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Joined
5/23/2009
Location
Concord, NC, USA
Racer111
Edited Date/Time
7/21/2020 10:58am
Ok, so 99% of us on here are nowhere near the top 20 guys in MX and SX. I know there are few former Pro’s that visit and post.....JT$, DV12 etc..... The main test riders for shootouts are damn good riders and on another level than most of us.......
The thing that cracks me up most about shootouts is when the main guy talking about the bike saying how said bike is overweight, motor is under horse powered, suspension needs a lot of work, hard to ride.......... Meanwhile the rider in the background is RIPPING around the track, scrubbing the $hit out of jumps and railing berms like a champ. 😂😂😂😂
And can someone tell me why Motocross Action is always completely off on their bike pics compared to the other magazines??
The thing that cracks me up most about shootouts is when the main guy talking about the bike saying how said bike is overweight, motor is under horse powered, suspension needs a lot of work, hard to ride.......... Meanwhile the rider in the background is RIPPING around the track, scrubbing the $hit out of jumps and railing berms like a champ. 😂😂😂😂
And can someone tell me why Motocross Action is always completely off on their bike pics compared to the other magazines??
MXA is the CNN of moto media.
Anyways, takes good riders to test bikes. Do we really want C level riders out there who cant feel a difference in fork height? If 10 different A/B class guys give the same feedback that should be pretty good.
Is the one your on, go get some seat time.
The Shop
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Not all "fast" riders can actually test, and not all slow riders can't test. Some guys have it and some don't. I will say you can't have a completely out of control guy test simply because they can't replicate their actions/lines, but other than that, speed isn't a necessity to be a good test rider.
They have their place - the ranking/result is not the ultimate - but the info and breakdown can really help steer a decision.
This is the biggest thing most people seem to overlook or not understand. Just because a bike got 2nd to last or last in a shootout doesn't mean the bike is trash. All the bikes are good these days and depending on your skillset or riding style, your ranking order could be different. That's why they always break down what people liked, what their skillset is, price and so on. Read/watch/listen to the breakdown of each bike and see what fits you the best.
For example on last years Vital 250 shootout I filmed the first day and got to test the bikes as a rider day 2 and 3. I’m 35 B/C, can test well and have feel of bike changes, but there’s no way you want to see video clips of me ride. My input was added to the scores and the average is what ML talks about on camera. But When editing, it’s embarrassing to see the clips compared to guys like Michael, Max or Zack Peddie.
GuyB did use some great camera work to get these shots, but he’s a pro and does great work to make me look legit.
I buy what I'm most comfortable on, fits me the best and what dealers are nearest my home which happens to be Kawasaki.
Pit Row
Serious question.
The 2016 shootouts kind of made me want a yzf250...
My next bike will be a 300xc, 250xc, or kx450 if I can get a smoking deal on it. The KTMs because they make sense for my racing and the kx would be for contingency purposes. I would happily purchase a cheap rmz to have strictly for moto racing if I got a good deal. Point is, shoot outs have nothing to do with my next purchase.
But, I actually just bought the bike I put 4th in the shootout last year, the Honda, because I have a dealer relationship and the only two things I would have to do to it to make it perfect for me are suspension and mapping which I have a good relationship to handle both.
I talked with ML briefly today, and it's interesting because if you actually listen and learn, you can find out that some bikes that might not crush the shoot out are easy to fix the "flaws" while others who might score higher in complete stock trim would be more difficult to improve and personalize.
Another example, the 2019 KX450, to make it comfy for me was mainly the bars and levers which are extremely easy and cheap to change.
If you are just looking for a brand to win, you're missing the point. Read, listen, dissect the info across each media outlet if you actually want to make an educated decision. If you hear the same thing 5 or 6 times, I'd think it's a pretty well rounded opinion.
One shootout isn't enough to make a decision, but an accumulation should be helping steer your decision if you are flexible about what you're going to buy.
Not everyone is, for example, until this purchase it didn't matter. If Honda was the worst bike, I would've bought one still because the price and support was too good to match. Shootouts are steering the guy who knows what he wants, they are helping weigh the decisions of the guys on the fence or debating.
Me:
It HAS to happen, right??
The only time I have been influenced by a magazine on a bike purchase was late 2012 , at that time I had a KTM 450 SXF. MXA did a digital magazine on KTM’s in it was a project they did on a 300SX 2 stroke. The next day I ordered a 2013 250 SX, with the 300 kit fitted from new.
I do remember back in the early eighties at school arguing about the best bikes in Shootouts, this is when it took about 3 months for MXA and the other magazines to get to New Zealand,
My riding mates n I would bag on each other if your model/ make didn't fare well in a shootout.
Though I do actually think shootouts held more stock back then because the differences between bikes were greater. Now it's just about pick your favourite colour.
I just buy the ones that look good to me! Maybe because I'm old and slow. "If you can't go fast, look fast!"
Most mx media already do bike reviews.
Post a reply to: Shootout’s are a laugh........