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The battle lines have been drawn and the middle ground is pockmarked with craters and mines. Two-strokes and four-strokes have become as divisive as politics and religion. Where you are depends half on how you ride and half on how you think. There is one topic that crosses boundaries, though. The Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke is […]
Perception and reality have a love/hate relationship where the Yamaha YZ450F is concerned. Everyone claims to know that pro racing results aren’t the best criteria for picking your next motorcycle. But, pundits, posters and influencers take their toll. If you follow racing news and social media, you would think that the 2020 Yamaha YZ450F was […]
If any bike should be put into a time capsule to represent this period in motocross evolution, it’s the 2022 KTM 450SX-F. It is, quite simply, state of the art right now. That’s why it’s no big deal that the 2022 model year presents a temporary ceasefire in the ongoing development cycle in the world […]
We had the luxury to grab a quick flight to Idaho and spend some time with Rodney Smith testing some freshly uncrated 2022 Beta machines. High on our list was the brand-new 500RR-S dual-sport machine. This machine has been at the top of the food chain in the dual-sport world, mainly due to superb power, […]
When most manufacturers are playing it safe by not making many changes to their motocross models, Honda has now for the second year introduced an all-new machine to the market. The 2022 Honda CRF250R follows in the footsteps of the 2021 CRF450R platform introduced last year and shares many of the same chassis components. The […]
In a world where current dirt bikes are at a premium, even used machines are commanding top dollar. For the rider trying to get into the sport or the enthusiast searching for an affordable riding outlet, the pit bike market has met the need with reasonably priced options. There are hundreds of brands coming out […]
The debut of the 2021 Honda CRF450R should have been a brilliant moment for Honda to bask in the glory of all the engineering know-how and investment that went into the development of a brand-new bike, but that’s not what happened. Final testing was cut short, and the CRF450R arrived unfinished. The important pieces were […]
Husqvarna has released the 2022 1/2 Rockstar Editions. This year a 250 joins the 450 that we generally see in advance of the U.S. Supercross season, and both models are completely new. They are, presumably, advance looks at the full-production 2023 models. Here’s the official Husqvarna press release: Husqvarna Motorcycles introduces the 2022 FC 250 […]
KTM has just announced its adventure bikes for 2022. Included in the line are two new versions of the 1290; the 1290 Super Adventure R and the 1290 Super Adventure S. The R model looks to have serious dirt capability and comes with aggressive Bridgestone tires and reworked XPLOR suspension components. The following press release […]
There is no doubt that the two-stroke is riding a wave of popularity inspired by a rise in off-road passion, new technology and the status of extreme or hard enduro racing. There are several players here, notably the Austrian TPI machines—KTM, Husqvarna, GasGas—Sherco, TM and Beta. We didn’t get a chance to test too many […]
Some bikes can be understood most easily by process of elimination. You gotta understand what they aren’t before you understand what they are. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help in the case of the Husqvarna TE150i. Defining what it can’t do is hard. It’s perfect for youth as well as vets and seniors. It’s a natural entry-level […]
In the U.S., the motorcycles we call off-road vehicles fall into several broad categories. Some are officially recognized as OHVs by the federal government, and those are generally regulated for noise and emission. Others are what we call “closed-course competition bikes.” Those are imported under the same rules as motocross bikes. Here, we have gathered […]
At the 2019 EICMA Motorcycle show in Milan Italy, Husqvarna revealed a concept bike called the Norden. At the time, it was just an idea, by no means a serious prototype. The whole notion of a Husqvarna adventure bike was just thrown in front of the public to gauge reaction. The public loved it. Feedback […]
The Royal Enfield Himalayan has all the makings of a cult classic. This is a motorcycle that has a rich heritage, an accessible price and fantastic utility. Royal Enfield, in case you haven’t studied your motorcycle history recently, has a legitimate claim as the world’s oldest motorcycle manufacturer. The company has been making motorcycles since […]
Last year was brutal. The 2021 250 MX shootout was the toughest comparison in the 51-year history of [Dirt Bike Magazine]. The 250 class, or MX2 or Lites, whatever you prefer, had evolved to near parity in performance. Choosing a winner was more about who we asked and where we rode than anything else. Stopwatches […]
Success often knocks on the back door. That’s how the Kawasaki KX450 arrived. While Honda, KTM and Yamaha have taken turns bashing the front door down with one 60-horsepower battering ram after another, Kawasaki has quietly taken a more conservative route. The KX450 has never been the fastest bike in the class. It has never […]
Most of the new 2022 motocross bikes are now in dealers and readily available. The supply line still isn’t back to normal, but almost anything will be better than 2021. GasGas, Beta, Honda, Kawasaki, Husqvarna, KTM, Suzuki, TM, Yamaha and Cobra have all announced their new models and the assembly lines are pumping out both […]
The GasGas MC250F might roll out of the same factory that produces KTM and Husqvarna, but it has some significant differences that makes it the right choice for some riders. The most important of those is the price. The MC250F sells for $8699, which is $700 less than the KTM 250SX-F and $800 less than […]
The Husqvarna TE150i is one bike that can give competition to the 300 two-stroke as the go-to choice for the off-road purist. Most riders think of any 144cc two-stroke as a youth model for transitioning to the big bike world, but the TE150i is much more than that. It’s a legitimate destination in itself. Clearly, […]
We make a Honda Dual-Sport CRF450L with greater off-road capabilities with IMS