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 Beau Bamburg poses with his borrowed bike |
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 Holes need to be cut out for grabs and the seat shaved
down for clearance |
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 Higher rise bars help give clearance for tricks while
the steering stabilizer keeps the bars in place |
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 Some riders will add griptape to places that they
use for tricks |
Mod Squad: FMX
By Todd Seligman
Modifications are at the root of most action sports. Whether it was nailing rollerskate trucks to a two-by-four for skateboarding or beefing up an old Schwinn Stingray with motocross parts, every action sport is rooted in modification. Our Mod Squad reports will let you in on what it takes to keep you gear cutting edge in Action Sports today.
FMX bikes come from the traditional motocross bike but they have to go through a metamorphosis before they can truly be called a Freestyle Motocross bike.
Beau Bamburg flew in to Los Angeles for the LG FMX Championships without his signature all white motorcycle. Instead, he brought the essentials to make a borrowed bike feel like his own.
Beau told us, “Yeah, I had to fly in and I couldn’t get my bike here in time so I borrowed this one and brought my struts and bars.”
These are the essential elements to make a professional FMX rider feel at home on his bike, but every rider’s bike goes through major modifications before they are deemed FMX-ready.
Upon closer inspection, you find that each strut has a sticker listing the settings that those forks are set to. “Everyone has to stiffen their forks and shocks in order to handle the pressure that FMX lips and landings can put on a bike,” says Bamburg. “Every rider has a different suspension that is determined by their weight and personal preference.”
Most FMX riders set up their bikes in a similar way. Beau goes over the bike pointing out various modifications from a stock bike. “We cut the sideplates and airbox to have an area to grab below the seat.” Pointing to the seat that now dips to follow the contour of the bike, he continues, “We shave the seat down for clearance on tricks like no footed-cans.”
Nate Adams's mechanic Cliff Campbell adds, “On Yamaha’s you have to actually cut the frame and re-weld it behind the sideplates to have sufficient grab slots.”
Bamburg’s bike has had the motor reworked with a higher compression head, different pipes and a silencer, which “makes it much snappier.” Pointing to the bars and clamp, he explains, “We all have higher bend bars so we can get our feet through, and I add a steering stabilizer to keep my bars from drifting when my hands are off.”
Upon close inspection of a couple of bikes you’ll notice some other little additions like heavy rubber padding where the bars are clamped to the struts. “That’s to keep you from busting your face!” Jeremy Stenberg points out.
“Some guys add grip tape where their feet tuck against the forks for cliffhangers or some different padding,” says Bamburg, “but if you’re going to ride FMX, those are the essential things to do to your bike.”
So if you think you have what it takes to cut it in FMX, start cutting those sideplates and order some bars and forks cause you won’t be able to keep up until your bike is set-up.
