Off-Road Motorcycles

Triumph released a new video offering a sneak peak at the engine for its upcoming new motocross bike, with appearances from brand ambassador Ricky Carmichael, engineers and Triumph Racing managers, plus the SuperMotocross team of Bobby Hewitt, Dave Arnold, Ivan Tedesco, Stephen "Scuba" Westfall, and Vincent Bereni from Triumph's MX2 team.

KTM has updated its enduro range for 2024, including both two-stroke and four-stroke models and the U.S. street legal 350 EXC-F and 500 EXC-F. The entire lineup has been revamped, with KTM claiming 95% of the components are new, including the frame, suspension, and bodywork.

Heading into EICMA, we were expecting Bimota to announce a new motorcycle based off an existing Kawasaki model. After all, that has been the pattern since Kawasaki acquired a stake in the Italian brand in 2019. Last year, we saw the debut of the Ninja 1000SX-based Bimota KB4 and KB4RC in Milan, and so this year, we expected another new mode.

The universal truth about children is that you feed them, and they grow. So, after an extended time with the Honda CRF125F, my daughter started to look like a giant on the bike and needed to move up. A year prior, she’d tried the Kawasaki KLX140R L and found it intimidating because she couldn’t easily touch the ground when astride it. Well, adolescence took care of that issue, and along with growing, she expanded her riding skills, making her first reaction to throwing a leg over the KLX one of “Wow, it fits!” before heading off to ride in our favorite desert OHV area. 

I was all Pavlov dogging when I read that the KX450SR “features elite-level racing components, special tuning and design elements inspired by the Monster Energy Kawasaki race team,” only to suffer slight cotton mouth when I learned that consists of nothing more than new SHOWA suspension components front and rear. I mean, obviously great suspension is critical to motorcycles that leap 40 feet into the air, but I felt like I was led to believe there’d be more. In fact, the rest of the 2022 package was already so blinged out, there wasn’t much more Kawasaki could add. It’s even got push-button starting.

GasGas is preparing to launch a new model called the RX 450F Replica that we believe will be based on the machine Sam Sunderland rode to victory in the 2022 Dakar Rally.

Hydration packs for motorsports have come of age. In the not-too-recent-past, our options were largely repurposed daypacks built for hikers. Now, we have packs designed for many active sports, and the motorsports field has been gifted with varieties of packs designed for differing motorcycle activities. To that end, I have spent the better part of the last six months researching and acquiring three different hydration systems. For the street, based upon Ryan’s recommendation, I bought a Kriega R15. Because I can’t carry a hydration backpack when I already have camera gear strapped to my back, I strap a Hydrapak Hydrasleeve onto my camera bag, and while not an ideal solution, it sure beats not having water on hot summer shoots. For my off-road excursions with my daughter, I have come to depend on the USWE Raw 8 Hydration Backpack, and quite frankly, it is my favorite of the three. If I could, I would use it for all my motorcycling hydration needs. 

Motorcycling and eye protection go hand in hand. Heck, even most states without helmet laws require eye protection. When riding off-road, good goggles are an absolute necessity. Everything from bugs and sticks, to roost and rocks are coming toward you at warp speed just hoping to put your eye out. Sure, goggles are first and foremost about protecting your eyes, but as technology has advanced, so have the features of modern day off-road motorcycle goggles. There are now options such as: the best tint for the terrain or time of day you’ll be riding, dozens of anti-fogging solutions, and flashy colors with equally flashy reflective lenses.

The 2021 Kawasaki KX250X is essentially the same motorcycle as the ‘21 KX250(F) with a few necessary changes to convert the motocrosser to an off-road racing machine. That’s not a bad thing by any means, particularly because the KX250F just received a major overhaul this year. Since this “new” model marks Kawasaki’s focus on off-road racing – a genre it has had major success in in the past – we couldn’t wait to get our hands on this latest model. 

Ahhhh the good old days. Ten years ago, all we had to deal with was the aftermath of the Great Recession and the Swine Flu pandemic, which the CDC estimates killed 12,469 of us. How quaint. More importantly, Yamaha turned heads, by turning the head around 180 degrees on its big YZ motocrosser – moving its intake to the front and the exhaust ports to the rear. Radical! Perhaps a little too radical, as Yamaha’s last AMA Supercross championships came in 2008 and 2009, under Chad Reed and James “Bubba” Stewart. Is there a lesson, brethren? None that I can see, except ask your doctor if you’re healthy enough to ride open-class MXers, and always wear a clean air filter just in case. A pretty fun read from the Book of Fonzie. Amen.

As motorcycles become more reliable and maintenance intervals get more spread out, one consumable remains on a fairly frequent interval for motorcycles. Tires have made tremendous advances in the last decade, but they are still the most frequent maintenance items for motorcyclists. With the rates for mounting and balancing tires going through the roof (My local shop charges $60 for a pair of tires with the wheels off the bike.), buying a tire changer makes a lot of sense. I’d been eyeing No-Mar Tire Changers for quite a while before pulling the trigger and installing one in my garage. In less than a month and after changing a dozen tires, we’d have already spent about 35% of the cost of the No-Mar Classic HD Motorcycle Tire Changer at our local motorcycle shop, but what’s most important is how convenient it is having a tire changer in my garage available when I need it. I no longer have to load my wheels into my truck, drive to my local shop, wait an hour (or more) for them to be ready, and finally take them home to reinstall on my bike. 

I must preface this review with the disclaimer that this is the first Beta I’ve ever ridden. I’ve had the opportunity to spend time on various other two strokes in this genre, but the 2021 Beta 300 RR is the first from the Italian brand that I’ve had a chance to get out and ride. So don’t expect a thorough year-to-year comparison. I just can’t do it, captain!  

Kawasaki revealed an all-new KX250, an updated KX450, plus two new XC cross country versions of the motocross racers for the 2021 model year.

Remember back in the good ol’ days of 2019 when we were gathering en masse, kissin’ hands and shakin’ babies? I do. Well, way back in September of last year MO had the opportunity to test three new Kawasaki motorcycles: the street-legal KLX230, and the off-road only KLX230R and KLX300R. Shortly after, as is usually the case, my reviews went live on Motorcycle.com to tell you all about the KLX230 and KLX230R. Why wasn’t the KLX300R included? Because I was only able to spend a third of one day riding it and honestly, I believed it deserved a more thorough test because it really is a compelling motorcycle for what I think could be a large audience, and at the low price of $5,499, it becomes even moreso.

Since whenneth does MO do dirtbike shootouts? Heck, we barely review dirtbikes at all. Not sure who the “Staff” is that wrote this, but whoever it was must have been involved in some kind of ploy to borrow a bunch of new 250s for as long as possible, in the name of science; that the great photographer and Dirt Rider alumnus Mark Kariya shot the photos offers a clue. Those were the days my friend, when you mixed the oil in your gas, had no valves to adjust, and rode like the wind.

The first pair of off-road boots I bought when I started riding dirtbikes were some entry-level Alpinestars Tech 3s. The low price and the relative flexibility compared to others on the market made them a great choice for a newbie. I remember how little I could feel in those when I started using them and how foreign the experience felt to me entirely.

Recently, while practicing my government-mandated social distancing in the middle of nowhere on dirtbikes, I noticed a friend of mine had a new 6D ATR-2, 6D’s latest dirtbike lid. I asked him what he thought of it, “Well, I haven’t worn it too much yet, but I thought I’d get the safest lid I could.” It would seem, for those in the know, that 6D has made a name for itself – within a relatively short time, with the company being founded in 2011 – with it’s Omni-Directional Suspension (ODS) technology making for a “safer” helmet. In what is becoming a sea of great offerings, 6D helmets started a revolution in terms of solutions to injuries from rotational impacts with its original ATR-1 off-road helmet. 

In the neither fish nor fowl department at SEMA this week, Segway has announced the Dirt eBike X160 and X260, which the company lists as a hybrid between a dirt and mountain bike. However, the inclusion of pegs instead of pedals places it exclusively in the lightweight dirt bike market, in our MOpinion. Segway appears to be gunning for more: “Its standard customizable design allows for most motorcycle-level modifications and meets all requirements necessary to be considered a performance electric dirt bike.“ In other press materials, Segway states that it is clearly looking towards entry-level riders.

Similar to the street-legal KLX230 we covered last week, the 2020 Kawasaki KLX230R is designed purely for the trails. Changes are minimal between the R and it’s dual-sport sibling, though they make all the difference when riding off-road. We’re happy to see Kawasaki starting to bolster its off-road lineup with models like the new KLX230R and the KLX300R (keep an eye out for that review on the horizon as well) and hope to see the trend continue to bridge the gap between these recreational models and Kawasaki’s closed-course counterparts.

Husqvarna has entered the electric motorcycle market, launching the new EE 5 electric dirt bike as a 2020 model. The 2020 Husqvarna EE 5 is designed for young riders, with an all-new electric powertrain that claims an equivalent performance level to a 50cc gasoline-powered dirt bike.

Kawasaki introduced a new 292cc off-road bike, offering an option between its smaller trail bikes and its full race-ready KX models. The 2020 Kawasaki KLX300R brings back a model name that was last used in 2006, but with much needed modern updates.

Just once I’d like to hear a manufacturer come out and say, well, this new one’s a little slower and heavier than the existing model. That never happens. The thoroughly redesigned KX250, Kawi says, is the MOST POWERFUL KX250 TO DATE, in 23-point type! Now it’s packing an even more oversquare and revvier engine with World Superbike-derived finger-type cam followers, housed in a new and improved aluminum frame, suspended by the latest in KYB suspension components. It’s all topped off with Kawi’s excellent Ergo-Fit system of adjustable footpegs and handlebar position, and embellished with fresh new plastic. How much would you expect to pay? $7,799.

After overhauling the YZ250F last year, Yamaha turned its sights to the YZ450F for 2020, giving the 450-class motocross racer a redesigned engine and a revised frame. The YZ450F did receive a small update a year ago, but the last major revisions came back in 2016, so it was due for some attention.

In 2015, after Euro brands had been long dominating enduro and GNCC-type racing, Yamaha stepped into the game with a serious contender, a closed-course off-road competition model to do battle with the Austrians and others from tree to tree around an enduro course. The Yamaha YZ250FX is heavily based on the YZ250F motocross bike, but has been outfitted with essential off-road racing components, some of which would be costly to impossible to build out yourself. For 2019, the field is becoming more crowded with Honda’s new CRF250RX and KTM’s 250 XC-F. How does the Yamaha stack up to an increasingly competitive class? We made our way to the California desert to find out.

Not all that long ago, if you wanted an off-road competition bike, you were stuck converting a motocrosser for off-road duty. More recently, if you were looking for a high-performance trail bike, you could either build out an “X” model, or start with a motocrosser and deal with the shortcomings of each where they may fall. My first real dirtbike, aside from the clapped out vintage machines my friends and I would tinker on in our youth, was a KX250F converted for trail duty. It was a great dirtbike to learn on and grow with out in the desert, but it had a fairly substantial list of modifications to get it to that point. With the Honda CRF250RX, the market for GNCC racer-types and avid trail riders alike receives a new performance-based model for 2019.

What if there was one rally each year that you could go to? What would it be? If you’re an Overlander – a vehicle or moto-based outdoor explorer with the self-contained means to go practically anywhere – the ideal rally will have all your favorite gear vendors and manufacturers, beautiful, scenic camping areas, social events, seminars, films and vehicle demos, classes, tailored one-on-one instruction and a skills challenge with prizes. Does that exist?

By Dominic Cimino

For a number of years now, if you wanted a dual-sport bike with true off-road performance, a dirt bike with turn signals if you will, there was one option and it was orange. KTM’s EXC-F lineup of plated dirt bikes show little compromise to their off-road prowess in order to maintain 50-state-legal status in the U.S. to be used on public roads. EXC-F models can be had in 250, 350, 450 Six Days Edition, and 500. Since more is more here at MO, we snagged the big boy out of KTM North America’s press fleet to see what’s been up with the big orange dual-sport from Mattighofen.

It’s on rainy, cold nights like this one that I’m glad I have a garage. Looking at your motorcycle parked outside as it’s pelted with rain, sleet, hail, mud and other unpleasantness can make you weep with impotent rage. Cover it? Motorcycle covers are a hassle to put on and remove. First, you have to wait until the bike cools to avoid melting the cover to the exhaust. Plus, they can blow off your bike, get shredded and messy-looking, and trap moisture underneath, which can cause rust and mold. Nasty!

Since my conversion five years ago to dual-sport from pure dirt bikes, with the purchase of my 2013 KTM EXC 500, the question of tires has been an ongoing experiment. My tire requirement list covers a wide range of needs. My favorite riding spot is about 25 miles from the garage including a quick freeway trip, a country road, then a winding paved climb where I practice my supermoto skills. From there, the dirt is your typical California mountain fare: super loose silt, baby-head sized rocks, roots and everything in between. The goal has always been to find a tire that can endure the pavement abuse, corner like a street bike and then inspire that rare confidence in the dirt – hooking up like we actually have had some moisture in the last six months – while lasting a good long while.

Lo and behold, and thank frickin’ God, the 2019 Honda CRF450L is finally here. Every so often, a new motorcycle will come out, and it’ll shake things up and get people thinking. Perhaps it’ll make them see motorcycles in a different light, change their minds about them, or even convince them that, maybe owning a motorcycle could be awesome… Ain’t that just the craziest idea?

Upcoming Weekly Motorcycle Racing and Events Viewing Guide: August 24 – 31

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things. They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Helmets are a lot like shoes, and like a good pair of shoes, the right helmet can be incredibly versatile and can complement a variety of different outfits, or gear sets in this case, for an assortment of various riding disciplines. The Shoei VFX-Evo has been my number one go-to off-road helmet since the day I got it back in January, and I’ve been reaching for it almost exclusively anytime any sort of dirt riding is on the menu.

Upcoming Weekly Motorcycle Racing and Events Viewing Guide: August 17 – 24

Upcoming Weekly Motorcycle Racing and Events Viewing Guide: August 3 – 10

Upcoming Weekly Motorcycle Racing and Events: July 13-20

You know the age-old saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?” Well, that pretty much sums up the 2019 YZ450F because Yamaha’s big dog motocrosser was all new and completely revised for 2018. Last year’s model was a favorite amongst many riders of different levels and abilities – including yours truly – for various reasons, and the 2019 brings back all of the 2018’s strengths. However, Yamaha’s testers and engineers polished a couple areas and made a few tweaks this year that may sound trivial on paper but provide significant improvements in the actual riding experience.

Upcoming Weekly Motorcycle Racing and Events: July 6-13

Upcoming Weekly Motorcycle Racing and Events: June 29 – July 6

Upcoming Weekly Motorcycle Racing and Events: June 22 – 29

Sometimes manufacturers like to put most of their eggs in one basket. For example: Kawasaki has an awesome motocross model lineup, but there are no real comparable 250 or 450 cross-country or trail bike models to select from. Husqvarna (and KTM for that matter) is different because the company builds bikes for not only the avid motocrosser, but for the hardcore off-roader, too. And like the Husqvarna MX bikes, the cross-country bikes share all the same high-end componentry, though they’re tuned a little differently.

This past 2018 Monster Energy Supercross season, Husqvarna took home both the 450 and 250 East Regional Championship Titles, as well as the 2017 250 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. Clearly, Husqvarna is onto something and is building some of the fastest and best handling dirtbikes money can buy. So, how do you take already great performing machines and make them even better?

Upcoming Weekly Motorcycle Racing and Events: June 15 – 22

With all-new model announcements and major revisions and upgrades to already great machines from various manufacturers so far, the 2019 new off-road model season has yet to disappoint, and has delivered good news to pique just about any rider’s interests. The latest manufacturer to pull the veils off of what they’ve been cooking up is Kawasaki, and their biggest news comes in the form of an all-new, completely-redesigned 2019 KX450.

Upcoming Weekly Motorcycle Racing and Events: June 8 – 15

The 2019 off-road new model bike season is in full swing, and Yamaha is the latest manufacturer to announce its full lineup of motocross and cross-country motorcycles. Over the past couple of seasons, Yamaha has made big steps in expanding its model range with the introduction of the FX models in both 250 and 450cc configurations. Additionally, it’s the only Japanese manufacturer to continue producing full-size two-strokes, including the YZ125 and YZ250 motocrossers, as well as the recently introduced cross-country oriented YZ250X.

Honda just stepped its game up big time for 2019, with the release of the ‘CRF Collective.’ There are three all-new models to look forward to including a CRF250RX, a CRF450RWE (Works Edition), and get this, a long-awaited and only dreamed of before, CRF450L dual-sport. (!!!) If that wasn’t exciting enough on its own, Honda just about completely redesigned its ‘King of the Trail’, top dog, Baja-dominating CRF450X. The rest of the CRF lineup got the full treatment as well, with significant upgrades and improvements to the CRF450R, CRF450RX, CRF250R and CRF150R models.

With Monster Energy Supercross having wrapped up two weeks ago, the Outdoor motocross season is upon us, and it all starts this weekend at Hangtown in Rancho Cordova, just outside Sacramento, California. There’s a lot to look forward to this summer. Can Eli Tomac defend his title? Or will Jason Anderson come out swinging fresh off his Supercross Championship? There’s also Ken Roczen to consider, how will he fare coming back from injury?

Hands down, Husqvarna has the most complete line of off-road bikes of any manufacturer. Whether you’re a track, trail or dual-sport rider, Husqvarna has a bike tailor-made to your needs. The company has already pulled the veils off its 2019 minibikes for the up-and-coming youngsters, and now they’ve just announced their 2019 big-boy lineup. Ranging from the 125cc TX 125 and the all-new 150cc TE 150 two-strokes, all the way up to the 511cc FE 501 thumper – these new Huskies are the most technologically advanced enduros and dual-sports on the market. To top it all off, Husqvarna just won both the 450 and 250 East 2018 Monster Energy Supercross Championships. Needless to say, Husqvarna knows how to build a darn good motorcycle.

There comes a point in every motorcyclist’s life when they reach a certain level and realize that tires aren’t all created equal. I’ve owned and ridden on just about every major manufacturer’s off-road offerings, but I never really gave too much thought to tire selection beyond condition type and price point. I always figured, if the knobbies still had a decent edge, I was getting about as much traction as I could get. I just chalked the faster guys up to being better, more skilled riders – which is true of course – but I didn’t realize how much of a difference a particular tire could make until one of my riding buddies, an ex-Factory Honda rider from the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, told me to check out the Dunlop Geomax MX3S.

I think we can all agree, motorcycles are one of the coolest things ever invented. If you don’t ride in any way, shape or form, you’re missing out. Seriously. They provide you the closest sensation to what it’d feel like if we could fly, without ever leaving the ground. On top of that, they bring like-minded people together. If you’re able, or have ever been interested, do yourself a favor, and give it a shot. That’s exactly what hundreds of girls did this past weekend at Babes in the Dirt, a girls-only off-road campout here in Southern California.

Kawasaki has been spotted testing a new KX450F race bike in Japan, suggesting big changes are on the way for 2019. The updates include new bodywork, electric start and, most notably, a brand new engine.

Electric motorcycle maker Alta Motors is set to double its model lineup with the addition of R-spec versions of its Redshift MX motocrosser, Redshift EX enduro bike and Redshift SM supermoto.

Klim has long been known in the adventure and snow segments as premium technical riding gear, and it has been the choice of moto-adventurers the world over. For 2018 it’s great to see Klim continuing to advance the functionality and technicality of its garments. Klim’s flagship model, the Badlands jacket and pant, has now been revised and revamped with even more real-world usability, upgraded armor developed with D3O, and higher-strength materials. Also, new going into 2018 is the women’s Artemis jacket which has been purpose-built with women in mind.

Dearly Beloved, after all the new-bike excitement, it seems like a good time to wander in the desert for 40 days 20 years ago. My XR400R is no longer with us, mostly because it was harder to start than an underwater fire, but that doesn’t mean it was a bad motorcycle. Hate the sin, not the sinner. And remember to keep properly grounded thy kill switch. Anyway, let us journey back to the very beginnings of the modern four-stroke dirtbike era, just before Yamaha begat the first YZ400F.

Honda steps up with an all-new, 249.5cc, DOHC engine and a chassis that mimics the superb-handling CRF450R. Does the 2018 CRF250R have the goods to become the 250cc motocross class champion?

Motorcycle related video games are few and far-between, which is why MO tries to let its readers know whenever we see a new release on the horizon. So start exercising those thumbs and be sure to stock up on plenty of Mountain Dew because the good folks at THQ Nordic and Rainbow Studios are finalizing their newest game from the MX vs. ATV series that will be ready for release in early 2018. The game will be available for your PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC’s.

Here’s our weekly guide to the upcoming motorcycle events and rides that are happening within the next thirty days.

Honda’s 2017 CRF250R has been a perennial contender that has come up just shy of its peers when in the engine performance and suspension departments. With an all-new, electric-start, DOHC engine and a chassis layout that mimics the 2018 CRF450R, the 2018 CRF250R is poised to make a serious run at 250cc motocross class honors.