Throwdown No.103 – Big Finale’s

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.

Motorcycling Australia finally announced Team Australia for this year’s Motocross of Nations (to be held in Belgium on September 30). All three young Aussies are aged between 20 and 22, and will line up at the international event for the first time ever. CDR Yamaha’s Lawson Bopping will lead the charge in the MX1 class, while Serco Yamaha’s Luke Styke, will take up the MX2 position, with Motul Pirelli Suzuki’s Todd Waters to ride the big-bore MX3 class. It was revealed that Michael Byrne was originally chosen to ride the MX1 class for Australia, but after Byrne crashed and broke his tibia while leading the 450 class at Unadilla over the weekend, Bopping took his place. Styke says representing your country at the MXoN is a dream come true. “Being selected for Team Australia is a bit surreal,” said Styke. “It’s a dream you have as a professional motocross racer, but to be selected always seems farfetched. It’ll be a great opportunity and we’ll do the best we can.”

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Speaking of MXoN team announcements, The Great Britain team is in. Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Tommy Searle will front the MX1 class, with KTM’s Jake Nicholls in the MX2 and Garaboldi Honda’s Max Anstie in the MX3.

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TwoTwo Motorsports’ Chad Reed is back on the bike for his first ride back since injuring himself earlier in the year during the AMA Supercross. The renowned Vurbmoto film crew were out at Reedy’s compound in Florida to document the Aussie’s return to the saddle. Ironically, the guy Reed signed to take his place on the TwoTwo Motorsports factory CRF450R this year, Ben Townley, also climbed back aboard the bike this week for the first time in months.

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MX2’s Luke Styke will head into the final round of the MX Nationals at Coolum this weekend 21 points behind rival, Carlton Dry Honda’s Ford Dale. Styke, who had been leading for the majority of the series, had a devastating penultimate round with a flat in Moto 1, stalling at the gate in Moto 2 and then DNFing the final moto. “I had a bad round at Moree and lost the red plate,” said a disappointed Styke. “But I’ll give it my all coming into the final round. This is racing, and anything can happen.” Get a recap of the weekend’s performances in our weekly wrap-up, Around The Grounds.

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Zero Seven Motorsports’ Adam Monea had a major crash in Moto 3 at the Moree round of the MX Nationals and was knocked unconscious. He was airlifted to Newcastle hospital where it was revealed he had broken nine ribs, his scapula, had minor internal bleeding and a concussion. Doctors placed him in an induced coma overnight to regulate his breathing. It’ll be a long rehabilitation, but he’s expected to make a full recovery. Word is that there’s some rivetting footage of Monea being ejected from his RM-Z at Moree. Keep an eye on www.transmoto.com.au for that next week.

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With Ryan Villopoto, Chad Reed, James Stewart and Trey Canard all out of contention for the AMA Motocross Championship, Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey has been left without a serious challenger to keep him honest during the 12-round series. The Dunge just took his eighth consecutive Overall at Unadilla over the weekend and was crowned the 2012 450 Motocross Champion – with two rounds still to go! And remember, prior to this season, KTM hadn’t won a race in the premier class in the AMA MX series. Now, with Roger DeCoster and RD5 in their corner, they’ve claimed the coveted 450cc class MX title!

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For those who don’t follow the every move of the AMA Motocross Championship, you might not have heard that Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart made a return to the track at Unadilla last weekend. His appearance didn’t last long and a crash in Moto 2 saw him take 35th. Reports say he broke his finger and will be out for the final two rounds of the championship. He finished ninth in Moto 1 after crashing while contesting for the lead.

JS7 reported via Instagram that he’ll be posting weekly updates of his busted hand.

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Take a look at Transmoto’s Ollie Sharp looking tragic in his custom Metal Mulisha gear at the 2013 KTM SX-F Australian Launch. He’s even got a posse; that’s Mark Brown in the Scott gear watching Sharpo’s back for signs of trouble. But seriously, the boys get a great insight into the changes to the 2013 SX-F range and talk with KTM Australia’s Technical Services Manager, Rob Twyerould, about the component upgrades across the range (including the novel bottom-mounted injector nozzle) and the all-new 250SX-F engine.

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Word is the Hart and Huntington/InsureMyRide Race Team will have a massive pit set-up at the final round of the MX Nationals. DJ, promo girls and even a spa! It’ll definitely be worth stopping by and taking a look.

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Looks like the Serco Yamaha Metal Mulisha team are stepping up their game for the big finale as well. The team will be providing a seven-seater helicopter for spectators, offering them a bird’s eye view of the Coolum race facility and surrounding Sunshine Coast beaches for only $50 per ride! Tickets can be purchased from the Serco Yamaha Metal Mulisha joy flight tent on the day.

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Rumour has it former Honda team boss, Pip Harrison, has been eyeballing a return to the pit paddock and may find himself in a support role with the Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing team. We gave the team’s Principal, Yarrive Konsky, a call to find out more, but YK declined to comment.

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Blake Baggett’s photo shoot just isn’t working in Episode 3 of SX Ed with Miss Supercross. Looks like he can take a couple of pointers from Miss Dianna Dahlgren. Keep your eyes peeled for Episode 4, to be released September 5.

Reigning AORC champion, Chris Hollis, has had a pretty average season by his standards, with bike problems and injuries constantly interrupting any momentum. Coming into this weekend’s final round of the 2012 AORC, Hollis has decided to make the move from 350EXC-F to 450EXC. “Yeah, it was always a toss-up between those two models, both of which I can ride in the E2 class,” Hollis told Transmoto. “Having that added throttle response on the 450 makes it easier to put the bike where you want to in lots of different conditions, and I went really well on the bike at a local Port Macquarie race last weekend. I’m over the injuries to my thumb and neck sustained at Hattah, and I’ve got the suspension on the bike how I want it now, too, so I’m looking forward to finishing off the season on a positive note.” Luckily for Hollis, he signed a two-year deal with the Motorex KTM off-Road team, so he can breathe easy that his luckless year won’t mean he’ll be chasing a ride in the off-season.

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The final AORC round is set for South Australia this weekend, with Team Motorex KTM Off-Road’s Toby Price looking on-track to claim his third Outright AORC crown. He leads the Outright standings by 42 points (from Yamaha’s Matt Phillips) and the E3 class by 24 points (from Yamaha’s Stefan Merriman). Phillips leads Hollis the E2 class by 43 points, while Yamaha’s Daniel Milner leads the E1 class by 11 points (from Josh Green). For a full preview of SA round, check out www.transmoto.com.au ahead of the weekend.

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With Husaberg expanding its range to seven enduro models for 2013, the question is being asked whether Husaberg Australia is looking to correspondingly grow their presence in the Australian off-road scene next season. “It’s probably too early to make any concrete remarks,” KTM and Husaberg Australia’s General Manager, Jeff Leisk, told Transmoto, “but I’d think we’d at least look to run two riders for 2013. Scott Keegan has been doing a solid job for us this year, and I understand that Geoff Braico is coming back from America.”

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Sixteen-year-old Kiwi, Scott Sowry, will head to the US to contest the final three rounds of the GNCC series, starting with Unadilla on September 16. He’ll race in the 200A class alongside the XC1 riders and, already tasting international success after winning the under-200cc class at the AORC last year, hopes to turn a few heads while he’s over there. Good luck, Kiwi.

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Speaking of adventure bikes, Husqvarna is the next manufacturer to jump on board and take a crack at the growing market. They’ve taken BMW’s G 650 GS Sertao and modified the suspension, engine and bodywork to produce the all-new TR650 Strada and TR650 Terra. Husqvarna say the Terra is the more serious off-road machine, and it shows with the bodywork more closely resembling their enduro line, while the Strada, well, looks downright sexy in its all-black trim with Husky-red highlights. If Husqvarna Australia continues with the aggressive pricing strategy they’ve applied to their off-road range, then you’ve got to think these BMW-inspired machines will become popular very quickly. For more on Husky’s new adventure bikes read the full write-up from Transmoto’s Will Coole.

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Off-road legend, John Hederics, is now confirmed he’ll be driving this year’s Australasian Safari for the Holden team with Kees Weel as navigator. In an illustrious desert racing career, Hederics has won the Moto category a staggering six times and the Autos three times. So at the 2012 Safari, “Hedge” will be looking to rack up his 10th win!

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Congratulations to Glen Ball from Cooranbong, NSW, for winning the 2012 Yamaha WR450F at the Watagan Trail Bike Rally over the weekend.

The dual clutch transmission version of Honda’s Crosstourer, the VFR1200X, has hit Australian shores and is available through Honda dealerships Australia wide. Honda claim the dual clutch system guarantees seamless and smooth gear changes, with the option for manual gear shifting or two fully automatic modes – general and performance options. The dual clutch Crosstourer retails for $20,990, with the standard model $1000 cheaper.

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After being an avid sprint car racer back in the day, KTM General Manager (and one of Australia’s best motocross riders), Jeff Leisk, feels it’s time to get back in the Thing with Wings and take on WA’s sprint car scene. The Flying Freckle actually had quite a career in sprint cars in his younger years, with the highlight of his career being a fourth at the 1992-1993 Australian Sprintcar Titles.

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Honda’s Australia former General Manager Motorcycles, Tony Hinton, has shifted positions in the organisation to Senior Manager of Corporate and Regulatory affairs. Hinton will focus on big picture programs such HART, and government and industry liaison. Peter Singleton has taken on the role as Honda’s General Manager Motorcycles.

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Last weekend, a group of Indian delegates arrived at the Matterley Basin circuit, in Great Britain, to enjoy what was one of the most exciting and enjoyable Grand Prix events in the sports history. In sweltering heat and with a huge crowd in attendance, the Indian delegation enjoyed their weekend. A press conference was then held and it was said that in 2014, an FIM World Motocross Championship round would be held in the Goa area, in India. This is a heavily tourist attracted area, and the circuit will be in walking distance from the beautiful beaches of Goa. Youthsteam’s Giuseppe Luongo was excited about the new partnership. “From 2014, and for a long time, we will be happy to have you as our partners,” Luongo told the Indian group. “With a country of over a billion people and in such a beautiful area as Goa, we can expand the sport of motocross in a way we could never have hoped.” With Thailand, Brazil and Mexico on the calendar in 2013, the FIM World Motocross Championship is truly becoming a global series. There is also talk that the second round of the 2013 series might be run in Qatar, which will mean the first two rounds of the 2014 season will start in Thailand and Qatar, then onto Valkenswaard in Holland for Round 3.

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Bell Helmets is revamping their model line-up and Australian distributor, Monza Imports, has confirmed they will relaunch the product in October at the Moto GP Expo. There’ll be three new motocross models and four road helmets in the new range with pricing yet to be confirmed. 0

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Speaking of Monza Imports, they’ve just finished the big move into their new premises in Melbourn’s Altona North. They’ve consolidated their warehouse and office, allowing them more space and a bigger, and more modern, office environment.

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Motorcycling Australia has released the supplementary regulations and entry form for the 2012 Australian Supercross Championship, which can be downloaded from the MA website.

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Transmoto’s former Online Content Manager, Jake Jackson, hit the Watagan Trail Bike Rally over the weekend and says the two-day event was great fun; that is, until he decided to kiss the ground on a technical rocky ledge section. “The organisers did a great job with the loops,” said Jackson. “There were easy, hard and expert sections with over 65km of trails. I did end up injuring myself with a big off at the far end of the long loop. I had a golf ball-sized egg on my arm and a very bruised butt cheek. It was worth it!”

Hey, Jake, better you’re crashing your own bike these days, rather than all our test bikes! – AW.

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Team Husqvarna Australia’s bikes, parts and accessories were stolen from their team van and trailer late Tuesday night on the Goldie. Luka Bussa and Glenn Kearney’s bikes were among those stolen. If you have any information on any of the bikes or accessories, please call (07) 5508 3000 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Former Australian AORC and 4-Day Women’s Champion, Jess Gardiner, is not afraid to get her hands dirty to raise money to expand her racing horizons overseas – whether it’s her regular job as a dump-truck driver or various fundraising efforts she’s embarked on this year to find her racing trips to the USA and Europe’s EWC. Next Friday night, August 31 at the Londonderry Hall, Jess plans to stage another fundraiser to help find her trip to the ISDE in Germany at the end of September. We understand there’s a bunch of cool merchandise and moto/enduro paraphernalia that’s being auctioned off. For more info, email Jess on jessgardiner737@hotmail.com