Supercross Anybody seen where everyone is going?

[Tony477g]

MXA posted that a lot of people are leaving

 

(8) HANGING CHADS: And we don’t mean Chad Reed. Lots of riders are making moves to get ready for next year. Even riders who have solid contracts can’t resist talking to new teams about switching. Most of it is conjecture—but Justin Barcia is leaving Honda. Reportedly Eli Tomac would like to go too, but he has a contract for 2015. Davi Millsaps hasn’t even raced his KTM yet, and is looking at replacing Jake Weimer at Kawasaki (or if that falls through riding for Chad Reed’s team). Dean Wilson has been connected to Team KTM because Ken Roczen is most likely going to RCH (for a really really big contract—plus a new 7-year Red Bull deal worth over a mil a year). The Rockstar KTM team has been pegged to become the Rockstar Husqvarna team, but a lot of that was contingent upon Davi Millsaps staying with the team. Pro Circuit probably won’t keep the six riders it has now—even though that wasn’t enough to make it through the 2014 season. Ryan Dungey, Ryan Villopoto, James Stewart and Trey Canard are staying put.

 

http://motocrossactionmag.com/home-page/ten-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-vegas-supercross crazy that a lot of these people are leaving and could be on new bikes. Im excited to see millsaps on the kawi. Do you think the honda riders aren't really likeing the new honda?

[250rheath]

This could might be a crazy season. Sounds like Honda needs to step up if they want a decent team

Current ride: 1986 TRX250R with lots of mods.

Have owned: 1981 ATC250R with lots of mods, 1983 200X, 1986 250SX, 1991 KDX200

[2uptite]

MXA posted that a lot of people are leaving

 

(8) HANGING CHADS: And we don’t mean Chad Reed. Lots of riders are making moves to get ready for next year. Even riders who have solid contracts can’t resist talking to new teams about switching. Most of it is conjecture—but Justin Barcia is leaving Honda. Reportedly Eli Tomac would like to go too, but he has a contract for 2015. Davi Millsaps hasn’t even raced his KTM yet, and is looking at replacing Jake Weimer at Kawasaki (or if that falls through riding for Chad Reed’s team). Dean Wilson has been connected to Team KTM because Ken Roczen is most likely going to RCH (for a really really big contract—plus a new 7-year Red Bull deal worth over a mil a year). The Rockstar KTM team has been pegged to become the Rockstar Husqvarna team, but a lot of that was contingent upon Davi Millsaps staying with the team. Pro Circuit probably won’t keep the six riders it has now—even though that wasn’t enough to make it through the 2014 season. Ryan Dungey, Ryan Villopoto, James Stewart and Trey Canard are staying put.

 

http://motocrossactionmag.com/home-page/ten-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-vegas-supercross crazy that a lot of these people are leaving and could be on new bikes. Im excited to see millsaps on the kawi. Do you think the honda riders aren't really likeing the new honda?

 

Canard is the only 450 rider who isnt complaining about the bike. 

[mikerides33]

Any thing in particular that they are rejecting on the new Honda?  Not to start a debate on manufacturers but I am interested to know what the pros like/ dislike.  

Edited May 6, 2014 by mikerides33

[yamahakid88]

Pretty nuts, cant wait for 2015

[slidejob26]

I don't think Trey would bash the CRF even if he didn't like it. He is so appreciative of Honda staying with him through all of the injuries, he's probably just happy to still have a factory ride. TC  is one of my favorite riders, class act. 

[npg24]

Canard is the only 450 rider who isnt complaining about the bike. 

or they paid him not to say anything

[numroe]

or they paid him not to say anything

Well yes in a way that's true, but he's better than that.  Canard is a class act, and seems naturally very grateful. Which could explain why he'd never say anything bad about the 2014 Honda.  I think his selfless gratitude is part the reason why he's popular with about 95% of fans. Plus the fact that he's so inspiring to watch ride, especially on a 450 in MX. He's like a dirt surgeon.  It sucks when he gets injured!

 

For the extremely fast guys, maybe that Honda 450 truly is a tricky machine to dial in so it just works and doesn't do anything unexpected.

 

In interviews Tomac has acknowledged a couple of times that much of his problem has been that he's still learning how to setup a (any) bike, and that on a lighter 250F it didn't really matter - to him.  So Tomac didn't directly blame the Honda, just his ability to make it work for him. I've read interviews with mechanics who also lightly joked about Tomac's inability to setup a bike - for himself.  He just rides the bike. In 2014, I guess that approach wasn't enough.  Maybe Barcia is a little bit similar is this way. However Canard has so much finesse and precision when riding, that it seems reasonable to guess that he's in a different situation. eg. rides differently and perhaps more in tune with the needs of him and the machine.

 

BTW: I think Anderson and Tomac have a lot of similarities in how they ride, so it'll be interesting to see how Anderson goes on a 450 when he steps up in the future.

Edited May 6, 2014 by numroe

[npg24]

Well yes in a way that's true, but he's better than that.  Canard is a class act, and seems naturally very grateful. Which could explain why he'd never say anything bad about the 2014 Honda.  I think his selfless gratitude is part the reason why he's popular with about 95% of fans. Plus the fact that he's so inspiring to watch ride, especially on a 450 in MX. He's like a dirt surgeon.  It sucks when he gets injured!

 

For the extremely fast guys, maybe that Honda 450 truly is a tricky machine to dial in so it just works and doesn't do anything unexpected.

 

In interviews Tomac has acknowledged a couple of times that much of his problem has been that he's still learning how to setup a (any) bike, and that on a lighter 250F it didn't really matter - to him.  So Tomac didn't directly blame the Honda, just his ability to make it work for him. I've read interviews with mechanics who also lightly joked about Tomac's inability to setup a bike - for himself.  He just rides the bike. In 2014, I guess that approach wasn't enough.  Maybe Barcia is a little bit similar is this way. However Canard has so much finesse and precision when riding, that it seems reasonable to guess that he's in a different situation. eg. rides differently and perhaps more in tune with the needs of him and the machine.

 

BTW: I think Anderson and Tomac have a lot of similarities in how they ride, so it'll be interesting to see how Anderson goes on a 450 when he steps up in the future.

true, but i dont think tomac could just get on a 250f and just ride it the way he did. I still think that, as much as i hate to say it, I think its the Honda, if you look at it. Nobody is on hondas on the 450's now, and the people that are complain about them. But their 250's on the other hand, everybody ha them. I forgot hich race it was but there were like 8 hondas and a yami, and a kawi. 

[npg24]

true, but i dont think tomac could just get on a 250f and just ride it the way he did. I still think that, as much as i hate to say it, I think its the Honda, if you look at it. Nobody is on hondas on the 450's now, and the people that are complain about them. But their 250's on the other hand, everybody ha them. I forgot hich race it was but there were like 8 hondas and a yami, and a kawi. 

I think they should go back to the way the bike was back in 2011 or 2012. You had Chad doing amazing, the best he has ever ridden. Barcia came in for a few rounds and done good to. I think he even won a moto. 

[2uptite]

or they paid him not to say anything

 

Canard isnt going to complain even if he hated the bike.

[npg24]

also, i see honda picking barcia up and keeping canard. I dont see why they wouldnt

also, i see honda picking barcia up and keeping canard. I dont see why they wouldnt

*or keeping him

[off_road_4_me]

Reed hated the bike and never seems to pass up a moment to bash it. 

 

I know what we ride is drastically different from what they ride, but stock vs. stock the one I rode felt like it was missing a couple cc's.

 

I don't think Reed has the money for DM18

[TannerCRF250]

Reed said the other night on the telecast that he was impressed by Canard and how well he did on "that bike". Go back to the 2009 style bike and riders would be stoked about it, especially guys like Reed that won on the bike.

[twnorton]

Reed said the other night on the telecast that he was impressed by Canard and how well he did on "that bike". Go back to the 2009 style bike and riders would be stoked about it, especially guys like Reed that won on the bike.

Aren't the 09s too old to race as per the 5yr rule

[TannerCRF250]

Aren't the 09s too old to race as per the 5yr rule

I don't necessarily mean the 2009, but the bike they built up until the switch in 2013.

[MotorBoatin]

Canard isnt going to complain even if he hated the bike.

LOL

He's happy they have stuck with him all these years with all his couch time

[jmcn R]

It has been kinda crazy to see the Big Red 450 rumours all over the forums, pretty easy at this point to believe! Whats going on over at Honda?!?1

[Tony477g]

http://motocrossactionmag.com/home-page/mxa-rumors-gossip-oh-the-humanity-of-it Heres more elaboration to some of the guys. Seems like there is a problem with the hondas or the team; I always wondered that about Chad Reed, I remember him clearly saying he didnt like the kawi at all, so he terminated the contract only to go back to kawi? Maybe he just didn't like the team? Villopoto seems to be losing the love for racing, and Justin to JGR? Good to see Millsaps might have a factory ride again, he deserves it!

 

(1) RYAN VILLOPOTO
Ryan Villopoto joined an elite club—it’s only other member is Jeremy McGrath—when he won his fourth straight AMA Supercross Championship. Strangely, he wasn’t happy about it. In fact, he told Jeremy McGrath that he didn’t get any joy out of racing. You would think that he would at least crack a smile about a 17-race series that allowed him to bank about $4 mil. Brett Metcalfe is smiling because he will replace Villopoto at Team Kawasaki while Ryan sits out the 2014 Nationals to have his knee fixed.

 

(3) KEN ROCZEN

Ken Roczen made news twice during the Supercross series. (1) He won A1 and repeated again in Atlanta. For the first half of the season he was at the front of the spear, making moves and challenging for the lead. (2) Halfway through the series the wheels came off his orange wagon. He had a couple mechanical issues and looked over-trained. He was still up front in the beginning of every race, but faded after lap 10. This was not unexpected. He signed on to Aldon Baker’s training regimen and it wore him out. No problem! When he was good, he was very good and everybody knew that he simply got over-trained. The potential he showed made him the must-have guy in the silly season sweepstakes. With a new $1 million a year Red Bull contract (for a reported 7 years) and a rumored $3 million deal at RCH Suzuki for 2015, Roczen is very happy that he got out of Europe when he did.

 

4) CHAD REED

Watching Chad over the last five years has been like “The Real Housewives of Florida.” He burned bridges with Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki and was forced to privateer it on a Honda. He did well enough on his own that Honda gave him works bikes for 2013—which he then badmouthed. And he was forced to privateer it again—this time on a Kawasaki (only after KTM wouldn’t let him run Showa works suspension on their bike). But, just like the good ladies of reality TV, he rebounded to be the “Good Chad” again (he had previously been the “Good Chad” in 2012). When he won A2, he was a true-to-life hero. What is a true-to-life hero? A true-to-life hero isn’t just a guy who wins, but someone that the crowd wants to win. When Reed crashed at San Diego—the 2014 season lost its spark.

 

(6) JUSTIN BARCIA

Just like Chad Reed before him, Justin Barcia wants off of the Honda CRF450. How much does he want off of it? He is leaving Honda to ride Yamaha—which is the bike that James Stewart wanted off of so bad that he broke his three-year JGR contract to ride a Suzuki. That’s as strange as when Chad broke his two-year Kawasaki contract to go to Honda and then left them to become a Kawasaki privateer. The fortunes of war shift with the changing face of the battlefield. Word is that JGR had to spend a pretty penny to get Barcia in blue—and that doesn’t leave them enough money to keep a second top-flite guy (top-flite means high salary).

 

(7) DAVI MILLSAPS
Davi has been missing from the scene since May of 2013—undergoing operations on his legs and fixing things that have been twisted up in the meantime. Amazingly, while sitting on the couch, he became a player in the silly season. He hasn’t even ridden his Rockstar KTM in anger yet, but looks like he has a front row seat to go to either Team Kawasaki or Chad’s Kawasaki team. Davi looks like he will sign a new deal for 2015 before the 2014 Nationals start.

 

(8) JOSH HILL

In this sport if you do something stupid, it takes a long time to recover from it. Josh Hill was a young up-and-coming rider. Nice kid. Good parents. A bright future. But, he chose a different path, got linked to the wrong people and then upped the anted by trying to do a backflip. Why he wanted to be apart of the ears-in crowd is a mystery. Josh’s backflip attempt ended as badly as possible and he still lives with the consequences. In this business people always remember your wasted youth. Hill got a second chance at RCH Suzuki, largely because they strike the tone of an ears-in team. But, they don’t want him for the 2014 Outdoor Nationals and replaced him (and the injured Broc Tickle) with Weston Peick and Ivan Tedesco.

 

(10) DEAN WILSON

Amazingly, Dean Wilson is still eligible for the 250 Supercross class next year, but just like in the past—he wants to be a 450 guy. He came close with the Jeff Ward team, including getting an $825,000 offer, but it was all smoke and mirrors. It fell through. Even though his buddy Chad Reed tried to get Honda to fund a program for Dean on Chad’s 2013 Honda team—that didn’t work out either. So, Dean went back to the 250 West for his trusty Pro Circuit team (they did lend him to Chad for four 450 rounds this year when the 250 West was on hiatus—the best of which was a 7th at Daytona). For 2015 Dean will be making his full-time 450 debut—on Roger DeCoster’s KTM team.

 

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