Trey Canard Debuts The New Honda CR Electric

Honda press release

Team HRC’s Trey Canard got the Honda CR ELECTRIC PROTO off to a flying start at the opening day of Round 8 of the All Japan Motocross Championship 2023 at Off-Road Village, Saitama. This is Honda’s first participation in an official race with an electric motorcycle.

Making a wildcard appearance in the premier IA1 category of the series, performing in the heat of competition for the first time, Honda’s electric prototype off-road machine proved fast in both of today’s sessions.

In the opening official practice, Canard, who currently serves as team advisor for American Honda Motor Co. Inc., set the second fastest time of the session aboard the number 41 machine and finished second overall just behind multiple champion Jay Wilson.

In the afternoon’s qualifying race, Canard crossed the line in fifth, wrapping up a successful debut day for the CR ELECTRIC PROTO and giving him a good gate pick to carry that momentum into tomorrow’s three race heats.

Trey Canard, no.41 CR ELECTRIC PROTO

“It was a good day overall. I didn’t really know where I or the bike stacked up. I was happy to have a good lap time in practice one and a good start in the qualifying race from pick 24 which has given us a better pick for tomorrow’s races.

“There are some areas I can improve with my riding for tomorrow and we will adjust the bike to fit the track better as well. It’s exciting to race the CR ELECTRIC PROTO, and I believe it will really help the development of the machine. It’s also fun for me to be back racing after a long time away from the starting gate.

“The development team has done a great job adapting the bike in the last month and it’s been a very fun process.”

Taichi Honda, Team HRC Team Manager

“I am very happy that we were able to complete today’s competitive debut of the CR ELECTRIC PROTO without any problems, and that we could see that the bike’s performance is strong. It’s Honda’s first major competitive outing for an electric machine so we are very pleased for this milestone in bringing another new Honda initiative to the world stage.

“Today’s running revealed some small issues, which is normal for such a prototype machine, and we will adopt countermeasures for tomorrow’s races. It’s a valuable part of testing and learning in such a competitive environment, which is our main objective from this weekend.

“I would like to thank all the people involved in this project for their cooperation and hard work. The opportunity to learn and develop with the CR ELECTRIC PROTO is more important than outright results this weekend, but today the performance was strong, the results were good and we are looking forward to more track time in the heats tomorrow.”

RC & Cairoli on New Brands!

The Big Four is no more! The motocross market place has grown and you don’t even have to cut the explosion of electric bikes to discover that lots of manufacturers wants to be in the motocross market—just not many Japanese companies. As for the Big Four, it  is likely that in the next year or two that will jump to the Big Nine—all of the new editions from European (if you don’t look into where they are actually made). That list has now grown bigger than the Big Four and  includes KTM, GasGas, Husqvarna, Triumph, Ducati, TM and Beta. It is an exciting time to be a motocrossers as Honda will have Trey Canard race their electric CRF in the All-Japan Championship this weekend and 2023 World Champion Jorge Prado flew to the USA to try out Supercross for a possible move to SoCal in 2025.

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Analyzing Acquisitions | Vital MX Editorial 2

KTM has won five of the last nine 450SX titles, so why is this a new challenge?

By LewisPhillips

It was on October 07, 2011, that Red Bull KTM Factory Racing announced the acquisition of Ryan Dungey and embarked on a mountainous challenge in the United States, as they attempted to move from obscurity to prominence and exposed themselves. The signature amended the trajectory of the manufacturer to the point where no such questions exist.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing is arguably the preeminent race team in North America. Is it asinine to think that reaching the pinnacle of the sport with Dungey was, in fact, not their biggest test and that is yet to come? The concept behind this line of thinking is simple: Dungey was not expected to win a championship outright nor would he have been criticized for going winless. It is critical to remember that Dungey claimed one supercross win in his final foray aboard the RM-Z450 and so the bar was not extremely high in 2012. Expectations had already crashed since his maiden title in his rookie season.

It is often stated that Dungey had inked that deal with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing before 2011 Monster Energy Supercross had even begun, or his intent was clear at the very least. The way that the season that preceded the partnership transpired would have taken some of the edge off of those in 'orange' – it would be easier to appease the naysayers. That was done effectively, of course, as Dungey clinched twenty-eight indoor victories on the KTM 450 SX-F and won three titles once Ryan Villopoto vacated the championship. The partnership made the manufacturer desirable to free agents at the very highest level.

Cooper Webb made sure that KTM could count on more Monster Energy Supercross success, as he claimed two 450SX titles and twenty-one wins across his tenure. It is quite easy to forget that the acquisition was not earth shattering at the time: Webb was floundering in the premier division and not considered a threat for a championship at that point in time. The two years that he spent with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing caused his value to plummet from where it was when he moved up from the regional series as a two-time champion.

Simon Cudby

It was on October 07, 2023, that Red Bull KTM Factory Racing announced the acquisition of Chase Sexton. The multi-year contract ensures that he will be poised to deliver more championships to the Pierer Mobility Group and add to KTM's five 450SX crowns. That will be the immediate expectation of their new hire and that, dear friends, is not something that the squad has incurred in the United States. To put it simply, this is the first time that they will waltz into a new Monster Energy Supercross season with a new athlete and be expected to deliver in their first attempt.

Is it feasible that this will therefore be a more substantial test than what the manufacturer has encountered in previous seasons? Sexton was simply phenomenal indoors this year. There are so many adjectives that could be used to describe his seventeen rounds: exceptional, extraordinary, magnificent and the list goes on. The fact that he finished as the champion was simply the cherry atop the cake. It was his raw pace in practice that caused jaws to drop, as well as his ability to sprint away from previous champions that were hot on his heels.

Maintaining that level is all that will be considered adequate. Sexton has proven how high his glass ceiling is and if, for whatever reason, he fails to reach that next year then blame will fall on Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, rightly or wrongly. Matching the way that he has performed will be deemed 'passable' – even the smallest of dips will be judged harshly. There is simply no doubt that passersby will be analyzing the way that he dances around the track inside of Angel Stadium as soon as practice starts. The argument will be that such an occurrence is not uncommon at the opener. This, however, will be different.

Dungey had won a single 450SX race in the year prior to his freshman term aboard that KTM 450 SX-F and Webb had never won at the highest level, as mentioned above. Sexton enters his 'orange' debut with six wins last year alone and, of course, that boisterous number one plate speaks for itself.

McGrath on Ducati Going Moto

Ducati to MXGP

A new, historic chapter opens for Ducati: the red from Borgo Panigale enters motocross

The Bologna based manufacturer has been working for two years on a prototype that will make its debut next season in the Italian Motocross Championship, with the aim of validating the technical solutions made on the bike on the track. This strategy confirms the approach that distinguishes Ducati in the development of its sportiest and most high-performance models, i.e. starting from racing competition and then creating series products capable of exceptional performance for the delight of its enthusiasts.

This is a multi-year project that will see the creation of a complete range of off-road engines and motorcycles. The models will gradually become part of a family of knobby motorcycles branded Ducati, starting with motocross.

The Bologna-based company has signed an agreement with nine-time Motocross World Champion Antonio Cairoli as a high-performance test rider for the new project and, thanks to his talent, speed and experience, he will give important input for the development of the new motorcycle.

Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, commented:

“I am proud to announce Ducati's entry into Motocross. A totally new world for Ducati in which we want to bring our talent in designing lightweight motorcycles, with excellent components and high performance and - above all - which can excite more and more motorcyclists. Just as we believe that the track is the best laboratory to develop and test the bikes that will then be available to customers and enthusiasts. This is why we have decided to cooperate with an undisputed champion like Tony Cairoli who, together with the passion and dedication of many of us here in Borgo Panigale, will contribute to making Ducati in off-road as capable in offering very high-performance products to its passionate customers as we have proven on the asphalt. The project is possible thanks to the company's excellent results in recent years and confirms our desire to extend our presence into new worlds, speak to new motorcyclists and therefore grow the Ducati Community.”

Antonio Cairoli added:

“I am extremely happy to become part of the universe of Ducati, which has always been a symbol of Italian spirit throughout the world, and to begin this exciting new adventure, in an all-Italian project. Being able to make my contribution to the development of the Borgo Panigale motocross bike is a dream come true and a source of great pride for me.”

Ducati has also signed a multi-year agreement with Maddii Racing, one of the most experienced teams in the motocross paddock, which will be the reference structure for the MX racing activities and will take part in the 2024 Italian Motocross Championship with Alessandro Lupino, eight-time Italian Champion and 2021 MXoN winner, also contracted to Ducati as racing and test rider.

The focus of the Ducati off-road project is a combination of the search for lightness pushed to the extreme, top-of-the-line components and engines characterized by a very broad power delivery curve. The latter is obtained thanks to the use of the Desmodromic system, used on all the sports bikes of the Bologna based company starting from MotoGP. Ducati is in fact the only company in the world that uses the same valve return system on its highest performing production motorcycles as it does on racing prototypes.

Entering the specialist off-road sector represents a very important and challenging strategic choice for Ducati, made possible thanks to the excellent results achieved in recent years. A decision that confirms the desire to expand the brand's presence into unexplored terrain today. New young motorcyclists will be able to get close to the Borgo Panigale brand and thus enter the large community of Ducatisti.

Performance is one of the three core values of the brand, together with Style and Sophistication. In Borgo Panigale there are many off-road lovers and we can't wait to see the Desmo in all its potential at work off the asphalt!

#Ducati

Cairoli To Ducati?

KTM and Tony Cairoli to part ways after milestone MXGP achievements and history

A long, fruitful collaboration comes to an end this year as KTM and Tony Cairoli will separate to pursue new professional goals for 2024.

The Sicilian joined Red Bull KTM Factory Racing late in 2009 and made an immediate impact in his first season in 2010; winning the MX1 (now ‘MXGP’) title with the KTM 350 SX-F and then added a further four crowns consecutively. He then claimed the 2017 championship with the KTM 450 SX-F and has been a popular ambassador for the squad, the company and the sport for twelve years and to his Grand Prix retirement at the end of 2021.

Tony transitioned into a Team Manager role for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for 2023 and has now decided to take his post-racing career in a different direction.

KTM and everyone at the Pierer Mobility Group wish to thank Tony for his energy and his excellence and for the unforgettable motocross memories.

It's Not Moto But He Is Fast...Very Fast!

Very early KR

DeCoster on USA Eighth Place

Repost from Vital MX

The 2023 Monster Energy Motocross of Nations was a turbulent affair for Team USA, who faced so many obstacles to simply jump onto the starting line. Roger DeCoster, the man who has driven the United States of America into competition for so many seasons, reflected on that period in this exclusive interview from the circuit. Lewis Phillips caught up with him as a part of our post-race podcasts on Sunday evening.

Team USA finished eighth after overcoming many issues in the three-race format. Aaron Plessinger logged the most impressive showing in moto one, as he raced to fifth, and RJ Hampshire was particularly buoyant after his charge to tenth in moto two. It was the third moto that curtailed the nation's push for a place on the podium; they were fifth in the overall classification entering the final stint.

Vital MX: I think that the way to sum up this weekend is rather simple. Team USA finished eighth, but they were better than that. Aaron [Plessinger] was brilliant in the first moto and RJ [Hampshire] clearly had speed. This was not a case of Team USA sucking, this was a case of sh*t happening in racing.

Roger DeCoster: After the second race, there was a possibility to finish third overall. It was a big disappointment in the last race, the second race for Aaron Plessinger, because he had a little crash at the beginning and I think that he was hurting – he could not ride the way that he rode in the first moto, where he battled with Kenny [Roczen] and did not finish that far back. Third would have been possible but, yeah, I do not have good excuses.

Do you not agree that the guys actually performed very well? I honestly do not think that anyone can fault them. I hope that, once we get back online, they are being applauded for coming and giving it their all.

Yeah but, you know, the internet experts have different opinions and are very critical. That is okay, you know, because we know the facts. We came with three guys who wanted to come and do their best. I came because I feel that the Motocross of Nations without Team USA is not a full Motocross of Nations. This event has always been important to me, first as a rider then as a part of the factory teams and sport. I always wanted to support this event the best that I could.

J.P. Acevedo

This year was particularly difficult, for a lot of reasons, like we only had one week between [our season in the United States and the Motocross of Nations] where we did not race. We had several riders changing teams, others who were injured and some who wanted to come but the team could not support them for whatever reason. In other cases, the team wanted to come but the rider did not want to. Several riders changing brands did complicate things. We are already working on testing for supercross, which is another issue that we have in America.

I know that this event costs Team USA a lot of money and I am sure that it cost you, as Austria, a lot of money this time around. Is that getting better? I feel like there is less entourage, then the work that Paul [Perebijnos] and Christina [Denny] are doing definitely helped last year. Is the cost and the hardship getting better or worse?

It was better starting last year. Paul raised money through a golf tournament and things like that, so he is trying hard, but it was not very effective this year. The teams that we picked initially would not come, so it is hard to sell something without being able to say what you are selling [laughs]. I am really thankful that our group and owner, Mr. Pierer, is supporting our sport to this extent. They said, "If you cannot get the riders that you want or have issues with support then you can make a team between our group." They let us do that. We did not skimp on expenses when shipping the best equipment possible. I think that we were not short on anything.

Does motivation remain high for the Motocross of Nations? It was tough this year, sure, but next year should be easier. Chase [Sexton] and Cooper [Webb] will be in multi-year deals, then Eli [Tomac] could still be racing. There should be a lot more options for you. Motivation is still high, right? We are not going to have a Motocross of Nations without Team USA for a very long time.

Yeah, I hope you are right. My motivation is the same as it has always been. It is hard, you know? The United States schedule is tough. We race pretty much every week, with basically two back-to-back seasons. It takes extra time and testing to switch from supercross to outdoors. I am not sure. I hope that other people are feeling as much motivation to support the Motocross of Nations as I do. It is not getting any easier.

There is a very exciting week coming up for you. You are excited about what is coming this week and in 2024, huh?

Everybody on the team has been working hard. We had rider issues, but we also had bike… Performance was not what it should be. We did not make the best choices with settings and all of that. It took us quite some time to find the settings that were the best for the bike. Some of that was to do with the riders going in circles and requesting one thing when they really needed something different. We need to take some responsibility, as a team and factory, for the weaker results this year. The riders should take some blame as well.