HONDA RECALLS 10,000 HONDA GROMS
Honda is recalling 10,076 model year 2014 Grom 125 motorcycles manufactured June 12, 2013, to September 24, 2014. The resin bracket inside the fuel pump may swell, interfere with the impeller, and potentially lead to a fuel pump failure. This could cause the motorcycle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash. Honda will notify Grom owners and Honda dealers will replace the fuel pump with an updated fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began November 28, 2014. Grom owners may contact Honda customer service at (310) 783-2000. Honda’s number for this recall is JL2 Grom (Grom125).
NUMBERS: JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE PRODUCTION FROM JANUARY 2014 THROUGH OCTOBER 2014
Ever wonder how the motorcycle market is doing? The best source for the Big Four is the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) tally. They say that, year to date through the end of October, that the four manufacturers produced 492,667 bikes, up 8.8 percent versus the same period in 2013. Yamaha edged out Kawasaki for the largest percentage increase, up 28.6 percent to 179,318 units, with Kawasaki production increasing 28.4 percent to 68,952 bikes. Honda’s production rose 0.9 percent to 116,919 units, while Suzuki’s was down 10.9 percent to 126,866 bikes.
THE JAMES STEWART/ WADA/FIM DECISION IS COMING
MXA doesn’t want to be the bearer of bad news – especially when the news we are holding back will be old news soon enough. From our viewpoint, we would like James Stewart to have the first chance to announce the outcome of his 2014 Supercross drug test case (and give him the opportunity to tell his side without every ill-informed person, which to some degree includes all of us, jumping in with their take). Let’s just say that James now knows what the penalty is — and apart from the inevitable appeals process — he will be the one dealing with it. For those who wondered when the FIM would make their announcement, they have revealed it to James. Everybody will know the outcome soon enough.
MILESTONE INVITATIONAL SUPERCROSS CANCELED
If you are looking for results from the Milestone Invitaional Supercross scheduled for Saturday, December 13, look no further than looking no further. It was a victim of the recent SoCal rain storms — and was cancelled.
MATRIX TO SELL FB4 & B9 FACTORY TOOLBOXES
Matrix Concepts is pleased to announce that is has acquired all inventory and exclusive rights to FB4 & FB9 Factory Toolboxes. Product is now available for both boxes at www.matrixracingproducts.com in both the Matrix styles and current Champion Factory Box custom graphic types.
Product features include: (1) High quality all steel construction by Champion Tool Storage. (2) Powder coat finish (black). (3) Heavy duty handles and hinges. (4) Rubber matte top tray liner. (5) Non-slip drawer liners. (6) Heavy-duty full extension ball bearing slides. (7) Locking security folding lid. (8) Race proven graphics. (9) Ergonomically designed drawers and handles. (10) Rubber molded Champion Keys. (11) Aluminum extruded drawer handles. (12) Standard graphics come installed on toolbox. (Custom graphics are separately ordered). (12) Nine or Four drawers.
Chadd Cole, Senior Product Manager of Matrix Concepts stated, “We are pleased to expand our line of premium garage and track necessities product and this is a great additional to our product line. In early 2015, we will be expanding this category and will be adding 3 new boxes to our line up. Factory toolboxes are used by some of the top teams in racing including 22 Motorsports, Geico Honda, Rockstar Husqvarna, Star Racing, RCH, Factory Suzuki Racing, and JGR to name just a few.
From now till January 4, 2015, buy any Factory or Worx Tool Box and receive 20% off! Add your custom store name, race team or rider name and number on it FREE on any of our standard 9 graphic choices! Use promo code TBOX20 at checkout. www.matrixracingproducts.com
X BRAND “BUILD YOUR OWN GOGGLE” DEAL
X Brand takes goggle customization a step beyond with their limited time “Build-A-Goggle” system. They let you hand select the frame, lens and strap to design your own system. The only limitation is your imagination. “Build-A-Goggle” is here, but only for a limited time! $50 gets you a custom-built goggle along with a free 10-pack of tear-offs and a nose-deflector. To see the possibilities go to www.beeroptics.com/eks_store/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=173&osCsid=9hmf7nd7nco7en99045hgvksa2
TOURING THE BUD RACING SHOP IN HOSSEGOR, FRANCE
WE DON’T THINK THAT BEN ADRIAENSSEN HAS ANYTHING TO WORRY ABOUT
ODE TO FEETS MINERT: MAY WE ALL HAVE HIS RACING CAREER
ALTAMONT CAPITAL TAKES OVER FOX: WITH A FOX IN CHARGE
Altamont Capital Partner is an investment group that (according to the firm’s website) buys equity in companies with up to $50 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. It invests in midmarket companies in sectors such as business services, financial services, industrials, health care, technology and consumer goods. The firm has now taken a major share in Fox Racing, more accurately Foxhead, but the Fox family will continue to own a significant minority interest in the company. Other shareholders participating in the deal are Ricky Carmichael, Carey Hart and apparel company Hybrid Apparel Incorporated. Other terms of the transaction weren’t disclosed. As part of the transaction, Pete Fox, who had left the company earlier this year, will return as chief creative officer, while former Nike vice president Scott Olivet will become Interim chief executive.
THE NEW KAWASAKI TEAM, WIL HAHN & DAVI MILLSAPS, OUT TESTING
OUT-TAKES FROM THE MXA RIDE DAY AT GLEN HELEN
We used Glen Helen’s Museum building as a clubhouse, chow hall and meeting room during the MXA Ride Day. Nice guys that we are , we let the Dirt Bike Magazine guys ride also, but they were limited to one pass down the buffet line and had to sit at the end of the table.
Every December MXA hosts a Ride Day at Glen Helen Raceway for our friends, supporters, advertisers and the industry. But, really it is an excuse for the MXA wrecking crew to show up and ride with each other. It was a great time on a famous race track that was set aside for one day for fun. We want to thank everyone who took the time away from their businesses to come and ride with us.
The song may say that it never rains in Southern California, but the rain ruts on the bottom half of Glen Helen’s Talladega first turn tell a different story. Since it is scheduled to rain in SoCal again on Friday, lots of riders where happy to get in some laps before the rain came.
The Hinson gang, along with reps from almost every company in the industry, came out for a day of testing their own products…or bodies.
How sweet is the dirt at your local track in December? Oh yeah, you can’t tell because it’s covered with snow. 14-year-old Tyler Hoeft (237) spreads a little loam around at Glen Helen.
We told Doug Dubach not to wash his O’Neal gear in hot water, but he wouldn’t listen to us and he shrunk. Oops! That’s Carter Dubach (15) in front of dad. Let’s see if Carter still wants to dress like dad when when he’s 20 and dad is 60.
REM promoter Frank Thomason (551) started holding races because he wanted to insure that his local track (Carlsbad) stayed open so that he could race there. What Frank didn’t know is that race promoters don’t have time to race themselves — so he came to the MXA Ride Day to spin some laps in peace.
There were lots of two-strokes at Glen Helen on Wednesday. It is obvious that the aftermarket industry still embraces smokers. This is Tom Hinz on a 2015 Husqvarna TC125.
Justin Jones (42) won a Gold Medal at the ISDE in Argentina last month and led the Junior Trophy team to the overall victory. Justin was a KTM rider then, but showed up at Ride Day on a CRF450 with AHM suspension.
R.J. Wageman looking stylish in his Fasthouse gear.
AMA Hall of Famer Tom White (80) leads Ken Roczen…no, wait, that’s Robb Mesecher (94).
MXA spent the Ride Day as a work day by testing three different sets of KTM 4CS forks. Here Daryl Ecklund, John Basher and Dan Alamangos are debriefed by Jody Weisel after a session.
Ryan Surratt and Tyler Hoeft take a break.
Jeff Emig (47) still has the same style and pant size that he had during his hey-day. Nobody can tuck an inside line like Fro.
THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS SPORT (CIRCA 1955)
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: CHAD’S SHOULDER SURGERY FROM LAST SEASON
Root for him or not, Chad Reed is an amazing motorcycle racer. He has been written off so many times, that we think that we should write him off again — just so he can prove us all wrong one more time. This is what Chad had to recover from last year.
JUST LIKE A WOODEN GLEN HELEN
THIS WEEK’S BIRTHDAY BOYS: REMEMBER AUSTIN STROUPE?
Dec. 13…Ron Lechien 1966
Dec. 13…Brian Fleck
Dec. 13…Chris Blose 1987
Dec. 13…Mike Buckley
Dec. 14…Bill Butcher
Dec. 15…Doug DeHaan
Dec. 16…Brian Swink 1972
Dec. 16…Andy Harrington 1977
Dec. 16…Cassidy Anderson
Dec. 16…Gordon Crockard 1978
Dec. 17…Bill Nilsson 1932
Dec. 17…Danny Dobey
Dec. 17…Justin Buckelew 1981
Dec. 17…Tommy Hahn 1985
Dec. 17…Barry Hawk 1972
Dec. 17…Jake Weimer 1987
Dec. 18…Gerrit Ordelman 1980
Dec. 18…Tim Weigand 1978
Dec. 19… Austin Stroupe 1990
MXA’S DECEMBER RACE POSTER ROUND-UP
Own a 6D helmet? Good! You get to ride for free at Perris Raceway on Monday, December 29. Plus, you can meet Eli Tomac and have the 6D crew help you make your 6D fit like a glove. However, no 6D helmet —no entrance.
REM had to cancel this weekend’s race because of flooding caused by the recent SoCal rains. But, they will be back on December 20, 2014. For more info go to www.remsatmx.com
Apart from REM’s race on December 20th, they will also be at Glen Helen on Saturday, December 27, for the last race of the 2014 season. Be there, but if you can’t make it on the 27th, the 36-race 2015 season starts on January 10, 2015. For more info go to www.remsatmx.com
LACR (Los Ange;es County Raceway) will be hosting its first Grand Prix at the recently reopened track on December 21, 2014. For more info go to www.lacr.mx
USED IT, ABUSED IT, TESTED IT: THINK TECHNOLOGIES LITE SEAT FOAM
The factory teams have been using these ultra-light seats for several years. Now they are available to the public. Kudos to Think.
VERDICT: Our stock 2014 KTM seat foam weighed 1 pound. The Think KTM seat foam weighed 3 ounces. The Think foam was 13 ounces lighter. You read that right! Although Think Lite foam is expensive at $260 — it is cheap when compared to how much it would cost in titanium bolts to save that much weight. $259.95 (seat foam and two Ti seat bolts), $289.98 (with hump), $49.99 (Think seat cover), $349.95 (carbon fiber seat base) — www.thinktechnology.us or (949) 444-4916.
DO YOU HAVE TIME FOR HEADS-UP DISPLAYS? THEY ARE COMING
Nuviz is a joint venture between aerospace contractors Holoeye and APX. By bringing together their core specialties in innovative display technologies, Nuviz is now developing the world’s first see-through Heads-Up Display (HUD) for motorcycle helmets. Although not a motocross product the Nuviz screen attaches to the chin bar of any helmet and syncs with a smartphone. The transparent display screen is in the lower right corner of the rider’s field of view. The rider looks through a Liquid-Crystal-on-Silicon display to see dashboard readings as well as onboard navigation, telemetry and weather. For more info go to www.ridenuviz.com
USED IT, ABUSED IT, TESTED IT: ZOX RUSH C HELMET
The quality of low-cost helmets has taken a quantum leap upwards?a few years ago it was unheard of for an under-$200 helmet to pass the stringent Snell Foundation standards. The Zox Rush C series helmet has an under-$200 price tag ($169.99) and still meets both Snell 2010 and DOT standards. The inner liner and cheek pads are removable and machine washable. The padding of the cheek pads is on the soft side and most MXA test riders wished that the foam padding was a little firmer to help position the helmet more securely. We used the optional thicker cheek pads to tighten the fit.
VERDICT: For an under-$200 helmet the fit was very comfortable. There were no pressure points and it didn’t pull your ears off when removing the helmet. We were shocked that we could feel air flowing through this helmet. The Zox Rush C is a good helmet at an excellent price point. The Snell 2010 certification is a big plus. At this price it is a viable low-cost alternative?$169.99 at www.zoxhelmets.com or your local dealer.
YOU CAN GET 12 MONTHS OF MXA AND MAKE A PROFIT ON THE DEAL
The new issue of MXA (January 2015) is in the mail now and will be on news stands soon. What’s in it? A 2015 250cc Two-Stroke Shootout, a 2015 250F Four-Stroke Shootout, an Ivan Tedesco interview, a giant dyno breakdown of all the 2015 450s and a 2015 Honda CRF450 test.
Do you subscribe to MXA? You should. we know that you think that print magazines are dead and that the internet will fill the void, but most of the stuff in the current issue of MXA won’t appear on the web for several months. Luckily, you can get all of MXA on iPhone, iPad, Kindle or Android by going to the Apple Store, Amazon or Google play, but better yet get thee Digital desktop version at https://hi-torque.com/product/motocross-action-digital-edition/ or click on the link below to get the print version delivered to your door for only $15.99 (plus you get a free $25 Gift Card from Rocky Mountain ATV/MC just for subscribing). There is a profit to be made in this deal for you. For the Print magazine go to: http://hi-torque.com/product/subscribe-to-motocross-action-magazine/
THE 2015 RACE CALENDAR
The 2015 Supercross season starts on in less than a month at Anaheim Stadium.
2015 AMA SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Jan. 3………………….Anaheim, CA
Jan. 10…………………Phoenix, AZ
Jan. 17…………………Anaheim, CA
Jan. 24…………………Oakland, CA
Jan. 31…………………Anaheim, CA
Feb. 7……………,…….San Diego, CA
Feb. 14…………………Arlington, TX
Feb. 21…………………Atlanta, GA
Feb. 28…………………Atlanta, GA
March 7………………..Daytona, FL
March 14……………..Indianapolis, IN
March 21……………..Detroit, MI
March 28……………..St. Louis, MO
April 11………………..Houston, TX
April 18………………..Santa Clara, CA
April 25………………..East Rutherford, NJ
May 2…………………..Las Vegas, NV
2015 AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
May 16…………….…Hangtown, CA
May 23…………….…Glen Helen, CA
May 30………….……Thunder Valley, CO
June 6………………..Muddy Creek, TN
June 13……………….Mt. Morris, PA
June 27………………Budds, MD
July 4…………………Red Bud, MI
July 18………..……..Millville, MN
July 25……………….Washougal, WA
August 8………….…Unadilla, NY
August 15……….…..Miller Motorsports, UT
August 22 …………..Crawfordsville, IN
2015 FIM WORLD MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Feb. 28…………………Losail, Qatar
March 8………………..Si Racha, Thailand
March 29………………Neuwuen, Argentina
April 19………………..Arco di Trento, Italy
April 26………………..Valenswaard, Holland
May 10…………………Talavera, Spain
May 24…………………Matterley Basin, Great Britain
May 31…………………Villars Sous Ecot, France
June 14………………..Maggiora, Italy
June 21………………..Teutschenthal, Germany
July 5…………………..Uddevalla, Sweden
July 12…………………Kegums, Latvia
July 26…………………Loket, Czech Republic
Aug 2…………………..Lommel, Belgium
Aug 16…………………Trinidade, Brazil
Aug 30…………………Assen, Netherlands
Sept 13…………………Leon, Mexico
Sept. 20………………..Glen Helen, USA
2015 AMSOIL ARENACROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Jan. 10-11………….…Cincinnati, OH
Jan. 16-18………….…Grand Rapids, MI
Jan. 23-25…………….Colorado Springs, CO
Jan. 31- Feb. 1…..…..Nashville, TN
Feb. 6-8……………….Wilkes-Barre, PA
Feb. 21-22……………Tampa, FL
Feb. 28- Mar.1………Kansas City, MO
Mar. 6-8……………….Council Bluffs, IA
Mar. 13-15……………Southaven, MS
Mar. 21-22……………New Orleans, LA
Mar. 28-29……………Austin, TX
April 11-12……………Spokane, WA
April 18-19……………Tacoma, WA
April 25-26……………Fresno, CA
May 1-3………………..Las Vegas, NV
2015 GEICO ENDUROCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
March 6……………….Daytona Beach, FL
March 21……………..Salt Lake City, UT
April 25……………….Sacramento, CA
May 1………………….Las Vegas, NV
May 30………………..Phoenix, AZ
June 5…………………Austin, TX
Aug, 22……………….Atlanta, GA
Oct. 3………………….Denver, CO
Oct. 17…………………Everett, WA
Nov. 7………………….Boise, ID
Nov. 20-21…………..Ontario, CA
2015 WORCS WORLD OFFROAD CHAMPIONSHIP
Jan. 18…………………Taft, CA
Feb. 8………………….Primm, NV
March 1 ………………Peoria, AZ
March 29 …………….TBA
April 19……………….Hurricane, UT
May 24 ……………….Cedar City, UT
Aug. 2 …………………TBA
Sept. 27 ………………Glen Helen, CA
Oct. 18 ………………..Prim, NV
2015 WORLD SIDECAR CROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
April 6…………………Switzerland
April 12………………..France
May 10………………..Ukraine
May 17………………..Germany
May 25………………..Holland
June 7…………………Latvia
June 14……………….Czech Republic
July 5…………………..France
July 12…………………Belgium
July 19…………………Germany
Aug. 2…………………Estonia
Aug. 9…………………Latvia
Aug. 16……………….Ukraine
Sept.13………………..France
Sept.20………………..Germany
2015 AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
March 29……..……Horsham, Vic
April 12……..……..Appin, NSW
April 26 …….…..…Broadford, Vic
May 17 ………….….Murray Bridge, SA
May 31………..…….Coolum, Qld
July 5 ……………….Raymond Terrace, NSW
July 19 ………..……Shepparton, Vic
August 2 …….….…Nowra, NSW
August 23 …………Toowoomba, Qld
August 30 ……..….Coolum, Qld
2015 WMX WOMENS MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Feb. 28…………………Losail, Qatar
March 8………………..Si Racha, Thailand
May 24…………………Matterley Basin, Great Britain
May 31…………………Villars Sous Ecot, France
June 21………………..Teutschenthal, Germany
July 26…………………Loket, Czech Republic
Photos by Pat Carrigan, John Basher, John Ker