Swapmoto Live Podcast

Presented by 6D Helmets The Montreal Supercross went down in the Great White North last weekend and SML was on hand to capture all of the action. Justin Brayton finished third overall aboard his Penrite Honda CRF450R and had some of the most intense battles through the evening. JB10 joined us on this morning's Kickstart Podcast, presented by 6D Helmets.

Presented by Fly Racing Have you kept track of all that's happened to Joey Savatgy over the last twelve months? Things like his advancement to the 450 class via a ride with Monster Energy Kawasaki, the pack-leading performance at the Monster Energy Cup, a handful of top-seven finishes in Supercross, some mechanical woes outdoors, and an eventual departure from the factory team were the easy things to keep track of. But there was much more to all of those things than what one could see from the outside and now that the season is over, Savatgy has had some time to reflect about each. In this episode of the Swapmoto Live Podcast, we talk with the currently unemployed racer about the year, the Monster Energy Cup move over, misconceptions about reimbursement, the details of his departure from the team, and how close he is to inking a deal with another team in the pits.

Presented by Fly Racing Osaka, Japan's, Genki Watanabe is one of the most stylish guys you'll ever see on a dirt bike. Less than one year ago, "Wanky" suffered a badly broken leg that was further complicated by compartment syndrome. After nearly losing his limb, Watanabe worked hard to regain strength and rehab himself back to fitness and just a couple weeks ago he earned a silver medal in the Best Whip contest at Norway X Games. We heard that Watanabe would be visiting his sponsors at Seven MX last week so we met up with him to learn more about his career that started as a professional racer in the All Japan National MX Championships. Seven MX's Roger Larsen joins us as co-host of this show.

Presented by 6D Helmets We started riding our 2020 450s all the way back in June when we took delivery of the Husqvarna FC 450 and KTM 450 SX-F test bikes, and once we were allowed to pick up the Suzuki RM-Z450 a couple of weeks ago, we assembled a panel of six test riders and invited the manufacturers to join us for one final day of comparison testing. After hundreds of laps and dozens of hours logged on each bike, the Yamaha YZ450F came out as the overall favorite of the Swapmoto Live staff and earns 450 Bike of the Year honors. Today, Mike Sleeter and Pat Foster join us to talk about all six of the machines and the strengths and weaknesses of each. In the market for a new bike in 2020? You need to listen to this!

Presented by Fly Racing Of the handful of anti-doping violations in professional motocross, Cade Clason's case is one of the more mismanaged. Clason, a privateer that followed the US pro series for years, tested positive for a prohibited unless TUE-approved amphetamine in 2017 and had his racing career come to an abrupt halt. When news of the time the result became public, Clason immediately stated that the substance was Adderall, a medicine that can be approved by WADA on a case by case basis if deemed necessary, and that he had filed the paper but took it without hearing back from officials if the use was approved. The misunderstanding made no difference to the authorities that presided over the case and Clason was issued a suspension from competition in for the 2018 and 2019 seasons by the FIM. While Clason was kept from racing, he was approached by FXR's Andy White with a job offer to help manage the gear brand's growing list of supported riders, a job that kept him at events in North America. When a major shakeup in Canadian motocross pulled the National series away from the FIM-recognized federation, Clason was technically free to race the Rockstar Energy MX Championship and he did so in 2018 and 2019. In the middle of this past summer, Clason's suspension was lifted by the FIM and he was free to compete at AMA-FIM organized events again. Once his AMA membership was approved, he made it to the starting line for the Unadilla and Ironman rounds of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. Just before the last race of the year, we sat down with Clason and discussed much of what has gone down since 2017, how the time away helped him appreciate racing, his move to Arizona with his wife, and what the future holds.

Presented by 6D Helmets It's been a long road to recovery for Malcolm Stewart since he broke his femur in January, but the popular rider has been putting in some serious work in preparation for his return to racing. Though Anaheim 1 is the ultimate goal for the Motoconcepts Honda rider, he will compete in a handful of off-season events, starting with the September 14 Montreal SX. Malcolm recently returned to SoCal to start testing with the team, and it's always good to have him in the neighborhood. We caught up with Mookie to talk about just about everything. We had a good time, and so will you when you listen in!

Presented by Fly Racing Justin Bogle has always been one of the coolest guys in the pits, and catching up with the Oklahoman is always a pleasure. It's been an interesting season for the former East Coast 250 Supercross Champion, as he recently revealed that he has been suffering from the Epstein Barr virus all year long. His results on the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM 450 SX-F have been impressive nonetheless, and Bogle is hoping to stay on with the team for 2020 and beyond. Michael Antonovich caught up with Captain 891 in this episode of the Fly Racing Swapmoto Podcast. Enjoy!

Presented by 6D Helmets After graduating from the 2019 Loretta Lynn's Amateur Nationals, Jo Shimoda joined the Lucas Oil MX Nationals tour at Unadilla as a full-fledged member of the GEICO Honda team and turned in two top-15 finishes aboard his Honda CRF250R. Hailing from Suzuka, Japan, Shimoda is expected by many to be the first Japanese rider to have an impact on AMA Pro racing since Akira Narita finished third at the 2005 Anaheim Supercross. Jo joined us at the SML offices this morning for some bench racing before flying to his hometown tomorrow for three weeks of rest and relaxation. When he returns to California, it's wide-open prep for 250 Supercross!

Presented by 6D Helmets Multi-time Amateur National Champion Bradley Taft has been missing from the AMA Pro Racing scene for a while now, but he's hoping to return to action, starting next month. Taft stopped by the SML offices to bench race about last weekend's Budds Creek National, and also to fill us in on his new deal.

Presented by Fly Racing A few weeks ago we learned that Christina Denney will leave her position as Team Manager of CycleTrader/Rock River Yamaha after the 2019 Ironman Motocross. Denney's involvement in the team over the last 10 years has helped it go from a simple spot in the pit area to a competitive effort that allows riders the chance to learn the ropes of pro racing. Although her role in pro racing will change, Denney will still be close to the industry through Roost MX, the graphics company she and her husband operate in Georgia. At the Budds Creek Motocross, we spent a few minutes with her to discuss the decision to step down, the way the team developed over the past decade, and what's to come for herself and the squad.

Presented by Fly Racing We tried something new last night and did an Instagram Live broadcast with Jeremy McGrath from our condo in Whistler, Canada. The tequila was flowing just beforehand, so this is likely the "loosest" interview we've done with The King. Why are we in Whistler? Maxxis Tires brought us all here to join in on the fun at the annual Crankworx MTB festival, and we've been having a great time on two wheels.

Presented by Fly Racing We're in Whistler, Canada, at the Crankworx Mountain Bike Festival, and we sat down with Maxxis Tires' Chris Meyer to chat about all things Maxxis, from mountain bike tires to truck tires to the all-new motocross tires that have been developed by Jeremy McGrath. Coincidentally, The King is also in Whistler, so he sat down to help us co-host this show and this is definitely one worth listening to as it's packed with interesting information, great stories, and quite a few laughs. Maxxis Tires had made huge gains in motocross recently, and we're excited to bring the behind-the-scenes stories to you, the listener!

Presented by Fly Racing American Honda invited Swapmoto Live to Fox Raceway today to take delivery of our 2020 Honda CRF250R test bike. Our initial impressions of the bike are rock solid as the changes made to the little red rocket equal big performance gains. Pat Foster and Michael Antonovich run down the changes and the gains they yielded in this installment of the Fly Racing Swapmoto Podcast.

Presented by Fly Racing In 1992, Jeff Steber hand-built his first mountain bike inside his SoCal garage, a full-suspension MTB that he dubbed The Spider. Intense Cycles was founded one year later and made its debut at the '93 Interbike Show in a 10'X10' booth, and the rest - as they say - is history. Today, Intense Cycles is one of the most accomplished bike brands in the gravity sectors of racing, but with a giant selection of new mountain bikes in all categories, the brand is definitely making moves. And especially in motocross. Sponsor of the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha and GEICO Honda teams, Intense continues to support the sport that we all love. We caught up with Steber at the Temecula, California, Intense Cycles headquarters to talk about the past, present, and future of the brand. Enjoy!

Presented by 6D Helmets Michael Antonovich and Chase Curtis recap the stories of the 2019 Unadilla Motocross round of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship on the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast. Ken Roczen's big win, Eli Tomac's arm pump struggles, Dylan Ferrandis and Adam Cianciarulo's duel for the overall, Team USA's roster announcement for the 2019 Motocross of Nations, and talk of riders and their recent deals with teams for the 2020 race season.

Presented by Fly Racing Just before the start of the motos at the 2019 Unadilla Motocross, the AMA and MX Sports announced the lineup selected to represent Team USA at the 2019 Motocross of Nations will be Jason Anderson in the MXGP class, Justin Cooper in the MX2 class, and Zach Osborne in the Open class. For Osborne and Anderson, the selection is a much-desired second shot at the Chamberlain Trophy after their past experiences at the international event (Anderson in 2016 at Maggiora, Osborne in 2017 at Matterley Basin). For Cooper, it's an honor for a second-year pro that has shown class-leading talent. Osborne will serve as the Team Captain while Roger DeCoster returns to his role as Team Manager. On Friday afternoon, we sat down with AMA officials Mike Pelletier and Tim McAdams and Team USA coordinator Christina Denney to discuss the riders picked, the infrastructure that will go into this year's run at the Chamberlain Trophy, and how much time the riders will spend in Europe ahead of the event to prep for the sand at Assen.

Presented by Fly Racing The 2019 Kawasaki KX450 was all new and the green machine emerged from several shootout comparisons with Bike of the Year honors thanks to its strong, usable powerplant, excellent suspension package, and well-balanced chassis. For 2020 it returns unchanged, but is that enough? swap and SML test rider Pat Foster review the '20 KX450 and also talk about what they learned after spending a year on the '19 bike.

Presented by Fly Racing Japan's Taka Higashino has been a fixture on the American freestyle motocross circuit for over a decade now, but it wasn't until we sat down with him for this podcast that we realized just how cool hos story about coming to the United States is! In 2007, Higashino came to California with $6000 in his pocket and a dream, but no plans whatsoever! After riding at Lake Elsinore MX Park and hitting the same jump over and over, he set out to find some real places to ride FMX. With the help of Google Earth, he found a house with ramps, drove there, and knocked on the front door... Taka's English has improved massively since he first came to California, but this may be tough for some to understand. The longer you listen, though, the easier it becomes to understand his Jenglish!

Presented by 6D Helmets GEICO Honda's Hunter Lawrence returns as a co-host on today's 6d Helmets Kickstart Podcast. Sadly, Hunter has been on the injured reserve list for a few weeks now after breaking his collarbone in a practice crash when his engine let go on the face of a jump. Lawrence had just won his first couple AMA motos and was looking for his first overall win, but that will have to wait until next year. With a break in the Lucas Oil MX Nationals, our attentions were directed towards the AMA Amateur Nationals at Loretta Lynn's, as well as the Summer X Games in Minneapolis. Lawrence's younger brother Jett rides for the AMSOIL Honda squad and turned in plenty of impressive results, and was only held back from the A class championship by an engine failure in the final moto. We talked all about this and plenty more. Thanks to Hunter for coming back on the show!

Presented by Fly Racing We're at Gray's Harbor ORV Park for round seven of the 2019 WORCS Series, as KTM invited the media to actually race test the new line of 2020 KTM XC TPI bikes. After our race, we bumped into two familiar faces: TransWorld Motocross test rider, Supercross racer, and current SLR Honda team rider Tallon LaFountaine, and his team owner Mark Samuels who is himself a multi-time Baja 1000 Champion. Tallon has made a great transition into off-road in the past year or so, and we wanted to get some insight into the work that went into the switch in disciplines, as well as chat with Samuels about running a team and being a racer himself. If you know either of these guys, you already know that this was a good time. Enjoy!

Presented by 6D HelmetsWhat a week it's been! The SML crew has been spread all over the map over the previous seven days, and we have a lot to talk about! From the Washougal Motocross National, to Fly Summer Camp, to the Fox Racing HQ to see the new gear, to Whistler Mountain in Canada for some downhill mountain biking...we've been busy boys!

Presented by Fly Racing This week's Fly Racing Swapmoto Podcast is with my buddy Mike Sleeter, whom I've known for nearly two decades. During that time, we've tested bikes together, talked a whole lot about bike settings and handling, pedaled mountain bikes together, raced together, and even ridden road bikes together. I've watched Sleeter race Supercross events, mountain bike races, and even plenty of our own AMSOIL Swapmoto Race Series rounds. He's taught me riding technique, and I've taught him about photography. Needless to say, Sleeter is one of my best friends and he's also done a hell of a lot in our sport; most notably he's helped KTM progress to the powerhouse that it is today, during his 15-year tenure as a R&D test rider for the manufacturer. These days, Mike is busy running a new nutrition brand that he's launched, Pinnacle Nutrition Group. Sitting down to chat with Sleeter was a blast, though I must admit that a technical difficulty (screw up on my part, haha!) has left the third and final segment lacking in the audio department. It's still worth a listen...lots of good stuff in this one! Enjoy!

Presented by 6D Helmets Michael Antonovich, Chase Curtis, and Dominic Gaytan recap the wild and wet 2019 Spring Creek Motocross, plus discuss the MXGP championship, the SwapMoto Race Series, and some contract talks for the 2020 season in the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast.

Presented by 6D Helmets This past weekend was a nice break in the Lucas Oil MX National Championship Series, and racers and crew members alike took the weekend off to enjoy a little R&R. After spending the past couple days at the beach, Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha's Justin Cooper stopped by the SML offices this morning to join us on the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast to bench race with us about the 250 MX Nationals thus far. The New Yorker remains unfazed by his slip to third in the point standings and he is determined to do some damage in the second half of the series and close up the 26-point deficit he has to leader Adam Cianciarulo.

Presented by Fly Racing Last week, Husqvarna Motorcycles invited SML to test the 2020 Husqvarna FC 250 motocross bike at Milestone MX Park. We brought out our Pro-level test rider Rene Garcia to help us put the new bike through its paces, and he came away very impressed with the new Husky, even though only a few small changes were made to the bike for 2020. The new machine is already on dealership floors and carries a price tag of $9199. Is it worth the investment? Listen and find out!

Presented by 6D Helmets The Red Bud Motocross National saw some interesting twists and spectacular moments, and HEP Suzuki's Adam Enticknap drove down from Central California to join us on today's 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast. The 722 is an absolute student of the sport and had a ton of insight to throw out there, but he wouldn't grant us a freestyle rhyme. Haha! This was a fun show to do, and we're sure you'll like it, too. Enjoy!

Presented by Fly Racing We took delivery of the new 2020 Kawasaki KX250 yesterday at Castillo Ranch in Central California yesterday, and the bike is much improved with changes to the engine, suspension, and chassis. Senior test rider Rich Taylor and I spent the entire day spinning laps on the new green machine, and we break down our first impressions of the KX250 in this episode of the Fly Racing Swapmoto Podcast.

Presented by 6D Helmets The Red Bud Motocross National saw some interesting twists and spectacular moments, and HEP Suzuki's Adam Enticknap drove down from Central California to join us on today's 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast. The 722 is an absolute student of the sport and had a ton of insight to throw out there, but he wouldn't grant us a freestyle rhyme. Haha! This was a fun show to do, and we're sure you'll like it, too. Enjoy!

Presented by Fly Racing Doug Dubach is a legend in motocross. From his days as a struggling privateer, to his time as a factory Yamaha rider when he won the San Jose Supercross, to his days as R&D rider for Yamaha, to his brand Dubach Racing Development; Doctor D seems to have done it all. We caught up with Doug at his DRD shop for one of the most enjoyable chats we've had on the Swapmoto Podcast. Enjoy!

Presented by 6D Helmets Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha's Colt Nichols suffered some bad luck at MX 338, but even after an off weekend in what has otherwise been a great season for the Oklahoma native agreed to join us to bench race and fill us in about his program on today's installment of the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast. Nichols was a solid fifth in the first moto at Southwick, but a lap-one crash in the second left him scrambling to come from behind. Nichols' charge from 37th to 11th was nothing short of spectacular, and he tells us all about it in today's show. swap is on a boat somewhere in Mexico this week, so Michael Antonovich takes over as host, with Chase Curtis assisting as today's co-host. Enjoy!

You'd think that a retired racer would do his best to enjoy a life of leisure after leaving the non-stop travel and hustle and bustle of professional motocross and Supercross, but these days it seems as if Ryan Villopoto remains as bust as he's ever been. Since joining forced with Yamaha, RV has been having more fun than ever, racing selected events, joining the press on media junkets, playing around on pit bikes...you name it and he's doing it! We visited RV in his Newport Beach home earlier this week to catch up on everything he's got going on, plus dad life, mini bikes, vans, and more! If you've always been a Ryan Villopoto fan, you'll love this one. If you're not a fan; give it a listen...he'll win you over. Thanks to Scott Motorsports, Bell Helmets, Toyota of Escondido, Husqvarna Motorcycles, Intense Cycles and Roy's Cyclery.

We took delivery of our 2020 KTM 450 SX-F test bike today at Fox Raceway in Pala, California. Sister to the Husqvarna FC 450 that we tested last week, the KTM has some distinct differences that make it a bike all its own. SML Senior Rest Rider Pat Foster joins us to talk about the intricacies that make this what he calls, "The best KTM ever."  

Presented by 6D Helmets Our buddy Carson Mumford swung by the Swapmoto Live office this morning to join us on the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast. The AMSOIL Honda rider is days away from heading to the High Sierras for the annual Mammoth Mountain MX, so we wanted to chat him up about amateur racing at the highest level and also do some bench racing about last weekend's WW Ranch MX National. Thanks to 6D Helmets, Yoshimura R&D, and KTM USA.

It's almost unbelievable that it is mid-June and we just took delivery of our first 2020 motocross bike. The new Husqvarna FC 450 is based on last year's 2019.5 Rockstar Energy Edition, but it has several notable refinements in the engine mapping and suspension departments. Test rider Pat Foster put the bike through its paces alone today as swap is battling the flu, but hear his first impressions in this quick podcast!

Team Honda HRC's Cole Seely saw his summer come to a premature end last week when he crashed while training in Florida and suffered a dislocated and broken shoulder. The SoCal native will undergo surgery today to repair his shoulder, but we caught up with him last night to chat about everything under the sun: from what effect this injury will have on his career, to driving drift cars one-handed, to his girlfriend making a living off of Instagram! We really enjoyed this most recent chat with CS14...grab a chair and enjoy! Thanks to Husqvarna, Roy's Cyclery, Scott Motorsports, and Intense Cycles.

The Lucas Oil MX Nationals headed east last weekend and High Point Raceway yielded some great racing action. Michael Antonovich was on hand for SML, and joins Donn Maeda and guest Broc Tickle for some bench racing and BS. Enjoy! Thanks to 6D Helmets, Yoshimura R&D, and KTM USA.

After finishing fifth in the Western Regional 250 Supercross Championship with the GEICO Honda squad, Cameron McAdoo found himself without a ride for this summer's 250 MX Nationals. The Iowan continued to train and stayed sharp by pounding motos on one of the GEICO Honda team's spare 450s, and he was ready and willing when the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM team called and asked if he'd like to fill in for four rounds, starting this weekend at High Point. McAdoo joined us in the Swapmoto Live offices this afternoon for a really nice chat. Enjoy! Thanks to 6D Helmets, Yoshimura R&D, Husqvarna Motorcycles and KTM USA.

It's been 10 years since Tyler Bowers contested an entire MX National Championship Series, but the popular 28-year-old is making a go of it this summer on his Bowers Motorsports/Triggr Racing Kawasaki KX450 after a successful Monster Energy Supercross Series. We caught up with Bowers yesterday at Glen Helen Raceway, where he was putting in motos to try and find a better set-up for the Mt. Morris National in two weeks. Listen in to get a peek into what makes The Hulk tick on a daily basis! Thanks to Husqvarna Motorcycles, KTM USA, Scott Motorsports, Intense Cycles, Bell Helmets, Roy's Cyclery, and Toyota of Escondido.

GEICO Honda's Hunter Lawrence how has three US MX Nationals under his belt, and he joined us today on the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast to bench race and fill us in on his American motocross experience thus far. Hunter struggled a bit at the Hangtown opener but showed his true potential at Fox Raceway when he ran up front in both motos. Sadly, he couldn't find that same form last weekend in Denver, but he is optimistic about the races as the series heads east!

Presented by 6D Helmets Last weekend's Fox Raceway National is behind us, and man what a race it was! Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM racer Jordon Smith joined us in the Swapmoto Live offices in Lake Elsinore this afternoon to bench race a little bit and fill us in on what it's like to ride for the legendary style master, Troy Lee. Did the starting gate flinch in that second 250 moto? Hear what Smitty has to say! Thanks to 6d Helmets, KTM USA, and Yoshimura R&D

This past weekend's Hangtown MX National kickoff was a barn burner, and former Western Regional 250 Supercross Champion Jake Weimer stopped by the Swapmoto Live offices to bench race about the race and also fill us in on retired life in Idaho.

Fasthouse is a relatively new brand in the motocross riding gear arena, but in the short few years since it debuted a line of pants, jersey, and gloves the brand has gained an impressive amount of popularity and traction. We visited Fasthouse headquarters today in Valencia, California, and sat down with founder and president Kenny Alexander to get the story behind the brand.

Red Bull KTM's Marvin Musquin is one of the friendliest guys in the pits, and it is always a treat to catch up with the personable Frenchman. After starting the season off with a knee injury, MM steadily gained speed and confidence and wrapped up the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Championship in third place. We caught up with Marv in his Corona, California, residence for a great chat. Enjoy!

Presented by 6D Helmets This past weekend a select group of Supercross racers was invited to attend the inaugural Hawaiian Supercross on Oahu, and among them was our SoCal neighbor Alex Ray, who finished eighth overall on his HEP Suzuki RM-Z450. We asked ARay to join us at our new Swapmoto Live HQ to give us the scoop.

It's been 15 months since Broc Tickle failed a WADA drug test at the San Diego Supercross, and he's been waiting patiently ever since for the powers that be to determine his sentencing. Today, Tickle breaks his silence and shares the news we've all been waiting for.

Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM rider Derek Drake is set to make his professional racing debut in a couple weeks at the Hangtown 250 National Championship kickoff. Drake joined us at Jessy Nelson's Lake Elsinore, California, home to talk about the big jump up, his roots in riding, and much, much more in this week's Swapmoto Live podcast.

GEICO Honda's Christian Craig joins us in this week's 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast to bench race about last weekend's Las Vegas Supercross Finale, plus discuss the upcoming MX Nationals and the ins and outs of life as a professional motocross racer. This week, our co-host is Chase Curtis, as Michael Antonovich has been tasked with getting the Kickstart Feature written and posted on Monday. 

Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha Team Manager Wil Hahn invited us to the team's race shop in Murrietta, California, today to bench race about last weekend's racing in East Rutherford on the 6D Helmets Kickstart Podcast. Of course, we chatted about a bunch of other stuff as Wil is one of the coolest guys in the sport and always fun. Did you know he has a girlfriend now? Breaking news!

Santa Clarita, California's Robbie Wageman is a journeyman Supercross racer contesting the Western Regional 250 Championship, but this weekend he topped all comers in the Open Pro division at the Wiseco Pistons Two-Stroke World Championships, hosted by Fasthouse. Wageman's competition included defending champ Zach Bell, 500-mounted Tyler Bowers, SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/Honda rider Mike Alessi, and more. Wageman joins Donn Maeda and Michael Antonovich to recap the race and talk about a whole lot more in this week's show. Enjoy!

There are some people that you feel good after hanging out with, and Jessy Nelson is certainly one of those guys. Though he was paralyzed in a motocross racing crash a few years ago, he has continued to live his best life and is satisfying his competitive nature on four wheels these days. We sat with Nelson and caught up about a lot of things, including a recent surgery he had that has shown some promising results in only a matter of weeks. This one is a good listen! Thanks to Scott Motorsports, Bell Helmets, Throttle Syndicate, Intense Cycles, and Roy's Cyclery.