Once again, I select the best (or funniest) letters and answer them here. Thanks to all who sent in and we’ll keep doing this as long as I keep getting them.
Once again, I select the best (or funniest) letters and answer them here. Thanks to all who sent in and we’ll keep doing this as long as I keep getting them.
Blah blah you never read the shit I write. I feel so unappreciated. I just thought this was a point that felt like you. I am fat too. But my goon riding is serious.
Andrew
Geez, sorry Andrew. I don’t even know what your letter means but if publishing it will stop you from writing letters like this, then I will do what I can. Go get some help, just lie down on that couch and talk to somebody or something Andrew.
Yo Steve,
What gives with so many folks holding their bikes wide open the entire time they are in the air? This seems to be a new thing. Sure you need to be on the throttle when you land but if you catch any video of the amateur races on the‘net you’ll see them sticking the throttle wide openalmost as soon as they leave the take-off and just leavin’em on the rev limiter until they touch back down. When you consider that this does them no good AND the cost of rebuilding a motor has increased greatly it seems ridiculous. Plus it’s just annoying.If I’d have rolled like that on my’88 KX80 my dad woulda busted my ass.
Cheers,
Buddy
Buddy, I agree 100%. This is something that I see on the pro level also and a major reason for bikes blowing up out there. Yes, you want to get the power to the ground but maybe you can hold off on that wide-open throttle for bit there Sparky? I don’t get it really, it’s just a guy feeling like he’s aggressive or attacking the track maybe?
As far as your last comment, what do you mean? I was obviously a champion and a winner so there is no reason for my dad to bust my ass.
Hey Steve
I would like to know your opinion on changing a piston on a modern 4-stroke. This seems to be something that everyone does different and no one can agree on one procedure. I have read about people doing it after a certain number of hours while other go by the results of a compression test. Also after removing the old piston should the cylinder be deglazed or just left alone? And in regards to assembling the top end should you lubricate the cylinder or assemble it dry. Some argue that a dry cylinder is needed to help seat the rings and ensure a good seal. While other believe the lack of oil is harmful to the cylinder and piston on initial star up. What are your thoughts?
Thanks
Kent
Winnipeg
Kent, I get letters like this every now and then and kind of refrain from answering them because I’ve watched too many episodes of LA Law in my life. What if I tell you to do something on your dirt bike and you do it but leave something loose and then crash? Then you get Corbin Bernsen from LA Law and you end up with my house, dogs and PS3. I’m certainly not saying YOU yourself would do that Kent because you’re from Winnipeg which means you’re Canadian which means you would never think like that but I’m in the lawyer filled USA and I see all these scary commercials all the time with some guy in a suit telling me he’ll GET ME MY MONEY. Or something like that.
I did have a “friend” that worked for Factory Yamaha that just replaced pistons and rings at a certain hour but he seems to think a compression test would be better for the local guy. He also always put oil in the cylinder and on the piston upon installation and thinks that’s the best way because smarter people then himself told him to. I’ll tell my “friend” you say thanks.
Steve,
From my understanding Jason Lawrence isn’t getting factory support. Because of this he is not running the typically mandated Yamaha blue colours or logos. Does he still get bonus money and contingency? Do you know if anything came his way when he landed that podium at Daytona?
My bonus question for you is what happens to the factory bikes at the end of the year?
Delano
Delano, from what I understand, Wey and Lawrence went to Yamaha to try and get contingency. Not sure what the outcome was but I would think Yamaha would pay them. You can always get around the system when you podium Daytona supercross. Any bonus money would come from the owner of the team, which is himself so probably nothing given to him. Maybe Wey, I’m not sure.
The factory bikes are disassembled and chopped up at the end of the year. You’ll keep the suspension, motor and the ti-bolts but everything else is thrown away into the recycler. And you’ll probably keep the magnesium hubs also.
Why did you stop being Ferry’s mech? Also, how often do they rebuild the 450 motors at the factories? Great website and podcasts. Keep up the great work.
Kip
Spokane WA
Kip, thanks for writing in and I stopped being Ferry’s mechanic when his contract wasn’t renewed by Yamaha for 2006. I was going to stay at Yamaha and work for Heath Voss there but was also thinking of going with Red to Moto XXX. After finding out I’d be taking a salary hit there, I resigned myself to working for Voss but then a friend of mine offered me a job at Parts Unlimited that got me out of the trenches that I’d been in for ten years. Nothing against Voss but he wasn’t a friend of mine and the emotional attachment that I felt towards my friend overcame the long hours and everything else that came with being a factory mechanic. It was turning more and more into a “job” everyday y’know? That was when I knew it was time, but not before Yamaha got these extremely rare stickers made that promoted me as working for Voss. Collector’s items I tell ya! Probably get 25 cents for it on Ebay.
The factory motors get rebuilt every ten hours or around there. Four-strokes have made it pretty easy for the guys. Just make sure you inspect the transmissions real good.
 |
| Very rare, 2006 sticker of a mechanic/rider union that never actually happened. |
Hey Steve
Question: what happen with J law and Hepler? I saw on speed when Jlaw smacked into him at Jacksonville and the FIM was reviewing if action needed to be taken but what gives aren’t these guys training together?
2. I have heard of guys replacing there valves instead of adjusting shim sizes. Why in the hell would you not use the adjustment the bike comes with? Doesn’t the head wear just as fast or even faster than the ti valve does? Another question is how fast can a cam chain wear out? Thanks for your great pod casts!
Justin
Justin, Basically the cliff notes version is that Hepler passed Lawrence clean, then the next lap in the same spot he took himself and Hepler out. There was no chance to make the turn but Jason didn’t care. After that when Hepler caught back up to him he flipped him off down a straightaway and then proceeded to take him to the outside in the next turn and stop, with no intention of actually racing. Hepler stalled and was basically screwed for the whole race. They weren’t training together but Hepler was at Stewie’s house with Lawrence’s buddy, Josh Hill. That would’ve been interesting to hear those two talk but I believe they both went back home right after J-Ville. It wasn’t the smartest move for Jason to make no doubt about it.
About your valve question, you’re right-why wouldn’t some guy just adjust his valves instead of replacing them. Titanium valves last a long time, that’s why Yamaha puts them in stock, to help a brother out with cost. At Yamaha we replaced cam chains every twenty hours but they still looked new to me, so I’m not really sure. With an auto-adjusting tensioner, they should be ok for a while. On a Suzuki where you have to adjust it, I’m not sure. You’re not Corbin Bernsen are you?
Steve,
Have you checked out freecaster TV videos, Watching Everts and that girl Lisa Leyland interview riders is painfully funny, awkward and informative at the same time. You gotta check it out and share some of your witty commentary about it.
Anyway, the real reason I’m writing is to get your take on the Euro tracks (the prep in particular). To the average AMA Pro, these tracks must look terribly unprepared for world class racing. But having thought about it some, I realized they are great!!! For starters, they represent what motocross started out as. I mean, did Torsten Hallman ever ride on a ripped and disked track??? A hard packed underprepared track is representative of what 99% of MX enthusiasts are likely to encounter on an average weekend. As an average Joe, I’ve been having a blast watching world class MXers tackle the same sort of beat down hard pack that I would likely encounter at my local practice track. The stuff on the AMA National circuit is nice and all, but that isn’t what 99% of the population experience. What do you think? What are tracks in Canada like?
(I have a friend that rides Eagles Nest MX outside of Toronto and it seems like it’s never prepped)
Are the pros on the AMA circuit spoiled as far as track prep goes?
BTW: Zach Osborne touched on this when Everts asked him about it. He said that once you rip a track real deep like they do at the AMA Nats, they end up pretty similar to one another once the riders get out there. Same ruts, etc…
Just curious what you thought about it.
Your loyal fan,
Chris
PS: I enjoyed the Red Dog photos but the one with you on the phone was a little disturbing…..but only because you have played up the man-friend thing so much. I wouldn’t have thought much of it otherwise (just two dudes goofing off or whatever). Oh, and Timmy looks anorexic in that first pic from Loretta’s. Yikes!!!!
Chris, if you think that Red Dog photo was bad, you should see the ones I have in my personal collection. I’m kidding…kind of. Never seen the Freecaster TV thing but I need to check it out, I do follow the GP’s with the same passion I used to collect hockey cards so…
The track condition thing is weird because I watched some old nationals from the mid 90’s the other day and those tracks looked beat up. Dusty, hard and not very fun to ride. Kind of like some of the GP tracks now actually. All I know is that in America a lot of the track prep is done for the spectators, after all who wants to be covered in dust at the end of the day and not be able to see the actual race you bought a thirty dollar ticket for? One day Yamaha rented out Glen Helen and they didn’t really prep it much and the riders basically refused to ride! You would’ve thought there were snipers out in the trees, they didn’t want to go out there at all. They eventually just ended up leaving and our manager went and yelled at Glen Helen for not doing much. But yes, Zach is absolutely correct in that most American tracks are the same every weekend.
Steve,
why don’t Supercross and Motocross bikes run the Rekluse auto clutches so that they don’t stall when they go down or so they don’t stall out? Is there a rule against it or I am the only one that thinks it’s a good idea?
Nickel
Nickel, I don’t know why. I know that some big names in Canada run them and love’em. I always thought there was a lag in them when you got on the gas because I rode with one a long time ago. Obviously when the number three ranked rider in Canada uses it, it must be ok. As a matter of fact, if I was a manager of a team I would get my guys to ride with them and get used to them and for sure, without a doubt, at the first mud race, I’d put them in. Think about that, no stalling no slippery clutch to try and grab. It’s brilliant!
Steve
Who’s your pick to win MX1 (because we all know it’s Beaton’s year in MX2)?
Is a rested and refreshed Klatt fast enough to chase down the new wonder kid Facciotti? Will Medaglia surprise them both and upset the ever dominant Blackfoot machine? Will the Welder’s donut and caffeine diet propel him past last years top three? If Dean Wilson heads north and whoops butt in some nationals up here will you accept him as a Canadian? Will Mitch Cooke finally ride at 98.7% of his potential, or will we see another 76.85 – 76.92% performance?
What about the Americans? With sponsorship dollars getting tight are there any top guys looking to head north thinking they can cash some easy checks? Wey needs to recharge the batteries…. Hamblin seems to like it up here…. If Lawrence gets suspended by the AMA again will you whisper in his ear to
"head north, young (crazy) man"?
And lastly. Don’t you think that Disney is missing an awesome sponsorship opportunity in MX? Or was Eldon Patzer just nuts? Also do you think that you could ever talk Doc Bodnar into downsizing the Asterix Mobile Medic unit into an old Bonneville Ambulance and painting Moto-Medic on the side if they ever hold another retro night?
Curtis
Curt, lot of questions there buddy. You’re right, this is Beets’ year in MX2. I see him clinching it around round four with a 200 point lead actually. I think MX1 will be a dog fight between Facciotti, Klatt and Carpenter with Carpenter emerging as the winner. But seriously, you can throw a blanket over the top three guys. They’re that close.
I think T-Dags will be slightly behind those guys because I wonder about his team and the lack of funding they have to get the best stuff. I think Keast will fill in that number five spot again which is very impressive for a guy that works all those hours and eats all those Timbits. Mitch Cooke is the eternal “what if” guy, but the thing is. He will never put it together because he’s always just a “what if” guy, great rider, lots of style but just can’t put it together though. He’ll have some good motos here and there I’m sure. If I tried to whisper anything in Lawrence’s ear, I think he’d punch me out but I do think with the age limits raised in America starting next year, you’re going to see some Americans come up to Canada and race the series. It’s the next best thing to racing AMA nationals and it should help the teams and interest up there.
Getting Bodnar Moto Medic’s ambulance is brilliant actually. Just the whole Ghostbusters thing really, give it to him and watch the people stare. I don’t remember anything about Eldon Patzer except for the fact he wore Mickey Mouse ears on his helmet so clearly, the marketing machine is there.
Hey Steve,
Who do we have to bang to get an overall MX championship series back??? I think it would be great to give some recognition to the guys like Andrew Short, Mike Alessi, and the always awesome Tim Ferry.. The real guys to race the both Supercross and Motocross…
I just think with the sport moving toward more of a specialist in each area it would be nice to see Shorty out in a blue #1 because he hung in there all season behind Reed and then Stewart…
I think this would give riders a reason to stay in the hunt when they were struggling behind in one or the other series…
Thanks
Andy
Andy, that would be great and I would bet, although I have no knowledge, that there are people working behind the scenes to make this happen again. Wouldn’t it be great if we got Wrangler back and the plate was blue with a yellow number one? I do think that with the motocross package that is now happening, we’re going to see more sponsors demand that the teams go outside. The TV package is pretty cool and the exposure granted to the teams will be increased. Also, they are less work for the riders being one day and all.
Well I guess things aren’t always as they seem, like I said I don’t know the guy (Larry Brooks that is) and it seems everyone that knows him says he’s a stand up guy from what I read. He doesn’t come across as particularly nice and I sure wouldn’t want to be on his bad side (see Chad Reed). For the record though I don’t "hate" him, I don’t agree with everything he says but it’s easy to criticize from the stands, I wouldn’t want his job that’s for damn sure. Thanks for answering my question even though now I look like the dick.
Also the article you wrote on Larry in the new Racer X was great, I remember when he first became the manager of the Chaparral team and was the top rider for the team at the same time I believe before he broke his wrist, which was something and someone to look up too. Now I sound like I’m back pedaling, I still stand by that recently he comes across as a dick, maybe it’s his blog.
So what’s the status on the kitty? Sorry to hear about Prince.
Cory
Cory is responding to my last mailbag where I defended Brooks to him and any others that seem to want to burn him at the stake and then kill him afterwards. I joke of course about the hatred of LB that everyone has and I do think he was a little out of line posting Tickle’s girlfriends email on a website but still, the dude is cool. I don’t think you look like a dick Cory, just a guy wondering what’s up with something and we’re all allowed to have opinions here, that’s what makes the world go around.
Sadly, Kitty is gone. We found a home for him with somebody that my wife works with but we might not have handled the introduction to her existing cat that well. When Kitty wouldn’t come out of the carrier, we dumped him out onto the floor at which point her cat attacked Kitty and then they sprinted off into the bedroom. The last reports we got was Kitty hadn’t come out of the closet except to eat and poop in the middle of the night. Poor Kitty…
