Swapmoto Live Podcast

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.

The Denver Supercross yielded some great racing in both classes and some wild weather conditions. Seven-time Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath joins Donn Maeda and Michael Antonovich to bench race and shoot the poop about the sport in general in this week's installation of the Kickstart Podcast, presented by 6D Helmets.

With the first-ever Nashville Supercross in the record books, we thought it would be fitting to have hometown racer Alex Ray join us for this week's Kickstart Podcast presented by 6D Helmets. Having grown up only a couple hours away from Music City, ARay was stoked for the race in front of his friends and family.

Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha Team Manager Wil Hahn had quite the Saturday in Houston last weekend, as his riders Dylan Ferrandis and Colt Nichols both landed on the podium in the 250 class. For Ferrandis, it was his second win in a row and he pulled within five points of the championship points lead with only two races left. Hahn has always been a favorite of ours, from his days as a racer and now as a Team Manager, and he is always fun to catch up with. Hahn joins us for a fun and informative podcast this week. Enjoy!

6D Helmets brings you the Kickstart Podcast, in which we will bench race about the weekend's happenings. Last weekend was a wild one in Houston at the third Triple Crown of the season, and our friend Nick Wey was glad to join us to chat about the goings on inside NRG Stadium. As Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Adam Cianciarulo's personal riding coach, Wey had some great insight about AC's not-so-great luck in Houston. Later in the show, we were joined by two special guests; Vincent and Donovan Wey. Enjoy!

In 2019, consumers have the chance to own something truly special when it comes to motocross machinery. Three manufacturers - Honda, Husqvarna, and KTM - produce special edition versions of their popular 450 motocross bikes that offer greater value and performance than the standard versions. We gathered the 2019 Honda CRF450R Works Edition, the 2019.5 Husqvarne Rockstar Edition FC 450, and the 2019.5 KTM 450 SX0F Factory Edition machines, and compared them back to back with a testing crew of four riders of varying size, age, and skill. While Broc Tickle brought the star power, the testing experience shared by Editor in Chief Donn Maeda and Senior Test Rider Pat Foster, plus 20-year testing veteran Kyle Puerner helped round out the panel for this comprehensive comparison.

We're branching out and adding a new podcast show to the Swapmoto Live catalog. The Kickstart Podcast will happen at the start of every week and will review the past weekend's racing action and/or cover the upcoming week's activities. Hosted by SML editors Donn Maeda and Michael Antonovich, we'll invite a different guest to co-host with us each week. And what better way to kick off a new show than with the one and only Ryan Villopoto? Enjoy!

Iowa's Cameron McAdoo is in his third year as a professional Supercross racer, and he is nipping at his first 250 SX podium finish. One of the nicest, most humble personalities in pro racing, the GEICO Honda racer is ready to get back to racing this weekend in Seattle as the Western Regional 250 SX Championship resumes. We caught up with McAdoo to chat about the races, his modest beginnings in the sport, and of course, about mountain biking.

Jeff Ward is an absolute legend of our sport. The seven-time motocross and Supercross Champion has won championships in every division and discipline at least once: 125, 250, and 500 MX, and well as 250 Supercross. Along with Johnny O'Mara and David Bailey, Wardy helped elevate the fitness levels in professional racing to all-new levels in the 1980s and 90s. After his career in moto was done, Ward went on to enjoy success in professional mountain bike racing, Indy Car, and Supermoto. Now, at the age of 57, Ward will throw his hat into the ring in the American Flat Track Series at selected TT events. And we won't be surprised to see him on the podium! We've seen Wardy in action with a steel shoe, and he flies! To say that I was thrilled to have the AMA Hall of Famer join me in the Medterra Podcast studio today for a chat would be an understatement. Please enjoy this awesom trip down memory lane, and more! Special thanks to Ogio, Scott Motosports, RynoPower, Throttle Syndicate, Intense Cycles, Roy's Cyclery, Bell Helmets and Toyota of Escondido Action Sports.

Disclaimer! This episode's recording was never intended to be a podcast, as I conducted a 30-minute phone interview with Chad Reed for a written feature on Swapmotolive.com. Several readers, however, requested a podcast version. The audio quality is not great as we were on the phone, but the content makes it worth a listen. Chad Reed is one of the legends in our sport and he is always a pleasure to catch up with. 

Hot on the heels of the 2019.5 Husqvarna Rockstar Edition FC 450 comes its orange brother, the 2019.5 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition. The new number-25 machine enjoys the same major updates as the Husky - revised fork settings, a new front wheel, all-new triple clamps, and internal engine changes - but to assume that the bikes perform identically couldn’t be further from the truth! In this episode of the Swapmoto Live Podcast presented by OGIO, I am first joined by KTM North America’s David O’Connor to talk about the changes made to the exciting machine, then by SML test riders Kyle Puerner and Rich Taylor, both of whom have excellent feedback and insight to offer our listeners who may be interested in purchasing one of these limited-edition motorcycles.

  The 2019.5 Husqvarna Rockstar Edition FC 450 is one badass machine, but is it worth the $11K+ price tag? It's got several key refinements in comparison to the standard 2019 FC 450, and it even has some new technology that we might not see incorporated into the standard line until 2021. We've already logged 10 hours on our test bike since taking delivery of the bike from Andy Jefferson and his team at Husqvarna Motorcycles, and we are very impressed with the overall package. Join Editor Donn Maeda and Senior Test Rider Pat Foster as they break down the ins and outs of the exciting new machine in this informative podcast.

We sat down with Monster Energy Yamaha's Aaron Plessinger for a super fun conversation about everything from dirt bikes to dick injuries. Plessinger suffered a setback in the off-season that kept him off the bike for a few weeks and left him scrambling to catch up with bike setup before the season, but he’s been making progress at the races each and every week. One of the most down-to-earth racers around, Plessinger was candid and honest about everything we chatted about in this episode of the Swapmoto Live Podcast, presented by OGIO. Who should we sit down with next? Comment below! Racers? Mechanics? Industry icons?

  GEICO Honda's Christian Craig was originally slated to contest the Western Regional 250 Supercross Championship, but a testing crash left him with a badly broken bone in his right thumb and revised plans to race on the East. Cleared to ride only a week before the Minneapolis series kickoff, Craig showed up at US Bank Stadium hoping to salvage some points, even though he was in a lot of pain. This telling podcast documents Craig's day in Minneapolis, and also offers tons of insight as to what goes into being a top racer in our sport. We spoke with his team owner Jeff Majkrzak, team R&D manager Christian Kibby, his mechanic Ricki Rock, KYB suspension tech John Yamada, and more! The day's end result was not what anyone was hoping for, but we still learned a lot shadowing our long-time friend throughout the day.  

The Eastern Regional 250 Supercross Championship kicked off inside US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and GEICO Honda's Chase Sexton rebounded from an early race crash to finish fifth aboard his Jade Dungey-tuned Honda CRF250R. In the off-season, Sexton suffered a broken collarbone while training, but rebounded quickly and showed up hoping to win the opener. We shadowed Sexton throughout his day in the snow-covered city, and also got to chat with several key players on his team. Ever wonder what a day in the life of a Supercross star is like? Wonder no more! Enjoy.

Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo captured his third Western Regional 250 main event of the year this past weekend at Petco Park in San Diego. Heavy rains in the area turned the race track into a quagmire, but AC rode a flawless race and led every single lap to take over the championship points lead just as the series heads east and takes a multi-week break. Cianciarulo invited us to spend the day with him in San Diego to give listeners a behind-the-scenes understanding of what goes down on a race day, from the moment he arrives at the track until after the checkered flag flew.

Whether he has a factory ride or not, Dean Wilson is always one of the most popular racers in the pits thanks to his fun personality and super cool riding style. In 2019, Deano led most of the Anaheim One season opener and made a statement that his private racing effort is one to be taken seriously. Recently, with the news of Supercross Champion Jason Anderson's injury, Wilson has been asked to rejoin the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna race team to fill in. We caught up with Wilson to talk about the factors that would go into making that switch, as well as about the Ignite CBD controversy, and much much more!

Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM team captain Shane McElrath put it all together last Saturday night to win the first Monster Energy Triple Crown Supercross of the season at Anaheim Two, and the seven-year veteran of the team says he is set to make a serious bid for the Western Regional 250 Supercross Championship now that the team has better dialed in his bike for race conditions. We caught up with the personable racer from North Carolina tonight in Wildomar, California, where he and his wife Joy are staying with her parents during the West Coast swing of the series. Thank you to Ogio, RynoPower, Scott Motorsports, Throttle Syndicate, Intense Cycles, and Roy's Cyclery.

Malcolm Stewart was enjoying a great start to the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Series until he was struck down with a crash in the Phoenix main event. Stewart suffered a broken femur, but he's already working out in hopes of returning to action as soon as possible. We paid Mookie a visit at his home in Corona and sat down for a podcast with him and his mechanic Jason "Rango" Montoya. 

Ryan Villopoto is one of my all-time favorites, and especially so since he's been retired from professional racing. These days in his role as a marketing partner with Yamaha Motors, RV is laid back and loving life as he raises his twin sons with his wife Kristen. Tomorrow, RV and I will take to the rainy streets of SoCal aboard the new 2019 Yamaha YZF R3, but we caught up in this fun podcast tonight to discuss everything I could come up with. This one was one really enjoyable conversation...I hope you enjoy it too.

Honda HRC's Cole Seely made his return to Monster Energy Supercross yesterday at Anaheim One after missing most of the 2018 season due to horrific injuries he suffered while running second in last year's championship. Always one of the fun riders to work with, we decided to try something different with this episode of the Swapmoto Live Podcast, presented by Ogio. Starting as soon as Cole arrived at Angel's Stadium, we shadowed him throughout his day to give listeners some insight as to what a factory rider goes through on race day at a Supercross. We were surprised at how much we actually learned about the process, and we're sure you will enjoy this exclusive behind-the-scenes access to Seely's day at Anaheim One. Thanks to the entire Honda HRC staff for allowing us to invade the semi, as well as to the show's sponsors, Ogio, RynoPower, Scott Motorsports, Intense Cycles, and Roy's Cyclery.

It's hard to believe that we are already on the eve of the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Series opener, isn't it? Press day functions were held today at Angel's Stadium and all of the major teams were on hand to ride for the press and take part in a conference that was broadcasted live on TransWorldMX.com. I thought it would be interesting to take a recorder around and see what people in the pits had to say about the new season. Included are Rockstar Energy Husqvarna tuner Chris "C-Lo" Loredo, who spins wrenches on Jason Anderson's bike, new in-booth announcer Ricky Carmichael, Yamaha's Aaron Plessinger, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Mitch Payton, D'Cor Visuals owner Danny Dobey, HEP Suzuki's Alex Ray, and privateer hero Dean Wilson. Enjoy!

Former Eastern Region 250 Supercross Champion Justin Bogle was set to field his own privateer effort in this year's Monster Energy Supercross Series this year, but a last-minute offer with the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM team will see him compete aboard an Austrian-made KTM for the first time in his career. We saw Bogle in action at Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park aboard his new bike this morning and were able to catch up with him this evening to get the scoop on how everything came about.  Bogle has enjoyed more success than most professional racers ever will, but his career thus far has still been filled with more challenges than any one man should be forced to overcome. Hear about this and a whole lot more with this episode of the Swapmoto Live Podcast, presented by Ogio.

NOTE: The first upload glitched at the 53 min mark. This episode is complete! GEICO Honda's latest recruit comes to us from Australia, via the MXGP World Championship Series. Nineteen-year-old Hunter Lawrence will make his American Supercross debut in February at the Minneapolis kickoff of the Eastern Regional 250 Supercross Championship alongside teammates Christian Craig and Chase Sexton. Lawrence and his family have an intriguing story, as they sold everything they owned in Australia to chase the motocross dream in Europe, with the ultimate goal of racing in the United States someday. Now that the Lawrence family is finally here (younger brother Jett is also signed to the Amsoil Honda amateur branch of the team), few doubt that they will succeed in accomplishing their two-wheeled dreams.We went for a chilly early mountain bike ride up Corona, California's renowned Skyline Trail this morning, then sat down with Hunter for this installment of the Swapmoto Live Podcast, presented by Ogio. Give it a listen; we're sure you'll become a fan of the personable young Aussie.

GEICO Honda's latest recruit comes to us from Australia, via the MXGP World Championship Series. Nineteen-year-old Hunter Lawrence will make his American Supercross debut in February at the Minneapolis kickoff of the Eastern Regional 250 Supercross Championship alongside teammates Christian Craig and Chase Sexton. Lawrence and his family have an intriguing story, as they sold everything they owned in Australia to chase the motocross dream in Europe, with the ultimate goal of racing in the United States someday. Now that the Lawrence family is finally here (younger brother Jett is also signed to the Amsoil Honda amateur branch of the team), few doubt that they will succeed in accomplishing their two-wheeled dreams. We went for a chilly early mountain bike ride up Corona, California's renowned Skyline Trail this morning, then sat down with Hunter for this installment of the Swapmoto Live Podcast, presented by Ogio. Give it a listen; we're sure you'll become a fan of the personable young Aussie.

Alex Ray got the break of a lifetime last year when he was recruited by the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory team to fill in for an injured Cooper Webb, and that helped lead him to a ride with the HEP Motorsports Suzuki support squad for the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series. One of the funniest guys in the pits, ARay is always fun to hang with. We braved the high-crime area of his condo parking lot to chat about a wide variety of subjects in this episode of Swapmoto Live, presented by Ogio.

First of all, I am at the tail end of a gnarly chest cold so my voice is completely blown out and for this, I apologize. Today, we rode all six of the 2019 250cc MX bikes for a back-to-back comparison in day one of the TransWorld Motocross 250 Shootout. Though we will spend several more days on the machines before coming to a conclusion for print in the magazine, I thought it would be interesting for listeners to hear feedback from two of my most regarded test riders, Mike Sleeter and Pat Foster, about how the machines stacked up. With Foster residing some five hours north in the mountain town of Bishop, we recorded this episode of Swapmoto Live, presented by Ogio, while he was still in town...thus the reason I was unable to wait for my voice to return to normal. Again, please bear with the super froggy sound of my voice, but enjoy the invaluable feedback and insight offered by Sleeter and Foster.