Author Archives : "chris barrett"

2013 Husqvarna Red Heads

Husky invited us out to Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park recently for a back to back test between the new “Red Head” 2013 TXCs and the 2012 TXCs. They wanted to prove that they had nothing to hide...
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Monster Energy Speedway Intro

Time to Get A Little Sideways
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Tech Tip: Don’t Be A Caveman – Dirt Rider Magazine

The Dirty Part Ever had a problem with the electric starter wires pulling out of the connector on your KTM? Well, here is an inexpensive, quick fix that will keep you from having to kickstart your bike in the middle of a long ride.I don’t recommend tearing apart the connector if it’s still working, but [...]
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Straight From The Rider’s Mouth: 2012 KTM 250SX – Dirt Rider Magazine

We ride so many four-strokes these days that it is always a pleasant break from the thumper world when we get a chance to ride a two-stroke. Now, were not just talking about riding a few laps and then jumping back on a four-stroke, were talking about riding these screamers all day, and then some. [...]
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All-Around Fun with the 2011 KTM 250 XC – Dirt Rider Magazine

I received the KTM 250 XC for the 2010 Tecate Enduro and have somehow managed to keep it in my grasp for the last few months. Why should I be surprised? Well, this bike does everything… and it does everything really well. From moto to trails to pretty much anything you can ride over, this [...]
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2010 Yamaha YZ450F – Long Haul Update #3 – Dirt Rider Magazine

Woo-hoo! 100 hours! Now you’d think that putting time on a motorcycle would be a cinch; just ride, you say. Well, it’s not always that easy. How about when we get snow in Southern California? Half the population doesn’t go outside when it rains, then add freezing temperatures (28 degrees Fahrenheit, that isdon’t laugh, East [...]
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Bike in a Box – Interview with the 2010 YZ450F Long Haul Bike – Dirt Rider Magazine

Tearing down a bike is rarely a good thing – it usually means something went terribly wrong and now you are going to spend a lot of money fixing it. However, in this case, it’s completely different. Our 2010 Yamaha YZ450F was running perfectly, showing no signs of weakness and now finds itself in a [...]
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Don’t be a Caveman – Tech Tip – Dirt Rider Magazine

Ever had a problem with the electric starter wires pulling out of the connector on your KTM? Well here is an inexpensive, quick fix that will keep you from having to kick-start your bike in the middle of a long ride. I don’t recommend tearing it apart if it is still working, but if it [...]
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First Test: 2011 Yamaha YZ125 – Dirt Rider Magazine

Who said two-strokes are dead? Well not me, and of course not Yamaha, that’s for sure! With the main focus for development aimed at four-strokes and the other Japanese manufacturers completely terminating their two-stroke line ups, it’s comforting to see Yamaha set aside the time, effort and money to keep this now rare breed of [...]
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2011 Suzuki RM-Z450 – First Test – Dirt Rider Magazine

With sound, performance and durability all improved for the New Year, what more could there be? How about ease of use? If you want to change up the EFI settings, say for high humidity, loamy or sandy track conditions, then just snap in one of the two additional plugs for richer or leaner FI settings [...]
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2011 Honda CRF250R Web Impression – Dirt Rider Magazine

Since the 2010 Honda CRF250 received a complete overhaul (along with great feedback I might add), the only thing left to do for 2011 was a little fine tuning. So even with the rain threatening all of So Cal the other day, none of us could resist from taking a little trip down to Perris [...]
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Race Tech 2006 Yamaha YZ450F – Dirt Rider Magazine

I generally don’t expect to compare a fixed-up older bike to the newest batch of MX stallions. I have always believed the factories wouldn’t change a model unless it was for the better, so I never really gave it a second thought. By doing that, I had overlooked the many aftermarket companies that make a [...]
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A Year With The 2009 Honda CRF450R – Dirt Rider Magazine

After the 450 MX shootout, the ’09 CRF was definitely my bike of choice for the season. After all, why wouldn’t it be? The new Honda is lighter, faster and more maneuverable than last year’s model (which, in case you forgot, was already standing on top of the 450 podium), and now it has the [...]
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Red Bull Knock Out Race – Dirt Rider Magazine

Two weeks before the Red Bull Knock-Out… “Hey Chris, do you want to fly to the Netherlands to do a story on a beach race?” Without any questions, I gave just a simple “Hell yeah!” I then found myself scrambling to replace my lost/stolen unused passport. Did you know that you could get a passport [...]
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2009 KTM 250SX Web Riding Impression – Dirt Rider Magazine

The debate between two-strokes and four-strokes will go on forever. This one is better here, that one is better there, zingers don’t cost as much, thumpers are more expensive, fours are harder to work on, but when maintained correctly last longer. The list goes on and on, and with two-strokes getting, well… pretty much wiped [...]
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