The Prado Mystery

Rejser wrote:

Someone said in the race thread that he was calling up MXGP teams. Is that true? Did they talk about it on the broadcast?

Chris_Buehler wrote:

JT said on one of the pods he's on about Jorge's manager putting out feelers to MXGP teams. Be a pretty rough look to go back...

JT said on one of the pods he's on about Jorge's manager putting out feelers to MXGP teams. Be a pretty rough look to go back to Europe with his tail between his legs. But I guess it cant get much worse than the whupping he's getting every weekend. Has a former MXGP heavy hitter ever come over here and struggled like this? I cant think of one

Austin Keyfinger wrote:

Does masterpool have his 450 from.last year laying around he can lend him? That one seemed to hang with the top guys pretty good.

motokiwi wrote:

They need to get Mitch to extract every oz of hp available. 

Motocross83 wrote:

I think 2 things are happening, one ultimately leading to the other.Firstly he obviously hates the bike. Whether it's down on power off the start or...

I think 2 things are happening, one ultimately leading to the other.

Firstly he obviously hates the bike. Whether it's down on power off the start or indeed anywhere at this point (that might not even be his claim now) is sort of irrelevant at this stage. The bottom line is that Prado doesn't feel comfortable and can't make it work. Some riders can ride with a set-up that's a little off - others are desperately sensitive to even small changes. Just look at the difference between Eli this weekend and last week at Millville... Night and day. Not even close to the same rider.

Secondly I do think the frist problem has bled into his overall attitude. And tbh you can sort of see why, especially if he feels the team isn't listening.

Imagine you're really good at something, doesn't even have to be MX, let's say you can play the guitar or piano etc really well. Your play on tour in front of you friends, family, and fans but now you absolutely HATE your guitar etc and the way it's set-up, you feel it's knocking 20% etc off your performance, no matter how hard you try to compensate. And worse the technician won't listen or help you try to fix the issue. 

Week after week after week. Constant humiliation to your ego. At some point you're going to be over it... 

I'm not saying it's right, I'm sure he's paid well (in terms of our sport I mean), but at some point you are going to say 'oh F this', especially if you feel the team isn't on the same page.

Kenny Banyan wrote:

His “the bike sucks!” routine is old news and it’s becoming more and more apparent that he just can’t hang in US motocross. The things he...

His “the bike sucks!” routine is old news and it’s becoming more and more apparent that he just can’t hang in US motocross. The things he said in that latest interview certainly don’t match any of his performances this year. If I were him, I’d keep my mouth closed about the bike ,because it’s to the point now, where he looks kinda dumb. There are privateers that would love to be on that bike working with a high level team. Maybe he should think about going back home and I wouldn’t be surprised if he did just that after the season is over.

Ayren wrote:

No man, you can’t say he is not good enought. He has win everyone on the field with his old bike. Hope kawi makes that shit...

No man, you can’t say he is not good enought. He has win everyone on the field with his old bike. Hope kawi makes that shit moto finally works and people like u finally can stfu and watch prado win in usa…. “He should go back home” but then he comes in a 250 ktm and smokes everyone on redbud, what u gotta say about that?

NateDawg241 wrote:

He's not good enough and never has been. Euros don't want to admit this but the MXGP riders always have an unfair advantage at MXON because...

He's not good enough and never has been. Euros don't want to admit this but the MXGP riders always have an unfair advantage at MXON because of what they are allowed to do to their bikes. Their rules allow for a lot more aftermarket changes, particularly the swingarm.

Prado is on equal equipment now and he's on much wider tracks that he can't just get a holeshot and block/cross jump people to stay in the lead. 

NSP139 wrote:

If Dan at Dasa is still doing the motors he'll get every ounce of horsepower out of that engine configuration that is possible I have worked...

If Dan at Dasa is still doing the motors he'll get every ounce of horsepower out of that engine configuration that is possible I have worked with him back in the 90s the dude would literally lock himself in the R&D room for 48 hours at a time making power he don't quit!

Motocross83 wrote:

I think 2 things are happening, one ultimately leading to the other.Firstly he obviously hates the bike. Whether it's down on power off the start or...

I think 2 things are happening, one ultimately leading to the other.

Firstly he obviously hates the bike. Whether it's down on power off the start or indeed anywhere at this point (that might not even be his claim now) is sort of irrelevant at this stage. The bottom line is that Prado doesn't feel comfortable and can't make it work. Some riders can ride with a set-up that's a little off - others are desperately sensitive to even small changes. Just look at the difference between Eli this weekend and last week at Millville... Night and day. Not even close to the same rider.

Secondly I do think the frist problem has bled into his overall attitude. And tbh you can sort of see why, especially if he feels the team isn't listening.

Imagine you're really good at something, doesn't even have to be MX, let's say you can play the guitar or piano etc really well. Your play on tour in front of you friends, family, and fans but now you absolutely HATE your guitar etc and the way it's set-up, you feel it's knocking 20% etc off your performance, no matter how hard you try to compensate. And worse the technician won't listen or help you try to fix the issue. 

Week after week after week. Constant humiliation to your ego. At some point you're going to be over it... 

I'm not saying it's right, I'm sure he's paid well (in terms of our sport I mean), but at some point you are going to say 'oh F this', especially if you feel the team isn't on the same page.

deadlo wrote:

Now imagine Gibson is paying you buttloads of money to play said guitar and you continually give up every concert the moment you make a mistake...

Now imagine Gibson is paying you buttloads of money to play said guitar and you continually give up every concert the moment you make a mistake and trash Gibson about it. Yet everyone else playing the same guitar is doing fine. He also hasn’t been here that long. He’s been dropping and giving up since the beginning of mx. Chase dealt with being uncomfortable for how long now….

We don’t know what all kawi is doing to help him. They even got reed over there so I’m willing to bet they’re going all out for Prado. You seriously think kawi is being headstrong about changes? I doubt. This has been the worst publicity I’ve seen for any manufacturer. We all know chase struggled on ktm, but you didn’t see him act this way. 

deadlo wrote:

Now imagine Gibson is paying you buttloads of money to play said guitar and you continually give up every concert the moment you make a mistake...

Now imagine Gibson is paying you buttloads of money to play said guitar and you continually give up every concert the moment you make a mistake and trash Gibson about it. Yet everyone else playing the same guitar is doing fine. He also hasn’t been here that long. He’s been dropping and giving up since the beginning of mx. Chase dealt with being uncomfortable for how long now….

We don’t know what all kawi is doing to help him. They even got reed over there so I’m willing to bet they’re going all out for Prado. You seriously think kawi is being headstrong about changes? I doubt. This has been the worst publicity I’ve seen for any manufacturer. We all know chase struggled on ktm, but you didn’t see him act this way. 

280driver wrote:

You make a great point regarding this being a PR nightmare for Kawi.  They hired Prado to win races and elevate the brand to sell more...

You make a great point regarding this being a PR nightmare for Kawi.  They hired Prado to win races and elevate the brand to sell more KX’s.  Prado slamming the bike each week can’t be good for business.   The situation is also not a great thing for the “Prado” brand.  The best thing for both parties is to get things back on track and start winning races together.

Black Diesel Bomber wrote:

I think Prado is capable of running up front if he has a bike he's comfortable on.  However, I'm not so sure Kawi will be able...

I think Prado is capable of running up front if he has a bike he's comfortable on.  However, I'm not so sure Kawi will be able to deliver the package he's looking for.  Many have left Kawi for this same reason, with the most recent being Tomac.  

With that said, I think Prado would be better off just stating he's just not comfortable yet instead of blatantly pointing to the bike.  Stating he's not comfortable yet is basically saying the same thing, in just a less offensive way.

aeffertz wrote:

I thinks it’s pretty telling that he’s been shopping around for rides in MXGP and not a different brand in the US.He’s completely defeated. Honestly the...

I thinks it’s pretty telling that he’s been shopping around for rides in MXGP and not a different brand in the US.

He’s completely defeated. Honestly the whole Prado thing is weird when you think about it. He comes to the US and signs a huge deal with a bum shoulder that he didn’t even tell the team about, gets surgery to fix it and is now putting around the track and looking for a ride in MXGP in the process. Kawasaki got played, for real. 

Motocross83 wrote:

I do share your sentiment in that he mustn't give up but it's hard to compare Chase and his struggles when he's on a completely different...

I do share your sentiment in that he mustn't give up but it's hard to compare Chase and his struggles when he's on a completely different bike. And I'm not sure there's much going on in AMA currently to back up this point/analogy "Yet everyone else playing the same guitar is doing fine" , at least not at the sharp end of the field. And "You seriously think kawi is being headstrong about changes?" - I think it's a possibility. You have the above quote above from John Tomac and I'm fairly certain Iv'e read the same about Kawasaki elsewhere, potentially from Villipoto (I'm going to dig for the interview) in that they aren't especially easy to deal with. More recently, AC (before retirement) and Jason Anderson both apparently expressed strong reservations privately. 

Austin Keyfinger wrote:

Does masterpool have his 450 from.last year laying around he can lend him? That one seemed to hang with the top guys pretty good.

DeuceSW20 wrote:

Sorry if I missed this in the thread, but where did this info come from? That’s some crazy stuff! 🤯

Chain ChaTTer wrote:

He rode the bike in order to sign with the team correct?When he was here on the GasGas ...he got off it for a day or...

He rode the bike in order to sign with the team correct?

When he was here on the GasGas ...he got off it for a day or 2 ,rode the green bike and said 'yep-that works'...then got back on the GasGas.

This whole thing amazes me.

Yes-the mxgp tracks are gnarly.

TONS of greats have ridden the wheels off that bike and continue to.

What's going so wrong with it?

I'm listening to his interviews and I'm amazed that Kawasaki hasn't told him to shut the fuck up

 

kawasa84 wrote:

Too many people sticking up for "George's" poor performance and some get it about him. He clearly doesn't possess the fitness and speed needed to run...

Too many people sticking up for "George's" poor performance and some get it about him. He clearly doesn't possess the fitness and speed needed to run at the front in the US. He also doesn't have the heart and desire and competitiveness in him to drive himself when he's not feeling it as he's getting passed.

I've tried to give him the benefit of the doubt for many many of the races and moto after moto this year. I've read the excuses that some on here repeatedly make for him. 

But I finally admit I can't be on the fence on him any longer. Even if there are issues where he isn't comfortable on the bike, his spirit to fight isn't there. Maybe he returns to the MXGP's and can find success again, but he will never find it here in the US. I was initially very excited Kawasakin signed him. Now, I just want this over. There may  be a splash here and there of a top 5 ride here, but mark my words, Prado will never win, and never be a champion in the US. And when he starts getting passed by privateers and riders who come out of retirement, he shows he a fuckin wussie!!

DeuceSW20 wrote:

Sorry if I missed this in the thread, but where did this info come from? That’s some crazy stuff! 🤯

aeffertz wrote:

There’s a couple of interviews from around the time he hit the net in SX where he re-injured his shoulder and he said it was an...

There’s a couple of interviews from around the time he hit the net in SX where he re-injured his shoulder and he said it was an on-going issue and needed to be fixed. I remember reading at the time that everyone was surprised he had a lingering shoulder problem because he never talked about it until he got it fixed and started talking about it. 

The silly season stuff came out recently that he/his agent were shopping around for an MXGP ride. 

DeuceSW20 wrote:

Ah ok, I thought the shoulder thing was something new again. Insane that he’s already shopping around for a return. 

DeuceSW20 wrote:

Ah ok, I thought the shoulder thing was something new again. Insane that he’s already shopping around for a return. 

lostboy819 wrote:

I think he figured out that he is out of his league here in the states.  

kawasa84 wrote:

Too many people sticking up for "George's" poor performance and some get it about him. He clearly doesn't possess the fitness and speed needed to run...

Too many people sticking up for "George's" poor performance and some get it about him. He clearly doesn't possess the fitness and speed needed to run at the front in the US. He also doesn't have the heart and desire and competitiveness in him to drive himself when he's not feeling it as he's getting passed.

I've tried to give him the benefit of the doubt for many many of the races and moto after moto this year. I've read the excuses that some on here repeatedly make for him. 

But I finally admit I can't be on the fence on him any longer. Even if there are issues where he isn't comfortable on the bike, his spirit to fight isn't there. Maybe he returns to the MXGP's and can find success again, but he will never find it here in the US. I was initially very excited Kawasakin signed him. Now, I just want this over. There may  be a splash here and there of a top 5 ride here, but mark my words, Prado will never win, and never be a champion in the US. And when he starts getting passed by privateers and riders who come out of retirement, he shows he a fuckin wussie!!

Brent wrote:

…so, a FOUR time world champion, who is obviously having problems on multiple fronts, is a “wussie” because he hasn’t  reached out the public and spilled...

…so, a FOUR time world champion, who is obviously having problems on multiple fronts, is a “wussie” because he hasn’t  reached out the public and spilled his guts about what he is going through? 

Are you holding Jason Anderson to the same standard? He makes close to what Prado is making.

 At least Prado is showing up every week…

kawasa84 wrote:

Too many people sticking up for "George's" poor performance and some get it about him. He clearly doesn't possess the fitness and speed needed to run...

Too many people sticking up for "George's" poor performance and some get it about him. He clearly doesn't possess the fitness and speed needed to run at the front in the US. He also doesn't have the heart and desire and competitiveness in him to drive himself when he's not feeling it as he's getting passed.

I've tried to give him the benefit of the doubt for many many of the races and moto after moto this year. I've read the excuses that some on here repeatedly make for him. 

But I finally admit I can't be on the fence on him any longer. Even if there are issues where he isn't comfortable on the bike, his spirit to fight isn't there. Maybe he returns to the MXGP's and can find success again, but he will never find it here in the US. I was initially very excited Kawasakin signed him. Now, I just want this over. There may  be a splash here and there of a top 5 ride here, but mark my words, Prado will never win, and never be a champion in the US. And when he starts getting passed by privateers and riders who come out of retirement, he shows he a fuckin wussie!!

Brent wrote:

…so, a FOUR time world champion, who is obviously having problems on multiple fronts, is a “wussie” because he hasn’t  reached out the public and spilled...

…so, a FOUR time world champion, who is obviously having problems on multiple fronts, is a “wussie” because he hasn’t  reached out the public and spilled his guts about what he is going through? 

Are you holding Jason Anderson to the same standard? He makes close to what Prado is making.

 At least Prado is showing up every week…

Indy mxer wrote:

When you're a highly paid factory rider just "showing up" is not an option. He's putting out very little effort, plain and simple.Like I said earlier...

When you're a highly paid factory rider just "showing up" is not an option. He's putting out very little effort, plain and simple.

Like I said earlier, Harrison finished 10th on a privateer KX 450. So how bad is the bike? It's not.

Did you hear Roczen on AC's podcast? It's worth a listen. He pretty much called bs on Prado saying the bike doesn't have enough power.

 

crusty_xx wrote:

How in the world did we go from this  to this? 

How in the world did we go from this

 

 

to this?

 

Black Diesel Bomber wrote:

I think Prado is capable of running up front if he has a bike he's comfortable on.  However, I'm not so sure Kawi will be able...

I think Prado is capable of running up front if he has a bike he's comfortable on.  However, I'm not so sure Kawi will be able to deliver the package he's looking for.  Many have left Kawi for this same reason, with the most recent being Tomac.  

With that said, I think Prado would be better off just stating he's just not comfortable yet instead of blatantly pointing to the bike.  Stating he's not comfortable yet is basically saying the same thing, in just a less offensive way.

aeffertz wrote:

I thinks it’s pretty telling that he’s been shopping around for rides in MXGP and not a different brand in the US.He’s completely defeated. Honestly the...

I thinks it’s pretty telling that he’s been shopping around for rides in MXGP and not a different brand in the US.

He’s completely defeated. Honestly the whole Prado thing is weird when you think about it. He comes to the US and signs a huge deal with a bum shoulder that he didn’t even tell the team about, gets surgery to fix it and is now putting around the track and looking for a ride in MXGP in the process. Kawasaki got played, for real. 

crusty_xx wrote:

How in the world did we go from this  to this? 

How in the world did we go from this

 

 

to this?

 

TeamGreen wrote:

It’s an entirely different world…1 day programTracks that are quite differentEarly race intensity straight outta SXAnd it’s not working for him when he’s so focused on...

It’s an entirely different world…

1 day program

Tracks that are quite different

Early race intensity straight outta SX

And it’s not working for him when he’s so focused on everything BUT adapting to The Program.

I’m a fan of the kid; but, he needs to get on-board or go back home.