If titles are so important, why do manufacturers often drop riders after great seasons?

kott0n
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kott0n 6/9/2023 7:20am
6/9/2023 7:20am
FreshTopEnd wrote:
Honda was kidding themselves if they thought that they came out okay because MC lost.  At least as likely was the impression that MC must have...

Honda was kidding themselves if they thought that they came out okay because MC lost.  At least as likely was the impression that MC must have thought the new bike was garbage to walk to a lesser bike like the Suzuki was then.

And they lost in 97 and did not sniff the title again until they bought RC.

 

McGrath said the Suzuki felt like the Honda steely he had been riding. That it was basically a copy of Honda's winning bike.

This is why I love podcasts, right from the horses mouth. 

burn1986
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burn1986 6/9/2023 7:22am
6/9/2023 7:22am
RCMartin406 wrote:
Or let them get away? MC/Honda 96, RC/Honda 04, JS/Kawasaki 08, CR/Suzuki 09, RV/Kawasaki 14 but RV retired, CS/Honda 23, those are just the ones I...

Or let them get away? MC/Honda 96, RC/Honda 04, JS/Kawasaki 08, CR/Suzuki 09, RV/Kawasaki 14 but RV retired, CS/Honda 23, those are just the ones I can think of atm. I’m sure most of it is because there’s younger talented kids waiting their turn, but man SX/MX is a fickle game!

Micky Dymond Honda 87

Zycki11
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Zycki11 6/9/2023 7:24am
6/9/2023 7:24am
RCMartin406 wrote:
Or let them get away? MC/Honda 96, RC/Honda 04, JS/Kawasaki 08, CR/Suzuki 09, RV/Kawasaki 14 but RV retired, CS/Honda 23, those are just the ones I...

Or let them get away? MC/Honda 96, RC/Honda 04, JS/Kawasaki 08, CR/Suzuki 09, RV/Kawasaki 14 but RV retired, CS/Honda 23, those are just the ones I can think of atm. I’m sure most of it is because there’s younger talented kids waiting their turn, but man SX/MX is a fickle game!

ML512 wrote:
McGrath chose to leave Honda due to his dislike of the upcoming 1997 CR250R aluminum frame bike. RC's was a weird case of Honda sorta low-balling...

McGrath chose to leave Honda due to his dislike of the upcoming 1997 CR250R aluminum frame bike. RC's was a weird case of Honda sorta low-balling him/going after Stew. Kawasaki and Stew weren't seeing eye-to-eye at the end of 2008, Kawi was Monster and Stew wanted to return to Red Bull, and no return offer was made. Monster made a huge push to get Reed to Kawasaki in 2010 as they were making a huge push in Australia...Reed was racing the AusSX series during the offseason at the time, etc... RV retired as you stated and Honda wanted to keep Sexton but ultimately it's his choice to depart to KTM.

Of your list, the only one who might be classified as dropped, as there was little or no effort made to retain him, was James Stewart at the end of 08 with Kawasaki.

Reeds deal with Suzuki didn’t work because Decoster didn’t have the budget due to Dungey moving up. Chad wanted to stay yellow and ultimately did not like the Kawi. 

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Timo
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Timo 6/9/2023 7:26am
6/9/2023 7:26am
RCMartin406 wrote:
Another one RC/Kawasaki 01. I can’t believe they let RC get away. I know they had James coming in 02 but on the 125 for the...

Another one RC/Kawasaki 01. I can’t believe they let RC get away. I know they had James coming in 02 but on the 125 for the next 3 years. They would’ve dominated both classes for years!

FreshTopEnd wrote:

RC said at then time as well Kawasaki was behind in its 450 development, which eventually ruined Stew's first outdoor 450 year.

I think Stew kinda ruined his own season in 05, 06, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14.... 

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64smoker
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64smoker 6/9/2023 7:35am
6/9/2023 7:35am
ajv#26 wrote:

TC222 drop by Yamaha on the end off 2009(?) season... 

This is a strange one I think it’s more to do with the red bull link , De Carli Yamaha and Tony was sponsored by red bull , 09/10 I believe  is when the ktm and redbull partnership started really making its name , I believe his whole team stayed the same strangely just moved brands 

Dirty Points 6/9/2023 7:57am
6/9/2023 7:57am

Another dude learns pro sports are both a competition and a business.

RCMartin406
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RCMartin406 6/9/2023 8:05am
6/9/2023 8:05am
UpTiTe wrote:

RC thought Hondas bike had more upside than the Kawasaki. 

CPR wrote:

He also thought the Suzuki had more upside than the Honda in SX, and he was correct.

UpTiTe wrote:

That’s not true at all, he left Honda for money, he didn’t want to leave the Honda 450. 

Yep, RC said that Suzuki bought a Yamaha YZ250 and copied it for the 05 RM250, and did the same with a Honda CRF450 and copied it for the 06 RMZ450. 

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CPR
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CPR 6/9/2023 3:44pm
6/9/2023 3:44pm
UpTiTe wrote:

RC thought Hondas bike had more upside than the Kawasaki. 

CPR wrote:

He also thought the Suzuki had more upside than the Honda in SX, and he was correct.

UpTiTe wrote:

That’s not true at all, he left Honda for money, he didn’t want to leave the Honda 450. 

I didn’t say it was the reason RC left Honda, just that he knew the Suzuki was going to be better in SX.

RC has said that Reed had him covered for speed in 03 SX and that the Yami was way better than his Honda. Knowing that Suzuki had basically copied the YZ engine gave him confidence that they’d be able to at least match the Yami in SX. Of course he wasn’t worried about Outdoors.

Gravel
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Gravel 6/10/2023 8:56am
6/10/2023 8:56am

Imagine the budget destruction when a rider goes 24-0? The bonus money paid out has to come from somewhere, do the factories insure themselves for bonuses? 
 

I’ve always thought that budgets / bonuses were why riders get pushed out. 

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