Self Proclaimed "Title Favorite" Alex Martin

Gukamonster
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Gigantic, CK
Edited Date/Time 6/18/2019 5:49am
What's the deal? Does the bike suck? Lots of hot air comments in the last month:

"I'd like to think I'm the shoe in, or natural choice (for the title)"
"I'm very comfortable on JGR's Suzuki"
"Hoping the JGR Suzuki is the little extra ingredient to get the job done"
"Looking to prove the nay-sayers wrong about the Suzuki RMZ250"
"I'm supposed to be winning this title, that's what the team and sponsors expect"


McAdoo misses the first 3 rounds, jumps on an unfamiliar bike and beats him by 30 seconds and 5 spots both motos.

Oldenburg, recovering from a burnt ass, missing 3 rounds and all of last season beats him by 3 spots first moto.

Wilson Todd, who had never seen these tracks and new to the US nationals also beats him both motos.


His lap times aren't fading off at the end of the motos. The bike, if it makes it on TV, looks slow like it gives up a 1/10 second out of every corner and like Alex needs to over-ride it causing it to jump around like a pogo stick.

How do "we" feel about his title chances?
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rucka356
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Knoxville, TN, USA
6/15/2019 7:27pm Edited Date/Time 6/15/2019 7:29pm
I don't think the Suzuki's as good as he wants us all to believe.... or he's been hanging with Hill too much
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plowboy
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Norwich, KS, USA
6/15/2019 7:31pm
What's the deal? Does the bike suck? Lots of hot air comments in the last month: "I'd like to think I'm the shoe in, or natural...
What's the deal? Does the bike suck? Lots of hot air comments in the last month:

"I'd like to think I'm the shoe in, or natural choice (for the title)"
"I'm very comfortable on JGR's Suzuki"
"Hoping the JGR Suzuki is the little extra ingredient to get the job done"
"Looking to prove the nay-sayers wrong about the Suzuki RMZ250"
"I'm supposed to be winning this title, that's what the team and sponsors expect"


McAdoo misses the first 3 rounds, jumps on an unfamiliar bike and beats him by 30 seconds and 5 spots both motos.

Oldenburg, recovering from a burnt ass, missing 3 rounds and all of last season beats him by 3 spots first moto.

Wilson Todd, who had never seen these tracks and new to the US nationals also beats him both motos.


His lap times aren't fading off at the end of the motos. The bike, if it makes it on TV, looks slow like it gives up a 1/10 second out of every corner and like Alex needs to over-ride it causing it to jump around like a pogo stick.

How do "we" feel about his title chances?
Alex has been my guy for a long time but whether it's the bike or an injury...the young 'uns are just crazy fast this year. I think a top 10 finish in the series will be about all he can hope for. I think he really misses his brother out there.
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yak651
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Appleton, WI, USA
Fantasy
6/15/2019 7:37pm
I want to be on the Troll Train, but think his time may have passed. Guess we'll see at Millville, if he can't podium there he'll have to head to Canada with Phil
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7
6/15/2019 7:48pm
In the RacerX preview show didn’t Matthes put him to finish the series like 2nd again?
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The Shop

6/15/2019 7:48pm
I’d say it’s just an extremely competitive series with a lot of surprise speed demons.

Also, this is motocross. When you’re the sole proprietor of your results you have to project a winning attitude because anything less will set you up for failure.
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Phillip_Lamb
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ORANGEVALE, CA, USA
6/15/2019 7:58pm
alex was/is a title favorite. he's been running top 5 solidly the last 3 years. but i think the top riders have just gotten much faster. i dont think he's going slower, i think its just guys are going faster, especially guys who've been out from injuries

the suzuki is a lot closer to the kawi engine stock wise but its only in its first year of development by JGR so hard to know how far off it is.
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Texas Built
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Houston, TX, USA
6/15/2019 8:02pm
Its like when Roczen was making up BS about a mystery illness for 4 straight months because his Honda sucks indoors. Two weeks later.......100% CURED!!!!

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cbuehler767
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New London, CT, USA
6/15/2019 8:05pm
Its like when Roczen was making up BS about a mystery illness for 4 straight months because his Honda sucks indoors. Two weeks later.......100% CURED!!!![img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2019/06/15/354808/s1200_Screen_Shot_2019_06_15_at_9.59.54_PM.jpg[/img]
Its like when Roczen was making up BS about a mystery illness for 4 straight months because his Honda sucks indoors. Two weeks later.......100% CURED!!!!

"Oh my arm! It's broken!"
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6/15/2019 8:10pm
Its like when Roczen was making up BS about a mystery illness for 4 straight months because his Honda sucks indoors. Two weeks later.......100% CURED!!!![img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2019/06/15/354808/s1200_Screen_Shot_2019_06_15_at_9.59.54_PM.jpg[/img]
Its like when Roczen was making up BS about a mystery illness for 4 straight months because his Honda sucks indoors. Two weeks later.......100% CURED!!!!

You are wrong about that !
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SEMAC
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340
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cordoba, Ver., MX
6/15/2019 10:59pm
He is almost 30 years old, since Last year his results were faiding, fineshed second because a lot of guys got injured
SEMAC
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cordoba, Ver., MX
6/15/2019 11:00pm
Fading
Premix
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Location
USA
6/16/2019 5:14am
His lap times were way off in both motos yesterday and he just didn’t look like he had any urgency to move forward.

I don’t get it. It’s like JGR is cursed.
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6/16/2019 5:29am Edited Date/Time 6/16/2019 5:29am
ACs lap times on the roughest track of the day (final moto) would’ve put him on the podium with the 450s riding a smoother track. The 250 class is FAST
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Ramrod
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Ontario, CA
6/16/2019 5:43am
Need to big bore that Suzuki 250f, it's clearly no match.
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olds cool
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Claremont, NC, USA
6/16/2019 5:54am Edited Date/Time 6/16/2019 5:55am
Mid pack starts in the 250 class aren’t conducive to front of the pack finishes. By the time you make a few passes, the pack at the front is long gone.
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Bidirella
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NZ
6/16/2019 5:54am
Give him that Star or TLD bike back and you will see a different A-Mart.
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cable
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Rockford, MI, USA
6/16/2019 7:45am
its all bike.
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Casting
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USA
6/16/2019 7:48am
I think it's mostly the bike, and a bit of him not being a wild and willing to take risks as the younger riders.

JGR needs to get off Suzuki if they want to compete and be able to attract sponsors long term.
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Forty
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Saint Paul, MN, USA
6/16/2019 8:11am
What's the deal? Does the bike suck? Lots of hot air comments in the last month: "I'd like to think I'm the shoe in, or natural...
What's the deal? Does the bike suck? Lots of hot air comments in the last month:

"I'd like to think I'm the shoe in, or natural choice (for the title)"
"I'm very comfortable on JGR's Suzuki"
"Hoping the JGR Suzuki is the little extra ingredient to get the job done"
"Looking to prove the nay-sayers wrong about the Suzuki RMZ250"
"I'm supposed to be winning this title, that's what the team and sponsors expect"


McAdoo misses the first 3 rounds, jumps on an unfamiliar bike and beats him by 30 seconds and 5 spots both motos.

Oldenburg, recovering from a burnt ass, missing 3 rounds and all of last season beats him by 3 spots first moto.

Wilson Todd, who had never seen these tracks and new to the US nationals also beats him both motos.


His lap times aren't fading off at the end of the motos. The bike, if it makes it on TV, looks slow like it gives up a 1/10 second out of every corner and like Alex needs to over-ride it causing it to jump around like a pogo stick.

How do "we" feel about his title chances?
That’s why we race. Everyone looks great on paper before the gate drops.

Too many variables in motocross to predict the outcome of a season before it starts.

I want the Martin brothers to win every time they line up as they are local boys, that being said there is a lot of speed in the 250 class this year.
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JWACK
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USA
6/16/2019 8:14am
Casting wrote:
I think it's mostly the bike, and a bit of him not being a wild and willing to take risks as the younger riders. JGR needs...
I think it's mostly the bike, and a bit of him not being a wild and willing to take risks as the younger riders.

JGR needs to get off Suzuki if they want to compete and be able to attract sponsors long term.
Yeah they need to go to Yamaha. That would fix everything.
SWOHIO GUY
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Franklin, OH, USA
6/16/2019 8:29am
Alex has overachieved tremendously in this sport. I think 2016-2017 was the best we were going to see from him. Even in those years that he finished second there wasn’t many moto wins or overalls. That points to lack of top flight speed, his consistency of always being in the top 7 got him to those runner up points finishes. I think Alex's window of being a consistent top 5 guy has passed. A number of factors point to this, he is getting older, the bike isn’t as good, and I think this is the deepest 250 field I have seen in years.
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MX76er
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CA
6/16/2019 8:49am
The Suzuki ain’t close to Yamaha or what Payton is getting out of those Kawi’s. 250f class has a lot to do with bike at the top level. Alex should have got a better ride than JGR imho but that’s the industry and connections mean a lot in any business. He is more talented than his results show. Not buying that the field is stacked. There is no Davalos, forkner, j mart, Osborne, Savatgy, pleasinger. Last year the class had more talent also.
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Bruce372
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USA
6/16/2019 9:05am
The rmz450 made only 1 point yesterday, Alex who was runner up a couple of seasons ago was barely in the point and just scraped out a top 10 on the rmz250.

But dont talk shit about Suzuki, lol. Every month there is a thread about the rm125 being sorely missed, yet no one wants to buy them.

Then there are the 450 is so solid threads, yet no one wants them either.
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RexEasely
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Pomona, CA, USA
6/16/2019 10:04am
MX76er wrote:
The Suzuki ain’t close to Yamaha or what Payton is getting out of those Kawi’s. 250f class has a lot to do with bike at the...
The Suzuki ain’t close to Yamaha or what Payton is getting out of those Kawi’s. 250f class has a lot to do with bike at the top level. Alex should have got a better ride than JGR imho but that’s the industry and connections mean a lot in any business. He is more talented than his results show. Not buying that the field is stacked. There is no Davalos, forkner, j mart, Osborne, Savatgy, pleasinger. Last year the class had more talent also.
he looked good in sx on that RMZ.i see his fitness being an issue not the bike folks. Also he got married so that scrubbed some speed I would think
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Sluggo77
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CA
6/16/2019 10:13am Edited Date/Time 6/16/2019 10:14am
I noticed in one of the Pala motos he tried passing for the lead twice but his rear shock was bouncing around like a Pogo-stick. As the moto progressed his Suzuki was always hopping badly in the chop and it was easy to see why he faded so bad. I don't know what the issue was exactly but I was wondering how a factory team could miss the set-up so badly. Compared to the other bikes it looked like he had hardly any rebound dampening at all.
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Harry_Gray
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Texoma region, OK, USA
6/16/2019 10:13am
Casting wrote:
I think it's mostly the bike, and a bit of him not being a wild and willing to take risks as the younger riders. JGR needs...
I think it's mostly the bike, and a bit of him not being a wild and willing to take risks as the younger riders.

JGR needs to get off Suzuki if they want to compete and be able to attract sponsors long term.
You're gonna get flamed for your statement; although I believe you're correct. Alex still has the skills, but I really believe the bike is holding him back. JGR has the skills to build a competitive bike, but the Suzuki platform is way behind the others. Unless Suzuki does some MAJOR R&D on the RM-Z platform, they're going to be the skinny asthmatic kid that gets picked last for dodgeball.
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crowe176
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Spring Lake, MI, USA
6/16/2019 10:33am
Sluggo77 wrote:
I noticed in one of the Pala motos he tried passing for the lead twice but his rear shock was bouncing around like a Pogo-stick. As...
I noticed in one of the Pala motos he tried passing for the lead twice but his rear shock was bouncing around like a Pogo-stick. As the moto progressed his Suzuki was always hopping badly in the chop and it was easy to see why he faded so bad. I don't know what the issue was exactly but I was wondering how a factory team could miss the set-up so badly. Compared to the other bikes it looked like he had hardly any rebound dampening at all.
Yep. At Pala, I noticed that too. Coming into corners, his bike was bouncing around like he was trying to ride a bull.

It can't help, there's literally nobody on either side of the pond to get settings from or a direction to go. I don't know how well Amart can test, but I can't imagine you can spend an entire week testing, and get the needed riding to be competitive for 30+2.

I really hate using a bike as an excuse, but I'm going to give him a pass. They either need to hire someone to figure that bike out, or he needs to bail.
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byke
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Auburn, CA, USA
6/16/2019 10:36am
If only they'd let him ride a KTM/Husky 150/2t. Tongue
colvin227
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Alamogordo, NM, USA
6/16/2019 11:07am
Sluggo77 wrote:
I noticed in one of the Pala motos he tried passing for the lead twice but his rear shock was bouncing around like a Pogo-stick. As...
I noticed in one of the Pala motos he tried passing for the lead twice but his rear shock was bouncing around like a Pogo-stick. As the moto progressed his Suzuki was always hopping badly in the chop and it was easy to see why he faded so bad. I don't know what the issue was exactly but I was wondering how a factory team could miss the set-up so badly. Compared to the other bikes it looked like he had hardly any rebound dampening at all.
His suspension setting is on him. He’s the rider, tester so not “setup” right then that’s on the guy giving the feedback to the techs on what he wants a feels. If AC was on that bike he would be in the same spot he is now. People just love to quickly point out the Suzuki as the issue. JGR just doesn’t have the top top riders that’s why we don’t see them up there. Put Kenny, AC, ET on the bike and it’s a winner again. AMart is another’s year older in a class that’s quickly evolving speed, and yes figuring out the bike as there is very little data on it is a setback but not a smoking gun in my opinion. But I don’t believe it’s the end all be all reason AMart isnt winning. The top 5 is as competitive and fast is it ever has been.
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MXVet261
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Valley City, OH, USA
6/16/2019 11:19am
I apologize in advance for introducing facts into the thread.......

Martin finished 2nd in 2018 in a depleted field and was 110 points behind the leader. He and AP7 were the only ones to score points in every moto in 2018, all the rest either missed multiple complete events, DNF'd motos, or had other issues and scored 0 points in a moto (or several).

If you look at his results in the last several races of 2018 (when many of the contenders came back from injury), they are about the same or just slightly better then he is doing so far this year.

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