Dear Ping,
What was the initial reasoning behind the split in the Lites/125 East/West series? Would there ever be, or could there ever be a straight-through series like the 450 guys? I feel like the Lites class in splitting the series into East/West just isn't taken as seriously as the 450 class.
Eugene
Eugene,
The series was split to make it easier for young riders to compete in an entire series while learning how to ride supercross. Asking a young kid to travel to all 18 rounds is not realistic, financially or physically. Another big reason for the split way back in the 1980s was to give riders on the East Coast a chance to shine in front of the industry. Back then if you didn’t live in Southern California, it was difficult to get sponsorship or manufacturer support. Of course things are a little different now but the concept that Dave Coombs Sr. crafted back then is still a good one. I like the idea for the simple reason that it allows more riders to win races and be up on the podium. Our sport has a tendency to be dominated by a very small number of riders and, in the 250 class, the number is at least doubled. If you don’t think the class is being taken seriously then move up and race the 450 class.
PING
Hello Ping,
Two quick questions: Honda has gone back to spring forks…will the rest follow next year? How much input or “pull” does a rider have on what kind of suspension they get to ride when a bike is being developed? Seems like some have been able to get their beloved springs back, but a lot of top pros haven’t. Thanks!
Scott.
Scott,
I think it’s just a matter of time until we see every manufacturer go back to what we all know works better and is a simpler, more reliable system. Air forks are having failures at even the highest level of racing, they are a pain in the ass to set/check every time you ride and they simply don’t have the feel of a good spring fork. By next year you’ll have all of Honda and Yamaha bikes back on springs and the rest will follow.
As far as rider influence on parts, that just depends on how much winning you’re doing. If you can’t get out of your own way and the only time you see the podium is during track walk, well, you aren’t getting anything more than a few clicker adjustments. If you can legitimately win races, however, you can tell your team manager that you want to run one air fork and one spring fork with a hydraulic shock valved by Billy Joe’s Bump Sticks and he will do everything in his power to make it so. Just don’t quit winning or it’s back to production forks for you.
PING
Ping,
The Motocross of Nations is this Saturday and I want to know what you think will go down. Can the Team USA boys get it done? It seems like we’ve been slipping lately and with [Ryan] Dungey and [Eli] Tomac not going, I’m not sure. Go USA!
John Martinez
John,
It’s been some rough years for us, for sure, and it seems the GP elite have stepped up their game in recent years. This year is definitely missing some big players, including two of our best. [Clement] Desalle is out, [Marvin] Musquin isn’t going, [Ken] Roczen isn’t there and [Tim] Gasjer, the new world champion, is now out. That hurts a bunch of teams and I like the group we’re sending. [Jason] Anderson is going to knock people around like a cue ball, Cooper [Webb] won’t quit until he’s out front and Alex [Martin] is ready to prove himself on the world stage. Our dudes are legit and I’m saying the cup is coming home to the U.S. this weekend.
PING
Have a question for Ping? Hit him up at ping@racerxonline.com.
