Ok. Take Carson Brown back in time….

There are local a class nobody’s that could beat the top riders of the 70s and early 80s. Knowledge of how to set up a bike and rider technique has changed so drastically since then the other riders wouldn’t stand a chance.

Things like this is just proof that everything evolves.

I'll promise that the speed he rides the old bikes now is way faster than the old heroes. Just look at how Jerry Robin rode the 86 bike at Lorettas.

The old top riders will be the first ones to admit it, but some how the fans of the old riders are the last ones to accept it.

So,no one thinks the past champs would not pick up on anything and get faster? I remember seeing De Coster out in a practice session at high point in the late 90's and he was by far not slow.

Watch the classic 80's races and the top guys are all over the place compared to today, and then actually look at the tracks they raced... Carslbad 500 GP 81/82, Unadilla when it was bumpy, most of todays guys would be crying that they 'couldnt find a setting' . 

Natural talent and no work ethic gets you nowhere. 

Even the same track is radically different now than years ago, Southwick, Unadilla, Mt Morris, Hangtown, Washougal, all have changed radically. They all rut up, whoop up and line up differently than before due to the changes in bikes and riders. The tracks used to be a different kind of rough. We can thank the upside down fork for a lot of it, no more just planting your ass on the rear fender and keeping the front end light.

This is kind of my argument for any sport, when comparing eras. You can't simply take a current rider and drop him into the 80s and compare. Carson had the 30-some years of the sport evolving to lean on. He has the benefit of technique, knowledge and technology to lean on. And his riding is based off of that knowledge. And growing up on better equipment from the beginning, does help let riders of today practice a superior technique,  their whole lives. If you could somehow erase that and time warp him into the 80s with only the knowledge of the time, then he likely does not stack up to the top guys of the day. But given that he does have the sport's evolution on his side, then yes, he would have a huge advantage on people from the 80s, as-is, right now. My opinion.

As an old guy (57) I have a fondness for the past. I watch old moto several times a week on the greatest invention in history (you tube) . The key to appreciate the skill level of the 70s and 80s riders is to pay zero attention to the guys outside the top 10. And to watch Carlsbad gp races often. Those fuckers were hauling ass. That track was unreal hard. Im bragging a bit but I did race there once in 89. Golden State . 250 intermediate. 32nd place. But in all seriousness Carson brown hauls ass but he does not beat Hannah at unadilla . 8 to 10 place

As a side note I would love to see a Carson Brown vid on a 82 to 85 works Honda!

Going fast and stylish for a few laps on pretty much groomed tracks is a far cry from doing it for 40/45 minutes on torn up beat up rough shit tracks back then! I do love watching his videos on the old bikes, he has a lot of skills.

With his modern technique and talent he would literally lap second place of somebody in 1981. Like let's be serious here. Those guys  rode with straight backs and looked like they had hemorrhoids.

Um... but they did it for 40 minutes, question is could Carson be fast for 40?

I'm with you 100% dude, going back with modern knowledge and training and stuff is never really a reasonable comparison.

The true fast as fuck guys, your Hannah, your Carmichael, your Tomac, would be fast in any era

Was pretty cool when Kenny and Carson Brown did the 85 and 125 challenges. Kenny did win them both even though Kenny didn't ride any small bikes for the past 15+ years compared to Carson, that still shows you there is levels to it between the absolute top guys and riders like Carson (he is obviously very skillful, but I'm talking top 5).
That's why I doubt he would do better than any of the top 5 guys out of any era.

Carson raced the VMXdN at Foxhills and was as fast as anyone over the 4 lap races, and was a real nice guy as well, got to chat with on him  the Livestream , he was just out having fun, and it showed, but i can get why he didnt make it as a pro, it needs more than just speed and talent, but 100% love the stuff he does, seeing him rip an RM500 the same week i got mine finished was awesome. 

Bangers on Instagram and one lap races on bikes of all kinds do not equate to championship winning grit and determination in any era IMO. Talented? Abso-freaking-lutely. 

On modern tracks, maybe, but watching RJ ride a 500 at Carlsbad...I don't think anyone today would keep up with him. Nobody today is used to the rattling on that bike and track.

One lap? Carson beats Lackey, Hannah, Howerton, Smith, et. al. 45 minutes + two laps? They'd eat him alive. (For you young uns, AMA Motocross used to run two 45-minute motos.)

Its always wild when CB gets tossed into the "could he win this ___" ring when he himself doesn't care at all. He just gets paid to have fun and ride like hell. 

Very well said. I'll also note this. When I see CB riding in clips the tracks are invariably glass smooth. That didn't exist back in the day. Tracks got rougher because suspension was way worse (which, if you think about it,  is a pretty wicked irony).  Also ruts basically weren't much of a thing because of the nature of 2 strokes. Finally,  they ran 45 minute motos back in the day. He can't hang for 35, much less 45. Nope,  he isn't beating those guys. 

Tru. But they weren't riding hard for 45mins. was more of a marathon. 

Well, if you compare to how he mostly currently has fared at the National level......I've seen him get lapped at Washougal.  I absolutely love his content though with the old bikes though for sure.

So true 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEyA_rizDsC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

This last January at Whidbey island mx

Carson has never ridden a pink bike…..until now

Drop David Bailey into 2025 on a  works CRF450 and watch him battle Jett.  Bailey was so far ahead of his time that he almost looked modern to this day in 1986.  

Newton said it best, "If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants"

Transport 25 year old Bob Hannah to today and he would be outclassed in all aspects, well not heart and determination but skill wise. Bob Hannah growing up today would end up the great Bob Hannah, because he'd have the advantage of leveraging off those before him. They cream is always the cream regardless of the era.

They were riding hard. Have you ever seen a sprinter run a marathon?

The stupid shit people say here...

He’s not wrong about DB. 

💯 agree about DB  

I also think if you took Jett back in time on a works CR500, he could run with Bailey. 

Then throw JMB into the mix just to make it interesting. 

Sure would be awesome to see, fair to say dirtbike enthusiasts may have a different use for time machines than 99 percent of the rest of the world haha