@PING 5

Hey Ping!

Congrats on the new gig at Vital MX, and The Whiskey Throttle Show being the best MX video/podcast out there, and the success thereof (yep, I said it. No regrets here). Enough blowing smoke though...

I’m a huge Roczen fan. He has style for days, won even after kicking Baker to the curb, and I even enjoyed his cocky little McGrath and RJ-like confidence before coming back from the gnarliest injuries ever. I’ve always wanted him to win a couple of SX titles, and would even like to see Tomac take one home, but I honestly think that after this year their windows are closed to do so, especially whichever one (or both) doesn’t pull it off this year. Do you agree?

Thanks,
Keyboard Warrior 

KW [The third],

Thank you for the smoke colonic… I feel so cleansed! I’m really excited about joining the Vital MX team and some of the projects we have in the works. And thank you for the nice words about the show; it’s been a lot of fun.

I’m a Roczen fan as well, and I try to copy his style more than any other rider. His technique is amazing and the grit he’s shown after a couple big injuries is downright impressive. He and I had a heated Twitter battle, which we all know is the only REAL way to battle somebody, because I didn’t think he should throw shade at Aldon when he left. I realize now that I shouldn’t have said anything on a social media forum; I should have slapped him in the face with a leather glove and challenged him to a high-noon duel at ten paces. What was I thinking? 

Anyhoo, I think you’re jumping the gun a little bit on both of these guys. Unforeseen injuries notwithstanding, both of these guys have three to five more years of being competitive at a championship level, in my opinion. My opinion, of course, is worth about as much as a poorly painted ceramic donkey being peddled next to the Chiclets at the Mexican/American border. To your point, however, things are only going to get more difficult from this point on. With the addition of young guns like Adam Cianciarulo, Aaron Plessinger, and Chase Sexton [soon] to the mix, the 450 class is going to become very competitive at the pointy end of the pack. Still, both Eli and Ken are so tough mentally and such talented riders, there’s no way I’m writing them off until they do so themselves. 

- PING

Ping,

I recently returned to riding after an eight-year hiatus. I purchased a leftover '19 Husky TC 125 and I am having an absolute blast as a former slightly fast guy who is nearing the 40-year old mark. The bike is fun, handles amazing and I have not once said, "I wish this thing were faster."  Sounds all good, right? Except...I want an FC 350. I don't know why. I don't need to go faster. Nobody has passed me on a four-stroke of any displacement because I was on a 125. I don't think I would be significantly faster. I would be $10,000 poorer. But yet, here I am, afraid to go to the dealership to pick up some more VP T2 because... what if the 350 sneaks home with me? How will I explain it to my wife? Will my 125 feel betrayed? Do I have a disease? Is there a Four-Strokes Anonymous group I can attend? Please help.   

Relapsing Thumper Addict. 

Addict,

The first thing we need to address is you blaming yourself… You should definitely do that because this is all your fault. Remember when dad went out for cigarettes and never came home? This is just like that, except dad is the four-stroke and your loving mother is your plucky little 125 that just keeps buzzing along despite all the bad fuel and clutch abuse. Sure, there are groups and 12-step programs for folks like you. Hell, I’ll bet the gang right here on the Vital MX forum would give you loving, nurturing advice to help guide you through the dark times of recovery. Or maybe they would laugh and ridicule you endlessly until you gave up bikes altogether and took up something inexplicably stupid, like curling. Or trolling people in a chat room. 

Another possible alternative here is that you like to ride dirt bikes of all types. If you’re a guy who likes natural boobs, does that mean you don’t appreciate augmented boobs? Perky boobs? I could go into the same spiel about pizza because even the crappiest pizza is still pretty good. Personally, I love riding all kinds of bikes. Two-stroke, four-stroke, electric… I’ve ridden them all and had a blast on each and every one. So, don’t be too hard on yourself about this, I think it’s perfectly normal. I’d definitely make sure you get your wife on the same page before you pull the trigger on that 350, though. Otherwise, you might not see any boobs for a very long time. 

- PING

Pingree,

You’ve openly said you don’t like shootouts and I’ve heard you talk trash on the Vital forum in the past. And yet, here you are, an employee of Vital MX. How do you reconcile this, good sir?

P.S.- I’m glad you’re here. I just wanted to razz you a bit.

Movin’ Marty

Marty,

I have said in the past that I don’t like shootouts. I think it is impossible to remove all subjectivity from the test riders since almost all of them have a bike they typically ride during the year, making that brand their natural favorite. I also don’t believe bikes today have nearly as many differences as they did two or three decades ago, so ranking bikes first through six seems biased and nit-picky. However, I’ll admit that the manufacturers do like them because they genuinely listen to the feedback. And there is good information from the test riders if you look for common threads in each riders’ feedback. What I don’t like is the ranking system. And I still don’t like it because the bike I think is the best might not be what YOU think is best. So, how can you determine a winner in something that is so subjective? Having said that, I’ll do my best to give good information to the folks watching/reading and produce the best damn shootouts possible. 

The forum? Well, I have a love/hate relationship with that thing. I’ve been a member for a long time and, although I haven’t posted much, I creep around to see what folks are chattering about. There are some amazing fans of the sport who love dirt bikes and just want to share that with other like-minded folks. And then there are people who just seem to thrive on trash talk and drama… those are the ones I want to reach through the computer and punch in the mouth. I don’t think I’m alone in that sentiment. 

This opportunity at Vital MX will allow me to continue doing the things in this industry that I really love to do, while still allowing me time to manage my fire service career, and spend more time at home with my family. Our first bike build is just about a week away, so stay tuned!

- PING