow personal attacks, offensive language or unsubstantiated allegations. We reserve the right to edit comments for length, style, legality and taste and reproduce them in print, electronic or otherwise. Comments that contain external links will not be permitted. For further information, please contact the editor or publisher, or see our Terms and Conditions.

Community Event Calendar

Find out what's happening in your community and submit your own local events.

• Add an event

• See all community events

- See more at: http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/sports/national-race-prompts-blackwater-reconstruction-1.19712757#sthash.ysm7RNUF.dpuf

National race prompts Blackwater reconstruction

Ted Clarke / Prince George Citizen

May 12, 2017 10:16 PM

•  
•  
•  
•  
• 
• 

Jeremy Young of Prince George gets air at the Blackwater Motocross Park on Sept. 15, 2012. The Blackwater Motocross Park has “about two weeks of hard-at-it work to get the track and the facility ready,” before the two-day CMRC Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals, according to Andrew Forbes, president of the Prince George Motocross Association.   - Submitted photo by Tyler Sabourin

Like the rest of people of Prince George, Andrew Forbes just wants a few days of warm sunny weather.

The biggest motocross event the city has ever hosted is now less that one month away and Forbes knows there's still plenty of work left to do to get Blackwater Motocross Park ready for the two-day CMRC Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals. That work becomes a lot more difficult when it's too wet.

"We've got equipment and manpower ready to go, we're just waiting for the rain to stop and hopefully that's going to happen within the next week," said Forbes, president of the Prince George Motocross Association. "We've got about two weeks of hard-at-it work to get the track and the facility ready."

Last fall and winter, the owner of Forbes Industrial Contracting brought in his own earthmoving equipment to widen the access road to the motocross track at 28100 Blackwater Road and clear a parking space big enough to handle the swarm of as many as 5,000 people who could show up for the national races, June 10-11. That rough work still needs to smoothed out and Forbes has been waiting for the frost to leave the ground to make that happen.

"I would say we've almost quadrupled the parking area, said Forbes. "The other major improvement was, in order to host a CMRC national event we had to have free and clear access for an ambulance to get in and out. Previously, our driveway in was a single-lane goat trail so if you met somebody halfway in, somebody had to back up. Now we've built a full two lanes of access road so you can meet anywhere and still get by."

The other phase of the project is bringing in new material for the motocross track itself. Built on clay, from the day the facility first opened in 1996, Blackwater has drawn notoriety for the poor drainage of its track in rainstorms. The dirt has to continually be reworked to prevent it from getting packed into a rock-hard surface.

The club has a received a grant from Northern Development Initiatives Trust to replace the existing dirt with sandy loam. To do that, at least 100 truckloads of material have to be moved using highway vehicles which will then be reloaded onto smaller tracks for the trip the hill to the track. Using a bulldozer and an excavator, the new dirt will then have to be worked into the existing soil and spread on the track.

Rain has plagued the Prince George Motocross Club the last three years, whenever it tried to put on a regional series race, turning the track 30 kilometres southwest of the city centre into a mudbog.

"If we can get it to stay there, it will do wonderful things for our track," said Forbes. "Historically, the problem with the Prince George Blackwater track is we spend a large amount of money to get the right dirt on the surface and the very next race we have monsoon-like conditions.

"Because we have clay underneath the sand, every time we get a heavy rain the water has no place to go and we've had to scrape that beautiful material off. The new material has to be worked into the clay and the longer it's worked in the better results we'll have."

White Spruce Enterprises has donated the sand and trucks and Forbes says several other contractors, including O'Brien Training, have donated time and equipment to the project. Before the race, workers will have to get hay bales, flagging and plastic protective fencing in place to protect the riders.

"It's a completely different event than what Prince George is used to holding, we're going to have a number of food vendors, a number of motorsports vendors selling their wares or promoting their businesses," said Forbes. "Prince George is used to hosting amateur races. This is a show and for spectators it's going to be an exciting event. This is going to dwarf anything that's ever happened in Prince George."

© Copyright 2017 Prince George Citizen

'Please support the Prince George Citizen and online news like this by purchasing a digital subscription.'

Related articles

Local pro Pettis sticking close to home

Otway trails ready for Teck B.C. Cup

Training run crash sidelines Gairns

   

by Taboola 

Sponsored Links 

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Nootropics are substances that support brain function and promote mental performance. Sometimes people refer to …Nootropic supplement by /thrivous blog

 

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Dune Buggy Shrub Removal (What Was He Thinking?)GuyViral.com

 

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Comments

NOTE: To post a comment you must have an account with at least one of the following services: Disqus, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ You may then login using your account credentials for that service. If you do not already have an account you may register a new profile with Disqus by first clicking the "Post as" button and then the link: "Don't have one? Register a new profile".

The Prince George Citizen welcomes your opinions and comments. We do not allow personal attacks, offensive language or unsubstantiated allegations. We reserve the right to edit comments for length, style, legality and taste and reproduce them in print, electronic or otherwise. Comments that contain external links will not be permitted. For further information, please contact the editor or publisher, or see our Terms and Conditions.

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Find out what's happening in your community and submit your own local events.

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- See more at: http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/sports/national-race-prompts-blackwater-reconstruction-1.19712757#sthash.ysm7RNUF.dpuf

Andrew Short – His Life

Not even a year into retirement from a long and successful racing career, Andrew Short is already keeping extremely busy in the next chapter of his life as American Honda’s brand ambassador, as well as Team Honda HRC’s test rider and mentor. In episode 4 of the REDefined series, you’ll see Short in his new role at the races, while enjoying a new passion for off-road racing and life with his family at their Texas home.

2018 CRF 450...Gets The E Button

2018 Honda CRF 450

Honda revealed today that the CRF450R gets even better for the 2018 model year, with electric starting now standard. Designed following an “Absolute Holeshot” philosophy that resulted in a downdraft-intake layout achieving optimum power and centralized mass, the revolutionary motocross model is the industry’s top-selling 450cc motocrosser. The electric starter that was previously offered as an accessory is now standard, as is a lightweight lithium-ion battery, and the CRF450R also gets updated suspension settings aimed at improving chassis feel and overall action.

Today’s 2018 model-year announcement also included the updated CRF450RX closed-course off-road bike and returning CRF150R mini motocrosser.

“It’s been amazing to see the success of the CRF450R this year, and we’re even more excited about this model with the improvements we’ve made for 2018,” said Lee Edmunds, American Honda’s Manager of Motorcycle Marketing Communications. “In addition to the obvious convenience, electric starting can save valuable seconds following a mid-moto mistake, and with the use of a lithium-ion battery, we can still achieve an extremely light weight. These changes make the CRF450R more competitive than ever, and of course customers can continue to count on Honda durability, quality, and reliability.”

CRF450R
The CRF450R’s downdraft air-intake and fuel-injection layout achieves a potent, broad spread of torque, but it also allows for heavier components to be located as centrally and low as possible so that all that power can be effectively utilized. In addition, the vehicle packaging results in nimble cornering, while updated suspension settings to the Showa® shock and 49mm coil-spring fork improve handling. Corresponding with the addition of an electric starter (powered by a lightweight lithium-ion battery), the kick-start lever has been removed in order to shave precious weight. An updated ECU setting means power delivery is more useable than ever, and the big CRF still has great features like a titanium fuel tank, engine-mode select button, and wave-pattern 260mm front brake. Add it all together and you’ve got a bike that delivers even better on its promise of the “Absolute Holeshot.”

• Color: Red
• Price: $9,149
• Availability: July 2017

CRF450RX
Currently being campaigned in the GNCC series by JCR Honda’s Trevor Bollinger, the CRF450RX already came with electric starting, but for 2018 the model gets a weight reduction with the removal of the kick-start lever and the switch to a lighter-weight lithium-ion battery. The model is based closely on the flagship CRF450R but with off-road-focused updates like a larger 2.2-gallon fuel tank, 18-inch rear wheel, side stand, optimized ECU and suspension settings, and more. When it comes to closed-course competition like GNCC, hare scrambles, and Grand Prix racing, the CRF450RX constitutes the ultimate off-road weapon.

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Two Stroke Fuel Injection

Sherco ready-but-waiting with 2-stroke fuel injected enduro bikes

Photo Credit: Robert Lynn/Future7Media

Sherco boss Marc Teissier has confirmed that they are ready and waiting with their fuel injected two-stroke enduro bike but happy to watch KTM make the jump first.

“The bike is ready, the fuel injected system is ready and we are ready, but it is not yet necessary to put it on the market,” Marc Teissier told to enduro21.com.

With KTM ready to deliver a world-first launch of their eagerly awaited EXC TPI two-stroke enduro bikes in 250cc and 300cc displacements next week, Sherco will be keeping a close eye on proceedings and the publics’ reaction.

About three years ago the French manufacturer grabbed the headlines when they released a video of their two-stroke fuel injection bike being tested by French magazine Moto Verte. 

Since then they’ve remained tight-lipped about it, allowing KTM to make the jump first.

“Initially we were afraid of the upcoming EU homologation so that’s why we began to develop the fuel injection system for two strokes,” continued Teissier. 

“But we also worked to find ways to keep the system we have and are now able to pass the Euro 4 homologation with the carburettor. And for me that is better.”

 

Photo Credit: Jonty Edmunds/Future7Media

  

A purest at heart Teissier believes in the simplicity of a carburettor, even if EU homologation rules are pushing manufacturers away from it. 

“Carburetion is the two-stroke mentality. It has simplicity and ease of use and maintenance for the customer with less cost. Fuel injection will add an extra cost on the bike.”

As the first manufacturer to roll out fuel injected four-stroke enduro bikes, those lessons learned then are still very much at the forefront of Teissier’s mind.

“I don’t see the need to rush things right now. I feel we made that mistake by being the first four-stroke fuel injected bike on the off road market. 

“It was all very new then and the customer was afraid of the changes. So this is why we wait a little. 

“We have all the technology for the four-stroke, and now also for the two-stroke fuel injection but we patiently wait.”

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Yamaha's Factory Daker Team

De Soultrait & Caimi join Yamaha’s factory team for Dakar

 

Photo Credit: Yamaha Racing

Frenchman Xavier De Soultrait and Franco Caimi have signed with Yamaha to be part of their four-man team for Dakar Rally 2018.

Top rookie of the 2017 Dakar Rally, Caimi from Argentina placed eighth overall.

“There are no words to thank Yamaha for giving me the opportunity to join their official team,” told Caimi. “The feeling has been great ever since I got on the WR450F Rally machine. Switching from enduro to rally racing almost two years ago I immediately felt it was the right thing to do, so joining the Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team is a huge step in my career.”

One of the strongest Yamaha riders during the early stages of the rally, privateer De Soultrait was fastest on the opening stage and consistently placed inside the top five until running into trouble mid way. Now part of the official Yamaha he’s looking forward to better his result of 13th from Dakar 2016.

“Being part of the Yamaha family for a long time, it feels great to be part of the Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team,” said De Soultrait. “Everything is so well organised and from our part we only have to worry about our performance in the stages. 

“We've started testing the latest version of the WR450F Rally couple of weeks ago and I was immediately impressed by its overall performance. Compared to the mostly standard bike I raced in this year's Dakar, there is more power, better braking performance and loads of extra top speed. It's a great package, which we want to make even better for the upcoming Dakar.”

 

Photo Credit: Yamaha Racing

 

The duo make their start as factory Yamaha riders in this week’s Afriquia Merzouga Rally. 

“We are happy to announce that Xavier de Soultrait and Franco Caimi will be the factory riders alongside Adrien Van Beveren and Rodney Faggotter,” said the Yamaha boss José Leloir, 

“We are at the Afriquia Merzouga Rally for the fifth time as it’s a great training ground and nice competition for the riders and the machines."

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Tim Gajser Post Crash Interview!

In order to contend for a title, you must push your limits. That cost Tim Gajser at the Grand Prix of Latvia, unfortunately, as he withdrew from the second moto after a huge crash. The day was far from perfect before that also, as he got taken out in the first moto and had to overcome a severe dead leg. The MX Vice editor, Lewis Phillips, was lucky enough to catch up with Gajser for a post-race interview. Remember, you can watch the incident to see exactly what happened.

MX Vice: Pushing all the results to one side, it is just great to see you here and okay. That second moto crash was gnarly!

Tim Gajser: Yeah, I am really happy. Really thankful. Actually for the moment I was on the x-ray, everything was okay. Nothing is broken, so I think that is the most important thing. Now we have one week off, so fourteen days until the next race. I hope I can get myself together and be there.

Nothing is broken then? It is just a case of you are beaten, battered and sore?

Yeah, just that. Really happy about that.

Is there one thing specifically that is hurting?

All the left side. Everything on the left side.

Did the crash in the first moto have anything to do with that? Obviously you appeared to be in tons of pain, so has that contributed to this at all?

Yeah. First race I had a good start and then Butron was behind me. He just left the bike, left the clutch in the corner and just cleaned me out. I don’t know if this was on purpose or not, but it was dangerous for myself and for him as well. Even for the other guys as well! I was in a lot of pain after that crash, but I was glad that I could continue riding and still take some important points in first moto. That is how it is, anyway. That is motocross. Bad races also can happen.

Are you bothered at all about losing the red plate, or is that not really an issue at this point in the season? Obviously getting yourself ready for Teutschenthal is the priority.

For the moment I am glad that I’m okay. That’s the main point. The season is still really long. We have still twelve races to go, so anything can still happen. I’m a little bit disappointed to lose the red plate, for sure, but that is how it is. We can’t change that.

What did you think of the track this weekend? Obviously it caught a lot of guys out in the second moto. Maybe it was a bit harder underneath than before? What did you think of it?

The track was really bumpy – it was really damaged. They did not work a lot during the races like they usually do, but that is how it is. It was the same for everyone. I risked a little bit too much and then I went over the handlebars and didn’t finish the moto, so I lost a lot of points. That is how it is and, like I mentioned, hope I can ride in Teutschenthal. I will be back – that is it.

The way you feel right now then, it is questionable whether you could ride? If, say, the race was next weekend, would you be sat here thinking there is no chance at all?

I think we will see. We have like fourteen days, so I go back home tomorrow. We will make some further searches on my body, some further x-rays and everything. Tomorrow we will know how it is, if it is really just the pain and nothing is broken. I hope so. For sure if I will be able to sit on the bike, I will ride in Teutschenthal.

Interview: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: ConwayMX