First of all, the fact that you’re even considering buying either of these makes us happy. Seriously, the amount it will cost you to buy a dirtbike or an ATV will pay itself back over and over with an endless supply of fun and memories in no time. I’ve personally owned and raced both dirtbikes and ATVs, so I’ve grown quite familiar with each of their pros and cons. I started out on two wheels and rode dirtbikes in Connecticut until I got to high school. I then moved to Pennsylvania, and sold my dirbike in favor of an ATV, not because I didn’t like riding dirtbikes anymore, but because most of my friends and cousins had them.

I lived in Scranton, PA, where it snows a lot in the winter. Having an ATV there was more practical for year-round use. A lot of people in PA also had snowmobiles, but a quad was able to get around on snow-covered trails and roads easily too, so long as you had decent tread on your tires. A dirtbike, unfortunately, not so much. The rural parts of Pennsylvania are very popular amongst outdoorsmen, fisherman and hunters, and ATVs are perfect for this kind of stuff because of their ability to carry more cargo. Utility 4×4 ATVs come with racks both front and rear, and can basically go just about anywhere. Sport ATVs are rear-wheel driven and weigh much less, and they don’t come fitted with racks like utility quads do, but there’s an endless supply of aftermarket bumpers and grab bars you can get that quickly fixes that problem.

Most of the trails in Pennsylvania are enough to fit ATVs or even Jeeps and other 4x4s no problem. The same is likely true for wherever you live. Sport ATVs are a ton of fun to ride, and steering with the throttle is a blast, but compared to dirbikes, they do have their limitations. On the flip side, the same is true for dirtbikes. So let’s talk about the highs and lows.

Should I Buy a Dirtbike or an ATV

An ATV’s four wheels provide more stability than a dirtbike, and this can make traversing rough, slippery and/or uneven terrain a lot easier. But, an ATV doesn’t have as much ground clearance as a dirtbike, so there’s that to consider. A dirtbike is much narrower than an ATV and can get in and out of much tighter places and ride along skinnier single-track trails – an ATV usually cannot. Then there’s also the weight of the two to consider. A sport ATV can weigh almost twice as much as a dirtbike. Most newer ATVs now come equipped with a reverse gear, but that wasn’t a luxury I was afforded back in the day on my Honda TRX450R or Kawasaki KFX450, which meant I had to heave and pull the darn thing around anytime I got stuck or had to turn around on a tight trail. Dirtbikes don’t have this problem, and can be flipped around much easier.

Then there’s the cost of maintenance and ownership. With a dirtbike, you only have two tires to replace. On a quad, there’s four. So you’ll be spending about twice as much on tires every time they need replacing. And then there’s the question of storage and transporting them. Of course, an ATV takes up more space than a dirtbike, and transporting either of them is easy if you have a pickup truck, because they can both usually fit pretty easily. A pickup truck, however, can carry up to three dirtbikes depending on your setup, but only one quad. I’ve seen people get creative by standing their ATVs up on the grab bar and rear wheels, and fit two in a bed, but it’s not an ideal setup, which means if you have more than one, you’ll need to factor the cost of a trailer into your budget.

In college I bought myself another dirtbike. I had ATVs at the same time, but found myself gravitating back to two wheels, mostly because I found dirtbikes to be more versatile for the type of riding I was into, and I could ride more trails in more areas. Plus, it was just easier to load and unload by myself. But your situation could be different. You could possibly ride your ATV anywhere you want and never have to worry about loading or unloading it – I didn’t always have that luxury, especially if I wanted to ride a motocross track.

In the end, it really boils down to what type of riding you think you’ll be doing and where. In the right hands, an ATV can do just about anything a dirtbike can, but there are just certain places an ATV can’t go. If a trail is too narrow, it’s too narrow. Simple as that. Just like trying to fit into size 32 jeans if you’re actually a 36 – it ain’t happenin’, Mack.   

One final thing to consider is if you plan on riding any motocross. There are ATV motocross series all across the U.S., but most tracks have a propensity for and prefer dirtbikes. ATVs kick up a lot of dust, way more than dirtbikes, and they steer with the throttle and slide the rear around, which means they’re constantly pushing dirt off the track. Dirtbikes, on the other hand, carve ruts into the track, which doesn’t bode well for ATVs. ATVs and dirtbikes on the same track at the same time just don’t mix, unfortunately. As a result, tracks often only allow ATVs to ride on select days and/or on select tracks because of the way in which the tracks have to be prepped afterwards.

We support your plans whether you end up on two wheels or four. You really can’t go wrong either way, and you’re going to have a blast no matter what – that’s guaranteed. But at the end of the day, if we had to choose one or the other, we’d have to give the nod to dirtbikes well, because, this website isn’t called Dirtbikes.com for nothing, but also becaude they’re all-around a little easier to live with. Then again, if you live somewhere where it snows a lot (we don’t), you might be better off with an ATV. So maybe just get one of each!

The post Should I Buy a Dirtbike or an ATV? appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

A couple weeks ago, it was announced that Travis Pastrana would jump an Indian Scout FTR750 into the record books, not once, but in three separate leaps designed to pay homage to the late great Evel Knievel. You can read all about the details here, but in short, Travis will attempt three of Evel’s most famed jumps aboard the FTR, including jumping the length of 52+ crushed cars, 16 Greyhound busses, and the famous Caesar’s Palace fountain jump that left Knievel with over 40 broken bones and in a month-long coma.

Travis Pastrana Will Pay Tribute to Evel Knievel by Jumping an Indian Scout FTR750

Travis, our modern era’s most iconic motorcycle stunt performer, with countless world records to his credit, is no stranger to laying it all on the line. But this time, he’s not jumping his dirtbike, and there’s a whole new set of parameters to get accustomed to. And that’s not to mention a completely foreign bike to get comfortable on before sending it hurdling through the air high above the Vegas strip.

We were invited to meet Travis and his Nitro Circus crew, as well as to check out the FTR750 he’ll be jumping at a facility built to replicate the three jumps he’ll attempt live on July 8th, in Las Vegas. You probably wouldn’t expect Pastrana to attempt jumps of this magnitude on a bike designed to keep both wheels firmly planted on the ground, but then again, that just wouldn’t be his style…

One might think that the FTR would have to be heavily modified to be able to handle these additional forces – we did – but that’s just simply not the case. Roland Sands and his team are in charge of getting the bike set up to Pastrana’s liking, and you’d be surprised how little they’ve changed it. For starters – of course – the suspension’s internals were revalved and sprung stiffer by Race Tech using stock components to accommodate the increased force of each landing, but the front fork and rear Öhlins shock only have the original 4.5 inches of travel to work with (compared to the 12 inches of travel Travis is used to on his dirtbikes).

To further brace and reinforce the front end, Roland installed a beefed up triple tree setup that Indian’s American Flat Track Wrecking Crew uses for the TT-style races. Mounted to the top clamp is a pair of taller risers which have been reversed to place Travis’ signature ProTaper handlebar further forward, with ergonomics more similar to a dirtbike rather than the typical pullback and low bend on a flat tracker. Additionally, they installed a Brembo front brake setup because Travis’ landings don’t have a lot of run out, and require him to get on the binders as soon as he touches down.

Finally, the FTR750’s footpegs had to be repositioned. In stock trim, the FTR750’s pegs are actually offset from one another, to better weight and balance the bike while sliding and turning left. So, custom mounting plates had to be made in order to align the pegs for a sturdier and more familiar feel. A taller, grippier seat was installed as well to help accommodate Travis’ 6-foot-2 frame, but other than that, the FTR is as stock as it gets – a true nod to how solid the Indian platform comes right out of the box, regardless of what its intended use will be. Though, Indian never designed it with this in mind, that’s for sure.

Prior to chatting with Travis yesterday, he had only ridden the bike once, and will only have a few days to get comfortable on it this week before attempting the three jumps on live television July 8th. We keep saying attempting, but we imagine these jumps should be a walk in the park for Travis considering he’s double-backflipped bikes before, but he’s not so sure…

“I’m riding a bike that I’m not familiar with, jumping at three different speeds, and possibly in three different gears. The bike is going to fly differently off of every lip and elevation, and land differently on each landing. But our goal, just like Evel’s, is to go as big as humanly possible and push the limits of whatever machinery you’re on. It’s a tribute to Evel Knievel and we are redoing his stunts, but at the same time, we want to live with Evel’s spirit, and that is to go big.”

A 180-foot jump is big, no matter how you cut it. Period. It doesn’t matter what type of vehicle is flying through the air, and with less than a week’s worth of preparation a whole month’s time ahead of the actual event, Travis doesn’t have a whole lot of preparation to really get things dialed in. And when asked what type of physics planning was involved, he said, “Not a whole lot. We have our general idea of what to expect, but despite how advanced technology has become, computers more often than not just can’t seem to get the math right. So we don’t rely on them. And then there’s the added variables of wind, temperature and humidity to contend with, which not only affect me, but the bike as well. So we just have to go out there and feel it through the seat of our pants, because there’s no telling what the bike is going to do once we’re airborne.”

With the technology and equipment Evel had available to him 50 years ago, and what Travis is working with today, you’d think it’d be safe to say these jumps should be a piece of cake. But let’s not forget, this is motorsports we’re talking about here, where anything and everything can happen in the blink of an eye. They wouldn’t be called daredevils if they weren’t flirting with well, you know…

Can Travis leave his mark on American motorcycle history as one of our most iconic daredevils alongside Evel Knievel? Tune-in to the History Channel on Sunday, July 8th at 8PM ET/ 5PM PT to find out!

The post Dirtbikes.com Interview: Travis Pastrana appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

Dual Sport/Adventure riding is one of the fastest growing segments in the motorcycle world for good reason. Adventure bikes are highly versatile offering prowess on pavement and the capabilities to conquer the rougher stuff when the pavement ends, and Kenda has invested in research and testing to design tires specifically for these versatile beasts.

With tread patterns engineered to provide the best of both worlds as riders move seamlessly from pavement to more rugged off-road terrain, Kenda is adventure-ready. Further representing their commitment to the Adventure category, the company is bringing their support to two of the most prominent adventure riding events in the U.S. The KTM AMA National Adventure Riding Series and the Beta AMA National Dual Sport Series. Together, these series boast expansive schedules bringing nearly 40 events to riders across the U.S. in 2018.

“The KTM AMA National Adventure Riding Series and the Beta AMA National Dual Sport Series feature some of the best routes across the country and provide riders in the growing dual sport and adventure riding segments an opportunity to get together with fellow riders,” said Heather Wilson, Recreational Riding Manager for the American Motorcyclist Association. “We are happy to have Kenda aboard for 2018 to help support and expand the series even more.”

ABOUT KENDA TIRES
Since it was founded in 1962, Kenda has operated under the core values of Honesty, Innovation, Quality, and Customer Service. Over the years, it has continued to develop and expand its product offering to meet changing market demands. Today, it is one of the world’s leading tire and tube manufacturers for automotive, motorcycle, ATV, bicycle, wheelchair, golf cart, lawn care equipment, trailer, skid loader, and agricultural vehicles. With factories all over the world, Kenda is able to provide quality products to suit a wide variety of applications. For more information, please visit www.kendatire.com

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ASPEN, Colo. – January 22, 2018 – Monster Energy, the official energy drink partner of X Games, is proud to announce its team of world-class athletes ready to compete at X Games Aspen 2018 at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colo.  All competitions are slated for January 25 – 28. Expect non-stop action as Monster Energy athletes hit events across Skiing, Snowboarding, Snowmobiling and the exciting Snow Bike.

The snow sports world will soon gather in the heart of the Rocky Mountains as Winter X Games returns to the storied mountain destination for its 17^th consecutive year for the world’s premier action sports competition on snow with live coverage on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. The 2018 event will again feature action sports competitions, world-class musical performances and a festival village.

Monster Energy’s unrivaled roster includes athletes across the spectrum of Snowboard, Freeski, Snowmobile, Snow Bike and new for this year, Harley-Davidson Hill Snow Hill Climb, where athletes are ready to compete for fame, fortune and everlasting X Games glory.

X Games is the height of winter competition, and as such, athlete invites are few and far between. This year the invitations were limited to even less athletes in an effort to keep the contest level elite. Key Monster Energy athletes to keep an eye on include:

Chloe Kim: The 17-year-old snowboard phenom will look for her fourth gold medal in Women’s SuperPipe — feats she accomplished in Aspen 2015 and 2016 as well as Oslo 2016. Kim earned her first X Games medal at the age of 13 and is the only X Games athlete to win three gold medals before the age of 16. This year is even more special for Kim because she was recently announced to her first Olympic Team where in February she is widely consider the favorite to take gold in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

In Men’s SuperPipe Iouri Podladtchikov and Ayumu Hirano will gun it out for gold. Podladtchikov, who won X Games Aspen silver in 2010 and 2012 as well as silver in Oslo 2016 is looking for his first X Games gold. Hirano meanwhile will rely on his explosive riding and unmatched style to try and snag another gold, something he accomplished in Oslo 2016.

As far as Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle goes we need look no further than the X Games all time winningest athlete in the discipline, Jamie Anderson. With 11 medals total, 4 of them gold, Anderson will look to add some more hardware to here trophy case as she prepares to defend her Olympic gold in South Korea next month. In addition, she will be competing in the Women’s Snowboard Big Air event, which made its X Games debut last year.

Looking at the men, Monster Energy is sending a stacked roster to X Games for Snowboard Slopestyle including Ståle Sandbech, a goofy-footed rider from Norway who peers and judges alike agree has the best style on the course.

Sandbech has a total of five X Games medals thus far and will be gunning for his elusive first gold. In addition, Max Parrot, Sebbe De Buck and Darcy Sharpe, a 20-year-old Canadian rider whose versatility and natural talent lend added excitement to his creative runs, will be competing in the event.

With the final snowboard event of the games, when the Men’s Big Air get underway it will be Max Parrot representing the Monster Energy team with his dichotomous style. With an incredibly humble and quiet demeanor, when Parrot straps in he inevitably dominates, which is obvious by his pioneering of multiple tricks and eight X Games medals, four of which are gold. Parrot has won the event the past two years.

Meanwhile, superstars David Wise and Gus Kenworthy will compete for center stage in the Men’s Ski Superpipe. Wise, a three-time gold medalist in the event is looking to regain his spot on top after missing the podium the past three seasons. Kenworthy, on the other hand will look for his first gold after a sliver and bronze in Aspen and Oslo 2016 respectively.

Men’s Freeski Big Air brings the surprise James Woods back to the course after a remarkable win last year in Aspen. Growing up riding the “dry slopes” of Great Britain, this unlikely star wows spectators and judges alike with his progressive take on the sport. Also in attendance will be Swedish Skier Henrik Harlaut a legend in the making with a total of four golds in the event thus far in his young career.

The Women’s Ski Big Air bring four Monster Energy Athletes to the jump — Maggie Voisin, Devin Logan, Giulia Tanno and Emma Dahlström, a 25-year-old from Sweden whose X Games resume includes a bronze in Big Air at Oslo 2016 as well as a gold in Slopestyle at Aspen 2015.

Returning to the halfpipe, Cassie Sharpe (sister of snowboarder Darcy Sharpe) will take to the Women’s Ski SuperPipe with the same ferocity we saw in her 2016 X Games debut where she placed fourth in Aspen only to take gold a month later in Oslo with one of the best pipe runs in the history of women’s skiing. Also in attendance will be Logan and veteran skier Brita Sigourney.

With the Women’s Ski Slopestyle competition look out for 18-year-old Tanno. An X Games rookie last year, she narrowly missed the podium at both the Aspen and Oslo X Games taking fourth at both respective events. Dahlström, Voisin and the multi-talented Logan, who is competing in all three ski events, will also take to the course.

As far as the Men’s Ski Slopestyle goes Monster Energy dominates the field with a total of five athletes, including last years bronze medalist Alex Beaulieu-Marchand. Despite a string of injuries in recent years, “ABM” as he is known, has not slowed a bit and continues to dazzle the freeski world with his inventive spins and grabs. At just 23-years-old the Quebec City native is just hitting his stride. The venue will also be subject to the savagery of Harlaut, Woods, Kenworthy, and Evan McEachran — all posted to strike for X Games gold.

In Snow BikeCross, Doonies3 star Axell Hodges will compete in the event. Hodges, who made his X Games debut at X Games Austin 2016 walked away with silver in Moto X Best Whip and is looking to add another medal this year in the new Snow Bike event on snow. Supercross and Motocross champion Ryan Villopoto will also be competing in BikeCross along with Kody Kamm, Josh Hill, and Keaton Ward.

For the inaugural Snow Bike Best Trick contest pay attention to Freestyle Moto X innovator Jackson Strong. Strong who has won three X Games gold in Moto X Best Trick will take his skills to the snow for the first time in this modified crossover sport. Veteran snowmobiles Heath Frisby and Brett Turcotte will also saddle up for the unique event.

Snowmobile Freestyle sees familiar face Joe Parsons fire up his machine for the 11^th year in a row in hopes of snagging another X Games medal.

With an astonishing 15 medals at the games including four gold, Parsons will face off against Monster Energy teammates and training buddies Turcotte, Cory Davis and the legendary Frisby when competition kicks of Friday evening.

It will be an equally powerful line up at the Snowmobile Speed and Style event when the same veteran riders square off on at the bottom of Buttermilk Mountain on the always inventive course. With 11 X Games appearances under his belt, Davis has amassed six medals — three silver, three bronze. Will 2018 be the year that Davis finally takes home gold?

Finally, X Games Aspen 2018 will introduce the inaugural Harley-Davidson Hill Climb. In this psycho competition Logan Mead will line up head to head in a series of heats against other riders as they race modified twin cylinder motorcycles up the flat bottom of the superpipe course. Though Mead’s experience lies on traditional dirt hill climbs, it will be interesting to see if his skills translate to the snow.

ESPN and ABC will televise a combined 15.5 hours of live X Games Aspen 2018 coverage, which will also be accessible via the ESPN App to viewers who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.  Additional coverage of sports and music will be carried on ESPN3 as well as the latest coverage across ESPN digital platforms, including XGames.com, the X Games App, and X Games pages across YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and more.

Visit http://www.monsterenergy.com for exclusive updates from X Games Aspen 2018 including photos, videos, and contest results as they happen. Follow Monster Energy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter for exclusive behind-the-scenes looks in Aspen.

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Not only was the Prairie City start line jam packed with the best of the best, but the racers were prompted to start the race with the sound of a shotgun. Racers were sent off the start line and immediately dragged through the slick mud and quick turns, which put some time gaps between the thick line of competition. The racers then hit the pavement to soon be taken to the super moto track where the pavement seemed to be even more slick than the wet mud. Being faced with slick pavement, slippery rocks, thick mud, and even a sand track, these racers had a challenge awaiting them from the very beginning.

Beta’s Max Gerston, who sat at the top of the Prairie City Pro podium, had no problem conquering the tough course terrain while racing to defend his 2017 Championship title. Although Gerston placed first overall, it was not an easy journey to that position. Coming from Arizona, Gerston found himself struggling with the constant changes of terrain, making his victory that much sweeter.

The 2017 Pro 250 Champion, Team SRT-Husqvarna-backed Trystan Hart was not going to let Gerston get away with an easy win. Throughout the entire race, Gerston and Hart battled for the lead. Wrapping up the first lap, Gerston ran first with Hart trailing. It was not until the second lap that Hart was able to make a pass on Gerston. Seeing Hart gain time, Gerston found his motivation. Taking each section as a lesson in traction and throttle control, Gerston found his groove just in time for Hart’s first pit stop of the race. The two racers continued their fight for first place. After gaining too much speed and blowing a turn, Hart found himself in the bushes, giving up his battle with Gerston, who was able hold the lead lead for the remainder of the race. Due to lack of seat time in the break between seasons, Hart fought to hold onto his second-place position, as his competitors were not too far behind him.
Holding a steady pace behind Hart, RPM Racing backed Dante Oliveira made his mark on the Pro class. Coming in third overall, Oliveira struggled for the first half of the race with bike difficulties but made a comeback after a quick pit stop. Oliveira had a battle with Gas Gas’s Joey Fiasconaro and Travis Coy.

Not too far behind, racers in the Pro 250 class were reaching for a battle with the AA class. Jeremy Wilton struggled with throttle control on the slick Prairie City rocks, which posed a challenge for every racer out on the course, but Wilton was able to hold nice time gap on runner-up Dan Capparelli, who struggled with visibility in the muddy terrain. Nathan Gibson was third.

There was a new turnout for the podium positions in the Women’s class at Prairie City, with Kaitlyn Jacobs sitting on top, Sharon Mowell in second place and McKenna Cheff in third. After stealing the holeshot, Mowell stumbled upon some difficulties while Jacobs dominated the race. Striving for a solid finish Mowell landed second place. Cheff used her familiarity with muddy terrain to her own advantage to finish third.

The post Gerston Slips and Slides to Prairie City West Hare Scramble Win appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

“I got a holeshot, and it’s not [usual] for me, so when it happens, it’s something special, for sure, and I took advantage of it,” Stewart said. “I sprinted hard those first two laps, and I tried to break away a little bit. It was a first for me because I’m never out front early—at least I haven’t been since I was on two-strokes. It was a nice feeling again and I knew what I had to do. Halfway through when I pitted, that was when I knew that nobody was going to touch me. I can’t believe it! I’m really excited and I’m ready for 2018.

Despite being sick and unable to train or practice properly for the past month plus getting a mediocre start, new Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Off-road Team rider Dalton Shirey managed to put in a solid 90 minutes and quickly worked his way to second in the 2018 Adelanto Grand Prix. While he could see Stewart up ahead, he couldn’t get close enough to try for a pass and settled for second, about 12 seconds behind the JCR Honda pilot.

FMF/Maxxis/RPM Racing KTM’s Eric Yorba got a decent start and held second in the early laps before Shirey passed him. The 2016 Big 6 WCGP champ ended up 13 seconds behind Shirey for third place—a welcome improvement over last year when he crashed out.

After having to make an unplanned pit stop to tend to a handlebar problem, Justin Seeds of the new Chaparral Motorsports/Precision Concepts Kawasaki team roared back through the pack to claim fourth in the 2018 Adelanto Grand Prix.

Red Bull KTM Factory Off-road Racing Team’s Kailub Russell—who finished second in the 2017 Big 6 GP season finale last month in his Big 6 debut—didn’t get a solid start in the 2018 Adelanto Grand Prix, lighting up his tire with a handful of throttle and having to ride in the pack where copious roost and high speeds combined to make him ride tight and unsure. He claimed fifth in probably the fastest race he’s ever ridden, his GPS topping out at almost 102 miles per hour!

“There’s just a couple issues I had, I feel like, and I know how to work on that part of stuff,” Russell said. “The first part of the race just kind of ruined me, and the end of the race, too, because I got tight. I’m happy with the fifth for, like I said, how I rode; I didn’t feel like that was a fifth-place ride I had.”

Justin Wallis enjoyed a good day aboard his Zip-Ty Racing CRF450R to claim sixth, just three seconds behind Russell, followed by defending series champ Zach Bell who simply hasn’t had time to dial in his new 3 Brothers/STI Husqvarna FX 450.

Ryan Reina ended up eighth on his John Burr Cycles KX450F while Clay Hengeveld won the WCGP Pro II class, finishing ninth overall on his new Chaparral Motorsports/Precision Concepts KX250F. Defending WCGP Pro II champ Beau Baron claimed second in class and rounded out the top 10 overall aboard his CST Tires CRF250R.

For complete results, visit www.big6racing.com.

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While the very name of our website might make the answer to this question seem like a no-brainer, especially to our core audience, even we aren’t too blinded by lust to recognize the pros and cons when comparing a dirt bike to an ATV.

For starters, we have to admit that ATVs are far more versatile than dirt bikes. Sport utility ATVs make up the bulk of the market and for good reason. Many of these units live a double life, handling their fair share of work on farms, ranches, construction sites and pipe lines across the country. And when work time is over, sport utility ATVs make great mounts for sportsmen who take advantage of their generous cargo capacity and handy racks, which work great for hauling camping, fishing and hunting gear.

Geography may also be a factor when considering whether or to buy an ATV or a dirt bike. ATVs enjoy tremendous popularity in southern states where wet, marshy terrain can often impede the progress of your average dirt bike. With their balloon-like, low-pressure tires, ATVs can float over ground that might sink a dirt bike halfway to China. Many ATVs are also available with some form of all-wheel drive, and a lot of them also feature dual-range transmissions that allow them to crawl through some pretty gnarly stuff like a Sherman tank. On top of that, an ATV’s versatility can drastically extend the riding season in wet and snowy climates for the same reasons. While we know a lot of dirt bike riders in the Midwest who enjoy ice riding on frozen lakes, dirt bikes are pretty useless in the snow unless one is willing to invest in a snow bike conversion.

But, lest you think that we’ve just made the case that ATVs are the bomb when compared to dirt bikes, here’s where we think the tables turn in a dirt bike’s favor. For starters, having plenty experience with both, we know that dirt bikes are way more fun to ride than ATVs just about anywhere that terrain opens up and the traction is above marginal. If you can ride a section fast on an ATV, chances are good that you can ride it faster on a dirt bike, even in the woods, where a dirt bike might have a distinct advantage by being able to thread their way through the trees while an ATV might not.

But, most importantly, there is an added skill factor that one gains when riding a dirt bike that the ATV rider is effectively cheated out of: balance. Riding a dirt bike is more of a three-dimensional experience than riding an ATV because the rider learns to take into account balance, throttle position and lean angle when learning to ride, and that makes dirt bike riders better-skilled riders. The perfect litmus test is to take an experienced dirt bike rider with limited ATV riding experience, and vice versa, and have them run the same section on both vehicles. Unless he is a complete spode, our money will be on the dirt bike rider to have the faster combined time every time.

That isn’t to say that ATV riders can’t ride. We know a few ATV riders who haul the mail around our local motocross tracks, and it’s fun to watch them display their riding skills, which go well beyond even the average dirt bike rider. But they are the exception rather than the rule.
So, we say that if you really want an ATV, or if you live in an area where it makes more sense to own one, or if all your riding buddies have one, then go for it. The same is true for dirt bikes. If you want to know more about ATVs, check out ATV.com.

But, no matter which way you go, take the time to learn how to ride your chosen off-road vehicle safely. Wear all the proper safety gear and be careful and courteous to others when out on the trail. Do that, and the odds are good that you’ll enjoy which ever vehicle you choose for a very long time.

The post Should I buy a dirt bike or an ATV?: Things to Think About appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

Riverside, CA (December 15, 2017)–Precision Concepts Racing has come to an agreement with Chaparral Motorsports to have Chaparral serve as title race team sponsor for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Chaparral has a rich history in supporting the sport of motorcycle racing, sponsoring racing legends such as Jeremy McGrath and Tim Ferry in the past, and strengthens their commitment to the sport with this agreement.

Said Precision Concepts race team manager Robby Bell, “I’m beyond excited to be able to announce this partnership. Chaparral Motorsports shares our deep passion for motorcycle riding and competition and to have them commit to be a such a large driving force behind our team feels fantastic. We look forward to much shared success in the years to come.”

“We are extremely pleased to be part of the 2018/2019 Precision Concepts Racing team,” said Crystal Ashby, Chaparral Motorsports’ marketing director. “Precision Concepts Racing has always run a very respectable and professional team with some of the top riders in the sport, we are honored to support such a reputable racing program. With Precision Concepts’ highly decorated racing history and extensive technical knowledge, we know this will be an exceptionally competitive team that will deliver positive results at every event.”

Blayne Thompson and Justin Seeds will compete in the Pro class, while Clay Hengeveld will contest the A and Pro2 ranks. The team will utilize the 2018 Kawasaki KX450F, with backing from Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A., and compete in the 2018 WORCS and District 37 BIG 6 championship series, along with the 24 Hours of Glen Helen and Lake Elsinore Grand Prix.

The Chaparral Motorsports, Precision Concepts, Kawasaki race team will debut at the Adelanto Grand Prix, round one of the District 37 BIG 6 GP series, January 13-14, 2018.

About Chaparral Motorsports:
Chaparral Motorsports is one of the largest motorcycle accessory and vehicle dealerships in the country, encompassing a 160,000-square foot footprint. Started as a family motorcycle parts business, Chaparral Motorsports has developed into a multi-line motorcycle and ATV dealer, offering Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki, Can-Am, Polaris and Kymco
ATV, motorcycles, and utility vehicles.

Visit Chapmoto.com to learn more about Chaparral Motorsports and follow Chaparral on social media:

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WORCS Race Weekend Schedule
We have made some schedule changes this year in order to accommodate all racers, allow greater spectating opportunities, and to provide the most racing opportunities for WORCS racers on a race weekend. The changes were also made to try to accommodate racers who race multiple series.

Please note that this is tentative and as all WORCS Weekend Schedules subject to change for any reason.
Unique rounds such as Las Vegas, Lake Havasu and Primm will have different schedules.

It is the responsibility of EVERY racer and pit crew member to read and understand the rule book prior to racing any event and to check it regularly for updates/changes. Failure to read and abide by the rule book will result in penalty, fines or disqualification.

Official rule books can be found online at WORCS Racing.

Below are the highlighted changes/updates to the MC and ATV/SXS rule books for 2018.
Please remember to read the entire rule book COMPLETELY.

MC Changes/Updates:
The Format for Pro 2: Top (25) racers from the 450A class.
Pro 2 Lights will be allowed to qualify as follows: the top (12) from 250A class and the top (6) from 125A Sport, top (2) from Women Pro for a class for a total of twenty (20) entrants.
Qualifying will be as follows: First the qualification as listed above. If a qualified A rider passes on riding in the Pro 2 or Pro 2 Lights race, the only riders eligible to fill the position will be first the current top ten or if at Round 1 will take previous year’s top ten in points in Pro 2 or Pro 2 Lights; or also the A class champion from the prior racing season. Race director will have the ability at Round 1 to seat to any A rider into the Pro 2 or Pro 2 Lights class at his/her discretion.

ATV Changes/Updates:
The following youth ATV classes have been eliminated: 8-15 sport, 12-15 Production, 12-15 Production Sport, and 70 stock (any 70 stock will run in the 70 production class).
Radio communications are authorized for all classes.

SXS Changes/Updates:
Superchargers are ONLY allowed in the SXS Pro Production and SXS Production 1000 Turbo Class.
All vehicles must have a fire extinguisher and or automatic fire extinguishing systems with two nozzles one facing the driver and one facing the engine. Must be readily accessible to the driver. Must be mounted with a quick release type mechanism.
All SXS must have full body plastics on vehicle.
All SXS must have front and rear fixed loop (minimum 2 inch) towing access points. Wrapping around front or rear bumper as well as suspension is not an applicable towing point.
All special assist drivers (ie. paraplegic, deaf, etc) should obtain from ORS a WORCS radio to communicate with if they have an issue and medical sticker to be placed on both sides of the front roll cage; so that any ORS and or track staff can better assist the driver.
All SXS drivers with the exception of youth 250 Production and 250 Stock, drivers and special assist drivers must get out of their vehicle when flipped over; and assist in the roll over if capable. Any driver that does not exit their vehicle will be assessed a 30 second penalty. Any variance to this will be discussed at the drivers meeting.
During any process where ORS staff are on the race course to recover or assist another race vehicle the 100’before and 50’after are considered a safe zone. The max speed in this area is 5mph. Racers can not gain on other racers in this same area. Any violation of this safety zone will mean automatic disqualification of the racer.
SXS 1000 Turbo Race Number Color will now be a WHITE background with BLACK Numbers. (see rule book for example)
All amateur SXS classes will be staged on a first come first serve basis; staging will begin at the time denoted at the drivers meeting. Pro classes at round one will be staged based off Friday’s time’s session; all subsequent rounds are based off points. Failure to appear at scheduled staging time will mean driver is bumped back to next available slot.
Radio communications are authorized for all classes.

FOR ROUND 5 AT SAND HOLLOW, THE FOLLOWING CLASS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE:
Due to the State Park plans to raise the lake’s water level, Track 2 will be submerged. For the Youth ATV classes, a modified section of the adult track sand course will be used.
MC Youth 50cc 4-6 & 7-8
MC Youth 65 A, B &C
MC Youth Mini Open A, B & C
MC Youth Super Mini C (*note that Super Mini A and B WILL race and will race the full adult course)

For the classes listed above that will NOT be available for Round 5; Round 5 at Sand Hollow will not be counted as a dropped round. These classes will have a best 8 rounds instead of 9.

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After all, he had 29 points over second-in-points Trevor Stewart of the Johnny Campbell Racing (JCR) Honda team after the pemultimate Big 6 Grand Prix Series round in Gorman, and with Stewart opting to skip the Big 6 Grand Prix Series finale—the Vikings Grand Prix hosted by the Vikings Motorcycle Club at the Crazy Horse Campground in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, for the first time—Bell basically just needed to start and finish the race to take the title.

Of course, getting a good start and running near the front of the pack almost made him forget that fact. However, when some Big 6 Grand Prix Series visitors—FMF KTM Factory Off-road Racing Team’s Kailub Russell, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Off-road Team’s Thad Duvall —and a few others managed to slip past him, Bell remembered the big pictur.

“Today was just to get it across the finish line,” Bell said. “Obviously, I wanted to race with these guys, but the bigger picture was to finish the season strong [and seal the championship]. I got myself into a good position and I just let those guys go at it.”

Wait—Russell? Duvall? Aren’t those GNCC guys? Yes, they did indeed decide to go up against some of the best in the west. Both—along with new FMF KTM rider Josh Toth and fellow New England native Ben Kelley—had been in Southern California for more than a week for KTM’s team photo shoot (not Duvall, of Course), the 5th Annual Kurt Caselli Memorial Ride Day and for testing their 2018 bikes.

“I came out last weekend for the Kurt Caselli ride and didn’t have anything going on at home so I decided to hang out and do some training and come out and race this Big 6 race,” Duvall explained.

After all, riding in Arizona is a lot more pleasant this time of year compared to back in West Virginia.

The Vikings GP soon became a two-man duel between Duvall and Russell, basically a carry-over of the battles they’ve had all year in the GNCCs. This time, however, Duvall got the upper hand and beat the five-time GNCC champ by 31 seconds in the $2000, 90-minute WCGP at the 2017  Big 6 Grand Prix Series finale.

 “It’s kind of cool to finish the season with a win, I guess,” Duvall said. “It was awesome. I really enjoyed it.”

Russell used the race to see where he rates as he prepares to make a bi-coastal assault on both the GNCCs and Big 6 Grand Prix Series next year. He clearly demonstrated he’ll be a factor right away.

“I wasn’t sure [where I’d stand speed-wise compared to the Big 6 regulars] with this track,” Russell said. “I knew Thad would be good—he’s a good sand rider, a good rider in general. I thought Zach would be—I don’t want to say anything bad, but I thought he’d be one of the guys to beat because I’ve seen him ride sand before, but he probably played it safe. He had the championship he’s thinking about.”

Instead, Russell led most of the race. Well, he did until the final laps when he began to experience brake issues which he later attributed to a rock getting stuck between the brake pedal and the engine case.

The first of the Big 6 Grand Prix Series regulars turned out to be defending series champion Eric Yorba, the FMF/Maxxis/RPM Racing KTM rider displaying the number-one plate for the last time this year. However, he didn’t make it easy on himself, crashing on the first lap and having to come from last to end up third, 49 seconds behind Russell.

“These guys are amazing riders,” Yorba said. “I knew if there was one Big 6 where them being from the East Coast wouldn’t make that much of a difference, it would be this race. Say we go to 29 Palms or something like that—then they might be a little out of their element. But here, I knew they were going to be tough, for sure, and they’d be tough to beat.”

And on this day, there was no beating them.

As if to emphasize this, consider that another GNCC regular from back east—Trail Jesters KTM rider Ben Kelley—fell in the first turn of the WCGP Pro II line, picked himself up dead last and stormed back to win the class, finishing an amazing fourth overall with new FMF KTM team member Josh Toth second in class and eighth overall.

Perry Concepts Honda rider Travis Damon was fifth overall, fourth Pro, matching his series-best finish this season from round six. Bell settled for sixth overall, easily earning the number-one plate, followed by JCR Honda-mounted Eythor Reynisson from Iceland (getting in some training ahead of next year’s European MX championships),  Toth, Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/ Precision Concepts Kawasaki’s Justin Seeds and Purvines DA8 Racing Yamaha rider Nick Burson.

Bell ended the season with 184 points, Stewart taking second at 155 and Yorba third with 137. But if the Vikings race was any indication, the West Coast crew could have their hands full with the newest rider to commit to Big 6 next year, Russell.

2017 AMA District 37/Maxxis Big 6 Grand Prix Series
2017 AMA Big 6 West Coast Grand Prix (WCGP) Series
Vikings M.C. Big 6 GP
Crazy Horse Campground
Lake Havasu City, Arizona
Results: December 9-10, 2017 (Round 8 of 8)

WCGP PRO
1. Thad Duvall-Hus
2. Kailub Russell-KTM
3. Eric Yorba-KTM
4. Travis Damon-Hon
5. Zach Bell-Hon

WCGP PRO II
1. Ben Kelley-KTM
2. Josh Toth-KTM
3. Clay Hengeveld-Kaw
4. Beau Baron-Hon
5. Mitch Anderson-KTM

For full results, visit www.big6racing.com

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