Chase sexton ghost ride bike in kawi pits hitting Marchbanks

6/7/2026 1:11am
KurtJ99 wrote:

Time for big Lew to talk to his bro Sexton and get the scoop. 

Can't wait to hear Big Lew put a positive spin on this. The Sexton/Lew bromance is entertaining, but you're not going to get any journalistic insights from Lew at this point. 

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ando
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6/7/2026 1:15am
Nighttrain wrote:

We all wonder what happened to the heir apparent Sexton of 2022 who battled a veteran Tomac to the last moto of the Nationals. 
 

Jett came along, the bar got raised and what was good enough to win before 2023 was no longer.

With the benefit of hindsight I reckon in 2022 Chase was riding at his sustainable limit which was good enough to push Eli all the way.  2023 comes along, he could barely show Jett a wheel, and starts pushing beyond his sustainable limit.  

You could clearly see in ‘24 once Jett went out and Chase only had Hunter to deal with (who was in his rookie 450 year) he backs the pace off just enough to beat Hunter and barely put a foot wrong the second half of the season.

Now it’s compounded because not is Jett still there, Hunter has elevated his game, we’ve had a revitalised Eli (outside of injuries), Prado found his old self and Deegan has arrived on scene.  His sustainable limit is not good enough for 2nd anymore; it’s barely good enough to crack the top five.  Add in a questionable bike and a team that can’t seem to get out of its own way and the outcome is not good.

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dingaling
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6/7/2026 1:29am

Surely he must be questioning himself? Is it me? Was it always me? Man it must be messing with his head. Every tip over, front tuck, he must be screaming at himself. 

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JDub067
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6/7/2026 1:48am

Ok so he’s burned another bridge. Where does he go now

I think there is only 3 places that are possible

  1. Star- no Keir, 1 year deal with a team option, and Bobby gives him a lobotomy of sorts- probably the best guy in the pits to give him a check up from the neck up.
  2. Quad lock- same terms. Marty and Yarrive seem to do a really good job of the mental side.
  3. MXGP on a Honda.


    Can’t do his own team because he clearly struggles with setup 
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Aaryn234
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6/7/2026 1:50am

Chase either needs to go to HEP and take the lead ride there when Ken hangs up the boots and see if Larry Brooks can get Chase's head together. You can't say it is the bike when Marchbanks was running pretty much the same speed, and the only three riders in front of him in the second moto are currently are freaks. 

 

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jemcee
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6/7/2026 2:01am

Ghost riding a bike into a pit doesn't really sound so much like he has a bike issue but more a team issue..

I mean we'd all assume it's a Chase issue haha but the fact it went so badly with Prado and now Chase.

My eyebrows are raised with the whole situation haha

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6/7/2026 2:41am
JDub067 wrote:
Ok so he’s burned another bridge. Where does he go nowI think there is only 3 places that are possibleStar- no Keir, 1 year deal with...

Ok so he’s burned another bridge. Where does he go now

I think there is only 3 places that are possible

  1. Star- no Keir, 1 year deal with a team option, and Bobby gives him a lobotomy of sorts- probably the best guy in the pits to give him a check up from the neck up.
  2. Quad lock- same terms. Marty and Yarrive seem to do a really good job of the mental side.
  3. MXGP on a Honda.


    Can’t do his own team because he clearly struggles with setup 

You missed Triumph.

Haarup is showing the bike is good, and they now need a true top rider - IF their US team setup is good enough to support that.

Leave his old man at home, hire a sports psychologist, pay him on top 5 results only.

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matze
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6/7/2026 2:51am Edited Date/Time 6/7/2026 2:57am

I cant wait for people to say how profesional Sexton behaves while that spanish guy wasnt! Real class act!

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6/7/2026 3:03am

One more change to make. Tire brand. The only change he hasn’t made.

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6/7/2026 3:09am
ProKawi24 wrote:
I'm so sick of this "bike is the problem" bullshit. Yes, the bike is important...but never have I seen anyone like Chase or Prado allow a...

I'm so sick of this "bike is the problem" bullshit. Yes, the bike is important...but never have I seen anyone like Chase or Prado allow a bike to completely fuck their head up.  Sorry to be that guy but I'm sure RC, RV, Stew, Jett, Hunter, etc. all these consistent championship guys had issues with their bike but didn't let it mentally fuck them like this. I mean really...the bike cannot be THAT fucking bad. Plus they've thrown everything at it to make Chase/Prado comfortable yet they still allow it to hold them back. FFS Stew was on a 2 STROKE vs 4's & still made it happen.

 If this was just happening with Kawi...OK I can understand. But this is every damn brand he's on it seems or else he'd just stick to one that works for him. You wanna be a crybaby bitch & ghost ride your bike like that?  I'm out on being a fan.  Fuck I have more respect for Deegs talking hella shit but going out to back it up (well, to an extent). BUT you sure as Hell don't see him blaming the bike for him not winning or beating Jett...he just says he's learning and going to get better. I was a big Chase fan for his speed/style but this shit has me just smh anymore. 

jaun wrote:

Stewart literally left JGR because of the bike.

Reed was the same when he left factory Kawi, the bike was shit and they wouldn't help change it.

ProKawi24 wrote:
Like I said too though, if it was 1 bike then OK I can understand but this is several now and he's still bitching. At some...

Like I said too though, if it was 1 bike then OK I can understand but this is several now and he's still bitching. At some point it becomes the boy who cried wolf. Nobody's should sign him for a multi year deal and he's gonna end up forced to take a deal with a smaller team cus nobody want's to pay someone millions to trash their bike when the main problem is the rider.

Right if they Honda, Ktm and Kawi all suck so bad…then why have those bikes won a truck load of races in the last 2 years in the premiere class?

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Park Boys
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6/7/2026 3:18am Edited Date/Time 6/7/2026 3:24am
Nighttrain wrote:

We all wonder what happened to the heir apparent Sexton of 2022 who battled a veteran Tomac to the last moto of the Nationals. 
 

ando wrote:
Jett came along, the bar got raised and what was good enough to win before 2023 was no longer.With the benefit of hindsight I reckon in...

Jett came along, the bar got raised and what was good enough to win before 2023 was no longer.

With the benefit of hindsight I reckon in 2022 Chase was riding at his sustainable limit which was good enough to push Eli all the way.  2023 comes along, he could barely show Jett a wheel, and starts pushing beyond his sustainable limit.  

You could clearly see in ‘24 once Jett went out and Chase only had Hunter to deal with (who was in his rookie 450 year) he backs the pace off just enough to beat Hunter and barely put a foot wrong the second half of the season.

Now it’s compounded because not is Jett still there, Hunter has elevated his game, we’ve had a revitalised Eli (outside of injuries), Prado found his old self and Deegan has arrived on scene.  His sustainable limit is not good enough for 2nd anymore; it’s barely good enough to crack the top five.  Add in a questionable bike and a team that can’t seem to get out of its own way and the outcome is not good.

Nonsense about Sexton being a boderline top 5 based on skill. Prado hated that bike now he’s elite again. And Chase has looked better thru two rounds than Prado was when he’s not on the ground. Marchbanks is not a diva like Prado and Sexton so he’s making the best of a factory bike. Sexton is not barely a top 5 guy. If he’s on KTM is in the mix with the Brothers but he shot himself in the foot just like he did with Honda. Moral of the story is for the Prado/Sexton guys the bike is not up to par. 

 

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VicDaMoan03
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6/7/2026 3:27am

What percentage of titles has Kawi, KTM group, and Honda won the past 15 years? I would say the bikes are pretty good 🤔

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Motofinne
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6/7/2026 3:29am

What percentage of titles has Kawi, KTM group, and Honda won the past 15 years? I would say the bikes are pretty good 🤔

Pretty easy to win titles when you employ Ryan Villopoto and peak Eli Tomac.

 

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davistld01
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6/7/2026 3:49am Edited Date/Time 6/7/2026 3:53am
Aaryn234 wrote:
Chase either needs to go to HEP and take the lead ride there when Ken hangs up the boots and see if Larry Brooks can get...

Chase either needs to go to HEP and take the lead ride there when Ken hangs up the boots and see if Larry Brooks can get Chase's head together. You can't say it is the bike when Marchbanks was running pretty much the same speed, and the only three riders in front of him in the second moto are currently are freaks. 

 

And, Marchbanks is running pretty much a full factory bike and Sexton’s bike remains an amalgamation of production/aftermarket components that changes each week. I hate to say it, but Marchbanks seems to be a more solid rider than Sexton at the moment. For the most part, he simply ‘just rides the bike” at a high level without bitching about it.

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Pembroke36
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6/7/2026 5:16am

Maybe its time for job swap and put Big Lew out there next weekend. 

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6/7/2026 5:16am
kiwifan wrote:

er... he was on the KTM, made not much difference 

Like when he came back from being “banged up” and straight up beat Jett?

kiwifan wrote:

Oh that one race ok 

Chase was infinitely better on the KTM. What are we talking about? He beat Jett "for that one race" on the KTM. He's getting his doors blown off by Deegan now. And he beat 100% healthy Jett, not this injury hampered version we have now. To be clear, I know hes a total headcase and I blame his issues this year on him. But saying there's been little difference between him on Kawi or KTM is crazy talk

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6/7/2026 5:35am
My opinion is that Sexton has  a problem with how he sets his bike up , particularly the front. What feels comfortable to him just doesn’t...

My opinion is that Sexton has  a problem with how he sets his bike up , particularly the front. What feels comfortable to him just doesn’t hold up. It’s not his riding,  it’s his set up. He needs to find a new comfortable , where he’s not tucking or washing the front all the time. Whatever the case acting like a spoiled brat and ghost riding the bike into the pits is unprofessional and dangerous.

You could've stopped after "Sexton has a problem..."

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erik_94COBRA
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6/7/2026 5:37am

They should have left Chase’s bike on the ground until he was ready to pick it up. 

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truck
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6/7/2026 5:50am

Not sure why everyone feels the need to pick a side and put all of the blame there. It's a bad marriage, it's not going to work, and all parties are to blame. All parties will move on to their next bad marriage if they don't admit their faults. 

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Flatliner
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6/7/2026 5:55am
My opinion is that Sexton has  a problem with how he sets his bike up , particularly the front. What feels comfortable to him just doesn’t...

My opinion is that Sexton has  a problem with how he sets his bike up , particularly the front. What feels comfortable to him just doesn’t hold up. It’s not his riding,  it’s his set up. He needs to find a new comfortable , where he’s not tucking or washing the front all the time. Whatever the case acting like a spoiled brat and ghost riding the bike into the pits is unprofessional and dangerous.

mtbkris2 wrote:
He just rides very over the front and it forces him to chase a setup that can’t be obtained. He needs to spend some serious time...

He just rides very over the front and it forces him to chase a setup that can’t be obtained. He needs to spend some serious time changing his technique and position on the bike

This.

 

I've heard the exact same.  He's looking for things a bike can't do.  It's happened on every 450 so far.

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twotwosix
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6/7/2026 5:58am

Sexton would be well served to go to a program like Aldon Bakers at this point in his career. Seems like the missing part of his program. The bike has been the least of his problems these past couple years. 

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bents
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6/7/2026 6:18am

I mean he didn't fight Deegs at all in that second moto, and if you can't find the motivation to keep that guy behind you then you aren't that competitive. No fucking way Deegan should be ahead of Sexton regardless of what bike he is riding-in theory, but hungry dog gets the bone so Deegs to his credit gapped him like a back marker. He has totally lost the plot. Every guy out there has a bike that is bouncing around.....hell watch moto 2 of the WMX! Those girls were sending it! He needs to decide like right now what he wants to do, otherwise give Kawi their money back and fly back to Hawaii. He needs to watch Rocky 3, go back to Detroit, eye of the tiger Rock!

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6/7/2026 6:19am
mtbkris2 wrote:
He just rides very over the front and it forces him to chase a setup that can’t be obtained. He needs to spend some serious time...

He just rides very over the front and it forces him to chase a setup that can’t be obtained. He needs to spend some serious time changing his technique and position on the bike

Stewart rode the same way and was pretty particular about his front end feel, I doubt the feeling he's looking for "can't be obtained." It's not like this is the first time a rider has struggled to find the right set-up on any manufacturer, I remember Chad Reed bitching about every bike he switched to for years. I will say it's much more admirable when a guy can just put it to the back of their mind and bulldog through it like RV did, but not everyone is built like that. 

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6/7/2026 6:23am

Like when he came back from being “banged up” and straight up beat Jett?

kiwifan wrote:

Oh that one race ok 

Chase was infinitely better on the KTM. What are we talking about? He beat Jett "for that one race" on the KTM. He's getting his doors...

Chase was infinitely better on the KTM. What are we talking about? He beat Jett "for that one race" on the KTM. He's getting his doors blown off by Deegan now. And he beat 100% healthy Jett, not this injury hampered version we have now. To be clear, I know hes a total headcase and I blame his issues this year on him. But saying there's been little difference between him on Kawi or KTM is crazy talk

Why did Chase leave KTM? He was doing great with that orange bike.

Another year's shit show coming up for Sexton.

 

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AZ35
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6/7/2026 6:26am

What a whiny bitch

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crmx105
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6/7/2026 6:27am
crmx105 wrote:
If he actually ghost rode the bike after the race no defending that and he needs to look in the mirror! That's spoiled toddler behavior...

If he actually ghost rode the bike after the race no defending that and he needs to look in the mirror! That's spoiled toddler behavior . Actually should be fired. Remember LaRocco doing that to Kiedrowski right after the finish back in the day after a heated battle and although not right the circumstances were a tad different.

ARM670 wrote:

Actually it was keidrowski that ghost rode into Larocco. Red Bud 1994

Yes, long time ago and to many hits to the head!

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bents
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6/7/2026 6:27am
kiwifan wrote:

Oh that one race ok 

Chase was infinitely better on the KTM. What are we talking about? He beat Jett "for that one race" on the KTM. He's getting his doors...

Chase was infinitely better on the KTM. What are we talking about? He beat Jett "for that one race" on the KTM. He's getting his doors blown off by Deegan now. And he beat 100% healthy Jett, not this injury hampered version we have now. To be clear, I know hes a total headcase and I blame his issues this year on him. But saying there's been little difference between him on Kawi or KTM is crazy talk

Boomslang wrote:

Why did Chase leave KTM? He was doing great with that orange bike.

Another year's shit show coming up for Sexton.

 

Dude I agree 100%. He was his fastest ever on that bike and he acted like a 2 year old and worked his way off the team. He is fucked now.

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truck
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6/7/2026 6:28am
bents wrote:
I mean he didn't fight Deegs at all in that second moto, and if you can't find the motivation to keep that guy behind you then...

I mean he didn't fight Deegs at all in that second moto, and if you can't find the motivation to keep that guy behind you then you aren't that competitive. No fucking way Deegan should be ahead of Sexton regardless of what bike he is riding-in theory, but hungry dog gets the bone so Deegs to his credit gapped him like a back marker. He has totally lost the plot. Every guy out there has a bike that is bouncing around.....hell watch moto 2 of the WMX! Those girls were sending it! He needs to decide like right now what he wants to do, otherwise give Kawi their money back and fly back to Hawaii. He needs to watch Rocky 3, go back to Detroit, eye of the tiger Rock!

Pretty sure he has decided and he wants to get to the end of this year without injury and move on. Continuing the marriage analogy, they're sleeping in separate bedrooms and making only superficial attempts to fix things but the lawyers told them both not to move out of the house and it's just a waiting game. 

Both sides hit the market as multi time divorcee. Chase has that hot speed and kawi has the money so they can both rebound but all their friends will be skeptical for quite a while. 

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6/7/2026 6:28am Edited Date/Time 6/7/2026 6:31am
I truly think if he was on the KTM still he would be right in the mix with Jett and Hunter..When he is comfortable, he is...

I truly think if he was on the KTM still he would be right in the mix with Jett and Hunter..

When he is comfortable, he is one of the fastest riders on the planet 

Oh yeah.  Prado sure made the Indian bike look stellar yesterday.

If Prado wanted to ghost ride his bike after the first moto yesterday, he would have had to push it.

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Ramrod
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6/7/2026 6:28am

Chase is probable to try and not qualify at an upcoming race kinda like Jorge last year...

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