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The current motor is known to be "slow." I think what exacerbates the issue is it's slow revving. Pros love the free/quick revving feeling.
Marchbanks eluded to something the bike does or behave like when its high up in the RPM.
It's not unreasonable to think Kawi USA has put themselves in this situation going all the way back to RV and how he ride the bike.
Chase saying he has to run wide lines, Sewer saying it's like turning an oil tanker. Pair that with a slow engine that they are trying to bandaid to get more power out of. Probably this wasn't as big issue as it is now with new generation kawi trying to live up to new noise levels.
Just because Chase is a headcase doesnt mean the bike isnt shit at its current state. Crazy to think that some of u still believe the bike is just fine while people who are or were actually involved on the bike say otherwise. Maybe if its 1 rider out of 10 its BS but here its like... Well who actually liked that bike the last 10 years other than RV and maybe Ando? lol
Yeah that’s what I mean. And I feel like to get explosive power out of a slow revving engine it would become really unpredictable… or at least less fun and playful.
I wonder what it would take to make a slow revving engine more free revving? Internal component weight? Or is it inherent in a design?
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Chase rode the bike before he signed on the line, my question is what promises were made to him about the bike and how they could make it work?
Ask Prado the same question.
C'mon, stop with the bike is shit narrative. Chase has looked good on it at times. He's won a main, Finished 2nd in the main a week and a half ago and was the second fastest qualifier last Sat. He also looked good coming back from a first turn crash in his heat. The team is giving him everything he wants. As always with Chase, it's in his head.
As a big Chase fan, I think they'll get it worked out. He's too talented, and the bike is capable of winning.
Chase should just go get ready for the Nationals and forget the remaining SX races.
(The nationals will go even worse)
Tomac is leading the points. Still showed up with new suspension this week.
Select rounds or efforts doesn't mean anything when it comes to a season. Otherwise Mookie and AP would be in the conversation for championships every year.
3rd fastest qualifier.
The issue there , the track from qualifying to the main was night and day. Moreso than usual.
He was second behind KR. You might want to check here.
https://www.vitalmx.com/features/results-sheet-2026-st-louis-supercross
I'm not sure which of the five stages of grief I'm in as a fan of Sexton, but this helps explain it.
We get it, you ride a Kawasaki and take it personal when people are coming to the conclusion that the factory bike in America is a shambles because of various reasons. Your stock Kawi with a FMF pipe is a different thing to the issue American Kawasaki has with their team and bike development.
We've heard about this team giving Prado, Sexton and Marchbanks "everything they want" and there has been very, very little actual progress over the last 18 months or so. And this is not speculation, this is coming straight from the riders mouths. They even hired a new test rider mid season because they needed new perspective (Chiz).
With that said, Prado behaved badly last year and Sexton is truly a head case. But the bike and team are in a very bad spot. Both things can be true at the same time.
It will never happen but I was just thinking this same thing the other day. Sx is a wash. There isn't a Kawi in contention for the title so no need for him to be out there backing someone up. Shut it down and get a jump on National prep.
RV, Dungey, Kiedrowski, plenty of riders retired at the age Chase will be at the end of the year, and he has had some big hits. The plus 30 riders at the sharp end of the class currently may just be anomalies rather than a new normal. The signing of him to a three-year deal with the ascension of the Lawrences, Deegan coming into the class, and Davies among other potential powerhouses arriving in a few years seems shortsighted. While he seems a genuine fan of the sport he may very well be just frustrated and fed up with the whole process of team interactions and at wits end. He may have simply had enough or is approaching it.
I liked Chase when he was at Honda and KTM. He grew up a few hours from us and rode at our local track. But you miss my point. I stated his actual finishes this year, fact not opinion. You don't post those results on a crappy bike, as some have called it. The bike is capable of winning, he's shown that.
I'm optimistic they'll hit on a set up Chase likes and he'll be fine. But we'll just have to agree to disagree since that's just my opinion.
Pit Row
Isn’t Kawasaki introducing a new bike next year? AKA, the development he does this year goes out the window and he starts all over again next year.
Chase might want to avoid signing up for too many more seasons with new, or new to him, bikes in the future. He’s in for two of his three years as development years at Kawasaki.
he needs to stop chasing "his settings", at HRC, at KTM, he kept crashing, kept chasing his settings. He needs to what he said in the pre-race at Birmingham, ride what he has. Let the technician set the bike, balance it for him and roll with it. Go ride.
Look at Prado's KTM how it looks much more balanced than Tomac's, Jorge isn't riding a pogo stick. Chase's bike pre-season and the first race looked good. Then he went on a goose chase trying to get "his settings". Go back to pre-season and ride what you're given. Kenny is beating you on a 20 yo bike with a kick start!! But that Suzuki looks set a-ok, balanced.
Absolutely not. Since Kawi does not support pre-season races he only has 5 more opportunities to get real competitive experience in SX until 2027. He has to use every race to figure out himself and the bike to be ready for next year. Imagine going into A12027 with St Louis as his last race - by choice not injury.
Get the moto 'media' to find out what's up with him. They're sure to discover he's either banged up or has Epstein Barr...
Pre season means little in terms of what you can judge unless he was out there racing, which he wasn't. Chase on a track by himself didn't really signify much - other than a top rider (or indeed any pro - even a lower tier one) will generally always look pretty good. Putting himself under actual race pressure (even pre season races) might've helped him and the team get on the ball a fraction earlier. Similar with Tomac where he didn't look that great initially on the KTM but was swinging by the time Anaheim came up.
Chase didn't look that great at the first race imo, though obviously all the stars aligned at Rd 2.
Generally though, if we look at his season in its entirety, something is happening between practice and the actual race. I think it can only be the track going away... It seems likely the Kawi guys and Chase find a setting, go to whatever round it is, and by the time the first heat rolls around the bike isn't feeling quite as good and then the doubt starts creeping in... (my guess).
Well there is something we definitely agree on.
We get it you’ve said this exact same thing multiple times…you’re not funny Hairlicker…
But Febvre beat a rookie who has never won a championship on that bike last year!
Kawi is second in manufacture points and have two riders in the top ten. I doubt they’re panicking.
Factory team should be ok because they are second in the least meaningful point series in history of dirt bike racing?
Doubt they are panicking? They have hired AC, Prado and Chase to what supposed to be championship contenders.
If they are not in panic mode, they need to resign.
Think they need to farm the team out to a private mob ie like Star did taking over factory Yam.
Get some fresh eyes on the bike.
Get rid of the corporate crap.
Surely you can get that bike sorted.
Twisted motors, All ride suspension. Chiz test rider
Boom!
Where are they in 450 manufacturer points?
Post a reply to: Panic Button for Chase/Kawi?