Australasian Dirt Bike Magazine Issue 503

THE FINKE MOTORCYCLE CHAMP BECAME THE FIRST PERSON TO ALSO WIN THE CAR DIVISION IT’S BEEN A big month in the moto world. A lot has happened with our Aussies around the world and it seems we are in a rare purple patch when it comes to kicking arse on numerous fronts. First up, the Lawrence brothers (Jett and Hunter) have banked a number of podiums for Honda in the MX2 class of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship since our last issue and now sit first and third in the title, with Jett holding a slim lead over Yamaha’s Justin Cooper. We haven’t seen this kind of dominance in the US since South Australian Brett Metcalfe ripped up the 250 class. Still in the States, Queenslander Max Whale has won two rounds of…

BETA’S EIGHT-BIKE RR Enduro range for MY22 has broken cover with a bunch of changes and refinements. The two-stroke line-up consists of the RR125, RR200, RR250 and RR300, with the latter getting plenty of love, with a larger bore/shorter stroke, new piston, power valve, crankshaft and cylinder head. There’s also a new clutch and silencer to match for that model. The RR350, RR390, RR430 and RR480 four-strokes all have a new ECU offering improved dry/wet map performance. They also have new primary gears and a new clutch with diaphragm spring with three spring preload settings. The entire range naturally sports a new look and revised suspension settings. They’ll be here in September.…

SHERCO HAS REVEALED its MY22 enduros with some eyebrow-raising changes. The Racing range has been reduced to just three of the most popular models, the 250SE (tested last issue) and 300SE two-strokes plus the world-championship winning 300SEF four-stroke. But the big news with the Racings is the addition of KYB suspension, replacing the WP Xplor gear. The Racing models now sport a KYB open-cartridge fork (not the fork on the Factory) but the same KYB shock as the Factory range. All three models have new handgrips, brake pads and graphics. The up-market Factory range continues to boast seven bikes, the 125SE, 250SE and 300SE two-strokes alongside the 250SEF, 300SEF, 450SEF and 500SEF four-strokes. The Factories retain their existing KYB suspension, their forks are the premium closed-cartridge units with the eye-catching red KYB…

GASGAS HAS ADDED three models to its motocross range, with the MC85 small wheel coming in to give kids a leg up from the MC65 before they go to the big-wheel 85, an MC250 two-stroke and MC350F four-stroke. These models join the MC65, MC85 19/16, MC125, MC250F and MC450F to create a solid red arsenal for the brand in GASGAS showrooms. The MC250 and MC350F are expected in August with the MC85 16/18 due the following month. There’s no major changes in the enduro range, which was revealed by new owner Pierer Mobility last year after its other two brands started selling their 2021 models. It’s more of the same with the EC250 and EC300 two-strokes, plus the EC250F and EC350F four-strokes and they’re expected in August. Maybe there’ll be…

KAWASAKI’S R&D department have left the KX450 alone for MY22 with a flash set of graphics the only update. The good news is it still runs an electric start, hydraulic clutch, DFI couplers, finger-follower valve actuation, DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) coating on the finger followers, lithium battery, launch control mode and course the much coveted Kashima coated 49mm Showa A-Kit fork and Uni-Trak shock. The KX450 will be on dealers showroom floors the time you read this and available for $12,399 plus dealer pre-delivery and inspection fees.…

TO ITALY WITH LOVE ADB WAS LUCKY enough to score an invitation to the official launch of the MY22 TMs in Pesaro, Italy. While this would have been great, and even more awesome catching the Italian EnduroGP afterwards, this thing called COVID-19 kind of made it difficult to attend, but perhaps they knew that. They just felt they had to invite us but didn’t actuallywant ADB bothering Wil Ruprecht anyway. GILMAN PROMX BACK ON SOON GOOD OLD MELBOURNE threw another spanner in the works of our lives with its fourth lockdown, resulting in round three of ProMX in Gilman, SA, being bumped. If you’re really quick, you can catch the reschedule action in Adelaide on July 11, complete with Victorian riders, just after this issue goes on sale. The irony in all of…