Anyone think Kawasaki is kicking themselves?

motodad805
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motodad805
I mean ET3 has had a phenomenal season on that YZ. First year, new team and new bike, and he’s been looking pretty awesome going into hopefully an MXoN win.
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Richy
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Richy 9/7/2022 11:39pm
9/7/2022 11:39pm
I get what you're saying, and you'd think so, but in reality it's unlikely. The pride / stubbornness of the Kawi team and company probably wouldn't have allowed them to do what Eli needed / wanted setup or support wise, so they couldn't / wouldn't have done anything different if they'd gotten another shot.

Can't be kicking yourself if you can't admit you're making the mistakes responsible for it.
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Crush
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Crush 9/8/2022 1:32am
9/8/2022 1:32am
For two more titles it probably would have been worth letting Gilly under the tent.
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philG
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philG 9/8/2022 1:36am
9/8/2022 1:36am
Kawasaki has always been the same. Both sides of the pond
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Chris_Buehler
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Chris_Buehler 9/8/2022 3:18am
9/8/2022 3:18am
We're talking about the guys who let RC and Stewart go right?
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McG194
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McG194 9/8/2022 5:03am
9/8/2022 5:03am
Eli would NOT have won both titles on a Kawi. He was not having fun and not motivated.
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mxb2
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mxb2 9/8/2022 5:30am
9/8/2022 5:30am Edited Date/Time 9/8/2022 8:03am
motodad805 wrote:
I mean ET3 has had a phenomenal season on that YZ. First year, new team and new bike, and he’s been looking pretty awesome going into...
I mean ET3 has had a phenomenal season on that YZ. First year, new team and new bike, and he’s been looking pretty awesome going into hopefully an MXoN win.
He gave kawy 4 titles. Lol. They got a good return in their investment. Honda could have signed eli but didnt. Guess they must feel bad for eli not getting them any big bike titles.
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AH387
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AH387 9/8/2022 5:50am
9/8/2022 5:50am
I don't think so. Because I don't think Eli wins both titles if he were still at Kawi. A lot of things have to be meshing for a rider to win both titles. I don't think it's a case of Eli just put on any bike and he wins regardless. I think it's a lot of the rider gelling with that particular bike, the team, the rider's mental state (which I think is a big deal for riders) etc. The Kawi relationship had run it's course and Star's bike and how they run the team was perfect for Eli. It got him comfortable on the bike, the right attitude to give it his all etc.

1 positive for Kawi is their 250 team (Shimoda specifically) had a nice surge and is set up nicely for success in '23. And similar to Eli with Star/Yam, Kawi was a great fit for Anderson. So that helped the team/bike still look good, even though Eli left and had success elsewhere.
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westeast
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westeast 9/8/2022 6:31am
9/8/2022 6:31am
Kawi is probably pretty happy with how Anderson is performing. He just had his best overall year ever.
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prozach
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prozach 9/8/2022 7:27am
9/8/2022 7:27am
Kawi is probably kicking themselves because AC was hurt all year again. Not because of how Eli did..🤷‍♀️
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Ozy
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Ozy 9/8/2022 1:47pm
9/8/2022 1:47pm
I heard kawi only offered to give Eli a 1 year extension and that was a contributing factor to the Yamaha move (they gave him a 2nd year option. Whatever the real reasons for ET3 moving on, he looks like a Genius now!

Kawasaki regret is doubtful they thought AC9 was their next champ. Luckily El Hombre stepped up big time.
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vitalriderCrf
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vitalriderCrf 9/8/2022 2:45pm
9/8/2022 2:45pm Edited Date/Time 9/8/2022 2:46pm
The only person kicking themselves that Eli wasn't on a Kawi this year is sexton. Do you really think KHI as a company gives a shit about dirtbike racing?
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Magoofan
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Magoofan 9/8/2022 3:31pm
9/8/2022 3:31pm
Here is my favorite big "IF"...

Can you imagine IF Star was in charge of the premiere class and IF Eli had been racing with them all these years?

How many titles he would have.....including all the "oh so close" SX titles.


Kawi most assuredly held him back. Sure, he got those previous outdoor titles....but he was kind of a head case and always seemed unhapppy. Noone can say Eli isn't a different guy since the switch.
250 cross
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250 cross 9/8/2022 3:36pm
9/8/2022 3:36pm
Andersen made their bike look great too, Husky is the one that came out questionable.
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Spat24 9/8/2022 3:49pm
9/8/2022 3:49pm
Magoofan wrote:
Here is my favorite big "IF"... Can you imagine [b]IF[/b] Star was in charge of the premiere class and [b]IF[/b] Eli had been racing with them...
Here is my favorite big "IF"...

Can you imagine IF Star was in charge of the premiere class and IF Eli had been racing with them all these years?

How many titles he would have.....including all the "oh so close" SX titles.


Kawi most assuredly held him back. Sure, he got those previous outdoor titles....but he was kind of a head case and always seemed unhapppy. Noone can say Eli isn't a different guy since the switch.
Just think if Tomac didnt resign his 2nd contract with Kawi a few years ago. Not sure why he did resign now that all this info comes out that he was not happy there.
Nathaniel129 9/8/2022 4:39pm
9/8/2022 4:39pm
Most people only look at a situation like this from one side, which is why this is even a question.
Tomac fans (which I am) will say oh man look at what he could have done if he was on that Yamaha for the last however many years.
Kawasaki fans, and most likely the people in charge of that team, will say oh man look at Tomac, he needed the perfect bike and team to win, otherwise he would have done it on our awesome bike...just look at Anderson.
Things are hardly ever as simple as they seem...
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JustMX
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JustMX 9/8/2022 6:59pm
9/8/2022 6:59pm
westeast wrote:
Kawi is probably pretty happy with how Anderson is performing. He just had his best overall year ever.
dang, that feels like an "everybody is a winner"! moment.

it might have been anderson's best overall year ever, but that is hard to push in ads.

it was craig's best too.

and plessinger's,

and it was dungey's best in 8 years.
Ramrod
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Ramrod 9/8/2022 8:09pm
9/8/2022 8:09pm
Star is a good team and Kawi is a good team.

Sometimes change is good. Happens in sports all the time and can be re-motivating.

The real point should be how Eli just made that Yamaha work for him all year to eliminate the stigma people have for that 450 bike. Star made that Yamaha something the factory couldn't achieve perhaps?
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