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.
It’s been well known for awhile now that Kawasaki was the reason he didn’t participate in the MXoN some of those years, they prevented him and AC from going in 2019. Red Bud was an exception because it was in the USA. Tomac has gone on every team he’s raced for up to KTM and according to Ian Harrison wasn’t entirely against going this year either. Not sure why some insist on ignoring the obvious.
Also is there a reason why it’s really only American riders that get shit for participating or not? Jett and Hunter opted out this year and not only did no one complain, most supported the decision. Yes you can say that they always represent while the US has a bigger pool to choose from to rotate different guys in but the same work and effort that the Lawrence’s are looking to avoid this year applies to the Americans as well. Obviously with Jett’s injury he wouldn’t have gone either way but their decision was made well before Jett decided to get another surgery.
I’m not even American and I can see the obvious bias.
Not a single American rider won a national title this year, what makes you think we could win?
Even if Deegs goes instead of juju, we still don’t win.
They are better outdoor riders than we are, truth hurts.
I'm not going to fault this years team for a lack of spirit, they had a tough job, sacked up and tried their best.
I don't have a problem with foreigners coming here and dominating the American series, who wouldn't dream of racing supercross here. Our motocross series is great too, maybe a step below MXGP but it's no joke.
The lack of dominant Americans riders in the American series is concerning. It's not for lack of resources, training facilities, home schooling, amateur team contracts. The foreigners that do come here and dominate don't have much of a more aggressive attitude at least while the helmets off, if anything they are generally more laid back, maybe this attitude allows them to be more honest with themselves, work on their weaknesses and keep a cool head under the helmet during the race.
If we want to talk about American culture being a problem, the problem with American 2 wheel culture is that it's still dominated by Harley riders. The problem with American off-road culture is that atvs and utvs comprise such a big part of it. Europe has a more pure motorcycling culture that is more race focused on and off road, their success over the US in every motorcycle racing discipline reflects this.
Not another MXoN thread. It's about time to log out of vital until A1. It's going to be a long off season
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
Side note- Did you know that DeCoster’s son just married Willie Surratt’s daughter (Ryan Surratt’s sister) ? Willie bleeds RED 🩸
If you didn’t see any American spirit last weekend, you must have watched the wrong race.
My post was not aimed at diminishing the riders that went and tried to win. I knew Cooper when he was a kid and I am a super-fan. It's more just the general malaise and lack of passion among the U.S. contingent. The U.S. fans rode on U.S. dominance for so long- then when it stops we have a long list of excuses.
Also, I suppose the extreme length of the current U.S. SMX season has something to do with it. But I can't help but to think back to the days, even in the 90s, when there was no way this would happen. If the U.S. lost, it was a big deal. Now, nobody cares. Oh well.
Bullshit on every point.
Also lately, every "euro" that has arrived in the USA has then had to develope into the Star they have become.
A champion is a human, one out of a million, not the country they were born in.
The reason that there are so many great riders from the USA is, population, and the great MX opportunities available.
Neither situation garantees a Champion.
Because it was reported in the same way as the media is reporting about Yamaha this time.
Some people choose to take that as the truth while others can see past it, and now 10 years later people with Kawasaki connections are starting to come forward about it.
Just like Yamaha would have sent Deegan if he wanted to race, so would Kawasaki if Eli wanted to.
Thats my point, he should have just came out 5 years ago and said I dont do the mxon, sorry, I’m worried about sx. Some ppl would have been annoyed but he would have just been up front and honest and theres nothing you can really say when someone is honest. Instead he pretends every year like hes def going this year waving the flag all in everyones face, whipping up usa vs everyone sentiment right up until like 5 days before and then the excuses come out and he bails. Why didnt he say the money thing 5 years ago? Cuz its not actually about the money, hes a multi, multi, multi millionaire. Plus they got the 25k he asked for this year anyways and then he said 100k and they said ok and he was like…. umm…. no. He doesnt want to go and thats ok, but just come out and say it vs the whole rigamarole every. Single. Fn. Year.
At least from this point fwd can we just agree hes not going and move on or is he going to pull the same shit again next time its in the us? Will it magically not be about the money anymore then? Lets just move on from deegs and mxon and not even ask from this point fwd, unless you enjoy getting disappointed by the same thing every year.
LOL, we just won two years ago….
Oh boy, let's take this point by point:
Is support helpful to rider development?
Coop and Deegs represent the old and new American spirits perfectly. The modern American spirit is to be boisterously selfish, whereas the old American spirit is more about a humble national pride. They're both welcome to do their thing and we're welcome to feel however we feel about it. However, I wish the US and EU series would align their schedules such that the last round of both is the MXON, then there would be full funding and full motivation and we'd get a real showdown.
On home soil,well done buddy.Try to win next year in Assen,but you will once again send your c-team,the prima donnas will create some AI shit videos!
LOL
Maybe, maybe not
Helps the Euros they ride man made Assen every season, It’s a sand track which isn’t in the Americans favor, GP rider contracts expire after the MXON, even when a country like Australia wins the Euros act like they won, etc.
FYI: We only have one dipshit Tik-Tok influencer Prima-Donna but that’s certainly enough.
I was gonna start a thread about my idea but this will do..
The ONLY way I MIGHT be cool with des Nations going away is if the 'SMX' rounds were top ten of each series (each class) racing on pop up SMX style tracks.. Could have two rounds each or alternate each year who gets the 2 to the 1..
I heard that Matthes said the Euros do pop up tracks better and the Euros could've easily handled that last round of SMX
Second time Marchbanks was asked after Hymas was injured....
Pit Row
I think the 'spirit' is there but the problem I feel is the success the US have had in the past and the pressure to win..
Just hearing Kitchen and Beaumer's interviews after the race show what the racer feels if he goes 'just to represent' and not just to win..
Move the goalposts a bit and stop the little bit of victim mentality that seems to be bubbling along under the suface of the powers that be haha..
Any of you patriots know how the US finished at Trials des Nations? No Deegan on that team either
Of course not. It’s too expensive to “train” here. Do you think the Stewart’s could have made it in today’s scene?
This is how, commit or decline early. Deegz should already be saying hes out for assen next year.
"the advantage of works bikes we used to have"
1986 the production rule came into effect, so the US sent a team on production based bikes and finished 1-2 in every moto, beating world champions on works bikes, are you talking about that advantage?
What at one time made us better and sharpened us has come full circle to bite us in the ass.
Commit?
The same guy also said:
France should have too, shit happens. Lativa is sitting pretty good right now. You know that.
Full works bikes with a year of testing against a stock production bike with hopefully a week of testing is what he said . In case listening wasn't your super power.
Bike sales have dropped dramatically from back in the 80s to now, so Manufacturers don't have the money they used to.
Just riding a dirt bike nowadays is an expensive hobby.
Moto tracks started disappearing in America for several reasons. Kids found video games as opposed to outdoor activities.
In Europe, the moto culture is still thriving with tons of kids on 65's 85's and 125 at any practice day you go to because they prioritize safer tracks and don't worry about Supercross or raising their kid to be a professional racer, they just enjoy riding.
Honda knew the rule was coming and made alot of updates for 1986. A production based 1986 Honda was better than any other bike on the gate other than works Hondas. Also that team had RJ at the peaks of powers and Bailey sick of losing to RJ all year. The weak link by a mile was Jonny O and he was a 3-4th place guy all year against those two and Wardy. Most US teams don’t have the 4th best American being the weak link on a three man team.
O'Mara was impressive that day, beating all the works 500s on his 125.
Post a reply to: Where is the American Spirit?