DIRT GARAGE: FACTORY CLAMPS
This week in DIRT GARAGE we check out what the NZ factory riders used when it came to triple clamps during this year’s Motocross Nationals season, and we try to learn a little bit about each of them with the help of the World Wide Web.
First lets start with a basic Triple Clamps 101.
Above is a set of ‘standard’ triple clamps. All bikes come out with stock cast triple clamps because they are faster and cheaper to make, while still being pretty damn strong. The benefit to cast is you usually get more flex than a machined set of triple clamps. Also, the factory spends a lot of money in R&D to get these cast units just right and to complement the rest of the bike. So that is why just throwing on some different clamps isn’t a great idea unless you know what you are doing, and you know what ‘feeling’ you are looking for. Otherwise it might actually make the bike handle worse.
Now these clamps are what are known as machined triple clamps. Created in a CNC machine, they look cool AF and have all kinds of fancy designs and cut outs and features you can’t necessarily see that make them do what they were designed to do. They also might have a different off-set, rake, steering head angle, etc, than a stock set of clamps. This will change how the bike feels and can determine whether your bike can turn on a dime or have excellent straight line stability.
Now you have a very, VERY basic idea on triple clamps, lets go and see what the pros use on their race bikes and see if we can work out why. Also, searching the net for more information of triple clamps brings up a plethora of information you might be interested in. But enough about that - check these options out.
Cody Cooper’s 2019 Honda CRF450R
For the 2019 season, Cody Cooper decided to go with the EZE Race Products brand of triple clamp. A pretty unknown company out of Australia, EZE make a whole host of products including hubs and clutch covers. You can see the cut outs where the pinch bolts are situated. This would suggest that with the CNC machined clamp being more stiff than a stock cast one, some of the material was taken out to make it a little less strong, making the bike feel less stiff. We don’t know what the off-set of these clamps are, or if it changes the rake even, but it was clearly a winning combination for Cody and the CRF450R.
Hamish Harwoods’ KTM 125 SX
A different take on the CNC machined look on Hamish Harwood’s championship winning KTM125 SX. Usually the CNC look has sharp lines and striking features. This KTM Power Part, which you can get from your local KTM dealer, has taken on a more rounder shape. You can also notice that the top fork clamps are significantly smaller than the bottom ones. There will be a reason behind this…probably to have the bike feeling as comfortable as possible, while still having that increase in rigidity on the front end. There is more material cut out of the clamp too, decreasing weight.
Ethan Martens Kawasaki KX250
Ethan Martens and the ENI Kawasaki Race Team opted to go with what many in the industry hail as the go-to in after market clamps - the XTrig ROCS. You will notice the XTrig runs apposing clamps - meaning one bolts at the front and one bolts at the back. XTrig claim a better functioning fork that is more stable. The ROCS has a lot of material machined out from the clamp area, which compensates the thick clamps themselves. There is also something about that colour that really pops with the green, yellow and black.
Wilson Todd’s Husqvarna TC250
Wilson Todd visited NZ and took a run at the MX2 championship. But sadly his Round 3 yard-sale ended his title hopes. But during his time, he was also running the KTM, or should we say Husqvarna Power Parts clamps and was winning races. Same deal here as Harwood’s KTM 125 SX - a CNC machined clamp but in blue to go with the Husky look.
Kayne Lamont’s Yamaha YZ450F
Probably something that will surprise you the most sits on Kayne Lamont’s front end. For the 2019 season, Kayne opted to run the Yamaha stock triple clamps. For a team with all the bells and whistles, plus a container load of funding from the NZ factory, it is great to see that if the product ain’t broke - they don’t try and fix it. The off-set and flex that Kayne gets from the stock clamps obviously suits him perfectly, and he showed that at times on the track with blistering speed. Yamaha don’t spend millions of dollars on R&D for you to just swap a part out…because. So it’s great to see something not aftermarket on a factory bike.
It just goes to show that even though this years Motocross National Champs all had aftermarket triple clamps, you can still ride bloody fast without them. And that gies all of us, with thin wallets, a glimmer of hope out on the track. Go the Stock!