THE WEEKLY FEED: NEW GASGAS DUAL SPORT/ADV MACHINES • VIDEO MADNESS: JOSH TOTH HITS DEER

BLAST FROM THE PAST

My friend Mark Kiel got this shot of Dan Dawson jumping the river crossing at the Viewfinders GP at Indian Dunes. I met Dan on a ride around 2010, found out I was his neighbor when I moved into his area and he turned out to be one of the toughest men I had ever been around. He was a stellar rider, loved everything nasty and was a true trail boss. Dan also became one of my best friends, as a riding partner but more importantly as someone who always had my back. Sadly, we lost Dan a handful of years ago, but there isn’t a day I don’t think about him.

NEW!

GET ON THE GAS WITH THE NEW GASGAS SM 700 AND ES 700!

GasGas ES 700 dual-sport, adventure, play and commuter bike that is perfect for mountain trail, dual-track or city streets. The GasGas ES 700 weighs 324 pounds, which is 1.7 pounds lighter than the SM 700. All the power from the single-cylinder, 74hp, 692.7cc motor is delivered through a super-cool ride-by-wire throttle system, which guarantees a crisp throttle response and gives a highly accurate delivery of the engine’s linear power.

It uses a die-cast aluminum swingarm that offers focused flex to transfer the power to the ground, while a 13.5 liter fuel tank integrated into the polyamide subframe keeps the center of gravity as low as possible. For total control and stability when drifting into the corners, the latest Bosch ABS systems and a PASC slipper clutch balances the bike perfectly for precise turning. State-of-the-art electronics always ensure precise throttle response with power on tap, while smooth shifting up and down the six-speed gearbox is assured thanks to the integrated quickshifter.

• single-cylinder, 74hp, 692.7cc motor

• ride-by-wire throttle system

• ABS system, and Brembo brakes

• WP Suspension

SOCIAL DISTRACTION

VIDEO JUKEBOX

Josh Toth gets taken out by a deer in US Sprint Enduro!

DIRT BIKE MAGAZINE- BACK IN THE DAY

Steve Schmitz was an incredible test rider for Dirt Bike. His antics and abilities were insane, here he’s tossing a 1986 Honda XR250 around for the Wolf’s Nikon.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Check out Factory Husqvarna’s Billy Bolt’s rear tire on the final day at the Minus 400 Hard Enduro. He finished second overall on a total Yule Brynner (bald) rear tire!

NO EXCUSES!

When we were picking photos for our Nevada 200 coverage in the mag we ran across these incredible shots. A call to Scot Harden asking if he knew the rider who participated with the mechanical right arm, throttle on the left Husky and he answered immediately. This is from Scot- ” This is a very old friend of mine from Las Vegas, John Van Hoove or “JR” for “Junior”. I’ve known John since we were kids. He lost his arm while working for his father’s commercial laundromat as a teenager. A sheet started to pop out of the end of a dryer and he tried to quickly shove it back in while the machine was spinning and his hand got wrapped up in it. It twisted his arm off. He had the presence of mind to turn off the machine once he got separated and pull his arm out then called 911 and waited for the ambulance to show up. Crazy story. He’s been racing and riding since he was a kid. He’s got some pretty funny stories about his arm coming off while racing. I’m sure he will be pumped to see his picture in DB.”

WOLF: BACK IN THE DAY

Nevada Rally, 1994. I was racing a full works Honda XR628 and the machine was magnificent. The Nevada Rally was way out of my comfort zone, with high speed special tests (top gear matted forever) some of them hundreds of miles in length. You were not allowed outside assistance while racing and on day one I flatted three times. I fixed them twice and then was out of tubes. I rode it flat for almost fifty miles before the tire’s bead broke and it wrapped around the rear fender loop. I ate the big one as the bike locked up and shot me lips first into the Nevada desert. I ended up cutting off the rest of the tire and rode in the last 30-miles on the rim. Yea haw!