Tomac and that Kawasaki

jemcee
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jemcee 8/22/2020 11:08pm
8/22/2020 11:08pm
kpiper wrote:
It is a Karma thing. My equipment could kill me if it failed badly...so I prefer to treat it with respect. My bike the same. But...
It is a Karma thing. My equipment could kill me if it failed badly...so I prefer to treat it with respect. My bike the same.

But yes, Kawasaki should be embarrassed to say the least.
jemcee wrote:
It's not so much about the bike for me it's about the mechanic.. He works bloody hard for a lot less money and yes it sucks...
It's not so much about the bike for me it's about the mechanic.. He works bloody hard for a lot less money and yes it sucks for you that it broke but to just dump it for someone else to pick up isn't a good look.. Especially when there were people there to hold it up.. It seems he wanted to dump it to make a point and that's lame if you ask me
Heavyrider wrote:
I thought it looked like John Tomac who picked it up.
Yeah I think it was.. Which again makes it worse!
This is obviously easy for me to say but I'd like to think that I'd be of attitude that I'm borrowing this bike, My mechanic gave it to me to race and I'll be the one to give it back to him.. I remember when Dunge boiled fuel at Freestone and he walked it all the way back to the pits (I think haha)..
Also not saying I expected Tomac to go quite that far but to actually push it over wasn't cool.. Unless we're all missing something and it's a Wyatt Seals situation haha
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tek14
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tek14 8/22/2020 11:19pm
8/22/2020 11:19pm
kpiper wrote:
It is a Karma thing. My equipment could kill me if it failed badly...so I prefer to treat it with respect. My bike the same. But...
It is a Karma thing. My equipment could kill me if it failed badly...so I prefer to treat it with respect. My bike the same.

But yes, Kawasaki should be embarrassed to say the least.
jemcee wrote:
It's not so much about the bike for me it's about the mechanic.. He works bloody hard for a lot less money and yes it sucks...
It's not so much about the bike for me it's about the mechanic.. He works bloody hard for a lot less money and yes it sucks for you that it broke but to just dump it for someone else to pick up isn't a good look.. Especially when there were people there to hold it up.. It seems he wanted to dump it to make a point and that's lame if you ask me
Well nobody asked you. Its same if he dumped that piece of crap to ditch. If there is multimillion operation that cant build bike that lasts 30min it not rider to blame.
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jake721
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jake721 8/22/2020 11:20pm
8/22/2020 11:20pm
If the first engine failed, then why wouldn’t the second engine fail too? “Same” engine, same conditions. Team Kawi needs a fix if they want another title.
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jemcee
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jemcee 8/22/2020 11:30pm
8/22/2020 11:30pm
kpiper wrote:
It is a Karma thing. My equipment could kill me if it failed badly...so I prefer to treat it with respect. My bike the same. But...
It is a Karma thing. My equipment could kill me if it failed badly...so I prefer to treat it with respect. My bike the same.

But yes, Kawasaki should be embarrassed to say the least.
jemcee wrote:
It's not so much about the bike for me it's about the mechanic.. He works bloody hard for a lot less money and yes it sucks...
It's not so much about the bike for me it's about the mechanic.. He works bloody hard for a lot less money and yes it sucks for you that it broke but to just dump it for someone else to pick up isn't a good look.. Especially when there were people there to hold it up.. It seems he wanted to dump it to make a point and that's lame if you ask me
tek14 wrote:
Well nobody asked you. Its same if he dumped that piece of crap to ditch. If there is multimillion operation that cant build bike that lasts...
Well nobody asked you. Its same if he dumped that piece of crap to ditch. If there is multimillion operation that cant build bike that lasts 30min it not rider to blame.
Ooow touchy
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Lloydcarter
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Lloydcarter 8/22/2020 11:37pm
8/22/2020 11:37pm
FGR01 wrote:
I'd like to point out that in my original post I didn't attempt to point fingers at Eli or the Bike. That wasn't my point. My...
I'd like to point out that in my original post I didn't attempt to point fingers at Eli or the Bike. That wasn't my point.

My point is that when the reigning 3x running champ has a massive mechanical DNF in both motos, that is not a good day for the team. There's got to be some major soul searching going on and trying to root this problem out. Not saying where the blame lies or that the blame has to lie anywhere, but it is completely unacceptable for this to happen in a Pro race operation. Eli is a very professional rider so when he dropped the bike in disgust after the Moto-1 DNF you know things were not good. Can you imagine if he was mic'ed up when the moto-2 DNF happened what we would have heard?
kpiper wrote:
A lot of you guys may laugh at this...but when I saw Eli 'toss' his bike to the ground at the end of the first moto...
A lot of you guys may laugh at this...but when I saw Eli 'toss' his bike to the ground at the end of the first moto I cringed a little.

I never liked the idea of doing something like that to my bike...I get being mad but 'she' has to take care of you again in the next race. Treat your equipment well no matter what.
Oh that’s cool. You’ve been going for your 4th outdoor title also sick!!
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gregyou
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gregyou 8/22/2020 11:55pm
8/22/2020 11:55pm
jemcee wrote:
It's not so much about the bike for me it's about the mechanic.. He works bloody hard for a lot less money and yes it sucks...
It's not so much about the bike for me it's about the mechanic.. He works bloody hard for a lot less money and yes it sucks for you that it broke but to just dump it for someone else to pick up isn't a good look.. Especially when there were people there to hold it up.. It seems he wanted to dump it to make a point and that's lame if you ask me
Heavyrider wrote:
I thought it looked like John Tomac who picked it up.
jemcee wrote:
Yeah I think it was.. Which again makes it worse! This is obviously easy for me to say but I'd like to think that I'd be...
Yeah I think it was.. Which again makes it worse!
This is obviously easy for me to say but I'd like to think that I'd be of attitude that I'm borrowing this bike, My mechanic gave it to me to race and I'll be the one to give it back to him.. I remember when Dunge boiled fuel at Freestone and he walked it all the way back to the pits (I think haha)..
Also not saying I expected Tomac to go quite that far but to actually push it over wasn't cool.. Unless we're all missing something and it's a Wyatt Seals situation haha
I’d throw the thing off a cliff
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needforspeed78 8/23/2020 12:01am
8/23/2020 12:01am
If you are hard on your bike and ride mostly long motos in rough conditions, then the new KX450 is not the bike for you. It will heat up and will not last.
Last year when the Dutch Masters started, there were lots of pilots with new KX450 on the line. By the end of the summer(and after lots of engine failures) almost no one were riding new KX450.
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jemcee
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jemcee 8/23/2020 12:13am
8/23/2020 12:13am
gregyou wrote:
I’d throw the thing off a cliff
That's dramatic
Ozy
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Ozy 8/23/2020 12:22am
8/23/2020 12:22am
gregyou wrote:
Is there any video of him dropping his bike in disgust ?
Is there any video of him dropping his bike in disgust ?
I'm sure somebody will post a clip. I was watching TV and saw him let go of the handlebars and the bike fall into the mud - it did give me a pause for about 1 second. Eli was not throwing a tantrum or jumping up and down. A guess would be mental and physical exhaustion topped off with frustration of being in position to salvage points and then going backwards . . . a muddy bike fell into the mud
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Gas Axe
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Gas Axe 8/23/2020 12:27am
8/23/2020 12:27am
It's horrendous for Kawi. From a professional motorsport perspective, it's just not good enough. It's not some supped up dealership special.
Do you think this would happen to Mercedes in F1 when the weather shits itself? Or any other factory MotoGp team when the conditions are less than perfect?



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jorgechavez 8/23/2020 12:33am
8/23/2020 12:33am
Emotions run high after long gruelling motos like that, I think that’s why you see riders get so pumped when they win, it’s just pure emotion. That’s also why I don’t think it’s unreasonable when you see riders react to heartbreak (to them) the way Eli did. Just my opinion, though.
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avidchimp
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avidchimp 8/23/2020 12:51am
8/23/2020 12:51am
jake721 wrote:
If the first engine failed, then why wouldn’t the second engine fail too? “Same” engine, same conditions. Team Kawi needs a fix if they want another...
If the first engine failed, then why wouldn’t the second engine fail too? “Same” engine, same conditions. Team Kawi needs a fix if they want another title.
Adam's bike finished both motos for 2'nd overall, so....
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teamddr
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teamddr 8/23/2020 12:54am
8/23/2020 12:54am Edited Date/Time 8/23/2020 1:11am
After not letting two of the USA,s best riders represent their countries in the MXON it’s good to see them getting a good helping of Karma.
Ditto for husky for helping Zacho and JA21
The other Way round



Tomac = One of the best riders in the world
Kawasaki USA = a team not befitting of one of the best riders in the world
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Bnagazina 8/23/2020 1:05am
8/23/2020 1:05am
If there is a chance of failure due to conditions, you would think the team would take steps to minimize the risk. Oversized radiators, Coolant with a higher boiling point, running a clutch that minimizes overheating (don’t know if Hinson does this, or if Rekluse’s pack decreases slippage). Twin Airs pantyhose rad covers to keep the mud out. Just thinking this isn’t “joe mixer’’ at a mud race, Kawasaki has the resources to minimize the risks.
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Wildeye511
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Wildeye511 8/23/2020 1:30am
8/23/2020 1:30am
Dude busts his ass training and is the fastest guy out there and gets frustrated due to two mechanical failures.. People complain when riders dont show emotion on the podium. Well he didnt make the podium, but he showed his emotions. He let the bike fall, its not like he started jumping on it trying to smash it into pieces. It isnt like they arent going to go through the whole bike anyway.
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Kelz87
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Kelz87 8/23/2020 2:16am
8/23/2020 2:16am
gregyou wrote:
Is there any video of him dropping his bike in disgust ?
Is there any video of him dropping his bike in disgust ?
It’s at 1:53:33 if you’re watching NBC Sports. I can’t upload the sequence on Vital tonight for some reason
philG
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philG 8/23/2020 2:26am
8/23/2020 2:26am
kpiper wrote:
Oh, and how things go in life...he could have easily gone 1-1 today in Washougal.
Thats cos he would have been there on his own... its the same set of circumstances for everyone, and that is why we race. Part of a racers armoury is to look after the bike.. he cant do that. So he DNF's.
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philG
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philG 8/23/2020 2:30am
8/23/2020 2:30am
I cant understand why they dont run a coolant tank like beach race guys do. More water in the first place and it doesnt boil away.
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Dirtdemon 8/23/2020 3:37am
8/23/2020 3:37am
Can "small" Teams really afford more mud races ???
Or is the cost the same ? They rebuild everything anyway.

Timo_2824
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Timo_2824 8/23/2020 5:03am
8/23/2020 5:03am
jake721 wrote:
If the first engine failed, then why wouldn’t the second engine fail too? “Same” engine, same conditions. Team Kawi needs a fix if they want another...
If the first engine failed, then why wouldn’t the second engine fail too? “Same” engine, same conditions. Team Kawi needs a fix if they want another title.
avidchimp wrote:
Adam's bike finished both motos for 2'nd overall, so....
Last year Joey's bike had a bunch of DNF's while Tomac finished every race. I bet they were developing the new clutch and it's currently in Tomacs bike...
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CPR
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CPR 8/23/2020 5:49am
8/23/2020 5:49am
Is kawi still running oil coolers on their bikes? Do both Tomac and AC run one? I haven’t noticed them this year, will have to look...
Always thought it interesting that they ran coolers and no one else does. They obviously have a heat issue.
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lawson34
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lawson34 8/23/2020 6:04am
8/23/2020 6:04am
A hinson clutch failed not the bike.... mxdn in 2018 he stalled the bike, the starter has a micro switch that cuts all power when the starter overheats... they've worked thru that problem
SEE ARE125
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SEE ARE125 8/23/2020 6:32am
8/23/2020 6:32am
Honestly I’m not sure Tomac could’ve pushed the bike back if he wanted to, the place was nothing but slop. He doesn’t have a kickstand, and didn’t appear to have anything to lean it up against. Leaving it on the ground and waiting for a SxS or something to come get it was about the only option.
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280driver
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280driver 8/23/2020 6:44am
8/23/2020 6:44am
People hating on the Kawi are overlooking the number of other bikes that had failures. Osborns bike was close the crapping out.. A factory bike being ridden by a pro rider in a mud race like that is stressed to the limit. It happens. Really sucks it happened twice to Tomac though and he has every right to be pissed. Certainly doesn’t mean the KX off the showroom floor is going to be unreliable.
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Philly215
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Philly215 8/23/2020 6:49am
8/23/2020 6:49am
Pretty sure Eli is one of the toughest guys on the clutch. He keeps the bike pinned and uses the clutch constantly so no surprising he has issues.
Gravel
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Gravel 8/23/2020 6:57am
8/23/2020 6:57am Edited Date/Time 8/23/2020 6:59am
After one DNF, a pro rider should be pissed off, quietly and clearly make his management understand that there is a problem with the equipment, and for the 2nd Moto the rider should adjust the way he rides to preserve the equipment and finish the 2nd Moto. He is there to do a job and should always have a clear mind and a real understanding of the limitations of the day. To keep hammering the $hit out of equipment that just broke from that treatment is asking for it to break again, that’s letting emotions control the outcome instead of doing the job like a professional. Think of how much more successful ET could be if he had better control of his emotions, when he’s on, he has (IMO) better speed than RC4 had. He just doesn’t manage difficulty as well.

Dungey had that race intelligence, and he was pretty successful, without the speed of ET3.
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MotofactioN
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MotofactioN 8/23/2020 7:05am
8/23/2020 7:05am
teamddr wrote:
After not letting two of the USA,s best riders represent their countries in the MXON it’s good to see them getting a good helping of Karma...
After not letting two of the USA,s best riders represent their countries in the MXON it’s good to see them getting a good helping of Karma.
Ditto for husky for helping Zacho and JA21
The other Way round



Tomac = One of the best riders in the world
Kawasaki USA = a team not befitting of one of the best riders in the world
Imagine Eli on the zook....there I said it.

Not one zook blew up.

Throw him on a yellow bike.
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dadofagun
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dadofagun 8/23/2020 7:10am
8/23/2020 7:10am
I'm just curious what the next issue of "Kawasaki Proof in Racing" is gonna have to say about their day in the mud.......
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#434
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#434 8/23/2020 7:11am
8/23/2020 7:11am
It used to be a part of the skill set of a racer to treat and race his machine in a way that it makes it to the end. That skill seems lost in modern motocross
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