450 Words: Red Riders
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There was a time when Team Honda could do no wrong. The Red Riders once dominated the sport to the tune of 13 AMA Supercross titles in 15 years, and many of those titles were won with riders many had not predicted as future stars—or riders that had not had such success until they switched to the CR line of bikes. Either way, the Honda system, or the Honda Way, was able to produce championships even when it didn’t look like they had the most talented riders in the pits. And when they did have the best riders, there was no doubt.
Honda’s run of dominance ended sharply when Jeremy McGrath split ways with the brand just before the 1997 season—MC took his four-straight SX titles to Suzuki that year but failed to win a fifth, but Honda, without time to replace MC, also came up short in another title bid. From there, Honda tried getting back to the top with the likes of Ezra Lusk, Kevin Windham, Sebastian Tortelli and Mikael Pichon on the factory squad, and Mike LaRocco through the Factory Connection team, but it wasn’t until they lured Ricky Carmichael over that they finally got the title back. And in a way, that venture was still not successful as hoped, because fans didn’t respond well to RC’s switch to the brand. Ten years after signing Carmichael to a mammoth contract for 2002, Team Honda has never again thrown a massive offer at a high-end free agent. Stewart, Reed, Villopoto and Dungey have all been on the market over the last few years, but Honda never offered a blank-check type of deal in their direction.
Seely has been a pleasant surprise for Muscle Milk Honda since taking over for an injured Trey Canard.
Photo: Carl Stone
But the brand is building success in other ways. The Factory Connection unit—now dubbed GEICO Powersports Honda—has developed amateur riders from the ground up, and the factory squad is beginning to benefit. Trey Canard is out injured at the moment, but he has delivered wins for the brand on a 450, and Justin Barcia lit it up last summer on Canard’s bike. Could someone like Eli Tomac be far behind?
Meanwhile, riders like Justin Brayton and Cole Seely weren’t on the radar through the amateur ranks, but Honda has grabbed them at the right time to deliver on some stellar riding. Seely rode superbly last weekend in Atlanta and actually looked just as impressive in St. Louis, even if a crash prevents the results from showing it. Brayton is a workhorse who finally delivered his first podium for the team. Meanwhile, Kevin Windham has been solid for a decade on the Factory Connection program, and Reed, now with full factory support, had his TwoTwo team in the thick of the championship hunt until an injury struck him down.
Gone are the days of domination with Johnson, McGrath or Carmichael. By the end of this season, a decade will separate Honda from their last AMA Supercross Championship. But Honda is proving that just about anyone who gets on a CRF450 can be a player—and in some ways, that’s a better endorsement for a brand than just winning everything in sight with one rider.
Brayton earned his first podium with Honda in St. Louis.
Photo: Carl Stone
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Didn't there dominance leave with Roger? Other than RC who could win on a Vespa.
Never liked the Company so i don't mind them not winning. Have heard way to many storys over the years about how arrogant the CO is. To many to not have some truth to them. They gave RC a raw deal, Doug Henry also just to name a few.
James Stewart continues too impress me with his "Nascar" suspension setup...
Hay Jg hows that whole "Nascar is better than Moto-x knowledge thing goin"???
I'm so so sick of the Nascar thing... And the quad ads...
Motocross is a unique sport=lets keep it that way
motorhead620...put down the pipe man...what are you talking about...this article is about honda, not stewart...
carry on
Sorry,that last batch of bathtubmeth was a little heavy...
Was just thinking while driving bout how much $$$ we spent on Indy tickets-and red riders are pretty much oughta game now.
clicked on first s.l. 450 link I seen
NOW I can set pipe down
Gone are the day of domination.Mathes don't know if you've noticed.RV has won last 4 out of 5.I'm pretty sure by the end of this series it will look like RV totally dominated.I say he will win at least 5 more before this series end.If he doesn't it will be because he lays up.
@BillC, I'm with you on this one. Not only did they shaft RC, lost faith in him after his knee surgery, they screwed over Mcgrath also.. And Doug Henry.. They are kinda like the Yankees of moto, I dont like the company much.. Do like K-Dub though, and Canard. And Barcia too, and that Bogle kid.. Thier future sure looks promising, as long as they dont screw these guys over too.
Not to mention shafting Valentino Rossi over in Moto - GP...this company honestly has a culture embedded in it that feels that their product is so superior, anyone could win on their bikes...(which was revealed in the Rossi scandal) they have just now began to win again (a title) with Casey Stoner.
Point is they throw their stars out when they feel thay are past prime - and usually pay dearly for it...
@ Fred maybe Mattes should have wrote gone are the days of "honda" domination...but that would have been altogether too obvious...
Brayton? Hondas new Scott Sheek. This guy will do nothing for Honda.
@bd200 MC left Honda because he didn't want to race the new aluminum frame. Our any frame past 93 from Honda. He was on the 03 frame thru 96.
Not a fan of the big red but hats off as they probably have the best bikes out there. I dont see any other manufacturer that can pull a kid ouf of the lites and be top 10 in the 450's.
@Jimmy15
Brayton is doing more for Honda than Canard, Reed, and Windham are. A podium is nothing? The guy is still learning and is getting better every year. Quit bashing on a good guy, especially after landing his first podium of his pro SX career, you ignorant prick.
Not to mention he's riding with a BROKEN LEG. Try that on for size.
With barcia moving up next year Honda should have a shot again. Also if Kawi doesn't snatch up Deano, my money is on Reed having him as a team mate. Reed, Barcia, Canard (maybe), possibly Seely and KW is a pretty solid stable of guys.
Honda has a great history behind them. It seems that things change when the decision makers pass away. In with new and new philosophies. There is a feeling that the talent (riders) are just casual relationships. Money changes everything.
I will never forget the first time I laid my eyes on the first year XR75 or 1974 Elsinore 125. Pure joy. If you rode and know what a QA50 is congratulations on making it this far.
Here is a good story about Honda's atitude. The Dealer i raced for and got to know very well told me this one. This is a street bike story, At the time I don't rememeber the model but Yamaha had a great price on a midle of the road type bike, The competeing Honda cost a TON more and was not as nice, Did not have as many nice things on it. So he says to Honda how do I sell this when Yamaha has this much nicer bike for less.... There answer.... Wait for it..... "They will buy it because it's a Honda"..... Guess what They did not.
@jimmy15- Not according to Mcgrath. Honda was taking forever sending MC a contract, when he finally recieved it, it had an extra 12 page section with restrictions on what he was allowed to do off the track. He couldnt jet-ski, snowboard, BMX.. And they had fines for everything..And they sent that contract one week before testing..The guy who did it was a Honda guy named Ray Blank, VP of Hondas motorcycles..He never went to a race, or involved in racing at all.
After all that he went ahead and rode the bike, he said then it was terrible,and decided he wasnt going to renew, based on that new bike he didnt have time to test, and they wouldnt budge on thier new restrictions.. Honda even tried to bully Suzuki and tried to intimidate them into not signing him..When he signed with Suzuki, alot of the money came from Suzuki of Troy--$200,000 of it, who was the owner owned Honda of Troy also, so Honda pulled Honda of Troys bonus program, which was $80,000 in parts and factory recognition... Honda didnt win a race that year with Steve Lamson and Scott Sheak.
Jimmy15.
Brayton will do nothing for Honda ? Right and RD5 will do nothing for KTM.
JimM
Pala374
@ bd200, good info! I did not do my homework and check facts but much of it sounds very familiar to memory.
Thanks for sharing good insight.
Funny, I own a CRF450 but have not really routed for Honda Factory guy since RC was there. Do like Canard alot and Brayton seems like a real solid guy. As long as the Ryan's are not riding Red, I won't be cheering for a Honda.
If series is locked down or RV and RD are not racing, than I would pull for TC, KW and Brayton. Otherwise, sorry Honda.
I really wanted Dungey to end up on Honda, but there wasn't even rumors about that one. They probably figured, rightfully so, that with Canard on the factory team and Reed on Two-Two, they had 2 top level guys already.
And KTM may have been more willing to open their checkbook, which is kind of telling when you consider Honda Corp is probably at least 10 times the size of KTM
@Blackjack, I remember the QA 50, First bike I ever rode.It wasn't mine but it was cool and got me hooked.
There are stories like these for all the brands. It's not just Honda or motocross. Business execs are often major douche bags and think of nothing but the bottom line. That's just the way the business world works. Often they create havoc and bad feelings with the consumers and employees at one company then move up the ladder at another company.
Brayton is slowly but surely getting better. I wish the politics at Honda had not been an issue over the years, but they have put out some great machinary that is quality and lasts. (And I'm cheap so it makes sense for me to buy their stuff). I love my 94 250 and my 06 F. Also, I have to say that wearing your hat over your ear is queer. Please put this trend and the pants falling down in the same trash basket. In Jesus name.
Red has always been dominant, it just changed from red bikes to red hair @ 10-12 yrs. ago.
Honda helped start my MX life when I got an MR 50!......back in '73' I believe. A neighbor of mine had the QA but that wasn't as trick. The MR was the small version of the XR, and the XR was the small version of the Elsinore; and the Elsinore was pure MX bliss! Great memories! Say what you want about the business part of the company, and it's probably true, but they make good products!
@VISTAJIM,motodox
Good times, great memories. That MR 50 was an Elsinore. Bad to the bone. The XR 75 was a 4-stroke and very competitive in the beginning. We have come full circle on the 4-stroke. The QA 50 was a 2 speeder auto clutch, no rear shocks. You couldn't kill it.
Yeah, the XR's gave my friends fits on their MC1M Kaw's.I wanted one so bad,had to wait over 25 years but I have one now in almost mint condition and I ride it every year at Vintage Days.
QA had a weak 2nd gear, but had to be one of the coolest looking bikes ever.
My one and only question is, does brayton draw his eye browse on with a Sharpie?
Braytons gonna be the sleepr at Daytons.....ya heard it here 1st. Joe.
crack pipe burnt my fingers,,,Sleeper at Daytona* Brayton.
@JoeMoto. I was thinking the samething about Brayton's eyebrows. WTF!? Any way I have a KXF now but only because I got the deal of a life time on it. I am at heart a Honda guy, they're not always the fastest but the attention to detail is what makes it a great bike IMO. Frankly if you can remember the QA50's, and I clearly do, all the bikes today are really exeptional. We have fuel injection now! Who would have even dreamed of that 10 years ago? I remember thinking a disc brake would never work on a dirt bike either. And remember when they were called "upside down forks"? As far as rooting for a brand at the races I don't, I root for the riders regardless of what they're on. Can't wait for Daytona, spending the whole day there and I'm as giddy as a school girl!
My bad that was RacingfortheSon who noted the sharpie eyebrow pencil. Kinda like when Elaine drew them Uncle Leo on that old Seinfeld episode!
I can personally vouch for what BillC said at the top of the comments. In the 70's our shop got a Honda franchise, we already had yamaha and a few other minor brands. As sevice manager I had to deal with a lot of stuff with Honda mainly the warrenty stuff. The arrogance of the people that I talked with was unreal. I was trying to work on the behalf of my customers on stuff that was really a defective part from Honda and they would not budge. I realy dreaded having to work with the Honda people. Yamaha was the total opposite.
@motoxdoc, wow, how quickly I forgot. Your comments made me think about when I got the bug and where it all started. Like most it was with a Honda.A 1975 XR75.
As a kid I would go to the Honda shop and hang out looking at the bikes and that poster of Jeff Ward berm blasting that XR75.
So I got one and the first time I went to the track I remember admiring the Hell out of those YZ80's. They sounded and smelled soooo much better!
Toomanyarrows has it right. The Flat brimmed caps pulled OVER the ears is just ridiculously ridiculous and conduct unbecomming for any self-respecting moto-rider who actually thinks for himself and has a pair.
Oh, and Dungey is going to CRUSH them all.
@ bd200, I think if you recheck your facts you'll find that both Lamson and Sheak won races for Honda in '97.
Honda has always made great bikes and products in general, no doubt about it. Every brand has had winners and losers (bikes and racers), but Honda's record speaks for itself. The egotistical attitude displayed by some of their past personnel was probably fueled by the simple fact that they were the best at that time, or the win-at-all-costs approach of their founder. Mr. Honda demanded a LOT from his people, and it brought them a lot of success. (Sounds a little like the mentality of a certain modern-day 250 team manager.) Of course money and the big corporate business model is often to blame for problems far and wide, not just in motocross. I don't necessarily agree with all the decisions they've made through the years (McGrath situation comes to mind), but the bottom line is they run a business...they're not in it to make friends or keep everyone happy. By the way, Fred and Dinosaurmedia...Weigandt wrote the article.
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