Totally subjective, but who's the most talented SX rider of all time?

James BUBBA Stewart

K.C. Carlyle

MC, it’s not even a question..

Not only is he the top of the lists for titles and race wins, but he was so far ahead of the rest of the field while still out partying in Havasu, and doing crusty vids etc on the side.

The modern era trains so much and turns SX into a science so much, that natural talent isn’t what stands out anymore

Who has the most wins? 👑

I'm obviously biased because I'm a german and Kenny is only a year younger than me. He was pretty much all we young guys talked about at the tracks back then and for a good reason. He was doing amateur or german open races at 12-13 year of age on a 450 blowing by grown men like they were standing still. Or when he dominated ADAC youngster cup at 14 years against dudes that were 4-6 years older, or when he won his first GP at the age of 15.

And I don't have to talk about how he looked in MX before his injuries, we all know that. He is for sure one of the most talented guys in MX, that's a no brainer.

But I'm gonna be completely honest, I don't know if I would ever pick Kenny over JS7 or Jett in SX when we just speak about talent. 2017 obviously looked like the beginning of something special, it's a tragedy we never got to witness this.

I can't really speak on MC, that wasn't my era and I didn't get to witness it live, so I say it's JS7 or Jett.

Jett only started riding SX for the first time in late 2019 and wasn't even meant to go Pro first in 2020. Four years later he already dominated the whole 450 field in SX. That's something to consider.

JMB shined at a time when the competition was the fiercest.

McGrath and JS7. 

 JS7 & Jett 

I'd have to go with James Stewart. The man did things on a motorcycle that were unworldly.

JS7 changed the sport like no one else ever did.  On and off the track. 

JS7 and Jett Lawrence 

Hard to argue against McGrath. But David Bailey was so smooth and he changed the sport in so many ways. For 1 when he was helping Gary with the mx schools he would show students how not to do things then how to do it. Through this he discovered lots of different techniques,  such as landing front wheel down. Seems small but is big

Besides JMB, I’d say Ronnie Lechien without question. No one else could party that hard then go beat the best riders in the world because he wanted to. 

Tripes

JS7.

If you ask this in 10 years I think Prado will be in the mix

I know JMc went 14/15 in one year, but didn't JS go 3 years where he won every race he didn't crash/fall in? And even won some he did crash/fall in....

James and Jeremy would be my picks, and Jett right be hind them.

JMB, MC, Jett. 

At least I think Jett belongs on the list, he needs to finish a few more seasons to overcome recency bias and lock it down. 

Honorable mentions for Lechein and Windham, pure flow and style made them both great to watch.

 

Mcgrath

haha look at youtube crashes james stewart

McGrath, came out of nowhere and dominated. 

True statement. It was crazy how he immediately dominated and kept winning for years without a genuine bad season.

There is James Stewart, and then there is everyone else.

Windham comes to mind. I can't recall him crashing out much...like only once. He may not have won a lot, but he was always there running top 5 it seemed no matter what. Maybe I just have a bad memory. 

MC was so smooth but no one has been as explosive (both good and bad) on an SX track as James Bubba Stewart

I love MC but JS7 is the obvious answer, no one can contest it

JS7.

He also remains the most talented in the media at breaking down how the bikes are working / not working from a technical standpoint in his analysis'.

I've never seen a rider with as much natural precision and feel as Jett. Stew is definitely a great pick, but a bit of his spectacle came from fearlessness. Jett manages to ride otherwise mundane sections of track in a manner nobody else seems to do.

I'd also think that breaking it down between 2t and 4t riders is a big deal. 

James wins that as well, he was unbelievable on both