Hopper, you are my hero! Loved this question!

8tensolutions
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6/9/2025 8:40pm
I feel like the continued “bike setup questions” are because the riders are answering in a vague way so Big Lew counters their answer with more...

I feel like the continued “bike setup questions” are because the riders are answering in a vague way so Big Lew counters their answer with more or less the same question just worded in a different way. It’s actually worked out several times now where the rider reveals something more specific about a change they made during that follow up question. 

OwenJakes wrote:
Ya but nobody says anything of substance. The deepest I’ve heard anyone go recently is “shock change” and in the past I’ve heard “softer” maybe but...

Ya but nobody says anything of substance. The deepest I’ve heard anyone go recently is “shock change” and in the past I’ve heard “softer” maybe but never much more.

I’d love it if the riders would say like “yeah actually we are experimenting with different shock shafts because I’m not getting the rebound feel I like. What I want is _____ but currently it’s _____”  


 

DonM wrote:

I can guarantee you that 95% of the riders have no idea of specific changes made on their bikes... 

This is correct.  AP didn't know what bars he was running and caused all kinds of confusion.

Herr Lich
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6/9/2025 9:56pm
McG194 wrote:
Hopper also had a pretty good question about Jett's riding style. Sure, Jett is an alien and doesn't have the ability to verbalize his technique, but...

Hopper also had a pretty good question about Jett's riding style. Sure, Jett is an alien and doesn't have the ability to verbalize his technique, but it was still a legit question going a little deeper than most people ask. He may never have been a top rider but he was good enough to understand what a bike and rider is doing at that level, kind of a Keefer-Lite. 

Most of the Hopper haters still associate him with Cooksey and that's a shame because he has distanced himself from Cooksey and has made the changes to be a part of the media. He used to hold a grudge against the sport because he didn't "make it" and the sport took more than it gave. Maybe in the end he is doing what he should be doing and will make it in the sport after all. 

Farmer J wrote:
Hopper atleast tries to make good content. He doesn't claim to be a journalist. Im not a giant fan and rarely listen to him but from...

Hopper atleast tries to make good content. He doesn't claim to be a journalist. Im not a giant fan and rarely listen to him but from every time I do he seems like a genuine good guy trying to help people. I'm glad he distanced himself from cooksie and didn't take his bait. People are always going to hate but the guy asks the stuff the real media is afraid to do in public. They ask in private and then cool guy the public. So how is that even real media? 

It's not media. It's moto 'media'. 

Cortami79
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6/9/2025 11:59pm

Not a fan of the guy, but I'm glad to see someone asking real questions for once. Him and Gypsy make these press conferences more exciting, that's for sure. Tomac looked pissed! I think AP handled it well. Look at F1 interviews, those guys have questions like these (and way worse) handled to them all the time. 

McG194
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6/10/2025 5:33am
Cortami79 wrote:
Not a fan of the guy, but I'm glad to see someone asking real questions for once. Him and Gypsy make these press conferences more exciting...

Not a fan of the guy, but I'm glad to see someone asking real questions for once. Him and Gypsy make these press conferences more exciting, that's for sure. Tomac looked pissed! I think AP handled it well. Look at F1 interviews, those guys have questions like these (and way worse) handled to them all the time. 

I just rewatched it 3 times and Tomac's expression didn't change until the very end where it almost looked like he was holding back a laugh. Tomac is pretty stone-faced naturally so I don't see how anyone could say he looked pissed. 

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The Shop

soggy
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6/10/2025 6:12am
Just heard the RacerX review pod where they spoke on it, and I’m going to disagree with those guys on this one. The press should be...

Just heard the RacerX review pod where they spoke on it, and I’m going to disagree with those guys on this one. The press should be allowed to ask questions about contracts, it’s up to the riders to address them appropriately, in my opinion.

soggy wrote:
Yea that was weird. Steve’s take made no sense. It’s not the media’s job to protect the riders. Ask the questions and it won’t be so...

Yea that was weird. Steve’s take made no sense. It’s not the media’s job to protect the riders. Ask the questions and it won’t be so taboo to not ask those questions. 

ando wrote:
What Matthes was actually saying is that was the wrong forum.  It’s not the riders who are choosing not to say anything; they are being told...

What Matthes was actually saying is that was the wrong forum.  It’s not the riders who are choosing not to say anything; they are being told by their employers.

He and the others on the podcast all agreed it’s dumb that these things are kept secret.

thanks for summarizing it better then me.  I think the more the questions get asked the more accepted it will become and maybe the manufacturers will loosen there noose.

GrapeApe
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6/10/2025 6:31am Edited Date/Time 6/10/2025 6:34am

I don't have a problem with it at all, but I also don't see why it is being celebrated as if he finally addressed some elephant in the room. Have people been anxiously waiting to hear if AP is "happy to potentially have him as a team man?" Maybe so and I'm out of touch. Just seemed like a goofy question and AP did a good job taking it in stride.

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DonM
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6/10/2025 8:40am
GrapeApe wrote:
I don't have a problem with it at all, but I also don't see why it is being celebrated as if he finally addressed some elephant...

I don't have a problem with it at all, but I also don't see why it is being celebrated as if he finally addressed some elephant in the room. Have people been anxiously waiting to hear if AP is "happy to potentially have him as a team man?" Maybe so and I'm out of touch. Just seemed like a goofy question and AP did a good job taking it in stride.

Not sure why he didn't ask Eli....he was right there 🤷‍♂️

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1
6/10/2025 8:57am

it continues to amaze me that people on this forum just continue to get in line with the "official" narrative that you can't talk about things like where riders are going. We know that Eli is going to KTM, Vital knows he is going to KTM, but you can't talk about it. 

Compare this to the just announced news that Toprak Razgatlioglu is moving to Pramac Yamaha in MotoGP from his BMW WSBK ride. (Toprak is one of the most exciting riders to watch in any form of Motorsport)

Sven Blusch, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport, added: “It’s no secret that we would have loved to keep Toprak in the BMW Motorrad Motorsport family and extend his contract, which ends after this season. But he now has the opportunity to fulfil his dream of racing in MotoGP in 2026, and we understand that he wants to seize that chance. We will always look back fondly on our successful partnership, our historic championship win, and many other great moments. We are very grateful to Toprak for everything he has contributed to our WorldSBK project. But it’s not yet time to say goodbye. More than half of the 2025 WorldSBK season still lies ahead, and we have a clear goal that we will continue to work hard toward. Our joint focus for the rest of this season is the mission to successfully defend the world title.”

Why can't the people who report and run American superduper MX be this professional? I do like ML but I think he can do better, but he might not be allowed to do better. ( I have no idea who owns and runs Vital) I sum it up with this:

“We know that they are lying, they know that they are lying, they even know that we know they are lying, we also know that they know we know they are lying too, they of course know that we certainly know they know we know they are lying too as well, but they are still lying. In our country, the lie has become not just moral category, but the pillar industry of this country.”
 

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

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125Rider
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6/10/2025 10:05am
Kyzer138 wrote:

Vital: “We want to know where Eli is going!”

Hopper basically asks. 

Vital: “How dare he!!!”


I love this forum 

Right? Riders shouldn’t be allowed to keep anything private. Acceptable questions can be about relationships, PED’s, financial investments, maybe divorce, how much they make etc etc 👊 we deserve the right to know everything!!! 💁‍♂️

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moto814
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6/10/2025 4:24pm

Sorry, but I really don't care.

 

I don't care that Hopper asked that question.  I don't care how he asked it.  I don't care how AP replied.  I don't care that Jett had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing.  

 

He was a member of the press in a press conference.  No matter if anyone thinks he belongs there or not, he was there.  He asked a question to a rider who was there to answer questions and did just that.  Were the members of the press given instruction on what they can and can not ask?  If not, then pretty much anything is fair game.  If so, then it's not a press conference, it's a un-typed press release.

 

I just want to see good racing.

 

-Steve

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bvm111
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6/10/2025 4:30pm Edited Date/Time 6/10/2025 4:32pm

best part was eli with his super poker face and jett giggling next to him … i though it was great! 😂

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mxbmx
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6/11/2025 8:26pm

Good on Jase for calling it out. I've got a lot of time for Weege and JT, Matthes not so much, but this whole gate keeping of industry knowledge and acting like mean girls when they're discussing it after is pathetic. The robotic standard questions that get asked at the pressers are so boring, and when someone asks something with some substance yet not crossing the line at all? The line towers lose their shit 

Screenshot 20250611 202033 com.instagram.android

 

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Carneetus
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6/11/2025 8:55pm

It's very common that the "insiders" get miffed if someone who isn't an "insider" leaks info the "insiders" were sitting on to be released at an approved time. It happens all the time. Why is everyone so butt hurt if they get scooped? Seems weird.

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Herr Lich
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6/11/2025 10:42pm
mxbmx wrote:
Good on Jase for calling it out. I've got a lot of time for Weege and JT, Matthes not so much, but this whole gate keeping...

Good on Jase for calling it out. I've got a lot of time for Weege and JT, Matthes not so much, but this whole gate keeping of industry knowledge and acting like mean girls when they're discussing it after is pathetic. The robotic standard questions that get asked at the pressers are so boring, and when someone asks something with some substance yet not crossing the line at all? The line towers lose their shit 

Screenshot 20250611 202033 com.instagram.android

 

A motobro on motobro beef. 

Nutellalord
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6/11/2025 11:07pm

Is it just me or did Eli not look mad, to me it even looked like he was trying to hide a smirk at some point.

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MJC
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6/12/2025 5:30am
mxbmx wrote:
Good on Jase for calling it out. I've got a lot of time for Weege and JT, Matthes not so much, but this whole gate keeping...

Good on Jase for calling it out. I've got a lot of time for Weege and JT, Matthes not so much, but this whole gate keeping of industry knowledge and acting like mean girls when they're discussing it after is pathetic. The robotic standard questions that get asked at the pressers are so boring, and when someone asks something with some substance yet not crossing the line at all? The line towers lose their shit 

Screenshot 20250611 202033 com.instagram.android

 

Jase proves again how fuckin clickbait he is. If he actually listened to Matthes/Weege/Jt I think most would agree they make a valid point. They weren’t blowing out the question, just saying Hopper should’ve asked Eli direct. Hardly outrageous.  

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DonM
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6/12/2025 5:40am
mxbmx wrote:
Good on Jase for calling it out. I've got a lot of time for Weege and JT, Matthes not so much, but this whole gate keeping...

Good on Jase for calling it out. I've got a lot of time for Weege and JT, Matthes not so much, but this whole gate keeping of industry knowledge and acting like mean girls when they're discussing it after is pathetic. The robotic standard questions that get asked at the pressers are so boring, and when someone asks something with some substance yet not crossing the line at all? The line towers lose their shit 

Screenshot 20250611 202033 com.instagram.android

 

MJC wrote:
Jase proves again how fuckin clickbait he is. If he actually listened to Matthes/Weege/Jt I think most would agree they make a valid point. They weren’t...

Jase proves again how fuckin clickbait he is. If he actually listened to Matthes/Weege/Jt I think most would agree they make a valid point. They weren’t blowing out the question, just saying Hopper should’ve asked Eli direct. Hardly outrageous.  

Exactly he was sitting right there! 

6/12/2025 9:12am

Just heard JT on Pulp talking about how people were “angry” about their take on the review pod… I don’t think anyone’s angry about it, I just think you guys were just wrong this time. Being in the industry or hosting a podcast doesn’t mean you’re the authority on what’s right and wrong as it pertains to the media in the sport.

The question wasn’t a question for Tomac, it was for AP. Why would Hopper ask Eli if AP was potentially happy to have him as a teammate? Come on, guys.

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Radical
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6/13/2025 12:24am
Just heard JT on Pulp talking about how people were “angry” about their take on the review pod… I don’t think anyone’s angry about it, I...

Just heard JT on Pulp talking about how people were “angry” about their take on the review pod… I don’t think anyone’s angry about it, I just think you guys were just wrong this time. Being in the industry or hosting a podcast doesn’t mean you’re the authority on what’s right and wrong as it pertains to the media in the sport.

The question wasn’t a question for Tomac, it was for AP. Why would Hopper ask Eli if AP was potentially happy to have him as a teammate? Come on, guys.

Hopper was given the Mic.  He can ask any question he wants.  So can anyone else when they're handed the Mic.

Mototech853
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6/13/2025 12:32pm

Is it just me or did Eli not look mad, to me it even looked like he was trying to hide a smirk at some point.

If you watch him before the question was asked to when AP was answering his expression doesn’t really change. Jett on the other hand……..

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