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Looking at the Kenny and Carson Brown 85 video. It appears Kenny loves to ride. What other current pro do you think will continue to ride or race after they retire professionally. And which ones will not throw a leg over a bike again. Seems 50 50, For past pros. So who do you think just loves dirt bikes? The Sexton thread and no dirtbikes in his garage make me think he is a racer and will hang it up when done, pure speculation.
My guess:
Probably riding: RV, Reed, Tomac, Roczen, Musquin, Barcia, Anderson, Martin Bros, Plessinger, Craig, Brayton.
Hanging it up for good: Dungey, JS7, Mookie, Webb, Sexton, Lawrences, Cianciarulo.
To be fair I don't think that is actually Chases garage, between training in California and maybe Florida and his family living in the midwest id be surprised if he even owns a house. That looks more like an Airbnb they are renting for boot camp especially since Levi, Vialle, Chase and his trainer are all staying in there together. There's barely anything in that house if you watch the video lol.
I still highly doubt any of the top guys have bikes in their garage though, obviously guys that train on their own probably do but its not like they are wheeling a bike out of the garage to go ride for fun after they have been riding 3 days a week and racing on the weekends.
I've always wonder what pros would be willing to pay out of their own pocket to ride/race (while working a regular job), if they weren't getting paid to do it (with free everything, the best of everything).
Which would "still be doin' this if they weren't doin' this"? (for the Luke Coombs country music fans).
Tomac- RV/RC, wont see him for a few years, then will get involved again
Anderson - JS7 - disappears
Roczen - will stay active
Chase - I think itll depend on how the rest of his career goes. Wins a few more championships - stays active. Loses to Jett, wont stay active
Webb - same as Tomac, but id guess he packs on the pounds like RC did
Barcia - Mike Brown
Plessinger - GNCC?
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I'll just say the current pros have a lot to live up to a guy like Chad Reed. No question he has moto in his soul and will ride and coach until he dies...
That said, my votes are Kenny and Barcia. They could've hung it up a while ago but continue to take the punishment. I could throw Tomac in there but he's a tough read. Sometimes he doesn't look like he's having the best time; all the time.
One guy that threw me for a loop is Dungey. He shows up here and there but I would've thought he'd been more involved since retirement.
AC9.
Kids been through the ringer with injuries, can’t even lift his arms over his head anymore because of all his shoulder issues, comes into 2023 with this ongoing nerve/wrist thing where he starts losing feeling in his hand and he still lined up for almost every moto this year. He could have retired and we all would have understood but he loves racing too much to just end it like that. Can’t imagine struggling with those demons but man is it cool to see riders with such passion for the sport persevere through such a frustrating injury and multiple years of setbacks.
AC kicks ass! Seeing him and Shimoda still signing autographs through the fence at High Point this year show how good they are off the bikes too.
Coop.... racing only. He's not a rider.
Never really thought about Anderson when he's done, but now that I do, I think you're right. Only difference I see is that Anderson will announce his retirement when it happens then disappear. Good call on the Barcia/Brown comparison, too. I don't know if he goes into his 50s like Brownie, but I totally see him doing any fun race he can sign up for.
X2
I would add Jeremy McGrath to the “Loves to Ride” group, especially with all the Crusty vids
Mike Brown. the man never quit.
Similar to your experience, I watched him sign autographs for everyone before he jumped on his bike for the final qualifying session at Hangtown this year. Even when it’s time for business he’s got time for his fans.
I'd bet that AP would try for a XC1 or XC2 championship after he gives moto up.
AC rocks! I expect to see him in the booth after he retires. My guess is this is his last year.
Supposedly that's his loose plan I heard. If he can stay involved with KTM until he retires that would be ideal for a GNCC run, he won an XC2 race in 2013 but man GNCC is insanely competitive these days Zach Osborne certainly struggled albeit he had a couple injuries coming in.
Chiz will ride until he dies.
No one ever started racing to make money or to turn pro, If you didn't love riding and racing riders would have never made it out of the C class.
Yeah i get that, than you have Bob Hannah, who hung em up, im really thinking he loved riding to race more than just riding, take RV seems he got tired of racing but now enjoys racing for fun, i take that as he loves to ride. Then i would say AC was focused on being a pro very very early, he was under contract on 65s or 85s. We saw him a lot around Fl. I dont see him as a guy to play like Kenny, Carson, Reed seem to do.
MXA did an article many years ago how many of the top guys never rode after they retired, just burnt out, or did not want to deal with not being the fastet anymore, forsure to be a pro you have to be fast, and most id not these guys are hyper competitive. And im talking about the top guys not the guys getting lapped and never were contenders in the sx or national, those guys seem to love to ride cause they aint winning or making much, all my opinion.
Pit Row
I often woder this and it bums me out to think that the industry causes some to hate what they once loved. Love to see McGrath still loving to ride and most recently Damon Huffman getting back on the horse. Wish others would find the enjoyment in riding again. Ezra Lusk, Phil Lawrence, etc etc.
He rode for fun summer of 22, even raced some off-road races. If he didn't enjoy it I doubt that would have happened.
Those were races. In his own words, he said he's not into riding/bikes....he's a racer. I'm not knocking him, I'm a big CW fan.
I always wonder how the bigger name guys handle not having a factory bike, mechanic etc. they must be miserable with a stocker with a bit of bling.
A guy like Reed who is notoriously fussy. I wonder how he is riding his KTM. Does all that fuss go out the window when it doesn’t matter anymore and you are just riding for fun? Or is he just thinking about how he needs better this and that for the bike to be better.
I don’t much care about what the big name pro,s do. But that’s pretty much spot on. Barcia when he’s 45 doing whips will blow peoples minds.
I remember a cool interview with Chad when someone asked if he thought he was tarnishing his legacy by racing beyond his prime and he just said “I don’t care, I’d rather be battling for 10th than not racing at all”
It clearly becomes a Job to some people, and only remains a passion in very few..
I’ve never met Tyler Medaglia but from the outside , he seems like a guy that just loves to ride dirt bikes . He will be the Canadian version of Mike Brown I would bet . 👍
RV was on fire at Day in the Dirt and was an absolute gentleman out on the track (passed us slow peeps gracefully).
Same can be said for Vicky Golden.
As Bob told me when my bro-in-law and I were up at his house looking at a plane to buy, he said he only raced motorcycles to feed his need to be the best. Now it's buying/selling immaculate planes and bush/STOL competitions that fuel that fire.
I think some guys just having a burning desire for competition. Free riding around, not so much.
Reed is past the need to be picky about his own bikes, but if you watch his YouTube channel, he's taking that meticulousness and applying it to Tate's bikes.
Post a reply to: Current pros that love to ride or just love to race?