Normally I don’t like riding w quads but this guy shreds he ain’t a liability on the jumps that’s for sure and he takes the same line not tearing up the track for the bikes. Nothing but respect
No offense to anybody, (and I have the 2019 model YZ250 that I highly modified), I just old school MX, 80's-90s' racing and a heck of a lot of fun riding, (anywhere rural USA), starting in 1974. I know the way we live changes over time, (weather we like it or not), but I took almost 20 years off riding (60 now) to run my new business, (After working in over 20 non-union machine shops, earning 3 degrees, 2 in engineering, I was still "Just Over Broke", "JOB" until I started porting little 2-stroke engines for a living, 20 years now, last 17 full time.). So I get this bike in 2020, the thing is too tall to get on, (I know, I was not as flexible as I had been), and all the track are like wide open, smooth straights from corner to corner with a big jump in the middle of the straight. Berms are all sculpted. The track is sculpted. This is why we did have softer suspension until the 4-strokes made the tracks 30% faster also. We had natural bumps, made by the bike, and not going as fast on the 2-strokes, on tighter tracks. We had "off camber" corners on slick clay that did not rut or berm up, and I don't think many riders can race around a corner like that anymore. We had to be able to hit a double (for example), right out of a corner, and it was bumpy so you had to be good at picking lines. If your corner speed was not really good, you were not going to clear the jump. Nobody really had the tracks wired as they all do today (pros). SX did not have rhythm sections that are designed to keep everybody the same speed (that is racing?), and we quite often saw the best rider start in last, and win the race. Trust me kids,----if you went to that raqce, you would remember it for the rest of you life. Unlike today, there is nothing really to remember (Jett National rookie 450 perfect season is a rarity today,--but what a fantastic, exception. I love to see THAT KIND OF "greatness".) There used to be 10 lap or longer race battles where 2 or 3 riders bag bars the whole time, and now a battle lasts no longer than 2 corners, (again, there is a rare exception, and I say Deegan and Smith had the best battle that I have seen in years in a heat race, and some progressive reporter reprimanded him for that great racing in the post race presser.) We used to work on the 2-stroeks and modify them all the time, ourselves. That is what motivate me to get into engineering and manufacturing. I have no idea what my life would be like with out me growing up in this sport, (on my one dollar/hr), at about the same time the sport was growing up, (best time to be in any new industry). In those 2-stroke days, we became the best and dominant racers in the world, winning 13 straight MXofN's in a row starting in 1981, (and the FIM tried to screw our efforts many times out of jealously, and now they run our racing.), because the tracks were ahead of the talent. When nobody has the track wired, that is when we can and will see real human greatness. Like I said, no offense, I know things change, (maybe we need some control of that?), but compared to the 80's90's blend of great machinery and talent that grew from new changeling things on the track that nobody had wired, (that we would whine about today),----------this racing today is more of a parade. The reason is, the world is going socialist/communist, and those philosophies despise individual greatness, so they make the tracks to keep the racers as equal as possible. There is 2 seconds between 8 guys in SX often (best lap time). Nope,---your not going to come from last to win anymore, and there is not nearly as much greatness to remember. Think back. What was your favorite race to go see in person? Mine was 1985 with Broc Glover on a YZ490 at Red Bud. Too bad that race is not on YT. OK, I will tell it quick, as it was the first MX race I attended, and Broc was great. Broc was leading the race on the hard clay ground (like the parking lot and pits today). Laracco's Leap did not exist then, but the track headed perpendicular to that section, up a big double jump and into a 90 deg left hand corner, (that the Leap covers now). I think it was like the 3rd lap, and he was leading over Eric Eaton, (Broc did win this championship pretty easily, and there were 3 classes then any pro could race, 125,250,500). He jumped with his front wheel too high and could not land it and make the left hand corner. He endows off the track, threw a barbed wired fence, between motor homes and out of my sight. I thought he was done for sure. Then, maybe 30 seconds later, I see the fans holding the barbed wire fence to the ground as low as they can push the wire down, (about a foot off the ground is the best they can do), and Broc rides back out from between the motor homes, rides over the wire thanks to the fans, and wind the damn race. I am afraid, that the vast majority of the races today,----------------nobody will remember 2 months from today. I say it is sad, because witnessing greatness is really wonderful (IMO). Yea, everybody loves a parade,---but should we love a parade on a race day on the track? I like your bike. The stock YZ250 2-stroke is not really great at anything. It is not going to beat the 4-strokes that were forced on us, and it needs a lot of work to make it a good woods bike of any variety. But it is worth it to me. This is going to be the best bike I ever owned,---as I st it up like 1990. :) Doug in Michigan
Crazy to think he was 14 or 15 here, now he is 20 years old and already has a pro 450 championship (2 if you count SMX), and 4 total pro 250 championships. I know it's still really early, but if nothing happens to this kid, he will end up being undoubtedly the best rider we've ever seen!
Those jumps are fucking ridiculous. Absolutely insane, truly can’t imagine myself even considering it. I don’t even see the point in having those booters for these kind of guys. Not many jumps like that are found even at nationals. A lot of long ones but not a lot with that kind of air. Redbud for sure, Ironman, shoug etc are more so step ups, but that step down is bonkers