Revo 3,3 Custom Truggy VS Slash VXL Brushless

One of the problems that I was having with my gas powered Revo 3.3 was that the body wasn't holding up very well, especially in the back. I considered a few different options including a full roll cage that can range from $25 for a steel one to $130 for an aluminum one. These cages replace the body and look really cool, but the aluminum ones are pricey and the steel ones are heavy. A new body is about $25, but then I'd end up with the same problems. I like the "truggy" look, half buggy half truck, so I decided to try turning it to one to fix the problem, but keep it light for zero cost. I used 1/8" diamond tread that I cut out after using paper to make a template, then bent it to fit. I used screws to attach it to the body. It's nearly as light as it was before and much stronger. It also protects the motor better..plus it looks really cool. My son has a 1/16 scale slash VXL with an electric brushless motor. Check out the video of the showdown under the photos. The slash gets off the line FAST and is easier to keep level in the air, but the gas one has bigger meats and will outrun this slash once it gets going or when traction is at a minimum. They are both 4 wheel drive, while the gas one will run endlessly as long as you keep filling it with gas you'll need to wait around 8 hours for both batteries to charge on the slash. The batteries are hooked up in parallel, but can be connected in series to double the power!

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Ryan Dungey Blog

Ryan Dungey is a rising star who has managed to place himself on top of the AMA Supercross points standings in 2010. He turned pro in 2006 and with the help of such riders as Ricky Charmichael has made quite a mark so far. Born 12/4/89 in Belle Plaine MN, he has made the move to the 450 class in 2010 to compete with the worlds fastest riders. Here is an entry takes from his blog as he talks about the 2010 season.

"So far, the 2010 season on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team has been really great. I put in a lot of hard work in the off-season, but the start of the AMA Supercross has been better than I could’ve imagined. Roger DeCoster always tells me the only thing that matters is the last race, so I’m really focusing on keeping healthy and racing smart. I’m just going to try to carry the momentum and remember it’s one race at a time, and also to have fun, enjoy it, and let the rest come. The season is a long one, 17 races, and there’s a lot of racing left to do.



Winning the first race of my 450 career in Phoenix, Arizona, was great and following up that win with another one in Anaheim 2 was like icing on the cake. The setup on my Suzuki RM-Z450 is really good, and all the guys on the team are really working hard to make sure it’s in great shape. The fuel injection on the bike is really good, and right off the starts I have instant power. There’s no bog, and it just launches out of the gate. No one knows how the rest of the season is going to go, but I hope that I can continue to do well and put the team and the bike on the podium. Before I sign off, I want to thank my fans, my sponsors, and my family for supporting me. I couldn’t do this without help from a lot of great people, so thanks!"

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FUEL,The Best Off Road Freeride Game For The PS3?

This is a fairly new game for the PS3 that has been out long enough for people to have their own opinions of the game. The game has received less than stellar reviews on places like Gamespot which has made me a bit leery to go out and purchase the game. When we saw the game, brand new, at the store for 20 bucks we finally spent the cash and took a chance. This game has to be one of the best games I've ever bought for $20. I think I may have been a bit disappointed spending $60, but at $20, it's a real bargain! Way better than Motorstorm that seems to have better reviews.

Some of the reviews I've read seem to focus on the bad instead of the good in this game. Gamespot states that the AI racers are not playing by the same rules as you are, sometimes jumping out to a huge lead that can't be reclaimed and/or climbing shortcuts that you can't climb yourself etc. I do have to agree with this from a pure racing standpoint as compared to games like Dirt where seconds count and to win means shaving seconds and accurate driving. They also stated that there was a lack of the "rubber band effect" that is present in many racing games to make it so faster racers don't get too far ahead and just run away with the race. This is also true, although this does not exist in real life either nor does a certain set of rules that says what can and can't be climbed or that the guy next to you can't stick on the road a bit better than you are etc. This is even more true in off-road racing where no vehicle is exactly the same and the terrain is ever changing. Perhaps if you are a "true racer" this game will frustrate you, but if not, or you think there might be more to gain from this game, continue reading.


Even though the machine physics could be improved, this game comes up big where other games of this type have fallen a bit short...FREERIDE! It's too bad they can't combine FUEL's world with MX vs ATV Reflex bikes. This game boasts 5,000 square miles of terrain! Gamespot claims that this is irrelevant because there is little reason to explore it. This is simply not true. The landscape is taken from satellite data and ranges from city streets to redrock canyons, wooded forests, rain, snow, hurricane, day, night, you name it! FUEL also rewards you for freeriding with not only liveries such as new paint schemes for vehicles, vistas etc. but also with "fuel" located in various locations that can be collected and used to be traded for more vehicles. This is especially cool for me since my kids would rather freeride than race, now they can drive around and collect fuel for themselves instead of having to compete in ultra competitive races geared towards older gamers that they can not win. Probably the coolest part of this game is that once an area is unlocked it becomes a part of a much larger world instead of just a world on it's own. You can drive between areas seamlessly or use "helipads" located throughout the world to instantly travel to that location on the map.


This game also has a night feature that many have said is only an annoyance. If ever you've gone off-roading or recreating outdoors, you know that the sun still does go down at night and come up in the morning. Not only is this a fact of being outdoors, but it is often a time where the area is most beautiful with sunsets and sunrises. Perhaps driving around in the dark doesn't appeal to many, but when you are wandering along a high ridge in full moonlight it can be a very peaceful time, as is sitting at camp under the same set of circumstances. There are areas in the game where you are driving under full moonlit skies through forest fires, torrential rain, hurricanes etc., then the sun comes up to reveal a landscape that can only be rivaled by actually being there. Perhaps a feature to instantly go to day mode would be a nice feature on future versions, or shorter nights since it can be frustrating to see where you are going in some areas. If you like to freeride, this game is the best I've played as far as the size of area and freedom to roam. As I said before, games like Reflex do a much better job at having a more pure riding experience with the machine, but I was really disappointed to end up with only 3 worlds in which to freeride that are separate and distinct from each other. The racing on Reflex is AMAZING though...same with Dirt 2.


If your like me and you've been waiting to buy this game, wait no further. It's a bargain and you won't find it much cheaper. I only hope there is a second version with better physics, but we may have to take the trade off until either Reflex catches up on the freeride or FUEL catches up on the physics.

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SUPERCROSS 2010, Round 4, San Francisco

Another exciting installment of the 2010 AMA Monster Supercross Series! With Ryan Dungey(#5) on top of the points lead, he planned on putting more distance the other riders today. Dungey came out strong in his heat race, but had a rare crash coming off a jump and hitting a barrier. He was able to gather himself, right his bike, and get back on the track quickly however finishing in the top of the pack to secure a place in the main event. Dungey got the hole shot in the main and immediately started to add distance, running away with the lead with Josh Hill in second and Ryan Villopoto(#2) in third. About halfway through lap ten, on the same jump that he wrecked on before, Dungey cross rutted and sent the bike nose high into the air off the jump. With the bike out in front of him, he landed hard on both legs on the ground. Amazingly, he was able to jump up and get back on his way without loosing the lead! Unfortunately the clutch lever on the bike got twisted around the back on the crash making for an awkward reach. He was passed by Hill, Villopotto, then Millsaps, but was able to finish 4th to salvage his points lead for the series. Villopotto got his first win of the season and made up some distance in the points. With James Stewart out with a broken wrist and Reed still out with a broken hand the young guns are taking advantage. This type of crash may well be a testament to the Nike 6.0 Boots, it seems as though Dungey escaped injury free.



This video shows the wreck, pretty lucky to escape without injury. It seems as though he did a good job of rolling with the hit to disperse the energy.

Supercross Results:.

1. Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki
2. Josh Hill, Yamaha
3. Davi Millsaps, Honda
4. Ryan Dungey, Suzuki
5. Andrew Short, Honda
6. Justin Brayton, Yamaha
7. Ivan Tedesco, Yamaha
8. Nick Wey, Kawasaki
9. Tommy Hahn, Suzuki
10. Michael Byrne, Yamaha
11. Kevin Windham, Honda
12. Kyle Chisholm, Yamaha
13. Jason Thomas, Suzuki
14. Cyrille Coulon, Kawasaki
15. Fabien Izoird, Kawasaki
16. Chris Blose, Honda
17. Manuel Rivas, Kawasaki
18. Jesse Casillas, Kawasaki
19. Jarred Browne, Kawasaki
20. Kyle Partridge, Kawasaki

Supercross Overall Standings:

1. Ryan Dungey, 90
2. Josh Hill, 79
3. Ryan Villopoto, 77
4. Andrew Short, 68
5. Kevin Windham, 61
6. Davi Millsaps, 57
7. Ivan Tedesco, 57
8. Justin Brayton, 56
9. James Stewart, 51
10. Tommy Hahn, 42

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How To Break In A New 2-Stroke Top End

Doing a top end rebuild on a 2-stroke motorcycle is easy and fairly cheap to do, but if you skip the break in procedure your probably missing out on some of the performance gains. It's tempting once you get that new piston in the bike and start it up to go out and see what it can do, especially when you hear the engine run for the first time with the new components. If you resist that urge, at least for a little while, you'll be much happier twisting the throttle later on.

The first thing you must do is CHECK everything to make sure you don't have any missing parts laying around. Look around your work area just to make sure nothing is left. You'll want to make sure the air box is clean and it has a clean filter, you don't want to start out with any chance of dirt getting into those new parts. Fill the radiator up and make sure the fuel is properly mixed with a good quality 2-stroke oil.

Now, start the bike and listen to the engine running. Take it really easy at this point, no quick blips of the throttle to warm it up. Once it's warmed up start making passes back and forth at about 1/4 throttle for about 5 to 10 minutes on level ground. I found myself going through a few gears, but only at idle to 1/4 throttle. Try to keep it in 2nd or 3rd and just slowly accelerate and decelerate when needed to turn around etc. no quick revs, nice and smooth. Some will say to let it cool down after this first cycle, some say it doesn't matter. I let mine cool and then on to the next step.

Next, start making passes 1/4 to 1/2 throttle for about 10 to 15 minutes. After this is done, take a look at your bike and make sure everything is still good, listen and make sure it sounds normal. If everything seems ok, go ahead and start making 1/2 to full throttle passes for about 5 minutes. Listen and make sure everything sounds good, there shouldn't be any abnormal sounds or any excessive heat.

The last thing to do, is a so called "super secret magic" part that really makes the bike run great. I found this online, and I'm not sure exactly what it does, but it came from a good source and it really seems to get the bike working better and gets it the right heat etc. to set the rings. On this part you'll still be making 1/2 to full throttle passes, but shift up a couple gears to where your dirt bike is starting to bog even at full throttle. Keep it pinned even while it is bogging and hold it until it cleans up. Do this about 15 times and your done. You'll have better compression and a longer lasting, more reliable top end.

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SUPERCROSS Round 3, Anaheim 2

What a battle! This was one of the most intense races I've seen in a while. Stewart raced hurt, which really slowed him down, but he put up a fight. Stewart has always been a checkers or wreckers kind of guy, and he continues to be as he battled the pain of a hurt wrist. Dungey got off to a great start, but Stewart charged ahead followed by his teammate Josh Hill on the 2 Yamaha's. Stewart led for 6 laps until Hill made the pass with Dungey close behind in 3rd. These 3 battled for the lead for most of the race until Ryan Dungey made the pass on his Suzuki and put the hammer down on lap 14. Once he got out in front he was flying. Stewart seemed to run out of gas and began to drop back, basically unable to hang on anymore. Hill was able to hold onto second while Stewart managed third. The action was intense with Stewart trying his normal stunts, wheelies through the whoops, clearing massive jumps with spurts of speed, but then fumbling, struggling to hang on. Dungey maintains his points lead on the series, but Stewart was able to stay in the hunt. It should make for some very intense action this season. Round 4 will be aired on CBS next Sunday. Dungey looks fast, it will be interesting to see if he can hang with a healthy Stewart, if he's able to get things fixed up. He was basically carried off the track after the final. Something is definitely not right.



Anaheim 2 Supercross Results:

1. Ryan Dungey, Suzuki
2. Josh Hill, Yamaha
3. James Stewart, Yamaha
4. Andrew Short, Honda
5. Kevin Windham, Honda
6. Justin Brayton, Yamaha
7. Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki
8. Davi Millsaps, Honda
9. Michael Byrne, Yamaha
10. Ivan Tedesco, Yamaha
11. Kyle Chisholm, Yamaha
12. Tommy Hahn, Suzuki
13. Nick Wey, Kawasaki
14. Jason Thomas, Suzuki
15. Chris Blose, Honda
16. Grant Langston, Yamaha
17. Fabien Izoird, Kawasaki
18. Manuel Rivas Gomez, Kawasaki
19. Justin Keeney, Kawasaki
20. Austin Stroupe, Suzuki

Supercross Overall Standings:

1. Ryan Dungey, 72
2. Josh Hill, 57
3. Ryan Villopoto, 52
4. Andrew Short, 52
5. James Stewart, 51
6. Kevin Windham, 51
7. Ivan Tedesco, 43
8. Justin Brayton, 41
9. Davi Millsaps, 37
10. Tommy Hahn, 30

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Build Your Own Dirt Bike Tire Changing Stand

Changing a tire on a dirt bike isn't rocket science, but it can be a lot of work. A few of the right tools and a strong tire changing stand can make it much easier. This video shows how easy it can be if you know what your doing. The type of tire can also make a difference however, so don't be too disappointed if it takes you longer than the 5 minutes it takes this guy! The first time with my new stand took about 45 minutes for me with a much stiffer desert tire. At least one large spoon is a must along with either another spoon and/or tire iron. I did the entire job with a large spoon, a smaller tire iron, and a wrench for the valve core and rim lock. I found that my tube had been chafing, so I made sure to use some powder containing talc in the new tire to help avoid this. I also used a 50/50 mix of dish soap and water in place of tire paste to help the new tire slide on and to aid in setting the bead when aired up.

To build my tire stand, I took advantage of my tubing bender base that I already had bolted to the cement garage floor. I wanted to make it so the bender could easily be re-attached so I used a plate that would mount up the the holes on the existing plate.



I had a piece of round steel that was just the right size out of sheer luck. I also had a roll of rubber laying around that I picked up at the army surplus store. By tracing the pattern on the rubber then cutting a hole in the center, I could slide the rubber over the shaft and it will stay in place to protect the rim from damage while the rim is on the stand. This is obviously a very simple design for a stand, but it doesn't need to be fancy. Having a stand such as this allows the work to be done at a comfortable level instead of crouching over on the ground. It also provides a way to hold it while you pry on the tire. Having it free on the stand lets you easily flip it over and work very quickly. I chose to use a rather small diameter shaft so I could use the stand on many different wheels. The shaft is about 3/8" diameter and is the minimum you would want to go for strength. Having a hardened steel shaft would also provide better strength.



This stand looks and works great and turns a back breaking job into something that can easily be done in a half hour without sore knees and a sore back.



The tips in the video proved to be a huge help. Normally, I would remove the rim lock completely, something that really isn't necessary. Also, lining up the valve stem and installing the nut with a few threads made sure the task of lining up the valve stem was out of the way while it was an easy task. With practice, the right tools, a sturdy stand, and these tips anyone can learn to change tires like a pro.

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Swingarm Buddy Install, Chain Adjuster Bolt Repair

What do you do if you break your chain adjuster bolt off in your swingarm? The first thing I did was panic, then I tried an easy out. After that didn't work I had to temporarily thread a nut onto the stud in order to have enough adjustment to be able to shave down my axle block and get the chain tensioned correctly for a trip I was going on the next day. I had heard about the "10 minute permanent fix" for my problem called the "swingarm buddy", but I put it off because my temporary fix was working. In order to do sprocket changes and/or replace the chain, I knew I was going to have to have a better solution, so I decided to put this fix to the test. I can say that for me, it was not a 10 minute fix, but I think the bolt was heat hardened from me attempting to remove the bolt with various methods before. After dulling and re-sharpening many bits, and wandering out of center from the bolt a bit, I was left with something that would have worked fine, but wasn't really what I had in mind. The adjuster bolt would stay in place if tension was on it, but it would fall out when the axle was removed. Also, it was hard to keep the plate from moving when adjusting the tension. A quick and easy fix was to drill 4 dimples into the swingarm to match the nubs on the plate to keep it from spinning and then secure the plate with JB Weld. This was a fairly easy and inexpensive fix, and one that I think I can live with now.

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Supercross Round 2, Phoenix

Ryan Dungey takes round 2 in Phoenix, his first career AMA Supercross class victory and takes the points lead in the process! James Stewart had a scary crash in his heat race and came back to race in the last chance qualifier with visible signs of the pain he was in from the crash. Stewart took the last chance qualifier and went on to the main, but it was Dungey who jumped out to a lead and maintained this lead for 20 laps of the main event. Stewart found himself buried in the back of the field alongside rival Chad Reed. Reed attempted to pass Stewart on lap 5 causing a collision and a crash for both riders. Reed failed to finish for the second week in a row while Stewart was able to finish 15th. Jake Weimer took the win in the lites and maintained his points lead. Dungey currently holds a nine-point advantage over Villopoto in the AMA Supercross standings while Weimer leads Morais by eight points in the AMA Supercross Lites Western Regional standings.



AMA Supercross Class Results: Phoenix

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki
2. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
3. Josh Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Yamaha
4. Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
5. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
6. Kevin Windham, Centerville, Miss., Honda
7. Austin Stroupe, Lincolnton, N.C., Suzuki
8. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
9. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
10. Tommy Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Suzuki


AMA Supercross Class Season Standings

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 47
2. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 38
3. Josh Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Yamaha, 35
4. Kevin Windham, Centerville, Miss., Honda, 35
5. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 34
6. Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha, 32
7. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha, 31
8. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha, 26
9. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 24
10. Tommy Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Suzuki, 21


Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites Class Results: Phoenix

1. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
2. Ryan Morais, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
3. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda
4. Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda
5. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha
6. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda
7. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
8. Tommy Searle, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
9. Robert Kiniry, Holland Patent, N.Y., Suzuki
10. Phil Nicoletti, Bethel, N.Y., KTM


Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites Class Season Standings

1. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki, 50
2. Ryan Morais, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki, 42
3. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda, 38
4. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 36
5. Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda, 34
6. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha, 31
7. Tommy Searle, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 27
8. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda, 22
9. Robert Kiniry, Holland Patent, N.Y., Suzuki, 20
10. Jeff Alessi, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha, 19

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