If you're like us, you're already starting to go into withdrawals due to the lack of racing to watch on TV. Fortunately, the grumpiest rider in the pits, Philthy Phil Nicoletti, is still on the grind for Racer X, and is staying busy at his computer answering your burning questions to help keep us all entertained. This week he gets into bike setup, the science of race gas and athlete's foot, and partying in the off-season.
As always, be sure to send your questions about racing, or really, anything at all, to Phil@racerxonline.com.
Phil,
Understanding that no mechanic would ever do this to his rider, do you think that a high-level factory rider would be able to notice the difference if their mechanic made a three-click change to their forks or shock without telling them? Knowing the power of suggestion, I am sure that they would notice if they asked for the change. But would they notice if they didn't ask for it and didn't know? What’s your take on this?
Tim Foster
Well, it all depends on the suspension. Is it 1/8 click, 1/4 click, or 1/2 click? It alll makes a big difference. But to be quite honest, just in general terms of three clicks, no they wouldn’t notice. The people I find mental are the ones who do one click on compression and one click on rebound. Like, GTFO with that nonsense. In my opinion, a rider would notice a three-click rebound change more than a three-click compression change. I’m personally more affected by a rebound change if that was done to me. But also, something thing that is pretty sensitive and easy to tell is air pressure. If I constantly run 36psi and all of a sudden someone decides to put 36.5psi in the fork, I will notice. Air is a really sensitive tool to use. So when you compare three clicks to half a psi, they are massive changes. One click? Nah.
Phil,
So as the leading expert on science-based moto medicine, I thought I should ask your expertise. I vaguely remember something about soaking feet in gas curing a bad case of athlete’s foot. I’m wondering if this summer’s gas cap malfunction had a similar effect on any sort of family jewel fungal infection?
David Lykke
HAAAAAAA! That’s actually funny. We need to have scientists check the healing rate between a penicillin shot and VP Pro 6. Here’s a back story to the gasoline and athlete’s foot thing. My buddy Seth Rarick had athlete’s foot a few years back. He mentioned it to a few of us in a group chat. I said if he put his feet in gas it would kill the athlete’s foot, and that it’s a “home remedy.” Well, a few days later he sent a picture of his feet dunked in Shell 93 pump gas! The eight other people in the group chat took my gasoline remedy as a damn joke. Not Seth though (dumbass). But, sure as shit, within a week the athlete’s foot was burned off. No doctor visit, no special cream, nothing. Healed. My summer gas cap malfunction left me with a bunch of burns. Weirdest type of burn marks. Come to think of it, no fungus could survive that.
Made-in-the-shade Phil,
I’m curious as to what kinds of shenanigans are going on behind the scenes during the off-season. You guys spend all year keeping fit and focusing on racing, so it seems like the off-season would be met with the same enthusiasm as a grade-school kid going into the first day of summer vacation. You know, if said grade-school kid was old enough to buy booze, get into nightclubs, and pull chicks. I’m not asking you to blow anyone out, but c’mon, there has to be some tales-from-the-drunk-tank type stories you can share!
Jim “Batman” Closkey
I don’t know what you’re talking about. We grind 24/7 in the offseason! Of course we have fun, especially where I’m at in Charlotte, NC. It’s like the microbrewery capital of the world, it seems. Some people respect the fact that we do get three to four weeks to enjoy life. Smash pizza, beer, ice cream, Chick-fil-A, whiskey, wine, margaritas. I’m not gonna lie. I enjoy a glass of wine almost every night, whether I’m in or out of season. All true motocross fans would truly appreciate how some of the top dogs enjoy some of their downtime. Trust me, 99 percent of my memories with my buddies aren’t from a Saturday at a race. Unless it’s Saturday night in Vegas, Salt Lake, or……Nashville, haha. They all deserve to go blow some steam.
