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So Prado confirmed with KTM in US for ‘26? I just can’t see why he’s staying. In my opinion, half of his problem is moving to the US and trying to compete here. Smh
So who is going to pay the large amount monster is asking for him to get out of his personal deal?
I will.
$300-600k
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Do they really want to pay him to ride around the track in 10th next year?
I’m not let him go to Redbull I’m sure monster would
What about GasGas - if it’s around next year
The rumours according to Pulp Fly Racing Show: Prado and Jesus (Jorge's dad!) want to get him on a full works KTM for MXDN so he can prove his speed collapse was bike - not rider - related.
In terms of conjecture: JT speculates he'll still get around $500k salary per year from KTM on the basis of them knowing how good he actually is. $500k for a performing Prado is a mucho good deal.
Do you have a crystal ball?
It’s interesting looking back at the four SX rounds he did in 2024 on the GasGas. He won a heat (albeit in the mud), got a few top 10 finishes and was generally within 1-2 secs of the top guys in qualifying and the same for fastest laps during the races. This is in a discipline he was not expected to do well in.
He’s probably got good reason to think he’ll do well on a familiar bike.
You might be onto something...
I have a heck of a lot more respect for that Harrison kid or all these other privateers racing on less powered pogo sticks than Prado giving little effort.
No way a supposed too rider is 10 seconds a lap slower than the top 5 guys when he has had all season to get the bike within the window to be comfortably top 7.
If Hannah knew about this story he would light 70 up.
Lets hear Jorge compare the Kawi to GasGas for SX
I’m talking about actual results in races, not what the guy who just signed a lucrative contract is saying about his new bike that he’d never raced at that point.
Seems just so odd that Prado, being a multi time MXGP bike can come here and put on a display like this.
My theory is he has had a falling out with the team over the bike and either his ego is getting better of him and he has packed a sad or the bike is actually dangerous?’
But as someone of that higher calibre surely you can put your 100% out there each week as respect for all the people behind the scenes that do everything from cleaning the Kawasaki truck washrooms to Kawasaki, Fox etc paying his salery.
Admit you won’t win this year and treat it as a learning curve then come out next season and go get on the podium.
Something very strange is going on but he has really fucked him self going forward with his fans and I’d say sponsors as well.
Most of us would give our left nut to even race the outdoors and be fast enough for a pro licence. Let alone be on a factory team!! The bike can not be that bad. Surely.
I really do hope it will come right for him. Working abroad has its challenges and it is just not for some people. Pro MX or just a random dude working far away from home.
He must be feeling so lost atm! I wish him all the best for the future.
@KiwiBermRailer imo there has been a falling out and he wants out. Giving 100% and push as you say will not lead to Kawa letting him go. He would have scored i don't know maybe 75 points extra and be actually quite close to p 3 till 5 in points. He'd still be overpaid but why would Kawa let go of a Prado who is giving 100% and is in top 5?
So imo this is just a deliberate act to poison the relationship with the team to have kawa be so fed up that they want out as well.
Yeah but that tats him with that brush. I wouldn’t Touch him with that attitude !
My take from the start of this Prado/Kawasaki experiment is that Jorge is still on the Austrian payroll and was sent over here to sabotage Kawasaki’s reputation. Pierer/Bajaj feel threatened by Kawasaki’s planned entry into the two-stroke market.
Pit Row
He can't ride that KTM here in the US. I don't know if its arrogance or ignorance with the Prado's but he isn't getting that GP bike to race full time in the US because he has to ride a production frame, not the works frame he is used to getting.
He can have that bike for MXDN, which is all that that was stated.
Real question: how can they tell the KTM factory versus production frame?
Does it have different geo that could be measured, additional gussets and bracing, or different diameter tubing in places?
Id suspect (from old school steel bmx frame experience) that they could change types of steel, and internal diameters, and even some geo with very little detection (like moving pivots and head angle a degree) and it would be tough to tell.
That’s assuming he lives through a season of testing and racing Supercross first. His inability to do so this year and last fall is what led to the shit show we saw this summer. Unless he’s on an outdoor only deal, I see more of the same for next year.
What part on his 24 bike can't he run in the US?
Yes, they have the specs so that can be measured. I would have to pull up the rulebook and read up on the rules but I think you can add gusseting for strength but you can't changed the overall geometry of the OEM frame. The issue is that they wouldn't look for it during tech inspection so someone would have to protest. From my understanding, it is quite a noticeable difference from the OEM. I don't know for sure, but it's been reported many times that he ran a different frame in the GP's.
Factory Austrian MXGP riders have different frames and swingarms to choose from for different track conditions. No production rule.
IF, he was utilizing non-production components per AMA rules he could not use those parts, though he could for MXDN. Maybe he was using production parts. We’ll likely never know.
I had no idea that the MXGP series didn’t run OEM frames.
Did he run a custom frame in 24 though? I could be wrong but I thought he didn't.
Some do and some don’t. Point is there are no restrictions.
One of the largest differences in the mxgp series versus AMA is they have no production/homologation rule. They can run custom frames/swing arm/ cases etc. it’s why we see oem’s test new models over there first ( Honda this year, Kawi a couple years ago) before they are released.
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