Rick Johnson Disapointment

Mxrider656
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Mxrider656
Edited Date/Time 10/29/2015 5:43pm
I was listening to another great podcast from the Pulp MX show and was a bit bothered when I heard Rick Johnson come on the air.

Back about ten years ago our local track on Long Island had a pretty big lawsuit going on, it involved a local dirtbike and a quad rider. Rick Johnson was flown in by the prosecutions lawyer and testified in a court of law that it is unsafe for a quad and dirbike to be on a track at the same time. Though myself, have mixed feelings about the issue I always thought that it was not the right thing to do. The track did loose the lawsuit and severely affected our local track.

Any thoughts?
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hasko158
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hasko158 10/28/2015 8:14am
10/28/2015 8:14am
He's right that they shouldn't be on the track at the same time. It's very unsafe especially if classes aren't broken up.
newmann
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newmann 10/28/2015 8:18am
10/28/2015 8:18am Edited Date/Time 10/28/2015 8:19am
Any thoughts?

Many track owners set themselves up for lawsuits by doing dumb things or not making an effort to provide as safe a track as possible. Quads and dirt bikes don't mix. No doubt they probably had kids on 50's and pros on 450's on the track at the same time too.
moto0852
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moto0852 10/28/2015 8:21am
10/28/2015 8:21am
Mxrider656 wrote:
I was listening to another great podcast from the Pulp MX show and was a bit bothered when I heard Rick Johnson come on the air...
I was listening to another great podcast from the Pulp MX show and was a bit bothered when I heard Rick Johnson come on the air.

Back about ten years ago our local track on Long Island had a pretty big lawsuit going on, it involved a local dirtbike and a quad rider. Rick Johnson was flown in by the prosecutions lawyer and testified in a court of law that it is unsafe for a quad and dirbike to be on a track at the same time. Though myself, have mixed feelings about the issue I always thought that it was not the right thing to do. The track did loose the lawsuit and severely affected our local track.

Any thoughts?
the truth shall set you free!
peelout
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peelout 10/28/2015 8:23am
10/28/2015 8:23am
while i understand quad riders need a place to ride, nothing bothers me more than seeing one on the track at the same time as bikes. unless they're a pro-quad rider (oxy moron?), chances are they're a goon and they hold a line like the ball in a pinball machine.

in this case, RJ was spot on

ps... (enter quadtard joke here)

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hamburglar13 10/28/2015 8:23am
10/28/2015 8:23am Edited Date/Time 10/28/2015 8:24am
He is right, quads and bikes on the same track is dangerous. There also is no reason for it, just break them up into various classes. Not that I even want quads on the mx track at all.
Uncle Tony
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Uncle Tony 10/28/2015 8:32am
10/28/2015 8:32am
How did it affect the track he just sold it last year, plus we have 2 tracks in calverton and 1 in ronkonkoma, and Englishtown is an hour and fifteen for me, I remember that lawsuit that's why you have insurance, the plaintif was a friend of mine
Spartacus
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Spartacus 10/28/2015 8:36am
10/28/2015 8:36am
Why is it disappointing that he gave his professional opinion?

JerseyFresh
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JerseyFresh 10/28/2015 8:41am
10/28/2015 8:41am
Quads don't run the same lines, it's kind of common sense.
munsch121
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munsch121 10/28/2015 8:42am
10/28/2015 8:42am
I am a quad rider and I agree 100%....quads and bikes do not belong on the same track at the same time. It's dangerous and any track deciding to combine the two, SHOULD be held accountable. If any local track has a practice and combines us with bikes, I won't ride the practice.
Reefer Sutherland 10/28/2015 8:43am
10/28/2015 8:43am
Quads won't seem as evil anymore when these tracks start turning themselves into UTV facilities and doing away with bikes all together. The writing is on the wall. The market is blowing up, the tracks are all broke, and they can charge those yuppies 75 bucks for a ride day, vs 25-40 for a small amount of bikes.

The Honda Odyssey was choked away because bikes were much more popular in the mid 80s than they are now. This time around, it won't be the same. I think the UTVs are going to win the war of the riding areas.
Titan1
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Titan1 10/28/2015 8:50am
10/28/2015 8:50am
Reefer Sutherland wrote:
Quads won't seem as evil anymore when these tracks start turning themselves into UTV facilities and doing away with bikes all together. The writing is on...
Quads won't seem as evil anymore when these tracks start turning themselves into UTV facilities and doing away with bikes all together. The writing is on the wall. The market is blowing up, the tracks are all broke, and they can charge those yuppies 75 bucks for a ride day, vs 25-40 for a small amount of bikes.

The Honda Odyssey was choked away because bikes were much more popular in the mid 80s than they are now. This time around, it won't be the same. I think the UTVs are going to win the war of the riding areas.
What would a UTV facility look like?

But you're probably right...all the morons on UTV's are getting public land riding areas closed...so they'll have to drive them somewhere...so maybe tracks will bulldoze the mx track and build a hybrid race truck course (whatever they call those trucks McGrath and Degan race) to cater to them.

But those would only be fun on the RZR's...all the true utility UTV's wouldn't enjoy riding a race track...
loftyair
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loftyair 10/28/2015 8:52am
10/28/2015 8:52am
Like Indian dunes back in the day, have 10 tracks running at same time, something for everyone.
mattyhamz2
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mattyhamz2 10/28/2015 8:55am
10/28/2015 8:55am
OP, go to Glen Helen on a Thursday when some of the local quad riders show up and you will change your tune. Even if the quad riders are pros it's still so sketchy to have them out there with you. And those pro quad riders are pretty damn fast. But quads and bikes do not belong on the track together at all.
Mxrider656
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Mxrider656 10/28/2015 9:01am
10/28/2015 9:01am Edited Date/Time 10/28/2015 9:01am
In defense to the track there was less than a dozen riders out there, but I appreciate all the opinions and different views. I just think we should stick behind our local tracks rather than go against them in court, thats all.
hillbilly
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hillbilly 10/28/2015 9:05am
10/28/2015 9:05am
I remember when they started letting atc 3 wheelers race. Ruined the track but funny watching them bounce.

Quads kill the berms ,blow off all inside rutts and more times than i can count seen the guy that looses spin doughnuts and be a hazard in the pits.

Hated sitting in staging while 3 or 4 quads kill the track for my moto.

Always said to put a jar at signup for a kitty to split amongst the 4 or 5 quads so they would leave ,get a 12 pack and go
Spin around their yard.
disbanded
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disbanded 10/28/2015 9:06am
10/28/2015 9:06am
Now I like Rick Johnson even more.
Uncle Tony
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Uncle Tony 10/28/2015 9:17am
10/28/2015 9:17am
The track the op is talking about banned quads a few years back, the track in ronkonkoma charges them extra and only lets them ride on certain days, one of the calverton tracks just banned them a few months back and the other calverton tracks is very selective about who joins and doesn't want Johnny quad Racer at his track, what I don't understand is the disappointment with Rick Johnson? He told the truth what's wrong with that, it had no effect on the track other then his insurance going up, that track had a good run after the lawsuit, over ten years and he just sold it last year
SPYGUY
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SPYGUY 10/28/2015 9:18am
10/28/2015 9:18am
Bikes and ATV's don't mix, obviously, but I'd also bet that the rider knew that the ATV was out there and made the choice to ride anyway.

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Uncle Tony
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Uncle Tony 10/28/2015 9:20am
10/28/2015 9:20am
hillbilly wrote:
I remember when they started letting atc 3 wheelers race. Ruined the track but funny watching them bounce. Quads kill the berms ,blow off all inside...
I remember when they started letting atc 3 wheelers race. Ruined the track but funny watching them bounce.

Quads kill the berms ,blow off all inside rutts and more times than i can count seen the guy that looses spin doughnuts and be a hazard in the pits.

Hated sitting in staging while 3 or 4 quads kill the track for my moto.

Always said to put a jar at signup for a kitty to split amongst the 4 or 5 quads so they would leave ,get a 12 pack and go
Spin around their yard.
I hated racing after quads also, in the winter I would race at montrose MX in raeford North Carolina, it always seemed the quad moto went out just before mine, man they made a mess of the berms
JerseyFresh
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JerseyFresh 10/28/2015 9:21am
10/28/2015 9:21am
Besides the quad non-sense, I really like RJ's ideas for SX on Pulp. Hole shot devices are pretty redundant at this point. His thoughts about how pros are getting softer by riding perfect tracks all the time. Man knows whats up.
Mxrider656
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Mxrider656 10/28/2015 9:25am
10/28/2015 9:25am
The disappointment in Rick comes from a place in my mind that riders are suppose to stick together, insurance did go way up, making the bills harder to pay, therefor track is gone.
mjr119
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mjr119 10/28/2015 9:26am
10/28/2015 9:26am
I think it's pretty puss a fied to sue a track. Unless it's gross negligence. I agree, quads and bikes should not be on the same track at the same time. But I've been to plenty of tracks back in the day that had a quad or two practicing with the big bikes.
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Uncle Tony 10/28/2015 9:33am
10/28/2015 9:33am Edited Date/Time 10/28/2015 9:34am
Mxrider656 wrote:
The disappointment in Rick comes from a place in my mind that riders are suppose to stick together, insurance did go way up, making the bills...
The disappointment in Rick comes from a place in my mind that riders are suppose to stick together, insurance did go way up, making the bills harder to pay, therefor track is gone.
I don't know what his insurance payment was and I'm sure it was high but he got sued in the late 90's and sold it last year, and rumor is he's looking to open another track on the island (I don't believe rumors) riders sticking together that's something I have never seen in 45 years of moto
davistld01
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davistld01 10/28/2015 9:33am
10/28/2015 9:33am
disbanded wrote:
Now I like Rick Johnson even more.
I always have liked RJ. The guy tends to tell it like it is. Always has...probably always will.
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gt80rider 10/28/2015 9:34am
10/28/2015 9:34am
Reefer Sutherland wrote:
Quads won't seem as evil anymore when these tracks start turning themselves into UTV facilities and doing away with bikes all together. The writing is on...
Quads won't seem as evil anymore when these tracks start turning themselves into UTV facilities and doing away with bikes all together. The writing is on the wall. The market is blowing up, the tracks are all broke, and they can charge those yuppies 75 bucks for a ride day, vs 25-40 for a small amount of bikes.

The Honda Odyssey was choked away because bikes were much more popular in the mid 80s than they are now. This time around, it won't be the same. I think the UTVs are going to win the war of the riding areas.
This is amazingly true... And sad.

About quads on a bike track. If u have any freakn brains in your head at all you learned long ago to be prepared for anything and to protect yourself at ALL times on a track. I don't consider it dangergerous for a quad to be on the track, it is nothing more than a really wide bike. Sucks, yes. Inconvenient, yes. Dangerous, no. A tractor driving backwards on the track is dangerous.
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Highsider 10/28/2015 9:39am
10/28/2015 9:39am
hillbilly wrote:
I remember when they started letting atc 3 wheelers race. Ruined the track but funny watching them bounce. Quads kill the berms ,blow off all inside...
I remember when they started letting atc 3 wheelers race. Ruined the track but funny watching them bounce.

Quads kill the berms ,blow off all inside rutts and more times than i can count seen the guy that looses spin doughnuts and be a hazard in the pits.

Hated sitting in staging while 3 or 4 quads kill the track for my moto.

Always said to put a jar at signup for a kitty to split amongst the 4 or 5 quads so they would leave ,get a 12 pack and go
Spin around their yard.
No shit!
Laughing
Mxrider656
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Mxrider656 10/28/2015 9:41am
10/28/2015 9:41am Edited Date/Time 10/28/2015 9:42am
Mxrider656 wrote:
The disappointment in Rick comes from a place in my mind that riders are suppose to stick together, insurance did go way up, making the bills...
The disappointment in Rick comes from a place in my mind that riders are suppose to stick together, insurance did go way up, making the bills harder to pay, therefor track is gone.
Uncle Tony wrote:
I don't know what his insurance payment was and I'm sure it was high but he got sued in the late 90's and sold it last...
I don't know what his insurance payment was and I'm sure it was high but he got sued in the late 90's and sold it last year, and rumor is he's looking to open another track on the island (I don't believe rumors) riders sticking together that's something I have never seen in 45 years of moto
This lawsuit was from the mid 2000s and there is a way to tell it like it is- but does that mean going to this extent, taking sides of someone that is actually suing you a local track. A track that the owners put their heart and soul into? I have to disagree with Johnsons move.
newmann
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newmann 10/28/2015 9:45am
10/28/2015 9:45am
Did you want RJ to perjure himself?
newmann
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newmann 10/28/2015 9:47am
10/28/2015 9:47am
Did the injured riders insurance carrier file suit to recover the money they spent on their insured's medical bills? Or did the injured rider have no insurance and filed suit all on his own?

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