Redux: Riding the GOAT Farm

With some of these intros we only get one day at of testing, but Yamaha was nice enough to have us out at the GOAT Farm for two full days. We also got to hang out with legends Ryan Villopoto and Damon Bradshaw, and (as you would guess) they are some of the best guys to bro down with. Let me start with Ryan “Little Leprechaun” Villopoto. Ryan is a unique individual that loves to joke around and call you out on your BS. He knew that I didn't drink alcohol but that doesn't stop little ol’ Ryan to give me crap at every dinner we had. If Ryan had a drink, Kris had to have a drink. Every time I turned him down, he found some choice words to describe my inability to accept the drink in his hand. Damon is a little more laid back, but nonetheless will jump on Ryan’s bandwagon when he can, which makes for some comical banter back and forth between all of us. So, a message to Damon: it doesn't taste like cotton candy, it tastes like crap! However, on the bike side of things, Damon still rides great and his style has evolved, unlike some of his ‘90s competitors. Both gentlemen are a pleasure to spend a couple days with and I know the media loves to have them there to help us with GoPro shots and another perspective about the bike. Really, the best part, are unbelievable car ride stories that I wish I could record! I should just start a podcast that is called “Car Rides With The Pros”! What do you think?

When we arrived Monday morning to the GOAT Farm facility, I was greeted with the legendary big #4 water truck and some rolling greenery that is simply moto heaven to all us moto geeks. The dirt is orange in color and the backdrop is a lush pine tree forest that had my photographer Dallas Dunn freaking out before we got out of the car. Photographers are much like us dirt bike riders. They lose their mind when they see good colors like we do when we see good dirt! After we unloaded our gear bags into the huge Star Racing Yamaha facility we were able to catch some of the team riders practicing on one of their three SX tracks. Dylan Ferrandis, Levi Kitchen, Nate Thrasher, Guillem Farres, Haiden “Danger Boy” Deegan, and new recruit Daxton Bennick all were moto’ing down, and two of them (Bennick and Kitchen) were being instructed by none other than Jeannie Carmichael! Yes, that’s right Jeannie still shows up and helps some of the riders and let me tell you, Bennick as well as Kitchen were getting put through the ringer! Jeannie had both riders hitting the whoops at least 50 times and doing section work while everyone else had already packed up and went home. The Carmichael family sold the place to Star Racing, but I’m told that Jennie still loves to come out and help riders who want it.

Meanwhile, Ferrandis was shaking down some of his SX settings on his new YZ450F and it looked like he was having a good time, which means he really liked the new chassis. He said that the new ‘23 chassis is easier to move around on the track, which opens up his line choices, something he felt he didn't have last year. As long as he can remain healthy, we could see the 2021 outdoor Ferrandis in SX in 2023!

After we got to watch some of the riders training we went into the shop area to listen to Travis Preston and Steven Butler go over the new 2023 YZ450F and what EXACTLY has been updated and/or changed. It’s cool that the Yamaha staff takes the time to explain why they made certain changes and where they felt those changes on the track when riding this model in pre-production form. Some of the Japanese engineers were also on hand to answer our questions as well as listen to our feedback when we got off the track. There are some unique pieces to the 2023 Yamaha YZ450F like a two-piece front engine mount that was created by one of the Japanese engineers after a couple of the test riders needed some more flex in a couple key areas. Instead of having one solid 8 mm thick front mount, the smarter-than-I-am Japanese engineer created a two-piece mount using two 4 mm plates. This provides a different feel and get some added flex while retaining its strength. Very cool! We normally don't get this kind of info at new bike intros. I love getting to talk to the people behind the motorcycle and why they decided on certain parts or specs! The Yamaha crew does an excellent job of breaking it down in layman's terms instead of just throwing out numbers and giving us some marketing BS.

Once the 2023 presentation was over, Jeremy Coker (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Team Manager) walked us around the whole facility and showed us around each individualized area. There is a 11 man/rider work bays for the mechanics, an engine room, suspension room, 250/450 parts room, upstairs office area, lounge as well as a championship bike room that was really cool. We also got to shoot all of our static shots that evening so we could dedicate the following day to testing. The shop is pristine and is well taken care of. We did NOT want to track mud inside the doors and for that reason, the riders even have their own locker room. This is kind of similar to Aldon’s Baker’s Factory but not quite as strict on riding on the grass between the driveways. The GOAT Farm is a little more chill…

If you’re like me, you always wonder what these private facility tracks are like to ride right? Well, the GOAT Farm has this clay/sand mix that is much grippier than your usual Southern California desert dirt, the jumps are much bigger (faces and landings) and the moisture stays in the dirt much longer than out here in So. Cal. Leaning into a turn early isn't nearly as hard as it is in California, but judging some of these big jumps are tough. I almost died twice while jumping a sizable double near the back end of the track. I am not used to long straights before huge doubles so judging my speed to grease the landing was a struggle. On the first try, I OJ’d the landing by 20 feet! Think of Doug Henry at Budds Creek! That was me over this double! I literally thought I was going to cartwheel once I landed! On the second try I jumped it even further (don’t ask) and managed to land on the ramp up to the inside roller that was awaiting for me after the landing. OMG. As I am typing this article, I feel like I got hit by a truck! My body is more sore than a full weekend of racing at Glen Helen! I need to be better at hitting jumps with longer run ups. Nonetheless the track is fun and challenging. This was a much different intro than normal. You actually had to get the track down before you started your evaluation. Even when it was 3 o'clock the dirt was still awesome!