If you don’t have time to watch any Grinch-themed media this holiday season, don’t fret, we’ve got words from the crankiest rider in the pits, Filthy Phil Nicoletti, right here. Next to The Philth, The Grinch looks like one of Santa’s elves! That’s especially true this week, as Phil spreads his own cantankerous brand of holiday resentment on topics like rider merchandise, vet tracks, and smokey clutches.
As always, be sure to send your questions about racing, politics, or family values, to Phil@racerxonline.com. Now, let's get to this week's questions.
Hey there,
How come there are not many riders who have their own merch line? I’ve bought a hat from your page but am bummed that there isn’t much else. I feel like riders could really capitalize on their successes from marketing themselves with their own lines. Thanks for kickin’ ass on and off the track!
Merch is a pain in the ass honestly. You are married to the game with that stuff. Is it good? Yes. But when you have to take on the inventory, pack it, ship it, etc., it’s a pain in the ass. I keep it basic with a few hats and shirts. If you overload your inventory and then you don’t move it, then it’s stuck in garage. Yes, there are other ways to do it, with print on demand and shit, but then your margins aren’t as good. I also do not make enough money to have someone handle it all for me. If we could truly sell from our semis on race days, that would really help. That’s not taking a dig at Feld or Mx Sports, it’s just hard to sell something in a Moto Tees trailer when there are 20 different kinds of shirts. Every rider gets the right to sell their swag in that trailer, but you lose a lot of your margin when you do that. I can sell 20 hats a week out of my own Shopify, and keep my margins. Or I can sell 20 out of the T-shirt vendors and lose my margins. It’s a double-edged sword. Hats, for me, are very simple and easy. Great quality hat. Not some cheese dick style stuff that some guys offer and you wear once. I will pay more for my hat quality so it’s worth it. I also want the people to be able to wear it out and about, not just at the races. So, look for a new hat to be dropping here soon.
Phil
Editor’s note: To get your hands on some the Filthiest merch of all, head to philnicoletti.com.
Phil,
I noticed you got a little jumped on last weekend in Australia. It looked like your arm or wrist took a beating and you were favoring it. Hopefully everything is okay and boot camp can get going.
Last UnPhiltered you answered a question about your buddy RB who learned to ride at an older age. I am in the same boat RB was. What is the best way to progress without ending up as a YouTube sensation and making sure I get to work on Monday to pay bills?
Thanks,
Aaron P.
Aaron,
Best way is finding a proper vet track to go ride. I’m not sure where you are located, but find the most basic track that has the least amount of death traps for you. You’re not there to show your significant other that you have brittle bones with balls of steel. That will get you nowhere fast. I really like tracks that have a “vet friendly” track for my compadres to ride, because if I was 50+, I wouldn’t want to be worrying about cross rutting. I just want to go cruise and enjoy my $11,000 450 and feel like a hero and show my wife who the man of the house is. At the end of the day, always remember you have to go to work on Monday to get paid. I think that’s a big enough reality check to make you smarten up when you get jolted with a boost of testosterone to flex on the track. Stay safe out there Aaron. It’s a war zone.
Phil
Hey Phil
First off, congrats on the LCQ #1 Plate! Very impressive. Big fan here and you actually answered one of my questions a while back, but I have another that’s been bugging me.
I hear so much feedback in regard to the clutch from so many riders. We tried a new clutch, my clutch wasn’t working, etc. I mean, other than a rekluse or Bellville type we have been using the same basic design for decades. I know you can have hydro or cable, steel or Aluminum, but WTF. Why are factory race teams still messing with them and what could possibly go wrong? It’s a high wear part, you replace plates or baskets when needed and away we go. I know there is a certain feel a rider may like but once you have it, leave it! How does Ken Roczen have a clutch issue at WSX? Seems nuts to me. Please enlighten me.
Garry
Garry,
Clutches are a sensitive deal. The amount of load a clutch takes is unreal. To start off, I love the hydraulic. After riding the Husky in 2018, I always wanted one again. Well, the new YZF450F comes with the option, so I went back to it ASAP when I got on the 450! The hydraulic for me lasts so much longer and is ALWAYS CONSISTENT. Now I’m back on a 250F with the cable and it’s an adjustment for me. Like I said, clutches get ABUSED! I’ve been a Hinson guy for a long, long time. Ever since I was a kid. That company has always treated me well. Hinson battles an uphill battle daily, I would assume. Not just Hinson, but every clutch manufacturer. The amount of power that goes into a 250F for the size of the clutch, with the amount of heat, is tough to fathom.
Here's why we're always working in this department: Clutch feel is almost as important as suspension feel, IMO. If you don’t have a properly working clutch off the gate and on the track, you are F@&$?#. Especially on a 250F, because any sort of slip is horsepower loss. And if your clutch is slowly fading, and you lose one HP, it’s a massive difference. A 450 you can get away with it a little more if it’s fading. Like a said, I run the OG Hinson set, through and through. J-Mart [Jeremy Martin] runs the slipper clutch. But J-Mart and I ride totally opposite. He runs a 27-degree ratio ARC lever for clutch feel. I run a 26-degree ratio lever for clutch feel. I run a full 450 stiff springs, some guys only run 3/3 springs. It’s really temperamental. I use my clutch in the whoops, so my wear and tear on clutches is a bit more than most. But I also can hit the whoops till I’m blue in the face because I know I have the clutch as a failsafe. Also, riders will tell you that some setups that feel great for the start also don't hold up as well for the whole race. You're always working on it. I literally could sit here all night explaining different clutch setups to make something feel right. From different types of oils, actuator arms, drilled baskets, springs, levers, cable, hydraulic, and more. So while it might seem like technology has gotten to the point where a clutch is just "set it and forget it" it's actually still something we're working on all the time. A lot of thought and time goes into clutches.
Phil
