Aldon Baker is the number-one name in motocross training. He changed the game with Ricky Carmichael and never looked back. Obviously, he knows what he’s talking about when it comes to fitness, nutrition, gym work, bike work, cardio, and every other physical piece of the training puzzle. But we sometimes forget that the squishy, grey mass between our ears is what is controlling us and controlling the bike. With the bikes being so good, and nutrition and fitness being at such a high level, where does the mental factor fit in this puzzle? Confidence, ego, pressure, fear, anger, aggression, calm, focus… The mind is a roiling torrent of thoughts and feelings and every racer has to deal with negative, and positive emotions, to get the most out of all the hard physical work that they put into their program. Aldon talks about how each rider is different, but ultimately it is a balance of confidence, respect, fun, and hard work. 

Vital MX

The Mental Side Of Moto With Aldon Baker

Triple clamps are one of those big-ticket items for motocross bikes that can really change the way a machine handles. Stock triple clamps on modern motocross bikes are pretty good and are way better than they have been in the past. Yet, with most parts, OEMs have to make some compromises for cost and ease of manufacturing. Aftermarket triple clamps can be lighter, stronger, flexier, and have different offsets to change the turning characteristics of the bike. To dig into the science behind triple clamps, we met up with Billy Wight of Luxon MX, a newer player in the triple clamp space. We talk about materials, manufacturing, testing, and more. Enjoy. 

Tech Edition: Triple Clamp Tech

In the moto world, people were happy with coiled metal in their bike’s fork. Then came the air fork and on paper, everything sounded great! Way lighter, change ‘spring’ rates at the track, tons of adjustability, better handling… The list went on and on. In reality, things weren’t so awesome. Most riders weren’t a huge fan of the ride feel, but the real sticky booger was that the setup and pre-ride requirements were not only confusing but just a pain in the butt! After a few years, motocross bikes returned to coil springs, that is except for the moto bikes coming from Austria. WP was the lone hold out of the air fork and that is what you will find today on all KTM, Husqvarna, and GASGAS’ motocross bikes. With a much simpler design, and continued development and refinement, these are the pinnacle of air fork technology. But there are plenty of riders out there who just have a bad taste in their mouth about air forks. We grab Leigh Crawford of WP USA to talk all about air forks: How they work, the pros and cons, how to adjust them, when they work best, how they are different than other brands’ air forks, and much more. So grab your fork pump and inflate your brain with some air fork knowledge!

Tech Edition: Digging Into Air Forks With WP

We are obsessed with making our motocross machines faster, yet today we want to talk about slowing down. Motocross brakes are simple on one hand, but with all the different parts and pieces, are nearly infinitely complicated on the other. Factor in the rider preference (which varies a surprising about from rider to rider) and you have a dynamic, multi-faceted system with no one correct solution. We talk with Sando Milesi, CEO of Galfer USA, about all the ways you can increase the performance, personalization,  and durability of your dirt bike's braking systems. 

Tech Edition: Slower Is Faster - All About Brakes

It has been 13 years since the launch of the Leatt Neck Brace, the first motocross neck brace on the market. Over the years there seems to have been peaks and valleys in acceptance and usage. We recently got to talking with some of our testers and riding buddies about neck braces in general and it seemed like a lot of them were in the same boat... That is, they tried an early version years ago and weren&apos;t immediately comfortable, so they never tried it again. Or, they heard a pro rider or prominent trainer say they don&apos;t believe in them, so they don&apos;t either. Personally I&apos;m in the first group... someone that tried one the early braces, found it somewhat bulky, heavy, intrusive and never gave it another try, even though today they are much lighter, sleeker, and more comfortable and customizable. We sat down with Chris Leatt, the founder and inventor of the Leatt Brace to rehash the neck brace conversation. Listen as he explains the scientific and medical data behind a neck brace and motocross protection in general. 

Tech Edition: Neck Brace Technology with Chris Leatt

Of course we are biased, but it is hard to argue against the fact that motocross at its highest level is the most physically demanding sport on the planet. To perform at their peak, racers have to have endurance, strength, agility, and raw power, which they can&apos;t achieve eating doughnuts and cheeseburgers. Well, maybe Jett can. To get a little insight into how pro racers are fueling their bodies, we grabbed Blake Savage, former pro motocross racer and current motocross trainer. He&apos;s worked with Ken Roczen, Cole Seely, Christian Craig, Chase Sexton among others. Listen in to see if you can take some of the tips and nutrition guides Savage shares and apply them to your weekend warrior program. 

Tech Edition: Motocross Nutrition with Blake Savage

Oscar has worked with a ton of championship-caliber riders both here and abroad. That list includes guys like James Stewart, Chad Reed and Ken Roczen, and he's currently the crew chief for Adam Cianciarulo over at Monster Energy Kawasaki.

AC92's Crew Chief, Oscar Wirdeman | Vital MX Inside Line Podcast

Be honest, is your chain squeaking? Is it loud and rattling like pennies in a tin can? Is it flapping and flopping into your swingarm like its desperately trying to get your attention? Hopefully not, because not only is this unsafe, it is not the optimal operating conditions for your dirt bike. We grab Clayton Solise of D.I.D Chains (not "Did" but Dee Eye Dee) to give us a detailed look at the drive train of your bike. Believe it or not, pro teams do test different chains often to find the best characteristics for what they are trying to achieve. Obviously, most of the time it is more power and a faster dirt bike, which leads them to non-sealed chains. But, surprisingly, there are some factory supercross and motocross teams that run sealed, also known as O-ring or X-ring, chains. Plus, we talk about cleaning and lubing. No! Back away from the pressure washer, slowly and calmly. There are better, safer, and more durability-enhancing ways of cleaning and lubricating your chain. Cheers!

Tech Edition: We are going off the CHAIN!

While we’re waiting for the racing season to resume, we caught up with Forrest Butler, the owner of the Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/KTM/WPS team. He had a lot to say about being on hold...and the possible way back to action.

Racing On Hold, From a Team Owner’s Perspective, With Forrest Butler | The Inside Line

We pull in the left lever and don't give it another thought. But what exactly is a clutch? How does it work? What are all the parts? What are the pros and cons of switching out the OEM parts for other options? What oil is best? Hydraulic or cable? Should you mess with your actuator arm? So many questions and just one podcast to answer them. In this Tech Edition of the Inside Line Podcast, we talk with Austin Paden from Rekluse all about clutches. Other than knowing about his brand's products, Austin also has deep knowledge about every single aspect of dirt bike clutch performance from stock to exotic. Sure, you could just stick with stock clutch packs and forget about it, but if you have any engine mods on your bike whatsoever, all that power has to go through the clutch and you might want to figure out the best way to get all the ponies you already paid for. 

Tech Edition: What The Clutch Is Going On? | The Inside Line

We got a chance to chat with Dave, who has been up to his elbows in the Supercross series for the last two decades about what we can hope for in the remaining seven rounds of the 2020 season. He&apos;s seen just about every possible scenario, but the Coronavirus obviously threw everyone a curve. While this is shorter than usual, there’s some interesting info in here, both about how abruptly the season ended, and what we can look forward to in the future.

Dave Prater, Senior Director of Operations for Supercross | The Inside Line

When it comes to rider safety, one of the things that we’ve enjoyed are the recent advances in helmet design, technology, and construction. 6D’s intro to the market was well-timed, with the introduction of their Omni-Directional Suspension (ODS). We checked in with Bob Weber at 6D to talk about what it took to get the company off the ground, what they’ve discovered during their time in business, and what’s in store for the future.

6D's Bob Weber | The Inside Line

“Pour-in performance” is pretty much the tagline for race gas. But what is it really? How is it different than pump gas? What do octane numbers actually mean? Do you want oxygen or lead in there? Will it help a stock bike? These questions, and many more, are answered with our talk with Bruce Hendel of VP Racing Fuels, who explains all the different applications and pros and cons of running race gas. Sorry that this podcast can’t bring you smell, too. Enjoy!

Tech Edition: Race Fuel Explained | The Inside Line

Just after helmets and boots, knee braces are the most complicated and expensive pieces of motowear in our garage. But unlike helmets that have universal standards and have been around for over 100 years, knee braces started in the last 30 by a Jim Castillo who is still around to this day. We talk with Brett Guerin of CTi, the current version of one of the companies Castillo created. We cover knee brace philosophy, history, technology, and where we think braces could be going in the future. 

Tech Edition: All About Knee Braces | The Inside Line

When talking about engine mods for motocross bikes, the phrase "ported and polished" gets thrown around a lot. But do we all know what that really means? Turns out, according to Andrew Flores, Engine Research and Development at Race Tech, polishing is the last thing you want to do to intake and exhaust ports. We get into all the different ways a cylinder head can be manipulated and what each modification does so that you can have a better idea of what head mods are available and if any are right for you're motocross machine. 

Tech Edition: Cylinder Head Modification | The Inside Line, Presented By Thor

Are you ready to hear from some of the most interesting people in motocross and Supercross? That’s where Vital MX podcasts comes in. The Inside Line series features interesting conversations with riders past and present, as well as movers and shakers in the sport.

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