MXA’S WEEKEND NEWS ROUND-UP: WHAT’S LEFT OF THE 2022 SEASON? NOT MUCH

• AMA DROPS THE 250 EAST/WEST POINTING OUT RULE

From this point on, no 250 Supercross riders will be forced to move to the 450 class because they have scored a prescribed number of points for four years of their 250 East/West Supercross careers. But certain riders will be moved up—find out who below.

The AMA has dropped the 250 East/West pointing out rules for the 2023 AMA Supercross season and three-race SuperMotocross playoffs. Previously a rider would point out of the 250 class, and be forced to move to the 450 class, if he earned 135 250 points in a nine-race championship or 120 250 Championship points in an eight-race season for any four seasons of 250 East/West Supercross competition.
So, does that means that every rider in the 250 class can say there forever? Yes and no. The exception are: (1) A rider that wins a 250SX Championship will be only eligible to participate in the 250 East West class for a maximum of four years total. (2) If a rider wins the 250SX Championship in their fourth or more season, that rider will be allowed to defend his title for the following season only. (3) A rider that wins a second 250SX Championship will be eligible to participate in the 250SX class for a maximum of three years only. (4) This rule is not retroactive, if a rider pointed out under the old system (think Colt Nichols and JustinCooper), they cannot returned to the 250 class (except under prescribed guidelines).

It is obvious that the AMA could avoid all of this silliness if they combined the 250 East/West series into one unified official AMA 250 Supercross Championship—just like the AMA 125/250 Nationals have been for the last 49 years.

• MXA VIDEO: A SURPRISE WINNER IN MXA’S 2023 125 TWO-STROKE SHOOTOUT

• CLASSIC MOTOCROSS PHOTOS: THE TEAM THAT BROUGHT THE LOOK BACK

Talon Vohland and Mike Brown demonstrate Mitch Payton’s game changing marketing scheme.

When Mitch Payton moved his race team up from a local SoCal Husqvarna unit (David Gerig, Jeff Jennings, Troy Lee, Steve Wiseman) to the AMA Nationals with Team Peak, Team SplitFire, Team Hot Wheels and Team Monster Energy Kawasaki, he changed the way teams were organized.

Most significantly, he ushered in the return of team clothing—with each rider dressing the same. Team clothing had been part of the sport in the 1970s, but faded away as clothing companies began offering big bucks for factory riders to buck the team orders. Mitch brought it all back.

Jeremy McGrath on the Team Peak Honda CR125 won the 1991-1992 AMA 125 West Supercross Championships.

The color coordinated 1991 Peak Honda team (from left to right) Brian Swink, mechanic Buddy Morgan, Jeromy Buehl, Steve Lamson, mechanic Skip Norfolk and Jeremy McGrath.

The Team Peak bikes matched the rider’s gear, mechanic’s clothes and so did the team truck.

Mitch even had a Team Peak Vet team. (from left to right) Four-time 250 National Champion Gary Jones, nine-time World Vet Champion Alan Olson, 1984 CMC Vet Pro Champion Jody Weisel and three-time REM Number One George Kohler. Believe it or not, for the big events Mitch gave them works bikes.

MXA VIDEO: 2023 GASGAS MC450F VIDEO TEST

• ABSOLUTELY THE LAST RACE OF 2022! GLEN HELEN’S NEW YEAR’S EVE GP  & KYL YARNELL MEMORIAL TEAM RACE ON DECEMBER 31

For more information or to sign-up go to www.glenhelen.com

• THIS WEEK IN MXA WITH JOSH MOSIMAN: LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, WE WANNA SEE THE BIKE

• MXA PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: THREE NEW MXA T-SHIRTS

MXA METALLICA LOGO T-SHIRT—$30.00
It’s time to rock on with this structured, durable and soft tee. Available in black, charcoal, agave and gold. Click Here to order

CLASSIC MXA LOGO T-SHIRT—$30.00
Pre-shrunk, Tri-blend construction (50% polyester/25% combed ring-spun cotton/25% rayon). Available in black (shown), grey and white. Click Here to order.

1971 HODAKA SUPER RAT HEAVYWEIGHT T-SHIRT—$30.00
Ring-spun cotton material with a soft and durable fit and a classic Hodaka image. Available in black, brick red (shown), charcoal and gold. Click Here to order.

• MXA PHOTO OF THE WEEK: AS THE TIME ROLLS BY

This is Val Tamietti from a Maico brochure back in 1976 when he won the CMC Number One Plate—which was the most prestigious SoCal Championship at the time. Val’s visor few off earlie rin the moto in a crash with Mike Bell.
This is Val Tamietti at Glen Helen in 2022. He is still racing 46 years later. 

• COLT NICHOLS INTERVIEW: HIS NEW YEAR, HRC HONDA & O’NEAL GEAR

• MXA TEAM TESTED: URMOSI SOFT HANDLEBAR MOUNTS

The Urmosi soft bar mounts are an elastomer-controlled set of handlebar mounts that retrofit on most standard triple clamps. They differ from other energy-absorbing bar mounts, such as the Neken SFS, Xtrig PHDS and Flexx bars, in that the Urmosi soft bar mounts don’t just work in a downward motion in line with the forks, but damp out vibrations, impacts and chatter bumps over 360 degrees of motion.

First and foremost, they are very strange looking. The handlebars are encapsulated inside two rings of rubber held in large round housings. When you push down on the bars, they float, not just downward but rearward, forward, upward and from side to side. When pressure is applied from the clutch or throttle sides, the bar ends move. Also, the Urmosi soft bar mounts raise the handlebars 1/2 inch. That may sound like a small amount, but it’s a lot to a picky rider.

We sent three “forced labor” test riders out on a GasGas MC450F with stock bar mounts and then switched to our identical Urmosi-equipped GasGas. To our surprise, each test rider came back raving about how the Urmosi soft bar mounts eliminated vibration, helped the suspension in square-edge bumps and lessened arm pump. Most riders preferred the soft yellow elastomer rings over the firmer blue rings; the yellow rings last 80 hours before they need replacing (replacement rings are $25). Bar height was an issue. The lowest available bars are stock Yamaha handlebars, but we found the stock GasGas bars to be acceptable.

On the track, test riders reported that they couldn’t feel the movement that they witnessed in the pits. Every Vet rider who rode with the Urmosi clamps loved the feel of the bars. Riders who did off-road races loved them the most. As we progressed to faster test riders, they were more sensitive to the movement and more vocal about their issues. This was not a surprise, because Vet riders can’t use Pro-level suspension settings, gearing, powerbands or setups, either. In short, the Urmosi bar mounts are for riders looking for comfort, recovering from wrist injuries, numb hands or to reduce hand fatigue—and that is a very big market.

Three quibbles: (1) Weight. It adds 11 ounces, but all energy-absorbing bars and bar mounts add weight, some more than the Urmosi. (2) There is not a large selection of low-rise handlebars available from every bar brand; you may be required to switch brands. (3) At $399 (bar mounts, crossbar pad and two densities of polymer inserts), they are expensive, but that is the same price as Flexx bars, $300 less than the Neken SFS air-damped top triple clamp, and $150 more than the XTrig PHDS bar mounts.

MXA RATING: Not for every rider, but for those looking for a plusher ride, this is the bar-mount system to go with. We were shocked by how many Vet riders raved about the Urmosi bars mounts. For more information go to www.urmosi.com.

• PASHA 150 TWO-STROKE SHOOTOUT: THERE’S FAST & THEN THERE’S FAST

• 2023 AMA NATIONAL MOTOCROSS RACE SCHEDULE 

• MXA VIDEO: 2023 KAWASAKI KX450 VIDEO TEST

• 2023 WORLD SUPERCROSS (WSX) DATES ANNOUNCED—ALL SIX OF THEM

The 2023 FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) will be six races long with events in France, Germany, Canada, Australia, England and round is Southeast Asia to be announced at a later date. It is not the blockbuster race schedule that everyone expected to compete agaisntt he 17-round AMA Supercross Championship. The WSX does not start until saftet eh AMA serie sis over, and in fact, WSX starts after four AMA outdoor Nationals have been concluded. There are two dates with the 2023 AMA Nationals: July 1 versus Red Bud and July 22 versus Washougal, but there could be conflicts between the AMA SuperMotocross Playoffs in September and October because SuperMotocross has only confirmed one date for their three-race play-offs and it it is on the same day as the Dusseeldorf, Germay WSX round.

2023 WORLD SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
July 1…Birmingham, England
July 22….Lyon-Décines, France
Sept. 30…TBD (Southeast Asia)
Oct. 14…Dusseldorf, Germany
Oct. 28…Vancouver, Canada
Nov. 24-25…Melbourne, Australia

• MXA VIDEO: WE TEST THE 2023 KTM 250SXF

• CLASSIC MXA TEST RIDER CRASHES

If you have any doubts about how powerful a KTM 250SX two-stroke is, look no further than this photo. MXA’s Dennis Stapleton is dismounting, but the 250SX is still spraying roost 10 feet into the air (most of it from the frame hitting the dirt at speed).

• MXA VIDEO: 2023 HUSQVARNA FC250 VIDEO TEST

• 2023 AMA SUPERCROSS RACE SCHEDULE

• MXA VIDEO: 2023 YAMAHA YZ450F VIDEO TEST

• MXA’S AD OF THE WEEK: A MAN APART FROM OTHERS

Back when the motocross world was still all-two-stroke all-the time, one man fought the four-stroke fight. Horst Leitner’s ATK 604 was a smashing success. It was built in a little workshop in Laguna Beach, California, and bristled with wild ideas. Note the rearward facing rear brake pedal, countershaft disc brake and anti-chain-torque chain line. Horst wasn’t just about four-strokes, his ATK 406 two-stroke had a strong following also.

• MXA VIDEO: 2023 SUZUKI RM-Z450 VIDEO TEST

• FIM WORLD MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP RACE SCHEDULE

• MXA VIDEO: 2023 KAWASAKI KX250 VIDEO TEST

• LOOKING TO THE FUTURE: THE 2023 RACE SCHEDULES

2023 AMA SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Jan. 7…Anaheim, CA
Jan. 14…Oakland, CA
Jan. 21…San Diego, CA
Jan. 28…Anaheim, CA
Feb. 4…Houston, TX
Feb. 11…Tampa, FL
Feb. 25…Arlington, TX
Mar. 4…Daytona Beach, FL
Mar. 11…Indianapolis, IN, MI
Mar. 18…Detroit, MI
Mar. 25…Seattle, WA
Apr. 8…Glendale AZ
Apr. 15…Atlanta, GA
Apr. 22…East Rutherford, NJ
Apr. 29…Nashville, TN
May 6…Denver, CO
May 13…Salt Lake City, UT

2023 SUPERMOTOCROSS PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Sept. 9…TBA
Date TBA…TBA
Oct. 14: Los Angeles, CA

2023 AMA ARENACROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Nov. 18, 2022…Albany, GA
Nov. 25, 2022…Albany, NY
Jan. 6…Loveland, CO
Jan.13…Prescott, AZ
Jan. 20…Guthrie, OK
Jan. 27….Guthrie, OK
Feb. 3…Reno, NV
Feb. 10…Denver, CO
Feb. 24…Hobbs, NM
Mar. 3…Amarillo, TX
Mar. 10…Tulsa, OK
Mar. 17…Salem, VA
Mar. 24…Little Rock, AR
Mar. 31…Lexington, KY

2023 2023 FIM WORLD MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Mar. 12…Argentina
Mar. 26…TBA
Apr. 10…TBA
Apr. 16…Italy
Apr. 30…Portugal
May 7…Spain
May 21…France
Jun. 4…Latvia
Jun. 11…Germany
Jun. 25…Indonesia
July 2…Indonesia
July 16…Czech Rep.
July 23…Belgium
Aug. 6…Finland
Aug. 13…Sweden
Aug. 20…Holland
Sept. 3…Turkey
Sept. 17…Vietnam
Oct. 1…TBA
Oct. 15…England

2023 AMA NATIONAL MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
May 27…Pala, CA
June 3…Hangtown, CA
June 10…Thunder Valley, CO
June 17…Mt. Morris, PA
July 1…Red Bud, MI
July 8…Southwick, MA
July 15…Millville, MN
July 22…Washougal, WA
Aug. 11…Unadilla, NY
Aug. 19…Budds Creek, MD
Aug. 26…Crawfordsville, IN

2023 WORLD SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
July 1…Birmingham, England
July 22….Lyon-Décines, France
Sept. 30…TBD (Southeast Asia)
Oct. 14…Dusseldorf, Germany
Oct. 28…Vancouver, Canada
Nov. 24-25…Melbourne, Australia

2023 “SATURDAY AT THE GLEN” SCHEDULE
Jan. 14…Winter Series #1 (Saturday track)
Jan.. 28…Winter Series #2 (National track)
Feb. 3…Winter Series #3 (Saturday track)
Feb. 11…Winter Series #4 (Saturday track)
Feb. 25…Winter Series #5 (National track)
Mar. 11…Spring Series #1 (Saturday track)
Mar. 25…Spring Series #2 (Saturday track)
Apr. 15…Spring Series #3 (Saturday track)
Apr. 22…Spring Series #4 (Saturday track)
May 13…Spring Series #5 (National track)
June 1…Summer Series #1 (Saturday track)
June 17…Summer Series #2 (Saturday track)
June 24…Summer Series #3 (Saturday track)
July 15…Summer Series #4 (Saturday track)
July 29….Summer Series #5 (National track)
Aug.19…Fall Series #1 (Saturday track)
Aug. 26…Fall Series #2 (Saturday track)
Sept. 16…Fall Series #3 (Saturday track)
Sept. 23…Fall Series #4 (Saturday track)
Sept. 30…Fall Series #5 (National track)
Oct. 24…Winter Series #1 (Saturday track)
Oct. 28…Winter Series #2 (National track)
Nov.3-5…World Vet Championship (National track)
Nov. 19..Winter Series #3 (Saturday track)
Dec. 2…Winter Series #4 (Saturday track)
Dec. 9…Winter Series #5 (National track)

2023 VET MOTOCROSS DES NATIONS
Aug. 24-28…Foxhill, GB

2023 MOTOCROSS DES NATIONS
Oct. 22…Ernee, France

2023 WORLD VET MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Nov. 3-5…Glen Helen, CA

2023 RED BULL DAY IN THE DIRT
Nov. 24-26…Glen Helen, CA

• BONES BACON’S AMAZING LOVE FOR THE HONDA TRAIL 90, TRAIL 110 AND ALL-NEW TRAIL 125

• 2023 SOBOBA TRAIL RIDE WILL BE ON FEBRUARY 26, 2023

For more info go to www.sobobarides.biz/home

• HOW SMART DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO SUBSCRIBE TO MXA? YOU SUBSCRIBE AND GET A $25 ROCKY MOUNTAIN GIFT CREDIT—SEEMS SIMPLE

You can’t afford not to subscribe, because when you order a subscription, Rocky Mountain ATV/MC sends you a $25 gift credit to use on anything you want from their massive selection. Plus, subscribers to MXA can also choose to get the digital mag on their iPhone, iPad, Kindle or Android by going to the Apple Store, Amazon or Google Play or in a digital version. Even better, you can subscribe to Motocross Action and get the awesome print edition delivered to your house by a uniformed employee of the U.S. Government. Do we have to mention the $25 Rocky Mountain ATV/MC gift card again? You can’t lose on this deal? Call (800) 767-0345 or Click Here

MXA VIDEO: 2023 KTM 300SX FUEL-INJECTED TWO-STROKE VIDEO TEST

• MXA YOUTUBE CHANNEL | HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON

The MXA wrecking crew is everything moto related. Check out our MXA YouTube channel for bike reviews, Supercross coverage, rider interviews and much more. And don’t forget to hit that subscribe button.

• MXA VIDEO: 2023 SUZUKI RM-Z250 VIDEO TEST

• TALK MOTO WITH ON MXA’S FACEBOOK GROUP CHAT

MXA’S WEEKEND NEWS ROUND-UP: WHAT’S LEFT OF THE 2022 SEASON? NOT MUCH Motocross Action Magazine.