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If my handlebars where up here this would be a lot easier, Jackson appears to be indicating.
At some point experienced motorcycle addicts share the same nightmare, the exact scenario varies, but the haunting impact clings hold like an incessant pop song that refuses to shake from your noggin. You're riding along, lost in the moment, and for some dastardly reason your front brake locks up. Schnikes! However, in a more entertaining, parallel, bizarro world, one man's nightmare becomes another's adrenalin fix.
Without any long distance stoppie practice under his belt Dan Jackson still pulled off stupefying distance of 550 feet.
Round three of the 2011 XDL Sportbike Freestyle series was held in Nashville, Tennessee, as a NASCAR pre-race event, and for the first time since 2006, XDL held a "longest stoppie" competition - affectionately nicknamed "The Big One." A stoppie in this circumstance involved dialing a motorcycle upwards of 100mph, deliberately grabbing the front brake so that the rear-tire shoots up, and then riding along on the front wheel for as long as possible. Picture a wheelie on the front wheel.
Also on display at the Nashville event was the K&N Circle Challenge and the Racing 905 Speed and Style Competition, both of which are head-to-head stunt races. The XDL caters to the new audience of urban sportbike enthusiast and it continues to be one of the most meteoric segments of the motorcycle market. K&N sponsored Dan Jackson is one of the premier freestyle riders in the XDL, and we had the opportunity to question him about the seemly lack of good sense required to pull off the big one.
The K&N sponsored rider finished second in the 905 Speed and Style event.
Seriously, a stoppie goes against all my instincts - give us some insights how you even go about learning how to control that. Locking up the front brake is something I've had nightmares about, how ugly does it get when that goes wrong?
"Stoppies are definitely the most dangerous trick out there. Once mastered they seem and look so effortless, in the back of your head you always have to remember if one goes bad it usually results in a bad crash! I've seen some pretty gnarly stoppie crashes over the past 10 years. Nowadays the bikes are more set up with proper equipment that prevents headshake, front end wash, etc."
Few perform the Kawasaki polka with any more style than Jackson.
"I run a Scotts damper all the way locked in stiff position when rolling long distances. This prevents the headshake riders get when popping up the rear wheel too fast. Choice of tire makes the difference too. It's well known that the Michelin Pilot Power is by far the best tire when it comes to rolling long stoppies. It's a very trustworthy, sticky tire, rarely do you get front end wash attempting to pull up stoppies, even at speeds over 100mph."
"The rest is brake control. Stoppies are not a trick to learn overnight. They take lots of relentless practice mastering that front brake pull and feathering technique once you find the balance point. Balance point stoppies are dangerous. There's no coming back if you go beyond this point. The only thing you can pray for then is that your safety gear does its proper job and the bike doesn't smash you in the process."
Give us your take on the NASCAR Pre-Race Freestyle Event?
"The NASCAR event was a demo I performed during the pre-race track Fan-Walk festivities. It was a huge show for me. 45,000 rednecks going absolutely crazy for every trick I performed. It was 10 years of excitement packed into 30 minutes of fun! I'm definitely looking forward to my next NASCAR show. It's really awesome that I'm able to put my riding and sponsors in front of a large crowd and promote the sport of sportbike freestyle to a whole new market of fans."
How long have you been riding freestyle and can you briefly explain what's involved in Racing 905 Speed and Style, the Wheelie Teach Race, and the other various events?
For a number of obvious reasons freestyle riding competitions continue to be one of the fastest growing motorcycle markets.
"I've been riding bikes ever since I was a kid - motorcycles are my passion. My actual first word was bike. My mom bought be a dirt bike to keep me out of trouble and it was also an incentive for me to get good grades. I've been riding professionally now for 15 years. With professional moto-x and freestyle moto-x background, I have accomplished a lot over my career. Right now I devote all my time to freestyle sportbike riding and follow the only national point's series event of its kind - the XDL Show."
"The 905 Speed and Style is a head-to-head bracket type race that consists of various obstacles and stunts all incorporated in to a race. It involves racing around a road type course while doing burnouts, wheelies, and stoppies. One little mistake could cost you the win. Obviously this has been my problem this year. I'm smoking fast in practice, but I've been pushing the limits too much in the race, and then costly mistakes keep me out of that No.1 spot finish."
"The Wheelie Teach race is a head-to-head race on the back wheel. During the race you have to clutch up a wheelie at the start, then wheelie down and around a cone and back to the finish, all while keeping your front tire up in the air. If you drop the front-end you're disqualified. You have to know when to drop it back and get on the brakes to make the 180-degree turn around. If you blow past the cone your competitor may pass you, and if you brake too early he will make up time on you. It seems that the turnaround is the key to winning the event. You have to be smooth on the stall and clutch out in order to make sure you get the right angle of drive out of the turn. It definitely makes for an interesting race."
How many events a season do you regularly attend?
"Over the past 10 years I consistently attend approximately 40 events per year. The TeamXMX.com rig definitely racks up the miles. One year we tallied over 60,000 miles. One perk about living in the Midwest (Olathe, Kansas), its 22 hours to Florida, or New York, and 26 hours to California. I don't know if I could handle a 45-50 hour trip."
What's up next?
"This weekend I have a big demo for a Kawasaki dealership, and then Tuesday I'm off to Indianapolis for the final round of XDL and MotoGP."
2011 Jeep Wrangler 3.8L Air Intake Installation
K&N has designed two performance air intake systems for Jeep Wrangler models with a 3.8 liter engine. The 57-1553 fits 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 models. They both have aerodynamic non-metallic rotationally molded tubes for smooth air flow. K&N dynamometer tests show an estimated 8 horsepower gain at 4807 RPM with use of these K&N performance air intakes. This video shows how easy it is to install these power gaining K&N air intakes into a Jeep Wrangler.
Daytona's challenging track doesn't slow down Goerke through the whoops.
TiLUBE racings team of Kawasaki supercross bikes are more than just pretty green machines. TiLUBE has only been involved in the supercross series since 2009 and they are already a considerable force in the sport. Their riders like Matt Boni, Manuel Rivas and Matt Goerke consistently make main events; a feat that some riders will never complete in their entire career. K&N was able to catch up with team manager Tony Wenck between seasons to see what TiLube was up to.
What is Tilube racing? What makes it a team and who does it consist of?
We race to not only showcase our products but to also prove them under true race conditions. We offer products for powersports applications. We have a very high end synthetic as well as petroleum based products. We also produce race fuels that are constantly evolving throughout the race seasons.
How long have you been a team what are some interesting facts on your history?
The team was formed in 2006. TiLUBE Racing started in Arenacross and had some success for a couple years and even won some regional championships in the Lites class.
Matt Boni stays low more time on the ground means more traction.
In 2009 we put together a 250 West Coast Lites program on Honda's with a couple rookie pro riders; Alex Martin and Ben Evans. In 2010 we had Nick Wey and he was eventually picked up to be a fill-in rider on the Monster Kawasaki team for Ryan Villopoto. Ben Evans then took his spot at TiLUBE Racing in the Outdoors on a Kawasaki 450.
In 2011 we started with Matt Boni and Matt Goerke on the 450's again racing Kawasaki's. Goerke was injured right before the season started and TiLUBE had the Spanish Supercross Champion Manuel Rivas fill in. Then Goerke returned and raced with TiLUBE until he had a horrific crash at Jacksonville, FL where he fractured his wrist and pelvis. Then a rider that was a local to us during his amateur days Cody Gillmore stepped in. He did well but it was short lived because of a shoulder injury. Cole Siebler was the fill in rider for the remainder of the season. Meanwhile Matt Boni also had a nasty crash at the Dallas round and compound fractured his tib fib. We then hired Bobby Kiniry to finish the season out on his ride.
It was a challenging year to say the least but we managed to keep two riders on the bikes at each round. We worked very hard to deliver everything we promised to our sponsors. We also have been the co-title sponsor for the last two years of the Babbitts Monster Energy TiLUBE Kawasaki team that has won the Arenacross Championship both years.
What makes Tilube different from other motocross teams out there today?
The thing that makes TiLUBE Racing different is we are the main sponsor in an owner operator situation. TiLUBE is in the race fuel and oil business and all other brands in that category typically sponsor a team. We actually manage and operate the team. We get to see first hand how our products perform and can evaluate them at the highest level of tests. Meanwhile we can showcase our product line at the professional racing level. TiLUBE Racing is a major part of the TiLUBE products advertising campaign. We also sponsor some of the teams we compete against in Supercross.
Another night in the lights. This is the show time for TiLUBE Racing and team manager Tony Wenck.
What types of racing is Tilube involved in?
TiLUBE has motocross riders and teams across the U.S. and Canada using the product.
What are your thoughts on the 2011 supercross season?
It was a challenging year due to all the injuries our riders had. It was a year of learning and growth and having completed it, we are all excited to go racing again in 2012.
What do you have to look forward to for next season?
We are all enthusiasts at TiLUBE and the racing has been nothing less than phenomenal in the entire field. We are excited to be a part of Supercross as our program grows.
Matt Boni pushing his Kawasaki through the rhythm section.
Not asking you to pick favorites but is there a rider in particular we should watch for next season?
I think Barcia would be awesome to watch if he goes to the 450 full time. I also think Matt Boni has a lot more to offer this season and expect him to be inside the top ten from time to time. Also I believe in Mike Alessi. I think he has more talent than he has shown this past year. On the right program, he is a consistent top five rider, even in Supercross.
What has your experience been using K&N on your supercross bikes?
We have been using K&N filters for several years now. We've tried several systems and always come back to the K&N. It's unbelievable how much more power we can get with them. At the Supercross level you need every advantage you can get. When we dyno our bikes we know exactly what the K&N system produces; Power!
Air Intake Installation for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Jeep Wrangler 3.8L
K&N has designed a performance air intake system for the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Jeep Wrangler with 3.8 liter engine. Air intake part 77-1553KP has an aluminum tube with a shiny chrome like finish. K&N dynamometer tests show an estimated 7.92 horsepower gain at 4807 RPM with use of this K&N air intake modification. K&N tests multiple vehicles for each air intake design to help ensure long lasting quality. This video demonstrates the steps needed to install a power gaining K&N air intake into 2007 through 2011 Jeep Wrangler with the 3.8L engine.
Air Intake Installation for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Jeep Wrangler 3.8L
Coburn pushed hard all the way to the top, resetting the bar with an impressive time of 11:59.021.
When George Mallory was asked "Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?" his famously quoted retort was "Because it's there." For K&N sponsored ATV racer, Michael Coburn, another legendary mountain ascent cast much the same sort of straight forward spell over him.
"I saw it (Pikes Peak race) on TV when I was little and I dreamt about how cool it would be to race up it someday," Coburn told K&N Race News.
In the 2011 running of the Pikes Peak race to the clouds Coburn broke his own impressive record set last year, by three seconds in the Quad Modified class (11:59.021), making it the third straight year he has reset his own record.
Coburn broke his own Pikes Peak record for the third straight year riding aboard his K&N sponsored Hoosier/Spark's Racing Honda TRX 450R Big Bore ATV.
Yet, slightly over three years ago, Coburn wasn't even certain what was required to enter the race. "I did some research and found out what it took to enter the race and decided to enter it," said Coburn.
Coburn regularly competes in the Extreme Dirt Track ATVA Nationals, an eight round series with venues spread out throughout the country. For the past two years Coburn has held the Pro Champion title.
"This year I am currently in second. Had a few rough races, and now I'm trying to regain some points," Coburn adds. "We have two rounds left. This weekend we have round seven at my home track (Garretson, South Dakota). We are putting this race on, and have been busy lining up sponsors, track equipment and workers. We have been putting a lot of time in on the track to make the best race we can. Then the first week in September we finish up our season at Busco Beach, North Carolina.
Had it not been for the steady 30mph wind near the top of the mountain, Coburn feels he may have set an even lower time.
Coburn says he loves all sorts of racing and that he's always been open to new events and new types of racing challenges. He's hot-lapped a sprint car and a street stock car on dirt ovals, but he mostly sticks with ATV racing for now. "I have been riding ATV's since I was six," says Coburn. "Growing up riding was my hobby and most favorite thing to do." In 2004 he started racing TT at his local track, and then two years later Coburn started racing on the national level.
"I put a lot of time and effort into my racing season. I workout every day and also train on my quad about five days a week. I try keeping myself in the best shape possible, because racing is a tough sport, and can definitely wear you out. It's especially important to have good cardio for Pikes Peak, because the elevation is so high, and the air lacks oxygen. This Pikes Peak I ran pretty close to the same set up as the year before. I focused a little more on my jetting and gearing. That is very important at this race."
The K&N sponsored rider says he plans to return to Pike's Peak next year in hopes of another win and maybe even another record.
Coburn feels, had it not been for the wind at this year's race, he may have broken his 2010 record by even more. "The wind I feel was a big factor this year. The lower sections of the mountain were real fast and the wind was hard to notice. But the closer I got to the summit the stronger the wind became. On some straightaway's the wind was strong enough that it was hard to pull fifth gear. I think if it wasn't so windy the times would have lowered a little more for everyone."
In regards to his relationship with K&N Coburn explains, "I have always run K&N on all my stuff. That's the only filter I have ever known. Growing up I always saw K&N stickers on performance vehicles and wanted them on my ATV's. A couple years ago I sent some stuff in for rider support. Ever since then, John Jump has been helping out our race team."
"I am going to finish the Extreme Dirt Track Series out, hit some local races, and start rebuilding stuff for next season," continues Coburn. "Hopefully I will be setting up a new ATV. I also do some ice racing in the winter, and maybe I'll race in the Tulsa Shootout too, if they offer an ATV class this year."
