Upgrade to enjoy this feature!
Vital MX fantasy is free to play, but Premium users receive great benefits. Premium benefits include:
- View and download rider stats
- Pick trends
- Create a private league
- And more!
Only $10 for all 2026 SX, MX, and SMX series.
Prado and Sexton's performance on that bike and that comment from Dan Fahie paint a pretty good picture of what it's like at Kawi. Plus all the comments from previous team riders.. That organization seems toxic as hell. They absolutely need to clean house and start from scratch or they will likely never get a top talent on their bike again. What elite talent would sign up for that program after seeing these Prado and Sexton saga's?
On the other side of that.. Sexton made his bed by signing a 3 year deal (wtf??) while watching Prado tank on that bike all year. I can't understand why he would sign such a long contract with his track record. He should be on 1yr deals with extension clauses. He probably won't have a choice on that now after the KTM and soon to be Kawi breakups.
The balls on Fahie to act like a 450 supercross and motocross champion doesn't know how to brake tap, lol.
You're telling me Chase, in the lowest-pressure environment of press day riding, forgot a fundamental skill engrained in his brain since he was a kid?
And to specifically conduct an interview with Hopper to speak on it and defend that stance to the public, choosing to further align yourself with the brand over the rider...
The Kawi program is so fucked, man. Give it to Mitch.
There’s no proof either way in this situation. If the data from the bike showed a definite problem then that would pretty much settle it - we could rule out this being Chase’s fault with a high degree of confidence. We don’t have that. But lack of data doesn’t settle the issue. I’ve had a vehicle malfunction where the light, turn signals, speedometer and I don’t know what else didn’t work and it fixed itself by the time I got it to a dealer. The dealer told me that as far as he could see from the vehicle data, what I’m describing didn’t happen. The fact that they couldn’t find a problem with the bike doesn’t mean there’s no problem with the bike.
The question becomes: what’s most probable? To assess that we need to draw on our experience and knowledge. The people with more relevant experience and knowledge will have more informed opinions and we factor that into the body of evidence. Those people - the people who do what Chase does at his level - seem to think it’s unlikely that Chase would mess up something so basic. On the other hand, we have Chase crashing in weird ways. So the probability of Chase having a brain fart and messing up something basic seems higher than the probability that a random world class pro would make the same mistake. But Chase’s bike was heard cutting out. So that weighs in favour of it being a bike problem. Are we proving anything definitively? No, but we’re trying to gather all the evidence that we can. Personally, I’m left saying I don’t know. Bike problem seems more likely given the reports of people hearing the bike cutting out (which makes me think Kawasaki has incomplete or faulty data), Chase’s own account of what happened, and the general improbability that he would mess up a brake tap so badly. I don’t think that anyone would be crazy to disagree. But let’s not dismiss circumstances and opinions when they’re what we’ve got.
This whole fucking thread is nothing but circumstantial or opinion….not one fact has been presented…not one…
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
Free shipping: VITALMX
It's the heavy rear wheel assembly with alotta stored energy coming to a sudden hault that causes the chassis to rotate downward with the rear axle as the fulcrum. Crank, etcetera not so much...
There’s actually been loads of factual data posted in this thread. Specifically referring to the physics of the motorcycle in flight.
I’d say there are a few scenarios.
Yes Sir, the stopping of the kinetic effect of the wheel. That’s why the whole brake tap works. The four stroke does not have the same flight characteristics of a two stroke. That has to do with the weight of its rotating assembly, engine braking, etc; Same reason why a four stroke is harder to turn, the inertia weight of the crank wants to stand the bike up straight. Stop the front wheel, the crank, and/or the back wheel and you’re going to have major in flight problems.
My first time on a YZ400F I almost died. Jumped it and chopped the throttle off the face, as I would on a two stroke. When the nose dived I realized the error of my ways.
Where’s TFS? Now let’s do seat bouncing! 🤣
Point 1: Maybe
Point 2: Huh?
Point 3: No. The application of power would’ve overcome that.
Point 4: No
An engine lock-up, or stalling the bike mid-air due to not pulling the clutch in would’ve given a more pronounced and sudden forward rotation. We didn’t see that.
Everything seemed in control until right at the end. I’d guess that the engine bogged when he opened the throttle giving him no power to level the intended forward rotation.
sure looked like a rear brake tap based on the way it nosedived immediately. not sure an engine stall would react like that.
People don’t want truth…….they want rumors to fuel their speculation and conspiracies….the only truth is that Dan Fahie is a moran and should never do another interview….ever…
Don - how long have you been around here?
It's moran... you moran. 😄
Ha!!! I typed it right it just auto corrected!
Did he sign the deal before or very early in outdoors? If so the Prado stuff had not happened yet.
That has been my repeated question with this whole ordeal with the Kawasaki team seemingly being so incompetent, and the bike being as jacked up as the reports have described it. Didn't Chase spin some laps on the bike before he signed on the line to ride it at the level he knew (or should've known) he'd have to ride at? I know the money had to be a draw...but it can't make up for the experience he's having now! To my feeble little mind, either Kawasaki blatantly misled Sexton on the bike they were committed to provide him to potentially win a championship with...or Chase went into this as a sheer cash-grab, thinking he could bail early if he had to. Like everybody else (or at least those that can & will talk)...I don't know the truth, but I'm thinking that Kawasaki will come out of this with the short end of the stick since NOBODY will want to hook up with them in the future, at least no true contender-level rider...where as Chase still has options if he leaves.
that's not what he said......he said he didn't pull in the clutch. he also said a brake tap still shouldn't stall the engine so they have to take a look at that.
If you're saying a rider didn't pull the clutch in while performing a brake tap... you're saying they don't know how to brake tap.
not necessarily.....i'm quoting what the Kawa guy said. take it to him
Pit Row
Nevermind, Josh was right
chase liked a whole lot of comments under that Insta post implying a move to yamaha, he stirring the pot or teasing for ‘27 🤔
Sad to see, but not surprised. Are MX contracts generally guaranteed, or is it up to the rider to procure an insurance policy?
HeadChase out for the rest of the season... stick a fork in him, he's done... oh yes he'll race again, but will likely be a 5-15th place guy... wish he would just retire now along with et3... his 2026 has been one absolute chit show... don't see that changing on another color bike either...
Lol him liking replies saying chase to yamaha
If there's anything to be said of Chase is that he was classy enough in his first post about his recent crash, and then this admission about his ACL not to rag on Kawasaki at all, or even hint at his displeasure with the bike. Good on him.
Every time you comment you’re such a douche
Bummer. I do think he would have been back if not a torn ACL.
Yamaha? That just seems so bizarre to me. Will he be buying his own way out of his contract?
Aside from the having to get surgery probably a good thing to have the rest of the year off. Reset the mind and body of bike issues forgot what the bike "felt" like in 2026 and start again. That's if he's still on a Kawi...
Would be funny if he made the heart at the end blue.
So is this a Windham broken leg moment?
Why so negative?….I don’t think I’ve ever seen a positive post from you…
Post a reply to: Sexton injury update?