Spring Training

The Monster Energy Kawasaki team got in some outdoor testing on the '19 for the defending champ, Eli Tomac, in the week between Denver and New Jersey. This was an opportunity to try it on one of the tracks that the series will race on in just over two weeks.

As usual, the extra oil cooler is mounted up for the outdoor season.

Eli was railing his way around the course.

Garrett Marchbanks was on hand to get ready for his sophomore season. As usual, his coach, Ivan Tedesco, was also doing some testing for the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki squad.

Adam Cianciarulo's Supercross series may not have ended like he was expecting, but he's now focusing his attention to the outdoor series. He was absolutely railing through this section.

Tyler Bowers.

Zach Osborne jumping over the top of the hill, which has a bit of an off-camber section to it...if you were on the ground, that is.

Michael Mosiman has been turning up the heat lately, and it'll be interesting to see how he fares outdoors this season.

Newly crowned Supercross champ, Cooper Webb, was getting in his test time, but had little patience for some of the slower riders on the track.

It was good to see Shane McElrath back in action after some time off for an injured back. There are some questions on how the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM will do this season, as Shane and Jordon Smith both have lingering injuries.

Shane might've been having the most fun out there, like with this insta-scrub...

...or this sweet no-footer. #makegoonridinggreatagain.

Broc Tickle finally got word from the FIM that his penalty for a failed drug test will run through 2/20/20. While he won't be lining up for the outdoor season, he'll continue to help out other riders and stay in shape for his eventual return.

They've been doing a ton of work tuning up Fox Raceway for the National. The track is fast...really fast. Marvin Musquin got faster throughout the Supercross season, and it'll be interesting to see where he lands during the summer.

Jordon Smith is another guy returning from injuries. The wrist he tweaked in Arlington is better than it was, but according to our last conversation with him, it's still less than ideal.

Mitchell Falk was the lone survivor for the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM by the time Las Vegas rolled around. Now it's time to bring the heat outdoors.

Derek Drake will make the jump up to the pro ranks and make his debut at Hangtown.

Whoa. that's a lot of bikes. The GEICO Honda riders each had a pair of scooters, and an A and B chassis choice to make.

RJ Hampshire.

Christian Craig.

It'll be interesting to see where Hunter Lawrence fits in among the GEICO Honda crew...and the pack as a whole.

Trey Canard was out to help with testing for the Team Honda HRC crew, and was working on Cole Seely's setup (see the KYB suspension).

Cole Seely missed out on the '18 outdoor season following the injuries that he suffered during the Supercross season that year. It's good to see him back in action on the MX side.

Toshiki Tomita has returned to the U.S. from Japan for the Summer.

It was interesting to see Dave Arnold hanging with the Honda crew. Dave is one of the smartest MX guys we know.

The silicone hoses are doubled up for protection.

Works suspension is so much cooler than stock.

Not bad for an old guy. Kris Keefer will hold it down for the Smartop MotoConcepts Racing guys during the first couple of rounds.

The boxes Showa has for shipping suspension components are pretty cool, but you'll need a manual to figure out how to fold them. Particularly the compartments on the inside.

Justin Cooper on board. This might be about as low as we saw all day in this section.

Ah yes, the outdoors. Rutty, nasty square-edged bumps, and lots of line choices. Justin Cooper is looking forward to it.

Dylan Ferrandis has his outdoor style all set up. Lean back and hold it wide.

Colt Nichols. This set of rollers heading up the first big uphill was pretty gnarly.

Colt Nichols’ Yamaha YZ250F has this cool pipe guard hiding under the sideplate to keep things from getting toasted.

Cole runs the Neken SFS bar clamps. Here is the front of the system.

We like the ti engine mounts on Colt Nichols' bike.

Brandon Hartranft is ready to get his summer on.

Justin Barcia was working through some suspension components during the test sessions.

Dean Ferris was pretty low-profile, with no name on his gear, or numbers on his new Monster Energy Yamaha machine. He'd just flown in from Australia to get his first crack on the bike.

Dean getting dialed in with Billy and Kaz. Look for number 103 on the plates when they get to Hangtown.

It looks like Ferris settled in on the bike pretty quickly. Can he turn in some solid rides like he did during the first moto at High Point in '17? We'll see.