Ron’s Wrap

We got a chance to ride the 2021 Husqvarna FE501 this week. This is the dirt-only model, not the -S, which is street-legal. This bike is still blessed by the EPA in terms of emissions and noise. In the overall Husqvarna model line, here’s…
Read More...

We now have a 2021 Honda CRF450RL dual-sport test bike, just in time for some good trail-riding weather here in Southern California. The Honda CRF450L was the biggest news in the dual-sport world two years ago when it was first introduced.…
Read More...

The 2021 Honda CRF450RX Works Edition has arrived and we have some time on it. This begs obvious comparison to the KTM Factory Edition, but the concept is quite different. In the case of the KTM, the FE is sometimes a preview of the next…
Read More...

The Honda CRF450RX bike arrived a little late after the reception to the motocross version was less than what Honda hoped. Honda's testing department came up with new mapping for both bikes, and now we have the updated CRF450RX off-road…
Read More...

Back in the late '90s, motocross looked and sounded very different.  Then, in late 1996, Yamaha made an announcement that changed everything. That was when the news came out that Yamaha would be using its one-time exemption to the…
Read More...

We have a few different dual-sport projects at various stages of completion right now, but  this 2017 KTM 350EXC by Jay Clark is absolutely wicked.  Jay is a  rep for Dunlop, PivotWorks and about a half dozen other companies, and he builds…
Read More...

We delayed our 2021 250 MX Shootout in order to get a full house. The GasGas MC250 and the Suzuki RM-Z250 had late arrivals. Some would say that the Suzuki and GasGas don't deserve to be in the comparison because they have little chance of…
Read More...

We’ve been hearing about KTM’s smartphone-based tuning app since the first of the 2021 models hit, but we haven't actually had the opportunity to try it for ourselves until now. The 2021 ½ 450SX Factory Edition is out and its most…
Read More...

Last weekend, the Dakar rally wrapped up with two Americans in the top 10. Monster Energy Honda factory rider Ricky Brabec was second overall and privateer Skyler Howes was fifth. Now that they are back in the U.S. , I got a chance to…
Read More...

This week we’ve been playing with the Husqvarna 701 Long Range. The line between adventure bike and dual-sport bike is getting very blurry. The Long Range seems to fall on the adventure side of the line, yet most of the machine is identical…
Read More...

We have an odd-couple of 300cc off-road bikes that we're testing now. One is the GasGas EC300 two-stroke and the other is the TM 300 four-stroke. Both of these were obscure European companies a few years ago, but now they are entering the…
Read More...

The year 2021 has just begun and we've already tested most of the new motocross bikes of the year. Last week, we posted the 2021 450 motocross shootout, which had seven motorcycles, including the new GasGas MC 450F. The Suzuki RM-Z450 still…
Read More...

At the beginning of 1998, Ricky Carmichael's Pro Circuit Kawasaki KX125 was fitted with his first number one plate. Until that time, AMA National MX championships had only gone to factory bikes and factory riders. Back in the late '90s, Pro…
Read More...

The full 2021 GasGas line of motocross and off-road bikes was presented to the press at Glen Helen Raceway this week. We got a chance to ride them all, and when it was through, we took the MC250F and MC450F back to the Dirt Bike shop to be…
Read More...

The 2021 KTM 350EXC dual-sport bike is in the Dirt Bike Magazine shop now, being poked and prodded. The hierarchy hasn’t changed much in the dual-sport world. KTM is still right on top, at least as far as hard-core dual-sport bikes are…
Read More...

We have had the new Kawasaki KX250X for almost two months now and I've been building it into a racebike for the National Grand Prix Championship Series. It's not very hard work. The bike is great right out of the box. Kawasaki didn't try to…
Read More...

The KTM 790 Adventure has been replaced by the KTM 890 Adventure for 2021. Don't panic; it's essentially the same bike with more of everything. KTM has been testing the new bike right under our noses for months now with Quinn Cody in the…
Read More...

The year 2020 is finally drawing to a close, and the various off road race championships that were postponed and rescheduled have, for the most part, played out. When the smoked cleared, most of the them had shortened schedules--but the…
Read More...

If you watched any of the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro motocross series, you probably think that the Yamaha YZ250F is the all-time horsepower king of the 250 class. That’s clearly true of the bikes ridden by Dylan Ferrandis, Justin Cooper and the…
Read More...

The Husqvarna TX300 two-stroke is probably the most versatile dirt bike in the world. It's had amazing success as a motocrosser, a desert bike, an EnduroCross bike and a hare-scrambles bike. Last month we got to ride one that was…
Read More...