factory teams making riders run a setup they dont like

decano51
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Central Coast, NSW AU
6/18/2026 5:56pm
decano51 wrote:
some riders just make it work.. no matter the bike

some riders just make it work.. no matter the bike

Ricky Carmichael's Championship Winning Honda CR250 - Dirt Bike Magazine

Madkiwi wrote:
To be fair, Jeremy and RC were a step above the majority of their competitors and were winning with what they had.You can guarantee RC, if...

To be fair, Jeremy and RC were a step above the majority of their competitors and were winning with what they had.

You can guarantee RC, if not Jeremy, would have been coming down hard on bike shortcomings had there been people regularly beating them!

I think you should go watch 2003 Supercross season... CR22 won 6 straight racers and if it wasn't for a rookie error. Reed would of won that SX title. 

 

1
jazza167
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532
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2/1/2019
Location
NZ
6/18/2026 6:16pm
Maybe I'm wrong but the bitching about bike set up seems to be happening more frequently then it used to be . Maybe its just my...

Maybe I'm wrong but the bitching about bike set up seems to be happening more frequently then it used to be . Maybe its just my brain not remembering the guys from 10 ,15 20 years ago blaming the bike constantly. 

It’s ramped up significantly since Jett came along and started putting belt to ass 

5
2
6/18/2026 8:07pm
Falcon wrote:
...Which is INSANE. Who wouldn't want their stock bike to be raced as-is by a factory rider? I could write up 10 press releases or promos...

...Which is INSANE. Who wouldn't want their stock bike to be raced as-is by a factory rider? I could write up 10 press releases or promos about "Tede-stock-o" right now. They would have sold more bikes, for sure.


"Tedesco's STOCK is rising!"
"STOCK the shelves with Ivan Tedesco at your local Am/Pm"
"When STOCK works, works is unnecessary"
"STOCK up on race wins this year, just like Ivan!"

If only there was a Production Rule; oh wait…….

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1
jambalaya
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Spring Valley, CA US
6/18/2026 8:13pm
philG wrote:

Jake Weimer joined the chat. 

I will never accept this point. He shouldn't have even been a factory rider. 

5

The Shop

Madkiwi
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304
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8/20/2018
Location
Auckland NZ
6/18/2026 8:15pm
decano51 wrote:
some riders just make it work.. no matter the bike

some riders just make it work.. no matter the bike

Ricky Carmichael's Championship Winning Honda CR250 - Dirt Bike Magazine

Madkiwi wrote:
To be fair, Jeremy and RC were a step above the majority of their competitors and were winning with what they had.You can guarantee RC, if...

To be fair, Jeremy and RC were a step above the majority of their competitors and were winning with what they had.

You can guarantee RC, if not Jeremy, would have been coming down hard on bike shortcomings had there been people regularly beating them!

decano51 wrote:
I think you should go watch 2003 Supercross season... CR22 won 6 straight racers and if it wasn't for a rookie error. Reed would of won...

I think you should go watch 2003 Supercross season... CR22 won 6 straight racers and if it wasn't for a rookie error. Reed would of won that SX title. 

 

I'm very familiar with that season, which is why I especially wrote "majority". Given his multi-year career and you can only name one rider from one season, I suspect I made my point, and you confirmed it, without you even realising. Smile

Of course, we might like to include James as well, but we're still only at two riders out of his whole career.

jambalaya
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Spring Valley, CA US
6/18/2026 8:15pm

Also... I've heard from smart people that this version of kawi has some inherent frame problems. 

But this isn't the 2010 Yamaha. The 2009 Honda wasn't the 2010 Yamaha either. 

The 2010 Yamaha ruined careers of legends 

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1
6/18/2026 10:59pm
Spoonguy wrote:

Ok sure, but it would help them with their job if they new how the machine works.

matze wrote:
Hmm no, history shows otherwise. So I disagree. Some all time greats have not much clue about that. As far as I know Deegan has literally...

Hmm no, history shows otherwise. So I disagree. Some all time greats have not much clue about that. As far as I know Deegan has literally zero clue about how his machine works too.

Spoonguy wrote:
Will have to disagree friend. Knowledge of how it all works can't hurt. Have you ever listened to a Kenny Roberts interview? There was a man...

Will have to disagree friend. Knowledge of how it all works can't hurt. Have you ever listened to a Kenny Roberts interview? There was a man who knew how scooters work!

KR knew how to run the tooling  and build his own bike.

1
Wo Phat
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Joined
3/11/2023
Location
Montgomery, AL US
6/18/2026 11:34pm
decano51 wrote:
some riders just make it work.. no matter the bike

some riders just make it work.. no matter the bike

Ricky Carmichael's Championship Winning Honda CR250 - Dirt Bike Magazine

Madkiwi wrote:
To be fair, Jeremy and RC were a step above the majority of their competitors and were winning with what they had.You can guarantee RC, if...

To be fair, Jeremy and RC were a step above the majority of their competitors and were winning with what they had.

You can guarantee RC, if not Jeremy, would have been coming down hard on bike shortcomings had there been people regularly beating them!

MoogenKen wrote:
Pump the brakes, just a touch. MC rode a 1993 CR in 93, 94, 95, and 96. It was just disguised to look like the modern model...

Pump the brakes, just a touch. 

MC rode a 1993 CR in 93, 94, 95, and 96. It was just disguised to look like the modern model year. 

When he went to Suzuki, he had to have an inverted fork, while Larocco and others were forced to race the conventional fork. 

Can’t quite remember what MC didn’t like about the Yamaha. But he made them change it. 

The KTM was so bad it forced him in to retirement to get out of his contract. 

Don’t mean to cloud this issue with insignificant facts and trivia……….

McGrath owned his Suzuki team - he could what he wanted. Other guys not so much....

profmur
Posts
152
Joined
3/13/2024
Location
Somewhere, NJ US
6/19/2026 4:25am

Times change how teams operate and I suspect technology, methods, and bike design have impacted bike setup.

How about adding a caveat to the original question:  Have any "modern era" factory teams been accused of forcing riders to run a setup?  Let's say over the last decade.

Is the factory Kawasaki 450 program the only example? 

 

6/19/2026 4:45am
Wo Phat wrote:

McGrath owned his Suzuki team - he could what he wanted. Other guys not so much....

He was considered a “Satellite” team. Never mind that pesky,  AMA “Production Rule”. How can you run a fork that the bike wasn’t produced with? 

Oh yeah, it was the cylinder on the Yamaha. He ran a cylinder off a much earlier year. 

Anyhoo, the point was he didn’t “just ride what he was given”. 

You want to fix AMA Racing? Make the “Production Rule” mean something. Level the playing field.

1
1
DonM
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8676
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4/1/2008
Location
US
Fantasy
6/19/2026 9:30am
Madkiwi wrote:
To be fair, Jeremy and RC were a step above the majority of their competitors and were winning with what they had.You can guarantee RC, if...

To be fair, Jeremy and RC were a step above the majority of their competitors and were winning with what they had.

You can guarantee RC, if not Jeremy, would have been coming down hard on bike shortcomings had there been people regularly beating them!

MoogenKen wrote:
Pump the brakes, just a touch. MC rode a 1993 CR in 93, 94, 95, and 96. It was just disguised to look like the modern model...

Pump the brakes, just a touch. 

MC rode a 1993 CR in 93, 94, 95, and 96. It was just disguised to look like the modern model year. 

When he went to Suzuki, he had to have an inverted fork, while Larocco and others were forced to race the conventional fork. 

Can’t quite remember what MC didn’t like about the Yamaha. But he made them change it. 

The KTM was so bad it forced him in to retirement to get out of his contract. 

Don’t mean to cloud this issue with insignificant facts and trivia……….

Wo Phat wrote:

McGrath owned his Suzuki team - he could what he wanted. Other guys not so much....

MC did not own the team Phil Alderton of Yam of Troy did as he was also a Suz dealer at the time…The Team was called Suz of Troy and carried the same fifth dragon logo that Yam of Troy did…

Wo Phat
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99
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Location
Montgomery, AL US
6/19/2026 9:40am
MoogenKen wrote:
Pump the brakes, just a touch. MC rode a 1993 CR in 93, 94, 95, and 96. It was just disguised to look like the modern model...

Pump the brakes, just a touch. 

MC rode a 1993 CR in 93, 94, 95, and 96. It was just disguised to look like the modern model year. 

When he went to Suzuki, he had to have an inverted fork, while Larocco and others were forced to race the conventional fork. 

Can’t quite remember what MC didn’t like about the Yamaha. But he made them change it. 

The KTM was so bad it forced him in to retirement to get out of his contract. 

Don’t mean to cloud this issue with insignificant facts and trivia……….

Wo Phat wrote:

McGrath owned his Suzuki team - he could what he wanted. Other guys not so much....

DonM wrote:
MC did not own the team Phil Alderton of Yam of Troy did as he was also a Suz dealer at the time…The Team was called...

MC did not own the team Phil Alderton of Yam of Troy did as he was also a Suz dealer at the time…The Team was called Suz of Troy and carried the same fifth dragon logo that Yam of Troy did…

ok, i'll agree.....but he was still able to run what he wanted on that bike which was the main point of my comments. i do believe Mac had some skin i the game however

ohh_454
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Nuevo, CA US
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6/19/2026 10:15am
philG wrote:

Jake Weimer joined the chat. 

jambalaya wrote:

I will never accept this point. He shouldn't have even been a factory rider. 

Weimer was a good B guy for a factory team, but I don’t think his results would’ve been any different if he was on a factory Honda, factory ktm, JGR Yamaha, or factory Suzuki or any other bike. 

2

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