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

RV2, only guy to beat JS7 straight up. Dude was a monster on a motorcycle and never lost a championship he finished. Crazy. 

MC IS THE KING OF SX

This debate will rage for eternity, I will argue though without MC you don’t get RC, and without RC you don’t get JS, and without JS you don’t get RV, and without RV you don’t get RD, and without RD you don’t get Tomac so on and so forth. 

JS7, McGrath, K dub., Roczen, Hanny

Jerry Rice is the greatest WR of all-time, but Randy Moss had more talent. 

James is the answer.  

Problem with James is he ran out of talent to much. That cannot not be denied. How many times did Mcgrath have yard sales? Not many if I remember right. So I vote MC.

Stewart, McGrath, Windham, Pastrami...(#199 for how little he trained and practiced, yet could gap anyone...until )

PS: how he just rode RMzilla and the 250 at 40+ against KR & CB, held his own..

Stew

Probably a contentious take, but in my mind where this argument falls down, is defining “talent”. 

When someone is great as a professional motorcycle racer, after riding, racing, training, and being coached since they could walk, how do you determine what is actual talent, and what is aptitude, scholarship and dedication?

"The Most Talented" doesn't always mean results.  Guys who were just magic on the bike include but are not limited to 

Marty Tripes

Roger DeCoster

David Baily

Jean Michele Bayle

Jeremy McGrath

Kevin Windham

Jett Lawrence Is the current most talented rider with an exceptional smoothness as if he was going slow while be blows by people. 

James Stewart could do things on a bike that nobody could, and still can't. LaRocco's Leap on a 125, beating 450 times on a 125, scrubbing under 2 or 3 guys over a triple. At one point in his career he only finished two ways Win or crash. He invented racing skills that nobody had ever seen before. And even today are a challenge for top guys. James wins as THE most talented rider ever. 

THE END. 

Talented? 

Fonzie... tp199... js7.... mc... 

I completely forgot about the Hills, Hanny and JG. Those four are poetry on a dirt bike. 

Tripes Lechein JMB Windham Sipes are who immediately come to mind for natural talent.

After some of the near death experience saves I've seen Barcia do over the years I wonder if he belongs in this category too.

Kevin Windham?

McGrath, easily. And there have been some incredibly talented SX racers over the years, but none as talented as him in his prime. 

This guy deserves a mention

There was a 16 year old racing SX that the premier class points leader would go and watch to see what he was doing. That’s only happened once to my knowledge. 

I agree with this. It's almost a bit of a slap in the face to call someone talented when they've dedicated their whole lives on their chosen craft. Calling someone talented is just a lazy way to describe why someone is good at something in my eyes and doesn't really mean anything.. 

I am not considering titles, wins or any of that.

As for a sheer natural talent,  I go with Kdub and Bubba.  True masters on a dirt bike and they make it look effortless.  Amazing to watch.

Honorable Mention:  Robbie Renard - smooth as silk on a dirtbike

I can very much see your point there.

A percentage of riders have that  near all encompassing 'modern' riding background. And, that relatively small - compared to most riders - group make up a large percentage of the 'successful riders' .

It's how it goes.

But, look at say ( something different to MX, but, it still applies, and, is topical right now), the Dakar - I'd say the majority of successful riders, especially TP and Chucky for  examples of Oz successes there, have pretty much grown up in   environments where they've damned near ridden every day on their properties, or  properties nearby, since they were tiny little tackers. I  think Ricky Brabec - who seems to be about to win this year, after Chuckie's broken / damaged Collar Bone and Sternum a couple of days ago - has been out in the US Boonies, much of his life (and Skylar), and so many others have been near the same. Having had the opportunity to ride so, so much, virtually from their front door. Kurt Caselli was very much of that ilk. 

Two MX riders of Huge note though, that do stand out a bit, are McGrath, who did BMX more so than Minis, and The Great Joel Smets - who apparently didn't start to ride until Late in his teens, or early Twenties(?), at the earliest, and Started on 500s from the get go, who achieved so much. John Dowd started late too, if I recall correctly.

But, (natural) talent IS a Thing. 

And, the training opportunities so seemingly common now, for those with $$, or parents willing to throw all they have / may have to pay for it. Combine all that , with drive / determination, And, a fair amount of good luck ( avoiding / coping well with injuries for example) are things you'll find with a large amount of 'modern',  successful riders. 

Probably dating myself, but Guy Cooper. I mean, Airtime was fun to watch. Loads of "talent" but never won a SX. 

Toby Price grew up racing MX, saw him every year at the Aussie junior titles. Not sure about that  tough mofo Chucky. But yes talent is a real thing, people who have it are usually good at anything they try.

Slurp...gurgle, gurgle...slurp...

James Stewart. That toronto race is something special, among other things.

strictly off pure talent & skill set for the discipline of SX & not personal accomplishments or accolades its MC , stew & tp199 

on a side note I see a couple ppl mentioned Jett 🤔 the heartbreak kid Jett overall is extremely talented but Jett is more of a redefined evolution of outdoor motocross , not SX 

With the Lawrence bro’s Jett has had the advantage of learning off Hunter, and Dazzy also learned how to coach better along the way. 
However it’s also been said a number of times that with Jett’s build he has more leverage on the bike than Hunter, which allows him to compensate easier if the setup is off and have a more effective reaction to bike movements. 
So maybe you can be born with “talent’’.