30 years of Yamaha PeeWee 50 ( PW50 )

Yamaha PeeWee 50

All champions start somewhere. It just so happens that the best riders of the recent generation of MX and SX heroes started out on Yamaha's iconic PW50.

James Stewart, Ricky Carmichael and Chad Reed are just three top riders who owe their illustrious careers to the little 50cc twostroke, now celebrating its 30th year in production.

You never forget the first time you ride a motorcycle, so it's certain that Ricky, Bubba and Chad will be raising a glass on the PeeWee's 30th birthday. Why not give your offspring the chance to emulate a dirt legend by starting them off on the first dedicated fun bike?

The PW50 is designed for small riders, with ergonomics to suit. A fully auto engine lets junior concenrate on the ride and twin push bike style brake levers are handily located within grasp of little fingers. An efficient and unbelievably quiet two-stroke engine powers the little beast and there's a throttle stop limiter that allows adults to dial in the right amount of power.

Most amazing of all, in those 30 years since its launch, the PW50 has remained largely unchanged. The 49cc two-stroke engine; the tough, cast three spoke wheels and the unique duckbill front end design are all remarkably similar on the 2011 model to the unit revealed in 1981.

The fact that Yamaha engineers have not significantly changed the entry level fun bike design is evidence of how right they got the original PW50.

Today PW50 purchasers can look forward to some great offers when they place their orders in the lead up to xmas. A free kid's camping pack including tent, sleeping bag, alu drinks bottle and backpack valued at $220 is sure to appeal to your little tacker. And the offer of $200 worth of free gear when you finance with YMF is too good to pass up.

Mike Alessi Earns 10th and PJ Larsen Earns 8th at Indy SX

Red Bull/KTM Factory Team rider Mike Alessi earned 10th overall at the tenth round of the AMA Supercross Series at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. Mike Alessi - KTM

Alessi and his teammate Andrew Short were both placed in heat one. Off the start both riders were in the top ten. Short worked his way up to 5th place to earn a great gate pick in the main event while Alessi took the final transfer spot with a 9th place finish.
 
The main event did not go so well for Short. He had a bad jump off the line and came around the first corner near the back of the back. A few turns later he suffered a mechanical problem and was unable to finish the race. His teammate, Alessi, carried on rounding the first lap in 15th position.  He moved up two positions on the next lap to take over 13th place. He continued to maintain his pace as the race progressed and by the halfway point had picked up two more positions. With only two laps to go he was able to capitalize on a mistake by another rider and picked up 10th overall for the night.
 
"I am happy to finish inside the top ten tonight. This course was definitely challenging and I felt like everyone had a couple close calls tonight as we tried to pick up the speed on the course. I am excited about my consistency to finish inside the top ten but would like to move my focus toward the top five for the second half of this season," stated Alessi.
 
Next Event: Jacksonville, FL - March 19, 2011
 
Overall Results SX Class -
1)     Ryan Villopoto
2)     James Stewart
3)     Chad Reed
4)     Ryan Dungey
5)     Justin Brayton
6)     Trey Canard
7)     Kevin Windham
8)     Nick Wey
9)     Cole Seely
10)   Mike Alessi - KTM
11)   David Millsaps
12)   Matt Boni
13)   Michael Byrne
14)   Fabien Izoird
15)   Matthew Goreke
16)   Tye Simmonds - KTM
17)   Bobby Kiniry
18)   Chris Blose
19)   Ivan Tedesco
20)   Andrew Short - KTM
 
Overall Point Standings SX Class -
1)     Ryan Villopoto - 221
2)     James Stewart - 195
3)     Chad Reed - 192
4)     Ryan Dungey - 183
5)     Trey Canard - 169
6)     Andrew Short - 129
7)     Justin Brayton - 121
8)     David Millsaps - 114
9)     Brett Metcalfe - 107
10)   Kevin Windham - 103

JDR/J-Star/KTM rider PJ Larsen earned 8th overall in the East Supercross Lites class at the Indianapolis Supercross held at the Lucas Oil Stadium. His teammate, Tye Simmonds, finished 16th overall in the Supercross class. Andrew Short

The night started out horribly for Larsen who had a wreck on the first lap of his Lites Supercross Heat. "I came out 3rd around the first turn and was sitting in a good position and the next thing I knew I was on the ground," stated Larsen. "I have no idea exactly how I crashed I just remember seeing the air, hitting the ground and then being ran over a few times in the second corner." Larsen and his bike were a little banged up after that crash and he did not finish the heat race.
 
Larsen was forced to go to the LCQ where he got a poor start. He quickly moved up through the pack to move into 2nd place. He finished in that spot taking the final transfer spot to the main. "I was lucky I was able to move through the pack quickly in the LCQ. It was a bit of a bar-banging race but in the end I was able to make it to the main event."
 
When the gate dropped for the Lites main, Larsen put together a great start and was within the top five as they entered the first turn before getting pushed wide resulting in a 7th place position at the exit of the turn. Larsen remained in 7th through the remainder of the first lap before jumping up to 6th place after Hunter Hewitt crashed on lap two. Near the middle of the moto, Larsen began to tire slightly as he has been fighting a stomach virus lately. He dropped two positions to Blake Wharton and Dean Wilson.  He held 8th place from the tenth lap through the finish to earn a top ten result.
 
In the Supercross class, Simmonds was able to put in a solid heat race performance finishing 6th overall. "My heat went really well. I nearly grabbed the holeshot except my tire washed slightly and I went wider than I should have in the first turn," commented Simmonds. He came through the first lap mark in 6th and maintained that position throughout the entire heat.
 
In the Supercross main event, Simmonds was able to get a mid-pack start and sat in 12th around the first corner. A few corners into the race, a rider crossed in front of him off a jump sending Simmonds to the ground. When Simmonds recovered he had lost a lot of time and was sitting in last position. He spent the first few laps of the race catching up to the tail end of the pack and was not able to make his first pass until part way into the moto. He eventually worked his way up to 16th where he finished for the night.
 
Next Event: Jacksonville, FL - March 19, 2011
 
Overall Results SX Lites -
1)     Ryan Sipes
2)     Justin Barcia
3)     Blake Baggett
4)     Malcolm Stewart
5)     Matt Lemoine
6)     Dean Wilson
7)     Blake Wharton
8)     PJ Larsen - KTM
9)     Alex Martin
10)   Les Smith
11)   Gannon Audette
12)   Brad Ripple
13)   Taylor Futrell
14)   Ricky Renner - KTM
15)   Michael Akaydin
16)   Nico Izzi
17)   Tyler Sjoberg
18)   Jason Anderson
19)   Shawn Rife
20)   Hunter Hewitt
 
Overall Results SX Class -
1)     Ryan Villopoto
2)     James Stewart
3)     Chad Reed
4)     Ryan Dungey
5)     Justin Brayton
6)     Trey Canard
7)     Kevin Windham
8)     Nick Wey
9)     Cole Seely
10)   Mike Alessi - KTM
11)   David Millsaps
12)   Matt Boni
13)   Michael Byrne
14)   Fabien Izoird
15)   Matthew Goreke
16)   Tye Simmonds - KTM
17)   Bobby Kiniry
18)   Chris Blose
19)   Ivan Tedesco
20)   Andrew Short - KTM
 
Overall Point Standings SX Lites Class -
1)     Justin Barcia - 91
2)     Blake Baggett - 85
3)     Ryan Sipes - 79
4)     Dean Wilson - 75
5)     Blake Wharton - 65
6)     Malcolm Stewart - 52
7)     Matt Lemoine - 51
8)     PJ Larsen - 46
9)     Jason Anderson - 44
10)   Alex Martin - 40
 
Overall Point Standings SX Class -
1)     Ryan Villopoto - 221
2)     James Stewart - 195
3)     Chad Reed - 192
4)     Ryan Dungey - 183
5)     Trey Canard - 169
6)     Andrew Short - 129
7)     Justin Brayton - 121
8)     David Millsaps - 114
9)     Brett Metcalfe - 107
10)   Kevin Windham - 103

Chad Reed Opts For Honda CRF450R In OZ Supercross Series

13 October 2010 - Multiple World Supercross and 2009 AMA Motocross Champion Chad Reed has announced his decision to ride a Honda CRF450R in the coming Newcastle round of the Australian Supercross Championships kicking off this weekend.

Reed’s decision on which bike to ride for the series was left open after his most recent contract finished, with the 28 year old opting to unveil the TeamVodafone branded Honda at his home track.

Honda Australia will be backing Reed’s championship crusade in Australia with technical support courtesy of well known technician and Honda training guru Philip ‘Pip’ Harrison.

“It’s all just come together recently, so I’ll be going up to Newcastle straight away to build a bike for Chad, run a quick test session and then go racing.”

“I’m thrilled to be a part of this new team and am looking forward to getting back into the thick of racing for this series.”

After having time off due to illness this year, Reed will be looking forward to adding another title to his back to back Super X titles in his home country.

The 2010 Super X season gets underway at Newcastle this weekend, before visiting Canberra, Launceston, Auckland, Dunedin, Sydney and Brisbane for the final round.

Chad Reed out of Aussie MXoN Team as Marmont steps up to the plate

Jay Marmont

Motorcycling Australia (MA) can confirm that Chad Reed has withdrawn from the Australian Team for the 2010 Motocross of Nations to be held in Colorado, USA on 25-26 September.

Diagnosed with Epstein Barr Syndrome little more than a month ago and unable to defend his 2009 AMA Motocross Championship title, Reed made the difficult decision to withdraw from the Australian Team.

In a statement released earlier, Reed said that without a doubt Marmont the best candidate and his performance was the benchmark of the Australian Motocross scene.

"Trying to make the "smartest" decision, isn't always the easiest decision so it is really hard for me to announce that I am not going to be racing in the 2010 Motocross of Nations,” Reed stated.

"I am always extremely proud to represent my country at this event, not only is it an honour to be chosen, Team Australia has always been a case of my best mates and I racing together. 

“However, based on my performance and health this year I have to make a smart decision and I feel that there is someone else who deserve this honour more than I do.

"For the past three years no one has come close to Jay's performance in the Australian Motocross scene - even in the middle of the greatest personal adversity he didn't drop the ball once and I think he will truly do his country proud.

"Getting well is my number one priority right now, I have to be healthy and ready for the 2011 AMA Supercross Series and AMA Pro Motocross Championship.” 

Reserve rider and three times Australian Motocross Champion Jay Marmont will have some big shoes to fill, as he steps up to replace Reed.

Speaking after the announcement, the Wollongong local was excited about the opportunity to represent his country for the first time.

“This is a dream come true for me,” Marmont said.

“I was wondering if I would ever get my shot because the last few years, even though I’ve done well domestically, there’s always been a strong group of riders based in America.

“When I got the call I was over the moon and now I’m just so excited to go over there - to race guys I’ve never raced before and most importantly to represent my country.

“I’ve always been a team player and been consistent in my racing so I’m going to give it all I’ve got to put myself and the team in the best position possible.

“Dacka [Marmont’s Team Manager and former Mr Motocross Champion Craig Dack] likes to remind us every time the des Nations is on, that when he went over to race they were the highest placed Aussie Team and that no one’s has topped it yet, so this is my chance to go one better!

“We’ve got a strong team – on paper it may not be as strong as we’ve had in the past – but it’s a team with nothing to lose so everyone is going to go out there and give it their all and hopefully we can do well.

“I was reading the other day that the Australian Team came third at the Junior Motocross World Championship - good on them – that is something they can be very proud of and if we can go out there and do what they did or even better that would be a huge feat for us!”

KAWASAKI KX450F WINS DIRT ACTION MAGAZINE SHOOTOUT !

The bike that propelled Chad Reed to the 2009 Australasian Monster Energy SuperX Championship win - the 2010 KX450F - has won the Dirt Action Magazine 2010 450cc Motocross Shootout.

Up against 5 other major manufacturer’s 450cc motocrossers, the Kawasaki KX450F proved good enough to take the coveted win with Dirt Action magazine saying, “It’s big, ballsy power was a hit with the race guys and the handling did all that was required at speed. Kawasaki has always prided itself on being an engine company and this big boy certainly has that, but not at the expense of the rest of the package.”

 “But when we thrashed it all out, raised our voices and did a recount of the secret squirrel votes, the 2010 KX450F was the winner. It has the best power with the best power placement, handles as well as any in class and has proven to be a very durable bike over recent years.”

Dirt Action Magazine

With numerous international shootout wins under its belt, Kawasaki is very pleased that the 2010 KX450F has also been recognised in Australia by taking the shootout win.  Watch for Kawasaki Racing Team’s, Billy Mackenzie, racing for victory at the 2010 Australian Motocross and SuperX Championships onboard the Dirt Action Shootout winning 2010 KX450F.

The 2010 Kawasaki KX450F is available now at your nearest Kawasaki Dealership and is currently offered with $750 cash back. (Offer ends 30/04/10).