by Andy Bowyer
Rev Up: Indianapolis
Thursday, March 14, 2013 | 9:30 AM
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PrintHello, everyone, and welcome to the Rev Up. I want to flashback to the column for round six in San Diego:
"The road to the Supercross championship is long and hard as cross-country travel soon becomes a veritable 21st rider to compete against. But not yet. Beautiful San Diego, California is on the board and serves as the end of Act 1. While some characters have thrived in the opening rounds and others are aching for a change of pace, there is one particular player that is set on kill..."
The Indianapolis SX marks the end of the East Coast swing, the conclusion of Act 2 and the complexion of the season has changed tenfold. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto pressed the reset button at Dallas and the crashes, sub-top 10 finishes and troubles seem like a distant memory. Meanwhile, going back to San Diego again, Davi Millsaps won that race. It was the end of an opening charge that has recently stalled. To his credit, he once held a 22-point lead and owns two main event wins. While he has struggled in the past two races and lost the point lead, I think the most amazing statistic and accolade is that he races his Rockstar Energy Racing machine into round 10 only two points behind the two-time defending champion. It has been a good run for Davi, and he can still win this championship.
For the first time since A1, Millsaps will be without the red plate.
Simon Cudby photo
Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey has also been strong during what I call the second segment of the tour. The former champion has earned more points in the past four events than every rider except Villopoto. There is a lot of time left, but he has to put that particular Kawasaki behind him before he can gain anymore ground. The way the other Ryan is riding, this is a daunting task, but Dungey’s pedigree is speed and consistency. All of the top guys are pushing so hard that mistakes are inevitable and I feel Dungey is the most prepared to capitalize by making the fewest. Dungey isn't looking for podiums though, he knows he needs to win again.
Historically speaking, the Indy SX has some pertaining to TwoTwo Motorsport’s Chad Reed. In 2004, an Indiana born all-time great by the name of Mike “The Rock” LaRocco raced a Honda to the last supercross victory of his career. The podium that night was LaRocco, Kevin Windham and Chad Reed. Even the most partisan Reed fans have to respect the years and toll they have taken on one of the greatest SX icons in history. Fans cheer for athletes with heart, and the Australian remains steadfast in that category. Nobody wants to win worse than Reed coming into Indy and he is still set on kill.
Meanwhile, the 250SX East Region has been on fire with three winners in four gate drops. GEICO Honda’s Wil Hahn has met his full potential as a racer and is a threat to win every main event. In 2013, Hahn has won twice, been on the podium four times and has a grip on the red plate. I would be careful counting Monster Energy/Pro Circuit’s Dean Wilson out just yet, though. He should bounce back this weekend, and we should all look forward to seeing what that Daytona victory will do for Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin. The Frenchman had been lurking before banging the holeshot of a lifetime and smoking everyone. He’s been there all year. Rockstar Energy Racing’s Blake Wharton hasn’t been as strong as expected but could also surprise with a great start and become more relevant in the title chase.
Wil Hahn looks to extend his lead in Indy.
Simon Cudby photo
And with that, the show goes on. We’ll see a different rider than Millsaps wear the red plate for the first time since Anaheim1. I strain to imagine what we’ll be thinking about five weeks from now. Ryan Villopoto has the momentum heading into Indianapolis, but as this story has proven we never know what words lay on the next page. It is writing itself as the rounds click off and we’ve been the lucky ones watching it unfold. Indiana and her bordering states are a thriving hub in our sport and we’ll see another gargantuan Hoosier crowd. After Indy begins Act 3 where we'll travel to Toronto, Houston, Minneapolis, Seattle and Salt Lake City all the way to conclusion at Las Vegas. It has been a joy to be a supercross fan in 2013 and as we near another round of Monster Energy Supercross live on Speed, the energy is fresh as ever. Is Villopoto going to begin a streak? Can Millsaps rebound? Or is it time to shake things up even further?
Thanks for reading, see you next week.
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I don't like to root against anybody, but i hope someone besides Villipoto wins this weekend. I'm a fan of RV but i hope the points race stays close so that there is still room for some drama in Vegas.
I remember the '04 victory with LaRocco like yesterday...a rare holeshot to victory and
having Ryder with him on the victory lap with the crowd going nuts gives me the chills.
And Indy will provide some upsets with that long sand section...can't wait see you guys
there...
http://www.powertank.com/truth.or.hype/
Here is a great article for those that thought I was crazy about using compressed air in a shock. Nitrogen really has no advantages, they started using it in the Air Force because at altitude the humidity was causing icing droplets and freeze accumulators. Because aircraft used it, someone it worked its way to motorcycles. Compressed air works identical to nitrogen. In a car shock, there is no rubber bladder to contain the gas, so in this case nitrogen is necessary to prevent oxidation of the oil. A car shock needs to go 50,000 miles or more
Just something fun for the techies.
BD’s BS:
With Daytona in our rear view mirror, we now head to another city famous for its car racing scene, Indianapolis. While I am sure Lucas Oil Stadium holds a few surprises and will provide us with great racing, it would be total shock if it were able to match the awesome display we witnessed at the Speedway last Saturday night.
Villopoto now has the point’s lead, a winning streak and a ton of confidence rolling into Indy. He looks to be unstoppable, on his way to a seldom achieved 3-peat, but there are 7 races to go and a reason the 3-peat is so elusive. Deciding between, remaining aggressive or managing the points lead, are questions he will have to deal with, along with the mounting pressure from his team, sponsors, fans, and his expectations…
Milsaps has now experienced two races where he did not perform at his best. In that time, Davi has taken a couple hard hits to the body. While he is physically strong enough to recover from those, it is the shot to his confidence, which may have done the most damage. With the red plate and the pressure it carries gone, I can’t wait to see how Milsaps responds; it will be an indicator of how mentally strong he is…
Dungey is quietly sitting in 3rd, doing what he is known for, staying in the hunt. I would not be surprised to see him pickup a win in Toronto, where the slick track plays into the steel framed KTM’s favor and in Minneapolis where his fans will have him jacked. Those wins, plus staying consistent, would keep him in contention for the title at the series finale in Las Vegas, where odds are we will see another slick track…
This championship will not be decided just on the results of the top three in the standings alone. Barcia, Canard, Reed, Stewart and maybe Tomac, at least for one more race, will impact the results, causing dramatic points swings. While their Championship hopes have dimmed, each week, they will still be racing to win, as they ride for pride…
Many thought the east coast 250sx would be lackluster, compared to the stacked west coast. So far, the racing has been surprisingly good, supplying 3 different winners, along with showcasing the talent of 3 very fast rookies. Going into Indy, the top 4 riders are separated by only 16 points, which should crank up the intensity and pressure on the contenders to come out of this race with a win…
@LarryWitmer - The crowd was so loud that night that it pretty much drowned out the sound of the bikes! Wow, I can't believe that was almost ten years ago...
@Jordan--@Larry---Hell yes, that was epic.. I was lucky enough to have been at that race, plus wearing the shirt from that race when I met Larocco in Orlando--And yes I got it autographed.. Its the only auto graph I have ever asked for in my adult life.. I couldnt pass that oppurtunity up.. Mike looked at the shirt and said, "That was a hell of a race" The I realized my chance and had him sign it..
The crowd was great, I couldnt believe every fan stood and screamed the entire 20 laps, and Windham put a great brake check and a block on a charging Reed, held him up big time.. Once Reed got past he ran out of time to catch Larocco.. K-Dub later said "If I wasnt winning that race, Mike was" AWESOME.. Easliy probably one of my most memorable supercrosses ever.. I hope this year can be as great.. Cant wait..
@rick--doesnt nitrogen have an advantage that it doesnt heat up as quickly.. It disapates heat better, so the shock doesnt "fade" like an air shock.. I could be wrong, but I thought that was why Off-road shocks use nitrogen instead..
What a great memory..Was at the Indy race also..What a great moment, Larocco is a legend and loved by tons there.. Cant wait for this weekend.. Great write up Andy, as always, love this column..
And how peaceful it has been this week on the threads, especially compared to last week with the Stewart "fans" yelling and screaming.. its been quite nice around here with them gone ...
I Hope the dirt is good and the track is not one lined, Then I will be in Toronto to see it live. Keep the ball rolling RV, Stomp em!!! RD is comin Sap's better pull it together. His starts have been off the last 3 weeks an that will hurt anyone this year.
@ rickamazto (no offense) juat did not do your whole name. That was a verry interesting article! I have done a lot of shock work in the past and yes since the 70's we were told to run Nitrogen in the shocks, so I always have. I used to use these temp dots to track shock temp and though it was not very scientifiic, I found that my Ohlins shock did run a bit cooler that the Pro circuit shock that the guy said he was just running air. So I guess it is whatever ya wanna use. I used to think my bike hooked up better on the dry hard pack tracks when I would run nitrogen but then I guess that was just a phsycotic advantage in my head? Thanks a lot for the article!
PS: Thanks for another good "Rev-Up" Andy!
I don't think any fan wasn't glad the Rock got that win and it brings up the "if" word, If Mike was only a good starter the guy would have a lot more wins- you always knew he would be coming through the pack the last five laps he seemed to be at his strongest.
I am a RV fan and have been since 06, but I don't feel he is unstoppable at all. I think he better focus on each race and race in the moment and build his lead, because he can also lose it very quickly. The other guys in the top 7 are barely slower and if RD gets 6-7 seconds on him he will win. Granted if anyone beside DM and RD win it won't hurt RV that much but it's not over or secure by a long shot, he needs to nail down 3 more wins and cruise it in IF possible. He is on track to do just that but you have to respect the other 7 top guys- they will be out for blood with not much to lose, and they are all badass!
And why did Andy say Indy was the end of the East Coast swing when Toronto is still coming, I guess Canada doesnt count.. LOL!!
Pumped on another live SX Race on Speed!!!
I think RV is in the "zone" he needs to be in and it will be insteresting to see the Davi and Dungey points battle insue over the next few weeks as they try to keep RV from pulling away.. A few more races with RV winning or finishing a few spots ahead of Dungey may end Dungeys hopes with a few rounds to go.....Throw a little Stewart and Reed in the mix as they prove they " still have it" and the points will really get tossed around...going to be good.... Want to see RV pull off this 3-peat....if Dungey happens to squeak this title out, I want to see him win some races an not win via bad luck on the other guys.....2010 dungey had 8 wins? 2011 1 win and 2012 3 wins....2013 only 1 thus far
Preston calls out therealmofo LOL. You are right about him "knowing" things. he calls me a know it all but he say's "I KNOW" way more than I do!!
I believe RD had 5 win's in 2010 and RV had 6 or 7 Killomoto.
@Preston - I am still here... I am a Stewart fan, a RV fan and a fan of many others... When JS7 or RV take the win its always a good night for me...When they finish 1-2 in any order, even better.... I want to see JS7 get some more wins this year and Indy may be the place where he gets #2...RV will be right there and when Saps or Dungey are close, he will "safely" push for the win when needed to gap those points.....I think one guy that RV, Saps and Dungey need to watch out for is Reed....Reed is really hungry for a win and with a good ride at Daytona, he is fired up and wants to prove he can still do it...But I think he'll take anyone out in order to get there too and he doesnt care those dudes are fighting for a title...Reed isnt in the hunt and it stings....
BillC - KilloMoto I took the time to look it up for you since I am not working today...
2010 RD had 6 wins, Phoenix, A2, Atlanta, Arlington, St Louis, Las Vegas
2010 RV had 7 wins San Fran, A3, Indy, Daytona, Toronto, Jacksonville, Houston..cool thing was after San Fran all his wins came in pairs...
@preston says I will call him a racist, then he says he carried an NAACP card, and says me and my "Klan" ..Like I said preston is a racist.. he makes it easy..
And of course he starts attacking me for nothing other than saying how nice it has been all week...@BillC-- not much of a call-out, just makes him look like a Tard and a racist with his Klan comment, and then you associate with that..shows how desperate you are too..LOL!! Tards..
BILLC just trying to get payback because he looked like an idiot saying Barcia got "schooled" in fitness for finishing 3rd in his first ever Daytona. (didnt even mention how far Roczen faded, just tried to cut down Barcia anyway he could) Even Weege wrote how great of condition Barcia is in and how hard he worked.. and made BillC look like an idiot, now hes trying to save face.. LOL!!!!!!!
@therealmofo
Toronto begins "Act 3."
Like I wrote in the round 6 Rev Up: "I've began to look at the series in three segments: The opening six rounds in the West, the five rounds of the East Coast swing, then final six races spread across Canada, Texas, Washington, Minnesota, and Utah before calling it off in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada."
Planned to do the 17 round series as a novel of sorts, with some different stuff sprinkled in. Little different spin on the column.
Can't wait for Indy, a lot could happen. Track looks kind of nasty. In a good way.
I understood the "Act 3" part for sure I get that. Just the part of the "end of the east coast swing" threw me off some, is all.. No worries. Love the "Rev UP " every week..
Andy's column is starting to become a broken record.
I love how everyone says, only RV can't make a mistake. Well guess what? Neither can Dungey or Davi. What happens if Dungey or Davi has a bad night? Yeah, the same thing that happens to RV.
Points leader is always in the best position no matter what. Everyone is going around acting like Dungey being third in points is the place to be. It don't matter what race you're at or how far ahead in points you are. It's always best to be the points leader. No matter what.
@ Preston
I have 250 2stroke a 350 and a 450 thumper. The 250 and 350 are KTM and the 450 is a sweet Zook with every mod available. Love the 4strokes but will never give up on the smoker....they all have their place. What about you?
@persona - Indeed... In my persona opinion, Dungey who I believe is 14 points behind RV can possibly come out of Indy 20+ points behind RV if he were to finish in 4th or 5th and RV gets top 2...... With Reed, Barcia and Stewart out of the game and chompin at the bit to get those wins just for glory, if he follows the same pattern he has had (not winning) he will be a full race out ...Saps is only down 2 points so he needs to be on RV like flies on dogshit
Air is close approximately 80% Nitrogen, 20% Oxygen, and smidgen of Argon
For situations where you have a lot of volume or do not have high pressures involved, there will be no appreciable difference in using Air vs. pure Nitrogen. Remember 100% Nitrogen vs. 80% Nitrogen
There are other reasons for eliminating oxygen from the formula but none of them are applicable for tires, forks, shocks... appreciably.
Persona - KilloMoto Agreed, the having the points lead is the preferred place to be, definitely! None of the top three can afford to make mistakes or have many more off nights. While Barcia, Canard, Reed and Stewart can race pressure free the rest of the way, Going for the W...
The talk of RV mistakes comes from his aggressive style, while Dungey seems to take fewer chances, limiting the risk of mistakes, but as the season winds down, you can throw that theory out the window..At some point RD will have to start pressing and with the points lead RV will think about going into protection mode...
We are fortunate to have the Sensational Seven healthy and racing, giving us all the these scenarios! It keeps the fans interest up and their hopes alive that their favorite still has a chance to claim the championship and us pecking these keys ....
Finally openclass, someone agrees. Nitrogen is better because its dry and doesn't contain a catalyst (it won't oxidize and wreck your aluminum shock body). However, since the invention of a rubber bladder nitrogen isn't necessary. I guess if your air compressor had a bunch of water in it, that wouldn't be great but it doesn't matter.
We were dealing with Craig decker at Enzo to help stop Langston from having a Yamaha shock fade. Craig realized that the oils were probably a problem more than anything because the shock is RIGHT NEXT TO THE MUFFLER and it gets very hot. Well he was right, because at high temperature, oil does have water in it and turns into little air bubbles. Amsoil bought a oil dehydrater to dehydrate oil for windmills, but the cost to dehydrate oil for shocks would be crazy for a consumer. They thought about a heat shield, maybe painting the shock black or silver to reflect heat.. Who knows. But Craig, James Stewart's old test rider and the best test rider Kawi had, said he could not feel a difference between air and nitrogen in the shock. However, going from 140psi to 200psi he could tell, and felt around 160psi worked best. He know bought a vacuum pump that sucks every ounce of air out of the shock for his customers, whichis great. I don't think other companies use those..
In any case I have used ATF and compressed air in my bike with 100:1 oil since 1999 and I've had some pretty good results not following the norm. I have learned so much from Enzo, and even better he listens and learns himself. Most people in this industry are EGO maniacs but not the Decker Family.
Oil has like .1 Ppm water or something weird like that.. I don't know the number it's not an issue for us slow pokes. Nitrogen won't run cooler either, just think, 55 hp going thru that shock it's bound to get HOT!! No matter what gas is in it. The gas only serves to keep head pressure on the oil so it doesn't cavitate (creating air bubbles). It does nothing else.. As Open stated, Argon is supposedly better than any gas because its bigger molecules can't escape rubber. Nitrogen is the cheapest, so it's used.
(My friend worked at Honda told me they were concerned about the oxygen in compressed air because if the bike ever caught fire, it would be more likely to burn) but that's about a .0001% chance.
I used to send Larocco vitamins and discuss oils for trades on his fitness secrets. He used to tell me he could feel a difference in motor oils in his clutch and he preferred 20w50 because he noticed less clutch fade. He is smart as a whip too about bikes. I was so happy when he won Indy, but chad reeds race that night was AMAZING!! He was on the gas, but mike learned the advantage to a holeshot which everyone used against him his whole career. Paybacks a bitc$h!! Larocco and Stanton are my all time heros
Compressed air I assume ur not talking about air from regular air compressor. I know we used nitrogen in the old fox air shock using air after riding a few mins air got hot then u had struts on the bike ha ha just poking fun but true
I scroll through here looking for certain individuals knowing that they have something interesting to say about the sport. I skip over name calling, obvious haters, childish demeaners(mofo and others) so I can read interesting SX/MX news and opinions (rickamatuzio, BD25 etc) but now I have to identify and watch for the ones wanting to reply to the afore mentioned morons. Just ignore them so they will go away. I about to go all Danny Magoo(the real 22) on these knuckleheads.
@preston--that is one thing we agree on.. Its one reason I am not a big fan of the feul injection.. Cant do the maintenence or trouble shooting myself.. They even have O2 sensors on them now that can go bad also.. A guy at a shop telle me "just carry a couple in your toolbox just in case" The things are almost 100 bucks each!!! Sure no problem.. I have a YZ125 myself, a 2002 model. love it.. I have a 2009 CRF 250 also.. But I love ripping the 125 2-smoker.. Let us know how the 144 kit does..
Airforx. schmareforx....just give the boys down at Hodaka R&D a call,tell them to hook ya up with that special fish oil they have.
Preston and therealmofo, how cool you guys have the same bikes. You need to go riding together, I bet you would become friends and end all this stuff. I will go ride with you too. Anybody else want to go?
I don't know of any 450s that use an O2 sensor yet. They have a water coolant sensor, and a throttle position sensor.. But they run on a map. The coolant sensor measures 10,000 ohm ice cold, 4000 ohms room temp, and 2 ohms at operating temp. I hooked a rheostat up to my friends kx450 and he was able to richen the bike up on the fly by adding resistance to the coolant temp sensor. The bike was indeed lean stock, it pulled harder when he richened. I'm sure pro circuit already knows this.. I didn't notice an O2 sensor welded into the pipe.
The price of bikes is ridiculous, while technology is cool the cost sucks. I agree with mofo, what happens if the fuel pump dies on your kx450 at the track? You can't fix it. It's more problems to go wrong..
Also, yes we are talking about an air compressor. Read the above link I posted, compressed air expands no more than nitrogen under heat. Not sure why your forks were topping out when they warmed up.. Air forks today use compressed air. A gas is a gas.. Except helium, i always wanted to pressurize my frame and tires with helium to make my bike weigh less. Haha
There is an airbox temp sensor too but it doesn't do much. We unhooked it, shorted it, changed it.. Didn't really feel a difference. The coolant temp sensor adds fuel right now!! Interesting, it does nothing in neutral. You have to be in second gear for the rheostat to be able to change the map
@Rick--yes, my bad, I was thinking Throttle position sensor, oops, my bad..but yes. technology is great until it interfears with a guy trying to ride his dirt bike.. The bikes need to be simple and durable, with all the sensors and electronics I'm afraid we are getting away from the durable part, and they are getting very expensive..
I hope Wharton takes Indy and picks it up! He is such an inspiration and deserves the title!
RacerX, why can't I like or post on your Facebook page. I used to be able to.
"therealmofo" is an annoying RV fan....an RV fantard, if you will.........one who just can't seem to shut up about Stewart and his fans even when posting about a story that JS was not even mentioned in!! Small p e n i s?? Very young?? We will never truly know what "causes" something like "therealmofo" to happen in this world, we can only hope it goes away!!
KilloMoto: You're such a bitter little guy. Quit living in the past. By the way, 2010 was the last year Dungey had a bike/team comparable to RV and he was a rookie that year racing RV who was in his 2nd year. RD still won 6 races and the championship! I have a question for you and BillC and all the other RV guys. Just be honest. What if the Ryan's were to switch bikes? Tell me who'd be winning the most races. Put Dungey on a Kawi or a Honda and I'll guarantee you things would be much different.
@ RCRDDW
Nice to see you have the excuses ready. News Flash.....the KTM is as good or better than any bike out there. RD is the same racer now as he was on the Suzuki.
as far as the two Ryans switching bikes? RV would be just as good....in fact I think he would be even better on the 350! He killed it on the 250 and they are similar handling bikes.
Start digging for some better excuses or just man up and enjoy the show.....even if your guy isn't winning.
If's and but's . . . All the past champs are bad dudes, a quick reality/history check/comparison between RV and RD from RD's 450 debut A1 2010 thru last Saturday:
RV has won 27 races, RD raced 24 of them (injured in the middle of '12)
RD has won 12 races, RV raced 9 of them (injured end of '10 and '12)
These guys have put themselves in the best position they can to win races and championships, they decide what products they use, from the bikes they race to the fluids they drink.
Thanks bd25, I was pretty close!! Not bad or an old guy LOL
RCRDDW the facts are RD just does not win as much when all thje fast guys are there. He had the SAME bike in 2011 that he had in 2010 but only won 1 race in 2011 so what is you excuse for that?? Oh let me guess Roger was gone so RD could not ride well because he missed him?? The bottom line is RD is wicked fast but needs a start to win because he has a vert hard time passing fast guys even if he is faster.
motodog77 RV has 29 win's not 27
Well, all I said was how nice it was with the Stewart fans not yelling and screaming and what did I get?? A stewaret fan yelling and screaming!!! LOL!! They are so easy..
Now I get Tardpolice/preston/mxmofo/SuperSXFanMan/Starplaya4Life coming on here saying I started it when preston started the name calling racist stuff...its a total riot, hilarious..
@RCRDDW - Im not bitter at all man....Dungey is a badass dude and I like the kid...If he is going to win the title, he needs to win more races which when everyone is on the gate he does less of it seems and its not the bike...He won quite a few races in 2010, but only one in 2011, on the same bike....If Dungey and RV were to switch bikes, I think the results would be the same...The KTM is a proven winner already.....
@KilloMoto--I agree.. RV would do the same ans RC did, switch bikes and still win.. Dungey has about the same results on any bike also.. He is fast, but has a problem pulling passes on the top guys.. At Freestone outdoors, he was on Stewarts tail the entire moto, couldnt pull it off.. Same indoors, he will ride behind a guy for 10 laps, and never pull the pin and go for it.. RV on the other hand, sees a shot and takes it..
Wharton's best chance this year is a couple of podiums... I personally can't see him taking a race win this year on the basis of a straight-up battle with the likes of Will, Dean and Marvin.
@BillC - yes, RV has 29 total, I didn't count the 2 he earned in 09 (RV rookie 450 season) as I was just comparing RV and RD race wins since RD moved up to 450's (A1 2010).
Ahhhhhhhhhhh gotcha Motodog77 Sorry.
@rick The reason the price of the bikes doubling was more because of the yen going ballistic in the early and mid 80's than the tech of watercooling. Just a fyi. Nearly killed the sport. Remember having to qualify in the A class to 12 guys on the line in a 2 year span. It was real depressing. Happened when our economy took a poop in the late 2000's too. Went to the winter olympics in gainsville and the first lot was $200,000 busses as far as the eye could see.By 2011 you could count them on both hands! MSR and Scott were giving out gear and goggles like candy from semi's to not being there. Money makes the mx world go around