Panic Button for Chase/Kawi?

KurtJ99
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5/28/2026 8:55am
truck wrote:
Chase won championships and lots of races on Honda and ktm regardless of how he felt about the bike or the team. Always a head scratcher...

Chase won championships and lots of races on Honda and ktm regardless of how he felt about the bike or the team. Always a head scratcher to me when people try to act like the kawasaki experience is just more of the same. It's not.

LP31 wrote:

Nah its the same thing.

Put Jett or Hunter on Kawi and they win.

 

Sexton has won races on the kawi. His championship capabilities are not the same.

Jett or Hunter would win races on the Kawi too. I doubt championships; what they have forged at Honda cannot be done within months, maybe ever at Kawi given Prado/Sexton experience.  

11
2
ohh_454
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5/28/2026 9:05am
LP31 wrote:
I like Chase seems like a nice kid.I don't understand the following,Hated the Honda couldn't trust the front end had to get off it. Didn't even...

I like Chase seems like a nice kid.

I don't understand the following,

Hated the Honda couldn't trust the front end had to get off it. Didn't even say by to Lars..

Then cant get the KTM to go through whoops pre season and is going around them. Then doesn't like or trust the KTM. Apparently at some stage they weren't talking to the team.

Goes to Kawi and tells Matthes on a tailgate of a ute/ truck that he will have no issues. Somehow spends 3 mths on his set up and after round 1 throws that all away for a pro circuit 250 set up. Now months on still lost trying Active ride stock forks.

Surely this bike isn't that bad, maybe time to look in the mirror.

Star for 27 I guess!

Mavetism wrote:
Where does it come from that he hated the Honda? I always thought it just because he didn't like the situation with Jett coming up and...

Where does it come from that he hated the Honda? I always thought it just because he didn't like the situation with Jett coming up and only looking at being the #2 rider from now on?

The KTM deal is just as weird as with Kenny back then. Kenny also won on the KTM and looked great in his whole rookie season, even won the outdoor championship as an rookie vs Dungey on the KTM. But still didn't like the bike somehow and signed with RCH.

I'd guess Chase signed with Kawi long before outdoors last year even before the disaster with Prado happened. I'd be curious if that would have changed anything with his decision leaving KTM and signing with Kawi. I mean something is obviously going on with that team, there is no way two proven top guys all of the sudden look like that on the bike, even though Chase won races this year but that probably shows how good he is. 
It's easy for us to say "The bike isn't bad", "it's not the bike, it's the rider".

But we have now seen two units look night and day on the Kawi. If Prado is a consistent podium guy while battling for wins while Chase is "chasing" top 5 finishes this summer, that only puts the nail in the coffin for me.


 

I don’t think Kenny liked that 2014 ktm 450 that much and had already signed a letter of intent with RCH, then he found out that KTM was coming out with the new 2015 factory edition bike and wanted to test the bike and KTM said no. Something along those lines. 

3
BossWool2800
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5/28/2026 9:52am
soggy wrote:
Chase has said they need to work on the cornering of the bike but all we hear is that they are working on engine and suspension...

Chase has said they need to work on the cornering of the bike but all we hear is that they are working on engine and suspension. Sounds like they need to focus on the chassis and or this is where Kawi is inflexible and Chase is frustrated about that. 

Same arguments he seemed to have at KTM - high in the front, low in the back, corner like Suzuki 😏

joshd
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5/28/2026 10:43am
LP31 wrote:
I like Chase seems like a nice kid.I don't understand the following,Hated the Honda couldn't trust the front end had to get off it. Didn't even...

I like Chase seems like a nice kid.

I don't understand the following,

Hated the Honda couldn't trust the front end had to get off it. Didn't even say by to Lars..

Then cant get the KTM to go through whoops pre season and is going around them. Then doesn't like or trust the KTM. Apparently at some stage they weren't talking to the team.

Goes to Kawi and tells Matthes on a tailgate of a ute/ truck that he will have no issues. Somehow spends 3 mths on his set up and after round 1 throws that all away for a pro circuit 250 set up. Now months on still lost trying Active ride stock forks.

Surely this bike isn't that bad, maybe time to look in the mirror.

Star for 27 I guess!

I agree with everything you said. It’s gotta be hos ego or his dad. He reminds me a lot of James. He ask to much of the bike, sometimes it just is what it is. 

I do give him slack on the Kawi. They have had many riders say the bike beats the shit out of you. 

3

The Shop

LP31
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Noosa, QLD AU
5/28/2026 8:17pm
LP31 wrote:
I like Chase seems like a nice kid.I don't understand the following,Hated the Honda couldn't trust the front end had to get off it. Didn't even...

I like Chase seems like a nice kid.

I don't understand the following,

Hated the Honda couldn't trust the front end had to get off it. Didn't even say by to Lars..

Then cant get the KTM to go through whoops pre season and is going around them. Then doesn't like or trust the KTM. Apparently at some stage they weren't talking to the team.

Goes to Kawi and tells Matthes on a tailgate of a ute/ truck that he will have no issues. Somehow spends 3 mths on his set up and after round 1 throws that all away for a pro circuit 250 set up. Now months on still lost trying Active ride stock forks.

Surely this bike isn't that bad, maybe time to look in the mirror.

Star for 27 I guess!

joshd wrote:
I agree with everything you said. It’s gotta be hos ego or his dad. He reminds me a lot of James. He ask to much of...

I agree with everything you said. It’s gotta be hos ego or his dad. He reminds me a lot of James. He ask to much of the bike, sometimes it just is what it is. 

I do give him slack on the Kawi. They have had many riders say the bike beats the shit out of you. 

Think he needs to drop the oldman and start fresh.

Needs a Johnny o or LB in his corner keeping the head in check.

Set the bike up and leave it alone for a couple of months.

6
Goon645
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5/29/2026 5:12am

I would say without a shadow of a doubt that it’s Panic Button for Team Kawi. Not for Chase, he is elite and when he is comfortable he can beat just about everyone besides the Alien. Team Kawi has somehow shat the bed the last few years, maybe RV and Eli could adjust their riding style to suit the Kawi which hid some of the team/bike strategy issues better but even for Weimer he was basically having the Prado / Sexton experience in like 2012 or whatever it was. I think the team has been riding on the talent of some of their riders and the speed is now at such an insane level that rider comfort is a bigger factor due to the tiny margins. I feel bad for Chase, Prado has been vindicated, Deegan and Sexton under the same tent may be spicy though 😂

14
TAUTOG
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5/29/2026 6:00am
truck wrote:
Chase won championships and lots of races on Honda and ktm regardless of how he felt about the bike or the team. Always a head scratcher...

Chase won championships and lots of races on Honda and ktm regardless of how he felt about the bike or the team. Always a head scratcher to me when people try to act like the kawasaki experience is just more of the same. It's not.

LP31 wrote:

Nah its the same thing.

Put Jett or Hunter on Kawi and they win.

 

KurtJ99 wrote:
Sexton has won races on the kawi. His championship capabilities are not the same.Jett or Hunter would win races on the Kawi too. I doubt championships...

Sexton has won races on the kawi. His championship capabilities are not the same.

Jett or Hunter would win races on the Kawi too. I doubt championships; what they have forged at Honda cannot be done within months, maybe ever at Kawi given Prado/Sexton experience.  

And ask the Lawrence's how far off Chase's bike was when he was at Honda. And what RacerX thought about how much better Jett's bike was compared Chase's. They were on the same team lol

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5/29/2026 7:43am
LP31 wrote:
I like Chase seems like a nice kid.I don't understand the following,Hated the Honda couldn't trust the front end had to get off it. Didn't even...

I like Chase seems like a nice kid.

I don't understand the following,

Hated the Honda couldn't trust the front end had to get off it. Didn't even say by to Lars..

Then cant get the KTM to go through whoops pre season and is going around them. Then doesn't like or trust the KTM. Apparently at some stage they weren't talking to the team.

Goes to Kawi and tells Matthes on a tailgate of a ute/ truck that he will have no issues. Somehow spends 3 mths on his set up and after round 1 throws that all away for a pro circuit 250 set up. Now months on still lost trying Active ride stock forks.

Surely this bike isn't that bad, maybe time to look in the mirror.

Star for 27 I guess!

Mavetism wrote:
Where does it come from that he hated the Honda? I always thought it just because he didn't like the situation with Jett coming up and...

Where does it come from that he hated the Honda? I always thought it just because he didn't like the situation with Jett coming up and only looking at being the #2 rider from now on?

The KTM deal is just as weird as with Kenny back then. Kenny also won on the KTM and looked great in his whole rookie season, even won the outdoor championship as an rookie vs Dungey on the KTM. But still didn't like the bike somehow and signed with RCH.

I'd guess Chase signed with Kawi long before outdoors last year even before the disaster with Prado happened. I'd be curious if that would have changed anything with his decision leaving KTM and signing with Kawi. I mean something is obviously going on with that team, there is no way two proven top guys all of the sudden look like that on the bike, even though Chase won races this year but that probably shows how good he is. 
It's easy for us to say "The bike isn't bad", "it's not the bike, it's the rider".

But we have now seen two units look night and day on the Kawi. If Prado is a consistent podium guy while battling for wins while Chase is "chasing" top 5 finishes this summer, that only puts the nail in the coffin for me.


 

ohh_454 wrote:
I don’t think Kenny liked that 2014 ktm 450 that much and had already signed a letter of intent with RCH, then he found out that...

I don’t think Kenny liked that 2014 ktm 450 that much and had already signed a letter of intent with RCH, then he found out that KTM was coming out with the new 2015 factory edition bike and wanted to test the bike and KTM said no. Something along those lines. 

KTM told him no because they knew he was going to go to Honda either way and they didn’t want to be a stop gap for him. 

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Mavetism
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5/29/2026 8:10am
Paul333 wrote:

Wait so you can win two SX races and the bike sucks?

Just ask JS7.

Kenny aswell. He absolutely hated the 2015 RCH bike in both SX and MX for example, his dad even said they basically gave him an unrideable bike that year. He still won races in 2015 SX and outdoors despite injuring his back early that year. Then they went mostly stock in 2016 and Ken said that was the best bike he has ever ridden.. 

 

6
chasetwo79
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5/29/2026 8:30am
truck wrote:
Chase won championships and lots of races on Honda and ktm regardless of how he felt about the bike or the team. Always a head scratcher...

Chase won championships and lots of races on Honda and ktm regardless of how he felt about the bike or the team. Always a head scratcher to me when people try to act like the kawasaki experience is just more of the same. It's not.

Chase won 2 SX races in his first KTM season. 

Chase also won 2 SX in his first Kawi season. 

3
DonM
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5/29/2026 8:43am
truck wrote:
Chase won championships and lots of races on Honda and ktm regardless of how he felt about the bike or the team. Always a head scratcher...

Chase won championships and lots of races on Honda and ktm regardless of how he felt about the bike or the team. Always a head scratcher to me when people try to act like the kawasaki experience is just more of the same. It's not.

chasetwo79 wrote:

Chase won 2 SX races in his first KTM season. 

Chase also won 2 SX in his first Kawi season. 

Chase also won 7 times and won the outdoors in his first year on KTM…because KTM has the right people to make the correct changes to win…Kawi does not have that and it will show this year….it’s not the bike it’s the team leadership….

5
5
The Wolf Man
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5/29/2026 4:20pm
truck wrote:
Chase won championships and lots of races on Honda and ktm regardless of how he felt about the bike or the team. Always a head scratcher...

Chase won championships and lots of races on Honda and ktm regardless of how he felt about the bike or the team. Always a head scratcher to me when people try to act like the kawasaki experience is just more of the same. It's not.

chasetwo79 wrote:

Chase won 2 SX races in his first KTM season. 

Chase also won 2 SX in his first Kawi season. 

DonM wrote:
Chase also won 7 times and won the outdoors in his first year on KTM…because KTM has the right people to make the correct changes to...

Chase also won 7 times and won the outdoors in his first year on KTM…because KTM has the right people to make the correct changes to win…Kawi does not have that and it will show this year….it’s not the bike it’s the team leadership….

You really seem to 'hate' the Kawi leadership mate...

I thought you're all about peace and good vibes? 

images 59
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ohh_454
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5/29/2026 4:45pm
chasetwo79 wrote:

Chase won 2 SX races in his first KTM season. 

Chase also won 2 SX in his first Kawi season. 

DonM wrote:
Chase also won 7 times and won the outdoors in his first year on KTM…because KTM has the right people to make the correct changes to...

Chase also won 7 times and won the outdoors in his first year on KTM…because KTM has the right people to make the correct changes to win…Kawi does not have that and it will show this year….it’s not the bike it’s the team leadership….

You really seem to 'hate' the Kawi leadership mate...I thought you're all about peace and good vibes? 

You really seem to 'hate' the Kawi leadership mate...

I thought you're all about peace and good vibes? 

images 59

Wrong Don dog

6
1
5/29/2026 4:47pm
chasetwo79 wrote:

Chase won 2 SX races in his first KTM season. 

Chase also won 2 SX in his first Kawi season. 

DonM wrote:
Chase also won 7 times and won the outdoors in his first year on KTM…because KTM has the right people to make the correct changes to...

Chase also won 7 times and won the outdoors in his first year on KTM…because KTM has the right people to make the correct changes to win…Kawi does not have that and it will show this year….it’s not the bike it’s the team leadership….

You really seem to 'hate' the Kawi leadership mate...I thought you're all about peace and good vibes? 

You really seem to 'hate' the Kawi leadership mate...

I thought you're all about peace and good vibes? 

images 59

That's Swap.

2
jaun
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5/29/2026 4:50pm
DonM wrote:
Chase also won 7 times and won the outdoors in his first year on KTM…because KTM has the right people to make the correct changes to...

Chase also won 7 times and won the outdoors in his first year on KTM…because KTM has the right people to make the correct changes to win…Kawi does not have that and it will show this year….it’s not the bike it’s the team leadership….

You really seem to 'hate' the Kawi leadership mate...I thought you're all about peace and good vibes? 

You really seem to 'hate' the Kawi leadership mate...

I thought you're all about peace and good vibes? 

images 59
ohh_454 wrote:

Wrong Don dog

Get a brain moran

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1
The Wolf Man
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5/29/2026 4:57pm Edited Date/Time 5/29/2026 5:00pm
DonM wrote:
Chase also won 7 times and won the outdoors in his first year on KTM…because KTM has the right people to make the correct changes to...

Chase also won 7 times and won the outdoors in his first year on KTM…because KTM has the right people to make the correct changes to win…Kawi does not have that and it will show this year….it’s not the bike it’s the team leadership….

You really seem to 'hate' the Kawi leadership mate...I thought you're all about peace and good vibes? 

You really seem to 'hate' the Kawi leadership mate...

I thought you're all about peace and good vibes? 

images 59
ohh_454 wrote:

Wrong Don dog

I know. KarenM 'hates' any references to Maeda.

But you know...it's not like he's angry or anything...

download %281%29 17
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ando
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5/29/2026 6:08pm
VHM wrote:
73554.png?VersionId=8rS44z
DonM wrote:
It would be more fair to compare his first year on KTM and not his last and best year on KTM….I believe he only had 2...

It would be more fair to compare his first year on KTM and not his last and best year on KTM….I believe he only had 2 wins that year too…

No.  Truly top guys don’t take a year to adjust to a new bike.  

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Glory831Guy
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5/30/2026 11:58pm Edited Date/Time 5/31/2026 12:11am

If Chase is seriously looking for a bike that's low in the rear and still carves corners, he needs a Suzuki front end, or a copy of that.  Raise the forks as high as they'll  go in the Kawi clamps and go from there. Short of Kawi copying the Zook geometry, that's all he can do for now. 

Problem is that they have to do enough with geometry changes to really make it work, and I don' know that they've done that.  The damping has to be balanced enough front to back, otherwise that'll cause problems on the brakes, and through corner, which may be what we've always seen from Sexton... Too much attempted fix through valving, and not enough from Geo chnages.

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jaun
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5/31/2026 2:39am

Certainly the button is smashed to pieces now, what's the odds he leaves at the end of the year?

Bike felt good on holidays in Hawaii but not so good now....

8500rpm
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5/31/2026 2:52am

Didn't he ride sort of good, catching Deegan slowly and 38 is not slow exactly. 

14
Motodude
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5/31/2026 2:59am

Chase had self inflicted fall overs in each moto, not kawi issues.

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1
5/31/2026 3:00am

Does anybody know if this Kawa engine guy calling out Prado last year still works there?

16
5/31/2026 3:11am

Does anybody know if this Kawa engine guy calling out Prado last year still works there?

yeah who was that ? he looks even more stupid now when they need Twisted to get the right power out of it.

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LP31
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5/31/2026 3:20am
LP31 wrote:

Nah its the same thing.

Put Jett or Hunter on Kawi and they win.

 

KurtJ99 wrote:
Sexton has won races on the kawi. His championship capabilities are not the same.Jett or Hunter would win races on the Kawi too. I doubt championships...

Sexton has won races on the kawi. His championship capabilities are not the same.

Jett or Hunter would win races on the Kawi too. I doubt championships; what they have forged at Honda cannot be done within months, maybe ever at Kawi given Prado/Sexton experience.  

TAUTOG wrote:
And ask the Lawrence's how far off Chase's bike was when he was at Honda. And what RacerX thought about how much better Jett's bike was...

And ask the Lawrence's how far off Chase's bike was when he was at Honda. And what RacerX thought about how much better Jett's bike was compared Chase's. They were on the same team lol

100% Keefer rode Jetts and Chases Hondas and was raving about Jetts vet friendly smooth strong power plus awesome balance. He didnt really like Chases set up, super stiff forks and strong power delivery.

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truck
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5/31/2026 3:20am

I would like everyone who has been in denial about KTM shock issues from last year to go listen to RJ's post race interview with Lewis from yesterday. 

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5/31/2026 3:23am
LP31 wrote:

Nah its the same thing.

Put Jett or Hunter on Kawi and they win.

 

KurtJ99 wrote:
Sexton has won races on the kawi. His championship capabilities are not the same.Jett or Hunter would win races on the Kawi too. I doubt championships...

Sexton has won races on the kawi. His championship capabilities are not the same.

Jett or Hunter would win races on the Kawi too. I doubt championships; what they have forged at Honda cannot be done within months, maybe ever at Kawi given Prado/Sexton experience.  

TAUTOG wrote:
And ask the Lawrence's how far off Chase's bike was when he was at Honda. And what RacerX thought about how much better Jett's bike was...

And ask the Lawrence's how far off Chase's bike was when he was at Honda. And what RacerX thought about how much better Jett's bike was compared Chase's. They were on the same team lol

Wait…is this known info? Did these folks say that chases bike was way off comparatively?

1
5/31/2026 3:32am

It’s hard to be a Chase fan.  At this point I’ve accepted that he likely won’t ride like himself most times out on the track, but when he’s able to he’s poetic.  That awkward step up into the face of the hill at the top corner of Pala, Chase hit so fluid and in one motion.  It reminded me that he has such a planted style when he’s able to do his thing…it’s sad it’s 15% of the time and not 90% but I love to see it when he’s on


Bummer that he’s run through most of the paddock at this point.  

3
LP31
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5/31/2026 3:32am
KurtJ99 wrote:
Sexton has won races on the kawi. His championship capabilities are not the same.Jett or Hunter would win races on the Kawi too. I doubt championships...

Sexton has won races on the kawi. His championship capabilities are not the same.

Jett or Hunter would win races on the Kawi too. I doubt championships; what they have forged at Honda cannot be done within months, maybe ever at Kawi given Prado/Sexton experience.  

TAUTOG wrote:
And ask the Lawrence's how far off Chase's bike was when he was at Honda. And what RacerX thought about how much better Jett's bike was...

And ask the Lawrence's how far off Chase's bike was when he was at Honda. And what RacerX thought about how much better Jett's bike was compared Chase's. They were on the same team lol

Wait…is this known info? Did these folks say that chases bike was way off comparatively?

Lars let Matthes and Keefer test HRC race bikes at Washougal 

Its on RacerX and Keefer testing

Couple yrs ago

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LP31
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5/31/2026 3:36am
TAUTOG wrote:
And ask the Lawrence's how far off Chase's bike was when he was at Honda. And what RacerX thought about how much better Jett's bike was...

And ask the Lawrence's how far off Chase's bike was when he was at Honda. And what RacerX thought about how much better Jett's bike was compared Chase's. They were on the same team lol

Wait…is this known info? Did these folks say that chases bike was way off comparatively?

LP31 wrote:

Lars let Matthes and Keefer test HRC race bikes at Washougal 

Its on RacerX and Keefer testing

Couple yrs ago

IMG 8300.png?VersionId=7mfjeLXW8oJMu5H5K8sZY9jM8FfX
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truck
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5/31/2026 3:48am
It’s hard to be a Chase fan.  At this point I’ve accepted that he likely won’t ride like himself most times out on the track, but...

It’s hard to be a Chase fan.  At this point I’ve accepted that he likely won’t ride like himself most times out on the track, but when he’s able to he’s poetic.  That awkward step up into the face of the hill at the top corner of Pala, Chase hit so fluid and in one motion.  It reminded me that he has such a planted style when he’s able to do his thing…it’s sad it’s 15% of the time and not 90% but I love to see it when he’s on


Bummer that he’s run through most of the paddock at this point.  

As a chase fan I've found that it helps to go back and watch hangtown last to first moto every so often.

4

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