Throwdown No.1 – 07/01/16

Kurt Teague here, one of the online guys at Transmoto, and I’d like to welcome you to our first Throwdown article of 2016. For those of you who aren’t familiar with what a Throwdown is, it’s basically a place for us to house all the interesting facts, rumours and videos that are released on a weekly basis that might not need to be published as a standalone article or social media post. Usually, we separate the news into riding discipline categories, and add a section for motorcycle industry members, but as it’s my first week back behind a keyboard after the Christmas and New Year break, and I’ve got loads that needs to be written, I’m going to attack this in bullet-point form. Let’s do this.

^ Chad Reed pictured with his brand new YZ450F. Image: Steve Cox

• Today, it was confirmed that Chad Reed will race for a new-look Yamaha team in 2016, named Monster Energy/360fly/Chaparral/Yamaha Factory Racing (Yamaha’s brand new factory supercross outfit). He’ll obviously start his season this Saturday, January 9, at Anaheim’s Angel Stadium.
• Every year before Anaheim 1, various factory teams release pre-season videos, to show off their new sticker kits and sponsor logos, more than anything. We’ve posted some really cool ones from Yamaha, Red Bull KTM, Team Honda HRC and Pro Circuit this week, which you can check out on the website’s home page.
• This weekend, RCH rider Ken Roczen will be aiming to win this third consecutive Monster Energy AMA Supercross season opener at Anaheim. Only one other rider has won three openers in a row, and that’s Jeremy McGrath.
• Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac was having a perfect motocross season last year before he injured both of his shoulders at Thunder Valley. Keep an eye on him this year as he has big boots to fill, following the retirement of Ryan Villopoto.
• Aussie riders, Jackson Richardson, Geran Stapleton, Hayden Mellross and Lawson Bopping will contest various AMA Supercross races in 2016. Wish ’em luck!
• It was announced earlier this week that Dylan Wills and Wade Kirkland will race for a new-look Raceline KTM team in Australia. We’ll have a detailed article outlining domestic MX/SX team switches online soon, as loads have taken place over the last couple of months (Matt Moss and Kade Mosig to Kawasaki, Dylan Long and Jay Wilson to Honda, Todd Waters to Suzuki and Jacob Wright to Husqvarna, just to name a few).
• Dean Ferris, who will race for CDR Yamaha in 2016, has signed on with SCOTT Sports.

^ Australia’s Toby Price is currently contesting his second Dakar Rally, and sits in seventh Overall after four stages. Image: Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool

• Yamaha Motor Australia has announced that Scott Keegan and Riley Graham will contest the 2016 Australian Off-Road Championship and Australian 4-Day Enduro aboard 250cc machinery.
• The Australian off-road scene’s golden boy, Toby Price, is currently contesting his second Dakar Rally, and after four stages, is sitting in seventh Overall, just under ten minutes behind Paulo Goncalves who is leading. Keep an eye on Transmoto‘s Facebook and Instagram pages every morning for the next week to keep up to date with Price’s progress.
• The 2015-2016 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship is now well and truly underway. Cody Webb sits just two points ahead of Jonny Walker after two rounds.
• Don’t forget that the 2016 Transmoto 12-Hour is taking place at Batemans Bay in NSW on February 27-28. Tickets will be going on sale really soon, so stay tuned to Transmoto‘s website and social media channels for more information over the next couple of weeks.
• The New Zealand Farm Jam is coming back! After taking a year off, the 2016 edition of the event will unfold on February 6. Promoters have confirmed that you can gain free entry into the event by purchasing a Farm Jam T-Shirt from NZ-based clothing company, ilabb.
• It was announced earlier this week that an inaugural Australian FMX Grand Prix will take place alongside the 2016 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in March. The rider line-up sounds like it’s going to be a good one, and AME Management (promoters of the AUS-X Open) are running it, so it’s guaranteed to be a good show.
• The 2016 edition of the Troy Bayliss Classic is just around the corner. On January 16, 36 riders from all over the world will do battle at Taree in NSW, and it was announced earlier this week that the Showtime FMX crew is going to be there to put on demos all day. Go check it out if you can.

^ Masatoshi Ohmori pictured at last year’s Troy Bayliss Classic. Image: Andy Wigan

• Yamaha Motor Australia has released a 15-litre fuel tank (manufactured by Australian brand, Safari Tanks) made to suit various off-road models. That’s double the capacity of a standard tank!
• Speaking of a cool new product, did you see the brand new Bell Moto 9 Flex smart helmet that was unveiled yesterday? The thing has a 360fly video camera built into it, and we can’t wait to get our hands on one later this year. Stay tuned for more from us on the insane new product.

^ Bell’s brand new 360fly Moto 9 Flex smart helmet, due to be released in 2016.

• Prior to Christmas, David Cottee was appointed as the new Motorcycling Australia CEO.
• Our 2016 January-February issue (#54) is on sale now! Reigning Australian 4-Day champ, Daniel Milner, bagged the front cover aboard Yamaha’s 60th anniversary yellow WR450F. Grab a print copy at your local newsagents today, or a digital copy via the Zinio App – simply download it for free on your favourite handheld device and search Transmoto.

^ Get your hands on our January-February issue (#54), on sale now! Image: iKapture Images

• That’s Throwdown number one of 2016 in the can. Check back next week for more moto-related tidbits that may interest you.
• Oh, and don’t forget that our latest magazine subscription deal is still running. Purchase a 12-issue print subscription for just $90 (it’s a bi-monthly mag, so you’ll receive your 12 issues over two years) and you’ll go in the running to win a 2016 Husqvarna FC450 worth $11,995, a selection of Husqvarna Accessories genuine parts worth $1470 and a year’s supply of Bel-Ray oils and lubricants worth $2387. That’s a potential $15,852 worth of goods that you could win by simply spending what works out to be $3.75 per month. You’d be mad not to enter, right?

^ Subscribe to Transmoto now for you chance to win!