RUMORS, GOSSIP & UNFOUNDED TRUTHS: HOLIDAYS & WINTER WEATHER PUT A DAMPER ON RACING

11/23/2024 06:00 AM

• MXA VIDEO: THE LONG-AWAITED 2025 250 SHOOTOUT

The 2025 MXA 250 Shootout is officially here, and we rank all eight of the major 250 four-stroke dirt bikes. The goal of Motocross Action’s Shootouts are always to help you make a better-educated decision with your hard-earned money when buying a new bike, but we also want to make the video entertaining.

For 2025, seven out of eight of the 250 four-strokes have seen significant updates. The Triumph TF250-X is the first of its kind from Triumph and they have a new mapping update rolling out in the next few weeks which will be a free upgrade to any Triumph owner looking to address the complaints we had with our bike. The KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas models all got updates to the frame and linkage, the Honda received major updates to the chassis, the Kawasaki KX250 is an all-new bike and the Yamaha YZ250F has new suspension settings and engine mounts for 2025.

The MXA wrecking crew  races and tests bikes year-round. While each rider has their favorite bike, this video represents the accumulated input of Motocross Action test riders. Yes, we pack as much info as we can into our Shootout and test videos, but this is still a highlighted version of our 250 Shootout. If you want to read the full in-depth article, see the dyno charts and learn more insider info ,subscribe to Motocross Action Magazine and read it in the upcoming January issue. www.hi-torque.com/product/subscribe-to-motocross-action-magazine/

• MXA AD OF THE WEEK: DID YOU OWN ONE? THE 1982 HONDA CR480 FOUR-SPEED

Four-speed gearbox, drum brakes, 43mm air/spring  forks (with three compression clicks) and a 492cc two-stroke engine.

• REQUESTED: AS HARD AS WE TRY, WE CAN’T ESCAPE OUR GENES

MXA readers have amazing memories, not only do they know all of their favorite rider’s stats, but they have amazing recall of Jody’s Box columns. When my father died in 1986 I wrote a “Jody’s Box” column that many people have told me had a profound effect on their lives. That “My Father Never Saw Me Race” column is the record holder for requests to re-run it,  I did re-run ten years after his passing and after a continuous flood of requests, I re-ran it again  25 years after his death. It wasn’t until Tom White told me that since so many people wanted to read it again , that I should run it every Father’s Day. I agreed to, but only if he wrote a column about his dad that would  run alongside it on Father’s Day,  which happily did.

It’s no secret that the typical motocross racer of today is much older than motocrossers were back in the glory days of the sport, and as motocross racers get older, they are more likely to have to come to terms with the loss of the most important man in their lives—their dads.”  So, in honor of my dad , the late Tom White and those hard-core fans who keep requesting it, here is “As Hard As We Try, We Can’t Escape Our Genes.” 

BY JODY WEISEL

I’m the son of a career U.S. Air Force pilot. I admired my dad for flying 25 missions over Germany in a B-17 and rising to the rank of Colonel. When I was a kid, he would take me hunting, fishing and carousing through the hills in his Jeep. My fondest memories are of when he would put me on the gas tank of his Indian and blasted down country roads with me giggling all the way. It was a great childhood, but we grew apart over the years.

I like to think that my dad changed as I got older, and the situation between us became tenser, but that’s silly. My father was a military man. He was incapable of change. He was a rough and ready guy—a throwback to the wild and woolly days of flying and riding Indians, hanging out in duck blinds, and tromping through the woods looking for an eight-point buck. Heck, people shot at him every day during the war. He was a man’s man.

In truth, he didn’t change as I got older. I changed. The Winchester .30-30 he gave me when I was 12 hung on the wall and went unused by the time I was 16. I didn’t want to rattle around in his V8-modified, slab-sided Willys Jeep station wagon with two howling bird dogs yapping out the back window anymore. I was tired of hearing how he asked for an 11/32nd wrench and I gave him a 5/16th—or being the guy who always sat in the driver’s seat when he worked on an engine so that someone would be there to press on the gas pedal when he yelled, “Floor it.”

So, I did what any self-respecting, rebellious, long-haired teenager of the 1960s would do—I disappeared from the family dynamic. I stayed in my room for endless hours. I would leave at 5:00 a.m. to go surfing and not come back until 10:00 p.m. At the dinner table, I would never speak. I would only communicate with my mother by hand signals that meant, “Pass the potatoes,” “Butter, please,” or “Can I go now?”

WHEN I STARTED  RACING MOTORCYCLES, MY FATHER WAS DISAPPOINTED, HE SAID. “I PAID TO SEND HIM TO THE UNIVERSITY SO THAT HE COULD BE A SURFER WHO RACES FOREIGN MOTORCYCLES IN A FIELD SOMEWHERE. WHAT DEGREE IS THAT?”

My father hated the silent communication and would say to my mom, “Helen, make him ask for it.” She never did. When I went off to college, I never came home—not even to get my laundry done. When I started racing motorcycles, my father was disappointed, he said. “I paid to send him to the university so that he could be a surfer who races foreign motorcycles in a field somewhere. What degree is that?”

A few years after my father died, my mother came to stay with “Lovely Louella” and me at our house in California. She was like everybody’s mother when they come to visit. She wanted to help. She wanted to cook. She wanted to clean up, and she wanted to give Lovely Louella advice. That was when I heard my mom tell Louella, “Jody is just like his dad. He looks like him. He sounds likes him. He acts like him. His dad was always wasting his time out in a field with a shotgun, fishing in Canada or flying that stupid airplane. Jody is his dad, only with a motocross bike out in a field, in his workshop or flying that stupid airplane.”

For a split second, I flashed back to the sound of that Indian echoing through the trees, the fresh morning smell of the air rushing by and the warmth of my father’s embrace.

• MXA BLACK FRIDAY SALE! GET 25% OFF THE PRINT MAG & GET A $25 ROCKY MOUNTAIN GIFT CARD

BLACK FRIDAY SALE! GET 25% OFF 1 YEAR OF MXA PRINT, PLUS $25 ROCKY MOUNTAIN GIFT CARD

It’s Our Black Friday Sale! Get 25% Off Motocross Action Magazine, Plus Get a Free $25 Rocky Mountain Gift Card Now through December 2!

Offer is valid on any Hi-Torque Media print magazine. Offer ends December 2, 2024.

• MXA RACES THE LAKE HAVASU NGPC FINALE

• THE $110,000 GLEN HELEN MOTOFEST IS FOUR DAYS OF FUN, RACING AND FESTIVAL VIBES

• GLEN HELEN’S BUD FELDKAMP EXPLAINS THE MOTOFEST CONCEPT

• MXA’S 2025 COLLECTION OF IN-DEPTH 2025 VIDEO TESTS

• MXA VIDEO: MOTOCROSS ACTION’S 2025 450 SHOOTOUT

• MXA VIDEO: 2025 TRIUMPH TF450-RC FIRST RIDE

• MXA VIDEO: 2025 YAMAHA YZ250FX FIRST RIDE

• MXA VIDEO: 2025 KAWASAKI KX250 FIRST RIDE

• MXA VIDEO: 2025 HONDA CR450 FIRST RIDE

• MXA VIDEO: 2025 HONDA CRF250 WORKS EDITION FIRST RIDE

• MXA VIDEO: 2025 YAMAHA YZ450 FIRST RIDE

• MXA VIDEO: 2025 YAMAHA YZ250F FIRST RIDE

• MXA VIDEO: 2025 YAMAHA YZ250FX CROSS-COUNTRY FIRST RIDE

• MXA VIDEO: 2025 KTM 150SX TWO-STROKE FIRST RIDE

• MXA VIDEO: 2025 KAWASAKI KX450 FIRST RIDE

• MXA VIDEO: 2025 KTM 450SXF FIRST RIDE

• MXA VIDEO: 2025 KTM 250SXF FIRST RIDE

• THE GREATEST DEAL IN MOTOCROSS: REAL WORDS, LARGE PHOTOS, MORE TECH, STUFF NO ONE ELSE TELLS YOU & YOU GET A $25 ROCKY MOUNTAIN CREDIT

This is the cover of the December 2024 issue of MXA. It features a detailed 2025 MXA 450 Shootout, an indepth interviews with Pro Circuit’s Mitch Payton, coverage of Team USA at the FIM Junior World Championships for 65cc, 85cc and 125cc machines of the 2025 KTM 250SXFa full test of the the 2025 Yamaha YZ450F and an actual up-to-date test of the 2025 Suzuki RM-Z450. We even went back in time a decade to test Jason Anderson’s 2015 factory Husqvarna FC450 and even farther back to take a close-up look at Marty Smith’s 1976 Honda RC125M.

Did you know that it couldn’t be easier or cheaper to subscribe to MXA than it is right now—because when you subscribe you receive a Rocky Mountain ATV/MC credit for $25 towards anything in their massive inventory, all at no cost to you.  Are you smart enough to recognize a great deal when you see it? To subscribe call (800) 767-0345 or ClickHere

• MXA’S JOSH FOUT TAKES ON THE 2024 IRONMAN GNCC

MXA test rider Josh Fout took on the 2024 Ironman GNCC race with Yamaha’s new 2025 YZ250FX cross-country machine.The Ironman GNCC is always the biggest GNCC event of the year, and this year, guys like Ryan Villopoto, Marvin Musquin, Phil Nicoletti and Damon Bradshaw came out to race and experience the off-road version of Ironman with Josh Fout.

• TAKE THE MXA SURVEY FOR A CHANCE TO WIN THIS INTENSE TAZER E-MOUNTAIN BIKE!

The Motocross Action reader survey is back for 2024, and this year we’re giving away an Intense Tazer E-MTB to one lucky participant. Our reader survey is here to help the MXA staff better understand our audience so that we can continue to provide beneficial motocross content focused on the most relevant and important products, dirt bikes, and stories that you (the reader) are interested in.

MXA READER SURVEY:

HOW: Simply complete the multiple-choice questionnaire and enter your correct name and email address to be entered to win the Intense Tazer E-MTB.
WHAT: Win the Intense Tazer MX Alloy Expert Electric Mountain bike, which retails for $4,999.
WHEN: The MXA survey will run for a couple of months and the winner will be announced at the end via email.
WHY: To help MXA learn more about you, the reader, to ensure we create the best possible content for you.

The new Intense Tazer MX Alloy Expert is equipped with DVO suspension, Shimono’s EP600 Motor, and 504Wh battery. This expert model features 160mm of front travel, 155mm of rear travel to tackle any terrain. The Tazer Alloy frame has been upgraded to the Universal Hanger (UDH) and SRAM T-Type compatibility. Learn more about the bike here.

TAKE THE MXA SURVEY HERE:

• THE ALL-NEW DUNLOP “FACTORY SPEC” TIRES

MXA’s Josh Mosiman and Trevor Nelson flew out to Huntsville, Alabama, to visit the Dunlop test facility and compare the ‘factory spec’ tires, to the production MX34 tires. Josh rode the 2025 Husky FC450 with both sets of tires back-to-back to figure out the difference on the track, plus he talked to Chris Siebenhaar, Brian Fleck, and Ryan Dungey about the new rubber.

• THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR A MOTOCROSS FAN! ROB ANDREWS “THE INSIDE LINE” HARDCOVER ON THE GRAND PRIX RACING

Rob Andrews’ eagerly awaited new book, “The Inside Line: Racing the 500cc World Motocross Championship” is now available at www.theinsidelinebook.com.

The critically acclaimed book, “The Inside Line: Racing the 500cc World Motocross Championship” (Second Edition) is back on sale at www.insidelinebook.com. After receiving rave reviews from press and public alike, “The Inside Line” first press run sold out in three weeks. Now back in print “The Inside Line” offers a detailed, first-hand account of the life of a professional GP racer competing in the heydays of the 1980s. There are facts that will surprise you, anecdotes that will make you laugh, and brutally honest, never-before-published information.

Tracing the journey of the British former 500 GP star, from unremarkable amateur through to factory Kawasaki rider, GP contender, and member of Great Britain’s 1985 Motocross des Nations team, “The Inside Line” is a unique, comprehensive, and fascinating first-hand account of what it was really like to race in the 500cc World Motocross Championship during the 1980s.

“Inside Line, litho printed on the finest silk art paper, is a mammoth, heavyweight, 416-page hardback book of uncompromising quality. It has over 400 photographs from the sport’s most acclaimed photographers. Available for world-wide shipping, the book can be ordered at www.theinsidelinebook.com

FLASHBACK: TEAM MXA/PRO CIRCUIT WINS THE 2021 24-HOURS OF GLEN HELEN

In order to test  the  2021 Honda CRF450X, MXA’s Josh Mosiman formed a four-man team to race the 24-Hours of Glen Helen. The team was comprised of Josh Mosiman, Zac Commans, Carlen Gardner and Preston Campbell. They raced day and night for 24 straight hours, switching off every hour and 20 minutes. Behind the scenes, Mitch Payton built the bike from the ground up to perform flawlessly. Mitch also stayed up for 24 straight hours to make sure that his team of mechanics and organizers took care of every pit stop.

Former factory Honda mechanic Mike “Schnikey” Tomlin played a huge role in Team Pro Circuit’s victory. He was the lead mechanic on prepping the Honda CRF450X and, in the pit, he had help from Averi Lison, Jason “Gothic Jay” Haines, John Parkinson, Bones Bacon and a list of other mechanics and helpers.

In the end, the MXA/Pro Circuit team covered 79 laps and over 700 miles of single-track, big hills, high-speed ridges, rocky trails, two motocross tracks and a Lucas Oil Off-road truck track to win the Open Pro class by a full lap. It was, surprisingly enough, the first overall win at the 24-Hours of Glen Helen for Pro Circuit and Mitch was thrilled.

Having a proficient pit crew is ultra-important in a 24-hour race.

Equally thrilled was Preston Campbell, who is the son of off-road legend Johnny Campbell, who rode to his first big off-road win (and one that his father has won also). Campbell was the only full-time off-road racer on the MXA/Pro Circuit team, as the other three riders were professional motocross racers.

MXA’s Josh Mosiman bombs down a trail in the fading light of dusk.

Zac Commans on the same section of trail 10 hours later in daylight. 

Mitch Payton (left) and team rider Preston Campbell (right) keeping an eye on the bike during a rider change and pit stop.

Carlen Gardner grabbing the Pro Circuit bike after new front and rear wheels were installed.

Long exposure photos do a great job at displaying the track at night. 

2021 24-HOURS OF GLEN HELEN RESULTS: OPEN PRO CLASS
1. Josh Mosiman, Zac Commons, Carlen Gardner, Preston Campbell
2. Colton Udall, Evan Kelly, Nic Garvin, Derek Ausserbauer
3. Tyler Nicholson, Cody Simpson, Thomas Dunn, Christian Clark
4. Nick Stover, Colton Aeck, Trevor Hunter, Brandon Graveley
5. Blaine Thompson, Jeff Loop, Danny Cooper, Ryan Surratt

2025 AMA NATIONAL MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
May 24…Pala, CA
May 31…Hangtown, CA
June 7…Thunder Valley, CO
June 14…Mount Morris, PA
June 28…Southwick, MA
July 5…Red Bud, MI
July 12…Millville, MN
July 19…Washougal, WA
Aug. 9…Crawfordsville, IN
August 16…Unadilla, NY
August 23…Budds Creek, MD

• DAY IN THE DIRT #27 IS COMING ON NOV. 29, 30 & DEC. 1 AT GLEN HELEN

• 11TH ANNUAL KURT CASELLI RIDE DAY SET FOR DECEMBER 7

The 11th Annual Kurt Caselli Ride Day is hosted by The Kurt Caselli Foundation, this highly anticipated event offers a full day of riding, community, and activities to celebrate the legacy of off-road racing legend Kurt Caselli, while raising funds to support off-road safety initiatives and educational scholarships. This event is open to everyone! Whether you’re a Pro rider, a first-timer, or a dedicated fan, this day has a wide range of activities and fun for all. Pre-sale tickets are available for $25 (kids 12 and under are free), with prices increasing to $30 on the day of the event. Take advantage of the pre-sale by November 30 to enjoy exclusive perks, including a $10 Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Race Gas credit and $5 off each General Admission ticket.

RIDE DAY HIGHLIGHTS:
(1) Open Riding on multiple motocross tracks and an event exclusive off-road loop.
(2) USMCA Beginner Skills Classes: Free 2-hour workshop for novice riders, led by certified motorcycle coaches. Must register online
(3) Caselli Team Challenge Race: Team up with pro riders for this fun and competitive Pro-Am event, presented by our Challenge Sponsor, Rocky Mountain ATV/MC.
(4) Meet Pro Riders: Get up close and personal with top Supercross, Motocross, and Off-Road racers, who will be attending, riding, and participating in the day’s events. It’s a great opportunity to meet the athletes, get autographs, and see them in action!
(5) Memorial Legend Lap: A slow, parade lap around the track in memory of Kurt Caselli.
(6) Silent Auction & Raffles: Exciting giveaways, including a chance to win a brand-new motorcycle of your choice from participating brands!
(7) Food and Drink: Satisfy your hunger with mouth-watering meals from Bonehead Burgers & Breakfast Club, voted San Diego’s Best Burger in 2022. A portion of all food sales will support The Kurt Caselli Foundation’s mission.
(8) Finish off your day with a refreshing 805 beer, with 100% of the beer proceeds going directly to the Foundation.

RIDE DAY DETAILS:
Date: Saturday, December 7, 2024
Time: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM (Riding starts at 9:00 AM)
Location: Fox Raceway, 12799 California Highway 76, Pala, CA 92059
Tickets: $25 pre-sale, $30 day-of.
Kids 12 & under: Free
www.KurtCaselli.com/tickets

• FINAL 2024 TT SCRAMBLES RACE OF THE YEAR AT GLEN HELEN ON DEC. 15

For more information go to www.OSSRG.org

• WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON FOR 2025 SEASON & WHAT’S LEFT IN 2024 

The post RUMORS, GOSSIP & UNFOUNDED TRUTHS: HOLIDAYS & WINTER WEATHER PUT A DAMPER ON RACING appeared first on Motocross Action Magazine.