Upgrade to enjoy this feature!
Vital MX fantasy is free to play, but Premium users receive great benefits. Premium benefits include:
- View and download rider stats
- Pick trends
- Create a private league
- And more!
Only $10 for all 2026 SX, MX, and SMX series.
At first I thought no way. Then ML avoided the question all together.
Every middle aged Dad with a Monster tattoo is cracking their knuckles anxiously right now.
Listening to the most recent round of podcasts all the usual experts seemed certain that Tomac is going to KTM.
However they also talked a lot about the second seat at Kawasaki. On one hand they were saying that Kawi is committed to running two bikes for the full year (SX and MX); on the other hand there is literally nobody appropriate and available who could fill the seat.
There was speculation that Marchbanks could do 450MX but SX is a different matter.
Imagine being ML, having a life and getting tied up with something completely unrelated to his job or MX last night. Log on to vital, and because he didn't make one comment everyone has decided Tomac to Kawi is a done deal. Next week when it's announced that Tomac is signed to KTM, it will entirely be ML's fault for leading us astray.
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Free shipping: VITALMX
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
No, I’m just blind and missed that post. He’s going to KTM.
Not remotely the same bike. Different rules for MXGP bikes vs AMA.
Regardless of the rules, the frame and swing arm of both bikes are identical so they are in fact similar.
Even with this post, from one of the most credible people in the media, people here are going to continue to believe he is somehow not going to end up on a KTM.
This is what I get for responding to stuff while lying in bed and not fully reading everything.
So the new theory is that Tomac who wants the most power he can get will go back to kawi to ride the bike with the weakest engine? Not only that but how many mx championships did he miss out on at kawi because the bike can’t make it through a mud race?
Meanwhile a long time Austrian rider moves from kawi to ktm at significant monetary cost to himself in part due to the engine being too slow and in part due to some of the same complaints Tomac had at kawi 5 years ago.
Kawi unintentionally (I think) bought an mxgp championship by bringing Prado to the US. Prado would have won easily with Gajser and Herlings being hurt part of the year.
Just giving you a hard time ML!
You shouldn’t even respond ….
Things didn't end well w/ kawi did they for tomac? Why would he want to go back there?? Oh ya... ktm and their "might get that bonus check, might not" thing??
I'm assuming this is a Kooksey thread...and the blind squirrel missed again...
I didn’t watch it but there is a Kooksey YouTube video with the title saying something about Tomac going to kawi.
Wtf does this even mean? Man, some of you people say some stupid shit 🤣
“His riding style is the antithesis to a steel-framed Austrian bike” 🤣🤣🤣
Pit Row
God I swear some of you just purposefully don't analyze things and get mad at people who do.
From what I have heard, the aluminum frame bikes are more rigid/sturdy and are more ideal for riders that are rougher on the bike. The steel-framed bikes tend to be more finicky and have more flex, which might feel a bit odd for a guy like Tomac who puts as much stress on a bike as anyone.
I am not a great rider by any means, so I have no personal opinion between the two when it comes to my own riding. But to my knowledge, this is a pretty common analysis of aluminum vs steel bikes and how they react to riders at the highest level.
Maybe Tomac's aggressive riding style is to compensate for a chassis that is not compliant enough? Seems like Barcia and Plessinger smoothed out when getting on chromoly frames.
Picture this. Kawi releases the new 300 two stroke and tomac signing all in one video. Similar to this. The entire motocross community would go wild
https://youtu.be/ITgDjfmOe1M?si=N7AS-Q0YgDCDDMDM
Kawi won't happen. BUT I'm almost more disappointed we never got TwoMAC #2 on a works Star Racing YZ250...
Who said I was mad? I laughed, because it was funny to read. I don’t typically laugh when I’m mad.
Regardless, the frame won’t be an issue for Tomac. I’m more interested in how he feels about the hydraulic clutch and the WP suspension.
I could be totally wrong but ever since the Eli to KTM talk, that has been in my head too. And I'm not comparing my skill level / experience to a pro w Factory equipment or anything. But I feel like the KTMs do feel "bound up" when they are revved way out. And it just seems like it is just a platform that rewards smooth riding, running it in the sweet spot of the power etc. And Eli obviously has a style where he is always just dogging the bike and bouncing the limiter etc, which is just tough to imagine that bike being a good fit. Obviously it could be fine but that's just how I feel about it, from my position.
How's your chain slack?
The tone of the first line of your response certainly seemed like you were upset at what you read. Intent can be hard to get across on a forum - apologies for misreading you. Although, I still wouldn't assess my statement as "stupid shit". The KTM has historically seemed to reward smoother riders. I could very well be wrong. And yeah, I do wonder if he'll be able to readjust to the hydraulic clutch. He seemed so happy to get the cable clutch back with Yamaha, so I can't imagine the switch back to hydro being viewed favorably in his eyes.
When I had my 350, I did run it more "loose" than what I would consider normal on my Yams. But it's just something I felt on those bikes in general, riding friend's bikes and whatnot. Again, probably silly to parallel my experience with a pro but it's just hard for me to picture someone just tapped on the KTM, hitting everything like a madman, at A1 lol. Also, if they had issues with the shocks heating up and whatnot, I'd think Eli's style may take a toll more than Chase or AP. Could all just be nonsense on my part, however. But if that's where he goes, then I guess we will see. Obviously it's a great team/bike, so not hating.
The clutch guy at Kawi is prob getting drunk tonight just to calm his PTSD.
Anderson, Plessinger, and Herlings aren't smoother riders, and they've done well on steel framed KTM.
I think intrinsic damping of the materials is the difference. Steel doesn't have to be less rigid, that works be a design choice. Everything feels "sharper" to me on AL. I can fell where I'm at better because I get more feedback. Steel feels more muted, aka damped. Natural frequency is a product of stiffnes, mass, and intrinsic damping of the material. A steel framed and aluminum frame of the same mass and stiffness still have a different natural frequency. Intrinsic damping matters in a dynamic system.
Can we get some kind of profile badge or icon for forum members that admit to following/watching/believing cookseys crap? Would be good to know who has brain damage and not bother wasting time clicking on their threads
Post a reply to: Can’t wait to see Tomac on the Kawi