@PING 1

Ping chats about Austin Forkner again, where motocross and supercross fit into the world of sports, and how to get back into moto after a long break.

@PING is brought to you by Troy Lee Designs, Eks Brand, VP Racing Fuels, and SKDA.


F&@KING NOBODY PING-

IF FORKNER WASN’T RACING MOTO AND WAS BACK ON THE FARM HE WOULD NOT BE GETTING THE GIRL HE GETS- FACT.

James Johnson

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James,

Wow. What kind of miserable, covetous dildo takes time out of his day to sit down and write something like this? I feel like an Austin Forkner apologist lately, but the fact is, he IS racing moto. He didn’t come from money and silver-spoon his way into this career, he worked his ass off and earned his ride. A character trait of mentally strong people is the ability to be happy for the success of others; you better get your brain to the gym because it’s weak AF… and that is not an abbreviation for Austin Forkner. 

Sincerely,
- Fu%$ing Nobody


Ping,

The other week I flipped to the NBC Sports Channel and found the World Chase Tag Championships. WTF, Ping? Grown men playing tag on TV. This really upset me. This is the same network that I watch Moto. No wonder Moto gets no respect being on the same network as Championship Tag! What’s next, video games on TV? Oh, wait. How can Moto compete? Please tell me this sport I have watched since I was a kid isn’t all just a house of cards. Tell me that all the hardships I hear about on the Whiskey Throttle Show isn’t just good podcasting. Also, I would really like to hear your thoughts on Gorilla Glue girl. It is really no wonder teams and riders can’t get sponsors when Gorilla Glue gets tons of free advertising all week thanks to a stupid girl. Team Gorilla Glue Honda would be awesome.   

Well, gotta go… the Tag Finals are coming up.
Yamaha155

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Yamaha,

I remember getting yelled at by my folks when I played to much Super Mario Bros or Excitebike on my Nintendo; they’d kick me outside and tell me to go play. Now I see kids watching other kids play video games on YouTube. They’re too lazy to even play the games themselves! We’re living in a clown world, there is no question about it. Lawnmower racing, hatchet throwing, curling (sorry, Canada, that’s just shuffleboard for cold climates), and dozens of other ridiculous activities have claimed prime-time space on large networks that we can’t even get to cover our sport. I have to get multiple channels that most providers don’t carry, pay for an app, and switch between motos to catch motocross and supercross. Meanwhile, Dr. Pimple Popper is a smash hit on YouTube and a popular network. 

As far as the glue incident goes, hey, who among us hasn’t slathered on a little Gorilla Glue to keep those bothersome flyaway hairs settled down? I mean, I use it to put on new grips, keep a nice sheen on my toenails and shape my pubic hair into a razor-sharp happy trail mohawk from my belly button to my unit. It’s the all-purpose product you never knew you needed! Gorilla Glue Honda does have a nice ring to it, but they’ll never give moto a look because they can’t find us on TV. I’m looking for it and I have a hard time finding it! Let me know how those tag world titles work out… I’m super interested. 

- PING


Hey Ping,

Long story short I rode growing up from 8 to 18-ish but my dad had never ridden before so he couldn’t teach me much and we didn’t have the money for training days or to be able to ride more than twice a month but I still managed to get to a decent level all things considering. I’ve been off an MX bike about 10 years but have now decided at the ripe old age of 30, now that I have some money, I really want to give myself two to three years of consistent riding, training, and coaching to see how good I can get. I know I’m not going to be pro but a top three at club level would be a dream come true for me.

My question is, what tips would you give someone in my position to get the best out of themselves? Bearing in mind I have a 2-year-old son, a wife, and a full-time job. Also, I’ve been watching loads of riding videos whilst stuck in lockdown and is it really ok on the engine to change down with no clutch?! My old man would kill me if I didn’t use it coming down the box back in the day.

Regards,
Too Old to be Fast
Luke


Luke,

That’s awesome that you’re getting back into the sport; It’s tough to shake once you’ve gotten a taste of it. Step one is to find a riding coach and get some lessons on technique. If you still think you need to use the clutch to shift, you’ve got some serious gaps in your understanding of modern racing/riding. Stomp down on that thing like it owes you money and use the engine brake for a more consistent braking feel while entering turns. 

You’ll need to put together some type of fitness and nutrition regimen, and if you don’t know somebody locally, I’d suggest Coach Robb Beams and his Moto E Fitness program. You can sort all that out through emails and phone calls and make a significant difference in your athletic performance, as well as your overall health. 

Lastly, I’d make sure your family is involved. It’s great that you want to get back into it, but if they aren’t supportive of your racing, it’s going to take you away from your wife and son often, and nothing is worth that. Find something they can do to be a part of it and make it a family affair. Oh, and make sure you’re having fun. That’s why we do it, right? Best of luck and keep us updated on your progress.

- PING

Do you have burning questions that need answering? E-mail Ping at ping@vitalmx.com. Want more? Click the @PING tag below to quickly find all the previous columns.

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