FIM MX Motocross Championship - Dirt Rider Magazine

* Quickies
* 2007 is the fourth year in a row Cycle Gear will match donations made at any Cycle Gear store up to a total of $10,000 to the BlueRibbon Coalition. Go to www.cyclegear.com/keepriding.cfm for more info.* Want to help out Ernesto Fonseca? Want to save on insurance? Progressive will give Fonzie $3 for every quote that people request. Link up at HoleshotHeaven.com.* It's going to get quieter. The AMA is proposing sound requirements to drop from 99 decibels in 2007 to 98 decibels in '08 and to 97 decibels in '10. Great news if our hearing still works by then.2007 FIM Motocross
The 51st FIM MX World Championship season began on April 1 on the demanding Dutch sand track of Valkenswaard with Antonio Cairoli and Joshua Coppins taking the first GP wins. New rule changes have put restrictions on the design of man-made whoops , but that didn't keep the track from getting rough and claiming its share of riders. Rule changes taking effect in 2008 will see sound levels lower further: 94 decibels for four-strokes and 96 decibels for two-strokes. Could this lessen the four-stroke displacement-allowance advantage?There will be increasing television coverage for '07. Last year 120 countries could watch the events, with an audience of more than 600 million viewers. The FIM World rounds can be seen online for a fee on the Moto Channel at www.mediazone.com. (The buzz is the series will air in the United States on the SPEED Channel, but we could not confirm that by press time.)MX1 Class
The MX1 (450cc) class appears wide open this year with the retirement of 10-time champion Stefan Everts, and there are many riders in line for the crown. The favorite is New Zealander Joshua Coppins, who was the only rider to beat Everts in '06. Coppins did not disappoint his new Yamaha/Rinaldi team, putting his works YZ450FM on top of the podium with 1-2 moto scores.A great performance by Jonathan Barragan of Spain got KTM the second step on the podium and a moto-two win. Barragan, having trouble with his rear brake, had to settle for fifth in the first moto.Third place went to Steve Ramon, who crashed in both motos but was still able to post a 2-6 on the day on his works Suzuki RM-Z450.FIM motocross always brings out unique machinery. At the opening round, TM made it into the top 10 via a ninth-place overall by Manuel Priem. The innovative WRM bike, with its carbon-fiber swingarm and frame, earned its first championship points with Cristian Beggi at the controls for 24th overall, and the Aprilia V-twin finished both motos with three-time World champion Alessio Chiodi aboard.American Mike Brown, back on the World Championship circuit and riding a CAS Honda, got the season going with two good starts, but problems with arm-pump relegated him to a 14-9 finish. It was good enough to keep him inside the top 10 in championship points.

Jonathan Barragan

MX1 Point Standings
1. Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 47
2. Jonathan Barragan, KTM, ESP, 41
3. Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 37
4. Kevin Strijbos, Suzuki, BEL, 36
5. Marc De Reuver, Yamaha, NED, 35
6. Ken De Dycker, Honda, BEL, 34
7. Maximilian Nagl, KTM, GER, 25
8. James Noble, Honda, GBR, 24
9. Manuel Priem, TM, BEL, 19
Mike Brown, Honda, USA, 19
(After 1 of 15 rounds)MX2 Class
Sweeping both MX2 (250F) motos, Italian Antonio Cairoli and the Yamaha/DeCarli combination showed themselves to be the team to beat. Cairoli grabbed two good starts and got into the lead with seeming ease. His training has him in great condition, and he has the speed to win. This victory is the first step on his way to reclaiming the title he won in '05.Second and third overall went to two South African riders, Tyla Rattray and Gareth Swanepoel. Rattray finished second in spite of a frightening crash on Saturday during his qualifying heat. The factory KTM rider rode strong on Sunday. Even with two mediocre starts, he managed to race through the field for two second-place moto scores. Swanepoel, of the Molson/Kawasaki team, got onto the podium for the first time in his career with a 3-6.Defending champion Christophe Pourcel earned fourth overall with a 7-3, which is impressive considering the French rider had only been back on a bike for two weeks following his recovery from the compression fracture to his right lower tibia he received racing in America at the Anaheim 2 Supercross. The Kawasaki/GPKR team rider had two crashes during the second moto, first falling by himself and then again after midair contact with Tommy Searle.American Sean Hamblin, riding for Suzuki Swift, finished 16th overall with a 27-12. American Ryan Mills, on team Martin Honda, was feeling the effects of a practice crash and had to withdraw from the GP after Saturday's practice session.MX2 Point Standings
1. Antonio Cairoli, Yamaha, ITA, 50
2. Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 44
3. Gareth Swanepoel, Kawasaki, RSA, 35
4. Christophe Pourcel, Kawasaki, FRA, 34
Erik Eggens, Suzuki, NED, 34
Kenneth Gundersen, Yamaha, NOR, 34
7. Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 28
8. Marcus Schiffer, KTM, GER, 27
9. Anthony Boissire, Kawasaki, FRA, 22
Pascal Leuret, Honda, FRA, 22
(After 1 of 15 rounds)Boty Issues
Honda CRF150R Recall: The Real StoryWhen we began hearing rumors that American Honda was issuing a recall on its 2007 CRF150R, we immediately went straight to the source on this one, getting the full scoop directly from Honda. The company has not issued a recall but rather what it calls a "Product Update Campaign," which replaces the camshaft on the '07 CRF150R with a different unit. Honda reps say that a defect may exist on some stock camshafts that may cause the piece to break under extreme use. As a result, Honda wants to replace the cam and all necessary related parts free of charge. If you have a 150R that still has the stock cam, just hook up with a Honda dealer for an appointment to make the swap, and the mechanics there will see to it that your bike is dialed in with a new cam. Dealers can be located on Honda's website: www.powersports.honda.com.