Not really news at this point as we all know he's going to Triumph but still...Silly Season is almost complete.
https://www.vitalmx.com/features/austin-forkner-announces-departure-kaw…
Upgrade to enjoy this feature!
Vital MX fantasy is free to play, but Premium users receive great benefits. Premium benefits include:
- View and download rider stats
- Pick trends
- Create a private league
- And more!
Only $10 for all 2026 SX, MX, and SMX series.
This team swop is gonna do him real good. Looking forward for what's to come.
Gotta give the kid props for sticking with it, if he lands a Title that shit is well deserved.
That dude has needed a change of scenery for a long time now. I hope the refresh does him well.
I hope Austin has an amazing year on the new ride, he definitely deserves it!!
The Shop
Free shipping: VITALMX
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Triumph’s absolutely stellar talent acquisition so far at it again.
If things go well, he’ll be on their 450 at the prefect time…
Any clues for East or West coast? Has he been riding? Will he have a chance to preparate?
I'm still skeptical as to if it's going to go any better for him but we will see
Forkner wins 250 SX and 250 MX championships. Goes on to a Triumph 450 for 2026 and beats Jett and Deegan. Stamp it.
at this point he just needs to complete a full season and stay healthy. itll be a building year imo as some would say. does he still have title speed? will he be a 3-5 guy now? anyone know how much seat time he has on the triumph? itll be interesting how it plays out
I like your thinking; but, if he wins a 250SX/SX2 title in 2025…? He’ll carry that #1 plate into a 2026 250SX season…
That’s a very hopeful & educated guess.
If he can just stay off the ground for a full year, that’ll be a big win. The podiums can come later.
His dad said he'd ridden his two stroke to start, I'd guess he'll be on the triumph any day if he's not already.
100% title threat in supercross on either coast.
He just needs to survive a season, if he does, then we can start talking about a title.
Triumph is a sick bike. I’m interested to see the 25 model 250F. I was going to talk to the closest Triumph dealer to see if they offer a demo ride but when I looked them up they are completely closed down since the beginning of the month.
He can win titles, if he does. The last crash will not happen again. He doesn’t wear contacts anymore.
Ya I’d like to see him opposite coast of Deegan this time just to help the cause, we could still see them head to head in the East West Shootouts. I know Forkner had him covered b4 he got hurt but Deegan reached another level last year while Forkner was out.
I can totally see him taking the SX title this year, no matter which coast he rides. He had everyone covered. Deegs may have stepped it up, be he still finished second to Vialle.
Pit Row
Have you ever seen Forkner ride? I don't think 3-5 is in his vocabulary. He is a win it or bin it guy through and through. I really think he will gel with the Triumph and if he races East Coast I have him as my favorite. Don't forget he was the last guy to go toe to toe and give a healthy Jett all he could handle.
funnily enough i grew up racing him. instead of being an all out checkers or wreckers i want to see him settle for a 3 or 5. just take what he can get and go from there. if a win is there thats great, but i dont know how long he has been off/on the bike so until he proves otherwise i dont see him coming out and being an instant title threat. if anyone can do it obviously he can, but i just want to see him take it easy and finish the entire season healthy.
I don’t think your understanding exactly what’s been keeping him out. Recently it hasn’t been overriding.
2022 he looked in control and even had the ‘complete’ the whole season mindset. Then an out of control Jettson jumps from one side of the track to the other, taking him out. Definitely not Austin’s fault.
2023, is just shit luck. You could re run that start 50 times and you’d have a different outcome every single time. Maybe he could’ve lifted but at those speeds, there isn’t a way he could’ve known that something even remotely close to getting launched 30 feet down the straight was on the cards.
2024, is another case of shit luck. Losing a contact while leading a very rutted Supercross race. His biggest mistake was pushing with that. In hindsight he should’ve settled for 2nd and lived to fight another day.
Bro hes 8 years into this thing.
I mean, you said it yourself:
2023 - "maybe he could have lifted"
2024 - "in hindsight he should've settled"
It's not bad luck, it's a mental shortcoming that thus far has kept him from completing a regional SX series. Hopefully one of these years when he is met with "that moment" he plays it smart and collects his championship.
Correct
I hear you, but I see it as a series of unfortunate events. That start at Anaheim, running into Jet, the contacts issue. Hindsight you can always say he should have let up on the start, backed off more when Jet passed him so as not to collide and accept, should have had enough experience racing with contacts to deal with it or get correction before the crash in front of Deegan. A mental shortcoming seems out of hand.
I don't blame him for '22, there's nothing he could have done there to avoid Jett.
Yep. One thing is for sure, Forkner is a different kind of breed and a though mf to come back to winning speed immediately after all those injuries. I have a lot of respect for a guy that grinds his way back everytime, most (me also probably) would have been already retired after everything he went through..
But it's also been the same thing every year, except for the Jett incident. His main goal should be making it through a season once. I don't see him winning a title like that anymore if he keeps pushing over his limits.
In those situations, it's a 'Mental Shortcoming'???? Really? Bad luck is part of the sport. Yeah, in some situations one can help create that bad luck for himself, but that's not the case here with Forkner. I mean WTF. Needing a change I don't think is the issue or getting away from a top team like Pro Circuit is what is needed. The guy has just had some tough things happen that are not his fault and the whole time he's been a top rider. I hope for a great year for him at Triumph. It's a great rider on a good upcoming team/bike.
A change is as good as a rest!
Excited to see him ride how we know he can, Lil Deegs needs some tougher competition than he’s had of late.
You mean when Jett cross jumped him? That was Jett’s fault.
Post a reply to: Forkner Announces Departure from Kawasaki