A new discipline of motorcycle racing is shaping up right before our eyes. The Geico Powersports AMA EnduroCross series is still, after five years, like nothing else. It's more brutal, more technically challenging, more condensed and much more unpredictable than any current motocross or off-road series.

Doug Henry 2009 from DB Studios on Vimeo.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Nov. 19, 2009) - Reigning 2009 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, champion - KTM/Red Bull's Taddy Blazusiak - has a shot at pretty substantial payday this weekend. Simply put, should he win the Vegas EnduroCross round at the Orleans Arena he'll be 50 grand richer courtesy of GEICO.

Here at Dirt Rider, we put our bikes through the gamut of real-world riding in the name of testing. We ride them at as many places and through as many conditions as possible to see how they perform. Then we continue to ride a select few of our test bikes for even longer to see how they hold up, and to scope how well they respond to modifications. Here is a wrap-up of sorts for most of our fleet of 2009 Long Haul bikes. Wonder how your current ride, your next ride or your buddy's bike is going to last? Read on...inline_mediumwraptextright26003414/reviews/long_haul/141_0912_2009_long_haul_bikes_roundup141_0912_08_z+2009_long_haul_bikes_roundup+husaberg_FE_570.jpgTrue

Choosing a DR Long Haul test bike is always a fun process, but scoring the 250F shootout winner is a double whammy in my book. I was super excited to acquire the '09 KX250F for the duration of the testing season, and was equally stoked when the bike carried its high-performance shootout momentum straight into an enjoyable, problem-free year.inline_mediumwraptextright26000792/reviews/long_haul/141_0912_long_haul_2009_kawasaki_kx250f141_0912_01_z+long_haul_bikes+2009_kawasaki_KX250F.jpgTrue

Sometimes it takes some added incentive to give the old steed a good service and check-over. My nudge came from a volleyball-size rock. It was just one little broken bone that allowed walking, but kickstarting a 450 was out for a couple of weeks. The bike had been running fine and strong, but at 76 hours was taking a few more kicks to start, and the off-idle response was off. So I expected the worst as Yamaha's Jonathan Belding checked the valves and cams. Like before, the valve clearance was at the tight side of the specs, but it hadn't moved a bit in the last 35 hours of run-time. The cams and auto-decompression system proved to be in good shape. I'm crediting Maxima Lubricants for partial responsibility for keeping the interior of the engine looking new.

As a DR Long Haul test bike this Honda lived the life I chose for it. First and foremost was a strict regimen of motocross track days and racing events starting with the MTA World Vet Championships last November and ending with a week inside Ryan Hughes' MX training camp. Throughout the year simple modifications personalized, protected and prolonged this ride.inline_mediumwraptextright25996943/reviews/long_haul/141_0912_long_haul_2009_honda_crf250r141_0912_02_z+long_haul_bikes+2009_honda_CRF250R.jpgTrue

One of the most anticipated bikes of 2009 has gone through some teething pains during the year, but it was a sales success in a tough year proving that riders want the latest and greatest bikes no matter the economy. We liked the performance of the bike from the get-go, but that didn't stop us from tuning on the CRF to see if we could make it better and to test out all of the products available for it.inline_mediumwraptextright25995290/reviews/long_haul/141_0912_long_haul_2009_honda_crf450r141_0912_02_z+long_haul_bikes+2009_honda_CRF450R.jpgTrue

Gary Semics MX School
Private MX Lesson DVD with Gary Semics
www.gsmxs.com
330.424.9295
Isn't it worth $29.95 to pass your buddy who's always just a little faster than you?

If there was a way to put a bike to the ultimate test, entering it in one of the world's toughest races would be a great start. Since Husaberg designed its newest 390cc thumper for just such conditions and to be easier for the regular rider to ride, which seems so contradictory but so true, I thought I'd volunteer myself for the job.inline_mediumwraptextright31355820/features/web_extra/141_0912_2010_husaberg_fe_390_red_bull_romaniacs141_0912_02_z+2010_husaberg_FE_390+jimmy_lewis.jpgTrue

The revolutionary (70 degrees, to be exact) design of the Husaberg and our picking it as Bike of the Year led us to ride it all year as well. And we're still riding it! Plus, we haven't had any issues to speak of. There is one spot in the 570's FI mapping that is prone to stall, and we have just begun to play with the newly released user tool to dial it in. Mechanically the only other issue we've had is that the cam-chain tensioner has not kept full pressure on the chain sometimes, so we put a Dirt Tricks one on-problem solved. We've also replaced the seat once since the foam was about dead after six months of riding. As for modifications, we've done a few things. First was to swap out the muffler to an FMF Q, mostly just to try it out. It smoothed the power on the bottom and gave a little more overrev on top. For protection we added radiator guards and a cooling fan from the Husaberg PowerParts catalog. But the best thing we did was to add a Rekluse Z-Start Pro auto-clutch. This clutch, matched with brilliant fuel injection, makes the bike so easy to ride, especially in technical stuff where you'd previously have to cover the clutch. Out back we have also been running a Dunlop D803 trials tire. Our biggest wish is for a slightly larger fuel tank, like the ones available for the KTMs that incorporate the radiator wings. The FE 570 is and continues to be a super trail machine with massive big-bore four-stroke power in a chassis that feels lighter than any 450. Not a bad combination and well worth the honors, and the workload we've heaped upon it.inline_mediumwraptextright27193654/reviews/long_haul/141_0912_long_haul_2009_husaberg_fe_570141_0912_01_z+long_haul_bikes+2009_husaberg_FE_570.jpgTrue

The fascination with 125cc MX bikes is alive and well at Dirt Rider due to one reason: We ride for fun. As much as it's our job, anytime we can we make it as enjoyable as possible, we do; racing around tracks on screaming 125s is a case in point. The KTM 125 SX has been a perfect companion all year long. Although it hasn't changed much in modifications or maintenance since we last updated it (August '09) it has been running strong and making smiles everywhere we've ridden and raced it. From the L.A. Sleeve Two-Stroke Invitational at the Glen Helen Outdoor National to the Monster Energy Crossover Challenge at the Hangtown National and quite a few in-between places as well. Upgrades since then have included a switch to a Twin Air filter kit that boasts an improved (and a less confusing and more secure) filter cage and its matching filter. It easily has another 15 hours on the engine since a rebuild (all the time running full steam with a fat guy on it!), and the piston still looks fresh and the bike is running strong. It is so nice to be able to see the condition of the piston up through the exhaust port! Plus, it gets about double the tire life even compared to a 250F, and the chain and sprockets still look fresh. I am seriously considering buying this bike before I have to give it back (anyone want to buy a 2001 Yamaha YZ144 so I can afford this KTM?), especially since this will be the last year of the 125 for KTM; all small-bores will now be 150s from 2010 on.inline_mediumwraptextright27192004/reviews/long_haul/141_0912_long_haul_2009_ktm_125_sx141_0912_02_z+long_haul_bikes+2009_KTM_125_SX_graphics.jpgTrue

Following a successful outing in our 2009 Torture Test, the KTM 250 XC unofficially joined our test fleet and became roped into some extra Long Haul duties around the shop. When the bike wasn't being raced around enduro courses by Ziegler or torn through the dark by Lewis, it served as my unofficial practice bike for the Red Bull Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rally. Several long rides and hours of GPS navigation practice uncovered no flaws in the hardy little two-stroke, though I'd be lying if I said the radiator didn't boil over on more than one occasion. The machine saw little by way of modifications, save for a Rekluse EXP auto-clutch that made it a dream to ride in the rocks. The big test came in the form of the brutal opening round of the Geico EnduroCross series, which was deflected by the KTM with quiet confidence. The bike quietly tore the track up with its FMF Q Stealth silencer, and except for some Pro Moto Billet/Fastway footpegs and hand guards and a new set of Bridgestones, the orange machine remained relatively stock. Overall, this machine impressed everyone who rode it, and we're already trying to figure out how we can get another unit of the same model for the duration of 2010.

There are some bikes that we just ride all year long, pretty much box-stock. In 2009, that bike was the Yamaha YZ250F. It survived our shootout and then was Publisher Sean Finley's desert and track bike for the rest of the year, accumulating in the neighborhood of 40 hours of run time. It saw a couple of oil changes, a set of IRC tires and the filter was kept clean, but that was it for maintenance. In the end, it needed a set of clutch plates and new brake pads front and rear. We checked the valves and they were perfect. All this bike really needs for another year of duty would be a suspension service. Not bad to know that even at the pinnacle of performance there isn't ridiculous maintenance required when a bike stays stock.inline_mediumwraptextright25952957/reviews/long_haul/141_0912_long_haul_2009_yamaha_yz250f141_0912_01_z+long_haul+2009_yamaha_YZ250F.jpgTrue

A working stuntman for 25 years, member of Stunts Unlimited and the original Team Extreme, Grandpa doubled Roy Rogers, dad doubled Robert Redford, started stunting in "The Fall Guy" TV series, flipped a Hummer in the movie XXX (approximately 160 feet in the air, with two rotations).
www.stuntsunlimited.com

You know you're not supposed to ride with a death grip on the bar, but did you know you're supposed to regrip every time you go from accelerating to braking then back to accelerating? This tip from MX School instructor and former 500cc supercross champion Gary Semics may not feel natural right away, but work on it a bit and it can become instinctive.

Just 12 years ago Yamaha dropped a bomb on the motocross world: Not only would the company release a four-stroke motocrosser to the public, it would laugh at what was considered to be four-stroke doctrine at the time. For those of you too young to remember, four-stroke motocross machinery at the time-when there was any-came from Europe or was handmade by specialty shops, and the rules allowed four-strokes up to 550cc to race in the 250cc class against two-strokes. Yamaha opted for a five-valve 400, and the public couldn't imagine how a four-stroke that small could compete. Yamaha proved everyone wrong, and the company appears ready to attempt a similar lesson in 2010.inline_mediumwraptextright31350756/reviews/motocross/141_0912_2010_yamaha_yz450f141_0912_01_z+2010_yamaha_YZ450F+bike.jpgTrue

Every year new motocross bikes hit magazine pages and showroom floors across America. Shortly after they're released to the masses (and often before they're available), companies like MX race team powerhouse Pro Circuit get to work developing products to elevate the newest dirt bikes from stock to saaaaweet.

OK, this is one of those products that is not a must-have. Seriously, the stock preload adjuster rings usually work fine, even if they are time-consuming and a bit of a pain at times. This is one of those products that is really nice to have. The Talon preload tuner replaces the stock preload rings. The top ring locks in place, and the lower ring will move freely but is limited by five detents. A rod (supplied with the kit) inserts into holes machined around the perimeter of the rings. Rotate the ring one click-stop, and you get 1.5mm of preload, or the equivalent of one turn off a normal preload ring.

It doesn't get bigger than this: 280mm of brute stopping force in a complete brake kit guaranteed to bolt on to any 2002-'09 CRF250 or 450 R or X. My long-haul '09 CRF250R had a mush-tastic front brake. I was blaming the flex in the plastic brake line and was going to just bolt on a stainless steel unit to see if that was an easy fix. Then, this kit showed up.

I'm a member of the wraparound hand guard school. Even though we don't hit that many trees out West, we do smack brush and branches, and I like the security of knowing that the throttle parts, handlebar and levers are also protected. The biggest drama with aluminum hand guards is getting them on the bike without compromising the routing of the cables or hydraulic lines. Cycra's new Center-Reach-Mount (CRM) hand guards do everything I look for in an aluminum hand guard and more, and they offer great clearance for those pesky control cables/hoses.inline_mediumwraptextright27125314/drtested/141_0911_dr_tested_cycra_center_reach_mount_hand_guards141_0911_01_z+DR_tested+cycra_center_reach_mount_hand_guards.jpgTrue

Before the Bolt-It-On tiedown system arrived, when we jammed a lot of bikes into the Dirt Rider Gearbox trailer, it looked like some strange giant spider with a nylon-strap web had attacked the bikes. It wasn't pretty or quick, but it did work.inline_mediumwraptextright27124804/drtested/141_0911_dr_tested_bolt_it_on_trailer_tie_down_bar141_0911_01_z+DR_tested+bolt_it_on_trailer_tie_down_bar.jpgTrue

A clear field of vision is about as essential in motocross as a parachute is in skydiving. Because of this, the major goggle companies are continually looking for better ways to make sure that riders get the best possible performance out of their ocular equipment. Scott's latest take is the Voltage ProAir Goggle, which retails for $64.95. This piece of moto-eyewear is the next generation of the HiVoltage frame, but with a freshly engineered fit, improved strap-to-frame integration and-my personal favorite-a "Revolutionary Air Management (RAM)" system to help cool your boiling dome. The goggle was designed with the heavy-sweater in mind, and in terms of flow performance the frame does an excellent job of directing air where you need it most. Naturally, the RAM system works better the faster you are riding-meaning it is more noticeable on faster tracks than lift-and-carry trail rides-but the extra air is still a welcome relief for those with excessive cranial perspiration.inline_mediumwraptextright27124243/drtested/141_0911_dr_tested_scott_voltage_pro_air_goggle141_0911_01_z+DR_tested+scott_voltage_pro_air_goggle.jpgTrue

New graphics are like new shoes: You just feel faster with them on. But if Nike relied on me to make sure its Swoosh was correctly aligned and bubble-free with perfect stitching, the shoe giant would have better luck selling at Payless than it would sponsoring James Stewart.inline_mediumwraptextright31310283/drtested/141_0911_dr_tested_ridepg_custom_graphics141_0911_01_z+DR_tested+2009_CRF250R_with_ridePG_custom_graphics.jpgTrue

When Shock Doctor sent out its Power Dry High-Output Blower for me to test, I didn't think it was something I needed. Even while I was using it, I didn't fully appreciate what it was doing. Only when I needed the blower and it wasn't there did I realize how well it works and how nice it is to have dry things.inline_mediumwraptextright31307805/drtested/141_0911_dr_tested_shock_doctor_power_dry_high_output_blower141_0911_02_o+DR_Tested+shock_doctor_power_dry_high_output_blower.jpgTrue