Vital MX Forum QNA: Brandon Anderson

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Brandon Anderson
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BrandonAnderson 7/21/2015 9:05am
7/21/2015 9:05am
Aceofspades wrote:
Brandon, do mechanics still do the after-race teardown and rebuild of engines, or do you guys simply replace clutches and such or swap whole motors and...
Brandon, do mechanics still do the after-race teardown and rebuild of engines, or do you guys simply replace clutches and such or swap whole motors and send the used engines back to suzuki for the rebuilds? Im just curious as to how different the motor builds are today as opposed to the old box van days. Thanks!
No, mechanics don't do the post race motor tear downs anymore...at the factory level at least. Having a motor guy delegated to this task makes the process more efficient and consistent. I'm more focused on rebuilding the bike and keeping EVERY part as fresh as possible.
huck
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huck 7/21/2015 9:09am
7/21/2015 9:09am
Aceofspades wrote:
Brandon, do mechanics still do the after-race teardown and rebuild of engines, or do you guys simply replace clutches and such or swap whole motors and...
Brandon, do mechanics still do the after-race teardown and rebuild of engines, or do you guys simply replace clutches and such or swap whole motors and send the used engines back to suzuki for the rebuilds? Im just curious as to how different the motor builds are today as opposed to the old box van days. Thanks!
BrandonAnderson wrote:
No, mechanics don't do the post race motor tear downs anymore...at the factory level at least. Having a motor guy delegated to this task makes the...
No, mechanics don't do the post race motor tear downs anymore...at the factory level at least. Having a motor guy delegated to this task makes the process more efficient and consistent. I'm more focused on rebuilding the bike and keeping EVERY part as fresh as possible.
Since there are motor guys, suspension guys, tire guys, etc...what do you do? I don't mean that in a derogatory way...but is your main function to 'oversee' everything, rather than actually turning wrenches?


BrandonAnderson 7/21/2015 9:10am
7/21/2015 9:10am
Tumblin wrote:
Nice resume Brandon, I love your path and the related stories! It seems many a wrench/coach/man friend get through with that same path. I actually took...
Nice resume Brandon, I love your path and the related stories!
It seems many a wrench/coach/man friend get through with that same path. I actually took Todd Brown to his first race, I know he's MMI and scrambled around the pits with privateers to teams to Showa. I'd always try and look him up, but since he had his hand on Bubba getting those wins he's been hard to catch up with...that and its been a few months away...Whistling tell him Tumblin said hi please. I also know that young whipper next door at RCH Travis Parry is another MMI grad. Both coming from the great state of Jefferson!

I have no question, just a request. As you may well know (since you've already admitted lurking) every panty wearer on this board has to criticize our best when they take to their podium interviews. I usually go for a beer, but I ALWAYS want to hear Blake....or mostly see him because I swear when he gives that stare into the camera he's going to wink! Have him hook us boys and girls in our panties up so I can get on with my cold one!

& Congrats on your excellent season!

Travis is one of my really good friends! And I will be sure to tell "TB" you said hey! He's a really good dude. Thanks for the support man!!!
BrandonAnderson 7/21/2015 9:34am
7/21/2015 9:34am Edited Date/Time 7/21/2015 9:43am
Aceofspades wrote:
Brandon, do mechanics still do the after-race teardown and rebuild of engines, or do you guys simply replace clutches and such or swap whole motors and...
Brandon, do mechanics still do the after-race teardown and rebuild of engines, or do you guys simply replace clutches and such or swap whole motors and send the used engines back to suzuki for the rebuilds? Im just curious as to how different the motor builds are today as opposed to the old box van days. Thanks!
BrandonAnderson wrote:
No, mechanics don't do the post race motor tear downs anymore...at the factory level at least. Having a motor guy delegated to this task makes the...
No, mechanics don't do the post race motor tear downs anymore...at the factory level at least. Having a motor guy delegated to this task makes the process more efficient and consistent. I'm more focused on rebuilding the bike and keeping EVERY part as fresh as possible.
huck wrote:
Since there are motor guys, suspension guys, tire guys, etc...what do you do? I don't mean that in a derogatory way...but is your main function to...
Since there are motor guys, suspension guys, tire guys, etc...what do you do? I don't mean that in a derogatory way...but is your main function to 'oversee' everything, rather than actually turning wrenches?


lol. We do turn wrenches bud. A mechanics job, in my opinion, is to make sure the bike is mechanically sound to the highest level, and that the proper spec is installed for your rider. This ALSO includes preparation of parts, parts for your riders spec, proper fitment, building, disassembly, and general maintenance. Right now, I'm building a test bike for supercross. Rebuilding all test wheels from last season, building new linkages/pullrods, building new clamps, inspecting and completely rebuilding brake systems, gathering parts for the supercross setting, (clamps, engine mounts, radiators, links/rods, etc)...and I will also do this for the race bike for supercross (not to mention graphics and cosmetics). This also happens for motocross...DURING the supercross season, while testing for mx. Yeah, there's a guy for motor, suspension, data, etc, but those guys can't efficiently inspect, clean, and rebuild the bike and maintain it on race day the way that the actual race mechanic does. If you knew how little time there was between practice and moto 1/moto 2, you would absolutely flip. At this level, it's not just washing the bike after moto 1. There's a certain amount of maintenance and inspection involved which is why DNF's due to mechanicals are very low on the factory level. We can't have bolts falling out. Grinning

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HuskyEd
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HuskyEd 7/21/2015 9:34am
7/21/2015 9:34am
Brandon, what was that feeling like in 2012 being Shorty's mechanic at the Seattle race when he won his first SX? How'd you guys celebrate afterward?

Thanks for coming on here!
huck
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huck 7/21/2015 9:38am
7/21/2015 9:38am
BrandonAnderson wrote:
No, mechanics don't do the post race motor tear downs anymore...at the factory level at least. Having a motor guy delegated to this task makes the...
No, mechanics don't do the post race motor tear downs anymore...at the factory level at least. Having a motor guy delegated to this task makes the process more efficient and consistent. I'm more focused on rebuilding the bike and keeping EVERY part as fresh as possible.
huck wrote:
Since there are motor guys, suspension guys, tire guys, etc...what do you do? I don't mean that in a derogatory way...but is your main function to...
Since there are motor guys, suspension guys, tire guys, etc...what do you do? I don't mean that in a derogatory way...but is your main function to 'oversee' everything, rather than actually turning wrenches?


BrandonAnderson wrote:
lol. We do turn wrenches bud. A mechanics job, in my opinion, is to make sure the bike is mechanically sound to the highest level, and...
lol. We do turn wrenches bud. A mechanics job, in my opinion, is to make sure the bike is mechanically sound to the highest level, and that the proper spec is installed for your rider. This ALSO includes preparation of parts, parts for your riders spec, proper fitment, building, disassembly, and general maintenance. Right now, I'm building a test bike for supercross. Rebuilding all test wheels from last season, building new linkages/pullrods, building new clamps, inspecting and completely rebuilding brake systems, gathering parts for the supercross setting, (clamps, engine mounts, radiators, links/rods, etc)...and I will also do this for the race bike for supercross (not to mention graphics and cosmetics). This also happens for motocross...DURING the supercross season, while testing for mx. Yeah, there's a guy for motor, suspension, data, etc, but those guys can't efficiently inspect, clean, and rebuild the bike and maintain it on race day the way that the actual race mechanic does. If you knew how little time there was between practice and moto 1/moto 2, you would absolutely flip. At this level, it's not just washing the bike after moto 1. There's a certain amount of maintenance and inspection involved which is why DNF's due to mechanicals are very low on the factory level. We can't have bolts falling out. Grinning
Thanks for the answer. I wasn't trying to put you down, or say that you don't do the work. lol I can only imagine how quick stuff has to happen....

And like you said, if there is a mechanical....I'm sure you will have 100 fingers pointing at YOU! lol


Best of luck to you!
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dirtjumpcycle 7/21/2015 9:52am
7/21/2015 9:52am
What else you do besides moto? hobbies and such.
dsmith
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dsmith 7/21/2015 12:19pm
7/21/2015 12:19pm
hi Brandon,
since your whole career started going to the strip...do you think maybe one day you might wanna work on one of these?



thanks!
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yak651 7/21/2015 12:29pm
7/21/2015 12:29pm
Is Kenny's RMZ down on HP? Tongue
(See post topic below if sarcasm not evident)
BrandonAnderson 7/21/2015 12:48pm
7/21/2015 12:48pm
HuskyEd wrote:
Brandon, what was that feeling like in 2012 being Shorty's mechanic at the Seattle race when he won his first SX? How'd you guys celebrate afterward...
Brandon, what was that feeling like in 2012 being Shorty's mechanic at the Seattle race when he won his first SX? How'd you guys celebrate afterward?

Thanks for coming on here!
Aw man. That was one of the best days of my life. It was so surreal as I ran down the start straight to celebrate.We went there on a whim after the New Orleans race and just wanted to have fun closing out the SX season. Everything was prime, and I probably packed THE best gate I ever have in my life. Not gonna lie, we got a little lucky with RV down and Dungey back, but we held off K-Roc for the W. I was on a strict food program, but the crew went straight to Jack in the Box for tacos and went through a 24 pack of Coors pretty fast! Haha. But I was hurting on that flight the next morning...Grinning
BrandonAnderson 7/21/2015 12:50pm
7/21/2015 12:50pm
dirtjumpcycle wrote:
What else you do besides moto? hobbies and such.
I am a huge tennis geek, and I LOVE theme parks and roller coasters...so I go as often as I have a break. But mostly I spend a lot of time with my family. We spend so much time away from them as it is, whenever I'm home, I want to do whatever it is I'm doing, with them.
BrandonAnderson 7/21/2015 12:51pm
7/21/2015 12:51pm
yak651 wrote:
Is Kenny's RMZ down on HP? Tongue
(See post topic below if sarcasm not evident)
Grinning Grinning Grinning Grinning
BrandonAnderson 7/21/2015 12:59pm
7/21/2015 12:59pm
TailSoHard wrote:
First off, thanks for taking the time to do this, Brandon. I don't know if you've looked at any of the previous QNA forums, but so...
First off, thanks for taking the time to do this, Brandon. I don't know if you've looked at any of the previous QNA forums, but so far they've all been a lot of fun and very informative for all of us. It's nice to see that the riders and mechanics we stare at through our TV screens every weekend are all regular dudes just like ourselves...

Couple questions:

What's the trickest/sickest/coolest/dopest "works" part you've ever seen? Maybe something that never got put into production (or hasn't yet) or something they weren't allowed to use for the AMA races? It's always neat hearing a mechanic's perspective about some of the stuff they work on because they have a different appreciation for craftsmanship than their rider does (in most instances).

If you could swap jobs for a week with anyone in the industry, who would it be and why?

Do you ever have any friendly competition between mechanics from your team or other teams? Either racing your own bikes, fastest rebuild times, quickest tire changes, etc?

Again, thanks for hangin out with us, and good luck in the rest of the season!


I can't lie. Every works part that I get to put my hands on is something I don't take for granted. The craftsmanship is something that I admire...and I would like to get more qualified with machining sometime in the near future. When you have a fresh link or pullrod or a set of clamps from japan, you just wanna look at them...lol. I would have to say though, that the works clutch perch is one of my favorite pieces.

If I had to swap jobs with someone in the industry, it would probably be Mikey Ojeda (TLD gear guy) or Guy B. Mikey has so much fun doing his job, and TLD/Seven are both great companies. As far as GuyB, I have college courses in journalism in my back pocket. I love the vibe that vital brings with the forum and how people come HERE to catch up on the latest gossip.

As far as friendly competition, I think we all compete enough through our riders. Haha. We just wanna get our jobs done! Grinning
BrandonAnderson 7/21/2015 1:00pm
7/21/2015 1:00pm
huck wrote:
Since there are motor guys, suspension guys, tire guys, etc...what do you do? I don't mean that in a derogatory way...but is your main function to...
Since there are motor guys, suspension guys, tire guys, etc...what do you do? I don't mean that in a derogatory way...but is your main function to 'oversee' everything, rather than actually turning wrenches?


BrandonAnderson wrote:
lol. We do turn wrenches bud. A mechanics job, in my opinion, is to make sure the bike is mechanically sound to the highest level, and...
lol. We do turn wrenches bud. A mechanics job, in my opinion, is to make sure the bike is mechanically sound to the highest level, and that the proper spec is installed for your rider. This ALSO includes preparation of parts, parts for your riders spec, proper fitment, building, disassembly, and general maintenance. Right now, I'm building a test bike for supercross. Rebuilding all test wheels from last season, building new linkages/pullrods, building new clamps, inspecting and completely rebuilding brake systems, gathering parts for the supercross setting, (clamps, engine mounts, radiators, links/rods, etc)...and I will also do this for the race bike for supercross (not to mention graphics and cosmetics). This also happens for motocross...DURING the supercross season, while testing for mx. Yeah, there's a guy for motor, suspension, data, etc, but those guys can't efficiently inspect, clean, and rebuild the bike and maintain it on race day the way that the actual race mechanic does. If you knew how little time there was between practice and moto 1/moto 2, you would absolutely flip. At this level, it's not just washing the bike after moto 1. There's a certain amount of maintenance and inspection involved which is why DNF's due to mechanicals are very low on the factory level. We can't have bolts falling out. Grinning
huck wrote:
Thanks for the answer. I wasn't trying to put you down, or say that you don't do the work. lol I can only imagine how quick...
Thanks for the answer. I wasn't trying to put you down, or say that you don't do the work. lol I can only imagine how quick stuff has to happen....

And like you said, if there is a mechanical....I'm sure you will have 100 fingers pointing at YOU! lol


Best of luck to you!
No worries bud! Just clearing it up... Smile
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ocscottie 7/21/2015 1:05pm
7/21/2015 1:05pm
Hey Brandon, Blake (BRAKE) needs to know about Tyler here at Vital. I would LOVE to see if maybe we could do a little something for the youngster?

Long story short, Tyler is a young guy with i believe Cerebral palsy and loves Blake with all his heart. Here is his profile: http://www.vitalmx.com/community/tylermx967,4884/all

"I THINK BRAKE IS THE FASTIST GUY THAT RIDES SUSUKI AND DOESNT GET AFRAID OF ANYONE" -Tylermx967

How rad would it to get him like a signed number plate? He would go nuts! His passion and love for Blake is beyond belief.

Just tossing this out there. I know how lame it is to ask for something, but this is a pretty special circumstance.
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scott_nz 7/21/2015 1:07pm
7/21/2015 1:07pm
Hi Brandon, thanks for coming on here to answer our questions,

with spending time around the kiwi's in 2008, do you have a favorite Cody Cooper story,
BrandonAnderson 7/21/2015 1:14pm
7/21/2015 1:14pm
scott_nz wrote:
Hi Brandon, thanks for coming on here to answer our questions, with spending time around the kiwi's in 2008, do you have a favorite Cody Cooper...
Hi Brandon, thanks for coming on here to answer our questions,

with spending time around the kiwi's in 2008, do you have a favorite Cody Cooper story,
Haha....oh man. I love that guy. That year was so good for him. At one point while Ben was out, I helped Cody with his practice bike stuff and we developed a relationship. I'd have to say my favorite Cody story was seeing him challenge JS7 at Unadilla that year. The kid went through so many ups and downs, and he definitely put it together at that race. I've also seen him shoot skeet from the hip with AMAZING accuracy....and he can fly remote control helicopters and airplanes and do crazy tricks with them.
BrandonAnderson 7/21/2015 1:21pm
7/21/2015 1:21pm
ocscottie wrote:
Hey Brandon, Blake (BRAKE) needs to know about Tyler here at Vital. I would LOVE to see if maybe we could do a little something for...
Hey Brandon, Blake (BRAKE) needs to know about Tyler here at Vital. I would LOVE to see if maybe we could do a little something for the youngster?

Long story short, Tyler is a young guy with i believe Cerebral palsy and loves Blake with all his heart. Here is his profile: http://www.vitalmx.com/community/tylermx967,4884/all

"I THINK BRAKE IS THE FASTIST GUY THAT RIDES SUSUKI AND DOESNT GET AFRAID OF ANYONE" -Tylermx967

How rad would it to get him like a signed number plate? He would go nuts! His passion and love for Blake is beyond belief.

Just tossing this out there. I know how lame it is to ask for something, but this is a pretty special circumstance.
No worries! I've heard a lot about this kid and I'm pumped on his support! How can I get in touch with him or get his address? I wanna make this happen!!!

Pit Row

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ocscottie
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ocscottie 7/21/2015 1:26pm
7/21/2015 1:26pm
Kickiass! ill get a hold of his mom. Is the email in your profile proper? If not shoot me a note: ocscottie@hotmail.com
huck
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huck 7/21/2015 1:38pm
7/21/2015 1:38pm
ocscottie wrote:
Kickiass! ill get a hold of his mom. Is the email in your profile proper? If not shoot me a note: ocscottie@hotmail.com
I always thought his mom and even him, was a farce.....
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GrapeApe 7/21/2015 3:24pm
7/21/2015 3:24pm
ocscottie wrote:
Kickiass! ill get a hold of his mom. Is the email in your profile proper? If not shoot me a note: ocscottie@hotmail.com
huck wrote:
I always thought his mom and even him, was a farce.....
In before HOF
Aceofspades 7/21/2015 4:58pm
7/21/2015 4:58pm
I think the biggest surprise of this thread is finding out Tyler is real lol.
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brimx153 7/21/2015 5:32pm
7/21/2015 5:32pm
hi Brandon. when racing ,do you and the team change the geometry much from track to track , eg linkage , tripple clamp rake ,off set ,etc .or is that something you will test more at the start of the year ,get what the rider like s and stays that way ? when a rider says " i had a bad set up "is more suspension related .also how much has Blake s bike changed set up since the 1st national ? thanks Smile
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huck 7/22/2015 5:28am
7/22/2015 5:28am
I agree. And while we may get more mechanics during these QNA's....Brandon will always be our first and hold a special place...
Fresh
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Fresh 7/22/2015 6:04am
7/22/2015 6:04am
Hey Brandon, whats your favorite tool?
Starcrossed
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Starcrossed 7/22/2015 6:11am
7/22/2015 6:11am
Brandon, is there any possibility that you continue to post here and interact with the members instead of just lurking? You seem like a natural with a keyboard, as well as the wrenches. I'm sure everybody would value your input on any and all Moto-Related topics. Set yourself up with a nice avatar and make yourself at home. Thanks for doing the Forum QNA.
BrandonAnderson 7/22/2015 6:21am
7/22/2015 6:21am
Starcrossed wrote:
Brandon, is there any possibility that you continue to post here and interact with the members instead of just lurking? You seem like a natural with...
Brandon, is there any possibility that you continue to post here and interact with the members instead of just lurking? You seem like a natural with a keyboard, as well as the wrenches. I'm sure everybody would value your input on any and all Moto-Related topics. Set yourself up with a nice avatar and make yourself at home. Thanks for doing the Forum QNA.
Haha, that's the plan. I told GuyB that I always wanted to get involved on Vital, but sometimes you read certain comments and become apprehensive...but I think I'm good to go nowGrinning
BrandonAnderson 7/22/2015 6:23am
7/22/2015 6:23am
huck wrote:
I agree. And while we may get more mechanics during these QNA's....Brandon will always be our first and hold a special place...
Haha. Thanks to both you guys. But always remember, MOST of us are just regular dudes who got lucky and was able to do something cool for a living. So for me, it's cool to be able to come interact with you guys.
BrandonAnderson 7/22/2015 6:29am
7/22/2015 6:29am
Fresh wrote:
Hey Brandon, whats your favorite tool?
It was my new Tech Angle snap on torque wrench, but now, it's this guy:




Probably one is the most compact, clean, and slim tape measures I've ever used. It was given to me by a Japanese friend.

BrandonAnderson 7/22/2015 6:46am
7/22/2015 6:46am Edited Date/Time 7/22/2015 6:48am
brimx153 wrote:
hi Brandon. when racing ,do you and the team change the geometry much from track to track , eg linkage , tripple clamp rake ,off set...
hi Brandon. when racing ,do you and the team change the geometry much from track to track , eg linkage , tripple clamp rake ,off set ,etc .or is that something you will test more at the start of the year ,get what the rider like s and stays that way ? when a rider says " i had a bad set up "is more suspension related .also how much has Blake s bike changed set up since the 1st national ? thanks Smile
For Blake at least, we don't do many changes like that at the race. We test those items more during preseason. Mostly just suspension changes: fork pressure, clickers, fork height. However, there are times where we test chassis options during the week.

Everyone basically has a base setting that they settle on right before the season starts, or maybe a couple races in. As the rider gets faster and learns the limits of his machine during the season, there may have to be changes to accommodate the new speed and increase his comfort level.

First of all, a rider should NEVER say he had a bad set up (at least in public) Grinning Grinning Grinning
The technicians will always do their best to accommodate the rider on each race day, based off the feedback they're given, but sometimes the rider doesn't gel with the bike that day. Other times, the rider feedback is lost in translation. It's just how it is.

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