Last night Monza Imports launched its 2015 Fox and Shift ranges in Sydney, with special guest Jeff Emig stealing the show alongside what are some of the most impressive ranges I’ve ever seen. When it comes to style and safety combined, not to mention all the other elements that go into producing top-shelf gear, this product is on point.

We won’t be able to actually showcase a lot of our content captured until August when the Fox embargo is lifted, but we did get some quality content that I can’t wait to put the finishing touches on and release. Of course though, the Shift product has been unveiled and you can see that here.

Emig is making his first trip to Australia since the 1992 Motocross des Nations at Manjimup and he had – as expected – some really entertaining stories to share. 1990s motocross, man, we love it! Amongst the Shift presentation and a riding school at Appin today, Emig will be on track at the Shift Ride On Global Tour this weekend in Victoria.

Also on deck last night were Victorian-based KTM racers Kale Makeham and Jack Simpson. The Tunetech-backed duo stopped in on their way to Conondale MX Nationals and sat in amongst the stacked room of dealers and media to see what they’ll likely be wearing for the coming season.

Unable to help myself, I gave them a bit of stick about their two-strokes after all the banter we’ve seen on social media lately from some of the four-stroke contingent, but it was all in good fun. As they do, both of the boys brushed it off and just want to race come Sunday.

This whole two-stroke vs four-stroke battle has been peaking in the season’s second half so far, with memes posted and general shots fired – usually at the two-stroke rider’s expense. But when all’s said and done, do we blame them? Can we blame them? Not at all.

Remember, many of these guys on two-strokes are there through circumstance. Luke Arbon, for example, I’m sure would have done anything to hold onto that Serco Yamaha he rode during supercross last year, but he didn’t, and instead his best means of support came on a Husky TC 250. That’s just one example, because there are many.

If Jay Wilson – just an example again – was to lose his ride at Serco for whatever reason in 2016 and he had no other option to ride anything else, you’d think any form of a two-stroke career lifeline would be welcomed on his behalf (obviously that’s only if the rules remain the same) if no heavily-supported four-stroke options were on the table. That goes for not just Wilson, but anybody in that situation either this year or in year’s prior.

Image: Jeff Crow.

There are many differing arguments as to why we need to go in what direction and so on, as Simon Makker wrote in the MX Hub just recently. And truth is, whatever decision Motorcycling Australia (MA) and Williams Event Management (WEM) make moving forward, they need to stick to it and stand by it. There’s a fine line between making the sport affordable for privateers, but still encouraging manufacturers to participate with their best 250Fs – we need both and a solution has to be found sooner rather than later.

The whole debate’s overshadowing any quality racing we continue to witness on track, involving some of the sport’s finest emerging MX2 talent we’ve seen in a long, long time. Bring on the hills of Green Park!

While the latest 2015 gear continues to trickle out via the web both here in Australia and internationally, August is when we will really begin to see it all exposed across the board. That’s when two of the heavy-hitters, being Fox and Thor, are set to be uncovered.

Bikes are coming in hot too, because now even though it is only early July, we have seen all the 2015 motocross models and many of the enduros. Check the Product Centre Bike section of MotoOnline for all the latest – it’s epic to see so many new incoming models with updates that is for sure.

Just yesterday we had David Pingree review the 2015 Kawasaki KX450F for us at the US press intro, which you can find here. I’m a huge fan of Ping both as a test rider and writer in Racer X, so it’s rad to welcome him back to the program along with Matty Fran on the camera. These two are some of the best in the biz, anywhere. We’ll have the KX250F up in the next day or two.

That’s it from me for this week, here’s Makker for more from up in Queensland with the latest ahead of Conondale this weekend…

This weekend’s round of the Monster Energy MX Nationals at Conondale is shaping up to be more than a little bit epic. In fact, it’s fair to say that it’s promising to be one of the must-see rounds of the year.

There are several reasons for that, the biggest of which is that this is likely to be the last time you’ll hear the sounds of dirt bikes echo off the valley walls surrounding the picturesque Green Park.

The land is about to be taken over and the Sunshine Motorcycle Club will need to find a new home after this weekend. But behind closed doors a big struggle took place to even hold the race there; earlier this season rumours flew thick and fast that the Conondale round would be scrapped and two rounds held at Coolum instead, with a track reversal for one of the rounds.

Image: Jeff Crow.

Fortunately, the club and series promoter managed to wrangle an agreement to hold one last event at Conondale before it’s sealed off.

To make the weekend more special, former World and AMA supercross champ Ben Townley will front the MX1 class for Penrite Honda this weekend, replacing his injured countryman Cody Cooper for his second round this year.

In 2012 Townley wiped the floor of the MX1 class and had spectators dumbstruck with his speed around the fast, flowing circuit. While it’s highly unlikely we’ll see that speed out of him this time round, it’s going to be great seeing the ‘retired’ racer back in action.

Another rider who’s looking to make a special appearance on the start-gate this weekend is Lawson Bopping. Boppo has been on the Sunshine Coast this week, running up and down Mt. Coolum, so we’re putting two and two together and assuming he’ll get behind the grips of his privateer RM-Z450 on Sunday.

At the same time, the tight MXD class resumes battle at Conondale. Only eight points separate the top four of Egan Mastin, Jed Beaton, Jack Simpson and Nathan Crawford, but at the moment Nato has some serious momentum on his side after claiming his first-ever MX2 round win at Swan Hill two weeks ago.

I saw him practicing with Matt and Jake Moss out at Queensland Moto Park on the weekend, and he was carrying a tonne of speed and confidence.

As if you needed any more convincing to head out to Conondale this weekend, the weather is expected to be prime, with a zero percent chance of rain. With the current dry spell Queensland’s having, there won’t be any muddy sections of track and you can expect hard, fast conditions on race day.

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