Jacky Martens motocross champion

Five minutes with… Jacky Martens, JM Honda Racing MX Team Manager

Welcome to our "Five Minutes With..." series, where we sit down with the riders, racers, and team managers who depend on Venhill products to keep their machines performing at their peak. We caught up with motocross legend Jacky Martens who, together with his son Yentel, owns and manages JM Honda Racing, competing in MXGP, MX2 and EMX250. 

Jacky Martens isn’t just remembered as a world-class motocross rider, he’s respected as one of the sport’s true technical minds. Born in Belgium in 1963, Martens rose through the ranks in the fiercely competitive world of Grand Prix motocross, making his mark in the 500cc class during the late 1980s and early '90s. Martens earned his reputation not only with grit and speed on the track, but with an uncanny ability to feel what a bike was doing underneath him — and then make it better.

During his racing career, Martens developed a knack for transforming factory machinery into race-winning packages. Nowhere was that more evident than in 1993, when he guided a four-stroke Husqvarna to the 500cc World Championship: the first time in nearly three decades a four-stroke had taken the title. At a time when two-strokes dominated, Martens helped turn the heavy, often unpredictable four-stroke into a finely tuned championship winner.

After retiring from top-level competition, Martens stayed firmly embedded in the sport. He transitioned into team management with the same quiet determination that had defined his racing career, and he became known for his methodical approach to bike and rider development.

Whether setting up his own bikes or guiding the next generation of talent from the paddock, Martens has always combined feel, feedback and mechanical know-how in a way few others can, making him as valuable in the paddock as he ever was on the track. We caught up with Jacky in a rare quiet moment between rounds to talk about bike-setup, bringing new riders up to speed, and why Venhill products have been a constant in his career for over 30 years.

You made the switch from European marques to Honda in 2019 and have stayed with them ever since. What first drew you to Honda - and what keeps you with them?

 JM: Right from the start it was just a really good collaboration, just a good feeling with Honda, and every year we make progress. It's a different way of working compared to other marques, very different, but I really like the quality of the bikes.

 In what ways is that working relationship - or the bikes themselves - different to what you were used to with the European manufacturers?

JM: With the European machines, you need much more in the way of spare parts. I’m not saying the quality is bad, but with Honda there's much less need to change parts that we normally would during the season or even during a round. The reliability is there with the Hondas, and of course that’s so important for competition.

At the top level, how important is bike setup in the overall performance?

JM: It is the most important element. At this international level, the bike and the rider need to work together so well to get results. There’s no one-size-fits-all with setup. You cannot say to one rider, “Your teammate is fast with this, so you must be fast with this,” because every rider is different.

Really, this is the most expensive and the most important job of the team. We can work 12 hours or more each day with a rider to find the setup that gives him what he needs and gives me what I want to see.

Have the modern MXGP tracks changed the way you approach setup?

JM: Yes, they’re certainly different. In the old days, we raced on more natural tracks - hillside or forest terrain that was there already. Now, the tracks are man-made. They take a field and build the track there.

With the more natural tracks, suspension was trickier to set up, there were more uneven sections, more bumps in the braking and acceleration zones, and more different lines to take. The new style of MXGP and MX2 tracks have more berms, more waves and whoops, everything is different. I wouldn’t say it's easier now, but we know much more about how to handle this style of circuit.

You’ve worked with Venhill for a long time. What has kept you coming back?

JM: We started using Venhill products in 1992; a long time ago. At that time, there weren’t so many high-quality components, but Venhill was already top level in terms of quality and feel. I’ve used their components ever since, so nearly 30 years.

It’s really been a partnership for us. We give a lot of technical feedback, and even now they’re improving every year; performance, quality, everything.

For us, reliability is the most important factor. It’s not made to last just 3, 4 or even 20 hours and then you have to change it. You just fit the parts and they work. The increased feeling is also important - smoother and better feeling in the controls gives the rider real confidence. He’s then much happier on the bike and can push harder. That’s really important for us, especially when we’re bringing in younger, less experienced riders.

You’ve got a promising young rider this year in David Braceras. What’s it like onboarding a rider who’s still developing?

JM: It’s always difficult for the team to understand the new rider, and for the rider to understand how the bike handles and how they need to adjust their technique. The first year is all learning. Normally the rider stays for a second year and that’s where we really see the progress.

We’re not like some other teams who change riders all the time, we want to go for it and give the relationship time to grow into the best it can be.

David had a really strong start in Argentina, but then he had a few crashes in the following rounds. He was up there battling with the top six, but the speed is so high and he’s not used to that yet. Still, I think by the end of the season we’ll be competitive. He’s a young rider and has a lot to learn. He’s been in a professional team before, but with a lot of problems with the bike.

Now, this year - I have to touch wood - but it looks promising. If we can finish in the top 10 in the World Championship, I think we’ll have done a good job.

You can keep up to date with JM Honda Racing MX on their website: http://www.jmracing.mx/ and on the Team Facebook Page.

JM Honda Racing MX put their trust in Venhill motorcycle brake hoses and clutch cables to help them compete at the very highest level of motocross competition. Our high-quality braided brake lines deliver superior brake feel and consistent performance, while our durable off-road clutch cables provide precise control when riders need it most. 

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