16 |JUNE 2019 http://www.adbmag.com.au
SOIL SAMPLE HOT OFF THE PRESS
SALESDOWN
Dirtbike sales have taken a tumble,
with Federal Chamber of Automotive
Industries’ fi gures showing the off-
road market down to 6085, or 9.3%,
compared to the fi rst quarter last
year. KTM’s 300EXC couldn’t repeat its
monster start to 2018 and fell by 52.9%.
The total was nearly 50% down on the
traditionally strong fourth quarter, with
Honda’s CRF450L going from 258 to 63.SPAIN WINS
Toni Bou and Jaime Busto have secured
the X-Trial des Nations title for Spain.
They won comfortably from France.E-BIKE ENDURO
The FIM has continued its plunge into
electric bike racing with an E-Bike
Enduro World Cup set for 1-2 June as
part of the Trophee de France E-VTT
Enduro. The event will feature two
categories; Enduro1 for 250W e-bikes
that can do up to 45kmh and Enduro2,
for 250W e-bikes limited to 25kmh.E-BIKE MOTOCROSS
Youthstream will host the fi rst E-X
Bike World Cup at the MXGP of Italy at
Imola in August. The one-race format
will include a mass start with combined
categories of male and female riders
racing for 30 minutes plus one lap
but scored separately. The racing will
be open to eMTBs and not electric
motocross bikes.KTM READY FOR FINKE
A new-look KTM Desert Racing Team will
fi eld David Walsh and Callum Norton in
this year’s Finke Desert Race, over the
Queen’s Birthday long weekend. Alice
Springs local Walsh will spearhead the
squad aboard the KTM 500EXC-F while
Norton will pilot the KTM 450EXC-F for
his second attempt at the event.
Whoops wizard, Page 88ROOM FOR ONE MORE
A record 62 Yamaha WR250R riders
assembled in Cessnock, NSW, for the
two-day WR250R Rally. The blue-blooded
crew met at Chris Watson’s Motorcycles
before being led around Yengo, Watagan,
Corrabare, Werakata, Heaton, Sugarloaf,
Pokolbin and Wollombi forests with the
help of RideADV’s diminutive Greg Yager.MXGP TIPPED
FOR PERTH
PERTHCOULDBEhostinga roundof
theMotocrossWorldChampionship
nextyear,accordingtorumours
thatstartedatMatterleyBasin.
Thetalkmushroomedafter
ManjimupMXpromotorWillie
Thompsonallegedlycalledoutto
thehugeBritishcrowdthatMXGP
wouldreturntoAustraliain 2020.
Thompsonpassedoffwhathe
saidasa passingcommenttoshow
interestin hostingone.“We’ve
alwaysputourhanduptosaywe
areinterestedin havingone,but
that’sit,”hesaid.“We’dhaveto
fundit,we’dhavetogeta venue,
we’dhavetonegotiatecontracts
andmoreover...therumourmillhas
gonea bitwild.”
ThompsonassuredADBthe
eventwasa possibility“ifthere
wasa spare$10-20million”.MA’s
off-roadco-ordinatorMattFalvo
said:“Thereis nothingofficiallyhappeningfromMAbutweare
alwaysopentothepossibility.”
It is notthefirsttimerumours
havestartedaroundthereturnof
MXGP,thelasttimebeingjustfour
yearsago.Thepromoterofthe
2000-2001AussieMXGProunds
atBroadford,KevinWilliams,then
expressedhisdesiretobringit
backtoBroadfordafterthecircuit
received$550,000fromthe
VictorianGovernment.Thatwas
theyearthatToddWatersandDean
Ferriswerein MXGPalongwith
RyanVillopoto.SIX-TIME FINKE Desert Race
motorcycle category winner Toby
Price is not aiming for a seventh
title in the bike class this year.
Instead, Pricey has announced
he will only be competing in the
Trophy Truck category.
The decision was made to aid
the recovery of his injured right
wrist, which plagued him during
this year’s Dakar Rally win. Since
that rally, Price has undergone
further surgery, which involved a
bone graft being taken from hiship to repair the badly
shattered scaphoid.
“Racing only the truck is the
safer option to know that I’ll be
ready for Dakar 2020,” he said.
“After the injury I’d like to focus
on one category and the one I
haven’t won yet.”
Price suggested he might
return on a bike to race for his
seventh Finke bike crown next
year. “Maybe in 2020 we will do
the bike again and see if I can
get seven!”PRICE STICKS TO TRUCKS
ROBERTS
SERIOUSLY
INJURED
RACELINE KTM RIDER
Jy Roberts has suffered
a serious head injury in a
crash while training in Mudgee,
NSW. Jy crashed on a jump and
was unconscious when paramedics
arrived. He was airlifted to John
Hunter Hospital in Newcastle where
he was placed in an induced coma.
After being brought out of the
coma he remained in the intensivecare unit before being moved
to a head trauma unit.
Team manager Chris Woods
told ADB Jy’s condition
had improved dramatically.
“Things have moved really
fast. He has been able to speak
and communicate well but he is still
a bit groggy due to the swelling of
the brain.”
Woods told ADB the plan was to
take things day by day and, once
doctors released Jy from hospital,
he would return home to continue
his recovery.KING OF MX
MOVES EAST
THE KING OF MX New South
Wales motocross titles are
moving east after delays at the
new Goulburn track that was
slated to run the fi nals on 8-
June. Motorcycling NSW has
announced the King of MX will
move 80km east to the Nowra
Motorcycle Club.
Goulburn Motorcycle Club
secretary Sam White told ADB
the new facility would not be in
the condition needed to host the
expected 2000 competitors that
would attend in June. “We just
didn’t feel 100 per cent ready
to host the event,” he said. “It
was going to be the fi rst major
event at our new complex and
we want to make sure the track
and supporting infrastructure is
perfect. One of the major issues
was with our sprinkler system.
It’s a large system and it would
not have been completely
mastered or running effi ciently
by the event date.”
With $53,000 in cash and
other prizes up for grabs as
well as the title of NSW state
champion, the King of MX has
attracted a huge fi eld expected
to roll into Nowra. Up to 600
riders are contesting each of the
King of MX, Queen of MX, Prince
of MX and Princess of MX.ALL THE GOSS IN
THE BUSINESSIndust ry
Corner