RC and Honda

Mudboy

Member
Dec 3, 1999
95
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I wonder if RC has thought about this: he went from team green (color) to team red which is green in philosophy. They are marketing their cr450f as their best motocrosser. They also will want to snuggle up with the greenies as per their corporate philosophy, so RC may spend one year adjusting to the new cr250 and then be pressured into another year trying to go 4-stroke. If anyone has ever completely mastered 2-stroke technique it's RC and I just can't see him riding a 4-stroke as fast. But my prediction is that Honda will force him to do just that and Ferry and other 4-stroke masters will leave him in the dust. Honda bought a year of the #1 plate without any effort but I seriously doubt they'll be able to hang onto it.
 
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DSsuper92

Member
Mar 27, 2000
72
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RC could ride an 80 and still win the championship. If Honda forces him to ride the 450 then he'll just have to adapt. Kinda like Ferry did a year ago on the 426. Honda is so hard up for a MX Championship now though that I doubt they would mess with Carmichael. Jeremy's curse is still hanging over them why would they want to add to it?
 

John.T

Member
Aug 2, 2001
196
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I am kinda ticked at RC right now, I mean Kawasaki basically raised that kid, gave him everything he needed and honda waves money in his face and he's gone! Soon motocross is going to turn into the NHL!! No one will ride for less that 5 million!! Heck that's were I come in! heh heh I would ride for a jersey! And this is the prob with RC and his parents you have been raised on a Kawi and as soon as you win the big one you leave!!! For more money????? I have a Honda so I want to see RC kick butt on it! But I would probably smile if he could not gain back his momentum he had on the Kawi because he got greedy!!!
SHAME ON YOU RC!
 

Jamir

I come and go
Aug 7, 2001
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Sure, you may ride for a jersey, but if someone told you they would pay to $100,000 to ride, you would do that too. And if someone else offers you $200,000, you would do that too. Who wouldn't? These guys only have a few years of Pro status. They need to make as much as possible while they can. Sure, they want to win races, but there is not one rider out there who would turn down more money from a lesser company. Loyalty means nothing. If RC started losing races, don't think that Kawasaki wouldn't drop him in a heart beat!
 

KiDX

Sponsoring Member
Mar 30, 2001
406
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Originally posted by John.T
I am kinda ticked at RC right now, I mean Kawasaki basically raised that kid, gave him everything he needed and honda waves money in his face and he's gone!
Glad to see that I'm not the only one pissed off about it.
 

stormer94

~SPONSOR~
May 30, 2001
597
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Thunder33,

You hit it on the head. I agree 100%.

If he started stinking it up, he'd get the boot. Would people gripe "Where is Kawi's loyalty to a man that got them where they are". Which is horse crap in the first place one rider won't make or break a brand. BUT, people forget it's a two way street...
 

stormer94

~SPONSOR~
May 30, 2001
597
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AND, now that I think about it just a few seconds longer. Where is Kawi's loyalty to RC in the finance department? How come they didn't step up like Honda did? Honda said, "Dude, we like the way you kick ass, come ride for us and please accept this large suitcase of money as a token of our appreciation". Kawasaki's reply was sorry dude your not worth that kind of money, take your helmet and get out. I would think it's actually Kawasaki's fault he's gone. If they really wanted him, they should have bellied up to the plate and handled it.

Surely RC would have rather stayed with the familiar team.

It's Kawasaki's loss, and they basically insulted RC by NOT offering more money and hanging on to the greatest rider of this generation.

This isn't the NFL, I bet what money is in the contract is suprisingly less than you think. The guy is risking his life and only has a few years to do it before he's to old to do it well. Every crash (even as in frequent as they are) could be his last, and then he's out...

I say good for RC for taking care of himself and those around him, and Honda for allowing us to watch RC prove that the color of the bike is of little concern.
 

John.T

Member
Aug 2, 2001
196
0
Maybe Kawi Could not afford to may as much as Honda? Honda has TONS of money!! Im sure they could throw more than Kawi could. To me this is like my parents raising me then my next door neighbours coming over and saying "Hey we will give you 200,000 to come live here and not talk to your real parents any more":scream: Hmm maybe I would take that:p Actually I am kiding but I just find it too be selfish of RC, And to answer the question if there was a Diff of 1 million dollars I would still ride for the guys that supported me all the way ESPECIALLY when I am winning on the bike! RC has so much money coming in from Oakley, and Fox and movies and the other hundres sponsers he has I dont think that the extra should really matter!!!

As for the NFL any hit could be a guys last play too! Look at Larocco he has been doing it for A LONG time and he has not slowed down so I don't really believe the few years excuse
 
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Byrd Man

Member
Aug 24, 2000
85
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Will Chevy move it's money to the Honda camp or stay with Kaw? Are they sponsering the rider or the bike? It's cool when a rider sticks with a brand over his career, but sometime a change is good. A few names are synonomous with the factory they rode for. There are many who switched brands but when I hear metion of their names I tend to think of the brand they rode that made em famous. Here are a few
Jeff Ward-Kaw
Bob Hannah-Yamaha
Magoo Chandler-Honda
David Bailey- Honda
Keidrowski-Kaw
Damon Bradshaw- Yamaha
Guy Cooper- Suzuki
Ricky Johnson- Makes me think of 2 brands Yam and Hon.
One roadracer that stands out is Kevin Shwantz(sp?) and the GSXR750
 

KawieKX125

~SPONSOR~
Oct 9, 2000
948
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From what I understand, RC got 600,000 from kawasaki per year+bonuses from other sponsors. His base salary at honda is 6000000 for 3 years. Loyalty is not worth over 1000000 per year IMO. I also heard he likes the Hondas better. Frankly, I would not mind seeing him and Lusk have a battle. Sort of Ironic, the opposite of what was expected last year.:p
 

XRpredator

AssClown SuperPowers
Damn Yankees
Aug 2, 2000
13,510
19
The Leprechaun is a tool, and will do whatever it takes to add to his pot o' gold!

I hope he wears his green suit and buckle shoes to the AMA awards banquet!

Will he wear the #1 plate on the Hondas next year? Is Chad Watts going with him?
 

zio

Mr. Atlas
Jul 28, 2000
2,291
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Originally posted by XRpredator
The Leprechaun is a tool, and will do whatever it takes to add to his pot o' gold!

I hope he wears his green suit and buckle shoes to the AMA awards banquet!

Is someone green with envy???;) XRP, you sure dislpay a lot of hostility towards RC. Perhaps he smoked you on his KX60 a few years back?:p


All kidding aside, I care more about the underdogs nowadays than I do about the big stars. Tim Ferry is who I'm pulling for next year outdoors. And I'm taking the wife to the first Supercross to see Jeremy come out all full of p*ss and vinegar. Don't you just know he's got a voodoo doll all stuck full of pins and has beatent he crap out of his 5'4 heavy bag?
 

XRpredator

AssClown SuperPowers
Damn Yankees
Aug 2, 2000
13,510
19
Originally posted by zio
Don't you just know he's got a voodoo doll all stuck full of pins . . .
And he didn't even have to buy it! He got it free with two proofs-of-purchase from Lucky Charms! (they're magically delicious!)
 

stormer94

~SPONSOR~
May 30, 2001
597
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byrdman,

Yep, RC will always be the #4 Kawi' rider in my book... :)

UNLESS, he comes out and wins like 10 championships on Honda's that would throw a wrench in it.
 

fire escape

Member
Jan 29, 2001
20
0
Me too

I thought I was the only one who believed RC sold out-especially after all the Team Green support. Yeah I know , if he had sucked they would have kicked him to the curb long ago and I know they only have so many productive years etc,etc,etc. Won't matter because MC is gonna come back ONE MORE TIME!! I guess I'm kinda sad because I've been to GNCC's and have seen how Kawasaki throws down with the semi,free dinner,rub elbows with the riders and mechanics and other things to generate brand loyalty. Honda didn't do squat ( well, Summers signed posters because he was hurt ). I know I'm talking offroad and not MX but anyways......
 

Mudboy

Member
Dec 3, 1999
95
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On to my original inquiry: do you think RC will be pressured or forced into riding a 4-stroke in the near future? And, if so, would he be able to adjust to it?
 

stormer94

~SPONSOR~
May 30, 2001
597
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They will put RC on whatever sells bikes. Even if it's an xr50.

They've got the rider, now how best to use his talents. If it's the 450 then that's where Honda will point him.
 

nephron

Dr. Feel Good
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jun 15, 2001
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What number is he gonna run?

The Earnhardt-ish signature #4, or the Evil-Empire's sloven and shamefully desired #1? :silly:
 

Jamir

I come and go
Aug 7, 2001
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I was never insinuationg that Honda was a lesser company. I was only making the point that money is a bigger factor than loyalty or riding the best bike. You can say all you want about how you would stick with the company that brought you to the dance, but if you have a contract waved in your face that was ten times as much, you would be an idiot to not accept it. Like I said, these guys risk life and limb to do what they love. They can only do it for a short time. They need to make all they can unless they want to retire from MX and go back to working at Hardee's. Why is it so evil to make a lot of jack doing something you love. If Huffy put a motor on a bicycle and pid me a million dollars a year to race it in a motocross while wearing a pink jersey that says "Huffy Tuffy" on it, by God, I will do it! It beats getting $30,000/yr to sit behind a desk!
 

weimedog

~SPONSOR~
Damn Yankees
Nov 21, 2000
959
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So why hasn't all this loyalty talk translated into sales of Kawasaki Brand MX bikes?

Also Kawasaki has ANOTHER RC on the way in James Stewart and STILL have Mike Brown. Expect Kawasaki to dominate the 125's next year.
 

Jamir

I come and go
Aug 7, 2001
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That is all well and good but I thought that it was all about the 250 class. What happened to the days when 125's were just for grooming the 250 riders? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching the 125's but 250 separates the men from the boys. Unless you are talking about Pastrana, he of course is not human. He is a machine built by Suzuki to dominate all.

Maybe RC just wanted a change. He has been with Kawi for some time now. I am going to bet that in the next five years, we will see him on Yamaha also.
 

KnobShredder

Member
Dec 1, 2000
41
2
Originally posted by stormer94
....it's Kawasaki's loss, and they basically insulted RC by NOT offering more money and hanging on to the greatest rider of this generation....

jeez, i strongly disagree with that opinion. i guess 8 titles beginning in the 90's and ending in the year 2000 means that jeremy was in some other generation? Let RC do what he's doing until the year 2010, then you can put him on par with jeremy
 
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Jamir

I come and go
Aug 7, 2001
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Good point, but keep in mind that an opinion can never be wrong. It is an opinion for crying out loud.
 
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