Life on Two Wheels Vlog | 450 Shootout Hell

 

Presented by Bell Helmets

I started my job as a motocross journalist in 1990 at Cycle News, and I can honestly say that since then, I have probably ridden every mainstream production motocross bike made. If you figure that in the “old days,” we did 125, 250, plus the occasional 500 shootout each year, then factor in the “transition” years when we had to do 125, 250, 250F, and 450F shootouts, and add in the current “Factory Edition” shootouts…this year’s 2025 450 Shootout could be my 60th comparison test! A couple of weeks before our big comparison test, I had a big endo at a race when I landed on another rider’s bike and absolutely blew out my groin muscle. While therapists said that cycling would help rehabilitate my leg, it didn’t help as much as I’d hoped and I basically couldn’t turn right well on any of the motorcycles. Made it through the day though…