who was the most influential in the sport?

mauidex
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mauidex
Edited Date/Time 9/29/2017 1:17pm
based on that stewart thread this is a good topic for debate.............who was most influential to the sport?? 50 years is a long time.........just off top of my head in no particular order

Roger
Hannah
Johnson
McGrath
RC
Pastrami
Stewart
Dungy

a lot of good arguments for allDizzyDizzy
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kkawboy14
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kkawboy14 9/26/2017 11:12am
9/26/2017 11:12am
Ricky Johnson-guys wanted to be him and the girls wanted to date him! The Bad Boy Club was rollin
SoCalMX70
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SoCalMX70 9/26/2017 11:23am
9/26/2017 11:23am
Depends when you grew up... I'd say it's a different answer for every generation.

I'll say McGrath till I die. Unbeatable. Unmatched Style. Did what he wanted. Brought the money.

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-MAVERICK-
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-MAVERICK- 9/26/2017 11:34am
9/26/2017 11:34am
Carmichael. Brought the sport to a whole new level of riding/training. Don't think anyone else will come along and raise it more than he already has.

Speed will get faster but that will be due to technology not a single individual.

You see this even at the amateur level. Kids are training year round, you see it in the kid's riding style, etc.
Dirty Points 9/26/2017 11:34am
9/26/2017 11:34am Edited Date/Time 9/26/2017 11:58am
Entire body of work?

DeCoster, for sure.
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TXDirt 9/26/2017 11:35am
9/26/2017 11:35am
Each persons parents.
mx317
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mx317 9/26/2017 11:49am
9/26/2017 11:49am
Over the longest period of time, DeCoster!
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bbhMoto 9/26/2017 11:55am
9/26/2017 11:55am
RC as a rider, but DeCoster overall. 5 time world champ, MXDN coach, rider mentor, engineering in terms of bringing KTM to a winning brand. He has done it all except owned his own bike company (I think)
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mark_swart 9/26/2017 12:20pm
9/26/2017 12:20pm
My answer is in terms of influential technique only:

I'm a huge fan of Dungey, but I don't really view him as an innovator.
MC changed the game in terms of dominance and precision indoors. Hannah changed the game in terms of aggression. Stewart changed the game with the scrub.

I'm also a big fan of the late 80s guys like Bailey, OShow, Bradshaw and RJ. I believe they really solidified a lot of modern technique, but they were really putting together ideas that were already there. They wrote the book on modern technique, so to speak.

I also feel that RC was more about putting all of the pieces together (riding, training, racecraft, heart) than actually innovating in terms of riding style.
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Jamal#440 9/26/2017 12:33pm
9/26/2017 12:33pm
Theres no bigger way to influence than through video games, so it's the guy who was in the first MX video games- McGrath.
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wfo4ever 9/26/2017 12:50pm
9/26/2017 12:50pm
-MAVERICK- wrote:
The guy that invented it.
We have a winner!!! The first guy that went into a field on a motorcycle, Started riding around the same places in the field, berms started to build up in the turns, then he saw in the distance a nice natural jump and started grabbing gears and went big. Then he would do the same path he made in the same field for 45 minutes plus 2 laps twice a day. He then added 32 more man made jumps to go big on and brought in lots of extra sand and sawdust to form deep ruts. He then called the track "Cookie Cutter". The End....
RoflCopter726 9/26/2017 12:59pm
9/26/2017 12:59pm
SoCalMX70 wrote:
Depends when you grew up... I'd say it's a different answer for every generation. I'll say McGrath till I die. Unbeatable. Unmatched Style. Did what he...
Depends when you grew up... I'd say it's a different answer for every generation.

I'll say McGrath till I die. Unbeatable. Unmatched Style. Did what he wanted. Brought the money.
+1 for MC. He's the reason I wanted to ride so bad as a kid.
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jnickell 9/26/2017 1:06pm
9/26/2017 1:06pm Edited Date/Time 9/26/2017 1:08pm
In the context of the sport already being invented, I put a vote in for Roger De Coster.. Be it as a racer, team manager, mentor, voice, motorcycle development, etc... Without him, who manages the not so traveled American riders back in the early 80's with such a worldly view. That's just one example of his influence.

From sharpening foot pegs to 45+1 motos to sanctioning bodies, De Coster does it all and is respected by all.

P.S. I don't think this has anything to do with the time you grew up. Influence on the sport is the question. Not influence on your perception of the sport. Well, that's how I ready it anyway.
Rockinar
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Rockinar 9/26/2017 1:08pm
9/26/2017 1:08pm
McGrath.

There's was others that came before him that were big influences within in the sport. But McGrath was the one who made it mainstream. He had video games, toys, etc. Before McGrath, factory teams were operating out of box vans and begging cigarette companies for advertising dollars. Even the Big Red Machine had box vans till about 96-97.
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jnickell 9/26/2017 1:12pm
9/26/2017 1:12pm
Rockinar wrote:
McGrath. There's was others that came before him that were big influences within in the sport. But McGrath was the one who made it mainstream. He...
McGrath.

There's was others that came before him that were big influences within in the sport. But McGrath was the one who made it mainstream. He had video games, toys, etc. Before McGrath, factory teams were operating out of box vans and begging cigarette companies for advertising dollars. Even the Big Red Machine had box vans till about 96-97.
To me, De Coster was the guy that picked the lock on the door to moto mainstream. After that, guys like Bayle, MC, RJ, RC and the rest were then able to walk right in and do their thing. But I do agree, MC definitely was a huge influence.
SoCalMX70
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SoCalMX70 9/26/2017 1:25pm
9/26/2017 1:25pm
Rockinar wrote:
McGrath. There's was others that came before him that were big influences within in the sport. But McGrath was the one who made it mainstream. He...
McGrath.

There's was others that came before him that were big influences within in the sport. But McGrath was the one who made it mainstream. He had video games, toys, etc. Before McGrath, factory teams were operating out of box vans and begging cigarette companies for advertising dollars. Even the Big Red Machine had box vans till about 96-97.
Yup. Hey here's a pic I found from when I was walking the pits in 2001...



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gt80rider
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gt80rider 9/26/2017 1:50pm
9/26/2017 1:50pm
SoCalMX70 wrote:
Depends when you grew up... I'd say it's a different answer for every generation. I'll say McGrath till I die. Unbeatable. Unmatched Style. Did what he...
Depends when you grew up... I'd say it's a different answer for every generation.

I'll say McGrath till I die. Unbeatable. Unmatched Style. Did what he wanted. Brought the money.
X2... He was the guy during the second golden age of mx/sx... And with his charisma, he could have made Eskimos want to buy his brand of boxed snow...

Rc was huge of course, just not nearly as affable..
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ATHEIST 9/26/2017 1:55pm
9/26/2017 1:55pm
uuhh this.......


read the patch.......




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GuyB 9/26/2017 1:56pm
9/26/2017 1:56pm
I've seen U.S. fans fall all over themselves to get Roger D's autograph...while he was standing next to Stefen Everts...and they didn't even notice him.

MC for sure.

RC for sure.

Pastrana, mostly for what he's done after racing.

JS7, for titles, and being one of the most spectacular guys to watch.
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jeffro503 9/26/2017 1:58pm
9/26/2017 1:58pm
So many past decades , with so many great champions....from all over the world. I guess it depends on which person you ask , their age , and where they grew up. I don't think I could mention just one name , and feel good about it.
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Motofinne 9/26/2017 2:00pm
9/26/2017 2:00pm Edited Date/Time 9/26/2017 2:01pm
DeCoster, MC, RC, JS7, Everts.

DeCoster as the number 1. But the other 3 are way younger and have time to do something after their active racing career.
NorCalRedRyder 9/26/2017 2:02pm
9/26/2017 2:02pm
Pastrana for bringing moto into the American mainstream, even if it was through freestyle. You present the names on this list to an average person, TP would be the only name they would recognize.
jorgechavez 9/26/2017 2:11pm
9/26/2017 2:11pm
Hard to say.. I think you have to put CR22 in there.

I'd agree with everyone you posted, maybe except Dungey, no disrespect but I don't think he was really moving the needle much.

I'd also argue to put Kenny in there if you want to speak about right now, in an age where social media is so important he definitely has that on lock.
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captmoto 9/26/2017 2:13pm
9/26/2017 2:13pm
Edison Dye for bringing MX to the U.S.?
DavetheVintageGuy 9/26/2017 2:50pm
9/26/2017 2:50pm
Roger for sure.

5 time 500cc World Champ. Gave Hannah and Lackey someone to aspire to beat in the 70's. Rode for CZ, Suzuki, and Honda. Managed teams for Honda, Suzuki and KTM. Was involved in the testing and design of some of the most iconic motocross bikes of the past 5 decades(70's Suzuki RMs, 80's Honda CRs, current KTM). Led Team USA to numerous MXDN wins. Turned KTM into a player in US motocross.

And made wearing a full face helmet cool after nearly ripping his face off during the Trans-AMA series when the front end fell off his RN. Roger made the cross up cool too.
olds cool
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olds cool 9/26/2017 3:08pm
9/26/2017 3:08pm
DavetheVintageGuy wrote:
Roger for sure. 5 time 500cc World Champ. Gave Hannah and Lackey someone to aspire to beat in the 70's. Rode for CZ, Suzuki, and Honda...
Roger for sure.

5 time 500cc World Champ. Gave Hannah and Lackey someone to aspire to beat in the 70's. Rode for CZ, Suzuki, and Honda. Managed teams for Honda, Suzuki and KTM. Was involved in the testing and design of some of the most iconic motocross bikes of the past 5 decades(70's Suzuki RMs, 80's Honda CRs, current KTM). Led Team USA to numerous MXDN wins. Turned KTM into a player in US motocross.

And made wearing a full face helmet cool after nearly ripping his face off during the Trans-AMA series when the front end fell off his RN. Roger made the cross up cool too.
Good summary. IMO the only thing missing would be mentioning all the odd, one-off races he did in countries that no one cared about back in the day to expose the world to word class level MX. He took this sport to the far away corners of the earth. He didn't invent the sport or retire with the most titles but he paved the way for all of those that came and are still coming behind him. The Man is the best ambassador of this sport, ever.

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