PRO GuIDe
Swedish made vintage MX discs
Well known as a manufacturer of the “ strongest stainless steel motocross , street , off-road and vintage spokes available ”, in addition to modelspecific , rims , hubs and complete wheels , Swedish MX wheel specialist Cross-Center International also makes one of the world ’ s widest available ranges of vintage MX wheels , with a claimed 99 percent coverage of all vintage models as well as comprehensive recent and late model MX brake discs . “ We are a true one-stop-shop for MX wheels and components for most models for nearly all years ,” says owner Torbjoern Bergh . “ We manufacture our discs in-house from genuine high-grade Swedish steel , and customers who have tried to source MX brake discs elsewhere , especially for the older bikes , tell us ours is the largest available range in the world ”. In fact , there are those who think that the high level of interest in vintage motocross at this time is doing much to sustain and fuel the late model market , and as a complete front wheel and component specialist , ‘ Tobbe ’ says he has seen the strong growth in the vintage market in recent years . “ Vintage MX is over 50 percent of the sales
here in Sweden , and our export orders suggest the same is happening around the world . The enthusiasm for vintage is massive – I put a picture of my KX 500 vintage wheels on Facebook in April and over 30,000 people had seen it in less than three months .” Tobbe is a bit of a purist when it comes to brake discs , believing that a lot of the current design tweaks on the market “ sell well because they may look good , but are often a step backwards when it comes to braking power , reliability and disc and pad wear . “ There are many claims out there , especially when it comes to heat management , that just aren ’ t justifiable . Which is why we mostly make OEM style discs , and they sell and perform best in our experience . Sometimes we are able to add certain improvements and refinements , but we think that a round brake disc with a lot of material and large , straight arms , an inner ring and no floating rivets is by far the best performing , most reliable , durable and economic brake disc . “ Modern brake pad compounds and manufacturing techniques are so good now that many of the old issues and preconceptions about how to get the best out of a pad are no longer relevant – especially where the effects of gasses is concerned . The result is that some of the designs that are currently fashionable can actually reduce the life and performance of the pad , as well as the disc ”. The Cross-Center range is indeed comprehensive , with new discs being tooled each time the manufacturer design changes . This means that for Honda models , for example , the company offers four different designs with M6 bolts for fronts from 1997 and up ( and two M8 bolt fitments ) that all have the same measurements all the way up to 2018 ( 2008 being a one-off exception ). “ The same applies to many other brands and models , though other manufacturers have been more consistent with their designs in the last 20 years , generally with one design for ‘ 97- ‘ 01 and one for ‘ 02- ‘ 19 ”.
CROSS-CENTER INTERNATIONAL Habo , SWEDEN Tel + 46 ( 0 ) 36 466 64 www . cross-center . com
Venhill cables for KTM 2-strokers
British motorcycle controls specialist Venhill Engineering has developed replacement Featherlight throttle cables for KTM ’ s latest generation twostroke off-road bikes . Available for the 2017 and on 125 cc , 150 cc , 250 cc and 300 cc models , these OEM replacement Featherlight throttle cables are developed from OEM items and designed to give improved performance and feel , as well as adding durability and a smoother action . Each cable features Venhill ’ s high-quality Featherlight cabling – a marine-grade stainless steel inner wire for minimum stretch , and a PTFE ( polytetrafluoroethylene ) liner to reduce friction and give a lighter action . The liner also removes the need for lubrication - a real advantage when riding offroad .
The cables are ‘ Bird-caged ’ – a special process applied to the end of the inner wire , which allows solder to penetrate the weave of the cable , making the bond with the nipple much stronger . The process adds extra strength and durability , so cables can withstand being put under repeated stress and pressure – another major plus when riding off-road . Available in black , orange , blue , green , grey , red , white and yellow for 250 / 300 SX / EXC ( 2017 ); 25 / 150 / 250 SX ( 2017 / 18 ); 150 / 250 / 300 XC-W ( 2017 / 18 ) and for the 2017 Husqvarna 125 TC .
VENHILL ENGINEERING Dorking , Surrey , UK Tel : + 44 1306 885111 sales @ venhill . co . uk www . venhill . co . uk
30 INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2018