Panic Button for Chase/Kawi?

Vet57
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BRO Town, MA US
2/24/2026 12:10am

He looked pretty good in Hawaii 

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MXracr157
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Baton Rouge, LA US
2/24/2026 7:47am
KurtJ99 wrote:
Savatgy crashed and was only 6 seconds behind Sexton at the end. You could say Savatgy should have Sexton's ride, but I don't think Savatgy wants...

Savatgy crashed and was only 6 seconds behind Sexton at the end. You could say Savatgy should have Sexton's ride, but I don't think Savatgy wants it now. Savatgy would be like "yeah man, you just stay right where you are, keep that @#$ bike away from me"

Savatgy would know since he spent a year there!!

3
mxracer666
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2/24/2026 8:29am
KurtJ99 wrote:
Chase's situation reminds me of a guy I know who didn't like who he was working for in a corporate job and just started working for...

Chase's situation reminds me of a guy I know who didn't like who he was working for in a corporate job and just started working for someone else on his own. Able to because he was good and his mgmt didn't know how to deal with it. Similarly Chase could park his bike under the PC Kawi tent and it would be tolerated IMO as long as results improved. Didn't leave Kawi, didn't really stay. 

It is not Chase's bike - The bike belongs to Kawasaki.

2
2/24/2026 8:29am
Spoonguy wrote:
Here's a take, maybe Chase isn't as good as we thought? He does well on Honda, leaves, Lawrences do better. He does well on KTM, leaves...

Here's a take, maybe Chase isn't as good as we thought? He does well on Honda, leaves, Lawrences do better. He does well on KTM, leaves, 33 yr old Eli does arguably better. Eli arguably looks better than he did on Yamaha. Maybe put Chase on an ordinary bike, he is ordinary? Perhaps he wasn't as good as we all thought, maybe?

revkev151 wrote:
*Jett has done better on the Honda, and I think it's pretty unanimous that he's a generational talent. Eli doing this well on a KTM is...

*Jett has done better on the Honda, and I think it's pretty unanimous that he's a generational talent. Eli doing this well on a KTM is a surprise but he is also the second winningest rider in sx ever, so not the most fair comparison there either. 

I don't think Chase is as good as Eli or Jett in the long term and falls more in the Roczen category, where he has crazy speed but gets bit my mistakes and when another rider gets in his head. Wins races and even championships when things fall his way but in the highest pressure situations against another rider I wouldn't put my money on him. 

Also, he took a year to adjust to the KTM, so I'm not worried too much about his results this year, although im not paying his salary. He seems like someone who needs the bike to be EXACTLY what he wants it to be and that takes time. I just think there's a very wide gap between Eli and Jett and "ordinary" and he falls within that gap.

Yeah I'm not sure why the sky is falling because of Chase's reaults thus far. Didn't most of us call this? The first year on Kawi, at least indoors, would be a thow away. His average finish through 7 rounds in '24 was 4.85. His average finish through 7 rounds for '26 is 5.14. And I'd argue his win this year was more "real" than his win in '24 that came from a mudder. This is the same ole Chase. Talk of him getting out of his Kawi contract 7 races into it is wild

5
5

The Shop

MXracr157
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2/24/2026 8:41am
kawasa84 wrote:
There are literally so many things you can change on the bike to remedy almost any situation. C'mon this rocket science is not rocket science.From oil...

There are literally so many things you can change on the bike to remedy almost any situation. C'mon this rocket science is not rocket science.

From oil weight to oil height (volume) to springs to shims to valves to different mm tubes to the settings of compression/rebound and more just in the forks. Same with the shock. You have 100 things you can do to each, (or more). 

Then you have every off set and thickness you can play with in triple clamps, every C/L to C/L & geometry change in linkage, & rear link. Location of axle in swingarm.  You could even add or subtract stiffness in the frame like KTM did for Webb a few years back.

I mean we could go on and on, but you can make every bike being raced by the manufacturer's today a perfect or very near perfect bike. I'm sorry but at some point it's on the rider. 

Do I think Webb, Tomac, H. Lawrence, Roczen or Sexton can win this year on the Kawasaki? God damn right I do. And the only guy in that group who rides for Kawasaki HAS won on that bike this year. It's high time for them to figure out what Chase needs, If Chase even knows what he wants. But, finally, when he's at near perfect or perfect, the excuses need to stop and Sexton needs to be back up front, whether it be podiums or wins. It's on him!

I had to come back to this and add an edit. It wouldn't hurt Kawasaki nor Chase to work on starts all effing week too. The guys starts have sucked this year for the most part. First or top 3 in the first turn and maybe his results would improve!

Can't really "subtract" stiffness from the frame as I understand the rules.  Teams can add material or bracing but cannot remove material or portions of the frame.  Now, I guess you can "Subtract" stiffness by changing engine hangers, so there is that.

vdrsnk04
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1992
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Location
IL US
2/24/2026 9:50am
prozach wrote:
Here are first turn images all from different 450 mains this year.  He isn't riding to his potential, but he can't be this bad on starts...

Here are first turn images all from different 450 mains this year.  He isn't riding to his potential, but he can't be this bad on starts and expect to have much better results when the other top guys are up front almost every race off the start.  

10000196891000019688 01000019685 01000019686 01000019687 0
ohh_454 wrote:

Chase Larocco right there damn

Hey at least Larocco would have climbed back to 3rd!

Against a nobody field.

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Johnny Ringo
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Tombstone, AZ US
2/24/2026 10:06am Edited Date/Time 2/24/2026 10:07am
ohh_454 wrote:

Chase Larocco right there damn

Hey at least Larocco would have climbed back to 3rd!

vdrsnk04 wrote:

Against a nobody field.

Delusional. Lots of plumbers and carpenters here. Argue with a wall.

IMG 0548 3
28
3
2/24/2026 10:41am

Hey at least Larocco would have climbed back to 3rd!

vdrsnk04 wrote:

Against a nobody field.

Delusional. Lots of plumbers and carpenters here. Argue with a wall.

Delusional. Lots of plumbers and carpenters here. Argue with a wall.

IMG 0548 3

Good Lord. I was born in 95 but I know every racer there. Stacked. 

16
1
JazzyJJ
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Nunya, WY US
2/24/2026 10:59am
kawasa84 wrote:
There are literally so many things you can change on the bike to remedy almost any situation. C'mon this rocket science is not rocket science.From oil...

There are literally so many things you can change on the bike to remedy almost any situation. C'mon this rocket science is not rocket science.

From oil weight to oil height (volume) to springs to shims to valves to different mm tubes to the settings of compression/rebound and more just in the forks. Same with the shock. You have 100 things you can do to each, (or more). 

Then you have every off set and thickness you can play with in triple clamps, every C/L to C/L & geometry change in linkage, & rear link. Location of axle in swingarm.  You could even add or subtract stiffness in the frame like KTM did for Webb a few years back.

I mean we could go on and on, but you can make every bike being raced by the manufacturer's today a perfect or very near perfect bike. I'm sorry but at some point it's on the rider. 

Do I think Webb, Tomac, H. Lawrence, Roczen or Sexton can win this year on the Kawasaki? God damn right I do. And the only guy in that group who rides for Kawasaki HAS won on that bike this year. It's high time for them to figure out what Chase needs, If Chase even knows what he wants. But, finally, when he's at near perfect or perfect, the excuses need to stop and Sexton needs to be back up front, whether it be podiums or wins. It's on him!

I had to come back to this and add an edit. It wouldn't hurt Kawasaki nor Chase to work on starts all effing week too. The guys starts have sucked this year for the most part. First or top 3 in the first turn and maybe his results would improve!

MXracr157 wrote:
Can't really "subtract" stiffness from the frame as I understand the rules.  Teams can add material or bracing but cannot remove material or portions of the...

Can't really "subtract" stiffness from the frame as I understand the rules.  Teams can add material or bracing but cannot remove material or portions of the frame.  Now, I guess you can "Subtract" stiffness by changing engine hangers, so there is that.

Do you know how closely they check that? Maybe take away a little material here and there on the inside on the frame, would anyone ever know?

Goon645
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Pyramid Valley AQ
Fantasy
2/24/2026 11:12am

Let’s be honest, his own team hasn’t been hugely successful in recent years. 

Well if we’re being honest do any of PC’s riders have Chase’s talent and experience? I’m referring to Mitch’s ability to put a package together that works. He took his 250’s as a package to sit even (maybe even better) than the star bikes who had enjoyed power advantages for years. He will produce a package that Chase has faith in and that’s the difference. Why Kawi hasn’t just swallowed their pride and done this already is enough proof of problems management-wise for me.

1
aees
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2/24/2026 11:21am Edited Date/Time 2/24/2026 11:22am

Just went through Lewis interview with Tickle.

IDKM. Kawi has a cultural problem. They are into the second year of a major cluster fuck, and Tickle isn't allowed to suggest how to fix the issues. Only to ride what the team serves him and provide feedback.

He also said, if it was my bike and I could do and suggest what I wanted, I would have it dialed in 3 days and be done with it 😄

You can of course interpret things he said in many ways with this in a vaccum, but adding up everything it's they need to make changes to that team. Definitions of insanity? Kawi right now.

13
1
GrapeApe
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Mc Kinney, TX US
2/24/2026 11:29am Edited Date/Time 2/24/2026 11:29am
kawasa84 wrote:
There are literally so many things you can change on the bike to remedy almost any situation. C'mon this rocket science is not rocket science.From oil...

There are literally so many things you can change on the bike to remedy almost any situation. C'mon this rocket science is not rocket science.

From oil weight to oil height (volume) to springs to shims to valves to different mm tubes to the settings of compression/rebound and more just in the forks. Same with the shock. You have 100 things you can do to each, (or more). 

Then you have every off set and thickness you can play with in triple clamps, every C/L to C/L & geometry change in linkage, & rear link. Location of axle in swingarm.  You could even add or subtract stiffness in the frame like KTM did for Webb a few years back.

I mean we could go on and on, but you can make every bike being raced by the manufacturer's today a perfect or very near perfect bike. I'm sorry but at some point it's on the rider. 

Do I think Webb, Tomac, H. Lawrence, Roczen or Sexton can win this year on the Kawasaki? God damn right I do. And the only guy in that group who rides for Kawasaki HAS won on that bike this year. It's high time for them to figure out what Chase needs, If Chase even knows what he wants. But, finally, when he's at near perfect or perfect, the excuses need to stop and Sexton needs to be back up front, whether it be podiums or wins. It's on him!

I had to come back to this and add an edit. It wouldn't hurt Kawasaki nor Chase to work on starts all effing week too. The guys starts have sucked this year for the most part. First or top 3 in the first turn and maybe his results would improve!

MXracr157 wrote:
Can't really "subtract" stiffness from the frame as I understand the rules.  Teams can add material or bracing but cannot remove material or portions of the...

Can't really "subtract" stiffness from the frame as I understand the rules.  Teams can add material or bracing but cannot remove material or portions of the frame.  Now, I guess you can "Subtract" stiffness by changing engine hangers, so there is that.

JazzyJJ wrote:
Do you know how closely they check that? Maybe take away a little material here and there on the inside on the frame, would anyone ever...

Do you know how closely they check that? Maybe take away a little material here and there on the inside on the frame, would anyone ever know?

There have been whispers in the past of teams shaving some material from the frame spars, then showing up to the races with a fully polished frame to hide the work.

6
Rapo-X
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ZA
2/24/2026 11:38am
kylemenz1 wrote:

Great comparison. Kawasaki needs to clean shop. Start at the top and keep replacing people until there is a culture change. 

Maybe Mitch can run the Kawi 450 team🤔

3
truck
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2/24/2026 11:49am
kawasa84 wrote:
There are literally so many things you can change on the bike to remedy almost any situation. C'mon this rocket science is not rocket science.From oil...

There are literally so many things you can change on the bike to remedy almost any situation. C'mon this rocket science is not rocket science.

From oil weight to oil height (volume) to springs to shims to valves to different mm tubes to the settings of compression/rebound and more just in the forks. Same with the shock. You have 100 things you can do to each, (or more). 

Then you have every off set and thickness you can play with in triple clamps, every C/L to C/L & geometry change in linkage, & rear link. Location of axle in swingarm.  You could even add or subtract stiffness in the frame like KTM did for Webb a few years back.

I mean we could go on and on, but you can make every bike being raced by the manufacturer's today a perfect or very near perfect bike. I'm sorry but at some point it's on the rider. 

Do I think Webb, Tomac, H. Lawrence, Roczen or Sexton can win this year on the Kawasaki? God damn right I do. And the only guy in that group who rides for Kawasaki HAS won on that bike this year. It's high time for them to figure out what Chase needs, If Chase even knows what he wants. But, finally, when he's at near perfect or perfect, the excuses need to stop and Sexton needs to be back up front, whether it be podiums or wins. It's on him!

I had to come back to this and add an edit. It wouldn't hurt Kawasaki nor Chase to work on starts all effing week too. The guys starts have sucked this year for the most part. First or top 3 in the first turn and maybe his results would improve!

MXracr157 wrote:
Can't really "subtract" stiffness from the frame as I understand the rules.  Teams can add material or bracing but cannot remove material or portions of the...

Can't really "subtract" stiffness from the frame as I understand the rules.  Teams can add material or bracing but cannot remove material or portions of the frame.  Now, I guess you can "Subtract" stiffness by changing engine hangers, so there is that.

JazzyJJ wrote:
Do you know how closely they check that? Maybe take away a little material here and there on the inside on the frame, would anyone ever...

Do you know how closely they check that? Maybe take away a little material here and there on the inside on the frame, would anyone ever know?

I seem to remember Jeremy Albrecht talking about bringing something from the Nascar world that can measure material thickness, but for the most part it seems frame is visual inspection and measurement. Surely if a team was motivated enough they could find a way to reduce the strength of the frame in ways that wouldn't be noticed but doubt that kind of trial and error and ruining frames along the way is in the budget for most. 

2
Village Idiot
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2/24/2026 11:57am
MXracr157 wrote:
Can't really "subtract" stiffness from the frame as I understand the rules.  Teams can add material or bracing but cannot remove material or portions of the...

Can't really "subtract" stiffness from the frame as I understand the rules.  Teams can add material or bracing but cannot remove material or portions of the frame.  Now, I guess you can "Subtract" stiffness by changing engine hangers, so there is that.

JazzyJJ wrote:
Do you know how closely they check that? Maybe take away a little material here and there on the inside on the frame, would anyone ever...

Do you know how closely they check that? Maybe take away a little material here and there on the inside on the frame, would anyone ever know?

truck wrote:
I seem to remember Jeremy Albrecht talking about bringing something from the Nascar world that can measure material thickness, but for the most part it seems...

I seem to remember Jeremy Albrecht talking about bringing something from the Nascar world that can measure material thickness, but for the most part it seems frame is visual inspection and measurement. Surely if a team was motivated enough they could find a way to reduce the strength of the frame in ways that wouldn't be noticed but doubt that kind of trial and error and ruining frames along the way is in the budget for most. 

Ultrasonic thickness gauge.

3
Pop Shmoke
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2/24/2026 2:31pm

King Tuck

70BF27CA-BD4C-4D05-B9D0-26FB9843B73B
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Harv379
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2/24/2026 2:41pm

To all these idiots saying chase ‘now jumping whoops is insane’ y’all have a short memory. Remember when he was jumping the whoops last year on ktm and lost a race because Webb kept skimming? Yeah. It ain’t a new thing 

3
2/24/2026 3:22pm
kylemenz1 wrote:

Great comparison. Kawasaki needs to clean shop. Start at the top and keep replacing people until there is a culture change. 

Rapo-X wrote:

Maybe Mitch can run the Kawi 450 team🤔

I saw this exact comment on a Pulp YouTube vid. And some genius responded how Mitch is overrated. Mitch Payton. Overrated. SMFH

12
Spoonguy
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2/24/2026 4:04pm

Hey at least Larocco would have climbed back to 3rd!

vdrsnk04 wrote:

Against a nobody field.

Delusional. Lots of plumbers and carpenters here. Argue with a wall.

Delusional. Lots of plumbers and carpenters here. Argue with a wall.

IMG 0548 3

Seems like a pretty stout field.

1
2/24/2026 4:11pm

As someone else suggested. PC do the Kawi 450 program instead. I can't believe how much better Star made the Yammy 450 when they tok over

1
1
Pop Shmoke
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2/24/2026 4:57pm

As someone else suggested. PC do the Kawi 450 program instead. I can't believe how much better Star made the Yammy 450 when they tok over

Pc hasnt been having a lot of luck lately tho.

3
3
vdrsnk04
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2/24/2026 5:30pm Edited Date/Time 2/24/2026 5:43pm

Hey at least Larocco would have climbed back to 3rd!

vdrsnk04 wrote:

Against a nobody field.

Delusional. Lots of plumbers and carpenters here. Argue with a wall.

Delusional. Lots of plumbers and carpenters here. Argue with a wall.

IMG 0548 3

I like how you chose 1999 lol. RC’s rookie year…after RC and MC who pretty much stopped winning everything at that point the list gets pretty low. Go pick 1997 or 1998 and it’s a whole different story. If you exclude RC, because like Jett he didn’t have much for wins yet. There were only 2 guys on your entire list that are in the top 20 for wins.

For Chase there are 5 guys in the top 20 all time wins list and they are still actively all winning. By the way, that 5 guys doesn’t include Jett because he only has 9 wins. 

13
2/24/2026 5:46pm

I swore I remembered a Kawasaki like that with blue hubs but could never remember who or when. Felt like I was crazy. 

-MAVERICK-
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2/24/2026 6:17pm
Rickyisms wrote:

I swore I remembered a Kawasaki like that with blue hubs but could never remember who or when. Felt like I was crazy. 

2011 Factory Kawasaki 

1000010681.jpg?VersionId=.514LK

2012 Factory Kawasaki 

1000010683 0

2013 Factory Kawasaki 

1000010684 0
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BS12
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2/24/2026 7:18pm
Pop Shmoke wrote:

Pc hasnt been having a lot of luck lately tho.

The PC bike's never been the problem. 

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1
2/24/2026 7:30pm
Rickyisms wrote:

I swore I remembered a Kawasaki like that with blue hubs but could never remember who or when. Felt like I was crazy. 

-MAVERICK- wrote:
2011 Factory Kawasaki 2012 Factory Kawasaki 2013 Factory Kawasaki 

2011 Factory Kawasaki 

1000010681.jpg?VersionId=.514LK

2012 Factory Kawasaki 

1000010683 0

2013 Factory Kawasaki 

1000010684 0

RV’s was the one I remember because of the FMF pipe and the FMF energy drink debacle. 

6
Johnny Ringo
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2/25/2026 3:25am
vdrsnk04 wrote:

Against a nobody field.

Delusional. Lots of plumbers and carpenters here. Argue with a wall.

Delusional. Lots of plumbers and carpenters here. Argue with a wall.

IMG 0548 3
vdrsnk04 wrote:
I like how you chose 1999 lol. RC’s rookie year…after RC and MC who pretty much stopped winning everything at that point the list gets pretty...

I like how you chose 1999 lol. RC’s rookie year…after RC and MC who pretty much stopped winning everything at that point the list gets pretty low. Go pick 1997 or 1998 and it’s a whole different story. If you exclude RC, because like Jett he didn’t have much for wins yet. There were only 2 guys on your entire list that are in the top 20 for wins.

For Chase there are 5 guys in the top 20 all time wins list and they are still actively all winning. By the way, that 5 guys doesn’t include Jett because he only has 9 wins. 

Do you know why that era has less guys in the Top 20? Because 6th and 7th won 120 of the races run. 

3
1
mimafia
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Location
Grand Rapids, MI US
2/25/2026 3:50am

Hey at least Larocco would have climbed back to 3rd!

vdrsnk04 wrote:

Against a nobody field.

Delusional. Lots of plumbers and carpenters here. Argue with a wall.

Delusional. Lots of plumbers and carpenters here. Argue with a wall.

IMG 0548 3

Just watched this main event on YouTube. Exciting race!

1
vdrsnk04
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1992
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IL US
2/25/2026 4:37am Edited Date/Time 2/25/2026 4:40am
Delusional. Lots of plumbers and carpenters here. Argue with a wall.

Delusional. Lots of plumbers and carpenters here. Argue with a wall.

IMG 0548 3
vdrsnk04 wrote:
I like how you chose 1999 lol. RC’s rookie year…after RC and MC who pretty much stopped winning everything at that point the list gets pretty...

I like how you chose 1999 lol. RC’s rookie year…after RC and MC who pretty much stopped winning everything at that point the list gets pretty low. Go pick 1997 or 1998 and it’s a whole different story. If you exclude RC, because like Jett he didn’t have much for wins yet. There were only 2 guys on your entire list that are in the top 20 for wins.

For Chase there are 5 guys in the top 20 all time wins list and they are still actively all winning. By the way, that 5 guys doesn’t include Jett because he only has 9 wins. 

Do you know why that era has less guys in the Top 20? Because 6th and 7th won 120 of the races run. 

Yes I do get that, supports my original post response to your post. But also at that point in your stats RC had no wins, like Jet only has 9 now so I did t include either in stats.

IMG 1332 7.jpeg?VersionId=CD9tUevL8KQqMnyNST mR
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