Red Bull KTM Factory Racing has confirmed it has re-signed Aaron Plessinger to a contract extension that will see the Ohio native remain on orange. “The Cowboy” will continue to compete aboard a 450 SX-F Factory Edition in the 2025 AMA Supercross series, 2025 Pro Motocross Championship, and 2025 SuperMotocross (SMX) World Championship. Related: 2023 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition First Ride Review “I’m really excited to be staying with Red Bull KTM through 2025,” Plessinger said. “It’s an awesome team and I think we’re going to do some big things together in the future—even bigger and better tha ..read more

Off-road motorcycle riding and racing has become quite popular in recent years, as evidenced by more and more manufacturers jumping on the cross-country model bandwagon. KTM’s is the most prevalent with six models in its XC and XC-F lineup. Sister brands Husqvarna and GasGas offer cross-country models with their TX/FX and EX ranges, respectively. The Austria trio holds a monopoly on the 350cc four-stroke off-road competition segment, and we cover the four models that fall into that category here. Related: KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas USA Headquarters Photo Gallery 2024 KTM 350 XC-F The 350 XC-F ..read more

Dunlop motorcycle tires are synonymous with performance here in the United States. Sponsoring a majority of professional racers, the brand also equips many production bikes with a variety of tires. Within the Geomax line, there are MX33s and MX34s on the motocross front, to tried and tested AT81s found on many production off-road machines. Dunlop’s Geomax AT82 is the successor to the AT81, a tire that many consider durable though limited in their performance priority. Two brand-new off-road tires in their Dunlop displays, a big fuel tank-themed project bike, and another beautiful morning at G ..read more

In the realm of full-size four-stroke motocross bikes, many manufacturers stick with 250cc and 450cc displacements. This makes sense from a professional racing standpoint, as those are the four-stroke engine sizes permitted in AMA Supercross, Pro Motocross, and the SuperMotocross (SMX) World Championship. However, the vast majority of dirt bike riders don’t compete in those series, and there’s a broad audience of individuals who want more power than a 250F can offer but less grunt than a 450. Enter 350cc four-strokes. We can thank KTM for creating this segment and continuing to offer more opti ..read more

This year has started off really well for the Dirt Rider team with lots of bike tests as well as new experiences for some of the crew, one being the 2024 Beta Trials Press Challenge. The last time the event was held was in 2018, which fellow test rider Evan Allen and staff photographer Jeff Allen participated in. Both returned this year with Evan as a rider and Jeff shooting photos, and I was asked to join as a rider too. It would be my first time riding and competing on a trials motorcycle, and one of only a handful of times Evan had swung a leg over one. Trying trials on a 2024 Beta Evo Fac ..read more

KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas own the 300 two-stroke cross-country motorcycle segment. These off-road competition-focused dirt bikes share much in common with their respective brand’s motocross models, most notably chassis design. The easiest way to decipher a cross-country model from an enduro (in stock trim) is the former has a front number plate while the latter are equipped with a headlight. If off-road competition and light motocross (i.e., vet track) riding and racing is in your future and you want a big-bore two-stroke dirt bike, read on to learn about three options available in 2024. Rela ..read more

Of the motorcycle companies that manufacture trials bikes, Montesa is certainly one of the most well known. Being owned by Honda helps, as does having 34-time motorcycle trials world champion Toni Bou campaigning its machinery at the highest levels of competition around the globe. Montesa’s three-model lineup of rock-hopping motorcycles have been released for the 2024 model year, consisting of the Cota 4RT 260R, Cota 4RT 301RR, and Cota 4RT 301RR Race Replica. Related: Motocross Riders On Trials Bikes 2024 Montesa Cota 4RT 260R All three of Montesa’s motorcycle trials models have the same sug ..read more

When it comes to technical off-road riding and hard enduro terrain, many turn to a fuel-injected 300 two-stroke motorcycle with a headlight. There are six models that fit that description, five from Austria (two of which are special-edition variants) and one from Italy. Whether you’re in the market for a 300 two-stroke with fuel injection or just want to learn more about this popular and highly capable type of off-road motorcycle, we’ve compiled a list of them here and detail some of what makes each unique. Related: Pro Wrenching Tip—Preparing Your Bike for Hard Enduro 2024 KTM 300 XC-W The 3 ..read more

There’s no shortage of standard-model 250cc four-stroke motocross bikes on the market (nine, to be exact), and there are more 250F motocrossers than ever in 2024 with a trio of special-edition variants from Austria. They are the KTM 250 SX-F Factory Edition, Husqvarna FC 250 Rockstar Edition, and GasGas MC 250F Factory Edition. In addition to being outfitted with several trick parts, these models feature chassis, suspension, and engine changes that give us an idea of what to expect on the 2025 KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas motocross bikes. Read on to find out some of what makes these limited-edit ..read more

Beta offers a vast lineup of trials motorcycles and the Italian manufacturer just released its Evo Factory models, which includes a quartet of two-strokes and a lone four-stroke. Offered in limited quantities, these five machines use the same base platform as the standard Evos, but feature up-spec parts and accessories to make them as competition-ready as possible. 2023 Beta Evo Factory 300 Of the five models in Beta’s Evo Factory trials motorcycle lineup, the Evo Factory 300 (pictured) and Evo Factory 250 enjoy the most changes. (Beta/) Related: How Much Power Does A Trials Bike Make? Engine ..read more