(Note: Some questions have been lightly edited for clarity.)
Ping,
Hope all is well. Wanted to write in about Red Bull Straight Rhythm. Very cool race and it must be a blast in person. I loved seeing the two-strokes out there. However, for those of us on the East coast that streamed in on Red Bull TV, the sound was horrible. The fake two-stroke overlay sounded like a cheap yard sale chainsaw. The large appeal of the event is the sound and they blew it. I’m guessing they are looking for a new sound guy so let me know if you can hand out my resume. I can see myself now installing a few microphones down the straight sipping Red Bull’s and hanging in the California sun making millions.
Brad in cold and rainy Pennsylvania.
Brad,
Yeah, the “enhanced sound” was a swing and a miss, but that was about the only thing that wasn’t awesome. This event had elite talent, great competition, big crashes and near crashes, drama, Pastrana, nostalgia, and a good-timing vibe. The commitment from teams and privateer riders alike was insane; those were some of the coolest bikes and gear I’ve seen since, well, the 1990s! The best part was that everybody was there to have a good time. Cole Seely had a full-on eurotrash discotech going in his pit about seven seconds after he pulled off the track with bad jetting… and why not? He’s retired, he doesn’t owe anybody anything and, dammit, he was ready to party. I don’t understand the white uniforms that his pals were wearing but who cares… they were having fun. I don’t know how they’ll top this next year because it was amazing. I’ll throw PA Brad in the list of names for possible sound specialists in 2020. I’d have a backup plan ready though in case you don’t get the call and make your millions.
PING
Ping,
First, thanks for the awesome content you provide with The Whiskey Throttle Show, Ask Ping, etc. now onto the important question...when is your Big Sky trip? I’m there the first week in March. Would be pumped to do a tram lap or two to visit my favorite communists (Lenin and Marx). Maybe head over to the chutes then a beverage at Scissor Bills. I promise to not talk moto, fire stuff (retired 34-year FD vet) or whatever Steve’s beef is. Will talk about awesome powder runs though.
Thank You, Joe Stanley
Joe,
Thank you for the kind words, sir. We typically go the second week of March while our kids are on Easter break. Any chance you can bump it a week? Conversation will be limited to carving turns on groomers, floating powder, how bad your knees are versus mine and food options for dinner until after some après ski drinks… At that point I’ll tell you everything you want to know about anything. Seriously, I’d love to do some laps with you if you can make it work. Send me a DM on Instagram about it [@davidpingree101]. Ask a young person to show you how to do that, lol. And thank you for 34 years of service!
PING
Hey Ping,
I want to buy a new 450. I'm 54 years old 5'10” 220lbs… with TLD skinny gear of course! I want to join a local club and ride again. I'd say it will most likely be my last new bike purchase, so let’s say at an $8,500 average price its buy once, cry once. I have one absolute must, an electric start, and I dig the thought of the hydraulic clutch but never rode one. My question is please use your influence to encourage dealers to have a track day in each state for committed buyers who that day who would have previously put $500 down to get to ride all the manufacturers bikes a few laps, kind of like you testers, then take a privately completed contract to your nearest dealer? While I value your Racer X first rides and Dialed In stuff, in the end you always say they are all good but as the ultimate consumer I never get to test ride and feel what you feel, so to speak! I know that's a reach but they are wanting to sell bikes, and like boobs, I search everyday and procrastinate. New technology, prices, and dealer locations are all over the place? Any update how you liked your 2019 KX450 this year, and like so many, I love The Whiskey Throttle Show. Never been to California but I want to escape the Pennsylvania winter, come to a race and combine the show into the trip, so hopefully you guys will eventually have a schedule? Alright brother, keep the flames and kooks at arms-length!
Steve165
Steve,
Your question wasn’t really a question so much as a request… but I get the point. So, you want all the manufacturers to make a planned visit to all 50 states and set up free ride days? Maybe they could provide limos to the track and a complimentary massage as well? I don’t think the math is adding up on all that, Steve. The 2019 Kawasaki was great. So was the Yamaha… and the Honda and the KTM and the Husqvarna. The Suzuki needs a little work, but it could still be a great bike if somebody wanted to do a little tweaking on it. It’s just like boobs; some are better than others, but they are all kind of fantastic. And I’m not just saying that all the bikes are good to appease manufacturers… they are all really good! I’ll bet you could hop on each bike and your lap time wouldn’t be any better on one versus the other. There might be a couple that suit your style and feel more comfortable, making it easier to go that speed, but it isn’t going to make you faster. To that end, I’ll say what I say to every person who asks me what they should buy: Find a dealer near you that will offer assistance on service, setup, parts and price, and buy one of the colors they're selling. The support of a good dealer is worth more than choosing one color over the other.
As far as scheduling for The Whiskey Throttle Show goes, it’s difficult to get folks to commit more than six to eight weeks out. We shoot, on average, three shows per month so just let me know when you’re coming out… we’ll get you in the saloon to watch a show.
Cheers
PING
Have a question for Ping? Hit him up at ping@racerxonline.com.
