moto1313

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Oct 9, 2000
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According to a national motorcycling news source, Ricky Carmichael signed the deal to go to Honda next year at the Las Vegas SX last week. Kawasaki just lost their only hope for any more titles in the near future. I think ricky made a wise choice. He was all over the place with the set up of his 10 year old k-wacker. Honda will be a good home for the Champ, if he can take the pressure!:eek:
 

PTCruiser

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Aug 25, 2000
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I don't know....this could be McGrath's chance to pull off one more championship if it takes Ricky a while to adjust to those wacky Honda frames:p
 

moto1313

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Oct 9, 2000
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Plenty of time to adjust to RED

Ricky should have plenty of time to adjust and shake out the CR's. He is not doing a last minute deal here and you know that Honda will do whatever it takes to have Ricky totally comfortable on the red bikes by the time '02 rolls around. If Ricky is at ease on the CR's, I think he will repeat as SX and MX without a hitch. McGrath will be better prepared for next year without a doubt to get the SX crown back-ESPECIALLY from Honda. Kawie definitely dropped the ball here by letting Ricky get away.:think
 

Okiewan

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Dec 31, 1969
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Honda has a long history of buying championships and champions in just about all forms of motorcycle racing. This comes as no surprise.

And what team does not? Think they buy babies and raise them to win?
 

BCooper

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Aug 9, 2000
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Way to Go Honda!

I'm tickled to hear the news. I would love to see a RED Bike regularly whipping McGrath. Now if Honda will just put LaRocco on the new CRF450! I think it may prove to be just enough to put him ahead a spot or two.

Coop- who bleeds RED and hasn't always ridden blue:p
 
S

Saratoga

How do you sign a deal to ride next year? Who will RC ride for in the outdoor series??

You cannot race for Kawasaki now and have a signed contract to ride for Honda next year. This information is not consistent and is questionable at best.
 

PTCruiser

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Aug 25, 2000
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Re: Way to Go Honda!

Originally posted by BCooper
Now if Honda will just put LaRocco on the new CRF450! I think it may prove to be just enough to put him ahead a spot or two.

Yeah, Maybe the 450 would buy LaRocco the starts he needs:scream:
 

Bob Brooks

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Jan 6, 2001
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Okie, I realize all the manufacturers are trying to win and essentially they're all "buying" championships. However, some of the other companies will take a younger rider, sometimes even an amateur racer, and groom him along. Kawasaki has done that with dozens of riders, Suzuki did that with Pastrana, Yamaha with Bradshaw and so on. Typically, Honda is only interested in the riders at the absolute top, and they have the pockets to outbid the others and snare that rider.

In dirt track in the 80s, Honda did that several times, hiring the defending champion so they could showcase the number one plate on their team the following year. When Mike Kidd won the title in '81, they hired him away in '82 and ran advertisements with his number one plate on their motorcycle. They did the same with Ricky Graham in '84. After spending a ton of money and winning a few championships in a row, they quit and pulled up stakes.

All the manufacturers are interesting in winning and hiring the top riders. It just seems to me that Honda has little or no interest in cultivating a rider or using a farm system. Check out their wonderful contingency program for amateurs. They let the other companies bring the riders along and then spend the money to get them once they peak. That's just my opinion and observation though. It didn't occur to me that any of the teams would buy babies and raise them to win. That's an interesting interpretation of my earlier post.
 

IDkTm

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Jul 12, 2000
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Originally posted by Saratoga
How do you sign a deal to ride next year? Who will RC ride for in the outdoor series??

You cannot race for Kawasaki now and have a signed contract to ride for Honda next year. This information is not consistent and is questionable at best.

Easy, his current Kawasaki contract runs through the Nationals and maybe into some of the offseason races. RC will be on a KX for the Nationals. I know that typically Honda wrote its contracts to run from January 1 to Decmeber 31 to discourage riders from leaving, however last year they gave Kevin Windham a release so he could get on a Suzuki sooner. He was on a Suzuki by October at the US Open. During Ezra Lusk's year on Yamaha he signed with Honda in July for the next year. Really this shouldn't be a problem with Kawasaki only a setback as they lose there #1 rider. Things like this happen all the time.
 

JimmyD2

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Nov 10, 2000
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moto1313 said: "He was all over the place with the set up of his 10 year old k-wacker."

I think you meant to say - "I hope he is not all over the place on the CR like his good buddy Esra Lusk, because he was flat out awesome on that green bike."

There. That's better. :D
 

moto1313

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Oct 9, 2000
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NO NO-I meant what I said

JimmyD2-Ricky has been riding on the edge of that battleship kawasaki calls a bike for several years now. If they (Kawie) could at least make a half hearted attempt at updating the geometry of this bike, he may be able to smooth out his riding. Ezra has been off for almost a year and is still getting back up to speed. I don't think it's the bike's fault necessarily with Lusk that he is pushing it a bit during the SX season. He definitely was fast, but a bit sketchy as well mainly from his layoff. :think
 

longtime

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Oct 7, 1999
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Originally posted by Bob Brooks
In dirt track in the 80s, Honda did that several times, hiring the defending champion so they could showcase the number one plate on their team the following year. When Mike Kidd won the title in '81, they hired him away in '82 and ran advertisements with his number one plate on their motorcycle. They did the same with Ricky Graham in '84.

That's weak. I hope that doesn't happen here. You should have to earn your plate (I know, I know, rider vs. bike, etc).

Wait a minute -- could it be that this is why RC said he will run number 4 next year? Maybe Kawasaki tried to demand -- or maybe asked nicely -- that Ricky not let Honda plaster the Number 1 that was earned on a Kawasaki all over a Honda? I wonder if we're onto something here.
 

DANIEL JOSEPH

Damn Yankees
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Sep 14, 2000
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Remember, Motoworld has been wrong before. Hopfully they're wrong this time too. The article is one of those "Credible Source" things.
 

CRPilot

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RC stated in an interview that he wanted to be associated with the #4 plate. Most likely a marketing/PR game to sell hat's, t-shirts etc. He can always run #4 and be recognized, but may have to give up the #1 if he looses the title. The concept is similar to Nascar #3 and Earnhardt. I know he is # 3 but I honestly couldn't tell you what kind of car he drives!. (I don't follow Nascar much) Pastrana also will be running #199 outdoors for similar reasons.
 

Budda

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May 24, 2000
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Going back to Honda buying championships, if you want to consider the 125 supercross class a 'farm' system, which it originally was supposed to be, then Honda helped McGrath in his early supercross years with the Peak team. Although it was run by Pro Circuit, Honda did support the team. I believe it was Rick Johnson who told someone at Honda that M.C. was a rider to consider signing.
 

xrsforever

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Nov 2, 2000
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Buying championships,well boo hoo hoo! That is what every manufacturer tries to do. Someone has to be the number one selling motorcycle manufacturer in the world,and it happens to be Honda for good reasons. I hope information is accurate because RC is the best
! ;)
 
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RoadRash

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Sep 13, 2000
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CRPilot - The #3 car was a Chevy. Apparently the GM and Chevy marketing had no influence on you, I thing that is hilarious (from a business standpoint & not a crack on you).

Of course, Honda is buying a championship, they would be idiots not to hire RC. However, the fact that they have the deepest pockets, allowing them to do so, is the problem. But you know what they say, "You have to have money to make money". I just hope that the series is more exciting next year. MC should be over his freshman Yamaha adjustment and RC will be on a 1 year learning curve. This should make for some great racing!
 

stu182

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Dec 11, 1999
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Football,hockey, baseball, and now sx. Man i miss the good ole days. Just kind sad now a days when its all comes down to money. I don't watch much football any more and recently gave up on hockey till mario lemuiex came back. GO PENS Just about the only guy i can think of that stayed loyal to a team. IMO ..bad move on RC's part. kid has rode a kaw all his life and soon as he becomes "good" $$$$sells-out$$$$ ... Honestly .... its not the bike. ppl its the rider.
RC would have won on a kawi ,honda,suzuki,yama,ktm,husky......
Then again maybe he just wants his bike to match his hair.:think
 

Ricky

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Jan 12, 2000
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You're right Stu, it is the rider not the bike. The bikes are all basically the same, If he can get $1million for riding a red one or $1/2 million for riding a green one, why would he choose the green one? Can't blame him for going to honda, these guys have a relatively short career which can end at any given race. They need to make as much $ as they can as fast as they can!
 

Kawidude

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I can't believe anyone would give Ricky a hard time for going to Honda (if it's true). That's like saying none of you would take a new job with better resources and more pay, just because you're really fond of your current employer. Ricky's worked hard to get to this point in his career. He absolutely should go and get the money.
 
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