9 Riders with HUGE Questions Leading into 2012

stangkag
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10/19/2011 9:54am Edited Date/Time 1/27/2012 2:13am
Trey Canard - How will all this off time from the femur break affect him? He showed amazing style and speed last year, a consistant and healthy TC41 could have RV1's #. Lets hope he stays healthy all season to make 12' and even crazier season than 11' was!

Ryan Dungey - I think he's an amazing rider but we have all seen that he would rather give up a spot and lose a race than make contact and go bar to bar rubbin elbows. I like the fact that hes not trying to make enemies on or off the track and be the peoples champ bla bla bla. This is motocross, he has to gain some aggresion but if a million dollars wont bring it out of him i dont know that anything will. Also in the next 10 weeks can they tune in that new KTM and spank ass come A1?

James Stewart - Where do I begin, I was a huge fan of his but due to not racing outdoors or the MEC, im left with a sour taste in my mouth. He seems to be more worried about Racing Torc Trucks and Filming tv shows and commercials than racing. I hope his move to JGR goes trough and Albrecht can get Stewart back to the old JS259 we all knew back in the day. If anyone has the speed to keep up with RV1 its Stewie but can he keep it on 2 wheels long enough to collect those oh so important points. Can JGR help him tune the bike better than sergio could? I think yes, Millsaps and Brayton looked solid last year as far as bike setup.

Chad Reed - Is anyone 100% sure what color he is racing under the Two Two tent next year? I seem to recall rumors he was leaving the Red brand. Also he hasnt been the same since Millvilles spectacular get off. Can this 13 week lay off help him forget about that and get back to the old Reedy we watched dominate the early part of this years outdoor season? What kind of drama are we gonna see this year between him and Stewart. Remember Atlanta?

Ryan Villopoto - This guy has won every title there is to win in 2011, SX, MX, MXoN, MEC. Considering his injury in 2010, that is nothing short of amazing, the guy just got married and seems to be calm and comfy on his new 12' KX450F. Clearly the 12 is a better fit for him, he just looks like he is on rails no matter how hard he pushes that thing. Winning all these titles this year has to give him unparalleled confidence. Can anyone keep up with him not only on speed,but consistancy too. Sure JS7, CR22, RD5, and TC41 have the speed but can they do it round after round? I know I cant wait to find out Smile

Justin Barcia - Can the Wild Child keep his 2011 SX title? Deano looks to be on fire lately and we seen flashes of speed out of the Rookie Malcolm Stewart this year. I think Justin Barcia's style is so fun to watch, he scrubs and whips like crazy all while being on the rev limiter and he isnt aftraid to throw you off the track if your tangle with him (pay attention Dungey). Anyways he is super fast but I think 2012 is going to be even harder to win than 2011 was. You have Malcolm Stewart growing confidence, a healthy Dean Wilson comming off a outdoor title, Justin Bogle being thrown into the mix, Roczen etc etc.

Ken Roczen - How is he going to do in a full year of American SX, he is super fast but was getting beat up alot last year ending up on the ground more than usual. Showed us what he had in store for 2012 i think at Vegas back in May. He is so young and has unlimited potential. In Europe he seems to dominate, how will he react to not being top dog week after week here in the states?

Dean Wilson - Deano is a great guy on and off the track, always smiling and cracks us up with his accent. His Irish, Canadian, American accent that is hahaha. Dude was very consistant outdoors and seemed to really pull it together after his first overall. Can he bring that confidence and determination to the SX tracks. Barcia seemed to have Deano's number more than a few times this year indoors. How will them 2 play out and will they get along or will we get a show of attitude like we seen back in Houston this year?

Malcolm Stewart - Switching from Suzuki to KTM would be a backwards step to most people but in a recent interview little stewie said its by FAR the best bike he has ever ridden and he cant wait to see what he can do with it. Will he be able to put that KTM on the podium in 2012? Was his comment simply to please his new team or do you honestly think he like the KTM better than the proven RMZ ? I like his style and im begining to like him more than his older brother due to JS7 drama. I hope to see him podium this comming year and I hope the KTM treats him well. The added power should help a little with his large frame. I think we will see the best of Malcolm when he jumps up to the 450 class.

Well I initially started this thread to just throw some ideas out there and get some feedback. I have about 10 more riders id like to add but if i do It would take an hours or so to read it all and Im sure ive already made this WAYYYY to long. Sorry about that but I tend to get carried away at times Smile

FLAME ON, im sure alot of you disagree with about 99% of what ive said
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Dirtydane
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10/19/2011 10:27am
The KTM 250-F is a super-duper-good bike! its proven :D
stangkag
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10/19/2011 10:29am
Looks like you ride one! Did you like the factory suspension? I keep hearing ktm's are bad ass in every aspect except suspension. You of all people should know if you own one Smile
Dirtydane
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10/19/2011 10:35am
Since im a goon and ride for the pure fun of it i dont have much to say since i dont have much to compare with. I just know the KTM 250 is a good bike look at the gps Smile And i love my bike, i think KTM look so good also!
Dirtydane
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10/19/2011 10:36am
So what i actually mean is we will see Malcolm improve alot and you will see what K-roc can do on that KTM ;D

The Shop

DanDunes818
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10/19/2011 10:38am Edited Date/Time 10/19/2011 11:19am
stangkag, good work on the post.. You raise some great questions and I guess the only answer is we'll see.. Oh, and Wilson's accent is a mix of Scottish (not Irish), Canadian , 909 (or bro) ... Huh
stangkag
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10/19/2011 10:49am
Dirtydane wrote:
Since im a goon and ride for the pure fun of it i dont have much to say since i dont have much to compare with...
Since im a goon and ride for the pure fun of it i dont have much to say since i dont have much to compare with. I just know the KTM 250 is a good bike look at the gps Smile And i love my bike, i think KTM look so good also!
I have to admit, RD5's bike is just pure sexy. Very cool looking bikes indeed!
stangkag
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10/19/2011 10:55am
stangkag, good work on the post.. You raise some great questions and I guess the only answer is we'll see.. Oh, and Wilson's accent is a...
stangkag, good work on the post.. You raise some great questions and I guess the only answer is we'll see.. Oh, and Wilson's accent is a mix of Scottish (not Irish), Canadian , 909 (or bro) ... Huh
Wow I cant believe I messed that up. I know he's scottish and i still messed it up haha damn. I recall an interview with Erin Bates asking him about his irish accent and he was like ...well im Scottish soooooo.

I guess im as ditzy as she is on certain days.
Hut
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10/19/2011 11:08am
Anyone know which series each of the 250 riders are competing in yet?
If 250 East has, Barcia, Bagget, Wilson and Roczen that is going to be a crazy good series
stangkag
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10/19/2011 11:19am
I heard Roczen was riding West Coast via his twitter account. Marvin is riding the East coast unless this has recently changed. But crazy good series indeed my friend, 12' is going to be epic!
stangkag
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10/19/2011 12:15pm
I completly forgot to add something about Allesi. What are your thoughts oh him and what you think he will do on the Suzuki this comming year. The MEC was a cirtical night for him that didnt go to well...
stangkag
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10/20/2011 8:09pm
Also just thought of Wharton...He wasnt at the MEC on his new Zook was he?
dkg
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10/20/2011 8:20pm
Insightful .... The 250 class is going to be very interesting this year. I suspect in the 450 class we will see a very tight series. Wondering if anyone can derail RV2
stangkag
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10/20/2011 8:22pm
You think theyll be a new champ on the East Coast 250's Smile I do for sure...
Premixed
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10/20/2011 8:31pm
barcia and wilson will be on opposite coasts this year, and i think theyll each win their coast.

you're right about dungey. thats the number one reason im not a fan. no aggression. the day he parks someone when it counts is the day i'll be a fan.

i think malcolm stewart still has at least one more year of being an immature kid before he gets seriously fast.
TDeath21
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10/20/2011 8:37pm
Villopoto found that perfect edge last year from Anaheim 1 and kept it through Vegas and into the outdoors. Not too fast to crash all the time, but not too slow where points slip away.

Stewart was obviously over the edge and crashed a lot, losing a lot of points in the process. He'll get lots of race wins though as always, assuming he doesn't get injured.

You could argue Canard was also over the edge, although it was just his 1st year in the 450 and was kind of expected. I think he'll figure it out soon though.

Dungey wasn't close enough to the edge, and subsequently let a lot of points slip away due to being too passive. He has to be able to get aggressive in the early laps and in the final laps. Those few points he doesn't pick up week to week killed him

Reed simply took too long to find that edge and get back in the groove. When he did, he was there every weekend. He just never completely made up the points he lost early in the year.

All in all, we have a great season to look forward to! One thing to remember is that Reed and Stewart aren't going to be improving a lot. Dungey and Villopoto will continue improving, building on their championship speed they found to race each other last season. Canard will be improving too, but I think 2012 should be a season for him where he just completes the entire series, inside and out, on a 450 for the first time. That would be better for him in the long run.
stangkag
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10/20/2011 8:53pm
Premixed wrote:
barcia and wilson will be on opposite coasts this year, and i think theyll each win their coast. you're right about dungey. thats the number one...
barcia and wilson will be on opposite coasts this year, and i think theyll each win their coast.

you're right about dungey. thats the number one reason im not a fan. no aggression. the day he parks someone when it counts is the day i'll be a fan.

i think malcolm stewart still has at least one more year of being an immature kid before he gets seriously fast.
Really? Damn. I hadnt heard that Wilson was riding the West coast this next year. That blows, I was really looking forward to seeing them go bar to bar again.

TDeath21 I agree with alot that you said, question is was Stewart exceeding HIS skill level or the Bikes performance level. I think both at times, he pushes so hard in the turns i dont know if the bike is able to do what it is hes asking of it. Scary fast until hes picking him self up. In the end your 100% right about RV, fast enouph for the important points week in and week out!

I dont want to see Dungey putting everyone into the cheap seats and riding dirty but he is WAY to passive. How many points did he miss out on last year due to not being aggresive enough, its mind boggling. Hell being agressive at that level can mean a championship in the end, ask RV Smile

As far as Malcolm goes... Im on the fence as to where hes gonna be at this next year. I see your point but still think we will see him podium ATLEAST once
cmess77
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10/20/2011 9:48pm
Besides the aforementioned, I'd say Durham has a lot of eyes on him. Can he bust into the top 3-5 on the PC bike? How will Tickle do on big bikes (we know Rattray will be solid). Roczen will have the most to prove once we start playing outside. I'd say he is top 3 in and outside, but doesn't win any championships. 2013 all his competition will be moved up and he will have both titles easily. Can Seely challenge for a SX title? Will TLD let Christian Craig ride big bikes (please yes!)? Can Bagget stay on his wheels? Can Lemoine be a true contender now that he is on a real team? Can Windham, Metcalfe, and Weimer catch up to the big 5?

Bonus Question: Herlings, Searle, or Osbourne(who is doing some West Coast SX by the way)?
stangkag
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10/20/2011 9:56pm
cmess77 wrote:
Besides the aforementioned, I'd say Durham has a lot of eyes on him. Can he bust into the top 3-5 on the PC bike? How will...
Besides the aforementioned, I'd say Durham has a lot of eyes on him. Can he bust into the top 3-5 on the PC bike? How will Tickle do on big bikes (we know Rattray will be solid). Roczen will have the most to prove once we start playing outside. I'd say he is top 3 in and outside, but doesn't win any championships. 2013 all his competition will be moved up and he will have both titles easily. Can Seely challenge for a SX title? Will TLD let Christian Craig ride big bikes (please yes!)? Can Bagget stay on his wheels? Can Lemoine be a true contender now that he is on a real team? Can Windham, Metcalfe, and Weimer catch up to the big 5?

Bonus Question: Herlings, Searle, or Osbourne(who is doing some West Coast SX by the way)?
Very good to have some interesting questions about others outside the top 5 in our sport. I think tickle will do well on the 450, he looked good to me at the MEC. Dude had a horrible case of bad luck outdoors this year, hope to see that turn around in 12' for him. Durham is nasty and should raise some eyelids this comming year, I just watched that video of him shredding on his CR125 earlier today and man is that a nice sound Smile Still grinning ear to ear...

I agree for sure about Roczen, very good points.

Also Kyle Cunningham was battling alot at the end of last year, he might suprise a few of us Smile

One thing is for certain, I can NOT wait for Jan. 7th.
andymoto
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10/20/2011 10:42pm
Josh Hill- Comeback Rider for 2012 season.
ocscottie
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10/20/2011 10:47pm
andymoto wrote:
Josh Hill- Comeback Rider for 2012 season.
word!
10/20/2011 10:52pm
andymoto wrote:
Josh Hill- Comeback Rider for 2012 season.
That would be sweet. I saw Hill win the Minneapolis 450 race where RD took second. Been a fan ever since.
10/21/2011 2:27am
cmess77 wrote:
Besides the aforementioned, I'd say Durham has a lot of eyes on him. Can he bust into the top 3-5 on the PC bike? How will...
Besides the aforementioned, I'd say Durham has a lot of eyes on him. Can he bust into the top 3-5 on the PC bike? How will Tickle do on big bikes (we know Rattray will be solid). Roczen will have the most to prove once we start playing outside. I'd say he is top 3 in and outside, but doesn't win any championships. 2013 all his competition will be moved up and he will have both titles easily. Can Seely challenge for a SX title? Will TLD let Christian Craig ride big bikes (please yes!)? Can Bagget stay on his wheels? Can Lemoine be a true contender now that he is on a real team? Can Windham, Metcalfe, and Weimer catch up to the big 5?

Bonus Question: Herlings, Searle, or Osbourne(who is doing some West Coast SX by the way)?
I think durham is capable of getting on the box on a pro circuit bike- it will be interesting to see how he does next year. Rattray could podium on the big bike outdoors i think (definitely top 5)
Christian Craig is an interesting one- i love his riding style, one of the best in the business, i'd like to see him on the 450 indoors and out and see what he's capable of.

Herlings wil win the mx2 world title barring any injuries. I think searle will get 2nd but tonus will have a good year- he's onit at the moment. Be very interesing to see zach do a couple of supercrosses! I'd like to see him have an injury free season.

I think the biggest questionmarks for next season will be james stewart (if he actually turns up) - in my opinion he will be there, be fast- and crash alot trying to go faster than the ryans (who can both run a good pace and keep it on 2 wheels)
he will say he is doing the outdoors (for the fans) then last minute say he couldnt get a deal together. I think james will retire if he gets beaten by the ryans again - and go car racing

reed- i think chad will have a legitimate chance at both titles next year. I'd love to see him win either, i think he may go to part time after next year (or supercross only) and concentrate on being a team manager more than a rider.

canard- i think trey is capable of running with the ryans for a full season, but part of me just wants him to ride conservatively for top 3-5, and stay healthy- for a full on assault at the title in 2013!! (or maybe an outdoor title)

josh grant- you never know what you're gona get with grant, but he has the talent to win on any given sunday, it'd be cool to see him back in the mix- or even win a race or 2!

josh hill- same as with grant really, hill is capable of winning races, i'd love to see another rider mixing it up with the front runners

Windham!!!!! - how cool would it be to see k-dub on the top of the box again? i would really like to see him contest a full outdoor series, but you wouldnt begrudge him the summer off (and maybe race a couple of rounds )
10/21/2011 2:31am
And regarding roczen- its hard to say what will happen with ken! I think he will be a contender in supercross, but i cant see him beating barcia for the title if they are on the same coast. Ken is a very fast learner- so i expect him to win races (especially towards the end of the season), but he lacks experience at supercross, so if he does win the title it will be a hell of an acheivement! Marvin will be a podium contender in supercross.
Outdoors there will be alot of orange on the box next year!! Ken and Marvin will break the pr circuit domination in the lites class- i think ken will win the outdoors if he stays fully fit.
stangkag
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10/21/2011 4:19am
The 2 guys i miss seeing up on the podium the most are Windham and Short...Its not all about the sponsors and looking cool in theyre swag, they give real thought on the nights races and its good to hear them speak with some depth to theyre personality. Hope to see both of em on the podium next year and stay healthy.

Windhams pre race transfers are nuts, the guy has so much talent its really cool to see him dishing it up at that age, where the 5 are so much younger. However the MEC was a bad roll of the dice for kdub, lets hope A1 brings new luck...
10/21/2011 4:36am
stangkag wrote:
I completly forgot to add something about Allesi. What are your thoughts oh him and what you think he will do on the Suzuki this comming...
I completly forgot to add something about Allesi. What are your thoughts oh him and what you think he will do on the Suzuki this comming year. The MEC was a cirtical night for him that didnt go to well...
i think he will struggle in supercross, and be top 5 outdoors. Be interesting to see if he can step it up a notch and run with the ryans and reed outdoors- if he gets back to his best
10/21/2011 4:37am
stangkag wrote:
The 2 guys i miss seeing up on the podium the most are Windham and Short...Its not all about the sponsors and looking cool in theyre...
The 2 guys i miss seeing up on the podium the most are Windham and Short...Its not all about the sponsors and looking cool in theyre swag, they give real thought on the nights races and its good to hear them speak with some depth to theyre personality. Hope to see both of em on the podium next year and stay healthy.

Windhams pre race transfers are nuts, the guy has so much talent its really cool to see him dishing it up at that age, where the 5 are so much younger. However the MEC was a bad roll of the dice for kdub, lets hope A1 brings new luck...
hopefully the MEC wil have been windhams bad luck over with- it would be so cool to see him win a race again!
stangkag
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10/21/2011 4:46am
stangkag wrote:
I completly forgot to add something about Allesi. What are your thoughts oh him and what you think he will do on the Suzuki this comming...
I completly forgot to add something about Allesi. What are your thoughts oh him and what you think he will do on the Suzuki this comming year. The MEC was a cirtical night for him that didnt go to well...
i think he will struggle in supercross, and be top 5 outdoors. Be interesting to see if he can step it up a notch and run...
i think he will struggle in supercross, and be top 5 outdoors. Be interesting to see if he can step it up a notch and run with the ryans and reed outdoors- if he gets back to his best
Agreed but with a healthy Canard in the mix and a SUPPOSED JS7 outdoors next year, that could be a very tough accomplishment. I have to admit tho seeing guys like Allesi and Wey riding on there own dime and out of a van will ensure that we are seeing them at there very best. They arent gonna slack off at all next year, trying to prove that they deserve rides just as much as the next guy. BUT the silly season isnt over yet, not for 9 -10 more weeks so im guessing they both find a ride...Atleast some kind of ride, probably not what theyre used to though in this shitty economy.

Good luck to em both, Alessis holeshot in the 3rd main event at the MEC was crazy as hell. Watched it I dont know how many times in slow motion and its insane Smile If the AMA would say screw 20 laps, the winner will be determined by the holeshot - Alessi 12' SX champ haha i can just see it now. Wow that felt really akward typing that, I like mike alot but realistcly we wont see him win any championships as a pro.

just my .02
Derpin' DJ
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10/21/2011 5:34am
I reckon Roczen has a major shot at winning the SX. He was extremely quick in the last two rounds he entered. He is a year older now, and that will make a massive difference at his age.

Watch out for Matt Moss next year. He is really quick and smart at SX. Its hard to say how he will go on the KTM, but back on his RMZ, he used to pull lap times comparable to Reed in the Super X, and that was on a lites bike.
10/21/2011 5:43am
be interesting to see what townley can do next year aswel!
stangkag
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10/21/2011 7:06am
be interesting to see what townley can do next year aswel!
Indeed MEC was intersting ...Looked great qualifying and then 2nd in the first Main. Bike problems kept him from showing us what he could do in Mains 2 and 3 Sad

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