Ping,
First off, the Legends event at Ironman MX was genius and very much needed for the (core) fans of our sport. It is cool to see my heroes out on a track racing together and showing the same cool style that I have tried to emulate over the years. And all of them still haul ass, and “Airtime” still has no fear! Which brings me to my question and point: What is wrong with people these days? I try my best to avoid the comments section on any article or social media site, however some things just catch your eye from time to time. I was looking at a picture today on Instagram of Roczen standing next to one of his race bikes talking about RC racing it this weekend. And someone actually had the audacity to put #goatgotfat. I mean really? You see stuff like that all the time on social media from people. RC is one of the greatest champions in our sport and has done so much for all of us that love two wheels. He brought training to a new level in our sport, something that every kid with a moto dream tries to reach. The crap people have said about RV2 and CR22 lately is insane! More often than not I’d love to tell people how ignorant and incompetent they make themselves look with those comments. I can’t seem to ever stoop low enough to do it. My guess is these people are the reason why we have participation trophies. It has to be nearly impossible to win at anything when all you do is run your mouth from behind a computer screen.
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"The wicked envy and hate; it is their way of admiring." That is what Victor Hugo, famed French poet and author, would have told you on the subject. Or, if you relate to something a little more urban you could go with, "They hate me cuz they ain’t me." Either way it is just a damn shame that so many people are so weak and insecure that they have to put others down in order to make themselves look or feel better. The last couple of years I've really experienced this firsthand, and you don't have to look very far to find it. Literally any comments section on any website anywhere in the world has the same toxic, degrading comments toward others whom they most likely have never met in person. And usually the more high profile the person, the more negative comments you get. Ricky Carmichael is as high profile as it gets in motocross, and he's not immune to the trash talk. I thought the Legends race was really cool, and I think it will grow each year. I've already talked to a bunch of 1990s moto guys from out in SoCal who are planning on the 2016 event. There has been talk of a Great Western Bank Reunion if Castillo can pull the jet out for one last flight. I'm hoping to stow away in the luggage compartment to be there.
I know my gut reaction is to fire back when guys are running their mouth, but the best thing you can do is ignore them or try to diffuse the conversation with facts and compliments; angry people hate both of those things. See you next summer in Indiana.
PING
Ping,
I was looking at this photo and noticed that all 7 bikes have WP forks, including the Yamaha? Euro thing?
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Well, up until recently it had been a Euro thing. KTM (and now Husqvarna) completely runs the game over there and WP suspension is king in that world. That stuff used to be pretty terrible, but they've come a long way with it, making big leaps and bounds by copying Showa's old design. They've begun their assault on the U.S. market, and, depending on the photo, there could be a start shot with Ryan Dungey, Jason Anderson, Andrew Short, Davi Millsaps, Justin Brayton, or any other Husky/KTM riders and every one of them is running WP. As far as the Yamaha thing goes, it isn't as common to see a team switch suspension brands, but if WP really starts getting their suspension dialed in, you could see more of it. The Euro things you really need to worry about are the incessant techno music accompanied by heavy drinking and cigarette smoking. If these trends make their way to the States, I'm moving to Canada.
PING
Hey Ping!
Greetings from your home State… So, I am going to get straight to the point. No sugar coating or ‘Kitty’ footing around. What is your take on the TOP riders in our sport going back to the spring forks? The OEMs must be freaking out! If air forks aren’t good enough for the top riders in our sport…then, I guess they aren’t good enough for me? Right?
Anyway…I’d like to hear what you think on this.
Thanks,
Big Sky Jason
Jason,
This makes two suspension questions in a row, but let’s get into it. I think the riders should get whatever forks they feel the most comfortable with. That comes from the perspective of a former racer and team manager. Results are the ultimate goal, and you increase your chances for good results by making the rider happy. If Trey Canard feels better on spring forks, then put some on his bike. Some riders like the air forks, while others are indifferent…. Every rider has their own opinion about them. I'm sure the manufacturers would rather see their riders sticking with the air forks for marketing purposes, but winning trumps everything in that situation. You have to remember a couple of things, Jason. First, even if you see your favorite rider using air forks, they are nothing like the ones that come on your stock 450. The works stuff is so different it might as well be another brand. Second, the suspension that comes standard on any bike these days is plenty good enough for the average rider. Unless you are riding at a very high level you’ll be just fine with the stock setup. I'd be willing to bet a large sum of money that Ryan Dungey could jump on a completely stock bike and still go faster than anybody outside the top ten in overall points from the Nationals. So, just as soon as you are able to break the top ten on your bike, you can start complaining that your air forks are holding you back.
Hope all is well in Big Sky country. Thanks for the note.
PING
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