Posts
630
Joined
4/16/2007
Location
Longwood, FL, USA
Edited Date/Time
1/27/2012 6:16pm
As much as I enjoy his contributions, I can't stand watching those old videos anymore. It's because I hate watching the goofy riding.
I want to punch myself in the face every time I see Emig or Huffman launch a triple, and their bodies hunch over in what looks like a painful imitation of a human parachute. Did Gary Semics tapes teach that you must try to put your elbows over your head when jumping? Even Windham looked horrible then compared to today's riding.
This disgusting display of goonsmanship seems to have gone away around 2003 or so. I wonder why; is Stewart to be credited for that?
I want to punch myself in the face every time I see Emig or Huffman launch a triple, and their bodies hunch over in what looks like a painful imitation of a human parachute. Did Gary Semics tapes teach that you must try to put your elbows over your head when jumping? Even Windham looked horrible then compared to today's riding.
This disgusting display of goonsmanship seems to have gone away around 2003 or so. I wonder why; is Stewart to be credited for that?
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
what you are seeing is a difference in jumping technique. Back in the day, you hit jumps on the gas, held it all the way off, and had to due to power, track layout. Now you hit the jumps way faster than needed and let off, basically coasting into the face. When you do that, it drops the front alot more. The 1 4 stroke advantage, its ALOT easier to raise the front end in the air. When you scrub, you hold it on all the way off, but due to basically washing the front end out going off the jump face, and leaving at a lean angle, it throw the rear end high.
The racing was closer back then and today it just isn't so. By the way, the tracks back then use to be so rutted that if you tried a modern day scrub you would look like Trey from Washougal this year. Not pretty.
If you wandered out in the Kitty Hawk Dunes in the early 19th century and watched the Wright Bros. flying their contraption, would you deride them for not flying like the Blue Angels?
Riding technique is a combination of talent, practice, and observation, among other things. There is such a thing as a reference point. If you think someone like Bubba would have showed up in 1981 and showed RJ how to ride, you're crazy. It's called evolution. It's a testament to how difficult this sport is that the stars of the past like RJ, Ward, Bailey, O'Mara etc. probably ride at the speed of a decent B class amateur rider today. That's because we learn from those that go before us.
For you to refer to the style of a champion like Jeff Emig as disgusting is itself disgusting. Today's riding technique is highly sophisticated, and also aided by the technological advances that make it possible to ride like that. Go put Bubba on a 1978 CR250 and see is he is doing giant whips and blitzing whoops like he does on a modern factory bike.
Que the bears and packard face in palm photos
Thank you please drive through!
Pit Row
The riding styles of the Americans were awesome in the 90s, McGrath, Emig, Reynard, Huffman, Windham all had such nice styles. When I think about 90s motocross I think about just how stylish guys like Emig and McGrath were. Reynard had an amazing style on the bike as well. I actually think the guys had more style then.
In the GPs Everts and Chiodi, Bervoets and others also had great riding styles.
I don't think RV or Stewart's style are as nice as Reynard, Emig or McGrath.
Canard, Reed and Dungey are the guys with the nice riding style these days in the US. Like Weimer's style as well.
Pourcel and Cairoli also have great style on the bike..
To me if you want to ride Supercross with perfect style and technique, watch Jeremy McGrath. It doesn't get any better.
If you want to ride motocross with perfect style and technique, watch Stefan Everts. Both those guys were 90s riders.
The only thing that changed is the scrubbing and maybe aggression but for the actual riding style the guys in 90s were awesome to watch.
You just can't sit down all the way around the track on a 90's bike like the pros do now. You'd kill yourself.
My opinion - the riding position of the day is dictated by the current suspension technology of the day and the behaviors that you learned while riding previous bikes that were trying to kill you. Yes, there was a touch of mimicry there as well. The fastest guy on the track when I was racing D34 in the 90's was Carlo Cohen. He could probably chew on his cross bar pad while he was leading every A class in sight.
Counter insult - I think that your comment makes you sound like an asshole. I don't know that you are and I'm not saying so, but it was a really dooshie comment
Humble agreement and embarrassing admission - I look just like those guys in the video when I ride. I'm no pro, but certainly no slouch and certainly respectable for a 40+ on a 2001 YZ125 (basically a 1996 design). Recently, wifey brought the video camera the track. After another practice day of motos stomping on 250f's and 450f's I felt pretty good about myself. I was looking forward to watching the video. Truth is, that I couldn't even watch all the video footage because I was disgusted and frustrated at goonish I looked.
Now it has evolved into this weird elbows down and sitting in the middle of the seat riding style. There are a few a guys who blend the 90's style with modern scrub style. (Canard, Pourcel)
Oh yeah, that elbows above the head thing is because back then you had to pre jump everything because 2/3 of the jumps where 3 feet tall and straight up.
Post a reply to: Tblazier's videos highlight how lame riding styles were in '90s