Vital MX Pit Bits: Glendale 14

Check out the latest and greatest from the paddock in Glendale!

ML512

2/5/2022 2:15pm

We're in Arizona for one of the best venues of the year at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale! Check out the latest helmets, graphics, gear and more. Including some cool comparison between the Factory KTM and Huskys, along with other tech goodies!

Welcome to Phoenix! Here's Jerry Robin's latest SKDA kit for the weekend, featuring the Phoenix suns.

Details.

Full view.

In action.

100% takes goggle prep and planning seriously. Bravo Kuzo, bravo.

The Yamaha 450 truck has upgraded their awning lighting a bit.

Spare bikes? Yup, it's a Triple Crown. The one type of race that the AMA rules allow teams to tech a second motorcycle per rider in case of mid-evening issues.

Kinda eye catching seeing the spare bikes not rocking anodized clamps? Begs to question if they've been testing something new...or just low on new parts for the new bike.

The Red Bull KTM team are on split version of their Powerparts clamps...

While Malcolm Stewart and the Rockstar Husky team is running a tapered/non-split version of the clamps.

Dean Wilson is also on the same clamps.

Deano is also using X-Trig PHDS bar mounts.

While Mookie runs a solid mount, like the whole KTM crew does.

Even though Malcolm Stewart is a "bigger" rider, he's rocking a standard height seat.

While Deano, other than rocking the wing seat, is all running it just a bit taller than stock.

See that slot? It's normally open, but is closed up on both the Husky 450s.

Stewart's closed airbox from the other side.

Open airbox aboard Webb's bike.

Open airbox on Musquin's bike. (Plessinger's is as well)

Top of Webb's radiator.

Top of Musquin's radiator. The carbon guard is something Frankie Latham has been using this on Marvin's radiators for a few years and bike generations now, as Marv is quite rough on the bike. Literally beating his radiators with his leg in Supercross. Do you ride that hard?

Ian Southwell giving Shimoda's machine a little morning checkup.

Seeing double at Kawasaki? More spare bikes for Triple Crown.

It's kind of rare to see riders with gripper covers that don't have any sort of ribs or extra traction items onboard. El Hombre keeps it simple though.

The Monster Energy Kawasaki crew takes their protection items serious, covering all the bases.

Brake side. The Kawasaki team actually suffered a brake issue during outdoors a few years back with Tomac, where a rock hit the piston area of the master cylinder. The damage disabled his front brake, since then the Factory Kawi team has kept this protection in place.

The Kawi team also has a skidplate design that hugs tight to the engine, keeping mud build up or debris build up to a minimum.

Kawi also protects their brake calipers a bit more than most teams. It's also interesting to see Kawasaki run the "Honda style" billet caliper on their bike, which was brought onboard when Eli Tomac originally joined the team. Factory Kawi used to use a magnesium caliper design still used by Pro Circuit (picture below).

The KHI "Supercross" caliper.

Large works radiators for the Monster Energy Kawasaki squad.

Pro Circuit pit cart is basic but has the essentials.

Jo Shimoda working it in qualifying.

Jason Anderson is one of only two riders in the paddock rocking Airoh these days.

El Hombre.

Tomac has had a new Bell Moto 10 helmet design pretty much every round this year. Subtle changes, but cool.

Back view.

We'd like just one, please.

Between the 250 and 450 class, the Star crew has more red plates in their pits than imaginable.

The many faces of a serious suspension guy.

Got to get pressure just rightttttt. Even on a hybrid fork.

Shock body on one of Dylan Ferrandis' YZ450Fs.

And on his other bike. The difference? One is a stock YZ shock body, the other is a kit body. The difference in those? Not much, the kit one is just polished before being coated and doesn't have the outer ridge.

Mitchell Harrison ripping in the sand.

The AJE team will be rocking this look next weekend. In honor of Motul's long-time IMSA partner, PFAFF Porsche racing.

The Rocky Mountain crew is going solo bike this weekend, with no spare 450s in play for either of their active racers of Max Anstie or Shane McElrath.

For 2022, Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM team us running 48mm WP XACT Pro Component forks tuned by AEO/REP, instead of the 52mm works WP forks they have in 2021.

Max Anstie and Shane McElrath run stock KTM pegs...

Joey Savatgy's machine running titanium Pro-Pegs.

Shane McElrath utilizes a standard-ish KTM 2021 KTM frame...

While Max Anstie prefers the braced 2021 race frame.

OffRoad Underground? A little side project for Simon Cudby, check it out via Instagram.

Who are the starting blocks for on the KTM team? Cooper Webb? Nope. They're for Marvin Musquin.

Next week we'll be digging into some mechanic's bags to see what they take to the line. What do you want to learn or hear most about?

All of KTM's three 450 class riders run data reels on the forks during practice and qualifying. However, they're off the bike come race time so they can't be damaged and possible interfere with fork functionality.

Kevin Moranz has been getting closer and closer the 450 main each weekend. Little but little, Kevin.

Telescoping bike stands are common in MXGP but rare by US standards.

Little peek at Rockstar Husqvarna's Pit Cart. It's a little bigger than some team's setups, but has all the essentials.

You see a few teams adding small cutouts in their plastics to access otherwise hard to reach bolts that they want to check regularly.

Brembo calipers are windowed on top for extra cooling.

You can probably guess parts flow is still a bit thin as the "backup" Huskys featured production chain guides.

While the race bikes had the best from Akrapovic.

Clean wheel holders under the Factory Kawi tent.

Dylan Ferrandis keeps his launch control or map switch hidden inside the bar pad (you can see it in the middle of the bar here). And is accessible through a cutout in the bar-pad you wouldn't normally notice unless you were within arms reach of the bike.

While Tomac runs one in the normal control area.

Leg swag.

The YZ450F's run a shim between the aluminum frame and aluminum engine mounts. This helps combat the two similar materials from eating into each other and binding up as they wear and flex.