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Springfield, MO
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Edited Date/Time
9/16/2017 4:23am
So...with Joe Gibbs Racing rumored to be switching OEM's from Yamaha to Suzuki for the seeable future, do you think their team riders will be any more successful than they've been the past couple of years?
The Shop
some shit never gets old
this aint that shit
both, reed and webb had a lot success on the yamahas already, so that's a different story and I don't say that yamaha is a bad bike, it just doesn't seem to SUIT 2 out 3 riders.
Pit Row
Barcia chose to go to Yamaha over Honda , yes you are correct. he also chose a lot of "MONEY"
Reed chose "Factory Equipment" on someone else's "MONEY"
Cooper is young and chose what he knows and damn good "Money" I hope they can get the bike right for him, seems they have on his last 450 rides...
A lot of riders have transitioned to the Zook and done very well.
I think they have gone as far with the Yamaha as they can, and still can't make it into a Championship caliber bike. I'm not hating on the Yamaha...since a lot of guys go fast on them, but with all the resources that JGR has you'd think they'd be at a higher level on them if the bikes were workable at that level from the get-go. Just my opinion...but I think the move to Suzuki had a lot more to do with Gibbs being frustrated than any additional money or support Suzuki might be giving them. I think it'll be a good move for them now, and going forward especially with a new bike design in the near future.
@portx - I hear what you're saying as well. It's not logical to put all the blame on the bike, Barcia is obviously not doing what other dudes are doing on the bike, period. He needs some guidance in the technique department before he will ever be assumed championship caliber, imo.
However I'll say that the bike is probably different enough with the handling and the c.g. that you either love it or you don't. Romain Febvre is not a big guy at all and he gels with it very well, but I think his team is able to do different things to the bike than the JGR guys. I read where they start out with a stock frame, but use different length swing arms and different linkages. The motor is hopped up, but also smoothed out and he uses a 4 speed for most of his racing. Barcia is a rev it till the end kind of guy and a 4 speed would probably do him wonders, but I don't know if that is something they are allowed to do with the U.S. bikes....maybe. As mentioned above, Webb has had no problem being competitive on the bike and he is a little guy and doesn't ride it all that much so far. Could be that he is just accustomed to the 250F and most things transfer over.
Barcia was 3rd last year in the nationals (was 2nd until the last race) and I think 4th or 5th this year. As noted he has been injured during that last two supercross seasons and it has carried over into outdoors. Seriously though, the guy is talented but is he ever really going to do better than 3rd, 4th, 5th? Is Nicolleti or Peick going to be able to do better than they have? I feel like they have all just reached their plateau with the current level of competition out there. Barcia would probably do a lot better if he could just mellow out a bit, try and be smooth. Look at old man Reed, he's not going to win anything, but at 33 or 34 the guy just knows how to be smooth and stay competitive. With Webb coming up, it's probably just one more position that Barcia is going to get kicked down to.
Honestly, I don't even think it's 10% bike anymore. If one bike was even 5% better than another, then all the privateers would be on it, but you don't see that.
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