Vital MX Pit Bits: 2023 San Diego Supercross - Part Two 10

Welcome back to part two of Pit Bits from the 2023 San Diego Supercross!

From the couch, watching TV, you may have thought conditions were fantastic and rain leading up to the week was minimal. Well as Bryson Gardner shows, it was still very muddy if you got off track.

Yikes...

A peek in the top of Tony Archer's very clean and sano race toolbox. What's the most intresting tool or item you see?

After being a bit closed off at A1, the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing pits were open for us to wander again.

Yamaha dropped an all-new global racing look alongside Monster Energy for US Moto, MXGP, and MotoGP. 

The new Cycra stadium plate for the 2023 YZ450F really helps complete the look for the somewhat minimalistic front end.

We love opening ceremonies.

Kenny Day from Fox always leaves his athletes something motivational to get their day started. It's the little things...

Aaron Plessinger is the cowboy of pro moto.

Tough pill to swallow for Levi Kitchen. The bright side? He'll be back on the gate at Anaheim 2.

It might just be plastic, but we all know how much "creature of comfort" riders are. So taking away a visual cue while also having a twisted-up bike, would make for one interesting main event. 

Rough two opening rounds for Mookie...but the fever is still there!

Data ports for the Vortex ECU onboard the Twisted Tea Suzuki RM-Z450s.

Between the cerakoted cases, Hinson clutch cover (with Suzuki branding), and the Boyesen Supercooler...there's a lot of drool-worthiness to the HEP machines engines.

The Twisted Tea Suzuki racers, Kyle Chisholm and Shane McElrath, both run these team colored helmets with Twisted branding and some Progressive signage as well.

Justin Barcia has always had trick bicycles and his latest Cannondale SuperSix Evo is no exception.  

Little Bam's World signage added.

Justin Barcia or Willy Wonka?

A happy Eli is a dangerous Eli. From the outside, it's great to watch Eli enjoying it this much in the later stages of his career.

Let's see how many of you can know who both of these Yamaha racers are?

Justin Barcia's Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull GasGas MC 450 was another subject of our deep dive, expect a video on the site in the coming weeks.

The wiring on the factory GasGas machine has been cleaned up a lot compared to stock. On the stock bike, there's a lot going on behind the front number plate due to additional switches but on the race bike, they've removed much of it that was unnecessary. Also, note there's a mount if the team wanted to use a Showa steering damper.

While the GPS sensor is mounted behind the front number plate on the Factory KTMs, it's placed on the neck of the head tube on the GasGas.

Justin Barica looks to be the only rider, we've noticed, running a light-based RPM indicator for his starts.

Similar to Cooper Webb, Barcia chose to stick with the longer spec Akrapovic header.

Drool...

The team has to cut a small hole in the left-side panel to reach a bolt that regularly needs to be checked.

While some teams have to weld up the sight glasses on their rear brake master cylinders, Brembo provides sets for the factory teams that are already covered up and even have their logo in place.

The attention to detail, on both the design of the graphics and integration into the rest of the bike, is always top-notch for the TLD team.

Through the team's Sony Pictures sponsorship, they're marketing "Gran Turismo The Movie", based on the famous Sony video game.

This year, most of the Factory Austrian bikes are using a true split triple clamp, whereas we saw some sets last year that were just slotted but still connected at the pinch bolt location.

More drool...

While most teams just utilize an aftermarket or works brake caliper at the front of the bike and a stock one out back, the Austrian trio utilizes a Brembo SXS caliper out back as well. Note the DLC-coated brake pin.

3D-printed housing to keep moving hands from accidentally activating the kill switch. Also, we noticed that Justin Barcia is on full waffle grips now, which he apparently went to part way through 2022.

Joey Savatgy's Rick Ware Racing deal is supposedly just for the first eight rounds but we're hearing it could go longer if Joey hasn't picked up a fill-in deal by then. Also, we've heard that RWR is preparing to race Supercross in 2024 with multiple riders and out of a full semi-setup. 

Uhh, Dean, there's someone crashing into you.

Truck drivers are always working, don't let them fool you.

What are you looking at?

Would you like to join the Sexton Ship? Memberships are available, email LPhillips@VitalMX.com for more information...