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.
You are thinking of Unadilla, 2002…was there to see it in person, it was as crazy to see as it sounds! 😎
Time to rewatch 2014 A2 and A3
2009 on the Suzuki has to be better than that?
SX- 2nd overall, just 4 points behind Stewart, with a 94% podium success rate.
MX- 1st.
It’s close, but in 2011 he beat James Stewart in SX and was waxing prime RV and Dunge in the nationals until it unraveled. The MX field in 09 was on the weak side.
Call them 1a and 1b his best ?
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
Reedy was always my guy to root for. Loved him on Yamahas but the 4 stroke frame wasn’t ironed out until 08. The 03-04 steel frame yz250 was badass but the alumni but the aluminum 05 was junk.
He looked great on the Suzuki and was able to cut down in corners. RacerX has an awesome video of Reed, RC, Dungey and Izzy is really good.
Then he hopped on the Honda and looked alright until he got the factory clamps.
He got the full factory steed when Canard got hurt in the middle of 2011 and came to Salt Lake looking much better. Outdoors he kept factory components and looked best on the Honda. Air forks killed him in 13 and went to Kawi in 14/15 .
I will always think blue and Chad together, and I respect that he took his girlfriend and did it on his own. People talk about mental toughness and fortitude. Nobody has done it like Reedy
The footage of Reed from Motorheadz DVD was awesome. Floating around turns and over the whoops on his 2 stroke was poetry.
Reed on the 250 smoker was a thing of beauty. If you squinted a little bit, it reminded me of another guy that stacked up a few titles on that bike
He was giving the Ryan's the business before the Chadapult. Then he came back ripping in 2012 sx before his injury. Peak speed for Chad
I wish the sport stayed 2 stroke for just another few years. Watching Reed on a 2 stroke was poetic the way he would make that 250 sing.
03-05 is still my favourite era to watch
https://youtu.be/FEdYI2HzSxg?si=y-7MfIjiu-n3ZGU4
He also won a moto at the MXDN. Dude was on rails
I believe 2004 Reed in Supercross would’ve won the title over Carmichael, and I also believe that version of Chad on that steel frame yz250 could’ve kept up with Stewart as well. He was straight-up fast as hell on that bike. Only reason he lost the title in 2003 was a bunch of mistakes early in the season. Carmichael admitted he had nightmares about Chad at the end of that season.
Lmao “3 months ahead of 3rd place” made me chuckle…
Many may not agree, but this is my perspective on Reed’s best years:
Reedy was so close so often. He was 17 points off having 7 premier class titles instead of 3.
17 points over 4 championships, think about that for a moment….. even if you ignore the handicap of coming in as an outsider (which many ignore or discount) that’s impressive, but not as exponentially great as he could have been.
*Early Yami days- they wasted his talent in 2002. If US Yamaha had put him straight into the big boy class, as he deserved, he wins 2003 SX imo. 2004 SX- he wins even if RC turns up. Yami fucked up 05-07.
*Suzi 2009- back to his best and backed himself in MX and showed yet again how good he was. But they let him go to make room for Dunge, which is justified in hindsight.
*Throughout his US factory contracts he often spoke his mind or against the bike, to his own detriment.
*2011- finally put his money where his mouth was, own team, own bike, and showed his true potential/ lost potential. He was so good in 11SX & MX, & 12 SX that it makes you wonder just how good the previous years could have been if given what he wanted (and if hadn’t partied so much 😆).
Thanks for hanging with me- imo 2002-2005 should have been Reed’s legacy, but Yami didn’t allow him to meet his potential. The Honda showed us what could have been……
Reed on the YZ250 was like watching McGrath at full speed with some scrubbing added in and the fitness to go all 20 laps, even in RC's peak he was the only guy to beat him straight up at Daytona SX.
I rooted for Reed in those days but there is some revisionist history
Reed came into the 250 class strong. Just came up short against RC in 2003.
RC didn’t race in 2004 and Reed cruised to the title with Windham being his biggest competition. Same as 2008 when James got hurt.
RC smoked Chad in 2005 as did James in his limited races. Chad has always spun this as he didn’t like the frame change between 2004 and 2005 but he never actually beat rc or James for a title so that could easily just be the typical Chad Reed making himself believe something
Pump the hate-brakes Fox and Friends....
Reed had rookie mistakes in the beginning of '03 which cost him the title. But still smoked RC 6 in a row to end the season.
'04: Reed came in with a dislocated shoulder and still won the title. Windham stepped up his speed in '04 tremendously.
'05: Again, mistake at A1 lost him 15 pts right off the bat. Was faster at A2, & A3 but crashes prevented wins. Obliterated Carmichael at San Diego, & Daytona. Got new motivation once Stewart came back and won 2 in a row @ Orlando & Pontiac. Then Preston getting lapped took out Reed, Stewart hitting Reed in the first turn at Seattle was terrible. Seattle was Reed's race to win.
'06: YZ450F was not supercross ready
'07: Lacking speed all season
'08: Happiest I've seen Reed on a Yamaha since '03. Him and Stewart were going to battle that year. He stayed right on Stewart at Phoenix.
'16: Had a great race at San Diego in 2016 where he should've passed Dungey.
'17: With the crazy championship going on, he had the Vegas win in his sights, he was faster than those guys...until Anderson went full douche once again and took him out.
The way he would hit berms on that YZ250 back in the day was phenomenal! Go back and watch the bar to bar vids, he ripped on that thing.
Pit Row
Yup 11-12 Honda..
Stewart was riding on a bad knee the couple SX races in '08. If he was healthy we would have wrecked Chad like he did in '07. I put that version of James over anyone ever on a sx track
I remember Reed as the guy who couldn’t keep his temper in check while trying to keep with Stewart. And what he did to Canard was just 🍼
https://youtu.be/7NxE5Sm8u8Y?si=rTZ7P94_eSi8PZGs
Or stew
https://youtu.be/SyY5ES8Ta6o?si=U0DgfvswRBquNhhB
Stew again
https://youtu.be/FpTklNQZs5Y?si=v7Vz07YFCfWPcMnJ
It never ends
https://youtube.com/shorts/zZphCU3ev2U?si=3O3vL0PxLkKb0Q8j
😒
https://youtube.com/shorts/xHisOwiX4Ig?si=1-M3jJ_tPBYon4et
Speaking of tempers, who kicked who’s bike over in the pits?
Ya you remember! Thx! Thats the video I posted of reed T-bone stew!
I'm pretty sure he's referring to Stewart kicking Chad Reed's bike off the stand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2O5nbPkZGw&pp=ygUkamFtZXMgc3Rld2FydCBr…
😂 😭. Ya I wish Stew would have stood up to him sooner.
I think if the sport stayed 2 strokes I would agree. He battled the greatest racer of all time and the fastest one in 05. But 2011-2012 would have to be peak years as far as competition and winning. 11 outdoors was something special, sucks the crash happened.
Post a reply to: Chad Reed on a Yamaha was his best years