Globetrotting Mechanics | Payton Stevenson and Shawn Ulikowski on Wrenching Overseas

With World Supercross wrapping up recently, and Paris Supercoss this last weekend, we grabbed a couple of the mechanics to ask about travel and what they absolutely have to bring. Payton Stevenson and Shawn Ulikowski were turning the wrenches for Ken Roczen and Justin Brayton and took a few minutes for us.

Jamie Guida- Vital MX: What are the key things you have to bring overseas for your rider to feel comfortable?

Payton Stevenson (Ken Roczen): Luckily, that bike just came from Australia, so basically it had all the parts I needed. The main thing I had to bring was some tires. We use the Dunlop's and there were none available here, so I went ahead and packed two rears and a front. Just enough to get through two nights of racing

Shawn Ulikowski (Justin Brayton): For JB, it's suspension and it's his throttle tube. We machined the throttle tube down so it's thinner, so it feels close to the same as the left side grip. So throttle tube, stuff like that, seat foam, you know, a few things like that. But mainly suspension and a couple of small trinkets.

Vital MX: How do you like these overseas races as a mechanic? Traveling and a little different schedule?

Payton: Oh, it's a crazy schedule. We've done two practices and the first practice and the second practice were really close together. Almost back-to-back. By the time I checked some wheels and some fuel it was time to go back down. But I like it. It's good. This is my first time in Europe and the fans are awesome. The city is awesome. We can walk to wherever we need to go or hop on the train real quick. But yeah, it's awesome. I really love this place.

Ulo: I definitely like it. It's a little more low key in a sense. Not as much set up, like with the truck and all that stuff. And you know, you're just really focused on working on the bike and the different atmosphere being around people you don't see week in and week out. So, it's actually really fun.

Vital MX: Do you feel a lot of pressure racing here?

Payton: I'm Ken’s practice mechanic for the most part. Last year I was at A1 to fill in. I think here is more relaxed for sure because of all the stuff we do outside of the track. When you go to the States and you're doing the same thing over and over and you've been to the cities you're not doing a lot of sightseeing. Here that makes it really relaxed, you know. And going to dinner with Ken and JB every night, it's just more relaxing here for sure.

Vital MX: How did you like the WSX format? There’s much less time in between motos, almost back to back to back. As a mechanic, how did that set with you?

Ulo: You're just hoping that they don't crash, and you don’t have an issue, really. If you bend some bars or break something, it's almost impossible to get back out there for the next moto. You have time to change a wheel or something and that's it. So, hope for the best for sure.

Vital MX: What's it been like being with Kenny bouncing from bike to bike lately? He rode the Yamaha and he’s riding the Suzuki next week. Are you a part of that?

Payton: Yeah. I've been to every test that he's done. I went to ClubMX with him. I went when he rode the Firepower Honda the first time. Yeah, I go with him and I kind of help him feel it out and try to help. I know what he likes. I've been with him for six years, so I know exactly what he likes and what he wants. So, I try to help him, whether we're just trying the bike or actually testing the bike. I think I've had just as much fun as he has because it's new, you know, like a different color and it's changing things up a little bit.

Vital MX: Did you make any significant changes from press day to race day?

Payton: No, we haven't even touched a clicker. Usually, he likes to click all over the place. But no, he's pretty happy with the bike right now. And I think we'll keep it the same for these three main events.

Vital MX: Kenny has rode the Honda and Yamaha so far. Which one did you feel he looked best on?

Payton: He really rode the Yamaha great. We didn't really test. They just had a set of suspension for us, and he hopped on, and he rode it like he'd been riding Yamaha all year. So, I really like the way he looked on Yamaha. But, you know, we'll see. I don't really know what he has planned. You guys probably know more than I do, to be honest. We'll see after this weekend. He's really going to have to find something to do, you know, we’re six weeks out from Anaheim 1, so we've got to get a game plan for sure.