Honda is the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles, and the undisputed leader in motorcycle technology. More motocross riders have won titles on Hondas than on any other bike. When you’re serious about winning, Honda is the machine for you.

Advertisement | Advertise with Us

Subscribeto Racer X

In this article…

Another Halloween, another strike out on getting my wife into one of those Monster Girl outfits for the night (something about the fact that kids trick-or-treating on Grand Street wouldn’t understand). Oh well. Bet Broc Tickle's fiancee, Jessica Brewer, won't be running one—that would be like going to work. Same goes for Josh Grant's girlfriend Ashley. And Jake Moss'.... Welcome to Racerhead.

Seriously, the busiest Kelly Louch's phone is all year long is the week leading up to Halloween. Kelly is the boss at The Connection, her modeling agency that specializes in places "spokesmodels" in action sport. That means she picks out the Monster Girls and helps coordinate the outfits. Kelly gets calls from friends new and old looking to borrow a set of the gear for Halloween, along with a 30-second board and some fishnet stockings. It's the "trick" part of the eternal question.

You just know there are some motocross girlfriends going on as Monster Girls this weekend.
Photo: Simon Cudby.

Personally, I might go as Johnny O'Hannah, which means going as an eighties motocross star with an afro and a deep voice. God knows I've got the gear.

I apologize for missing last week, but I was on a family vacation in Spain, visiting Ken Block and checking out his World Rally life on tour. Not much motocross going on out on the island of Ibiza, but when we got to Barcelona, in the southeast corner of Spain, I spotted the road signs to Sabadell. That's the town where Jim Pomeroy became the first American to win a Grand Prix and beat the Europeans at their own sport. Pomeroy rode for Bultaco, a Spanish brand, and what he did still resonates not only over there—it was also Bultaco's first win—but here as well. Next time, hopefully I will have time to go see if the track is still there.

Also in Barcelona is Adam Wheeler, a Racer X contributor and the FIM's Journalist of the Year for 2010. We met up in a coffee shop there near his home, did some bench racing, and talked about the cool places to go around town and just how crazy the town is for their soccer team, which is led by Argentina's Lionel Messi. They were playing a Champions League match with Copenhagen the next day, and the streets were filled with fans from both teams, riot police, vendors, and more. It was pretty damn cool.

And that leads me to another soccer-related matter: There are two sides to every story, and that includes the one where a soccer match got put out to pasture because dirt bikes messed up their pitch. Down in Australia, the Newcastle SX left the stadium's turf in less-than-perfect conditions, which really pissed off the soccer team that was supposed to play an A-League game their 10 days later. The soccer coach let the race have it, but according to TransMoto in Oz, there's more to this controversy. Click HERE.

Apparently, this has become a national sports scandal down in Australia. The only place I can think of in America that has turf that sacred is maybe Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, which conveniently enough was the site of a press conference for Feld Motor Sports this week as they ramp up for their first visit by the AMA Supercross tour. Don't worry—the Feld guys know how to tread lightly when it comes to these ball fields!

There was an investigative sports journalism piece on the energy-drink market on ESPN's E:60 last night that did not paint a pretty picture of the beverage industry and, in particular, NOS Energy, which is made and distributed by Coca-Cola. Monster Energy was also looped into the piece, with video footage of Adam Cianciarulo as the narrator explained that they sponsor athletes "as young as eleven years old." There was also some footage of Travis Pastrana jumping his Red Bull car on New Year's Eve last December 31. The crux of the piece was that the industry is marketing their products toward kids without proper warnings.

The Paris-Bercy Supercross will go off next week without one of the biggest names planned to attend, the 16-year-old German sensation Ken Roczen. Roczen was supposed to be there, but a change in plans - first his Suzuki-to-KTM move and then the change in the AMA's minimum age rules back down to 16 - has the kid champing at the bit to be ready for the 2011 Monster Energy AMA Supercross tour on the West Coast, so he's focused on California instead and testing as much as possible with his new boss, Roger DeCoster. Also, Roczen will wear Fox Racing gear for the next three years.

Okay, here’s Ping:

Chad Reed to TLD/Lucas Oil Honda? Well, not yet, but they are definitely working on it. Reedy rode the bike this week and seemed to like everything about the program there. Still, there are some very serious financial hurdles that will have to be cleared before anything is finalized.

I spoke to Chris Blose this week and it sounds like he’s going to be back with Hart & Huntington for 2011. According to Chris, they are going to be riding Pro Circuit Kawasakis, and they might even hit a few nationals in the summer. Chris struggled last season with a broken bone in his wrist, but he had it fixed this summer and is looking forward to next year.

If you signed up to race the Catalina Grand Prix in December and you’re waiting to get something in the mail confirming your entry … you might want to get comfortable. They aren’t sending you anything in the mail. If you go to their website, www.thecatalinagrandprix.com, they have a list of accepted riders posted. That should be a really cool event. I have the boys at KTM building me a special race machine for the event. But since the track is 20 percent asphalt and 80 percent dirt and winds all across the island of Catalina, I have no idea what type of bike will work best.

I saw Blake Baggett out riding his new Pro Circuit bike last weekend at the Competitive Edge supercross track opening. Blake looked comfortable and fast and he told me that his arm is completely healed up and feeling fine. He showed me the scar where his humerus bone popped through the skin and left a scar. If you didn’t see his crash at Budds Creek this year, it was really ugly. Blake will be a threat to win races throughout 2011.

I also saw new GEICO Honda rider Wil Hahn at the event. He was signing autographs, kissing babies, and waving to fans. It was great to see him, but when I got in my truck to go home later that day I had a text message from him that said "I miss your scent." Should I be worried?

Finally, if you haven’t done so already via absentee ballot, please go out and vote on Tuesday. To steal a phrase from one of the all-time greats, Ron Burgundy, it’s kind of a big deal. Go pull the lever, folks. And I mean that in a very decent, political way.

Now we’ll swing it over to The Weege:

So the silly-season trap is still sprung on two riders, Chad Reed and Christophe Pourcel. We’re tracking the rumors as hard as we can, but we cannot lock either man into a deal yet. Amazing that two riders of this stature are still on the block at the beginning of November, but perhaps this is the tipping point we’ve been expecting all along. In the fall of 2007, long before the housing crash, credit crunch and what is now dubbed "the great recession" I heard about some silly season negotiations that just didn’t seem right. A few manufacturers mentioned cutting back their marketing budgets.

Terms like "sales down 30 percent" were thrown around. I’m not an economist, so instead of believing trouble was on the horizon, I just thought this was a cheap excuse by teams to cheap out at the negotiation table. A year later, we all knew things actually were bad, the fears were legit and budgets were slashed further.

So things were a little slow in the fall of 2007. Then slower, and scarier, in the fall of 2008. Last year’s silly season was downright terrible. Rumors of factory teams shutting down. Massive salary cuts. But by the time the racing started in January, things didn’t look that different. Team Yamaha was gone, but there were plenty of Yamaha teams out there to fill the gap. All the rest of the trucks showed up, the same riders and bikes rolled out of them, and when the gate dropped, the racing looked just like it always does.

Teams have had to resort to some trickery to make this happen—more money from outside sponsors, more cutbacks behind the scenes—but all seemed well enough at the races. Now we’re looking at the very real possibility of two great riders sitting out for 2011 because they just can’t find the right deal.

The rumors are everywhere, and all you have to do is follow Reed on twitter to know what’s up. He flew back from Australia to California to test a Yamaha and a Honda. Some have linked him to Hart and Huntington, but that’s going to be a Kawasaki team, and that’s not going to work. As for Pourcel, he was originally linked to Team Honda and Team KTM, but those squads are now full without him. Monster Kawasaki already has Villopoto and Weimer, so they’re full. We’ve heard CP could get a third seat at Kawasaki, maybe if Monster unlocks more money. We’ve heard he’s investigated riding a Pro Circuit Kawasaki 450. But these are just rumors. People are trying but it’s not working.

We want to see these guys race, because we all want the deepest field of contenders possible. But I can’t blame either rider for waiting this out. Stock bikes are better than ever, and factory teams may not have the budgets they used to, but running on a privateer team bike with some help from, say, Pro Circuit, is still not quite the same as factory unobtanium. At the level of Reed and Pourcel, you don’t go to the starting line with a bike that’s a few percentage points off. And you don’t ride for free. Pourcel, who spent six months in a wheelchair after a crash at the 2007 Irish GP, knows too well the risks of this game.

The biggest problem during a monetary pullback is working with an infrastructure built in the good old days. It’s just like a factory built to produce 100,000 cars suddenly only needing to produce 25,000. Profits sink. We’re hearing that bikes sales, revenue and budgets are down to mid-1990s' levels. So salaries could be dropped that far, as well. But no top rider has a program built around a '90s salary. In the case of Reed and Pourcel, for example, they have practice tracks in Florida. Building and maintaining these is an astronomical expense, and something no one took on 15 years ago. Teams then have to ship parts there, which is very expensive. Practice mechanics need money. Most of today’s top riders have trainers and doctors around them. They need money.

In the '90s, no riders had a trainer or private practice track at today’s level. In the 1993 Fox Terrafirma video, Doug Henry’s backyard track looks like wooded trails behind my house that the local kids ride old utility ATVs on. And Doug has to rely on pro bono coaching from Elvis to rev over that triple. Compare that to the James Stewart compound, and working with someone like Aldon Baker or Johnny O'Mara.

So just like the car plant suddenly cutting back to 25,000 cars, it’s hard for a rider to cut out 75 percent (or all) of his salary and maintain the same infrastructure, but it’s hard to win races without it. Something has to give, and in this case, it may be one, or both, of those guys not racing.

This is by no means a guarantee that a deal won’t come. As the thought of not actually racing draws closer, it may motivate a rider to compromise a little more on a deal—or make a team feel the same way about snapping up such high-profile talent. But this is just the reality of today. This time, we all saw it coming.

That being said, here’s Steve Cox:

It’s Halloween! Well, you know, almost. Here at the Cox house, we’re holding our second-annual Halloween Party. This year, we’re upping the stakes (with some help from some of the guests) to include a mechanical bull, so those who follow racer Twitters may find some people bragging about their performance on the mechanical bull, or on karaoke…. Or not. But it’s basically guaranteed to be a great time. Apparently, the bull weighs 1800 pounds and has a head on it, so my only hope is that none of the racers get concussions doing their best Urban Cowboy rides….

Still, I have a mathematical hypothesis that I hope to prove tomorrow night, which is that Costumes + Alcohol + Mechanical Bull = Fun. For those who are attending, the party starts at eight and goes ‘til it stops.

Hopefully, you guys got a chance to read my Monday Conversation (actually, Tuesday Conversation) with Chad Reed. It sounds like he really likes the Honda he rode in Australia (and perhaps the Yamaha he rode last Monday at the Yamaha track as well), so can he make something work with the TLD/Lucas Oil Honda team? I’d say it’s possible. However, my take is that it’s going to be expensive, so TLD is likely going to need Lucas Oil to step up with some cash, along with Red Bull, to make it happen, because I highly doubt that racing for Troy Lee Designs would allow Reed to get his own gear deal, for example.

However, mechanically speaking, the TLD bike has to be pretty close to the one Reed rode in Australia, as both his Newcastle bike and the TLD bike feature full-on Pro Circuit everything. So, if it’s just a matter of equipment, Reed should be happy. And a happy Reed is a fast Reed. Probably very fast.

Then again, it’s possible that Reed will go the route that Kevin Windham went a few years ago, when he had a terrible year and then stepped up with a much smaller contract the next year to prove himself again before graduating the pay scale back to the upper echelons. Perhaps Reed will do the same. But that will also mean that the TLD team will have to hit both coasts of supercross, which is a whole other expense in and of itself. Time will tell, but Reed says he wants the deal done within two weeks from when I talked to him, which was last Monday night. That means his deadline is fast approaching at about November 8th. He said he doesn’t want to end up in the situation like he was in with Kawasaki last year, where he didn’t get much testing done before Anaheim 1.

Also, thanks to Beeker for outfitting a few sets of Fox Team USA gear that I bought from Temecula Motorsports over the phone. Yes, I paid full retail. I’m not that spoiled. Beeker got it all logo’d out to match the gear Trey Canard and Ryan Dungey wore in Colorado this year, and after they sign them, I’m going to add that gear to the Andrew Short set Shorty signed and gave me at the race and sell the set, along with some other cool memorabilia (like a Support the Troops racing tire, used and signed by Clint Bowyer, thanks to his brother Andy, a Team USA team shirt signed by all three riders and The Man, Roger DeCoster, etc.) to help out my buddy Johnny Joseph Jones; the Marine I know who was badly injured in Afghanistan (for the whole story, click HERE. The money will go toward helping him outfit a truck to drive as well as add a room on to his parents house, since most of the amenities at that house are upstairs. I’m counting on you folks with a few extra bucks to pay up once the auction starts. The gear will be sold as a set of all three, so start saving now.

Yesterday, I was out at the Corona test tracks shooting for an upcoming feature and ended up at the Yamaha test track. While I can’t prove it empirically, Kyle Regal looks damned fast and smooth on the L&M Yamaha YZ450F. Sleeper, anyone? That’s exactly what we needed, more contenders in the 450 Class in 2011! Add him to the list that includes Ryan Dungey, James Stewart, Brett Metcalfe, Ryan Villopoto, Jake Weimer, Chad Reed (if he lands somewhere), Chris Pourcel (likewise), Trey Canard, Josh Grant, Davi Millsaps, Justin Brayton, Ivan Tedesco (at H&H Kawasaki), Tommy Hahn, Kyle Chisholm, Andrew Short, Mike Alessi, Kevin Windham, Austin Stroupe, Mitch Kumpstein, Michael Byrne, and LCQ champ Jason Thomas. That’s 22 guys right there, and that’s leaving out guys like Michael Blose, who is returning to H&H, and any other top privateers. Sure, injuries will come into play, but as it sits, being a privateer in the 450cc class just got a little less motivating. It used to be that privateers raced 450s because the higher purse money helped them get from round to round, and sometimes half the main-event field were privateers. Now, if people stay healthy, we’ll be lucky to see one privateer in a main event, and to finish in the top 10 might feel like a podium finish used to! It’s going to be gnarly, folks!

Here’s looking forward to an amazing 2011. See you guys there, at every round just like normal.

Okay, here’s some random Info from the week:

We spotted this YouTube video of a fast young prospect out of Washington state named Alyas Wardius, 15 years old. Check it out.

If you’re a privateer looking for a way to get your bike and bags to the races in 2011, check out Gus Decker's privateer program right HERE.

With Halloween upon us, its now not too early to start thinking about Christmas, and nothing says Merry Christmas to a motocross enthusiast like his own factory bike....

Of course you can't get one of those unless you're name is Christophe or Chad Re— er, wait. Unless your name is Ryan Dungey. And New Ray Toys has some brand new Ryan Dungey miniatures for sale. Check out their full product line right HERE.

Our friends at Moto (UK) magazine took a jet ride to Italy to test the championship-winning KTMs of Tony Cairoli, Marvin Musquin, and Steffi Laier. Check out the video HERE.

Mick Varsava, a friend from north of the border, sent us coverage of the Canada Southern Ontario Vintage race at Gopher Dunes. Mick himself rode the #9 Marty Smith RC Replica that we featured in a recent version of Your Collection.

This week we tweeted a press release about 1970s superstar Marty Smith endorsing the Resistance Chair. That's not the only new venture for the former MX teen idol (and three-time AMA National Champion), as he has been tapped to train and coach a new West Region Lites SX team, Slayton Racing. The team did race a few events last year in a limited capacity, but they're planning on stepping up big time with Marty helping whip the riders into shape. Look for an announcement on who is riding for the squad soon.

The organizers of the Catalina Gran Prix have released the event entry list. This epic race last occurred in 1958 and promises to be a very cool event. If you are in or around the So Cal area, it is certainly worth checking out. For more information, visit www.thecatalinagrandprix.com.

Last Sunday’s edition of the New York Times ran an interview with Kenneth Feld, Chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment. The story doesn’t mention dirt bikes, but if you want to learn a little more about the man who owns Supercross, take a look right HERE.

Check out this pic we got from Christian Craig’s mom: "Here is Christian and his brother Jeremy (his current mechanic in 2011). Christian is in the wagon and Jeremy is pulling him. Thought it was a perfect picture seeing as they both grew up to have the career they wanted as children."

Donnie Hansen Motocross Academy/Thousand Oaks Powersports will have 2011 KTMs at the Donnie Hansen Motocross Academy school at Piru MX on Friday, October 29, for students to demo. They will also be providing lunch for the riders. World Vet Champion Doug Dubach will be a guest instructor/demonstrator at the DHMA class scheduled at Glen Helen on November 4-5 prior to the Vet National and Pit Pro will be providing lunch for the students. Contact DHMA at 877-883-7260 for information and registration.

The gang down at Chet Burks Productions has a new motorcycle series up and running on HD Theater. Cafe Racer is a 13-part series airing every Wednesday that explores the history, development, and worldwide culture surrounding the café racer, a motorcycle directly responsible for today’s superbikes. Check out the promotional video HERE.

I know it’s not motocross, but you have to admit, it's a cool subculture they have going on there! Check out the show's website, www.caferacertv.com. It airs every Wednesday; check your local listings for times.

Finally, longtime motocross friend/photographer Will Pattison suffered a back injury last spring and has basically been through hell. Although it wasn't as bad as other spinal-cord injuries, it was devastating to him and his family and friends. He has been rehabilitating his body as best as possible, but like Jimmy Button, he will never be the same as he was before he hit the ground. His friend Mark Bumgarner recently pulled together a short documentary about Will's situation and struggles, and it's called Partial Quad. RiderDown has been a big supporter of Will and his girlfriend/life partner, Carol, who traveled to RedBud with Will this summer so he could visit with some old friends and check out the biggest race in American motocross. The video is heavy, but it's also part of our sport and our community. Take 15 minutes over the weekend and watch this if you want to have a better understanding of how quickly life can change.

That's it. Happy Halloween, be safe, and thanks for reading Racerhead. See you at the races.

Share this article:

Did you like this article?

Check out ON TOUR

in our Latest issue of Racer X available now.

The Monster Energy Supercross tour is staffed by an intensely dedicated group of sponsors and support staffers. Here’s what life is like on the SX road. Page 136.

$19.9812 Print Issues
$9.9812 Digital Issues

Look for the verified symbol

The Conversation

BillC wrote: 5:37pm October 29, 2010

Can't wait for A1

BigBikeRider wrote: 5:44pm October 29, 2010

That was probably the most powerful video I have ever seen. Will and Carol possess strength that most people would only dream to have. I pray that he makes as full a recovery as possible

ss97 wrote: 6:16pm October 29, 2010

Halloween... men are always hoping to see girls dressed in things they would not normally ear....My wife tried to buy one of those Monster Energy leather thingies and we can't find one... If anyone knows of a link to buy one could you post it? Too late for this year but...maybe by Anaheim..:)

super_fro_daddy wrote: 7:30pm October 29, 2010

Everyone in the 450 class that SHOULD be?? What a concept!

dirtyfox909 wrote: 7:31pm October 29, 2010

My money is reed on factory honda he's got ties to monster so no red bull and pourcel on factory kawi. They won't get the money they want. But they want to be on top of the line teams. So they will will have to get it by race win bonuses

Reese wrote: 8:07pm October 29, 2010

Ping: Your posted link, www.catalinagrandprix.com is no good.

LBiggie wrote: 8:47pm October 29, 2010

We will never know but I'm guessing Pourcel and his agent are tough negotiators. Pourcel was arguably the hottest commodity last off-season and this one and they certainly had all year to make the deal. I can't believe Weimer and Grant got spots on factory teams before he did unless those teams threw up their hands in frustration after not getting anywhere with him. It doesn't make sense and it's getting deep into the off-season now.

TannerMxer182 wrote: 9:00pm October 29, 2010

I hope everyone here took the 15 minutes to watch that documentary on Will Pattison. I watched it and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Although a tragedy, Will is lucky to have such an amazing perspective on the situation and an amazing girlfriend in Carol. I couldn't help but cry and the end of the 13 minutes. I hope all is well Will and wish you the best. You are a warrior, especially with a ninja walk. :)

BKR wrote: 11:16pm October 29, 2010

LBiggie, you have to take into consideration what a Weimer or Grant accept as their pay in a contract. Rumors had Pourcel looking for $2million. That's a lot of scratch when a guy could crash out of the season at the first race. Imagine paying out that $2 million for a guy that isn't racing. Kawasaki I think got their fill of that last year. It is also rumored that Villopoto took a pay CUT from his salary last year to stay at Kawasaki. I worry about the possibiity of Reed not being out there when Ping characterizes it as "very serious financial hurdles" that need to be cleared. This is the first I've heard of Pourcel sitting out. That would be dumb.

MXFLORIDA wrote: 11:30pm October 29, 2010

I invented the Exercise Chair 10 years ago, but it did not sell, more exercises sitting down, yes that's what we need more of! Kelly Shires

BKR wrote: 11:31pm October 29, 2010

Will Pattison is an inspiration. Good luck to you Will.

mroark wrote: 1:02am October 30, 2010

Will: Keep up the fight. You're looking good! I still say the photos we have that you took of Andrew during the Sunbelt are the best pictures I have of him.

motocross131 wrote: 10:42am October 30, 2010

I thought Alessi was racing Nationals only? Anyone know for sure?

hunt3r wrote: 10:49am October 30, 2010

No, that was my college roomate, Mitch Kumpstein http://static.reelmovienews.com/images/gallery/ty-webb-and-danny-noonan.jpg

RiderDown.org wrote: 11:10am October 30, 2010

Guys like Will Pattison, Danny Chandler, Chase Borders, James Marshall, Aaron Hill, Doug Henry, David Bailey, Amanda Anderson, Steve Mireau (and sadly a long list of others) have taught all of us at the RiderDown Foundation much about life in a chair. The grit and determination to stay positive and keep moving forward is remarkable and inspiring. Thank you all for your help!!

dgizzy wrote: 12:37pm October 30, 2010

I guess if CP doesnt get a ride here he knows he can go back to Europe and race Cairollia nd Townley for the title.Im pretty sure CP isnt worried and will stick to his guns. Well atleast he has option of GP's.

bd200 wrote: 1:04pm October 30, 2010

CP is not worth the 2 million he wants. He has yet to win anything except some regional supercross titles. He hasnt won outdoors yet. So he is asking for money that the champs get, and he hasnt accomplished that yet, In the 450 class the way it is, he may not ever win one here.

Mark01 wrote: 1:14pm October 30, 2010

Pourcel and Reed should form their own team together, since they are having troubles finding a ride. That way, the sponsors could pay their salary, they would get to split the team owners share, and be in control of the way they do things and also what equipment they're on. Also, if they were both comfortable, they would be able to do pretty well.

carlsbad wrote: 6:43pm October 30, 2010

bd200, I assume you meant that he hasn't won anything outdoors on a 450 (yet). We all know he's been winning motos & races on a 250 pretty much since he got here. I'm not a fan of foreign riders in general (that money should be going to home grown talent IMO plus I'm a red blooded / necked flag waiver) but, dude has skills. rumors have him more skilled on a 450 and that's something we need to see. It's a darn shame we're not getting the best talent on the best equipment because of the economy. I think everyone would like to see Reed on a Suzuki if that's what he was most comfortable with. I want to see all of the talent available represented in the best possible circumstances, that way whomever takes title will have shown everyone they prevailed through the toughest, most competitive series the WORLD has to offer.

jwelsh869 wrote: 9:26pm October 30, 2010

Who the hell is Mitch Kumpstein?

CR500 wrote: 9:30pm October 30, 2010

I call b.s. on Weege. Mark Barnett maintained his own track back in the 1980's. I'm pretty sure he didn't pee his money away on flashy cars, blinged out pick up trucks, and ridiculous diamond earrings. Doug Henry won his first race on a ratted out practice bike, and if the legend is true, with a bald rear tire! Deegan's infamous ghost ride when he won his sx race, privateer. And if someone could explain all the crybaby nonsense about motocross being a dangerous occupation compared to other dangerous occupations that don't even pay six figures, I would greatly appreciate it! Soldiers, miners, steel workers, roofers etc., they put their life on the line every day they go to work for a hell of a lot less money than these guys and in the process they actually contribute to society. Wake up and quit feeling sorry for some of these over paid pansies! And don't forget to get off your lazy rear and vote out the turds who are trying to close off lands to us and all others who enjoy the great outdoors in their own way.

canadianmxfan wrote: 10:05pm October 30, 2010

Will the economy ever get better? What will it take to make the financial problems go away for the AMA? Will more bike sales do it? Will that ever happen with the bikes being so expensvie and with costly engine rebuilds ? Will the AMA ever get better colour comentators to sound professional? I doubt it to all the above!!!

Mark01 wrote: 1:58am October 31, 2010

The reason that reed and porcuel arent signed is because they arent the best deal for the teams. They would rather pay 500K for a 4th place guy and get 4 of them instead of getting pourcel for 2 million. They just make business decisions to determine who has the greatest return on investment

youhen01 wrote: 5:43am October 31, 2010

Not even a mention of the Super-X down under, US 1-2-3 clean sweep. it was good racing.....

rainmanx63 wrote: 8:53am October 31, 2010

My son crashed very hard last spring, and recieved serious internal injury. I wasn't there but I was told the crash was very violent and scary. His friend told me he sumersaulted head "head over heals" several times. I got to the hospital just after the ambulance did. One of the first things he told me before he got wheeled into surgery was that he could feel his Leat brace jamming against his back everytime he somersaulted. Will wasn't wearing one in the video.

rainmanx63 wrote: 8:59am October 31, 2010

...Anyway, I remember shelling out nearly a grand, five or so years ago for him and his brother to have one. If you or your kids (or friends) don't wear one you need to. I would make them mandatory if I were a track owner and you wanted to race or practice on my track.

JDubya wrote: 10:45am October 31, 2010

Reed doesn't have the fire to win anymore and Pourcel doesn't do well outdoors in the heat. I can't see paying top dollar for either of them. RD, RV, Regal, Canard, and maybe a refocused Stewart. These are the new faces of MX/SX

bd200 wrote: 2:38pm October 31, 2010

CR500, I wont forget who killed our economy and brought all this financial problems to our sport. In the fall of 2007 was when our economy could take no more of billion dollar corp. tax breaks and record profits for oil co.'s and insurance co.'s.. And our sport has suffered because of it. I still remember who was in control of all untill election time in 2008. Lets not forget who did this to our economy. You cant fix 8 years of stupid in 22 months.

motoxin162 wrote: 3:16pm October 31, 2010

leave it to espn to bash on major title sponsors that fund alot of our most popular sports today. doesnt the "S" in ESPN stand for sports?

BillC wrote: 4:07pm October 31, 2010

Yes BD the DEM's were in control of the House and SEN... sence the Dem's took over 6 trillion in Debt!!!The housing bust did a lot of this to our economy and WHO did that?? The DEM's!! Bush said we are heading for trouble and Barnny Frank and Chris Dodd said it's fine and DID NOTHING... Sure Bush should have pushed harder but the Dem's where in control so it was an up hill battle for him.

bd200 wrote: 6:26pm October 31, 2010

The Dems didnt get control of anything until 2008, the '06 election left the Congress divided and nothing got done. From 2000 until 2008 the Repubs. pretty much did whatever they wanted with the economy. With nobody to answer too. And what did it get us!! Bush took office with 568 billion dollar surplus, and when he left, a 6 trillion dollar debt. You cant blame the Dems, since they have only been in complete control for less than 2 years. Look what they inherited.

BKR wrote: 9:47pm October 31, 2010

Hey see, bd200 and I disagree! It is hard to argue what you are saying bd, but let's not forget with Clinton in office the economy was booming. BOOMING with dot coms that went bust and took untold amounts of people's savings with them. My belief is that there are a series of ups and downs and the guy at the helm doesn't have much to do with it since these ups and downs span well beyond their potential 8 years in office. Clinton wasn't responsible for the good times entirely nor is Bush responsible for the bad. How would Clinton have handled 9/11 or Katrina? We witnessed how he handled the bombing of the USS Cole. Anyway, I don't blame Obama for much either. He's just at the helm for now.

BillC wrote: 6:46am November 1, 2010

Clinton was far left till the REP's took Congress thats when things got good because Clinton moved to the center. BD the DEM's had control of Congress sence 06 so Bush did not get to do what ever he wanted. You keep talking about Bushes debt but look what oBama has done!!! Makes all before him look like nothing and he did not have 9/11 or Katrina like BKR said all he did was SPEND even when people said it will not work and it did NOT work. Also the healthcare BS, Hopw much is that going to cost?? WE STILL don't know and they voted for it without even reading it!!! How sad is that?? 10years of TAXES to pay for 6 years of healthcare!!! sounds good right??? now this year healthcare is going up 20 - 40% because of this crap!!! if they really wanted to help people why not let us buy across state lines?? That would cost NOTHING but thats not what the GOV want's is it?? No that want control of our lives.

BillC wrote: 6:56am November 1, 2010

BKR u have to blaim oBama some he is the one who twisted arms and bribed for votes to get this stuff thru were Bush just did not have the ba!!s to veto some stuff thay passed.

CR500 wrote: 8:02am November 1, 2010

I tried to keep my election comments motorcycle related, but I cannot allow someone to spread falsehoods unchecked. BD200: it was Barney Frank who pushed Fannie and Freddie to write toxic home mortgages. Nancy Pelosi is the one who spouted off that "we have to pass the health care bill to see what's in it". Obummer promised transparency in government throughout his entire campaign, only to iron the final details out behind closed doors. What a liar! That's change for you, straight down the slippery slope of socialism. Then there's the crackpot Dem from Chicago who introduced a bill that would have made it illegal for anyone under the age of 16 to ride a motorcycle or quad. Luckily the AMA caught wind of it giving people enough time to bombard their reps to poo poo it before it came up for a vote in the Illinois House. How old were you when you first rode? Politicians on the east coast closed lands to all off road recreation all over the rockies, despite the protest of the people who lived in those areas. They knowingly killed jobs related to off road tourism during the worst recession since the great depression. That's not "of the people for the people by the people". I should add that both sides of the isle are guilty of making laws that do not apply to them, especially the health care bill. Do you know that Congress is exempt from the healthcare law? Do you know they get a pension for life if they serve only one term? And that pension is not social security.

CR500 wrote: 8:18am November 1, 2010

BD200, look it up, know the facts before you comment, the federal deficit has multiplied since Obummer and his cronies took office. You can't blame that on Bush. That's no defense of what Bush did either. How many vacations has your hero taken since he came to the White House? Are you aware of how many personal assistants Michelle Obummer has that you and I have to pay for? Except for Hilary, no other first lady ever had more than one personal assistant. As far as taxing the top earners goes, when was the last time a poor man gave someone else a job? The federal government struggled to manage cash for clunkers, now they will be in control of healthcare. Scary stuff.

bd200 wrote: 9:03am November 1, 2010

CR500, dont talk about vacations. check your facts.. Bush spent more time on vacation than any persident in history. That is a fact. And BILLC, since Obama became president my taxes has dropped. I pay less income tax than I did with Bush and his so-called tax cuts. My property tax went up, yes state related. But the state re-assessed every ones property taxes because Bush cut state funding to pay for his so-called tax cuts. Thats how he paid for it, cutting state funding and my everyones property taxes went up. So how is that a tax cut?? I dont even want to talk about Bush and 9/11, he is an idiot. I am not saying Oboma is great or anything, but I DO NOT want the idiots that were there before. They ARE responsible for this mess. It takes at least 3 years for a government plan to be completely instilled into the economy. Its the way it is. And we all experienced the bad economic plan by Bush/Cheney. So I am saying see if this works. I am not talking about spending, noone had a problem when Bush did it, just when a Dem. does.

bd200 wrote: 9:10am November 1, 2010

Toxic home mortgages?? They wernt toxic until Bush killed off a couple million jobs. Look how high unemployment went under Bush.. How can anyone argue that fact. Look back 30/40 years and you will see that unemployment jumps under every republican president. It is fact, I never saw it really untill I looked up the numbers. It is true. And they have faded from what they used to be. there is an ultra-consrvative sheriff in Cincinnati, he has been there since '88. And this year he is backing 3 DEms. The reason, he said he is tired of the NO answers they give to everything a Dem. says ffor no other reason than to say no to a Dem. He says thier values mean nothing to them. And they dont give any ideas how to fix anything, just complain and mud-sling. He is right. No Rpubs. are offering any solutions, they have tried to stall everything just to try and win back seats at the expense of our country. I am sick of it, they also drove up they deficit while in control, and not one person said a word when theRepubs did it, now its big news. hypocrites.

bd200 wrote: 9:23am November 1, 2010

I will say this, I am glad we can talk about something as toxic as talking politics can be and not resort to the name-calling crap again. It is refreshing, and I am glad we live in a country where we have the freedom to vote every election. Now if we can just get everyone(Repub. or Dems) to get out there and vote I will be thrilled. And no I dont just vote Dems. there are several Repubs. I vote for every year. And two of them are endorsed by the Union I belong to. So there goes some guys theories out the window. I just havent forgotten the moves by several Repub. candidates that were job killers for the middle class and why we voted them out in the first place. And here were I live, its those same guys running again. Where is the new blood comong into the political market?? We need some fresh faces.

yamahaa wrote: 9:29am November 1, 2010

Bd200, you do not know what you are talking about when it comes to anything moto related. Why on earth are you trying to discuss politics. I would rather you stick with moto related topics and leave your politics to a yahoo discussion.

BillC wrote: 10:39am November 1, 2010

bd you skipped over most all of cr500's points. You still say Bush caused the Toxic home mortgages!!! You are so far off on that, ONCE AGAIN.. BARNNY FRANK and his DEM buddys did it, You can say people lost there jobs because of Bush but twell me this how did a person making 40K buy 2 houses in or 1 house for $750,000.. Was that Bushes fault too?? Come on look at the big picture man. And PLEASE don't tell me how the spending now is big news!!! You hardly hear it but when Bush was in it was on the news everyday along with the Death count!!! But the WAR is STILL going on another oBama LIE and more people have died on Obamas watch than Bushes but I don't see that on the news EVERYDAY because the NEWS is FAR LEFT. Funny how you say "Bushes so-called tax cuts" ... are they the SAME ones you said no one saw but NOW oBAMA wants top extend???... Obama has run the most coruped GOV I have seen!! More back room deals and arm twisting and TAX cheat's than I have ever seen!!

BillC wrote: 10:47am November 1, 2010

Bd u also say it will take 3 years to see how oBamas stuff works, Well we aready know the healthcare crap the FORCED thru will cost 1 trilion more than thay said it would and oBama's own team said it is NOT sustanable!! He said by spending $1,000,000,000,000 he would creat jobs!!! WHERE are they?? He said unemployment would not go over 8% but its been near 10% for a year (real #'s are upper teens) but You say Nothing about that!! I did not Like a lot of the Money Bush spent but what oBama has spent make it look like peeing in the ocean!! U talk about Bushes deficit what about oBAMAS?? It WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY bigger... But u just blaim bush for what oBama does.

bd200 wrote: 2:12pm November 1, 2010

I have said on here several times that I do not agree with alot of what Obama has done. But I don not want the same lemmings that we voted out in 2008. They put our country into a very bad way. We are slowly coming out of the recession. The health care bill is a hot topic of course for the Repubs. to jump on because of the money it cost, just like the stimulus. But what gets me is none of the Repubs. screamed when Bush signed the first stimulus, just when Obama did one. That is the crap that I hate. Its O.K. for a Repub. to do something, but not a Dem. to do the same thing. Its hypocriticle. And yamahaa, you dont have to read it.

sef154 wrote: 2:29pm November 1, 2010

Let me get this straight. By the end of the Bush years, the economy was like a snowball speeding down a hill, but you guys apparently think Obama (and I would say "Obummer" this and "Obummer" that qualifies as name-calling) should have done nothing. Please share with us, all you economic wizards (aka Conservative lemmings), what EXACTLY should he have done? I'm waiting. This should be good.

BillC wrote: 2:57pm November 1, 2010

SEF he is the one who said HE new how to FIX it not us!!! Why do you skip over that time and time again??? The best way to fix it seeing you asked... Pretty much a 180 from what he did.... HE was to busy ramming his Healthcare thru even though he said the economy is #1... But it was not Healthcare was #1 to him. Start with helping businesses, Who is going to spend money when he says I am going to rase your taxes!!! I am a small bis owner and Pulled back just like almost all businesses. I hired 1 new guy 6 months ago could have hired 2 but instead worked harder and longer hrs to not have to deal with the BS if I had to let someone go... I pay pay pay. + why do you thing so many people don't want to work?? You can make $600 a week doing nothing and if you take a job for 3 months and get layed off it messes up there unemployment benefits so it not worth the risk for people, the GOV made it to easy to sit on your ass!! All Obama talks about is spreading the welth... well sorry I ****rk very hard for my money and don't feel like giving it to someone who does not want to work. Problem is these people telling us what to do don't do it themself.. Look at what thay have I don't see them handing out there money But Obama stands there and says " I do feel at some point you made enough money" WHY hurt the people that creat jobs?? It has been proven time and time again lower taxes creates more revenue and it has been proven what he want to do does not work... look around the word it does

BillC wrote: 3:07pm November 1, 2010

NOT work. You take away the incentive and people will pull back. If everyone gets a B in class who will try?? If your in Debt SEF would you try to spend your way out or Cut back every where?? Who trys to spend there way out of debt except the GOV??

sef154 wrote: 4:20pm November 1, 2010

So Bill, you're saying you would do NOTHING. Bush gave everybody tax cuts and ... oops ... the economy was going in the toilet. I guess after tomorrow we'll get a glimpse of how great the Repubs do. Oh, and I'm sure that the millions that went on unemployment (starting with your Republican boy's term) ALL said, "F it; I don't want to work." Gotta go now; I'm going to try to find someone to have an intelligent conversation with.

BillC wrote: 6:36pm November 1, 2010

Sef oBama is spending like crazy, I said I would do 180 from what he is doing.... and you say "so you would do nothing"..... Really Sef i though you were smarter than that. Thats what 180 means to you??... If so maybe it would be best if you go somewhere and talk with some of them people u say are so intelligent....WTF

BKR wrote: 8:57pm November 1, 2010

I gotta say I see some new jobs created everyday on my way to work. They are beautifying the side of the highway with a grant from Obama. They are cutting down old trees....and planting new ones....and doing some fine landscaping. When the work first started it looked like some new exits were going in where they would alleviate traffic....no such luck. These guys have been at it for close to a year now and it seems SOOOO freaking wasteful.

sef154 wrote: 10:24pm November 1, 2010

Try to follow, Bill. One more time. When YOU took over for Bush (I shudder at the thought), you would have done NOTHING. You would've simply continued with the tax cuts that were already in place, despite the fact that the economy was sinking like a rock. That appears to be what you're saying. Didn't seem like corporate America was doing a lot of "self-stimulating" at the time (maybe a lot of F'ing us in the ass). If that's your plan, you suck at this leadership stuff. So in your business (to use another analogy), if for whatever reason it got run into the ground, it wouldn't need any investment to revitalize it? Maybe even a loan? Hmmmm. Note: I am in NO WAY saying that I approve of the way our gov't spends money, but that's not to say that investment isn't the right thing. You have no more clue than the man in the moon how to fix things and you also have a serious misunderstanding of what a president is capable of doing given his legal and procedural limitations.

BillC wrote: 6:12am November 2, 2010

SEF, Talk about trying to follow, 180....he is spending..... I stop and CUT.... get it ... 180 = the Opposite....There is SO much waste in GOV its insane!!! When people see the GOV spending out of control they tighten up but if I see the GOV riunning like my Bis I said lets roll. also Sef the Tax cuts you keep bashing.... Would them be the same ones obama now wants to KEEP?? BKR that's what our GOV does... Pisses money away.

sef154 wrote: 7:16am November 2, 2010

You haven't answered the question: why weren't the tax cuts working for Bush? Did tax cuts pull us out of the Great Depression? You seem incapable of acknowledging that I am AGREEING with you that gov't spending is wasteful. (Your arguments usually have only ONE purpose: show that YOU'RE right and your opponent is WRONG. Charming.) Two reasons for the spending: GREED, fueled and funded by corporate America, and modern politics - everybody wants less gov't spending, but NOBODY wants THEIR particular area cut. Would you like infrastructure spending cut around your home? I doubt it. It's the catch 22 of the ages. Better efficiency would help, but I've yet to see Dems OR Republicans capable of that. Back to the business analogy, cutting alone is never going to bring your business back from the brink.

BillC wrote: 10:42am November 2, 2010

The Tax cuts did help but when Obama started spending like crazy u can through that out the window because Bush was gone 2 years ago and things have been going down hill, If he was still in and did not Ram healthcare thru and the 1 trillion Pork bill YES I THINK things would be better.No way to prove that right or wrong though but I think people would feel better about the country and not pull back so much. On your next point, Why are you on here to push your thoughts just like me and everyone else... Right or wrong yup... This is the Big world there is no even steven what is wrong with right and wrong sef?? I know the Libs want everything = right??. I would like the wastful infrastructure spending cut!!! privatize it, The state workers are a JOKE!!! I have seen MANY jobs that took them 2 weeks with 8 guys that a privite guy would do in 2 days with 2 guys and they run everthing that way its a joke. No Cutting alone will not always work but that is your best first step. If your sales stay the same and you can cut your spending you will do better... right??

sef154 wrote: 2:06pm November 2, 2010

Some people "discuss" things and accept that other people have valid points. You denounce every opinion that disagrees with you (even when you're flat wrong). You're about as fun as a sharp stick in the eye. As yzsean would say, have a nice day. Feel free to blather on with many more posts. Just know that you'll be talking to yourself ... and I'll be pushing for equality ... which means regulation of corporate greed, equal access to health care, and many other things that I'm sure you disagree with. But I'm done reading your crap.

BillC wrote: 2:30pm November 2, 2010

You lambast me for wanting to be right then you say "even when you're flat wrong"...LMFAO You Hypocrite!!! You don't want to play anymore because I and almost eveyone else wont buy your CRAP!! what a cry baby... Take your pale and go home then. what a joke.

JDubya wrote: 10:11pm November 2, 2010

Ummmm, can we get back to dirt bikes please?

BillC wrote: 10:24am November 3, 2010

BY BY Dem's!!! LOL

canadianmxfan wrote: 12:26pm November 3, 2010

if the economy gets better then it will help motocross! But mabey the big leaders don't care! IF everyone is working too hard to get through the bad economy then they won't have time to think. The gove don't want the people to get healthy, they have laws that allow nasty things to be done to your food , tobacco and i'm sure many other things. SICK people spend lots of money on drugs..Is big pharmacy running this country and mine? Likely. I doubt the rich are feeling the pinch so i don't expect things to get much better. For the sake of motocross i hope something good happens.

Look for the verified symbol