Throwdown No.102 – MXoN taking shape!

What’s this “Throwdown”? It’s a digital home for rumour, fact and innuendo, delivered on a weekly basis. Covering a broad spectrum of the off-road world’s news, the Throwdown will touch on everything from racing to trailriding; from industry tidbits to issues facing the sport. It’s about delivering you timely information all in one place so you don’t have to scour the internet looking for it.

TwoTwo Motorsports’ Chad Reed has tweeted that he won’t race for Australia at this year’s Motocross of Nations in Belgium because he simply isn’t prepared. The Aussie has spent the last seven months recovering from broken ribs, vertebra, tibia and fibula and a torn ACL when he crashed at the Dallas Supercross in mid-February. It’s a real disappointment for Australian fans who watched Reed, Brett Metcalfe and Matt Moss ride to our first-ever podium finish – taking third – at last year’s MXoN. And with Metcalfe injured after a crash at Glen Helen, our chances of taking that ever-elusive first place at the Olympics of motocross is in major jeopardy. International media are even suggesting it wouldn’t be a surprise if Team Australia was a no show (as if!).

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So who will represent Team Australia this year? Motorcycling Australia have confirmed they’ll announce our MXoN team on Monday, but until then there’s no harm in speculating… Michael Byrne has had some solid results in the AMA Motocross series, breaking into the top 10 on a number of occasions. Plus, he’s a solid sand rider, which will be a major advantage in Lommel’s sandy circuit. Then there’s Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jay Marmont. Marmont has experience on his side, having ridden the MXoN back in 2010. And he just took out the King of the Cross, winning four of the five motos. But the four-time motocross champion has been riddled with injury all year and that may affect his chances. You’ve also got to look closely at MX Nationals MX1 leaders, Motul Pirelli Suzuki’s Todd Waters and CDR Yamaha’s Lawson Bopping. Waters has been more consistent out of the two and sits in second behind New Zealand’s Josh Coppins, but Lawson has stepped it up throughout the series. As for the MX3 rider, could Matt Moss fill the position? He had some great results in the Supercross series – even getting a podium finish – but unexpected medical problems at the beginning of the AMA Motocross series has really affected his performance. Maybe it’s time for MX Nationals MX2 series leader, Serco Yamaha’s Luke Styke, to step up?

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While Australia has been lagging behind, the US has already announced their MXoN team. Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey will head the team in the MX1 class, with Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Blake Bagget in the MX2 and GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia in the MX3. This week’s USA Insider discusses the politics and controversy surrounding Mike Alessi (currently second in the AMA Motocross 450 class) getting shafted for 250 rider, Justin Barcia.

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Our New Zealand neighbours have got their act together, too. It’s no surprise Josh Coppins will lead the charge, while Cody Cooper will ride the MX2 class and Under 19s MX Nationals leader, Kayne Lamont, will ride the MX3 class.

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Transmoto’s Deputy Editor, Ollie Sharp, was out testing KTM’s 2013 250/350/450SX-F range at Louee (NSW) on Tuesday and had this to say about the new models: “All three of KTM’s SX-Fs have received numerous upgrades that make them standout over the 2012 models. I was very impressed with the 250’s 14,000 RPM limit, the 450 produced an amazing amount of torque and feels as agile as the 250. But for me, I found the smooth and fast Louee test track preferred the 350 as it couldn’t be beaten into and out of corners. I’ll be interested to see what happens when you compare the machines back-to-back on a worn motocross track.” Keep your eyes peeled tomorrow for a video recap of the motocross models.

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This little gem landed in our inbox this week. Rumour has it it’s an all-new TM; the 2013 MX85 prototype in fact! We called Australian TM distributor, Jason Chapman, who said, “I can’t discuss the specifications, but it will be available in Australia at the end of the year and official photos and pricing will be released in September.” Mmmm, two-stroke goodness…

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The Australian Supercross Championship, dubbed the ASX, has opened lines of communication to the public by launching their Facebook and Twitter pages. They’re also offering ASX Facebook fans the chance to win one of five family passes to a local round. Round 1 of the four-round 2012 series will kick off in Dubbo, NSW, on October 13 before heading to Phillip Island Vic (Oct 27-28), Toowoomba Qld (Nov 10) and finish up in Newcastle NSW on November 17. For more details, head to the website.

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The Monster Energy MX Nationals will head to the penultimate round of the championship at Moree this weekend. CDR Yamaha’s Josh Coppins will be looking at solidifying his lead in the MX1 class and extend his 12-point gap on second place rider, Todd Waters. Lawson Bopping will also seek a good finish to close his 48-point deficit on Waters. In the MX2 class it’s a fight between Luke Styke and Ford Dale who sit 31 points apart. JDR’s Josh Cachia sits in third, 37 points off Dale. Check an interview with Cachia at last round of the MX Nats at Appin.

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After KTM Australia’s announcement a few weeks ago that they’ll restructure their race team for 2013 and run the MX1 effort in-house, rumours have surfaced that Choice Motorsports (who currently run KTM’s Under 19s program) will take over KTM’s official Lites effort next year. If true, it’s a massive blow to JDR Motorsports who’ve been KTM’s official race team for the past three years.

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Honda have announced they’ll continue their long standing support of the Australian Junior Motocross Championship. The 2012 event will take place at Coolum (Qld) from September 29 to October 6.

The 2013 Husaberg dealer launch in Australia will take place at Lorne (Vic) in October. The boys will be trail riding the Ottway trails with local trail tour operator, Con Thermos. Much to KTM/Husaberg Australian’s disappointment, the ride takes place on the same weekend as the American Husaberg launch in Hawaii. Looks like there’s no Hawaiian ‘work holiday’ after all…

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One of the markets worst kept secrets, KTM’s upsized 1190cc Adventure is expected to be unveiled at the INTERMOT Motorcycle show in Cologne, Germany, in September. Transmoto’s sources witnessed the bike being tested in 48-degree temperatures in Morocco recently but unfortunately didn’t have a camera on hand.

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KTM’s all-new 99kg machine, the Freeride 350, will debut in Australia in September in NSW’s famous Blue Mountains region. We can’t wait to give it a proper test and see exactly what it’s capable of. Check this video of the 350 in action in Austria.

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After being rescheduled in May due to the wet conditions of the state forest, The Watagans Trail Bike Rally is full steam ahead for August 18-19 this weekend. Entries are still open and you can sign up on the day ($165 entry fee). Sign on starts from 9am Saturday morning. You’ll find a map to the event on their official website.

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The 2013 Husqvarna TE499 and 511 specs have been released and while they don’t receive massive improvements, they do have a very competitive retail price. You can score the 499 and 511 for $10,795 and $10,995, respectively. You’ll find more details on the 2013 Husky’s here. Husqvarna have also released a video of the 2013 models in action. Enjoy!

It was a disappointing effort from New Zealand’s Levi Sherwood, who took sixth at last weekend’s X-Fighters in Munich. Sherwood is now tied on points for first with Munich winner, Thomas Pages, on 235 points. Check out this sweet video recap, and full results from Munich here.

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Zero Seven Motorsports has again modified their motocross line up, by adding 16-year-old FMX sensation, Jayden “Jayo” Archer, for the remaining two MX Nationals rounds in Moree and Coolum (Qld).

Loose Kid Industries’ Harley Quinlan turned 21 yesterday. Big shout out to the birthday boy!

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With recent mainstream media attention on the safety of ATVs and the call for rollbars to be made mandatory, the FCAI and ATV industry has called for proposals of the rollover devices to be rejected do to safety issues. In a recent study, it was found that, on average, the risk of using the device out way the potential benefit. Instead, they’ll focus on proven safety measures like education programs.

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The 2013 Shift Motocross gear, distributed in Australia by Monza Imports, will be available in-store from August 25.

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Following two successful years, KTM Dirt Days are back to provide riders the chance to test the latest 2013 technology from KTM including the SX, EXC and Freeride ranges. The events will take place in South Australia, Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Western Australia. You can find out more information and the dates here.

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Are you digitally savvy? Want a job in the dirt bike industry? Ballard’s Off-Road are advertising a Digital Content Manager & Sales Assistant to manage their online store. Take a look.

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Former Honda /BMW Staffer, Cameron Cuthill, has taken over as Motorcycling Manager of FCAI, replacing Rhys Griffiths who has taken an extended leave of absence for personal reasons.