Australasian Dirt Bike Magazine Issue 518

SOMETIMES THINGS JUST drop in your lap unexpectedly and at the last minute, like when you eat spaghetti bolognaise for the first time. In this particular instance it was an email from boss man Mitch who asked me to do this Editorial for him as he's stuck in the throne room driving the porcelains bus and calling for George. It seems he might have picked up a bug from somewhere or been the victim of some dodgy latenight eatery but he's having a non-stop technicolour yawn so I'm here instead. I've seen a lot of Editors come and go through the hallowed halls of ADB from the beginning right up to the present day but this is the first time I've ever been asked to step up to the crease and…

AFTER TWO CYCLES of updates this decade, Kawasaki's 2023 model KX250 continues the momentum with Kawasaki's engineers having extracted even more power and torque from the already hi-tech engine across the entire rev range. To do this there has been some changes deep down in the internals. The valves are smaller dropping from 32mm to 31mm for cylinder-head/valve-seat reliability. The revised piston crown matches the valve size and increased clearance at the valve seats delivers consistent combustion. The downdraft-style intake has also been revised with a straighter intake duct to increase the cylinder-filling efficiency, adding to peak performance. Other changes to the 2023 KX250 are a taller first gear and firmer KYB suspension settings. The rear tyre is wider than the previous model at 110/90-19, up from 100-90-19. The footpegs are…

IF THERE'S AN event that could win an award for winning people over, it has to go to the Don River Dash in North Queensland. Held in Bowen, on the edge of the world-famous Whitsundays, the Don River Dash is drawing plenty of praise, not just for its pristine location, but as a desert-style race that's fast, challenging and a whole lot of fun. The Dash drew a quality field this year with three-time Finke champion David Walsh lining up against his cousin and HMG Motorsport Group KTM teammate, Liam Walsh, along with Motul Pirelli Sherco big dog Callum Norton, Mildura flyer Brodie Waters, emerging young gun all rounder Kodi Stephens, Desert specialist Ivan Long and ADB's own war dog, Ben Grabham. The heat was on. The two-day race has riders blasting…

TEAM SIGNING ANNOUNCEMENTS keep coming as Round 1 of the World Supercross Championship kicks off this month. MDK Motorsports have Josh Grant on duty along with, Derek Drake and Justin Bogle for the SX2 Class. Last issue we hinted that Aussie Matt Moss was likely to be riding with Bud Racing Kawasaki and this has been confirmed with Mossy contending the SX2 Class alongside American Chris Blose, while French weapons Cedric Soubeyras and Gregory Aranda will race the 450cc WSX Class. CDR Yamaha Monster Energy has American Josh Hill joining Luke Clout in the WSX Class and Kyle Chisholm is racing SX2 alongside Aaron Tanti. Round one is scheduled for October 8 in Cardiff, UK before round two arrives on Aussie soil in Melbourne on October 21-22.…

AFTER TWO YEARS of cancelations due to COVID restrictions, the Local Legends Safari Cross Country Rally was back. Staged from Wentworth in the north west of Victoria, the four-day event kicked off with some familiar names in the mix. Most notably, Toby and Beau Hederics along with some old school Finke Desert Race campaigners including 2006 King of the Desert Ryan Branford, Nathan Hawkes and Jason Stewart. Despite a promising start, Day 2 and Day 3 were cancelled due to heavy rain. Competition resumed on Day 4 with a huge 230km special stage to end the event with Toby Hederics on top. RESULTS Toby Hederics - KTM Beau Hederics - KTM Nathan Hawkes - Husqvarna Ryan Branford - KTM Jason Stewart - KTM…

KING OFF HIS THRONE THREE-TIME FINKE champion David Walsh looked to be a serious threat for the Don River Dash before suffering an out-of-character crash on the sighting lap. The HSG Motorsport KTM star was unable to start the race and spent the remainder of the weekend cheering on his teammate and cousin, Liam Walsh to victory. GRASS IS NOT GREENER IT WAS A nasty ending to the ISDE for Shop Yamaha Off-Road Team rider Josh Green. Greeny had endured the arduous conditions for most of the race only to crash out on Day 5, mincing his hand. With only two weeks to recover, Green was scheduled to front the start line of the next AORC round where he held the Championship E2 class points lead. TODD WATERS SEASON ENDED TODD WATERS SUFFERED a season-ending…