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Just viewed Daytona 2010 with Chad Reed on Team Kawasaki-he was hurt, rode practice, but not the race. I remember he got hurt early in SX, then suddenly had Epstein-Barr? Maybe I don't remember correctly. I remember the media saying he hated the bike? Maybe they wouldn't let him change the bike the way he wanted? Issues with Fisher the manager? I do remember Reed saying he walked away from a lot of money in his contract-but got out early?
Barely remember Reed on Monster Energy Kawasaki. I bet he wished he could have signed for good money on Suzuki after winning outdoors in 09. Wonder the real reason he left early?
That was sure a weird year for him. I don't know anything, but recall some whispers of personal stuff and a lot of partying too.
It felt like he was over SX before the year even started and the injury was just another thing added. Funny he went on to win Hangtown before bailing on outdoors...
What I remember from that year with Reed is when he totally punked Alessi on the podium at GH. Alessi won the second moto on the brand new 350 and rode up onto the stage thinking he won the OA.
I think he tried to come back at Daytona and was not ready. Also rode Seattle and was pretty bad.
As I recall he said in a later interview (last few years) that he went to Kawasaki purely for $$$ and realized after he went that he’d have been better off to stay at Suzuki. He also had the weird tangle in SX on the Kawi in an early SX round (with Stewart maybe?) where he injured his thumb as I recall.
The Shop
This story goes into it a little bit https://racerxonline.com/2018/05/16/long-shot-the-oral-history-of-twotw…
He couldn't stay at suzuki with RD5 waiting in the wings, plus the monster money was good.
I remember him calling it quits at millville and that was that.
Yeah Reedy rode up on to the podium and said let's get a real bike up here! LoL he had some good rides that summer before he pulled out. I remember him and RD going at it at Red Bud
Pretty sure he had the fastest time in practice, then said he "wasn't ready" He made it clear he could win, but he's just not going to ride. A big F you to Kawasaki. Lol
Wanted to stay with Suzuki in 2010 but they couldn't or wouldn't offer him a ride, at least not for the money he wanted. Plus RD was probably going to be their main guy in 2010 despite Reed winning outdoors and only barely losing the SX title.
Injured his hand early in SX, came back and won the first round of outdoors, I think at Hangtown. He was having health issues in '09 particularly in outdoors which I think carried over into 2010. From all I could gather he never really liked the Kawasaki anyway.
Wasn't Millville where he showed up with those really weird looking tiny dreads?
GH wasn't on the schedule in 2010
Believe he dnf'd the opening round from a footpeg through the front wheel. Then the collision with James at Phoenix? Resulting thumb injury in SX that kept him out of Daytona.
Think he went 2-1 at Hangtown opener where Mike acted like he won the race. He then raced a fair bit more of the Nationals but was dealing with some sort of internal issues. Perhaps best other effort was a Red Bud battle with BT and Dungey
Think it was speculated epstein-bar or heavy metal poisoning etc. He had a few comments sort of hinting at chasing an unusual medical ailment that needed to be sorted.
Never got the impression he loved that bike either and always wondered if that's what motivated the 2014 Kawi TwoTwo team.
That was 2011 the Chadapault year. Another championship gone begging.
Ah, ok. I thought that was the Kawi year for some reason.
Yeah despite Reed delivering on the 1 year deal with Suzi, they had no room for 2010 and Kawi were offering good money, but a combination of bad factors meant it was a terrible year for Reedy. Illness, injury, stress, the birth of his first child and the death of close friend Andrew Sharky McFarlane all left him in a bad place.
Yet there were still flashes of brilliance, like coming out and winning round 1 of Outdoors.
The happenings of 2010 however, just made the events of 2011 even more amazing after everyone wrote Reedy off.
He actually looked really good in prep for the outdoors, won the opener and looked great, but think he lost his front brake at Highpoint (semi-mudder) and that was pretty early on in the series and it never improved, then he got sick sick and was out until a bit later or something like that.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/sXlk-kYbLFE?si=uvsXqRRFyKXZ6kBi
Also – Jeeebus this setup was elite. I really thought he was gonna get the title this year. When we watched him at Newcastle SX on the Vodafone Honda I thought it was the first time i'd seen him on a four stroke truly look as comfortable as he did on the YZ250 in 03/04.
https://youtu.be/K1vs8mSmN4I?si=2J8WsBUoAi66fY-F
He doesn’t care. Only looking to roast a guy who he could never beat. The green bean of envy…
Pit Row
From a good source , CR was close to signing for the TLD Honda team before going with Kawi.
I think that was after Kawi. He tested BT’s 2010 bike but went and started his own team instead for 2011.
Correct, it was Hangtown.
You could take that rider and bike, and he'd podium tonight.
Thanks for posting.
That was an interesting year. Maybe it was A1 his spokes got destroyed in the first corner on thé Kaw. On thé flip side. RV liked his bike in SX. He won quite a few races
That is one of my all time favorite videos and gear bike combos! I’d order that gear today if I could!
Yep this, and his stomach issues were still present on the Kawi. He never liked the Kawasaki much and said they never got out of a window for the bike. At that point he was like screw it, got his body sorted and then did 22 Motorsports
Thanks! Enjoyed that piece. 💯👈
I remember watching that video when it came out like it was yesterday. Times flies and I don't like it
I will trust who told me, he was in a position to know.
Post a reply to: 2010 Reed on Team Kawasaki-out early?