Racer X Redux: The Injury Factor
Wednesday, March 21, 2012 | 4:40 PM
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Time to let the dirty little secret out and just face the facts: Injuries define this sport.
When we talk about racing, we like to talk about the good stuff—riders as athletes and dirt bikes as racing machines. We key in on this man-and-machine struggle, pitting one team-bike-rider combination against another. We have an insatiable appetite for info on who is fast and why they’re fast, but we don’t want to talk about injuries any more than we want to see them happen, and we don’t want to see them happen at all.
For example, think back to any preseason bench-racing conversation you had that entailed making predictions for the year. You keyed on Villopoto’s confidence, or how the #1 plate might affect him. We talked about the changes to his 2012 KX450F or hard work with his trainer Aldon Baker. We marveled at his unique and incredibly effective riding style. Then we did similar things for his opponents. Ryan Dungey talk centered on his new team and bike and old relationships with his new bosses. And James Stewart? We went around and around wondering if James’ old bike brand and new team could get him back to his old heights, while simultaneously wondering if James doesn’t dominate only because today’s competition, like the Ryans, have gotten too fast to be dominated.
We weighed all the stories about new riders and new teams. Made predictions and put thoughts together. But never in those thoughts did we weigh in the injury factor. We want to talk about speed and fitness and bikes, not “But what if Canard, Reed, and Dungey all go out for the year with injuries?”
Sure, it seems crazy to have predicted such a thing, especially when Reed and Dungey have cemented reputations as two of the least injured riders in the game. But you don’t have to go back very far to find similar strange things happening. Heading into the 2010 season, the epic 2009 Stewart-Reed SX clash was still fresh in our minds. Many wondered if Dungey and Villopoto could make the leap and join the old favorites at the front. Would they be fast enough to run with Stewart and Reed? That was the question everyone had, but no one—no one—was asking “But what if Reed and Stewart are out by the second round of the season with injuries?”
It's beginning to look like Ryan Villopoto's last few years will be described as, "The years he was hurt and the years he won."
Fredrickson photo
By the end of that 2010 campaign, the SX tour was looking pretty haggard. Once Villopoto went out with a leg injury in St. Louis, Dungey was free to wrap the title by round 15 of 17, and he held a 70-point lead in the series at the finale. Teams were subbing in replacement riders all over the place, like Trey Canard getting his big shot on the Team Honda 450 when Andrew Short went down with a leg injury. And Nick Wey seemed to shuffle between privateer and factory Kawasaki duty every week.
And this stuff is not reserved only for supercross. The first year I announced the TV shows for the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship (2009), we keyed on Villopoto at the first race, only for him to tear his knee up before round two. Then we focused on Mike Alessi until he busted his knee after round three. From there, the series was all Reed’s, although he was dealing with a bizarre stomach ailment the whole time. Then the 2010 outdoor tour morphed into the 2010 supercross tour, with Dungey dominating and a whole bunch of fast guys out with injury and illness.
The point is, all of the bench-racing leading into a season focuses on who would be the fastest, strongest rider, not who would get injured the least.
Then came 2011, dubbed the greatest season of all time. What was the big difference between 2011 and so many of the seasons we expected to be great but weren’t? The top guys didn’t get hurt! Villopoto, Reed, Dungey, and Stewart made all 17 rounds. The rest of the action took care of itself, just like it would have this year if those dudes didn’t get hurt. Possibly would have worked the same way in 2010, too.
But it didn’t. You can start running back through time and think about how each season turned out, and you’ll realize injuries were often a bigger factor than speed or fitness. They are beginning to define this season as well, and the Indianapolis race served as a stark reminder. Injuries had already become the big story via the quick exits of Dungey and Reed, but Indy pounded the point home when so many riders pounded themselves. Stewart down. Windham down. Wey down. Hanny down. Chisholm down. Josh Grant back from being down but then going down in practice (but escaping safely—this time). There was even that bizarre red-flag restart (which I thought was awesome, by the way) in the Lites main to bring, yes, crashes back to the forefront.
We miss this guy.
Cudby photo
Now, I understand that as you read this you’re beginning to look for answers. What can be done to stop this? What is causing all of the injuries? Well, if anything, I’ve realized that you can’t point to a specific trend or reason why such injuries happen. This isn’t a trend. It’s a constant. Bikes and tracks and speeds evolve, but the injuries never change. Was there anything fundamentally different about 2011 compared to 2010 and 2012? Nope. Riders competed on the same 450 four-strokes and the same basic tracks.
Sometimes guys get hurt, sometimes they don’t. Hey, the first year I followed the sport every week was in 1987, courtesy of the trusty Cycle News subscription. Let’s review the 1987 season: First, 1986 runner-up David Bailey was paralyzed in a preseason crash. Then defending champion Ricky Johnson got knocked out at the Anaheim opener but mounted a comeback in the points when Jeff Ward broke his ankle. RJ got the points lead back, only to crash at Pontiac and break his fingers, allowing Ward to reel off wins and get the title. That season, completely, was defined by who got hurt and who did not. Then all hell broke loose in 1989 when both RJ and Ward were knocked from the hunt with injuries, allowing Jeff Stanton to take over the sport.
The stories are the same year in and year out, and only occasionally do we get a season where the main players all make it through all the races. When it happens, we can get incredible, memorable years like 1992 (Stanton, Bradshaw, and JMB taking it down to the wire), 2006 (Carmichael, Stewart, and Reed taking it down to the wire) or 2011 (pretty much everyone taking it down to the wire). This is not a new trend, folks!
The podium and even the victory spot is now open for guys like Brett Metcalfe.
Fredrickson photo
To that end, we have to commend the riders who manage to avoid such carnage. We will forever sing the praises of Jeremy McGrath as the King of Supercross and applaud laurels such as his technique, starts, timing, and showmanship. But MC’s most incredible accomplishment is actually the one he gets the least credit for. Forget 72 wins. More amazing? MC went ten straight SX seasons without missing a single race due to injury. Ten years! That’s an entire career for some riders. Similarly, Carmichael went ten years as a pro and only missed significant time twice—early in his ’99 rookie 250 SX season, and for the full ’04 SX tour with a torn ACL. Even including that, Carmichael’s attendance was nothing short of remarkable. RC is defined by his strength, speed, tenacity, will, fitness—all of that, sure. But his basic durability is what allowed all of those assets to flourish.
Put it another way: I recently read a basketball story by ESPN’s Bill Simmons saying “[Michael] Jordan's greatest feat ever was playing 310 out of 310 games (including playoffs) in a 31-month stretch from November '95 through June '98.”
Yup, Jordan amazed with his athletic ability, his work ethic, and his competitive drive. But his durability was his greatest asset. Without it, his talents would have been wasted.
This is athletic competition, and this is how it works. Dudes get hurt. And that, usually, defines who wins and who loses just as much as any other athletic feat
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Nailed it. R.I.P the Asterisk
I would wear
- Neck Brace
- Shoulder Pads
- Both Knee Braces
- Both Wrist Braces
Along with all the normal crap.... nothing will prevent all the injuries, but if your WHOLE CAREER was defined by injuries, then why not wear as much protection as possible?
Great job Weege..loved the article..
I think there is a sticker out there, " Crashing Sucks"...... all part of the game boys.....but it does suck....
Yes - a well written and enjoyable article.
I do not agree with Weege's assertion, "Then came 2011, dubbed the greatest season of all time." There were a whole lot of great racing before Jason started following the sport in 1987. I'm just sayin...
I would also argue that the heavier 4 strokes are causing more people to be injured. However, that would take a lot of work to prove or disprove.
There are two kinds of MX riders.......
Those that have gotten hurt and those that are going to get hurt.
Mom was right all along.
JimM
Pala374
" If you aint crashin you aint tryin "
RJ
RVs biggest comp this year was CR, then RD, then really JS just never was there to be a threat, JS stayed around but the bad races just kept adding up. RD I feel is still his biggest threat, unless something turns around for JS. I feel if rd rides Houston and the rest of the series he has the best chance of finishing second unless JS can figure out how to stay up.
This is what makes this sport the toughest in the world! Not only do you have to be in such good shape but you also have to have the skill and mind set to handle what is thrown at you when youre on the track. In my opinion, a true champion is the last man standing! A true champion can handle any track type or condition and can go fast on it. And the number one thing is being able to avoid crashing which can and will lead to injury. The rider that does this best and has the speed will be the champion. Villipoto is showing that!
@JimboMX374,, That may be true, but there is a difference between crashing,,, and getting hurt...
It is time for the AMA to mandate additional safety gear. It is insane to think that this isn't being done, if nothing else then because of the commercial implications of guys being hurt i.e. no Reed, no Stewart, no Dungy= less reasons to go to the races or watch on TV.
AMA, please- neck braces, knee braces et al, should be manditory. We all know that doesn't mean someone's not going to get hurt, if you raced, you've been hurt and know this. But, if we could prevent even some of the injuries, especially the serious ones, it benefits the entire sport, let alone the rider himself.
Mom was right all along, she warned my brothers & I constantly, and she was a war nurse. I don't see a difference in 2/s or 4/s crashes, the ground is just as hard either way. It used to be a tough guy sport, everybody rode hurt, cut off casts etc. It is all catching up with us now. Not saying that it still isn't a tough sport but ignoring the pain and when half the starting line limped on & off the track is one the things that attracted me as a kid to motorcycles. "crazy bastards" that kinda scared me, wasn't long before I was just as crazy as these weekend warriors that I looked up to. Still one of the greatest man / machine bondings on earth.
Great article, great comments, great athletes, great sports, greatest chance of getting hurt. Best wishes for all the recovering riders, you are missed.
Great read....... if it was easy kari-okie singers would be doin it.
zzzzzzzzz.... Get new writers..
Good article about an important subject.
Not such a big deal this year, but the concussion rules are a good improvement, yet will keep guys from not competing... two edged sword. I keep thinking about some sort of airbag suit, but I don't know how it would work or not be too hot and confining.
I do think that when one guy is dominating, those who really want to win push the envelope. But then you look at Reeds crash at Millville, he was leading in the points, on top of his game and in two seconds, that all changed.
You know, we could step out in front of a Bus tomorrow.
i've torn my acl with knee braces. the neck braces doesnt do what most of you guys think the will do. its mx............and its always been like this. i been around the sport since '77. having the ama mandate more safety gear will not stop the injuries, it may give you a since of security. when you have have a set of custom fit CTi braces that cost about 1500 $ in '90 and you blow out your knee.....all you can say is WTF? and then you come to the conclusion that there is nothing "safe" about motocross
@motoguzzi ...People always bring up that you can still get hurt wearing protection, I've been there too, but there are also lots of smaller crashes where they do help... out 2-4 weeks with a sprain sucks when it could have been prevented
Mcgrath went 10 years uninjured on a 2-STROKE. The 4-strokes are at least 20-30lbs heavier. Once you're out of controll a little bit, that weight is mutiplied and you cant save it as easy as a 2-stroke. Theres a TON more crashes now period.
As far as the AMA mandating neck braces,you must be on drugs. Thats the stupidest thing i,ve ever heard! You must be a real sissy!
***NEWS FLASH*** A 2-STROKE YZ250 winning in the New Zealand nationals....Check it out if you dont believe me!!!
Another great write up by Weedge!!
Is it true that KTM is going to put one of their 250 riders on Dungey's 450?
its not the bike its the evolution of the sport guys are jumping higher and longer and most certainly going (faster ) which is your culprit right there if you took villopoto and his 2012 kx450f strapped it on top of the delorian and gunned it to 85mph back to mcgraths best year, sorry but villopoto would smoke him the sport without a doubt evolves every year. each year the guys try harder and harder to be up front and its inevitable when you run these tracks at that speed something will happen, and it will continue to happen wait till barcia and wilson come up and than you got all these guys up front they have two choices back it down or keep going but none the less crashes will still happen and so will injuries yeah it sucks but on the bright side we are getting to see some great rides from guys that normally just roll around because the chances of getting on the podium were slim with all the others gunning for it
Gonna take alot of heat for this but here goes....
They never would have raced later model 500 cc 2 strokes in SX, so when will the AMA realize 450s are too much?
Why are the tracks so high speed, with concentation of design on "flow" and momentum?
I think the sport has changed for the worse with the take over of the 4 strokes
Unfortunately it will probably come to a big name rider getting killed on live tv, before the AMA wakes up and realizes the bikes and tracks have gotten too fast .
in all fairness its not the ama who dictate how fast the riders go , its the riders desire to be champion and do whatever it takes . So many complain but yet isnt this whats most entertaining about the sport, what will rider B. do to try and get around rider A.? the only way this sport would be (a little safer) is if they didnt actually race eachother but raced in timed laps alone and whoever could do the track the fastest won which is freaking retarded and almost nobody would want nor would they pay to watch
Motorcycles are dangerous ,always have been , probably always will be. Skill and LUCK share a bed on this one. Part of Mac's semi-injury free run was because of his learning to ride bmx bicycles and learning to ride a motorcycle somewhere besides a race course. He knew how to RIDE not just hit jumps...He also enjoyed an era where courses were somewhat more sane and were still becoming the peak to peak quad circus with exclusively "spinaround" corners we now have. Plus he was a holeshot master and would normally check out and cruise LOL waiting for Larocco to catch up coming from next to last ......How about less mega jumps and some difficult off cambers and flat corners with mutiple passing lanes or something imaginative instead of the mega slick concrete showing or greasy freestyle tracks we've been seeing. geezus...people act like a 40 ft sand section is an enduro. Two strokes are not coming back. Not enough money in parts sales PERIOD. Plus the 'hitting of the ground' feels the same on either(i have tested this numerous times).I think its not a worse or heavier bike causing more crashes its better bikes and higher speeds.And when you see Havoc7 bust his a*s trying stuff he can't pull off ,think of what your lesser local yokel is doing. Mr Moto this ain't NZ....ain't no 2 stroke winning a national here unless they let 250's race 250's and 400 2strokes ( and someone builds one) race the mighty 4fitys.450's are a blast , I find most people that don't like them either can't afford one or haven't ridden one and they are as safe as your throttle hand and luck will allow.
I could not imagine what kind of impact it would have if either 2009, 2010, or 2011, runner up crashed the year after preparing and was paralyzed the way Bailey was. That is so wild to think about. I never really thought about it too in depth, but man an accident like that in todays mx-sx world would really rock the foundation of our sport for sure. I just hope and pray everything just keeps on keeping on, and any injuries ever sustained are temporary set backs, and full recoveries. Although it's going to be nearly impossible, I hope I never see the day where any of our pro racers, have such an extreme injury where paralysis is the result. We really do have a gnarly sport when you look back at all the instances of bad mis-fortune for the racers.
@ tonewall thats what im saying my first bike was a 2000 cr250r rode that for about 6 months and got an 06 crf450r and my riding capabilties multiplied in a matter of months people talk about 450's like they are the boogie man they are actually quite fun i love the feeling of having every bit of (and more) power that i need and only twisting the throttle as far as i feel comfortable
Another thought... It is wild that over all the years of history, there has ever only been one racer to get better and better through the injuries and the older he gets, the better and faster he becomes... Mr Reed should be named the official ambassador of mx-sx! We are all looking forward to your return to the gate Reedy!
I think this is just one of those years. Theres no place you could really point fingers on this one. The bikes have not evolved THAT much over the past 2-3 years to cause such an increase in injuries. The tracks also do not consist of anything out of the ordinary. This season especially, the tracks seemed to have been toned down more than they have in the past. Aside from the whoops in San diego and the step on-step off over under bridge, nothing has been to extreme and pushing the limit. BUt the tracks have seemed to be getting faster rather than more technical through the years.
Article is SPOT ON!!
The years change but the injuries remain a constant. I will add that it is the risk of injury that truly elevates this sport to what it is.
As a rider and racer for so many years, what has, and continues, to make this the only sport I truly love....is the risk assiciated with pushing yourself to a higher level.
I love Moto.
most this year was minor crashes with major injuries ,aside from canard and morais, and the partridge deal both resulting in neck injuries chads crash seemd like something most get back up and still race from at first but he got pretty jacked up there but the other two the main one is the canard one they have to figure out a way that that dont ever happen again because it will be something like that that causes what some of you are talking about its been discussed many times about the tuff block banners i say the banner should be part of the tuff block no slip on cover this sport generates enough money to get new ones as needed , and the over under bridges i dont see why they always must come out of a turn they always end up on the wall of it its caused flats and crashes and this tim with partridge smashed his foot causing it to explode and than pancaking him on the ground breaking his neck i say do away with the turn into it and have the turn after it easy fix
tonewall and jeramey.......you guys are right on. the sport has evolved to an extreme level. the bikes are so much better than in say even MC's day. the riders have progressed also, to an almost unbelievable degree. the speeds and the bigger obsticles are the major factors. and there is no answer........you cant go back. none of you would want to watch a supercross where the track was "tamed down" for safety. moto is a tuf and tumble sport, if you push the envolope..... the risk for serious injury is high. BUT.... thats what makes it sooo damn fun! on a side not, i believe that mc was way ahead of his comp in talent in his years of domination. he only had to ride in his comfort zone and still kick ass. thats why he was able to avoid a serious injury for so long.........that and a little bit of luck.
@ chillmatic I think reed was pushing so hard which caused him to crash he revieled after his injury that he thought this might be his last year i think he was trying to go out in style like RC , but as joshua stated it is incredibal to watch his roller coaster career come to an all time high when guys like stewart cant put it back together and reed when he should be on his way out is looking the best he ever has the dude is bad I truly admire anyone who can turn it around like that just when everyone counts them out and sais theyre done than bam they make them eat crow
button.............fonseca..........? what about marshall? i remember bailey's injury..... it scared the shit outta me. when magoo crashed, we all said "that was bound to happen". when bailey went down, i said " it can happen to any of us". bailey was the most in-control rider there was. but when you realize control is an illusion and you can begin to understand. actually its quite unfair......... both those guys had way more talent than i .......... but thats the way life is
@MrMotocross that two stroke was won iv the vet class or something like that.It didn't win the MX1 class.So who cares.
Some guy on here pointed out a couple weeks ago that the 250 riders are not getting hurt as much as the 450 riders.He said maybe it is because of less hp.You know a few years ago Steve Whitlock and the FIM were trying to lower the MX1 class to 350cc.Maybe they were on to something.
I thought this article kind of sucked.He didn't point out the number of just how many of the top 25 riders are out.That number is huge.
@ fred if the 250 series was full like the sx instead of split in half you would have the same problem these 450 coments are getting old yall act like (besides canard) that the bikes are landing on these guys crushing them and breaking bones usually the bike is no where near the rider because the bikes usually doing the rest of the rythym section solo or cartwheeling bottom line to many equally fast guys racing for one spot in a confined space back to the 250' you wouldnt even have to combine the classes if you just brought over the top 5 from the west and threw them in there with the east we'd have some problems right now barcia is clowning these guys because his 2 main compettitors cant seem to get it together
I bet anyone making a comment that "450's are to much" ride a 250f or a 250, im sorry but 14yo girls at the tracks are riding 250f's ill keep my "man bike"
Most injuries are guys going over the bars - head first - and if that isn't bad enough the bikes follow .
One of the reasons for this IMO is because we are riding off the front now
JimM
Pala374
Run It Skins! Enough Said.
supercross is dangerous plain and simple IMO this is the time you get the most injuries becuase sx has so many more consequences
I have been whacked over the body by an RM125 and still have a numb spot on my hip a third of a century later-. If that had been a RM450z I am positive it woulda hurt a lot more.
Great perspective article JW!
I think what is making this season seem so horrible for injuries is that it follows right on the heels of 2011 where, if you all recall, there was a 5-way battle for the points lead until the final 3 rounds (Canard broke his femur in testing between St Loo and Seattle). But there were definitely guys out last year with injuries - Tedesco had his ACL problems, Grant was of course injured, Stroupe was injured, Hill was out, the Hahn brothers were injured....I think Brayton missed some racing due to injury, Metcalfe I believe missed some racing due to injury, Weimer was out almost the whole season, etc, etc.
I think JS7 will be in T.O. He was there last year after taking a big hit in Jacksonville the week before.
@wfo maybe you would have cleared whatever got you if you were on a 4fity also. woulda shouda....doesn't cut it here . I have gotten off flat out at easy 80+ and walked away basically unscathed , LUCKY.......... I have crashed taco mini bikes thru Rmz4fitys ..I have been hurt as much on trials bikes at 5 mph as i have at $moto...The whole show is dangerous and all we are doing is controlling how much disaster takes place...thats what makes it fun to us. I have aching bones and my ex'es all say racing and the concussions messed up my mind lol. Ponder this ...why do Caselli and guys like that go all day HARD and do dangerous stuff also but don't have as many injuries it seems...maybe they know how to RIDE not just jump .But also the racing they do doesn't have the URGENCY ,money and expectations behind it like the AMA proSX/MX does..... ANYTHING that makes the sport safer be it gear or track modification should be given GREAT consideration as obviously injuries are on the rise......you want dangerous bikes ...ride a 72 400 husky 5sp with 4" of travel then explain to me why its the bikes....
Naw- it was one of those crashes where you cant remember what happened.
Decent article Wedgie. Sure, there is going to be a risk for injury at any mx event. Obviously some years have more injuries than others. The amount of MAJOR injuries this season is just crazy. Bottom line: SX is OVER for this season. When three different riders won the first three weeks, we booked our trip to Vegas for the finals. I really wish we would've waited a few weeks. There may not be anyone left to watch that weekend, and we probably can't give our tickets away. Sure the injuries are bound to happen, but if there is a way to reduce the number or severity of the injuries it should be considered. The alternative....continued carnage and completely irrelevant races, should be avoided if possible.
@tonewall the difference in bikes would be the 4inches of travel.You would be going much slower on that bike and wouldn't be jumping hugh triples on that bike.Though that Husky would be fast it still doesn't have the instant acceleration those efi factory bikes have.
@Jimbo that is a very good point you made there.
@JimboMX374....never considered that before. I wonder if anyone in the industry shares your view. If not, you could become a pioneer in the MX industry with a safety device invention. Like a front end device that does for the front end, what a wheelie bar does for rear end. How about chest protectors that, when a rider is seperated from his machine, poofs up like a personal airbag. Full airbag gear that turns the rider into a giant flying marshmellow. It could be called "Airwear". And people said I would never amount to anything! I'll shut up now.
Oh yeah, well researched and written article Squeege. More like this please. If I break another bone, I will have more titanium than bone. Is milk good for titanium too? If I die, my family could sell my corpse to Pro Circut. I got at least a dozen Ti4's worth in me. Ok, now I'll really shut up.
@jeramey--Grow up please?? Man bike?? Really?? are you that childish you think your bike makes you macho?? I bet you will get whipped on your 450 by a girls on her 250..
After reading here it seems the best idea is to give them 10 more horsepower, 5 inches of travel, go back to old style seats that keep you on the rear, put a shock collar on throttles that activates when you near jumps, plus and old Sachs earles front end that springs you up when you hit front wheel first. Then after two years they force you to marry an Irresistible woman that hates motorcycles and talks you into retirement.
WOW I was not quite ready for so many comments. @ Jason W. A very well trhought out article. You did a good job because I was inteerested to see how far back you would go with the injuries? I have some comments but need to read all of the posts before I do. Again a very well written article!
Mostly good comment people, Now my two things,
1. The Man ie DeCoster once said that there are only a handfull of riders that can ride a 500cc 2 stroke to its full ability and yes David Bailey was one of them.
2. the big difference that I think should be noted is that with the 4 strrokes you dont have the instant power we had with the 2 strokes. It used to be when in doubt gas it! Now iif you gas it just after the power stroke what happens duh not a thing?
Now yall can send me my two cents for what it was worth.
Jeramy - 450f a mans bike??? Try hopping on any 500cc 2 stroke sometime, then talk to me after you change your shorts.... 450's feel like mellow trail bikes compared to a modded '86 CR500.
Tonewall are you telling me that an MX racer is not better then a enduro/trials rider because they can't RIDE? These guys are pro because they are the best at what they do. You ever watch them ride the hills like MC did? Just as good if not better. Mx has elevated my skills in every way possible. You take a guy who rides trails and put him against a guy who rides MX and I think you will see the MX guy shine. Hence why top Enduro and Desert racers ride MX for training. Shit even top Road Racers ride MX to help hoan their skills. Think you're living in the past and going to the track isn't your cup of tea. Why don't we take Supercross and turn it into an Endurocross course, maybe that will keep everyone safer?
1) Any high-impact sport has results (especially in terms of championships) that are injury dependent. MX? Football? Hockey? Heck, even baseball. Everyone is beat up at the end of the season and it often comes down to how well key players are still able to function. The human body is being pushed to -- and beyond -- its limits at the highest levels of any of these sports. That's one of the huge reasons these sports are so fascinating and why millions of us hacks live vicariously through these top athletes!
2) In MX, we often see guys that can run that ridiculous pace at the top for a few laps. That's light years away from putting a moto together at that pace. Which is way different from stringing a few races together... at that pace. How about a whole season? How about week after week, year after year? AND, a rider has to NOT GET HURT in order to do this. Which makes the RC's, the MC's, the RV's, the K-Dub's... even more super-human animals then we can ever possibly give them credit for. And TOUGHNESS! The above mentioned hit the deck, too. I can remember a couple occasions when there was talk of RC logging a little hospital time during the week due to a practice crash and still smoking everyone on the weekend.
3) I can't see there not being a time when we will have to slow the bikes down. MX always has been and always will be dangerous. But at the local level, you have guys that can't even ride jumping 100+" jumps. The top guys/ pro-level, that's one thing, those guys will always hurt themselves, but at the amatuer level is where I think we're seeing a lot more serious injuries because the bikes are way more capable of what the riders' skill and fitness levels can handle. The tracks are designed around the bikes so the speeds are way higher. Its not an easy solution and I won't pretend to have the answer. But injuries are up because the riders are traveling faster when they hit the ground. Simple. That being said, you probably stand a better chance getting off'ed driving to the track then actually riding, so what the hell...
I´ve already written this before A1 when all the preseason videos were shot. I criticized many riders for stupid freestyle action right before the season starts. Now the freestyle moves are not the reason for the injuries but they show that the riders are concerned with too much BS.
They twitter before, between and after the races, give interviews without taking a breath, are so worried to be cool and thank the sponsors at any given chance. I think they should focus more on riding and they would get injured less.
Of course the sport itself is dangerous and riders who are focused get injured too. But I am absolutely sure that the chance to get injured is minimized when all the other BS stays outside.
some of you are babies about the bikes. you crash on a dirtbike. shit happens. either a 450 250 350 2stroke 4 stroke its going to happen. AMA doesnt need to change anything but have more fire and explosians and sweet tracks.
The fact is that a 450F is too much bike for SX. If you can limp up to a jump, wick the throttle and clear whatever you want, you have too much power and cannot effectively use it. And it is beyond understanding why you would basically force a rider to adapt to such an ill suited machine for the purpose. It would literally be the same as allowing an 85HP CR650F to compete outdoor. Whoever rides it would kill the competition, then you would see a mass exodus from the antiquated 450F's, and the injury rate would go through the roof.
P.S. I'm not anti-450F. It is a great bike for outdoor. But it sucks balls from how perfectly suited the 250 smoker was to indoor racing. And that is just a fact.
Clearly it is tough to build consensus as to why there are so many injuries. Whether it is the bikes or the tracks or the racing style, there have been a huge amount of major injuries lately. I really don't care what the technical specs are, I want to watch the best and the fastest riders. A two month Villopoto victory lap does not interest me at all.
@therealmofo im sorry guy i must have affended you you must be one of those guys mad at everyone on a 450, the point was that if young girls are riding around on 250f's its clearly not enough bike for a full size man unless youre 5'6 130lbs which i am not.
@mxlord327 yeah ive never even seen a 500 in person id like to ride those ones they are building in the crf450 frames though, ive watched videos of them they look sick
my point was to all these sissy's sayin "get rid of the 450 its to much" just wanted to make my point that if a litle 110 lb female can handle a 250f than its not enough bike for a man i wasnt trying to sound like a pro because i certainly am not
Speaking of Villopoto....and this is definitely not a personal attack....does he have ANY personality? His calm and reserved demeanor seems to help him on the track. He is fast and under control. My wife is an RV fan. With the exception of maybe J'Ville last season, I don't know that I've ever seen the guy get fired up or show emotion. I certainly respect his skill and talent...he's obviously the cream of the crop right now...I just don't know much about the guy. He needs a good scandal or something.
its funny you guys say the 450 is to much power but every race team thinks otherwise and takes the bikes we ride and makes them into fire breathing beasts, so are these guys decoster,peyton,etc. confused? do yall know more than they do about super cross everyone with these comments is almost guarenteed to be a sore two stroke guy stamp it
p.s there is nothing wrong with being a die hard two stroke guy but for christ sakes how long are you gonna cry about 4 strokes? get over it they made their choice to dump the two stroke its not like we (the 4 stroke riders) ended up with an inferior product 4strokes are easier to ride plain and simple the only bragging rights you guys get is if you can do the same at the track on your 250 2 stroke as the guy on his 450 than undoubtedly you had to work harder on the track to beat or match him
although they may not be maxing out the power i do know that they run high compression pistons fully race ported and polished heads,cams and all it may not be the absolute max you can get out of the engine but i guarantee it will smoke my bike with a pipe and a cam the dyno probably wouldnt even be comparable but i do know what you mean about "useable power" thats why js7 catches a lot of flack for his motor set up i hear his is real "unfriendly"
@thechosenone, you wouldnt happen to know what the rumored weight of a factory race bike is would you?
all this talk about heavy bikes i wouldnt be surprised with all the weight reduction they do if the factory 450's are close if not less than the weight of a 250 2 stroke
@jeramy--you have no clue dude. The AMA weight limit on a 450 4-stroke race bike is 220 pounds--a 250 2-stroke isnt that heavy..
And I agree that as any engine gets more advanced, the horsepower will rise and the size of the engine gets smaller. Not with 4-stroke technoligy, its backwards.. Which shows me that 4-strokes are not the wave of the future..
@Jeramy, you say a girl can ride a 250 so its why you ride and "mans bike" but then you say the reason you ride it is that its "easier to ride", kinda hypocritical isnt it??
I dont ride a big bike to try and prove that I'm a man or can handle a big bike ot nothing like that.. I ride for enjoyment. If a guy says you ride a bike that a girl can ride, I saay so freaking what. I dont care, if you are so fast then beat me.. And no I dont ride a 250 4-stroke. I love my 300 2-stroke. And I'll beat it can run or outrun your 450..
New bike weights
KTM 2-strokes---250,217pounds---150-204pounds---125-202pounds
4-strokes--Honda 450--231
Yamaha--238
Kawasaki-242
KTM--243
Suzuki--244
So those big 4-strokes weigh a ton.. Boat anchors...
My KTM 300 doesnt weigh near that, and makes as much power as those big overweight 4-strokes..
DanRad, I agree with your opinion.
I hope that a few years from now we will look back at this time and marvel at the lack of real protection that our racers compete with. "How nuts was that?" I hope we shake our heads in disbelief at the fact that top athletes raced with no real protection between their head and ankles. And I hope that personal protection for athletes really is where the next technological breakthrough in our sport comes from.
As someone that thinks about this every time I put boots on my 54 year old feet, I hope that some of the design talent in our industry, will focus a little more on rider safety.
For the sake of their families.
While this is no solution, it may be a start
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2YuZJ61wkg&feature=player_embedded
Let's get thinking and bring the rider safety in our sport to the highest level it deserves.
well regardless im not trying to get into pissing contests when i started riding i weighed 255lbs one day my friend wanted to swap bikes he had an 07 yz250f so we took a few laps on eachothers bikes and where i could throttle out of a turn regardless of my speed on my bike his bike fell on its face when i twisted the throttle to take off out of the turn to me it seems is if you are a bigger guy you have to ride a 250f like a two stroke always have to carry your momentum with the rpm's high ,,, two strokes are fun as i stated above my first bike ever owned at 28 was a 2000 cr250r fast as shit but lacked the suspension my personal preference between the two is the 450 nothing against your 300 , i just get tired of hearing all the complaining about the 450's im pretty sure they are here to stay its been 10 years now and ive heard interviews of pros being asked if theyed rather have a 2 stroke or their current bike and they say theirself that its not even comparable and they are the experts
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