The FMF Danny LaPorte Supermoto Experimental Bike.

With all the hype about Supermoto these days, you gotta know that the best race shops are experimenting with their bikes.

FMF is no exception. Danny LaPorte was recently throwing his special CRF450 experimental FMF bike around the Perris Raceway with the gang, and we caught up with him for some photos and tech talk about his bike.

OK, let's get to the trick changes first. The FMF experimental pipe is really eye catching. Notice the custom raw welds on the head-pipe. The ideal length of the pipe has been maintained but kept up in the front to shorten the length the pipe sticks out the back. This keeps the weight lower, and forward, better for Supermoto. Also notice the cone at the front of the silencer. It is more tapered then just widening suddenly at the silencer, like a traditional pipe. Dyno tests show the taper and head tube length significantly increase high rev power.

The front brake cylinder has been changed to a Magura Road racing high-power, high-volume unit. Also, of course the front brake set is a larger caliper and disc from Braking. While we're at the front wheel, notice the cut front fender. This could be pretty important to avoid wind pushing the front end around.

Protecting his bulky brake cylinder and clutch lever is a good set of Bark Busters. Danny assured me that the bars were essential to protecting your hands and the hardware on the handlebars in case of a crash. Also notice in the photo how Danny's Bark Busters are secured to the upper triple clamp on the right side. This does two things; first it allows more space for the cylinder and lever. Also, mounted to the triple creates a box of strength, instead of a triangle. In the event of a crash, the handlebar is greatly strengthened by the offset mount. In the other position, when the triple is mounted on the handle bar, you can take advantage of some good natural flex in the bar. But Supermoto doesn't have the need for such flex as Supercross does. The added strength in the bars is welcome. Also on the bars you'll notice the steering stabilizer. Of course this makes sense at high speeds, to not have any head shake. I do have to say though, Danny was a little casual about it's use. While this is a good unit, he wasn't drop dead insistent that everybody have one.

There is a rule in Supermoto, "No drips on the racetrack." To comply with this smart idea, Danny's bike is fitted with a low-tech prescription bottle in a high tech mount on the frame. This is to catch overflow from the radiator. The bottle is lightweight, and clear to see the contents, if any. Sometimes trick doesn't have to be complicated or expensive.

The tires on this bike are of course designed for pavement. Danny's tires have grooves in them for the occasional dirt section popular in Supermoto. This particular brand, while a good tire for some tracks, was not Danny's choice for his riding today. Perris Raceway is a pavement only track, with no dirt. In this picture we are discussing the "V" shape that Danny prefers on his bike. When the tire rolls onto the side, he would prefer it to be on a flatter surface for more traction. This is accomplished with a "V" shaped tire instead of a smooth round one.

This is a trick bike, and compared to what Danny started on in the '70s, this is light years ahead. Supermoto is here to stay, and FMF of course is too. With those two forces together, we should see more great things coming out of Danny LaPorte's truck in the future.

See you at the track