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GuyB Blog: Notes from the SmarTop | Bullfrog Spas | MotoConcepts | Honda Shoot 2

What was happening behind the scenes?

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GuyB
11/23/2020 11:28 AM

GuyB Blog: Notes from the SmarTop | Bullfrog Spas | MotoConcepts | Honda Shoot

No doubt you've seen the videos from our visit with the SmarTop | Bullfrog Spas | MotoConcepts | Honda crew, as well as Broc Tickle and Shane McElrath, but here are a few additional notes from the day spent shooting with these guys.

If we had to pick the biggest surprises of the Silly Season so far, Broc Tickle's input into the SmarTop | Bullfrog Spas | MotoConcepts | Honda squad would be among them, along with Malcolm Stewart's addition to the Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha team.

Benny Bloss and Vince Friese did some of their motos together, with Vince being the rabbit for Benny to chase. Benny's most obvious place that he'd catch vince was through the whoops.

Look at the size of those boots on Benny. We figure that's good for a few extra inches of travel.

The team has been experimenting with the look for next year's graphics. There are some sprinkles of holographic material throughout the backgrounds, numbers, and other graphic pieces on the bikes.

Yep, the whole team is head-to-toe in Leatt gear this year. No exceptions. How quickly did Broc's deal come together? They had to hire an Uber to deliver his gear to the MCR race shop.

Tony Alessi and Shane McElrath during a break. The team does get access to some factory-level goodies, like the Nissin front calipers that Tony says are good for about a second a lap. Apparently, when the Nissin rep here handed Tony a case of them last year, he said that it was worth about the equivalent of a Lamborghini. It will be interesting to see how Shane McElrath does with the MCR team. It might be a good place for him to come in a bit under the radar.

Broc was still getting used to the Honda on the day we were shooting, (he'd had one other day aboard it) but it looked like he'll settle in quickly.

As has been noted before, Vince is the only guy aboard the '21 Honda. Bikes are very scarce, and the team had to hunt this one down in Missouri. They like the new chassis, but parts (both stock and aftermarket) for the '21 are scarce, and they're happy with their setup for the '20. The team had massaged a Rekluse clutch onto Vince's bike, had added an ECU, and their suspension components, as well as a few other bits and pieces, but it was otherwise mostly stock. When we asked Tony if they'd have all the riders switch over to the newer bike, he suggested that it was unlikely...but if they did, it wouldn't be until MAYBE the outdoor season. That's another good part of the MCR effort for '21, with their return to the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.

Combine one stock muffler that's a bit on the soft side, smaller plates that don't offer quite the same protection, and a nub on the back of the Leatt boots, and you get this. Aftermarket pipes and mufflers for the new Honda are among the items that are in short supply, so Vince has been running the stocker for an extended period of time.

With the combo of McElrath, Tickle, Bloss, and Friese, we're expecting some good things from the team this year.


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