Vital MX Forum QNA: Tommy Hahn

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GuyB
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GuyB
Edited Date/Time 4/10/2017 4:41pm


This week's guest in the Vital MX forum QNA is Tommy Hahn. Tommy has worked just about every angle of the pits, from Team Honda, to privateering it with friends. Along the way he's ridden for teams like Motosport Xtreme Kawaski, Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki, Smartop MotoConcepts Racing, Crossland, and this season he'll be on the CycleTrader.com/Rock River/Yamaha squad.

Bring your best questions, and he'll be peeking in here this week to answer them. As always, keep it respectful, and ask questions that you would like in a face-to-face meeting.
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ML512
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ML512 1/4/2016 6:57pm
1/4/2016 6:57pm
Tommy, what was the moment that made you want to come back to racing after your short retirement?
mirramaxx
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mirramaxx 1/4/2016 7:24pm
1/4/2016 7:24pm
Growing up who was riding hero?

What would you say is your favorite racing memory?

Best overall bike you have raced?

Lastly thank you for doing this Smile

Zycki11
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Zycki11 1/4/2016 7:27pm
1/4/2016 7:27pm
Congrats on picking up a great ride. How much has the Yamaha changed since your last "encounter" with it? Tons of skill up your sleeves and I hope you can post the results you would like. Good luck!
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Phillip_Lamb 1/4/2016 7:32pm
1/4/2016 7:32pm
Tommy Hahn. When you came back this year did you and your brother have any bets as to who would beat the other? did you have extra motivation to put your younger brother "in his place"?

The Shop

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GuyB
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GuyB 1/4/2016 7:38pm
1/4/2016 7:38pm
Are there really ISIS cells in Temecula?
th1723
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th1723 1/4/2016 7:39pm
1/4/2016 7:39pm
ML512 wrote:
Tommy, what was the moment that made you want to come back to racing after your short retirement?
Sounds a little weird but, when my brother had his huge crash at St. Louis in 2014. I was at a friends house watching the race having some beers and a good ol time. Then came the crash. They went to commercial and I couldn't get ahold of anyone. Then a friend text me and all it said was, "it's bad and he still isn't moving." I don't think I have to elaborate on the things going through my head at that point. I just felt like I should've been there and not as a spectator. So A couple days later, I started riding again after almost 2 years off.
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th1723 1/4/2016 7:41pm
1/4/2016 7:41pm
GuyB wrote:
Are there really ISIS cells in Temecula?
Perris and Elsinore. Yes. We have a neighbor that is a swat team member and get information from him daily. They know where they are. They're just waiting for the right time to get them.
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th1723 1/4/2016 7:42pm
1/4/2016 7:42pm Edited Date/Time 1/4/2016 9:08pm
mirramaxx wrote:
Growing up who was riding hero? What would you say is your favorite racing memory? Best overall bike you have raced? Lastly thank you for doing...
Growing up who was riding hero?

What would you say is your favorite racing memory?

Best overall bike you have raced?

Lastly thank you for doing this Smile

Jeremy McGrath and Chad Reed.

My first race.

My '07 factory Honda 250F.
th1723
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th1723 1/4/2016 7:44pm
1/4/2016 7:44pm Edited Date/Time 1/4/2016 9:09pm
Phillip_Lamb wrote:
Tommy Hahn. When you came back this year did you and your brother have any bets as to who would beat the other? did you have...
Tommy Hahn. When you came back this year did you and your brother have any bets as to who would beat the other? did you have extra motivation to put your younger brother "in his place"?
No. Wil and I always want to beat each other. But if we worried about who beats who instead of worrying about ourselves, we wouldn't be as close as we are.
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th1723 1/4/2016 7:48pm
1/4/2016 7:48pm
Zycki11 wrote:
Congrats on picking up a great ride. How much has the Yamaha changed since your last "encounter" with it? Tons of skill up your sleeves and...
Congrats on picking up a great ride. How much has the Yamaha changed since your last "encounter" with it? Tons of skill up your sleeves and I hope you can post the results you would like. Good luck!
The Yamaha is really really good. My 2011, not to much. But we had a really opinionated team manager that year that wouldn't let us test the way I learned to. So it wasn't so much THE Yamaha as is was THAT Yamaha.
theycallmeebryan 1/4/2016 8:34pm
1/4/2016 8:34pm
Hey Tommy. Good luck this year!

I had a chance to briefly meet you out at Pala one day with Brian Barnhardt. You were a super humble dude and want to thank you for chatting with me (an unknown weekend warrior) for a minute.

Given a guy your size, how do you like riding the 450 over the 250?

What is your favorite public track to ride in California and why?
pummel
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pummel 1/4/2016 8:46pm
1/4/2016 8:46pm
Have always been a fan of yours, you always tried hard, had great style and seemed cool with your fans. Hope you don't mind if I ask what's with you and Matthes? Is it mutual?
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th1723 1/4/2016 8:49pm
1/4/2016 8:49pm Edited Date/Time 1/4/2016 9:09pm
pummel wrote:
Have always been a fan of yours, you always tried hard, had great style and seemed cool with your fans. Hope you don't mind if I...
Have always been a fan of yours, you always tried hard, had great style and seemed cool with your fans. Hope you don't mind if I ask what's with you and Matthes? Is it mutual?
I don't know him.
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th1723 1/4/2016 8:58pm
1/4/2016 8:58pm Edited Date/Time 1/4/2016 9:10pm
theycallmeebryan wrote:
Hey Tommy. Good luck this year! I had a chance to briefly meet you out at Pala one day with Brian Barnhardt. You were a super...
Hey Tommy. Good luck this year!

I had a chance to briefly meet you out at Pala one day with Brian Barnhardt. You were a super humble dude and want to thank you for chatting with me (an unknown weekend warrior) for a minute.

Given a guy your size, how do you like riding the 450 over the 250?

What is your favorite public track to ride in California and why?
I've always loved the 450. I like riding a 250, just not racing one. It's not always about the size of a guy besides the obvious ones. It has a lot to do with how you ride. And I never hung it out like a 250 has to be ridden. A 450 gives you time to think. You can be mellow and still fast as hell. The 250 is just balls to the wall and hit everything perfect. However, a 250 can make you a better rider since you have to be so perfect and keep your momentum. That's my personal opinion.

Pala. The dirt is unmatched.
GuyB
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GuyB 1/4/2016 9:16pm
1/4/2016 9:16pm Edited Date/Time 1/4/2016 9:16pm
What's left to get ready before Anaheim?

This year has to be a little different with the short time to get prepared.
th1723
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th1723 1/4/2016 9:31pm
1/4/2016 9:31pm
GuyB wrote:
What's left to get ready before Anaheim?

This year has to be a little different with the short time to get prepared.
Unfortunately I've only had 2 weeks to prepare. But fortunately I'm still very blessed to be as talented as I am. Right now, I'm taking it week by week with my tests on Saturday nights. It's not an ideal way to start but nothing comes easy and the most important part is I have one heckuva team behind me that understands that position. So all I can do is my work and things will fall into place. But I've been given a great base to work with. I'm lucky for that.
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Thelen20 1/4/2016 9:39pm
1/4/2016 9:39pm
Tommy!!! No questions here really, just a big fan ever since I lined up with you at lake Whitney for a local A class race before you hit the ama circuit. I watched the footage my mom got of you while waiting for me to come back around until the vhs wore out! Lol!

You came around the right handed sweeper with absolute warp speed and scrubbed the big single like I had never seen, then you were turning that double double into a massive triple single, pretty sure you tried to quad it once but you came up short, you bounced like 8ft back into the air and held onto it like it was no big deal! Mind blown!

Was sooo happy when you won that national at steel city and really hoped that was the beginning of something. . . I guess I will ask, why did you walk away the first time??? I remember you coming forward to 5th or 6th in a moto at southwick (before you fell) right before you retired. Why did you walk away when you still had front runner speed???
pummel
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pummel 1/4/2016 9:42pm
1/4/2016 9:42pm
Thanks for being classy and thanks a lot for doing this. What were you eating here ? And what was the whole Motoconcepts experience like? Is Genova actually as nutty as he seems?

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mattyhamz2 1/4/2016 11:19pm
1/4/2016 11:19pm
Hey Tommy! Thanks for doing this.

Glad to see you on the Cycle Trader Yamaha! Best of luck to you on Saturday night!

Now for the question. How awesome was it to get the win at Steel City in 09? Is there even a way to describe that feeling? I remember watching that with my dad super stoked to see you win it!

Again, good luck on Saturday!
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Jimmy_Sloan 1/5/2016 12:39am
1/5/2016 12:39am
Thanks for taking the time to do this. The thing that stands out to me when I see pros at your level, is how calm you seem, on and off the track. How nervous do you get on the starting line or the night before a race? I get nervous just watching. Smile Good luck in 2016.
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jemcee 1/5/2016 1:23am
1/5/2016 1:23am
Haven't really got a question but this photo makes me laugh


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Sully 1/5/2016 2:26am
1/5/2016 2:26am
jemcee wrote:
Haven't really got a question but this photo makes me laugh [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/01/05/118393/s1200_43.jpg[/img]
Haven't really got a question but this photo makes me laugh


Ahahahahaha!!! Brotherly love at its finest.
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1-forty-8 1/5/2016 4:13am
1/5/2016 4:13am
Hey Tommy, how ya doing?

What's your funniest Wil Hahn story?
CCMX
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CCMX 1/5/2016 6:32am
1/5/2016 6:32am
Not a question, but at lorettas around 02 or 03, you was way out front in 125A on the CR 125 when your chain broke. I was standing right there where it broke, never felt so bad for a rider.

Good luck this year.
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th1723 1/5/2016 6:45am
1/5/2016 6:45am
jemcee wrote:
Haven't really got a question but this photo makes me laugh [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/01/05/118393/s1200_43.jpg[/img]
Haven't really got a question but this photo makes me laugh


I'm actually leaning back and flipping someone else off. When I saw it, I immediately burst into laughter as well. Wil, not so much.
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th1723 1/5/2016 6:50am
1/5/2016 6:50am
CCMX wrote:
Not a question, but at lorettas around 02 or 03, you was way out front in 125A on the CR 125 when your chain broke. I...
Not a question, but at lorettas around 02 or 03, you was way out front in 125A on the CR 125 when your chain broke. I was standing right there where it broke, never felt so bad for a rider.

Good luck this year.
Well actually my bike blew up. My chain was fine. But yes, that was a tough one to swallow. Because with my other 2 scores, I would have beat Millsaps for the title. At the same time, that was in '03, I woulda went to the Nationals had my bike not blown up. I stayed amateur for one more year and it ended up being the right decision.
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Flatliner 1/5/2016 7:17am
1/5/2016 7:17am
Can you talk a little bit about your factory Honda experience?

Glad your still out there getting after it, was always a fan of yours coming up.
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GautThis 1/5/2016 8:25am
1/5/2016 8:25am Edited Date/Time 1/5/2016 8:27am
Hey Tommy, first off thanks for doing this! Last year I was able to get to spend time with the Crossland team and actually got to know you guys a little bit including the Peer Brothers (Awesome Dudes) and of course you guys were always cool to me allowing me to film/take photos. Obviously I'm a video guy but I was wondering what are some of your favorite riding videos and if you enjoyed doing interviews like Moto inside the Outdoors or even the Airtime Series? Best of luck to you this year and the new team and I hope I can find my way over to do some video with you and Colt if you guys wanted to.
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th1723 1/5/2016 9:24am
1/5/2016 9:24am
1-forty-8 wrote:
Hey Tommy, how ya doing?

What's your funniest Wil Hahn story?
Too many to list. Wil's personality is unmatched. He does a good job keeping it civil on the stage. But get him back home with our buddies and take notes.
mgifracing 1/5/2016 9:38am
1/5/2016 9:38am
Since I never can make it to you guys' race in Great bend, I was wondering how your parents are doing? Good Luck, i'll try to catch up to you next time your in Kansas. Good luck this weekend bud.

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