Supercross: Honda Muscle Milk’s Justin Barcia Goes Retro

Kit Palmer | January 17, 2014
  Justin Barcias Honda gets 1980s look for Anaheim 2 Supercross

Justin Barcia’s Honda Muscle Milk Team CRF450R will sport a retro look at tomorrow’s Anaheim II Supercross.

Check out Justin Barcia’s 1980’s-looking CRF450R that the Honda Muscle Milk Team rider will be racing tomorrow at the Anaheim II Supercross. Honda made up this special-looking machine to help celebrate the AMA Supercross Series 40th anniversary.

The bike’s look is inspired by the factory Hondas that team riders Donnie Hanson, David Bailey, Johnny O’Mara and Rick Johnson rode in the 1980s.

Barcia’s Anaheim II bike features a red frame, throwback graphics and even fork boots.

Honda will also have on display Hanson’s works RC250R, the exact same bike that he won the Supercross Championship on in 1982. It was also the bike that gave Honda its first Supercross title. Honda has since piled on 14 more Supercross titles, the most by any manufacture. And for good measure, Johnny O’Mara’s 1986 Motocross des Nations CR125R will also be on display along side Hanson’s bike in the Honda Muscle Milk pits.

Marty Smith gave Honda its first Supercross win at the Anaheim Supercross in 1976.

All eight of Honda’s Supercross Champions – Ricky Carmichael, Jeremy McGrath, Jeff Stanton, Jean-Michel Bayle, Rick Johnson, Johnny O’Mara, David Bailey and Donnie Hanson – will be in attendance for Saturday’s race.

Barcia says he hopes to be the ninth Supercross Champion for Honda.

“Honda has a lot of championships dating back pretty far,” Barcia said. “My main goal is to win championships and I know that is Honda’s as well, so hopefully I can get us to that point. Going to Honda’s headquarters and seeing all those number-one plates on the wall makes me want it even more. I have a pair of 250 [Supercross] Championship plates there, but I want a 450 plate up there, too.”

 

Kit Palmer | Off-Road Editor

Kit Palmer started his career at Cycle News in 1984 and he’s been testing dirt and streetbikes every since – plus covering any event that uses some form of a knobby tire. He’s also our resident motorcycle mileage man with a commute of 120 miles a day.