ok so what’s really going on ?

Prado asked for a faster bike during sx pre-season between injuries. He rode it and said it was too fast and to take it back a bit. Prado said this in an interview. 

Yeah kinda weird seeing Prado on the bike before outdoors testing with Tickle and they seemed/sounded happy with the bike.  Also weird that Ando’s de tuned engine would supersede Prado’s wishes, seems fishy and he didn’t hold back too much in that interview.  Hope Chase is paying attention. 

Tuck the front son! 

I assume this means he'll be back sooner than that. Be a weird thing to post otherwise.

red buuuuud

Kawi has a history of not being the most accommodating team for riders.  Chase better hope that the bike is close to perfect for him initially because they seem to be the one team that tells their riders "The bike's fine. Ride it." the most.

I had the opposite assumption - if it was sooner I would have thought that Chase would be wanting to give a firmer time frame. The exchange above sounds more like "don't tell them I'll be back at Southwick, I really don't know when I'll be back".

What's more weird is the rider and team manager not giving the same story about when he'll be back.  

Keeping my 2023 sxf450, the frame is too stiff and the forks dont work apparently so ive already got all the excuses I need! 😁

😂

Who knows? I thought the Ian Harrison interview was taken a little out of context. When I first heard it I took it as him just speculating out loud and not anything more concrete than that, but that's not how it got reported. But again, who knows......

That’s a 3-day old rumor right there. Lol

So how many races do you guys think its gonna take before chase hates the kawi and starts looking for an out? I remember on the ktm the rumors started almost immediately when starting at san diego he went 8th 5th 2nd 9th 6th. So by about the 5th race there started to be rumors he would try to bail on ktm and he definitely wouldnt re-sign. Then in motocross he got off to an ok start, but once he had that worst to first ride and then beat jett in a moto at southwick and jett went out injured he absolutely dominated mx and since then in mx and sx hes looked the best he ever has. 

You cant really look much better than he does on the ktm right now. The only problems hes having are self inflicted, but besides that he looks as good as he ever has. I wish he would stop chasing the mythical perfect bike and just stick with one bike for a whild and try to really lock it down. The only thing chase needs is a mental coach and also a racing coach that could help with his race craft. Bike and setup wise he looks great.

🤣🤣You think KTM is short on parts for Chase.  That's not even a possibility 🤣🤣

I like Chase and have as much respect for what he can do on a bike as I do for all these guys but the more I see over the years the more I question with regards to what goes on with him between the ears. Kinda used to be James and Chad back in the day too switching teams, happy, not happy, like the bike, hate the bike, likes the team, hates the team, move on, rinse, repeat. Always told my kids if you constantly have a problem with different people maybe you’re the problem 🤔 I hope he finds what he’s looking for and stays on a team longer than a year or two but so far that doesn’t look likely. 

Between the lack of horsepower the Kawi has and the lack of interest the team has in attending the nations, I’ll give it 6 months before Chase starts having serious conversations with Bobby Regan about the 27’/28’ season. 

Became a sexton fan in the last couple of years and am quickly bummed on the dudes attitude and hearing him blame everyone except his mental fortitude.  Dude needs a sports psychologist, not a different color bike.  If he burns every bridge at every brand before the halfway point in his 450 career that’d be a pretty dumbass self inflicted wound….much like the rest of them he’s got.

I used to like Chase. Sure, he had the personality of a saltine cracker, but man, the guy could ride. Lately, though? He’s been fumbling the PR side of things like it’s part of his training program.

His response to Lewis’s tweet? About the worst possible thing he could have said. It wasn’t just tone-deaf — he outright contradicted his team manager and managed to sound both defensive and dismissive. Impressive, in the worst way.

Let’s not pretend the KTM is the villain here. Chase isn’t losing titles because of orange plastic — it’s what’s going on between the handlebars and the helmet. The guy has all the talent in the world, but right now, he’s proving that fast doesn’t always mean sharp.

At this point, Chase has gone from “guy I’m pulling for” to “guy I’m watching like a slow-motion crash — cringy but hard to look away.”

Chase was a head case even back when he was on 250s. I’m surprised it’s taken a lot of people this long to see it. I think his biggest problem on the bike is the nut between the handlebars and seat. 

Granted I don't follow these story lines as close as others but I feel the issue with KTM goes beyond the bike and is now personal. The backwards hat is a not so subtle fuck you to his sponsors and I don't think he'd do that if it was just a matter of not finding a good shock setting. Maybe he got stiffed on bonuses or something, just speculating.

He complained about the Honda but left there on good terms (at least publicly) and I think that had more to do with the Lawrence circus than the bike or the team.

The backwards hat kind of frosts me, don't disrespect the people paying you millions. Did KTM vinyl over his name on the truck when he brain farted Arlington? Compare and contrast that to AP being on the podium telling everyone that they need to buy a KTM. 

As far as the Larwence circus, what's that? Winning and being fast? 

Not meant as a slight, but the Lawrences and their crew require and demand a lot of attention. I can understand him wanting to go where he is the clear #1 when it comes to attention and resources. 

7 years on Honda and left in part because there was no room for him with Lawrence brothers moving up. Seemed to have left on good terms.  Now leaving same team that webb left under equally bad circumstances and for similar reasons, plus potential financial concerns..... 

AC and others have commented on how bad the shock looks sometimes. Other KTM group guys have also talked about it. Maybe he just looks that good in spite of it sometimes? 

Jett has been smoking people and has been critical of his bike this year. Probably because the bike isn't great despite him still being great on it. 

Not sure any of this has to be as deep as some want it to be....

I'm parroting Mathes when I say this but how can a modern Factory 450 not be fast enough? Obviously we know Eli is a mutant freak who would want more power out of a works hand built 500 2-stroke. But all we hear is how a lot of these guys detune their 450's or move the power around to be more usable. Suspension and chassis is a different story finding the setting you want to be comfortable. But they can't just make any 450 a fire breathing dragon on demand? 

Not this 54 year old vet...plenty fast for my old ass. 😂

Prado plenty fast when et3 came up behind him... kinda hard to complain about a slow bike when he mostly riding at 80 percent... 

Oh I get it and I kind of agree with you. I just think a competitor and a champion should demand the attention by his results. You see it in the NFL all the time a team will draft a hotshot rookie and the veteran that he is to replace steps up his game and refuses to give up the reins. If Eli had a contract at Star for next year would he run and hide from Deegs? Effff no!!!!

No, but the company is in trouble. And that has to be a concern for him.

There is no such thing as a perfect bike in chase Sexton eyes.

In Supercross, Chase made whatever mistakes he made and owned them. He raced to the end in case Webb faltered, and was disappointed in himself in the interviews I heard with Lewis. I never heard him put down the bike. 

At Pala, James said live it looked like he hit a false neutral. Others noted he hit the rear brakes after he lunged forward. I didn't hear him blame the bike. I don't believe he would fake an injury but yes he may be tone deaf on the tweets disagreeing with his team mgr. 

I feel like this "I hate the bike (or team) so I'm out"  narrative had just run it's course with JA21 and now we get this.