Moto Knee Provides Freedom!

Moto Knee performance prosthetic leg packs a Fox shock

By Ben Coxworth

June 11, 2014

The Moto Knee is a prosthetic leg designed for a variety of high-impact sports

You probably wouldn't try using the same motorbike for both racing over rough trails and commuting on smooth roads, so ... why use the same prosthetic leg? That's the thinking behind the Moto Knee, a prosthesis that's designed for activities such as skiing, horseback riding, cycling and motocross. In order to withstand the impacts that come with such activities, it even incorporates a Fox DHX Air mountain bike shock absorber.

"One of the main things that helped me understand how to start a project like the Moto Knee was my hands-on experience working on my racing equipment," he told us. "I was always trying to understand how to make my suspension components work better and understand exactly how and why they worked the way they did. Additionally, as a result of being an athlete and working with trainers and orthopedic doctors, I really understand body mechanics."

Moto Knee inventor Mike Schultz

Generally speaking, the Moto Knee is designed for any high-impact sport that requires what Schultz describes as "an athletic stance." The resistance ratio of its linkage system can be adjusted through its full range of motion, while the compression, rebound and damping of the Fox shock can also be set to the demands of the user and activity. The linkage and shock additionally work together to limit the amount of impact transmitted into the residual limb, and to keep the user's body mechanics laterally balanced.

Although the Moto Knee can be used with just about any prosthetic foot, Schultz designed one that's specifically suited to it, known as the Versa Foot. "As the Moto Knee bends, the ankle of the Versa Foot flexes much more than a typical prosthetic foot which allows you to keep much more of the foot sole on the ground through the 'squatting' motion – and this makes your stance considerably more stable," he explained.

In the same way that a performance off-road bike isn't ideal for city streets, however, the Moto Knee isn't designed for everyday walking. "To have a single knee system work really well for both walking and extreme sports would be very challenging," said Mike. "At this point the Moto Knee is specifically a sport knee and isn’t the best option for day-to-day walking since it doesn’t 'swing' like a normal walking leg."

The MotoKnee was commercially launched in 2011, with over 100 units having been sold since then. The Versa Foot was released a little over a year ago, and is approaching a similar sales number. The former costs approximately US$6,000, while the pricing for the latter starts at $2,300.

"I know what it was like to have my quality of life – my lifestyle – taken away because of my leg injury that led to amputation," Schultz told us. "I also know that incredible feeling of returning to the sports I loved most ... I want to share that feeling with others and allow them to return to the activities and lifestyles they had before their amputations, or for some, to be able to try different things for the first time and set new goals."

The Moto Knee and Versa Foot can be seen in use in the video below.

Some Moto History

Californian Bobby Moore is the last American to win a world motocross championship. This is the bike that helped him do it.

TAKEN FROM MOTO ISSUE 83, SEPTEMBER 2012

Words by Gez Kane, Photography by Adam Duckworth

By 1993, Bobby Moore must have felt he was always destined to be the bridesmaid and never the bride. After winning the 1985 West Coast 125 Supercross championship, the 17-year-old former minicycle star, remarkably failed to land a factory ride for the following season. So he packed his riding gear and made the move to Europe to chase world championship glory in 1986.

By 1990, the laid-back American had paid his dues and finished runner up in the world 125cc standings in 1990 and 1991 before switching to the 250cc class in 1992 to try to claim that elusive world title. Once more though, it proved close – but no cigar. Donny Schmit – who had beaten Moore into second place in the 1990 125cc championship – had also made the switch to the quarter litre class and once again, he edged Moore off the top spot. It seemed like he was destined never to top the world standings. But, by 1994, Moore had moved back to the 125s with the Rinaldi Chesterfield Yamaha team, after a year out of the top three in 1993. After eight years chasing his GP dream, could this at last be his year?

Looking at one of the two bikes the Rinaldi boys provided for Moore that year – now residing on a private collection – it’s hard to imagine they could have done much better. Certainly, if looks could win world titles, Moore’s Chesterfield liveried YZ125 would have scooped the world crown at round one. It’s seriously gorgeous.

But the bike was much more than just a looker, despite not being the horsepower king that season. Bobby Moore admits that the factory Suzuki of Pedro Tragter and works Hondas of Michael Pichon and Chicco Chiodi were all faster in a straight line, but the Rinaldi-prepared Yamaha was in a league of its own in terms of handling and ridability. The American might have lost out on holeshots, but he could rely on the Yam to pull him out of trouble as the race progressed more often than not. And, by the mid-point of the season, continued development work on the engine had all but erased the power differential between Bobby and his main rivals anyway.

As the season got underway, the overall package of Bobby Moore, his own, dedicated, 125 team mechanics (the team had a completely separate 250 class crew) Pere and Nicola and the factory spec Yam proved more than up to the job. Moore won the first race – the Italian round, comfortably. Even a DNF in the first moto of the fourth round in Spain failed to slow the charge of Moore, Yamaha and Rinaldi as Moore limited his losses by storming to a great win in the second race.

It just seemed it was always going to be Moore’s year at last. With a great team behind him and riding as well as he ever had, Moore sealed the championship victory at the Belgium round – with a round to spare. It was a crushing – and well deserved – victory. It just seems slightly strange that Moore remains the last American to win a world crown.

This is the bike that made it all possible. It’s the final incarnation of the factory 125 – with all the engine updates – and the last bike Bobby Moore rode that season. At first glance, it might not look all that different to a stock ’94 Yam, but look closer and you can see the amount of hard work and detailing that has gone into producing a world championship winner.

Wounded Warrior Takes On Baja

'Wounded Warrior' Poised to Make Motocross History on Prosthetics

By David Wright June 5, 2014 5:11 PM

Off road in the California desert, Jesse Williamson is getting ready for the Baja 500, a grueling 500-mile dirt bike race that takes place on Mexico's Baja California peninsula.

But Williamson also faces an additional challenge.

Unlike the other racers, he is attempting to become the first double-amputee to compete in the race.

The retired Marine lance corporal, currently living in Wildomar, California, lost his legs below the knee from an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in August 2009. All his buddies in the vehicle died.

It transformed his life in a flash.

When he came back home, as he tried to recover, he got hooked on pain medications, slipped into depression and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

"The things I was doing up there - not too proud of. I got into doing heroin," Williamson, 23, said.

His friend 1st Sgt. Nick Hamm, a fellow Marine also from Wildomar, California, who was also wounded twice in combat, came to the rescue.

Hamm recruited Williamson to join Warrior Built, a foundation he created to provide new motivation, camaraderie and support as veterans transition back to life after war.

The foundation provides vocational therapy in the Warrior Built Garage, a space devoted to off-road biking in Lake Elsinore, California. It is staffed entirely by combat veterans.

"Every time I am able to help someone else, I get a little piece of myself back," Hamm, 37, said.

Thirty-five combat vets work at the garage rebuilding bikes and their lives. The foundation aims to help 100 veterans by the end of the year.

"We just start talking among the other," Hamm said. "The good, the bad, the ugly."

The Baja 500, which is today to Sunday, will be the third race for Williamson, Hamm and friend and combat veteran Eric Nolan.

In November, Williamson was the first double-amputee to compete in the Baja 1000, a 1,000-mile motorcross race. In the Imperial 250, the team came in second place in their class despite a sandstorm so bad two-thirds of the riders were unable to finish.

The sandstorm was not a problem for the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. They took the brutal conditions in stride, sleeping outside in tents and sleeping bags

"You know there's a lot of sports that are hard, but ours the ultimate consequence is death," Williamson's trainer, Ryan Hughes, said.

For these wounded warriors, motorcross offers a new mission, a reason to soldier on.

"Continue to stay in the fight no matter your struggles," Williamson, whose birthday is Saturday, said. "Just keep pushing on."

ABC News' Gitika Kaul and Bonnie McLean contributed to this report.

SI.com reports on MX

Outdoor motocross season kicks off this weekend

Chad Reed sat at home for a month, trying to shake his funk.

He had a superb start to the Supercross season, putting himself in position for another championship while proving to himself that he still had it as he climbed into his 30s.

It came to abrupt end in San Diego, where a crash knocked Reed out for the season and back on his heels.

''It just really bummed me out,'' Reed said. ''A lot of things were gelling and I thought good things were coming, so to get injured and fall short of the goal to contend for a championship, really kind of sucked a lot of energy out of me.''

Once Reed got over it, he turned the setback into a positive.

Despite the wreck, the 32-year-old knew he could still keep up with the sport's young guns, that he just needed to heal up and get ready for the outdoor season.

Now it's here and he, along with several other riders coming off injuries, is geared up for what should be a wide-open season that starts Saturday at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California.

''This could be the most competitive season we've seen in a long time,'' said Davey Coombs, vice president of the Lucas Oil Motocross Championships. ''There are any number of riders who could win the championship.''

One who won't be there is defending champion Ryan Villopoto.

He's been the dominant rider indoors and out, winning four Supercross titles and two outdoor championships. Villopoto became the first rider to win four straight Supercross titles earlier this year, but was hobbled late in the season and decided to have surgery on his left knee, knocking him out of the outdoor season.

Villopoto's misfortune has opened the door for other riders to claim the title.

The favorites will likely be the past champions in the field. Ryan Dungey has two outdoor titles, Reed won in 2009 and James Stewart was the 2008 champion. They know what it takes to get through the hot grind of racing outdoors in the summer, so don't be surprised if one of those three takes home another title.

But it's not just going to be handed to them because they're the vets. The series is filled with up-and-comers who have shown they have the speed, at least on short runs, to keep up with the experienced riders, including Ken Roczen, Justin Barcia, Eli Tomac and Trey Canard.

Like Reed, Canard is trying to come back from an injury, as are Tomac and Davi Millsaps, so there should be some added intrigue as riders try to bounce back and compete for a championship.

''It's a part of the sport, unfortunately,'' Coombs said. ''There are quite a few riders who are trying to come back from injuries this year.''

Reed is one of them - again.

He had been one of motocross' most consistent riders, setting a Supercross record with 116 straight races. Over the past few years, he's had a string of injuries, including a torn left ACL during the 2012 Supercross season that ended his outdoor season before it started.

Reed's latest injury came during the sixth race of the Supercross season in San Diego.

Running fourth, he charged up the last lap in an attempt to overtake Roczen for a spot on the podium. While racing across a whoops section - smaller jumps bunched closely together - Roczen closed off Reed's passing line and the Aussie misjudged one of the bumps and wrecked.

Reed suffered numerous broken bones in his shoulder and had surgery, ending his season while sitting second in the standings.

''This year hurt more than anything because I was having so much fun, we were really competitive and truthfully I felt we were a title competitor,'' said Reed, who has won two Supercross championships. ''We had everything and more to contend for a championship and to know that chance to win a title, you don't get too many of those and they're running out for me, so it's important to get healthy and get out there and compete for this outdoor championship.''

Though he's not 100 percent yet, Reed is healthy enough to start the outdoor season this weekend.

Based on what happened during the Supercross season before his wreck, Reed is expecting to contend for another title.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2014/more/wires/05/23/2080.ap.mot.motocross.preview.3rd.ld.writethru.0891/index.html#ixzz32sP0Y2Dw

Relax with Fly Racing

Airway Motocross Park

The Spokesman Review 5/16/2014

After many years as a small business owner, veteran rider Joshua Hitchens tackles a new challenge as the operator for Airway Motocross Park.

In a steady start to the 2014 season, Hitchens’ plans include maintaining success and establishing new goals.

“My mission this year was to continue on with business as usual and steady positive changes to adjust to track life,” Hitchens said. “I have heard nothing but positive (comments) so far about the track operations.”

Hitchens’ biggest task from week to week thus far is akin to working the land, not operating a racing facility.

“The amount of time dedicated to the track to keep moving forward is far beyond a full-time job,” he said. “… You get up early to tackle a huge list of chores. That list of chores extends far beyond the track when you have such a huge facility to take care of.”

Like a farmer, having equipment in good working order is vital to the facility’s success.

“Instead of a crop, we farm dirt bikers,” Hitchens said. “We till, groom, and water the track in order to keep it in good shape for the riders.”

Funding for the facility’s master plan will be crucial to Hitchens’ ultimate goals.

“Money is the fuel for the track,” he said. “The more money we can generate, the faster things will happen. Getting rich is not the mission here. Having a great place to ride is.”

Secrets of the 'Stealth' Hybrid Motorcycle

 

San Francisco-based BRD developed a reputation for innovation with its RedShift all-electric motocross bike. Logos Technologies perfected its compact engine generator for a UAV. DARPA's quest for a quieter, long-range, military scout bike brought the two companies together.

Militaries have used motorcycles in war and peace time for a century now. Their ability to go places conventional vehicles can't has earned them a place in every modern army's arsenal, including America's.

The most recent vehicle is a diesel version of the Kawasaki KLR650, dubbed by the United States Marine Corps the M1030M1. First introduced in 2005 and designed to run of JP8, the same grade of fuel used in the both the Abrams tank and HMMWV, know more widely as the Humvee, it supposedly has a top speed of 90 mph and a fuel consumption rate equivalent to 115 mpg at 55 mph.

Now DARPA is looking for something better, a hybrid-electric off-road motorcycle that offers not only excellent fuel economy but importantly, the ability to operate in either silent or near silent mode, which would give troops an ability to approach targets with much more the element of surprise on their side.

Two companies have partnered to develop that next generation replacement for the M1030M1, depicted in the above photo. BRD is known for its RedShift all-electric motocross racing bike. Logos Technologies has developed a compact, multi-fuel engine-generator, originally destined for a unmanned aerial vehicle. Now the challenge is to bring the two systems together.

The media-generated term 'stealth' is somewhat of a misnomer; it implies the bike will somehow be invisible, but as Logos Technologies' Wade Pulliam, their director of advance projects development, points out, the goal of the program is to reduce the bike's acoustic signature, not its visual or infrared profile. The rider will still give off a heat signature, as will the exhaust.

The two teams met in San Francisco recently and both Pulliam and BRD's CEO Marc Fenigstein sat down and via telephone conference call talked with EV World's Bill Moore about the program. They have given a three-month development window to find a way to marry their two technologies, which they are only now beginning to explore.

As for the status on the Red Shift, Fenigstein reports that he will be making more announcements about their bike this summer.

Vintage Trails... Bend, Oregon

Riders test mettle at Steel Stampede

By Scott Hammers / The Bulletin

Published May 4, 2014 at 12:01AM

CROOKED RIVER RANCH — The air thick with the scent of sage, juniper and burning fuel, Crooked River Ranch welcomed a few hundred motorcyclists and spectators Saturday for the eighth annual Steel Stampede.

Over the din of revving motorcycles, creator Pete Fisher said the idea for the Steel Stampede came to him one day while eating lunch at Crooked River Ranch. Looking up the hill, he saw an ideal location for a trials course and motocross track.

Since then, the Steel Stampede has become a fixture at the ranch, with riders testing their technical skills in a trials ride Saturday, to be followed by a more familiar motocross race today. Proceeds from the event have helped fund the ranch fire department, the Boys & Girls Clubs and the construction of a new disc golf course.

For Saturday’s trials event, riders tackled 10 different sections of track three times, each one involving a combination of roots, rocks, soft patches, steep hills or technical turns in less than a minute of low-speed riding. Every time riders put a foot down, stop moving forward or veer out of bounds, they’re issued penalty points. As with golf, a low score is preferable, and “cleaning” a section — no errors, and a score of zero — is the goal.

A motocross rider for 35 years, Jones said Saturday was his first attempt at competitive trials, and the soft course and tight turns had been a struggle.

“It’s just a chore holding on,” Jones said.

Even for more experienced trials riders, a flawless run can be elusive. Prineville resident Alex Finnerin said he’s been running trials events since he was 13, and now at 22, he’s yet to notch his first zero score.

Tuning up his bike in the pit area, Finnerin said there are two schools of thought in trials riding — ride the course early before it gets chewed up, or wait in the hopes of learning the optimal line.

“If you get to go last, you get to watch everyone else make their mistakes as they go though the section,” he said.

Ely Schless somehow managed to get his hand-built, electric trials bike into Saturday’s event, otherwise restricted to motorcycles built in 1979 or earlier.

An Ashland resident, Schless has been building electric motorcycles for more than two decades. Trials riding really allows the technology to shine, he said, showing off the scattering of zeros on his scorecard.

“It’s probably the most appropriate application of electric motors on the planet, because it’s all about low speed and torque,” he said.

Gil Driscoll, a veteran of every Steel Stampede but last year’s when he was out of commission with broken ribs after crashing while riding on snow, said he’s trying to create a similar event in his hometown of Quincy, Calif.

Driscoll, 65, said he’s been impressed by the cooperative spirit of the Steel Stampede, with riders helping one another out by lending spare parts or mechanical expertise, by the armies of volunteers, and the funds raised to improve the community.

A below-average trials rider by his own admission, Driscoll said he was ready to get started on the second half of Saturday’s festivities — a golf tournament where scores will be combined with penalty points racked up on the trials course.

“These guys are getting me here, but I have no modesty on the golf course. I’m gonna kick their (butts) out there.”

This Sounds Like Old School Moto Fun!

MXNewsFeed On Gansett And The Stimilon Motocross

FREE BEER at the STIMILON Motocross Challenge?

First one’s on Gansett!

Narragansett Brewing heard about STIMILON last year and they were blown away with what they saw. So this year they stepped up to support the event and now they are offering everyone who pre registers by May 20th a cold frosty at check in Friday night before the event. Must be over 21 and prove it with a photo ID of course :)

Show up with Gansett in your cooler, get a FREE SIX PACK!

Want more? Show up with Gansett in your cooler (minimum of a 6 pack required), show us your receipt and where you bought it, and Gansett will thank you by topping you off with another six pack at check in Friday night – while supplies last.

Narragansett Beer is a New England tradition. And what better way to enjoy another New England tradition than with Narragasett!.

So just to recap so far; by pre registering for the Stimilon Motocross Challenge riders get the following:
# First 200 get Free set of Pro Taper Grips
# All Pre registered get 25% off coupon* for Answer, MSR, and Pro Taper products
# All get a $10 off coupon* for Twin Air Products
# Over 21 coming Friday Night get a cold Narragansett at check in
# Over 21 with at least a six pack of Gansett and a receipt get another six pack
# * Coupons can be redeemed at Stimilon Shop Sponsors and shop can redeem coupons with manufacturers when ordering.

Support Local Retail!

Stimilon Motocross Challenge – May 28/29 – MX 338 Southwick, MA

FOR MORE INFO AND SIGUP visit www.stimilon.com

FREE BEER: True Story! Pre Register by May 20th and get a cold frosty at check in Friday night May 27. Bring at least a six pack of Gansett in your cooler and get a six pack from Gansett. Offer Expires: May 20, 2011

YZ 295 Project

How does a simple, easy to do project spiral out of control? Or....how did I get myself into this?