We’ve tried to pack in more of what you like, and squeeze out bits that you don’t. More in-depth features and behind-the-scenes stuff that only MOTO magazine brings you. Not rehashed, dull old race reports from weeks ago, or superficial eye candy photofests like some of those awful on-line page-flipping websites masquerading as magazines.

Proper journalism, proper bikes, proper long-term tests, proper exclusives, proper new bike tests and shootouts and unique photography and features you’ll only see exclusively in MOTO in the UK. I hope you can tell we’re really proud of the changes, and I genuinely hope you like them, too.

And one lucky reader this month will get a great package of goods. Just peel off the free stickers on the front cover and if you uncover the special golden sticker, you’re a winner. Yes, it really is that simple and just one copy has the winning sticker. So get to it now!

Not only is the new MOTO a glimpse of what you’ll be getting in the future, the issue is packed with lots of new stuff for 2014, courtesy of our exclusive on the Japanese championship. We’ve looked beneath the surface of the new bikes – from the all-new 2014 Yamaha YZF450 and Honda CRF250 to the pair of factory Honda 450s and prototype Suzuki RMZ250.

As we celebrate all things mechanical in our special technology-themed issue, we’ve also looked at some of the greatest innovations the sport has ever seen complete with insight from the men that were there when it happened.

And on track we’ve tested the 2013 GP bike of Tanel Leok that cost just £2500 in mods before finishing fourth at the Dutch GP. And also we rode Neil Prince’s radical RMZ250, right from its outing in the Dutch GP in the hands of Graeme Irwin. As well as our regulars dose of long-term tests of all five current 450 motocross bikes and some enduro iron, too.

And we’ve even quizzed Kristian Whatley on how he manages to be the best man in Britain at squeezing performance out of Yamaha’s current YZF450.

So don’t hesitate, get on with the issue! And don’t hesistate to let us know what you like – or don’t like – about the new-look MOTO.

Adam Duckworth
Editorial Director

The Oakleaf Kawasaki Team finished off the 2012 season this weekend at the final round of the British Championships, held at their local venue of Little Silver near Exeter, with Alex Snow competing in MX1 and Jake Millward in MX2.

Alex’s day started well as he set the 7th fastest lap time in qualifying which progressed him through into the Top 12 Superpole Shootout, where he improved his position to 5th.

Race 1 saw Alex get out of the gate at the front and he completed the opening lap in 4th position. Over the next 2 laps he lost a couple of place but soon forced his was back into 5th, he was now involved in a battle with reigning champion Brad Anderson to keep his 5th place but eventually succumb to the pressure and was relegated into 6th, 2 laps later though and Alex found himself back in 5th after Martin Barr dropped out of contention from 4th. Anderson was now away in 4th leaving Alex to bring the Kawasaki home in 5th.

Race 2 saw Alex get another good start and this time he was in 3rd after lap 1, as the race went on he was passed by newly crowned MX1 champion Kevin Strijbos, Jason Dougan and Nico Aubin and lay in 6th just past the halfway stage. Things had settled down now and with not a lot more passing going on, Alex finished the race in 6th.

Alex’s good rides in the opening 2 races saw him qualify for the combined MX1/MX2 final race and in this one he got a great start and was in 2nd for the opening 2 laps before being overhauled by World Championship regulars Strijbos and Shaun Simpson. A mistake as the race went into its 2nd half saw Alex drop to 8th and then a few laps later on he lost another position, he was now in 9th and went on to finish the race in that position.

Alex’s results on the day gave him 43 points and 5th overall, his best British Championship finish of the season, and he finishes the season as top Kawasaki rider in 8th, even though he was forced to miss a round with his shoulder injury.

A crash practicing in midweek meant Jake went into the event not fully 100%, and this showed in qualifying as he could only set the 25th fastest lap time.

Race 1 saw Jake still a little off the pace and form that has seen him capture this years Red Bull Rookies Championship and despite his best efforts after being 29th on lap 1, the highest position he could get was 23rd, eventually finishing in 24th.

Race 2 was a similar affair for Jake as he came through after another poor start, pulling himself up into 18th place by the finish and picking up 2 points.

Jake’s 2 points gave him 22nd overall in MX2 but unfortunately he missed the cut for the combined MX1/MX2 race, leaving Jake on a total of 25 points for his debut season in MX2 and 33rd overall in the standings.

The prestigious “Clash of the Titans” meeting takes place this Sunday at Castle Cary, Somerset presented by the Dorset Classic Scramble Club.  This will be the final event of 2012 for the Dorset hosts, with the previous two meetings of the season being a huge success.  4 full groups of Twinshocks are headed by local rider Kristian Marshall who will be hoping to outdo the likes of Simon Hart, Chris Elderfield, Marcus Feltham and Kevin Reed, along with a huge turnout of classic machines headed by Tim Dallaway, David Bell and Dorset regulars Bryan and Stuart Smith.  

The Clash of the Titans race will be a delight for all Fourstroke lovers out there as they battle it out for the Roscoe Shepherd Trophy.   Last year’s winner Richard Stiby will line up against fellow Rotax powered Carl Lillywhite, along with Brad Perrett on his Triumph delight, CCM powered Trevor Dart and Paul Webb on his KSI,  whilst the first classic rider home will take home the Norman Ley Trophy, hot favourite for this no doubt will be last year’s victor Tim Dallaway.  

The venue is signposted off the A359, postcode BA22 7AA, with practise 10.00am. For more information visit www.dorsetclassic.com, where you will find a list of riders and full directions for what plans to be an action packed day.

Image by Nick Guppy

Route77energy MVR-D Honda made the trip to Mill in the middle of the Holland countryside this past weekend to partake in the first Red Bull Pro National to be held outside the United Kingdom, and the team soon found itself in the heat of the action. On Saturday, the schedule featured several changes, amongst them two practice sessions as well as a qualifying race to determine the starting lineup for Sunday morning.

Temperatures soared in the late Saturday afternoon as the qualifying race got underway with both team riders in the top ten. With Jason Dougan settled into a rhythm in sixth, Gert Krestinov had to fend off several domestic rivals before moving up into fourth place.

On Sunday, with the track changed slightly, the first race got off to a slightly slower start. With the top ten stacked with world championship regulars, Dougan found his feet quickly at the blistering pace set by the leader, Max Nagl. Briefly challenging Yentel Martens before yielding to team-mate Krestinov, Dougan raced consistently, crossing the finish line in eighth. In the second race, Dougan continued where he’d left off. Eighth off the start, he started his ascent up the pack when a slightly botched landing tweaked his back. Although Dougan opted to go back out, with this event not counting towards the Pro Nationals championship, it was decided that it would be best not to aggravate the injury. DNF notwithstanding, Dougan ended the day in fifteenth overall.

In the first race, Krestinov also found himself getting off the gate slightly off-pace, but he immediately made amends by pushing hard to move up the pack. At half time, Krestinov pushed aside Latvian Davis Livs and moved into sixth, but was not able to progress much further, finishing in sixth. The second race was much improved. After successfully passing former world champion Steve Ramon for his runner-up place, Krestinov rode a lonely race for the remainder, not able to challenge Nagl for his lead. Nonetheless, the result was a second overall, putting the team back on the podium again.

“Overall we are pretty happy with how things went,” commented team principal Mark Chamberlain, “We had a good week riding, and we learned a few more things as a team about bike setup in these kinds of conditions because we don’t usually ride this kind of surface. Gert rode well, he had a solid weekend really. The first race was a bit below par, but in the second one he made up for that, that was a good ride. Jason in the first and second race looked good until he put his back out. Because this is not a championship round, there’s no point in going crazy and making things worse. We’re still happy with the way they both rode, it’s been really positive.”

Gert Krestinov (#37): The weekend’s been good. Saturday was really good, I ended fourth, and carried the momentum over to today. My lap times are good which I am really happy about. The first race was the worst, I was sixth, and then in the second race, I got a few fast laps in in the beginning and passed guys into second, and then just kept the speed up. There’s some more training I can do and it will be even better. I really want to end my season on a high note.

Jason Dougan (#17): Overall I’m happy, my speed was good, still working on getting back to being 100%. The track was probably one of the roughest tracks I’ve ever ridden. Overall it was pretty decent, a bit unlucky in the second race when I put my back out in the first lap. I pulled in, threw it back in, went back out but it was just too stiff and sore, so I called it a day.