Australasian Dirt Bike Magazine Issue 515

THE RECORD BOOK will show that Red Bull KTM’s Manuel Lettenbichler beat 1200 competitors and a mountain called the Iron Giant at the 26th edition of Austria’s iconic Red Bull Erzbergrodeo. Amazingly, it was seven years after his father Andreas achieved the same feat - the only father/ son combo to do it. After a three-year wait since the last 2019 edition, thousands of amateurs and professionals made the pilgrimage to the four-day festival that draws tens of thousands of fans too. Riders had four hours to complete the course made up of 27 arduous checkpoints. Lettenbichler battled against the mountain and runner-up, Sherco rider Mario Roman of Spain, for two hours and 58 minutes. He was the only rider under three hours. 24-year-old Lettenbichler revealed after his win that things got…

MOTORCYCLING AUSTRALIA HAS announced the teams to compete in the International Six Day Enduro to be held in Puy en Velay, France from 29 August to 4 September, 2022. Australia will field a Trophy Team, Junior Trophy Team for riders under 23 and a Women’s Trophy Team. Australian Enduro World Championship campaigners Wil Ruprecht and Daniel Milner will headline the team competing in the E2 category while Andy Wilksch will contest the E3 category. Josh Green will be the Team’s E1 rider. The Women’s Trophy Team consists of Jess Gardiner, Tayla Jones and Emelie Karlsson. The Junior Trophy Team will be made up of three first-time ISDE riders Kyron Bacon, Blake Hollis and Korey McMahon. There has been a whirlwind of pit talk about the selected riders and given that Australia boasts plenty…

HONDA HAS TAKEN the wraps off the 2023 CRF450R to mark the 50-year celebration of the CR and CR-F. It all began back in 1973 with the CR250M Elsinore but fast forward 50 years and you have the 2023 CRF450R that features a host of updates including a narrower intake port shape, revised cam profile and new 44mm throttle body. The suspension has been revised with a heavier rate shock spring and the fork valving has been revised to work in conjunction with steel engine mounts in place of alloy on the previous model to deliver more stability and bump absorption. Price is set at $14,098. The great news with the 2023 models is there are three 450 R models to choose from. The spiffy-looking limited edition 50th anniversary model comes…

THE 2023 HUSQVARNA MX and cross country models have been released with a huge bunch of updates. New for 2023 is EFI on the TC125 and TC250 motocross models and the TX300 cross country model along with electric-start. The FC250, FC350 and FX350 all have new engines while the FC450 and FX450 engines have been revised. All models have new body work, new frames, new swingarms, updated WP XACT fork and shock with tool-free adjusters on the shock. The aluminium-polyamide subframe is new and there is a new Quickshift sensor on all four-strokes. The new multifunction Map Select Switch also activates the Quickshifter, Traction and Launch Control functions. The four-stroke models will be available in Australia from August while the TC and TX two-stoke models are expected in November.…

BETA HAS LIFTED the lid off its 2023 RR enduro range with a fresh look stealing plenty of attention. The entire eight-bike RR lineup of 125cc, 200cc, 250cc and 300cc two-strokes and 350cc, 390cc, 430cc and 480cc four-strokes have revised fork internals to provide a greater range of adjustability and a new radiator shroud that is slimmer. As you can see there is a new color scheme with a minimalist yet bold style. There have been a number of updates to the RR125 which has a lighter flywheel and smaller diameter crankshaft to reduce inertia and provide faster throttle response. The crank case has been redesigned and the power valve has been recalibrated. All four-stroke models now have traction control which featured on the 2022 Racing models. Traction control can be…

THE 2022 LOCAL Legends Sunraysia Safari scheduled for September 7-10 based at Wentworth in far north west Victoria will feature 1200 competitive kilometers right on the edge of Outback NSW. The four-day navigation rally sat idle for the past two years, like a lot of cool events, but, it’s back and is looking to be a belter. If you have ever wanted to try a navigational cross country rally, similar to the legends that compete in Dakar but on a far more achievable scale or you remember the glory days of the Australasian Safari, this is your chance. Making it more enticing to enter this year is the fact that Aurora Rally Equipment Australia is giving away one of their Rally Kits to a first-time moto competitor valued at more than…