Four-time Canadian National champion, Dusty Klatt, and RJ Marnoch hanging out at the Yamaha Blackfoot factory rig.

Hello RJ, congratulations on winning the ‘Yamaha Factory Ride’ award at this year’s Walton TransCan!
RJ Marnoch: Thank you.

How many times have you raced the TransCan?
About 5 years now.

Is this your best year as far as results go?
Yeah, definitely.

What clicked for you this year at Walton?
Riding the big bike, my YZ250F, helped me out a lot. I’m a little too big for an 85cc, and I feel more comfortable on the 4-stroke.

You raced a 125 2-stroke in the Schoolboy, and a 250F in MX2 Junior. What’s the biggest difference for you between the two bikes?
Probably my corner speed; it’s way easier to roll-on the throttle on the 250F compared to the 125. I only got onto my 250F a few weeks ago, and now I’m wishing I had of been on one sooner.

You’ve had great results all summer. Are you the type of person who sets goals, or do you just go out, ride and let the results come?
I just go into it with my head held high, try my best and take it moto by moto.

Regarding the ‘Yamaha Factory Ride,’ which includes a 2012 YZ of your choice and a $2500 parts and accessories credit, have you given much thought to which bike you’ll choose?
Probably another 250F.

RJ and his father, Roddy, were given a full guided tour of the factory Yamaha Blackfoot racing semi.

How did you get into motocross, RJ?
I started riding when I was 4 years old, when my parents got me a dirt bike for my birthday. A friend down the street was into racing, he was friends with my dad, and we started going with them to the races. We just kept getting a little more serious every year. I’ve been on Yamaha’s since I started racing 80s.

Do you have a certain type of track that you prefer, or that you’re riding style suits best?
I like loam with lots of jumps.

Oh really, so Walton probably isn’t your favourite track but you still won!
Yeah, not really but it’s still a good track to ride. I like Sand Del Lee, and down in the states Area 51 is pretty fun.

Aside from racing, any other hobbies or interests?
I ski in the winter and race in the summer. That’s about it.

I know your dad, Roddy, is very supportive and enthusiastic about racing, and you have many other people helping you out. Who do you want to thank for helping you in 2011?
My whole family, Stouffville Toyota, DMX, Renegade Fuels, Fox Shox, Progressive Lighting, Lime Nine graphics, and everyone else.

Yamaha is planning to bring back the ‘Yamaha Factory Ride’ award to the TransCan and other amateur events in 2012. So keep your results up next year and you could win another Factory Ride!
That’s awesome, thanks!

For those of you who don’t know, the Photo Contest is being run on our Facebook page. It’s easy to enter; all you need to do is become a fan of our page, upload some sweet pics and hit “submit now” on the Contest page …

Our goal with the contest is to get you guys being creative, and show us – and everyone – what makes you and your Yamaha the cat’s behind. The contest ends on February 28, 2010 and so far we’ve received over 200 photos. Awesome.

So what do you get if you’re photo is chosen by our panel of judges? A $5,000 Yamaha Shopping Spree! Not too bad, eh? Also, if one or two or three photos really standout, we may use them in corporate YAMAHA advertising. We don’t really have  a clearcut leader at the moment, but there are quite a few inspiring and interesting submissions. Here are some of my favs:

Midnight oil: Luke Tudor surely had some assistance in this sweet shot of him and his R1, and it’s paid off.

The impossible shot? Craig Adams isn’t afraid of a little hard work. I’m guessing it was a PITA trying to set up this unique photo with his Nytro but worth the results.

Michael Zwier clearly loves his VMAX.

Adrian Van Vugt sent us a whole collection of images featuring his FZ. If you flip through the album on Facebook, you’ll see that Adrian and his Yamaha have explored nearly every inch of this country.

Girl Power: Katrina Bryant’s photos impress me for two reasons: first, because she’s put a lot of effort into her work, second, because it’s not often you see a woman riding a sleek and powerful R1. “A bike is only as dangerous as you make it,” she says. “Any bike accident on any size bike will yield similar results, the cc of the bike only dictates how quickly you might arrive at your destination.”

 …. we’re stuck for words as well. Bear-skins, lamp shades, vintage YZ … Jessica Off is definitely leading the contest as far as creativity goes.

Shaun May and his family show off their beautiful blue C3. It brings tears to Mr. Scooter Sense seeing love like this ….

It’s not going to be easy choosing a winner. We need your help. Visit our Facebook page, become a fan, and comment on these and others contest photos. Tell us what you like or don’t like and who gets your vote.

Thanks for reading!

DanBro

Before we get too far, did you notice the cool new video we incorporated into the Bike Blog header graphic? Neat, eh. A big thanks to our web developer, Emily, and graphic designer, Nick, for making my little dream a reality. I think it brightens this place up.

There’s no business like show business, and there’s no business like motorcycle show business! This weekend marks the first round of the Canadian Motorcycle Shows, which kicks off at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in, you guessed it, downtown Toronto….

Though I’m an avid enthusiast, more so of the “dirt” breed, it’s been quite some time since I’ve attended the Toronto MC Show. In fact, the last time I was there, two-strokes still ruled the roost—and that was only in 2005! How times have changed….

I’m excited for my first show as part of the Blue Team. I’m sure we’ll see a huge increase of attendees at the Yamaha booth due to my presence; I think it would be even bigger if I were allowed to go sans-shirt but unfortunately, Dr. Dre axed that provocative idea. Regardless, there are still lots of reasons to stop by Yamaha HQ.

Of course, we’ll have a host of new models, including the Stratoliner “Bagger” Deluxe, Rossi FIAT Yamaha R1 replica, and my personal fav, the YZ450F, but we also have a fantastic lineup of celebrities stopping by. Vicki Grey from Motoress headlines our “She Rides Night” on Friday, answering questions from show patrons about women and riding. She will also be conducting new model introductions with Yamaha Motorcycle Product Manager, John Bayliss. We’re very proud to have some faithful “biker chicks” in-house. You can read about some of their trials and tribulations here and here.

Btw, if you need info on how the new YZ Power Tuner works with the 450F, chat with our MX tech specialist, Nick “Machine” DiCristofaro. I know he seems a little serious and intimidating at first (by little, I mean really, really serious. He’s like the Grinch but meaner.) but he’s actually a big softie at heart and has great knowledge of motorcycles, especially dirt bikes. Don’t be shy and say hi to angry Nick if you get a chance. Maybe give him a hug too.

Colton Facciotti and his alien arms will be on hand signing autographs Saturday and Sunday from 11am – 12pm and 2pm – 3pm. The two-time MX1 Canadian National champ is fresh off victories in the British SX Championships and is looking forward to showing his appreciation to fans in TO. (Note: If anyone is interested, you may also grab an autograph from me as well. I don’t like to brag, but I did finish 3rd overall in 125 Intermediate in the 2002 CMX Fall Series.) Red Bull will be on hand as well with their beautiful “wings” ladies supporting Colt.

Clinton Smout’s Yamaha Riding Academy will be in full swing, training youngsters between the ages of 6-12 the basics of riding an off-road bike. It’s great way to introduce wee ones to the sport in a safe and controlled environment with experience instructors. If you’re an advanced rider, though, you want to ask Colton or I for tips. We’re both really fast.

For full details and schedules on the Toronto and upcoming shows, stay tuned to http://motorcycleshows.ca/.

Some random notes and thoughts …

The new YZ450F is winning over many pubs and sites, and also riders of other brands. Check out this email from DSM, Jeff Ryan:

It’s good to see a guy with some serious passion for a sport. Cam Hood is a pro motocrosser from Grande Prairie, and has a sponsored ride with a competitor. He was offered two bikes for 2010 but Cam said “No, thank you. I’m buying a YZ.”

Yesterday Red Line got their first YZ450 at 2pm, by 4:30 it was in the back of Cam’s truck with aftermarket plastic and DR D Exhaust. He drove to Chilliwack (14hr drive) to race this weekend. Cam’s comment: “This thing is fast as heck, pulls much harder than my old bike!”

He’s Blue Blood now and plans to spend some time in the states racing and practicing over the winter and will race the CMRC series this season. Just thought you would appreciate a story about a new customer

Our Quebec RSM, Francois Morneau also had some racing updates from his area:

Jean Philippe Leblanc won the #1 plate in the QC ATV Championship in Pro MX Provincial series on his YFZ450R, prepared by G-Force Division/Gagne Lessard Sport. This was Leblanc’s first year racing the Pro series.  His positive attitude, extreme preparation and training with the support of Messier/GForce Team helped him to dominate the series. Kevin Vachon and Jasmin Plante finished second and third in the series. In the Quebec Flat Track Series, Marc Antoine Auger claimed the # 1 plate of the on his YFZ450R prepared by G-Force Division/Gagne Lessard Sport.

A total of six available ATV Championships in Quebec were won on Yamaha YFZ450R’s; four of these were won by Jean-Philippe Leblanc and two were won by Marc Antoine Auger. Congrats to all of these guys, and thanks for choosing Yamaha!

Thanks Francois. The guys at G-force gotta be happy this summer, winning all of those ATV titles and setting a snowmobile land speed World Record at Bonneville. Go team go!

On the topic of four wheels, in the latest issue of All-Terrain Vehicle, we earned awards for Best Mid-Range Sport Utility ATV (Grizzly 550) and Best Sport ATV Hardcore (YFZ 450X). We were runner-up in some other categories too; Best Big Bore (Grizzly 700 FI), Best Sport ATV Trail (Raptor 700), and Best Dual Purpose UTV (Rhino).

The fall/winter issue of Horizons should be hitting mailboxes shortly, if they haven’t already. I think this issue is one of our best yet, and I’m not saying that because I do most of the writing now … okay, maybe I am. I was super excited to see our new 450F grace the cover (our first MX cover!!)  and “Cowbell” did an incredible job with design of the entire mag. Inside you’ll find features on how we’re tackling social media and minimizing our environmentally footprint, and like always, we got some great letters and photos from Yamaha owners. If you’d like to become a Horizons subscriber, just click here. And while you’re there, be sure to sign up for our online newsletter, Red Line.

This from Mr. SledTalk: Here’s a cool link for Bike Blog. Greg is the World Cup Downhill champ (mountain bikes) very well know amongst cyclists… (also has his own web-site with more related stuff).

 Toyota gets creative with their motocross love interest.

Yamaha racing fanatic, Pete Swanton, passed along this cool link, showing off Yamaha’s European Racing HQ. It’s interesting to see where we’ve come from and all of the technology (and great racers) that has evolved in Yamaha’s sport bikes. Even for a dirt bike guy like myself, seeing all of those trick factory race bikes makes me want to hit the highway. Then I’d be able to get the chicks….

Rossi switching to motocross? Hmm, probably not, but “The Doctor” appears more than capable on the dirt. Check out valentinorossi.com and watch Rossi in action on a 450F. After watching this vid with Bayliss, we couldn’t help but debate … who would win in a cross-over match? James Stewart or Rossi? This then led to debate over who is more successful and talented, to which John offered this …

“Make no mistake!! No mistake …. if you add up the zeros in their pay cheques, Rossi could buy Stewart with his pocket change.”  True, John … but watch this video and then let’s talk .

All right, time to grab a Nytro and rip some laps around the office … thanks for reading!

DanBro

It’s a question that has troubled experts and bench racers alike since the beginning of motorcycle racing: is it the rider or the bike?

Anyone with some racing background and experience, obviously says it’s the rider who ultimately determines the results. Sure, equipment is important – you need reliability, performance and confidence – but a good bike can only take you so far. A team is a valuable asset as well, but at the end of the day, it’s the rider turning the throttle.

For those with minimal motorcycling experience, they’ll typically say it’s machine, not man, who determines results. (At least that’s what all my high school buddies told me when I tried to share some glory on my motocross racing. “Come on, Danny, all you do is turn the throttle!” Yep, that’s all you do guys … turn a throttle … it’s that easy.)

That said, after looking back at our results and championships in several disciplines of two wheel racing this year, maybe it is the bike? Or maybe I’m just saying that because I work for Yamaha and have been drinking too much of the Kool-Aid?

Rossi collected his 9th “egg” this past weekend.

After last weekend, we added two more championships to our growing ladder, with Ben Spies taking his first World Superbike title in Portugal, and Valentino Rossi sealing his 9th MotoGP title at the Malaysian GP. Congrats, men!

Some words from Ben … 
“I’ve got to thank Yamaha for giving me the bike I need to win. We had a really good first race, in the second we did what we had to do to win. It was quite difficult to keep it in check as the pace was pretty fast, I saw I had a couple of people behind me and I knew that if Nori won I had to be in sixth and that’s where I was so I tried to get a bit of a gap on them and stay out of trouble. Max came through the inside of me and ran off a couple of times which really freaked me out so I went to get past him and then settled in for some nice fast laps to the end. It’s been a spectacular day and I can’t thank those people enough that have been behind me. It’s been incredible to do it for Yamaha, and especially in my first year here. I don’t think I really realize what’s happening right now but I’m sure it’s going to hit me in a couple of days!”

And a few Itali-lish words from “The Doctor” … 
“It’s great to be World Champion again, I am very proud to have done this nine times in my career. I want to thank everyone in my team, Furusawa-san, Davide Brivio, Lin Jarvis, Jeremy…everybody! This season has been very hard and Lorenzo especially has pushed me to new limits, but I think it’s been a great duel for everyone to watch. Today was unbelievable, when the rain came it was scary for everyone because all the work we’d done was then useless and we were riding ‘blind’ with the setting. I made a mistake at the first corner and then I was a long way back, so I think I did a great race to finish third! I was going to try to pass Dovizioso when he fell and then for a few laps I thought I would try to get Pedrosa but with wet tyres on a drying track it was a bit risky by then and so I decided to be safe. It’s a fantastic feeling to take this title with Yamaha again and I also must thank Bridgestone, who have done a great job with the tyres all year. My celebration was because in Italy we say an old chicken makes good soup but can no longer lay eggs! I am like the old chicken – 30 years now – but I have made another egg! That’s nine!”

To read a full recap of Spies final race, go here.

To read a full recap of Rossi’s final race, go here.

It’s incredible how well we’ve done in 2009 on the racing front, but I believe it’s the result of quality machinery, hard working race teams, and riders who know what it takes to be a champion. Below are Yamaha’s 2009 motorcycle champions. We here at the Bike Blog salute you!

James Stewart joined Yamaha for the first time in 2009. (Actually, that”s not true! He raced a PW50 back in the day.) He would go on to win the 2009 AMA Supercross championship, and also the US Open of SX two weeks ago in Las Vegas. He returns to AMA SX again this January on the all-new 2010 YZ450F.

Colton Facciotti captured his second – and Blackfoot’s umpteenth – MX1 Canadian National MX championship this summer. He’ll be back with BF and Yamaha again in 2010, along with Dusty Klatt, to defend his title.

Italian Antonio Cairoli captured his first MX1 World GP MX title this past year. Cairoli now has three World titles to his credit (two in MX2 – 2005 and 2007), all of which came aboard a Yamaha.

In only his first season in World Superbike, Ben Spies came away with the championship, which marked Yamaha’s first title in that series.

Valentino Rossi … to no one’s surprise, wins again. That makes a total of 9 MotoGP titles for the 30-year-old Italian.

Britain’s Cal Crutchlow was victorious in the 2009 World Supersport series.

2009 FIM World Endurance Champions: Team YART – Steve Martin, Gwen Giabbani, and Igor Jerman.

Leon Camier won the 2009 British Superbike championship.

So what do you think? Is it the rider? Is it the bike? Be sure to comment and offer your opinion.

DanBro

 Arguably the fastest MX2 (250F) rider in the country, little “Beats” knows how to put a bike through the wringer. He’s also been riding Yamaha’s for nearly a decade, so he knows pretty much everything there is to know about these badass blue machines. Well, I mean, he is a pro racer, so he at least knows where gas and the water go … just kidding, Kyle!

But he really didn’t know anything about the new 250F until he tried it out at our press launch, so it was interesting to hear his feedback and see how he liked the changes (new bilateral beam frame, quicker revving motor, better handling, new ergonomics). So what did he think? Check out the video below to find out!

Go Beats go! It’s hard not to like a wee, teeny, tiny little guy like Beaton who can twist the throttle. You could put him in your pocket and take him with you to the track. He could even fit in a stocking at Christmas time. Christmas Beats!
The limited edition white version features some trick looking black Excel rims. Cool, eh?
The all-new bilaterel beam frame makes for incredible turning prowess, lighter weight and a better ergonomic feel.

Thin, fast and light! This is Beats’ Yamaha!
I taught Beaton how to do this … you’re welcome.Stay tuned for even more footage and feedback on the 2010 YZ250F from “The King of Canadian MX” Jean-Sebastien Roy. Coming soon!

DanBro

The all-new 2010 YZ250F

What do you get when you combine a new dirt bike, pro racers, media, a perfectly groomed MX track, Toyota, and Red Bull? I’d say a pretty darn good time ….

This good time took place yesterday at Carruthers’ Ranch in the small town of Enniskillen. We were on hand to launch the all-new 2010 Yamaha YZ250F and things couldn’t have gone any better. While we had a few small hiccups along the way, like not being able to get the Blackfoot Yamaha semi all the way into the pit area (well, if I had of been driving the big rig, I coulda got’er done ), the day went along without a hitch.

“Huggy Bear” relives his glory days of banner detail at the nationals.

Things started off bright and early with five-time Canadian champ, Jean-Sebastien Roy, and Canada’s fastest MX2 rider, Kyle “Beats” Beaton, digging the first knobbies into the track. Right away, the two genuinely enjoyed the all-new “Little Blue Bandit.” Better low-to-mid power, quicker revs, lighter feel, and much improved cornering ability was their feedback.

It was pretty cool watching JSR and Beats race around the track, swapping lines, looking at each other over the jumps, and showing us what these machines are capable of. Ohh, to be fast ….

Kyle Beaton enjoys the flickability of the new bike.

Once we got lots of pics and video of the Blackfoot boys (stay tuned for some sweet video!), we turned our attention to the media, got them the details and history on the 2o10, and then got them out on the track. Their responses echoed the pros (Check out MXP’s review here), and all agreed that we’ve made some exciting new improvements to the style, fit and functionality of the YZ250F.

JSR still has “it.”

But who cares what JSR, Beats, Gaudly or even ”Captain Freedom” McCullough think; all that matters is what I think. So what does DanBro think? Well he thinks that he should stop writing/talking in the third person and quit trying to be funny….

As a rider, a racer, not a Yamaha PR guru, I’m loving the new 250F. Before I joined Yamaha, I owned 2001, 2003 and 2005 YZ250F’s. All of them featured strong motors, excellent suspension and unmatched reliability, but while they had a confident and stable feel, they didn’t turn as quick as this new one. Now the bike has it all.

I definitely don’t have “it.” But at least I look good?

I could easily notice the lighter, quicker turning feeling in the front end in my short but sweet test ride. In fact, it turned almost too quick!

MXP’s Ryan Gauld, a long time Yamaha rider, had this advice for setting up the steering and ergonomics of the 250F. “No longer are you feeling like the bike pushes through turns, but now you can cut corners tight and carve them hard just like you were some supercross hero,” says Gauldy. ”My opinion is you need to run the bars in the position closest to your body with the mounts turned forward.  That way it keeps you a little more neutral and disperses your weight back a little so you’re not diving in on the front end under heavy braking.”

You can put this puppy anywhere you want on the track, really. The motor is the second biggest thing that got me excited. The throttle is smooth and responsive, it has a harder hit from mid-to-low, and it seems like you can carry it a gear higher or let it rev. (I’m a lugger, so I take advantage of the ability to run a gear higher. It also saves me energy for some sleeve ripping afterwards.) I wasn’t totally loving the new body/plastic style, but it’s definitely growing on me with its trick Euro look.

So, all in all, a good day. To check out all the hype floating around on the new 2010 YZ250F, check out these links: MXP Review, DMX Virtual Tour, IMX Review

Keep your stick on the ice!

DanBro

DanBro

Sure, four-strokes are the way of the future, but if you want to experience what real men rode (well, other than 500′s), climb onto a 250 two-stroke. Throttle control required.

I really wish I had never sold her off and moved to the big 450 the next season. It was a big mistake financially, and results wise. Had I kept that 250, I would have surely broke into the top-8 in 250 Intermediate the next year, avoided the worst arm pump of my life (those 2003 YZ450′s were way too powerful for a little midget like me) and had enough money to buy a quarter-pounder meal (biggie sized) after every race.

How did the two of us meet? It all started back in the spring of 2003. My younger brother, Corey, and I had just returned from a two-week riding trip in Florida and Georgia, and were ready to take on the likes of Tyler Medaglia, Scotty Maidman, Trever Hall, Neil Farlow, Tyler Wagner, Mike Ackerman, and a whole slew of other quick kids in the intermediate classes. We were both riding brand spankin’ new 2003 YZ250Fs and posted some respectable results in the first few races. Sadly, my momentum slowed down like an injured gazelle just after the Auburn Hills Provincial – the tranny dropped while practicing the following week.

We immediately made our way to Machine Racing and saught some help from “The Moaner” John Nelson.

“Sorry, boys, I don’t have the parts to fix it.” Perfect, what now? Buy another bike? Take up law bowling?

“Don’t start crying and whining yet,” Nelson added. “We actually have a used YZ250 that we could give you a little deal on. It’s Phil Lawrence’s bike from the Montreal SX, but it’s in mint condition.”

I was a little nervous picking up a used pro’s bike, especially one of “Factory” Phil Lawrence’s stature. But The Moaner was right; this bike was mint. It had a brand new, stock cylinder head, a one-off Pro Circuit pipe (no serial number. McGrath’s maybe??), and it was just an overall clean looking bike. And the sound … oh my, did that baby sound good! Nothing beats the bark of a well tuned 250 two-stroke. It simply screams “motocross” everytime that the throttle is turned.

After John Nelson took all of my money, I couldn’t afford some fancy steel or aluminum stand, so I picked up this Rubbermaid stepper from Wal-Mart. Hey, they’re only $20, and they’re light, stackable, and get both wheels off the ground! What a score.

I had ridden 250 two-strokes before, but this one was mine, all mine. Only two or three days after picking up the bike, we headed to the next Provincial at Sand Del Lee near Ottawa. It was the perfect track to debut the new two-smoker on. It featured sand, berms, tight turns and lots of bumps. I definitely wasn’t a factor for the win or even a podium that day, but I never had so much fun racing before. I loved dropping that burly 250 into the corners or berms, grabbing a handful, and hearing that thing bark.

My beautiful YZ and I were inseparable for the rest of that summer. We drove all Ontario, racing at tracks like Walton, Paisley RAT Track, Mutcco Mountain, and Cochrane’s, tried impressing girls by driving through downtown Peterborough with YZ in the bed, showing off her sleak and smooth figure, and we suffered several crashes together. Alas, all good things must come to an end, or at least I thought so at the time.

Watch the video above to see bad boy Jason Lawrence testing out a 2009 YZ250.

Being young and naive, I thought I’d find another love like my YZ250. So when the fall came, I tossed YZ into the Trader, and within a week, she was out of my life and I would never see her again. I wonder how that old girl is doing these days….

Do you have an old Yamaha two-wheel flame that you wish you had never sold? If so, and you have some pics, send them on over to me at danny_brault@yamaha-motor.ca and we’ll post them here. The top 3 (of my choosing) will receive a little Yamaha swag pack.

Thanks for reading! (Oh, and if you see YZ224 kicking around, crack the throttle for me and tell her that I’m still thinking of her!)

DanBro

**There’s no denying it – MXers love free stuff! Check out these two submissions that we received over the weekend from some Yamaha two-stroke lovers….

Hey Danny,
Here is my 2004 and 2006 YZ250cc 2 strokers!….I added some pics of when they were being rebuilt, ridden and dirty and then up at the track, training for race day!

You should never have gotten rid of your 2 stroke buddy, but you can always get another one and then make sure you keep it for those days when you need to get back to “old school” riding. Lets face it, thumpers are great bikes but there is something sacred about an old smoker, anytime of the day!

Well hopefully my pics make it in your top three but if not it was always cool to share these with you

Andrew Chernenkoff

 
Hi Danny;

I raced a 1986 YZ250 “back in the day” when I was a rookie in the CMA Expert class. I lined up against guys like Ross Pederson, Al Dyck,Rob VanDieman, Carl Vaillancourt, etc. Can’t really say I raced against them……but I was definitely in the same race, just at the back of the pack!! The pinnacle of my very short pro career was the 1986 BC Place Supercross. I was even on CBC’s Sportsweekend…..I was getting lapped by Serge Gregoire, but dammit, I was on frickin’ TV!!! I showed people and watched it over & over on the VCR so many times that I wore out the tape
and haven’t seen it for over 20 yrs!!

The pic I’ve attached is from a race in Kamloops BC 1986. Best bike I ever owned……tons of problem-free moto’s at the biggest races I ever entered!!

Fast forward to 2009. I bought some new riding gear last fall and over the winter got my hands on a mint ’06 YZ250. My first bike since the white & red ’86 model!! Aluminum frame, great brakes & suspension, and of course a 2-stroke engine!! I finally made my way out onto an mx track about 3 weeks ago, after Brett Lee put out the word that they were having a “Legends” race at the Kamloops National. I signed up, and had a great weekend of moto!! We camped at the track from Fri-Sun and watched all of the pro races on Sunday.

Here is a link to a bunch of pics of Kamloops I posted on mxforum. Feel free to use any of my photos……wish I had more of the ’86 YZ, but I was 18 by then and the parents weren’t traveling to the races with me anymore. Just me and my buddy in the Chevy van for the summer. I didn’t even own a camera back then…..would’ve cut into the moto budget!! HAHA!! Always had new tires, but the Kraft Dinner on a Coleman stove got real old by mid-August.

AAHHHH….the good old days. Nothing mattered besides fresh knobbies, a gas can full of pre-mix, and clean gear & goggles!!

The Yamaha YZ250 2-stroke is a great bike!! 20 yrs later, it still has the rock-solid reliability and performance that I relied on back in the day as a struggling rookie pro. Nowadays I just want to go ride mx for fun, and my YZ250 is always ready whenever I am!Wes Sali
I don’t know if Hudge told you about my ’02 McGrath replica, it was one badass bike especially if you’re a big MC fan!

 Adam Millson

And here’s a late entry from Mike Delia from Calgary, AB. Have a boo, it’s a pretty interesting read….

 Hi there,
I would like to share a cool story with you all.

A few months ago a girl that Matt (my son) new gave him a call and asked if he wanted an old dirt bike for free or, her neighbour (recent divorce) was going to take it to the landfill. He called me at work and asked if he could bring it home, I was reluctant and said, we don’t need any junk around the place but if it looks ok go ahead. We already have three bikes at home.

He brought the bike home and after a quick look over it appeared to be all there (parts etc). Someone had left it sitting for years, they had spray painted it all black.

I advised my son that we would not spend any money on it unless we could get it going and could determine if it at least ran and would be worth it.

After I searched the VIN (5X5-)turns out the bike is a 1982 YZ250J a red and white, liquid cooled 250 with the YPVS engine. We drained the old gearbox oil pulled off the tank and cleaned the shut-off valve, put in fresh two stroke oil and gas. Pulled the carb and soaked it (have never seen one as gummed as this was)cleaned the plug, the air filter disintegrated when we tried to clean it. We kicked it over about 5-6 times, and to our surprise it screamed to life, and I mean screamed.

My son took off down the street and I could hear him two blocks away (so could everyone in the neighbourhood), I thought someone may call the fire department because of the smoke, when he returned all I saw was white teeth and an ear to ear grin. He has a Honda four stroke he has ridden for years (great bike) but he has never owned or ridden a two smoke. I took the bike after him and all I can say is CRAZY, man does it go like.. when it turns on, sputtered a bit down low but once it caught it was like holy s&%^ -hang on!

Since then we tore the bike down stripped off the old black paint, recovered the seat and replaced some broken parts and pieces nothing too major, we have put about 4-500.00 bucks into it. First time I had the bike out in the hills I got a few miles out and the plug went, it was going through quite a few plugs but we have leaned our mixture out now and it seems to be holding one.

I’ll include some pictures on the rebuild, The bike has been out to the hills about 6 times already this summer and it really does crank, very impressive. I tried finding some original decals for the bike they are quite scarce, along with many of the parts.

The bikes suspension eats the terrain and we are so impressed with the bike eventually we would like to do a complete teardown and try and restore it to all its former glory.

My son doesn’t seem too interested in taking his four stroke out anymore, he loves the old beast and his buddies only see a cloud of smoke and dust left in his wake.

Mike Delia
Calgary