by Andy Bowyer
One Industries Rev Up: Contents Under Pressure
Friday, April 29, 2011 | 3:15 PM
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Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Rev Up. Isn’t it funny when you hear a familiar song you tend to reverberate back to a moment that encompasses it? Maybe I’m alone here, but my war torn and weary memory placed little red flags around pertinent people, places, and events by way of song. If I ever listened to a song enough to memorize it, there is someone or something that I place the song around. Whether I hear it on the radio, on my iPod, or in a public setting, a song takes me somewhere I used be, and like.
It’s human nature to forget what we want to remember, and remember what we want to forget. But, the way my head works, the music takes me there every time.
Chad Reed is making major changes to his bike with two rounds to go.
Photo: Garth Milan
While pondering the closure of the 2011 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season, I heard a song today that took me back to a time in my life when motocross was different to me. I first heard the metal band, Pro Pain, in 1996. This was the beginning of the Crusty Demons era, and everything about our sport was changing. The clean cut, corporate look was caught with an uppercut of chrome helmets and bleached hair, then put to sleep by a roundhouse of aggression and rebellion that left us with the product we see today on live television.
The song, State of Mind, by Pro Pain, put me in this, ahem, state of mind. “Contents Under Pressure” remains one of my favorite metal records ever. But I digress...
It’s time to see how this song is going to end.
I went into a lot last week, but I wanted to rap about a particular aspect that has me thinking quite a bit. So, they’re going to throw Chad Reed on Trey Canard’s vacant steed, huh? How much of a monkey wrench will this throw into the fight? He’s tweeted about the hydraulic clutch and such, but how much of a difference can the factory bike make? And in that regard, why would he want to get off a bike that he has used the whole season to get accustomed to? I mean, the bike put him in a situation to win the championship, bottom line.
Will getting help from American Honda make the difference for Reed?
Photo: Simon Cudby
That said, Reed hasn’t had the speed all year. The only guys beating him are on full-blown factory bikes. Moreover, Canard was the cream of the crop before he got busted up. Why was this? Is Canard a better rider than Chad Reed? I don’t think so. Is his bike better than the “TwoTwo Motorsports” ride The Thunder has been racing? Well, yes it is. It’s lighter, faster, and has more resources behind it than any bike on the starting line.
How will it help Chad win the championship? Will the hydraulic clutch help him get in and out of corners quicker? Will it be easier to navigate through timing sections, and help him get better starts? Who knows.
What I believe is certain, is that Reed believes it will help. Chad’s a pretty, “heady” cat, hell, all those animals are. Like the placebo effect (thanks Cox), all that matters is that #22 thinks it will help him, and in that thought process alone, it will.
Does the privateer status still hold with Reed?
Photo: Garth Milan
With two races remaining, we cannot ask for anything more. One of the four title hopefuls is going to win and it is going to get nasty. The music of the night is coming our way. Only two gate drops remain to decide who is going to stand tall and claim this one.
These contents are very much under pressure, my friends. Let’s get ready to see the show!
Thanks for reading, see you next week.
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The real question is....does Canards bike want Chad Reed on it????
Hole Shot! Goooooooo REED!!!!!!!!!! #1
As Ricky always said a confident Reed is a fast Reed and when he's confident you can't stop him. I'm pulling for him for sure I want to see him win this thing.
REED DESERVES IT PERIOD
Now this is where things are kind of screwy in my opinion.... Reed pretty much said he doesnt want to be on a factory team in order to "do things his way" and on his own. He said he doesnt need their help to win a championship, but now he'll take what he can from them ? So if he wins, he won on a Factory Bike not his own team Two Two Bike..... I see where Honda is coming from, its a Win win for Honda either way....So is Reed a Sell Out??? .....hydraulic clutch and lighter wheels are not going to make or break it......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UKJBcIZNYA
Pro Pain Rocking State of Mind......Enjoy the RUSH
Sell out, Reed is still on his own bike, riding for the team he owns. He is just getting more parts from the Honda factory, he is NOT riding Canards bike. He got some help, I would take it too. Can you blame him??
Reedy is using only selected parts off the factory machine on his familiar setup. He tested both, and chose a hybrid setup combining components. He has improved the machine over what it was, which means a happier Reed. The old hard scrubbin Reed is back on this machine.......more like what we saw from him in ATL.
reed sucks he will win if he gets a chance to put some guys in the cheap seats..just like vegas............go villy and stewy..............
I dont blame Reed at all for accepting help....But he did in a way say "F-Off factory guys" before he started his team, no he is taking hand me downs.... Help was offered to him before the start of the season, but he wasnt getting the money he wanted along with it, so he said " i'll do it on my own ".....so Honda is the winner in this in the end since they are not paying him a dime (allegedly)...Reed is no slouch on the bike, we all know that and although Reed is a complete boner at times he is a great rider. We all know under the Two Two logos' is still a kick ass Honda....,but I dont think these few little parts are going to make much difference....Dont know how much money he lost with the 3 race win gamble insurance policy he has....
Whoever wins this title is going to have to stay out of the right hand first turn carnage tomorrow night. It is gonna make or break some title chances right their I am guessing. I really am not going to be upset which one of these four win, its been the best season ever!
Reed to lead
I hear what you mean about songs taking you back!
"One of the four will win?" Not so fast there. I'm wondering how much Jake Weimer may affect the results. He is on the Kawasaki Team. ???
Reed has to take the parts, there better then what he has but I see your point about taking them after saying i don't need a factory bike mine is just as good.
I agree the first corner of the race is the biggest factor, not the parts. What a season we've had; tempted to jump a plane and go see it.
reed now has the factory riding on his coatail.haha!!
RPM393...yes. Winning.
i wore out two vhs crusty 1 videos! which crusty vid was that song on, i've never heard it before
First time going to vegas i cant wait to watch the finales .. hope Reed can pull this off..2m race is gonna be another rutty race in snow this time! hope he can keep it on two wheels going into that right handier.
In a way each of the top four deserve this CShip :
Reed , like him or not is one of the all time great SX riders and winning this thing against this field should erase any doubt. Ya he plays rough...... so ?
Dungey is right where he needs to be and the top stop would shut all the blah blah about no comp last year
Stewart without a doubt is the fastest of the four and to come from no shot to good shot ? He gives it all he's got and picks his ass up off the ground and I respect that.
Has anyone seen the real Ryan Villopoto lately ? Not qualify for a main ?.For him to be where he's at coming from way behind so many times.......... Get a freakin start and lay some wood RV and take what was yours to begin with.
Dirt
Jeez Bowyer, "hasn't had the speed all year" ?? Have you looked any lap times other than practice? You missed Reed run down RD, pass and battle JS, drop RV, TC and RD in various races? Reed's issue has not been as much about speed as early season crashes, bad starts, mistakes, then more crashes and mistakes late in the season. Stats, like Main Event average lap times, are available to the public, online ;)
honda will do anything it can to get a title it hasnt had one until uh they let r.c. go and then have been kicking themselves in the a@@ ever since. they let johnny omara go, they steal rick johnson and jeff stanton from yamaha they let mcgrath go and he came back and kick there @@2 on a yamaha, rc put it to them on a suziki, with the caliber of riders they have know they have quite a while before they get another supercross title.
Despite all the parts Reed will get... As BD200 pointed out.. It's still not Canard's bike.
As for the "F-off factory guys"... That line was used by Reed at the start of the season... Only because he still felt bitter, Honda never made any serious offer or any at all to Reed...
But Reed took what ever Honda offered as support. Mainly hand me down parts.
Honda is the biggest winner in this affair.. They do not for sure pay any $$ to Reed.. And Reed is happy on whatever parts he thinks it will help him win the championship.
As for the last post regaring Honda not winning since RC.. Bear in mind, since MC's days at Honda... When Honda hired RC for the big $$... The sales of the bikes were a far cry to what it was when MC rode for Honda.
And after 04'.. Honda decided it was not worth it renewing a contract.. Even if it is RC... And at the end.. I can not blame Honda...
Suzuki needed someone to put the brand up front.. So they took advantage of it.
However.. I believe Honda has a good team, bike and riders (when healthy)... And still is the team which has gthe biggest budget out there.
Honda is a business first and foremost. And IMHO, lost riders like MC, RC and others based on business decisions and not on rider loyalty. I remember thinking they're crazy for letting these guys go and, it's bitten them in the behind since. Is it time for Honda to respect rider loyalty as companies like KTM has done in other series'? I think Honda have paid their penance and hopefully can come up with an AMA SX series win soon. I hope, as Andy has said, that CR's confidence will rise, which in turn, brings him 2 more wins.
Reed did not get anything from Honda at the beginning of the season...He should at least have gotten Josh Grant's ride...he's %^&$ Chad Reed! Now Honda is kissing his ass and begging to give him their bikes and works parts. Nice. Good job Chad. Win the whole thing, retire, and tell Honda to go F$%^ themselves...unless you want to race Indy cars...then you should probably kiss their ass a bit more.
So Honda is going to ride Reed's coat tails now and he's allowing/embracing it? I understand you don't want to burn bridges, but if Honda slammed the door on Reed at contract time, why would he be so willing to let them tag along on his success now? C'mon, Reed - show some business grit! You've come this far "by yourself" (without Honda's help or at least that's what you've had us believe) - why quit now????
Adam - Reed has had some "help" from Honda since day one, that is a fact. At A1 they were helping with computer diagnostics and giving pleanty of tips advice etc. They didn't completely ignore the guy....sure they were not giving up parts that we know of but to say he got nothing from Honda is ridiculous....Reed wanted a boat load of cash and was playing poker so to speak and lost out....Honda was already committed to 2 other riders and Reed really loved the Honda..He could have sucked it up, worked out a deal with Honda and he would be their top dog right now....but he wanted to do things his way.....i do hive him credit for starting his own team however....
Hey all mostly good comments I dont have much to add. I have a lot of respect for all of the racers and am fond of Reed for wanting to do it his way. Yes way down inside I am hoping Reed can pull thiss off. Ipersonally never liked the feel of a hydralic clucth not even in my Ford F150 but I have not ridden with the latest clutches on the MX bikes. So if it makes Chad have more confidence that is good!
Honda is winning in the end here, but not as big as some might think. When a rider wins a championship on a "Factory Honda" the motorcycle buying public is lead to believe that any and all factory parts and technology will be used on the next model year bike. Thus increasing sales nubers for Honda at the dealership, which is Hondas ultimate goal. When a rider wins a championship on a "Privateer" machine (a honda CRF that has been outfitted with "outside" aftermarket parts", it doesnt look "as good" for Honda. because then the argument can be made that the "Aftermarket/Privateer/Jo Schmo" beat the "Factory" team (which has har more resources available to it). to top it off "Honda" didnt win the championship, TwoTwoMotorsports won the championship. will sales numbers inprove? probably. asmuch as if Reed jumped on TC's Factory bike? Probably not. but is Honda paying for Reed if he wins? Nope (they handed him some parts for free). Will Hondas logo be plastered all over Reeds bike on the finish line jump? nope (but TwoTwoMotorsports will be). Reed choosing NOT to ride Canards bike but improve his own with a few choice parts does not go against what he said previously, it just proves that his bike ws a Hydraulic Clutch and a set of Wheels away from Canards. At least in his eyes...
Reed has been getting support from factory Honda since he started his team. (I.E. his works transmission.) There is no point in knocking him for taking more help at this point.
ABSOLUTELY on the music thing..................but.....smoke on the water comes to my mind ....and a I'll handling canned ham. This is gonna be good tonight I do believe, too bad this'n ain't live on the tube.
vegas is always too tight.
Love Pro-Pain, got all their albums.
Check out Pro-Pain vs Spongebob "Put the lights out" on youtube. Great stuff!!