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Glad you mentioned Marty Tripes. Racers from his era said Marty for the most naturally talented guy on the track. Unfortunately Marty also had a talent for digesting huge quantities of carbs w/o a corresponding level of fitness training.
Ron Lechien is often regarded as the most naturally talented MX rider we’ve ever seen. Can only imagine what he would have done if he had put in the time…
I'm with you, WFO is a talent all its own. Genuine question, who has ever ridden a dirt bike better than ET3 at Hangtown 2015?
(RV and his bulldog steer with the rear always gets underrated in these discussions as well imo.)
Herlings at ironman and MXdN at Lommel when he rode the 350.
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Going off pure natural talent, and ability to do things on a bike. I'd have to say, in no particular order:
Pastrana
Stew
Jett
I'm too young to comment on Lechien, so not sure how to rank him.
Perfect category for Pastrana. Dude was too ADD for his own good and his build certainly did him no favors but you put any sort of engine underneath him, he crushes it. One of a kind!
Robert
Tripes
Lechien
Edit:
These three probably accomplished more with less effort than anyone.
Throw in hard work, and the others start showing up.
RV at Red Bud Des Nations on little displacement bike.
Stew
Jett
TP199
JS7.
The smooth ones ; Jett, JMB, Everts, Lechien, Bailey, MC, Windham, Dungey, Kenny, Reed, Davies, etc
The aggro ones ; RC, RV, Hannah, Bradshaw, Tortelli, Deegs, etc
The free spririts : TP199, Magoo
I like TP 199. But I really don't think he's even in the top 10. Please don't be too hard on me! I'm 56 and have followed moto since 79. I didn't get to see Roger ,Joel, or Tripes ride. There reputation was they were all super gifted naturally. I ve seen all the other greats right up to about 2015. Except Everts. So my top 5 is 1.Mc 2.Everts. 3. Roger. 4.Bayle. 5. Lechein . Honorable mentions to Bailey and Bradshaw. Jett may very well be the best but I just can't say it cause im old.
1. James Stewart
2. DeCoster
3. Stefan Everts (flawless on the bike)
If four were allowed, Marty Tripes would have made the list.
Grew up around he and Mike.
The legends I saw, showing up at the local sand pits, with him were awesome.
DeSoto, Karsmakers, Smith, Mosier, Moates, Croft, even Staten once.
Wrong he won atL then blew his knee out in 96. 3 1/2 months later I saw him hole shot his red Bud qualifier. Smoothest Kat ever to ride a bike. Beat the unbeatable RC in the hottest race ever in 97.
True champions know how to dial it down and win championships.
Sounds like Tripes is a man after my own heart. Well…except for the talent part.
Kenny pre-injury felt to me like the 450 class was about to get very boring like the Villopoto years - he was that much better than everyone else.
Gotta be in the top 5, but maybe not the top 3.
Jett Lawrence
James Stewart
Jeremy McGrath
Jeffrey Herlings if I could put another person.
Pit Row
You'd put Jeffrey over Kenny? That's lowkey crazy actually
Tripes has to be considered. Every rider of his era, Euro or American was in awe of his talent. I remember reading an interview with Croft, Mosier, perhaps another rider of his era talking of Tripes. Riding on RR rails, balancing wheelies forever on the rail. Robert needs to be considered too.
How could anyone down vote that
JMB
Everts
The Dogger
JMB & Everts would routinely beat the best riders on the planet looking like they were on a trail ride. And, there's never been anyone in the history of the sport who could party like Lechien, then show up on Sunday and lay it to the field in two 45 minute motos on any size bike.
Stew and then argue over the rest. You just had to be there. Simply put there was riding before Stewart and then there was riding after Stewart.
He won in 97, never won a race in 96 SX only MC and Emig with one.
Not a single mention of guy cooper?
Stew was mega talented for sure but crashed himself out of too many championships to count. Fact.
Joel Roberts
Marty Tripes
Ron Lechien
Edit:
Just read Spoonguys response.
I wouldn't overthink it. Just means there's atleast three people who disagree with that choice, the way I said it, or maybe just dislike me. No biggie.
So called ‘natural talent’ is hard to determine because they’ve all spent most of the lives riding and training.
But for straight out talent/ skill on a motorcycle, I’d say Stew, Roczen and Jett.
However there’s plenty of other earlier riders I admired, but didn’t have a trained eye at a young age to gauge just how good they were.
Ron Lechien, nicknamed "The Dogger," was known for his wild lifestyle, including partying before races, yet still achieving significant success in motocross and supercross. There are documented instances where Lechien partied heavily the night before races and still performed exceptionally. For example, at the 1988 Motocross des Nations in France, Lechien was found with cases of beer in his hotel room the night before the race. Despite this, he went on to dominate both 500cc motos, beating top competitors like Jean-Michel Bayle and Jeff Leisk, helping Team USA secure victory.
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