You never know who you’re going to meet. There are over 7 billion people on
this rock we call earth, comprising
196 countries that are genuine in
their own right. Even the USA, a
confederation of 50 states with
over 313 million citizens, is a
melting pot of different cultures
and ideals. Baffling as it might
seem, what bridges the gaps
from Buffalo to Buenos Aires and
San Bernardino to Sydney is the
shared passion for machines with
two wheels. The love of
motorcycles, and in particular
motocross, joins the fanatical
together as much as geographical,
societal, cultural, political and
linguistic barriers pull us apart.
Every once in a while, human
beings defy logic. Comforts of
normal life are cast aside, because
wading through uncharted water
is appealing. Our Ryan Dungey
Replica 2014 KTM 450SXF Factory
Edition is the result of a remarkable story involving two perfect
strangers (no, Ryan Dungey is
not one of these people). One
name, Dennis Stapleton, should
sound familiar. Stapleton is MXA’s
world-renowned, globe-hopping
ambassador. He’s raced motocross in Dubai, Ecuador, the
Philippines, Denmark, Holland,
Kuwait, Finland, Thailand and
many other places where most
people wouldn’t think that motocross exists. Dennis thrives on
adventure. He’s the modern-day
Ferdinand Magellan. And just like
Magellan, Dennis nearly expired
from heat stroke in the humid
climes of Southeast Asia a
couple years ago—not that far
from where Magellan met his end
some 500 years earlier. That is the
lot in life of world travelers.
The other central character
to this story is Kim Hedegaard.
Never heard of him? Kim is the
perfect example of the rabid, but
avid, motocross enthusiast. He
works long hours in order to fuel
his passion—a passion that he
invests heavily in.
MXA’s Ryan Dungey
Replica project bike is actually
Hedegaard’s bike. In fact, Kim
has never even ridden the bike,
but he was nice enough to give
us his prize steed to test. Why?
International relations. Kim met
Dennis at a Danish National in
2011. Hedegaard, a Denmark
citizen, and Stapleton liked each
other immediately. Since that