2023 East Rutherford Supercross | 250 E/W Showdown Brand Breakdown

2023 EAST RUTHERFORD SUPERCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE

Motorcycle manufacturers, apparel companies, and hard part producers all spend considerable portions of their budgets on sponsorships for the top riders. In the past we’ve covered both classes at certain events, but since we’re still reeling from the 2023 East Rutherford Supercross, we’ve decided to breakdown the twenty-two riders who lined up for the 250 East-West Showdown in this year’s Monster Energy Supercross Championship.

The first recap under each rider’s name goes over the motorcycle manufacturer, suspension, handlebars, exhaust, and tires; the second covers gear, helmets, goggles, and boots. At the bottom of the page is a final tally that gives an idea of how important brand recognition is in the 250 Class.

1. Max Anstie
Motorcycle – Honda | Handlebars – ODI | Exhaust – HGS | Suspension – Showa | Tires – Dunlop | Gear – FLY Racing | Helmet – FLY Racing | Goggles – FLY Racing | Boots – Alpinestars

2. Jett Lawrence
Motorcycle – Honda | Handlebars – Renthal | Exhaust – Yoshimura | Suspension – Showa | Tires – Dunlop
Gear – Alpinestars | Helmet – Alpinestars | Goggles – 100% | Boots – Alpinestars

3. Hunter Lawrence
Motorcycle – Honda | Handlebars – Renthal | Exhaust – Yoshimura | Suspension – Showa | Tires – Dunlop
Gear – Alpinestars | Helmet – Alpinestars | Goggles – Alpinestars | Boots – Alpinestars

4. Maximus Vohland
Motorcycle – KTM | Handlebars – Renthal | Exhaust – Akrapovic | Suspension – WP | Tires – Dunlop
Gear – Fox Racing | Helmet – Fox Racing | Goggles – SCOTT | Boots – Fox Racing

5. Enzo Lopes
Motorcycle – Yamaha | Handlebars – Mika Metals | Exhaust – FMF Racing | Suspension – KYB | Tires – Dunlop
Gear – FXR | Helmet – FXR/6D | Goggles – FXR | Boots – Gaerne

6. Haiden Deegan
Motorcycle – Yamaha | Handlebars – ProTaper | Exhaust – FMF Racing | Suspension – KYB | Tires – Dunlop
Gear – THOR | Helmet – Alpinestars | Goggles – 100% | Boots – Alpinestars

7. Carson Mumford
Motorcycle – Kawasaki | Handlebars – Renthal | Exhaust – Pro Circuit | Suspension – Showa | Tires – Dunlop
Gear – Fox Racing | Helmet – Bell Helmets | Goggles – SCOTT | Boots – Fox Racing

8. Cullin Park
Motorcycle – Honda | Handlebars – ODI | Exhaust – FMF Racing | Suspension – KYB | Tires – Pirelli
Gear – Moose Racing | Helmet – 6D | Goggles – FMF | Boots – Alpinestars

9. Jo Shimoda
Motorcycle – Kawasaki | Handlebars – Renthal | Exhaust – Pro Circuit | Suspension – Showa | Tires – Dunlop
Gear – Fox Racing | Helmet – Bell Helmets | Goggles – SCOTT | Boots – Fox Racing

10. Chris Blose
Motorcycle – Kawasaki | Handlebars – Renthal | Exhaust – Pro Circuit | Suspension – Showa | Tires – Dunlop
Gear – Fox Racing | Helmet – Bell Helmets | Goggles – SCOTT | Boots – Fox Racing

11. Pierce Brown
Motorcycle – GASGAS | Handlebars – Renthal | Exhaust – Akrapovic | Suspension – WP | Tires – Dunlop
Gear – Troy Lee Designs | Helmet – Troy Lee Designs | Goggles – Oakley | Boots – Alpinestars

12. Levi Kitchen
Motorcycle – Yamaha | Handlebars – ProTaper | Exhaust – FMF Racing | Suspension – KYB | Tires – Dunlop
Gear – THOR | Helmet – Alpinestars | Goggles – 100% | Boots – Alpinestars

13. RJ Hampshire
Motorcycle – Husqvarna | Handlebars – ProTaper | Exhaust – FMF Racing | Suspension – WP | Tires – Dunlop
Gear – FLY Racing | Helmet – FLY Racing | Goggles – SCOTT | Boots – Gaerne

14. Tom Vialle
Motorcycle – KTM | Handlebars – Renthal | Exhaust – Akrapovic | Suspension – WP | Tires – Dunlop
Gear – THOR | Helmet – Airoh | Goggles – 100% | Boots – Alpinestars

15. Luke Neese
Motorcycle – Honda | Handlebars – ProTaper | Exhaust – FMF Racing | Suspension – Showa | Tires – Dunlop
Gear – O’Neal | Helmet – 6D | Goggles – 100% | Boots – Alpinestars

16. Dilan Schwartz
Motorcycle – Suzuki | Handlebars – Renthal | Exhaust – Pro Circuit | Suspension – Showa | Tires – Dunlop
Gear – FLY Racing | Helmet – FLY Racing | Goggles – 100% | Boots – Alpinestars

17. Coty Schock
Motorcycle – Honda | Handlebars – ODI | Exhaust – FMF Racing | Suspension – KYB | Tires – Pirelli
Gear – Moose Racing | Helmet – 6D | Goggles – FMF | Boots – Alpinestars

18. Jordon Smith
Motorcycle – Yamaha | Handlebars – ProTaper | Exhaust – FMF Racing | Suspension – KYB | Tires – Dunlop
Gear – THOR | Helmet – Alpinestars | Goggles – 100% | Boots – Alpinestars

19. Michael Hicks
Motorcycle – Honda | Handlebars – ProTaper | Exhaust – Yoshimura | Suspension – Showa | Tires – Hoosier
Gear – FXR | Helmet – 6D | Goggles – EKS Brand | Boots – Alpinestars

20. Robbie Wageman
Motorcycle – Suzuki | Handlebars – ProTaper | Exhaust – FMF Racing | Suspension – Showa | Tires – Dunlop
Gear – Answer Racing | Helmet – Bell Helmets | Goggles – SCOTT | Boots – Alpinestars

21. Cole Thompson
Motorcycle – Yamaha | Handlebars – ODI | Exhaust – FMF Racing | Suspension – KYB | Tires – Dunlop
Gear – Leatt | Helmet – Leatt | Goggles – Leatt | Boots – Leatt

22. Jace Owen
Motorcycle – Honda | Handlebars – ODI | Exhaust – FMF Racing | Suspension – KYB | Tires – Pirelli
Gear – Moose Racing | Helmet – 6D | Goggles – FMF | Boots – Alpinestars

MOTORCYCLE
Honda – 7
Yamaha – 5
Kawasaki – 3
KTM – 2
Suzuki – 2
GASGAS – 1
Husqvarna – 1

HANDLEBARS
Renthal – 9
ProTaper – 7
ODI – 5
Mika Metals – 1

EXHAUST
FMF Racing – 11
Pro Circuit – 4
Akrapovic – 3
Yoshimura – 3
HGS – 1

SUSPENSION
Showa – 10
KYB – 8
WP – 4

TIRES
Dunlop – 18
Pirelli – 3
Hoosier – 1

GEAR
Fox Racing – 4
Thor – 4
FLY Racing – 3
Moose Racing – 3
Alpinestars – 2
FXR – 2
Answer Racing – 1
Troy Lee Designs – 1
Leatt – 1
O’Neal – 1

HELMET
Alpinestars – 5
6D – 5
Bell – 4
FLY Racing – 3
FXR/6D – 1
Fox Racing – 1
Troy Lee Designs – 1
Airoh – 1
Leatt – 1

GOGGLES
100% – 7
SCOTT – 6
FMF – 3
FLY Racing – 1
Alpinestars – 1
Oakley – 1
Leatt – 1
FXR – 1
EKS Brand – 1

BOOTS
Alpinestars – 15
Fox Racing – 4
Gaerne – 2
Leatt – 1

Before we get it into the details of the brands used, it’s important to point out that the field consisted of 12 riders from the East Region and 10 from the West Region. There were three teams represented most by their three competitors (Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki, Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha, Phoenix Honda) and only one rider who was not part of an organized team with OEM-recognition (Luke Neese).

The Honda CRF250R was both the race winning and the most common bike of the Showdown with Fire Power Honda, Team Honda HRC, Phoenix Racing Honda, and Neese. Honda always seems to have a strong presence on the East Coast through programs like Phoenix Racing and loyal privateers like Neese, while Yamaha comes across as the brand of choice on the West Coast thanks to Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha, Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX/Yamaha, Team Solitaire/Heartbeat Hot Sauce/Yamaha.

Renthal’s long term support of factory teams Team Honda HRC, Red Bull KTM, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki, and Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing, plus the late pick-up of Progressive Insurance/ECSTAR/Suzuki, helped make it the most used handlebar in the Showdown.

FMF Racing’s Megabomb header and Factory 4.1 muffler was the combo of choice for half of the class. This is another instance where support of East Coast riders helped up the brand boost their numbers, particularly Phoenix Racing Honda (three), Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha (two), and Neese.

An important role as OE supplier for Honda, Kawasaki, and Suzuki’s small-bore bikes, as well as on-site support to race teams, made Showa’s shocks and forks the most used suspension in the Showdown. KYB was represented by all the Yamahas, plus a switch to enzo racing-tuned components by Phoenix Racing Honda, while WP was on all the KTM/GASGAS/Husqvarna machines.

“Dunlop domination,” indeed, as the tire brand’s MX offering was used by most. Phoenix Racing Honda’s three bikes helped another brand get noticed in the Showdown, this time with Pirelli, and TiLube Honda’s Michael Hicks did the same for Hoosier (the Indiana-based racing brand, and its parent company, are title sponsors of the Arenacross series Hicks is a multi-time champion in).

Longtime rivals Fox Racing and THOR were even with four guys in their pants and jerseys: Fox had Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki, and THOR had Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha, and each had a Red Bull KTM rider.

Alpinestars and 6D tied the helmet category at five each, with Astars having both Lawrence brothers at Team Honda HRC and all of Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha in the Supertech M10, but technically, 6D was the brand with the most product on track, thanks to five riders in the company’s ATR-2 lid (three from Phoenix Honda, TiLube Honda’s Hicks, Neese) and one in a piece that’s co-branded with FXR (Enzo Lopes of Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX/Yamaha).

Although the goggle market has gotten much more competitive in recent years, 100% and SCOTT are consistently the leaders in the space. That trend continued at the Showdown, where both brands had team deals and individual endorsements (100% with Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha and Progressive/ECSTAR/Suzuki and riders Tom Vialle/Luke Neese, SCOTT with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki and Max Vohland). This was another instance where Neese had an influence on the final tally and 100% got one more rider than SCOTT.

One more thing about goggles: 100% and EKS Brand’s decision to produce high-end products for other brands (100% for FMF, EKS Brand for Alpinestars and FXR) greatly boosts their presence in the eyewear category.

As usual, Alpinestars and its Tech 10 were the most common boot and were worn by nearly two-third of the Showdown.