KR94 held back?

Kenny will win when Eli and Jett get a bad start 

2 words, "Triple Clown".Kenny's confidence is at record high's. When Kenny is confident he is dangerous.

I think it’s something we’ve all wondered.. but Kenny doesn’t ride the bike very hard and I think the Zook works about as good for him as any bike would IMO

Like MC was held back by running a 93' frame through 96'. ZOOK's turn inside of all the bikes. I had a 93' CR250R, best turning bike I ever owned.

Does he have an electric start fitted onto it? I saw he posted on his story that he had a button (also MXA had something about it too) but idk if its actually on the bike. I know there was at least 2 times last year he was kicking his bike for what seemed like an eternity when he was top 5 or so

A buddy had the same thought about the Suzuki holding Roczen back, but I reminded him of how lost he was with the Honda, it seemed like every week they were chasing something, suspension, triple clamps, etc. There is a ton of knowledge on that Suzuki, so I'd almost say he might be in a better place because of that? 

Roczen is far from stupid, and I'm sure he's been approached by other teams that have bikes that are non-yellow. He's not staying with Suzuki because he has to,and has no other choice. Pretty sure if he thought the Suzuki was holding him back...especially after the addition of the factory transmission, he would've opted out by now.

This right here. He is beating the top factory riders for Husky, GasGas, Beta, Kawasaki and the 2nd tier factory team riders for every team. He can ride for anybody he wants to. 

What was the question for this thread?

So Kenny was putting the yellow dinosaur wherever he wanted, while other dudes looked like they were bullriding on ice, and it was Kenny who was the one whose bike was holding him back?

If Kenny is held back by anything it's the fact that he's had enough trauma to both arms that he wasn't too far away from amputation of his left arm at one point. He probably shouldn't even be riding motorcycles. He's like the terminator and it's a miracle he can still do what he does. Not to mention his damaged immune system from all of it. He's the baddest dude out there racing Supercross hands down. A borderline factory RMZ450 is the least of his worries, I am sure. 

Looks way better on the Suzuki than he ever did on the 21+ Honda.

However I do think Kenny was a beast on the 2020 and older CRF 450 with the dual exhaust.

The only way Kenny can win is if others have problems. Straight up against Eli or Jett, not gonna happen. He needs to be riding his absolute balls out best to beat Ando and the other factory guys. Roczen shows flashes of brilliance over the past few years, but not over an entire season. 

Maybe win a triple crown, 3 great starts and shorter races? Thinks that's his best chance.

It’s not the bike. It’s never the bike.

'18 was last major makeover. Small change adding wifi tuning as standard equipment in '21. Other than that, no changes.

He has ridden other bikes.  He likes how the frame handles on the Suzuki and the power of the bike. He has mentioned it numerous times. Once they slap the Estart on her this year before Daytona nobody will think twice. 

Those who question the lack of updates on the RM-Z: what about "different" is always equal to "better?" 

Let's face it: there's only so many times you can switch back and forth between two settings before neither one is "new" or "improved." 

Whether you like him or not, Roczen doesn't bullshit.  He's a racers racer and if the bike was holding him back he would have been off it after the 1st year back on the Suzuki.

If bald people work in a restaurant, do they still need to wear a hairnet?

I feel like everyone is missing the question of this thread. Kenny is rolling right now, doing Kenny things! Nobody is arguing that. But the question that persists is.. What if KR had a factory backed and budgeted program with Suzuki, would he be even better if the bike was even better?

I go both ways because it truly seems like Kenny gets a comfort by being on the Suzuki that he didn’t have at Honda, making me feel that even though he’s elite, maybe not having the pressure of a factory team is actually helping him mentally, which for a guy like Ken Roczen is huge. That could be recency bias creeping in though, and he definitely had moments even in outdoors ‘22 that were great on the Honda, so the pressure of a factory team might not be a big deal to him at all, and having more access to resources could definitely actually help him, but it seems like to me he found something around SMX ‘23 on the Suzuki that he has been searching for mentally for a while. 

As people already said, he wouldn't already be in his third year with Zook now if he didn't absolutely trust the bike. On top of that he can keep all of his sponsors like that, can also race any off season races he wants, win win situation for everyone. And I don't think he would look better on any other bike out there, he is completely dialed in right now, specially with the new suspension guy they've been working with since WSX. 

Larry Brooks is not going to put Kenny on a bike that will hold him back.

The fact it has a kick starter holds him back. You have to be careful not to ever stall it or there goes your race. I'd think this would have to change how aggressively you can ride that Suzuki. He has to 100% hate that bike every time he kicks it over. 

Imagine the joy of spending all year working to get a bike where you need it, and then having to start again every year. 

Kenny has none of that , he just has to adjust to the 'bold new graphics'. 

No pressure from Suzuki to do anything other than be out there, that bike will be exactly what he has asked for. 

Would Kenny be better on say, a factory KX450? Maybe? Maybe not? He is notoriously picky about suspension and HEP have been very patient with him on that front. He's run through a LOT of suspension guys in the past couple years. I am not sure he would have that same level of freedom under a traditional factory tent... I believe he struggled at Honda for that reason (and him coming off two debilitating arm injuries no doubt). 

What factory teams had a ride available. Kawi? No, Honda, No, KTM, No, Yamaha, No. I don’t think he had many options unless he wanted to start his own team or ride for a B team. 

If he loses the championship because one round he stalled the bike and couldn't start it then yes, but you only have to watch the MXoN where Kenny holeshotted the best works bikes in the world and went on to win the open class, the bike is more than capable.