The 14-year-old California Talon Hawkins rips on his own backyard motocross track, and he and his family also love to keep it fun, traveling to all the big MX races, as well as some random off-road events. “My dad got me my first bike on my second birthday,” Talon remembers. “It was a JR50 and I’ve been riding ever since. He trained me with a little tie strap that he tied around the pipe to lead me around. I just rode off and it was super cool.”

Since then, Talon hasn’t stopped twisting the throttle. With his mom and dad by his side, he now has his own training ground in his backyard. He may be just a teenager but he knows the reason he swings a leg over a dirt bike. “You have to take it seriously, but you also have to find that fine line of keeping it fun while also being serious about it. I don’t want that spark to go out, because I love moto.” With that adult perspective on riding and racing, we expect Talon to do just that this year and well into the future.

Video by Brendan Lutes. Photos by Max Mandell