Phoenix Blanchette drops in to ADB HQ to show off his fancy Yamaha YZ250F he's riding in the Aussie motocross scene.
THE RIDER: PHOENIX BLANCHETTE, 14 years old.
HOW DO YOU SET UP YOUR BIKES?
I’m very particular about bike set up, I ride very forward on the motorcycle, I have been taught front end feel since I was four and my standing position is strong as Daniel McCoy who has been phenomenal to our development has taught me. I like to run more on the softer side with suspension and Marty, Dave and Aiden from Krooztune look after things there. They custom design the internals, to allow the front to hold up and the rear shock to be softer than usual as I’m only 43kg and riding a YZ250F. This controls wheelspin out of the gate and allows the bike to sit in the right spot in the turns
DO YOU USE ANY ENGINE MODIFICATIONS?
We have always stayed away from building super-hot or modified motors as the power the modern day bikes generate and the styles of tracks we race on do not need high performance motors. High powered motors are quite difficult to race in difficult or treacherous conditions with big ruts or bumpy tracks. We are chasing that smooth linear power from a softer motor where I can pull the same gear in the turns and still have the power to rocket out of the gate. A bike closer to the OEM offering in Australia seems to be the best choice when racing as a junior.
THE MECHANIC
JOSH ROBINSON
JR Factory, Maroochydore
WHAT MODS OR ADJUSTMENTS DID YOU MAKE?
We run a Pro Taper high bend bar to keep Phoenix up tall and centred when riding with ODI bolt on grips and I shave down the waffles to give a soft feel for small hands. We use a Guts seat with a bump that sits behind the footpegs to keep him centred when accelerating. We do not modify the internals of motors, we believe that gearing, pipe and ignition can do that job so run an Akropovic pipe with ignition tuned so that we can hold second and third smoothly in the turns. The over rev of 200 to 300rpm is essential to pull the longer turns, Phoenix rides very similar to Kirk Gibbs, typically in the meat of the motor, very smooth on the throttle and uses mainly two gears with very little clutch usage and has excellent motorcycle management.
Pirelli mid-soft tyres provide the best front end feel of all the tyres we have tested and allow the Yamaha to turn on a toothpick, I have so much confidence in this tyre against any other in the field. On the rear we move between the Pirelli paddle with the aggressive knobs on the side walls as we can run it anywhere, and Pirelli mid-soft or the Pirelli Scorpion mid-hard.
Suspension is KYB and Technical Touch from Belgium has had Krooztune custom build the internals to assist with where Phoenix positions himself when riding. A lot of work has gone to lightening the bike and we believe we have shaved off about 5kg on this build to allow Phoenix to handle the bike better at high speed and in turns. Doc Wob has provided us with the solutions to make it work and rims are DID with UK designed ENVY Titanium Hubs.
The bike also has a fully anodized frame, Cerakoted engine casings, Vortex ignition and titanium bolts throughout. We finish it off with Acerbis black plastics, gold heat tape on water pipes and R Gfx graphics with hibiscus plant accents and of course the Rhino name on the shrouds.
HOW HARD IS PHOENIX ON PARTS?
Phoenix is silky smooth on the throttle and parts, he’s very fast but not a ‘revver’ when racing and motorcycle management has been a huge thing in his training. As a privateer it’s so important to be cost effective when riding but still achieving success. He rides in the middle of the motor typically in a higher gear.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT PHOENIX?
He has always been at the very top of his age group winning at every level when racing and we have elected to stay privateer to take the pressure off his development. Daniel McCoy has coached Phoenix since he was four. We went to Daniel at the beginning and said we have a child obsessed with bikes but we will not permit him to ride or race unless he is taught correct from day one and Daniel taught Phoenix how to ride, race and win.
We have been particular not to tell Phoenix when making a change to the bike, he had to come back into the pits and tell us the changes. So from a young age he has been able to tell us every clicker, sprocket, fork, or handlebar adjustment. Any change he will identify and share back. His feel around the machine is exceptional. Jake Moss has also been critical to the coaching of Phoenix when Daniel has been dealing with his injury and young family.
Phoenix Blanchette will be the very youngest along with one other rider entering the PRO MX MX3 Class in 2024. He is young, not physically developed as yet, and only 43kg on a 105kg bike, but has the skill to compete seriously. He is there to do his apprenticeship and learn the craft over the next two or three years.
Results do not matter as much as effort, learning and challenging himself to be better each round until he is strong enough to challenge once again for a podium position. As a result we have built this bike specifically aimed at achieving this and making it easy to ride and race. The rest is up to him.
FIVE THINGS WE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT PHOENIX’S BIKE
- It is modelled from Daniel McCoy’s original SFC Racing No 65 fully blacked out Supercross Bike
- It is a 2024 Yamaha YZ250F de-tuned, not over tuned to make the bike easy to ride and race
- Krooztune , arguably the best suspension tuners in the world have supported Phoenix in this build.
- It has a strong factory European influence with parts and accessories from Akrapovic, Envy and Doc Wob that suits the Australian conditions
- Daniel McCoy has given us true guidance when building a YZ250F that is competitive and can win, tailored specifically for Phoenix as he enters the national series for the first time.
