Ping
What's up with sponsors bailing after a year? For example, Motorcycle Superstore/Suzuki. Now there's no way they could have expected success in one season, especially when they got a sorta late start, then injuries and the whole nine. Now, is this a case of Albertson wanting more money, or is this a case of the sponsor thinking they're not getting their money's worth? Jimmy is pretty popular on the Internet so that has to add some value in that area, but it just leaves me scratching my head that they pulled the plug after one season. I'm guessing it had to do with results, but again how much can you expect from a first year team?
Thanks for your time
Adam Ro
Adam,
It’s just business, bro. Motorcycle Superstore has a bottom line they have to watch, just like all businesses, and their marketing budget is determined by their net profits. It sounds like they didn’t have the year they hoped to have and they couldn’t commit to spending that money again. It has nothing to do with Jimmy personally; he and Georgia did a great job of promoting that brand all year long. This sport is driven by expendable income and, as such, is very fickle and susceptible to economic ebbs and flows. The Motorcycle Superstore squad isn’t the first race team to fold up after a brief stint and it certainly won’t be the last. Hopefully the Albertsons can put a new team together and keep coming to the races because I don’t want to live in a world where those two aren’t at the races, especially the cute blond one with the amazing legs. Yeah, I’m talking about you Jimmy. See you tomorrow, handsome.
PING
Hey Ping,
How are things? I just wanted to email you for a little advice but first let me say that I was a huge fan of yours back in the day. I actually grew up riding and racing in the northeast but got stationed at Camp Pendleton when I joined the Marines and was there from 1993-1998. Me and a buddy got bikes and raced Carlsbad and practiced at Starwest under the lights weekly. I met you in the pits at a couple of the supercross rounds back then. Now I am a firefighter in Waterbury, CT and can definitely relate to a lot of the things you have said about it on the Pulp Show. I've been doing the firefighter thing for 18 years now. My department is about 230 guys so we're a descent sized job. Anyways my question is this … I've always been a bigger guy (muscle wise) and lifted most my life. This has hindered me while racing because of arm pump. Last year me and my kids started racing off-road GPs and I'm doing two 30-minute motos. I am always in the top 3 for the first 15 min and then end up fading to top 10. So frustrating because my speed just drops way off and I literally have a hard time even hanging on. My hands even start to fall asleep during the rougher races like Southwick. I have read all the remedies and things to try and have begun to get ahold of it more but my question is this.... I know bar and lever positioning play a role in this but I don't know how it works. Do taller, rolled forward bars seem to help or the opposite? And the same with levers ... rolled forward or more level? I always set my bars and levers to what is comfortable to me but I'm willing to re-learn that feeling if it would help with arm pump.
Anyways thanks for your time and stay safe!
Bill Docchio
Ps. Please don't tell me to buy Aldon’s arm pump spray … lol
Bill,
If your brothers at the fire house haven’t already nicknamed you “BillDo,” they need to put in more effort. There are some things that help with arm pump and some things that exacerbate it, but the bottom line is that arm pump comes from holding on too tight. You hold on too tight when you aren’t comfortable. So, if you really want it to go away you need to spend more time on the bike. I know that’s easier said than done in some cases. As far as your bars and levers go, don’t listen to the lunatics on the interweb. Rolling your bars/levers forward or backward has no bearing on whether or not you pump up. Keep your bars generally in-line with the forks and adjust your levers so your fingers rests comfortably on them. In a perfect world there is a straight line from your elbow to the tip of your fingers when you have your arms in the attack position. Try getting yourself warmed up better before you hit the track, or allow yourself a few laps to get warmed up before your races. Work on flexibility in your shoulders and forearms, as that can translate to tension as well. Never mind the pumps, sprays, and pills; those are as effective as rubbing steak sauce on your forearms before a race. Sure, it smells delicious but you’re still going to pump up. Try to ride more. Good luck.
PING
Hey Ping,
Big fan and much respect for everything you do!
Now onto my question … Why the fooook is everyone’s practice track for supercross so mint and pristine? When it comes to Saturday night and the track gets a little sketchy, most people tend to tighten up and just overall not ride like they do at their test track. Why not practice on a gently beat track? Or even maybe ride a different line every other lap? I see tons of videos of dudes riding like extremely fast robots and I wonder why not simulate race day as much as possible?
I’ve noticed Bakers Factory riders are practicing very close racing and I think that’s a step in the right direction. Instead of letting the riders out in intervals where there is no chance of chasing someone down, etc. I can only assume that the mint tracks are a safety measure to get the seat time in without worries of cross rutting etc., but I think the negatives outweigh the positives.
Hope you had a Merry Christmas and New Year.
Thanks,
Tyler Alphonso from Toronto
Tyler,
That’s a really good question and I think having the ability to jump in a tractor and fix bumps and ruts throughout the day has hurt some guys. Most tracks have a little skid steer at the tracks so sections can be fixed up daily. In the old days you did the best you could with a shovel in the morning and that was it. Tracks got prepped once a month and they got pretty beat up in those last couple weeks. If you are working on speed and really pushing the pace it might be a better idea to do that when it’s groomed. But as you are logging laps and getting yourself physically and technically ready for the race on Saturday you need to consider how hammered some of the tracks get. By the time the 450 final begins, most tracks are rutted, choppy, and the whoops are cupped and slippery. The riders who can hold their pace and limit mistakes in those conditions will be up front.
As far as riding together, I’ve always been a fan of that. When I was at Troy Lee Designs I used to have my guys moto together and I would stand on top of the finish line with a pit board and tell them inside or outside. Riders had to switch from all inside lines to all outside lines when they would see that sign. It helped get them to comfortable changing lines and still keeping a rhythm. When you circulate by yourself hitting the same line every lap you aren’t prepared for 19 other guys to get in your way in an actual race. I think the best part of Aldon’s program is the way he has his guys ride and train together. The competition between them pushes all of them to be better and work harder.
PING
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