Those who have been saying that Suzuki is losing ground in the off-road field can start eating their words (at least partially) because the Japanese manufacturer has launched an all-new model for 2010 – the RMX450Z. Based on the RM-Z450 competition model, the new addition is a slightly more docile four-stroke dirt bike to take both on the track and on the trails. It retains the 450cc engine and brings the benefits of electric starting and those of a headlight out where Suzuki riders would have previously struggled with the DR-Z400S. Bikes such as the Honda CRF450X, Yamaha WR450F and Kawasaki KLR450R can already start worrying.
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During a hill climbing competition, a motorcycle rider dropped his machine in the attempt to reach an even higher point on the hill and the bike started tumbling down towards the public. It unfortunately crashed into five spectators, but none of them was seriously injured.
They say “when in Rome, do as the Romans do,” but it seems that rider Chris Birch simply couldn’t conform to the habits of royalty during the Stowe House photo shoot. The fact is that it is aimed to promote Saturday’s X-Fighters event at Battersea Power Station and, to be honest, we really don’t think there could be a better way of doing that without getting arrested.
Chris Birch’s invitation to tea at the Buckingham palace was honored in probably the strangest possible way in history.
Riding your dirt bike on the sand dunes is a good choice for a first experience, but it can also turn out being a total disaster if you’re not prepared for the jumps that you plan to make in order to impress your friends. This guy not only hurts himself, but also risks the cameraman’s life when letting go of the bike with absolutely no sense of responsibility regarding the well being of those around him.
Thanks to the good reflexes of the cameraman (the guy wearing a white singlet) nobody apart from the rider was hurt.
For 2010, Husqvarna worked to deliver a new motocross range that is composed from models characterized by more engine performance and better handling, while also being more reliable and weighing less. The new Husky TC450 is the first example in that matter as it was derived from the racing machines of Husqvarna’s World Championship Teams.
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Yamaha has released a video explaining the modifications done to their quarter-liter motocrosser of latest generation, the YZ250F. The bike now features a bilateral beam frame, while the engine now benefits of new valve train, carburetor and exhaust.
Overall, the new 2010 Yamaha YZ250F is supposed to offer a new riding position, handle sharper and deliver a more power with less noise. Sounds tempting to me!
This may not be the latest commercial that Yamaha made for their dirt bike lineup, but it sure is the most inspiring seen yet. Looking at it, most riders feel like gearing up and hitting the dirt on whatever model they got and that’s precisely what I’m planning to do now.
Ronnie Renner broke his own world record established last year at the famous Santa Monica Pier, when he jumped 59’ from the ground with his KTM motorcycle during the third edition of the Red Bull Experiment.
Last Saturday in Chicago, the daredevil managed to reach 63’ 5" from the ground and his performance was certified by Guinness World Records, making the American motocross star the main attraction of the Red Bull High Rise event.
“It’s been crazy. I’m so pumped to have done it,” said Renner after his jumps. “What a killer vibe! All these people coming out to see me and they were psyched. I could hear the crowd cheering.”
Hit the jump to see the video from the amazing event.
Robbie Maddison came up with a very spectacular way to promote the upcoming Battersea Power Station round of Red Bull X-Fighters scheduled to take place on August 22 in London. The daredevil performed a no-handed backflip between the two open sections of Tower Bridge spanning the Thames in London at a speed of 40 mph.
Although the stunt took place early this morning, all the elements were on Maddison’s side and he managed to land smoothly.
Very communicative, the stuntman shared a few impressions with the press: "People say I’m crazy, but I just want to push the boundaries of my sport and my body to the limit and I love taking on these huge challenges," said Maddison. "It was an incredible feeling to fly between the two towers and over the Thames".
The photos are courtesy of Getty Images.
Hit the jump to see the actual video from the event.
Those who were wondering what more could there be changed at Yamaha motocross bikes in order to improve performance are most likely to receive their answer with a single look at this spy picture of the 2010 Yamaha YZ450F reverse-cylinder.
This Powerpoint rendering shows how the new construction method allows the bottom end of the engine to move forward in the chassis, improving weight distribution and enhancing handling. This way, the exhaust pipe has a straight path towards the silencer and doesn’t need to be taken in consideration when doing the math for the front wheel clearance and also the inlet tract can be simply redesigned to go straight from the fuel injector to the combustion chamber. It even makes us wonder why Yamaha didn’t consider this possibility for the YZ450F so far.
Yamaha is supposed to unveil the completely new dirt bike within the next months and we reckon that it will blow away the competition.
