How much has changed in 30 years of Supercross? Everything. And almost nothing. In 1995, the era of the Big Rig had just arrived. Factory teams were beginning to mark off huge areas of real estate in each stadium, and the accessibility of the old box-van days was coming to an end. The bikes, however, were governed by the same rules as today. They were production-based and tightly regulated. We thought it would be fun to look back at the bikes that were campaigned in the Supercross season of 1995.
TEAM HONDA HARDWARE
Everything changed for Team Honda coming into 1995. An oxy-acetylene explosion seriously injured Cliff White, and Dave Arnold was transferred from his position as Team Honda manager to become an R&D guru for production CRs. Former ATV team manager Wes McCoy took over as acting team manager. These incidents resulted in a closed pit for ’95, as Honda’s liability lawyers are fearful of an injury to the public. There was also some secrecy surrounding the new Power Jet carb at the first few races. Damon Huffman had used one the year before on his RM125, so it wasn’t that big of a secret.
Jeremy McGrath, the four-time consecutive Supercross champ, lost his blue and yellow number-one plate, too. The plate symbolized Camel Tobacco colors, and since tobacco advertising pulled out of the series, the AMA decided to return to black on white. Skip Norfolk says that the blue plate would clash with the new Team Honda graphics anyway. Mechanically, Team Honda didn’t reinvent the wheel for ’95, and why should they? Honda has won the last seven Supercross titles. The bike was essentially the same one ridden by Jean Michele Bayle, despite frame changes in the production bike. Besides the Power Jet carb, Team Honda got a new carbon fiber silencer and ELF race fuel. Gearing changed from 13/50 to 14/53, which yields the same final-drive ratio. Honda Giken Asaka supplied the works parts, and developed new porting, suspension and handling (offset and linkage) specs to turn the ’95 production bike into works hardware. While the rest of the team uses works Kayaba suspension, McGrath prefers works Showas.
Whatever McGrath is riding, he’s riding it so well that he has been undefeated in the first five rounds of the series, tying Rick Johnson and Bob Hannah’s record of six consecutive SX wins (Jeremy won the final in Vegas last year, plus the first five in ’95).
TEAM KAWASAKI KX250SR
Team Kawasaki didn’t make any big changes to its works hardware, either, but Mike Kiedrowski teamed up with Brian Lunniss for 1995. Mike LaRocco’s bikes were prepared by Tom Morgan and wrenched by his dad, Mike Senior. The MX Kied’s relatively high number reflected his finger injury from the summer of ’94, and he was still struggling to get back on form.
Mechanically, Team Kawasaki’s KX250s benefited from Kawasaki Japan’s involvement with Stefan Everts in ’94. Kawasaki Heavy Industries supplied the cylinder, head and works Keihin carb, while Pro Circuit did the pipe. A production silencer replaced last year’s carbon fiber muffler, and Kawasaki shelved the works ignition in favor of stock KX components. Timing varied with track conditions, as did rear rim width, to provide hook-up in slick situations.
The works Kayaba components were much the same as ’94, with titanium-nitride coatings cutting oil contamination and stiction, and the KYB shock had high- and low-speed compression adjustments. The previous year’s SRs had an aluminum subframe, while the ’95s had polished production hardware. Brakes were a combination of Braking discs, KHI magnesium carriers, works calipers, works master cylinders and Ti fasteners. Bel-Ray and Factory Effex took over as team sponsors for ’95, replacing Motul and N-Style (graphics). Tires were prototype Bridgestones, and Wiseco came on as a sponsor.
TEAM SUZUKI’S RM250s
Ezra Lusk moved up from East Coast 125s, and Greg Albertyn left the World Championships to breathe new fire into Team Suzuki’s 250cc program. ““Albee wasn’t very happy with the works suspension on his Bieffe Suzuki in 1994, so he was really jazzed with the ’95 hardware. A conventional fork was the most radical departure for the team. The 45mm fork still used Showa’s twin-chamber internals. Triple pinch bolts at the axle and lower triple clamps increased rigidity. Ezra and Greg had been busy testing different shocks, linkages and offsets. Also, the factory RMs got works digital ignitions and taller final gearing this year. Albertyn is showing stadium speed in his rookie year, but Suzuki is banking on his outdoor skills and never-give-up attitude to bring the RM250 to the top of the podium.
TEAM YAMAHA’S BLUE LAGOON
Yamaha hoped its new corporate colors would make the works YZ250s stand out on the track. Jeff Emig and John Dowd flew new blue and white colors, and changes to the ’95 production bikes didn’t hurt the holeshot factor at all. According to motor man Bob Oliver, Team Yamaha is building on the YZ250’s stability and smooth power curve: “The production YZs are a really good package this year, and we’re just enhancing what’s already there. The guys did an exceptional job of building production bikes this year.”
Other than the new colors and faces (Dowd replaced Mike Craig, and Kevin Windham rode the works YZ125), not a whole lot was earth-shaking in the Yamaha pit. Any YZ pilot could build his own works bike (if he can get his hands on works KYB suspension, that is) from Yamaha Parts Division. Yamaha’s long-rod kit smoothed out the power on the Oliver-massaged YMUS YZs. Also, you could buy a GYT-kitted cylinder and head, a Pro Circuit YZ-R pipe and silencer, a Boyesen ignition cover, a titanium subframe, and bolt kits. The YZ-R Works Replica kit included a blue front fender, number plate and radiator shrouds, and a CEET cover and stickers.
Team Yamaha slots the airbox for more flow and uses bits of unobtainium on the linkage, triple clamps, hubs, brakes, and spokes. The ignition and carb were stock, but Yamaha’s jetting was a closely guarded secret. You don’t want to sell all of your cards, especially ones that yield so many holeshots. Dowd was so stoked with his new ride that he’s winning heat races!
TEAM KTM EXPANSION
KTM and Cliff Palmer parted ways at the end of ’94, and negotiations fell through with “Chicken” Matiasevich who wanted too much money, so KTM signed Jeff Dement and Tony Amaradio for ’95. The Team KTM SX250s also benefited from the Euro GP scene, as KTM Austria supplied the motors (e.g., cylinder, head, silencer and ignition). Also, Dement has been training with former KTM world champ Trampas Parker. It’s ironic that Parker preferred Marzocchi conventional forks that came standard on production SXs, however the team used inverted WP forks straight off of the 620EXC. Even the 44-kilogram fork springs were used. The 620 fork and Ohlins shock were re-valved for stadium work, and the fork got the titanium-nitride treatment to fight stiction. Factory triple clamps further stiffened the front end.
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