Features

Here are the three ’09 RM models, courtesy of the gang at Suzuki. There are a only minor changes for this season, including the trimmed-up model offering. Gone are the RM125 and RM250, as well as the L version of the RM85.

Changes on the RM-Z450 include new graphics, the yellow front number plate, yellow/black shrouds (rather than the yellow/blue of the ’08), and beefed-up engine cases.

Look for new graphics and on the RM-Z250 and RM85. If you were waiting on something more exotic, like new frames, or fuel injection on the RM-Z250, you’ll have to wait for 2010.

Below are the supplied specs from Suzuki. Click any of the images below for a larger version.

2009 Suzuki RM-Z450
$7,499
Boasting championship-winning technology, the Suzuki fuel-injected RM-Z450 offers exceptional performance across the powerband — complemented by advanced chassis and suspension systems for unrivaled versatility on a variety of tracks.
• Incredibly crisp throttle response, thanks to its Suzuki fuel injection system with a fuel pump enclosed inside a factory aluminum fuel tank to provide optimum fuel pressure
• Liquid-cooled, four-stroke engine with dual overhead camshafts operating four titanium valves is compact, powerful and lightweight for smooth, controllable power delivery
• Smooth suspension performance and crisp handling provided by fully adjustable inverted, twin-chamber 47mm cartridge-type Showa front forks and fully adjustable Showa 50mm piggyback-reservoir shock
• Race-inspired front (250mm) and rear (240mm) disc rotors offer excellent cooling efficiency for outstanding stopping power and outstanding performance in muddy conditions
• Available in Champion Yellow

Engine: 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC
Displacement: 449cc (27.4 cu. in.)
Fuel System: Suzuki fuel injection
Starter: Primary kick
Curb Weight: 112 kg (247 lbs)
Transmission: 5-speed constant mesh
Suspension, Front: Telescopic, coil spring, oil damped
Suspension, Rear: Link type, coil spring, oil damped
Fuel Capacity: 1.6 gallons

2009 Suzuki RM-Z250
$6,299

Here’s your ticket to race-winning performance right off the dealer floor. The RM-Z250 is engineered to make you feel comfortable blasting out of corners or blowing by the competition on the straights. It’s designed to shift the balance of power in your favor. Available in Champion Yellow

• Compact, powerful and lightweight liquid-cooled, four-stroke engine offers exceptional performance across the powerband
• Billet-type hollow camshafts and durable titanium valves are lightweight to ensure reliable performance even at high rpm
• RM-Z450-style twin-spar aluminum frame provides maneuverability and stability on rough tracks
• Easy starting, hot or cold, thanks to an automatic centrifugal decompression system and a carburetor with hot start circuit
• SHOWA 50mm piggyback-reservoir rear shock provides smooth performance
• Showa inverted, twin-chamber 47mm cartridge-type front fork offers plush response complemented by exceptional straight-line stability
• Available in Champion Yellow

Engine: 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC
Displacement: 249cc (15.2 cu. in.)
Fuel System: Keihin FCR37MX
Starter: Primary kick
Curb Weight: 102 kg (225 lbs)
Transmission: 5-speed constant mesh
Suspension, Front: Upside-down telescopic fork
Suspension, Rear: Link type, coil spring, oil damped
Fuel Capacity: 1.8 gallons

2009 Suzuki RM85
$3,499

Liquid-cooled 84.7cc, reed-valve engine with aluminum exhaust valves provides crisp low-end responsiveness, remarkably strong mid-range and exceptional high-rpm performance
Inverted cartridge-style fork with 10.8 inches of wheel travel for sharp response and control
Rear suspension system offers 10.9 inches of wheel travel and features a single shock with adjustable compression and rebound damping for smooth, consistent performance
Aluminum-alloy cylinder bore plated with Suzuki’s exclusive race-proven Suzuki Composite Electrochemical Material (SCEM) allows closer piston clearance for better sealing and more power
Available in Champion Yellow

Engine: 2-stroke, liquid-cooled
Displacement: 84.7cc (5.2 cu.in.)
Fuel System: Keihin PE28, single
Starter: Primary kick
Curb Weight: 73 kg (161 lbs)
Transmission: 6-speed constant mesh
Suspension, Front: Telescopic, pneumatic/coil spring
Suspension, Rear: Link type, coil spring, oil damped
Fuel Capacity: 1.3 gallons

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Click the following link for a 37-photo gallery of AMA National motocross race action from High Point. You can also click the following link for a 15-photo gallery from Saturday's abbriviated timed qualifying. Don't forget, if you're a Vital MX member, you can comment on any of the photos in the gallery. Not a member? Join now! It's fast and free.

Four races in, and we finally got our first encounter with rain. Half of Saturday’s qualifying was rained out. Well, not so much rained out (though the rain was coming down really hard), but the plug was pulled when thunderstorms, along with their accompanying lightning, rolled in. That left a mess for the track crews to clean up, but they did an awesome job. Both the riders and fans were treated to a great track, and good racing.

The best racing of the day went down in the MX2 class, where once again, Ryan Villopoto (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) went 1-1 to take his sixth and seventh moto wins of the year. The first moto at Glen Helen, which was won by Jason Lawrence, is the only blemish on his ’08 MX2 tour.

Jake Weimer (Geico Powersports Honda) had a breakout day, using a 2-5 score for second overall…his best ever outdoor overall. Since hooking up a deal with Randy Lawrence for coaching, he seems to be tapping into new levels of both confidence, and results.

Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey (6-2) took third overall. He had a first moto tangle with Jason Lawrence that left him fired up, as well as having to re-pass several riders that he’d worked his way by earlier in the moto.

Ryan Villopoto now leads the series by 28 points over Dungey, and 39 points over his teammate, Austin Stroupe.

In MX1, the top five guys all found their level in both motos, using matching moto scores (1-1, 2-2, 3-3, etc.) to determine their overall finishes.

James Stewart (Monster Energy Kawasaki) continued his string of moto wins (now at eight), finishing ahead of Mike Alessi (Rockstar Makita Suzuki), Davi Millsaps (Honda Red Bull Racing), Timmy Ferry (Monster Energy Kawasaki), and Andrew Short (Honda Red Bull Racing). Alessi provided the biggest challenge, continuing a streak of holeshots, but Stewart was able to work his way past in a lap or less in both motos.

Stewart now leads the MX1 class by 45 points…almost a full two moto’s worth of points.

For much more from High Point, click the link to the photo gallery above. The photos and captions will give you much more detail on the day from High Point.

MX1
1. James Stewart (Kawasaki) 1-1
2. Mike Alessi (Suzuki) 2-2
3. Davi Millsaps (Honda) 3-3
4. Timmy Ferry (Kawasaki) 4-4
5. Andrew Short (Honda) 5-5
6. Nick Wey (KTM) 7-8
7. Sean Hamblin (Yamaha) 6-9
8. Cody Cooper (Suzuki) 10-7
9. Josh Hill (Yamaha) 13-6
10. Michael Byrne (Suzuki) 8-13
11. Gavin Gracyk (Yamaha) 12-11
12. Jarred Brown (Suzuki) 20-10
13. Ivan Tedesco (Honda) 9-38
14. Jeff Alessi (Honda) 16-14
15. Jimmy Albertson (Honda) 15-17
16. Ryan Clark (Honda) 11-24
17. Chris Blose (Honda) 38-12
18. Tyler Bright (Honda) 30-14
19. Justin Sipes (Suzuki) 14-23
20. Matt Boni (Honda) 24-16
21. Adam Chatfield (Suzuki) 17-39
22. Ryan Grantom (Honda) 25-18
23. Antonio Balbi (Honda) 18-34
24. Billy Ainsworth (Kawasaki) 23-19
25. Charles Summey (Yamaha) 19-37
26. Chris Whitcraft (Kawasaki) 40-20
27. Jase Lewis (Honda) 21-21
28. Tony Boughten (Yamaha) 31-22
29. Barry Carsten (Suzuki) 22-25
30. Kyle Tobin (Honda) 27-26
31. Steven Houser (Yamaha) 29-27
32. Thomas Addy 34-28
33. Adam Blessing (Honda) 26-29
34. Mitch Dougherty (Honda) 35-30
35. Tyson Hadsell (Honda) 39-31
36. Dustin Gills (Suzuki) 36-32
37. Chad Sanner (Kawasaki) 37-33
38. Robbie Marshall (Honda) 32-35
39. Jack Carpenter (Honda) 33-36
40. Travis Sewell (Suzuki) 28-40

MX2
1. Ryan Villopoto (Kawasaki) 1-1
2. Jake Weimer (Honda) 2-5
3. Ryan Dungey (Suzuki) 6-2
4. Austin Stroupe (Kawasaki) 9-3
5. Brett Metcalfe (Kawasaki) 7-4
6. Ryan Sipes (KTM) 5-6
7. Matt Goerke (KTM) 8-7
8. Nico Izzi (Suzuki) 3-15
9. Dan Reardon (Honda) 11-8
10. Jake Moss (Yamaha) 10-9
11. Robert Kiniry (Honda) 12-11
12. Jason Lawrence (Yamaha) 4-36
13. Justin Brayton (KTM) 20-10
14. Michael Willard (Yamaha) 15-16
15. Broc Tickle (Yamaha) 13-19
16. Kyle Cunningham (Honda) 23-12
17. Andrew McFarlane (Kawasaki) 34-13
18. Wil Hahn (Yamaha) 21-14
19. Matt Lemoine (Yamaha) 14-34
20. Martin Davalos (KTM) 16-32
21. Ryan Morais (Yamaha) 22-17
22. Kyle Chisholm (Kawasaki) 17-22
23. Phil Nicoletti (Kawasaki) 36-18
24. Tommy Hahn (Kawasaki) 18-35
25. Willy Browning (Suzuki) 19-21
26. Levi Kilbarger (Honda) 24-20
27. Jerry Lorenz (Honda) 27-23
28. Ryan Smith (Honda) 25-24
29. Kyle Gills (Suzuki) 26-25
30. Dean Dyess (Honda) 28-26
31. Clayton Miller (Honda) 30-27
32. Matthew Sheafor (Honda) 39-28
33. Tyler Tiffany (Yamaha) 31-29
34. Tony Gallo (Suzuki) 33-30
35. Benjamin Ritter (Suzuki) 29-31
36. Sean Borkenhagen (Honda) 38-33
37. Ryan Newton (Kawasaki) 32-37
38. Stephen Stella (Kawasaki) 37-38
39. Michael McDade (Honda) 40-39
40. T.J. Phillips (Kawasaki) 35-40

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Click the following link for the latest news, along with a 14-photo gallery covering Saturday's pre-race action in the pits from the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship event at High Point.

Saturday was an abbreviated day at High Point, as rain and thunderstorms visited the track. The officials had already changed the schedule to make it a single 25-minute practice for each group, but after the MX2 bikes had finished their practices in heavy rain, thunderstorms sprang up, and the officials called off the rest of the afternoon's action. Quite a few of the top ten in the MX1 class had already opted to not ride, so it ended up being a short day.

There are a couple new sections to the track, which look great, and if the weather continues dry as it has been throughout the late afternoon and evening, tomorrow's practices should start wet, but the racing should be awesome. Be sure to check back on Vital MX after Sunday's action for the full story.

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Click the following link for a video of Nick Wey taking a lap of Glen Helen with the helmet-mounted camera. You can also click the following link for a different video, where we were testing some of the different mounting options on our Vital MX truck. Don't forget, if you're a Vital MX member, you can comment on any of the photos in the gallery. Not a member? Join now! It's fast and free.

Finding a video camera to capture your riding adventures has always been sort of a juggling act between complexity and quality, vs. simplicity and…well, low quality. And in both cases, the products seemed to be at extremes. Either excessively expensive, or reasonable cost with questionable quality.

In the past we’ve tried some lipstick cams that had good quality, but required a fanny pack setup. They frequently also had horrible audio, since the accompanying microphones weren’t designed to work with loud engines.

When Team Yamaha’s Josh Hill showed up at Minneapolis with one of the GoPro Hero cameras on his helmet, we were intrigued. Yeah, it was a little unusual perched on top of his helmet, but when we saw the quality of some of the video from it on Yamaha’s web site, we were surprised…especially when we found out that the camera’s retail was only 179 bucks

For that price, you get a small camera, that outside of the waterproof housing that it’s normally mounted in, looks a bit like some sort of spy cam. It’s tiny…really tiny. It’ll shoot three megapixel stills, as well as video, and there are settings for video playback in your region of the world (International PAL, or the NTSC signal that we use here in the U.S.) You can event set it up to shoot upside-down, so you can get a bit creative with your mounting options. That’s good, because GoPro includes everything from stick-on quick-release mounts, to suction cups that you can use on hard surfaces. There’s a function on the camera to lower the audio level for motorized use, and everything is pretty straightforward. We would suggest, however, keeping the instruction sheet handy for a while. Some of the icons can be a little cryptic.

You can see how high Josh runs his camera in relation to his visor...and line of sight. You can use this shot as a starting point for setting up your own camera.

We took out our GoPro test unit to Glen Helen recently, and had Nick Wey head for a couple laps on the track. The results? While no one will confuse the picture with a broadcast-quality HD cam, it’s surprisingly good, even in varying light conditions. While the audio was a bit muffled, we found that preferable to listening to some of the blown-out exhaust noise with wind background noise that we’ve gotten from other camera setups.

The other challenge is aiming the camera. We’d noted that Josh runs his aimed high…it looked like it was really aimed at the sky, and we tried to emulate that…a bit. What we discovered afterward was that the lens isn’t really very wide angle (which isn’t bad), but you will probably have to aim it a bit higher than you’d expect. Check the video links above to see our results. Just for kicks, we also mounted it up on the Vital MX Toyota, and did some driving around our neighborhood. You can check out that video as well.

We also found that the on-board memory in the camera will only yield a short video. While it’s easy to download, to your laptop with the supplied cord (it shows up on your computer like another hard drive), it’s not very convenient to download a few minutes at a time. We added a 2GB SD card to the camera, and that expanded the time considerably. You should also consider buying some rechargeable AAA batteries, because like any digital camera, the GoPro Hero eats regular batteries at an amazingly rapid clip.

Overall, we were impressed with the Hero. It offers up decent quality and a small size, with a price tag that’s reasonable. Just remember to factor in a memory card and rechargeable batteries for when you go shopping.

Check with your local electronics retailer, or www.goprocamera.com

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It may not look like it, but these photos are slow-cooked, (just like the riders were last weekend, thanks to the heat and humidity). Grab the ones you like, or take 'em all.

Click the dimensions (1400 x 1050 or 1440 x 900) next to each photo to open the large image in the aspect ratio that work best for your monitor. After the window pops up with the large image, you can right click to save it as your desktop image (PC), or Control-click to set it as your desktop (Mac).

	MX2 Start 1400 x 1050 1440 x 900
	Austin Stroupe 1400 x 1050 1440 x 900
	Ashley Fiolek 1400 x 1050 1440 x 900
	James Stewart 1400 x 1050 1440 x 900
	Tim Ferry 1400 x 1050 1440 x 900
	Ryan Dungey 1400 x 1050 1440 x 900
	Mike and Jeff Alessi 1400 x 1050 1440 x 900
	Ivan Tedesco 1400 x 1050 1440 x 900

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Click the following link for a nine-photo gallery of AMA/WMA National motocross race moto two action from Freestone Raceway in Wortham, TX. You can also click the following link for a seven-photo gallery from Saturday's moto one action. Don't forget, if you're a Vital MX member, you can comment on any of the photos in the gallery. Not a member? Join now! It's fast and free.

Ashley Fiolek took her second moto win of the weekend, and her second-straight overall win in AMA/WMA action on Sunday at Freestone. Just like during Saturday’s moto, Fiolek grabbed the holeshot and went wire-to-wire, with Jessica Patterson in hot pursuit. Unfortunately for Patterson, she stalled, and Fiolek cruised to the win.

Behind Fiolek, Sarah Whitmore finished second to grab second overall.

Check the link above for more from Freestone.

AMA/WMA Women’s National Motocross Championship Presented by Kawasaki
Freestone County Raceway – Wortham, Texas
Round 2 of 6

AMA/WMA Women’s National Motocross Championship
1. Ashley Fiolek (Honda) 1-1
2. Sarah Whitmore (Suzuki) 3-2
3. Mariana Balbi (Kawasaki) 5-4
4. Sherri Cruse (Suzuki) 4-6
5. Casuandra Regal (Honda) 8-5
6. Ayla Cabus (Yamaha) 7-9
7. Alisa Nix (Yamaha) 10-7
8. Katie McGuire (Yamaha) 9-8
9. Jessica Patterson (Honda) 2-18
10. Tatum Sik (Kawasaki) 22-3

AMA/WMA Women’s National Motocross Championship Points
1. Ashley Fiolek 95
2. Sarah Whitmore 80
3. Jessica Patterson 64
4. Mariana Balbi 61
5. Katie McGuire 59
6. Alisa Nix 56
7. Tatum Sik 56
8. Sherri Cruse 48
9. Tarah Gieger 48
10. Ayla Cabus 46

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Click the following link for a 37-photo gallery of AMA National motocross race action from Freestone Raceway in Wortham, Texas. You can also click the following link for a 27-photo gallery from Saturday's pre-race action in the pits, as well as timed qualifying. Don't forget, if you're a Vital MX member, you can comment on any of the photos in the gallery. Not a member? Join now! It's fast and free.

Round three of the 2008 AMA Toyota Motocross Championship was held at Freestone Raceway in Wortham, Texas, and a June race in Texas proved just as hot as everyone had expected. Temperatures over 100 degrees and high humidity that wreaked havoc on the equipment and riders (only 24 bikes finished the second MX2 moto). Some riders, like Brett Metcalfe, required medical attention for the heat after the race, and while Austin Stroupe was okay for his podium appearance; he opted not to appear at the post-race press conference.
A pair of trends from the ’08 season continued, with wins by both Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto in MX2, and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s James Stewart in the MX1 class. But each rider had at least one small crash that set them back early (in the first moto for Stewart, and the second moto for Villopoto). But both riders charged back to 1-1 moto finishes.

In the MX2 class, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey (2-2) finished in second overall, and Austin Stroupe finished in third with a 3-3 score. Villopoto now has a 15-point lead over Ryan Dungey, with Austin Stroupe another six points back.

As previously mentioned, James Stewart boosted his string of moto wins to six straight, and Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mike Alessi rebounded from a tough weekend at Hangtown with a 2-2 day. Andrew Short finished with a 3-6 score that was good for third overall. Stewart now has a 36-point lead…after three races.

Check the links above for a full photo and much more info from each moto.

MX1
1. James Stewart (Kawasaki) 1-1
2. Mike Alessi (Suzuki) 2-2
3. Andrew Short (Honda) 3-6
4. Timmy Ferry (Kawasaki) 7-3
5. Davi Millsaps (Honda) 5-4
6. Michael Byrne (Suzuki) 8-5
7. Jeff Alessi (Honda) 13-7
8. Charles Summey (Yamaha) 9-11
9. Nick Wey (KTM) 14-9
10. Antonio Balbi (Kawasaki) 10-13
11. Cody Cooper (Suzuki) 4-21
12. Jimmy Albertson (Honda) 11-14
13. Robbie Reynard (Suzuki) 16-10
14. Shaun Skinner (Honda) 12-15
15. Ivan Tedesco (Honda) 6-35
16. Sean Hamblin (Yamaha) 29-8
17. Matt Boni (Honda) 36-12
18. Jason Thomas (Honda) 19-16
19. Michael Blose (Honda) 15-37
20. Chris Blose (Honda) 37-17
21. Ryan Clark (Honda) 20-18
22. Jack Carpenter (Honda) 18-20
23. Jase Lewis (Honda) 17-38
24. Josh Hill (Yamaha) 34-19
25. Adam Chatfield (Suzuki) 33-22
26. Ryan Grantom (Honda) 23-23
27. Mitch Dougherty (Honda) 32-24
28. Tony Boughten (Yamaha) 31-25
29. Leighton Lillie (Honda) 24-26
30. Mitchell Rask (Honda) 30-27
31. Jeffrey Mann (Yamaha) 25-28
32. Jarrod Browne (Suzuki) 35-29
33. Dustin Gills (Suzuki) 26-30
34. Kerry Moore (Honda) 39-31
35. Robert Fitch (Honda) 28-32
36. Brandon Fulton (Honda) 40-33
37. Tyler Bright (Honda) 38-34
38. Kyle Partridge (Honda) 22-36
39. Gavin Gracyk (Yamaha) 21-39
40. Kevin Rookstool (Honda) 27-40

MX2
1. Ryan Villopoto (Kawasaki) 1-1
2. Ryan Dungey (Suzuki) 2-2
3. Austin Stroupe (Kawasaki) 3-3
4. Jake Weimer (Honda) 4-4
5. Tommy Hahn (Kawasaki) 6-5
6. Dan Reardon (Honda) 11-7
7. Broc Tickle (Yamaha) 10-8
8. Brett Metcalfe (Kawasaki) 9-9
9. Andrew McFarlane (Kawasaki) 7-12
10. Wil Hahn (Yamaha) 16-6
11. Robert Kiniry (Honda) 8-14
12. Jason Lawrence (Yamaha) 5-28
13. Kyle Chisholm (Kawasaki) 14-13
14. Matt Lemoine (Yamaha) 18-10
15. Jake Moss (Yamaha) 13-15
16. Tucker Hibbert (Yamaha) 21-11
17. Matt Goerke (KTM) 12-23
18. Phil Nicoletti (Kawasaki) 15-25
19. Adam Miller (KTM) 32-16
20. Michael Willard (Yamaha) 31-17
21. Justin Brayton (KTM) 17-30
22. Sean Borkenhagen (Honda) 22-18
23. Ryan Beat (KTM) 24-19
24. Tyler Bowers (Yamaha) 19-31
25. Scott Jendro (Honda) 25-20
26. Martin Davalos (KTM) 20-29
27. Teddy Parks (Suzuki) 27-21
28. Hunter Meyer (Honda) 26-22
29. Ozzy Barbaree (Suzuki) 28-34
30. Sean Hackley (Suzuki) 34-26
31. Ryan Sipes (KTM) 36-27
32. Levi Kilbarger (Honda) 37-32
33. Trevor Monks (Yamaha) 23-33
34. Trey Canard (Honda) 30-34
35. Kyle Cunningham (Honda) 29-35
36. Kyle Keylon (Honda) 33-36
37. Bryan Johnson 35-37
38. Branden Jesseman 38-38
39. Justin Workman (Honda) 39-39
40. William Browning (Honda) 40-40

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Click the following link for a seven-photo gallery of AMA/WMA Women's National motocross race action from Freestone MX in Wortham, Texas. Don't forget, if you're a Vital MX member, you can comment on any of the photos in the gallery. Not a member? Join now! It's fast and free.

The third moto of the 2008 AMA/WMA Women’s National Motocross Championship Presented by Kawasaki was a two-rider duel between American Honda/Red Bull/Alpinestars’ Ashley Fiolek and American Honda/Honda of Houston/Fox Racing/Bad Boy Energy Drink’s Jessica Patterson. Ashley grabbed the holeshot, and the two were in close contact throughout the moto, with Ashley able to maintain the lead all the way to the end.

Third went to Suzuki/Shift’s Sarah Whitmore, and the biggest battles happened behind her, with Sherri Cruse, Tatum Sik, and Mariana Balbi. Tarah Gieger hit the gate before it dropped, and earned the hard charger award after coming from the back of the pack.

The second half of this race will happen on Sunday morning before the start of the men's racing.

AMA/WMA Women’s National Motocross Championship - Moto One
1. Ashley Fiolek (Honda)
2. Jessica Patterson (Honda)
3. Sarah Whitmore (Suzuki)
4. Sherri Cruse (Suzuki)
5. Mariana Balbi (Kawasaki)
6. Tarah Gieger (Yamaha)
7. Ayla Cabus (Yamaha)
8. Casuandra Regal (Honda)
9. Katie McGuire (Yamaha)
10. Alisa Nix (Yamaha)

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Click the following link for the latest news, along with a 25-photo gallery covering Saturday's pre-race action in the pits at the AMA National Championship MX at Freestone Raceway in Wortham, Texas..

If Sunday at Freestone Raceway is anything like Saturday, we’re in for some extremely hot action. This is by far the hottest weather we’ve had this season, but it didn’t seem to affect the two hottest guys on the track, the Kawasaki-mounted MX1 and MX2 class leaders, James Stewart and Ryan Villopoto. With temperatures in the 90s, and some fairly high humidity thrown in, it’s definitely a cooker.

In MX1, nearly everyone slowed down in the second practice due to a rougher track, with the exception of Stewart. Andrew Short and Davi Millsaps were the second and third-fastest riders.

In the MX2 class, Ryan Villopoto was just over a second ahead of Ryan Dungey and Brett Metcalfe.

The WMA is also slated for their first moto here on Saturday, and will run their second moto on Sunday.

Click the link above for more action from today, and be sure to check back tomorrow for full race coverage from Freestone.

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Click the following link for galleries bike and action photos for the... 2009 Yamaha YZ85 2009 Yamaha YZ125 2009 Yamaha 250F 2009 Yamaha YZ250 2009 Yamaha YZ450F Don't forget, if you're a Vital MX member, you can comment on any of the photos in the gallery. Not a member? Join now! It's fast and free.

Ah, here it is again...new bike season. Tim Olson (Yamaha Off-Road Media Relations Manager), and Jonathan Belding (Yamaha Testing Department) recently stopped by the Vital MX offices to drop off the latest information on the 2009 YZs, and we’ll give you a quick visual look at the changes that run across the board.

To answer your quick question, nope, there's nothing wildly different for the blue machines this year. So if you were hoping for fuel injection, laser-guided suspension, or a new cup holder....well, you'll have to maybe wait another year. But if you're looking for a host of refinements to some already-sweet machines, read on.

The YZ85 receives only minor changes for ’09, with a graphics update, several items that are shared throughout the line.

For example, the front brake house guide is a new straight aluminum clamp design, rather than the curved steel unit used in the past. There’s a slight weight savings, but mostly the new design will give high-falootin’ bike testers one less thing to gripe about.

The chain is a new D.I.D. unit with a gold (no, not that kind of gold) anti-rust coating.

It also gets a new pair of tires for the front and rear.

And finally, remember the ’08 textured seat cover that was nearly impossible to get clean, no matter how much you blasted it with a washer, or scrubbed on it? Well, the ’09 model has been changed, and it features a new pattern, as well as improved stain resistance.

The YZ125 gets the same small details, but the screaming two-stroke also gets a proprietary front sneaker…the same one used on tbe YZ450, a new Dunlop D742FA. In the rear, the 125 gets a Dunlop D756G that’s lighter than before, but with similar traction.

While the two-stroke market is still shrinking, 250cc two-stroke fans can rejoice that the YZ250 is still in the line. It also shares the Dunlop 742FA front tire with the 125 and 450, and it also gets the brake hose clamp, seat cover, gold chain, and other goodies.

To get into the real substantial changes, you need to jump over to the YZ250F.

For example, the headpipe on the exhaust is still titanium, and has been lengthened by 60mm in the 35mm section where it first exits the cylinder, before it expands to 45mm. The muffler can itself is now 50mm shorter for lighter weight, with no change in exhaust note. Combined with the constant 50.8mm midpipe, and Yamaha claims that this gives it more low end power and improved throttle response.

On the performance side there’s also a different ignition map, and a richer carb needle spec, which allows for more adjustability, as well as improved low end and throttle response.

Riders and mechanics who didn’t like the clutch basket design on the ’08 models will be happy to hear that the clutch basket design on the ’09 uses eight rubber dampers instead of the six coil springs, and that all the steel clutch plates are now the same. That means faster and easier service.

For riders who wished there was more adjustability in the top clamp, you got your wish. By modifying the position of the bar mount (or rotating them forward or backward) on the new top triple clamp, you have several different offset options over a 20mm range, and they’re also interchangeable with the clamps on the YZ450, which are 4mm taller.

If you caught the sneak peek photo from a couple weeks back, you no doubt remember the look of the new swingarm. This hydroformed piece has a revised rigidity balance, where the twist and vertical rigidity were reduced, and the horizontal rigidity was increased, all while trimming 350 grams from the ’08 design. The linkage now resides below the swingarm, but maintains all the same ratios as before.

If you’re a Yamaha guy who has some spare wheels you were planning on using on your ’09 as well, you may need to rethink that plan. There’s a new compact rear hub design that trims over 265 grams from the current design, and the axle size has jumped from 22 to 25mm. Instead of two bearings, the new hub now uses three…one on the brake side, and two on the drive side.

What else is new on the 250F? How about a proprietary M403 Bridgestone front tire that has a flatter tread pattern, for a lighter steering feel, but without sacrificing traction?

There are also several other small goodies, like an all-new clutch lever assembly with a shorter lever and more reach adjustment built in, as well as new mid-cable adjusters for cable play that don’t require tools.

On the cosmetic side, a new black magnesium valve cover matches the clutch, oil filter and ignition covers.

The 450 gets pretty much all the previously mentioned changes (new top clamp, larger axle, new swingarm and rear hub, new clutch lever, cable adjusters, new seat cover, brake clamp, etc.) It also gets a few specific things like a stator that has four mounting points instead of three, for increased durability. It also has longer shift forks on the first and third shift forks, for a more solid shift between second and third gears.

Oh...and if you're into freedom of choice, you can pick from the usual blue for both the YZ250F and YZ450F, or an optional white. model.

All in all, it looks like there’s lots new at Yamaha for ’09. We’re looking forward to seeing these bikes firsthand, but in the meantime, you can check out the photo galleries for each model in the Photo section.

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