I was there and fortunately was in the KTM VIP area at the top of the hill and it was a great view  and the KTM guys took good care of us,,Thanks Sleeter!. JS rode very well, He looked alot better than on the other bike, and I believe he rode two smart motos, he did have a few moments that might have bit him , then he settled in. RD came from a ways back to make a race of it in the first moto and was riding faster each lap, second moto RD looked to be testing to see if JS would fade, but he did not.
On the last few laps RD got screwed by a few lappers that decided instead of racing with him at the drop of the gate they would give it a second try while being lapped!!
I am not sure if RD was going to get JS, but each of them had half the track that they were faster than the other.
I think this race helped JS fix his head, as well as shown RD that JS can not just walk away, once they both get their outdoor legs worked in, it will be the JS and RD show all year, maybe a mix of DM and MA.

Bagget was on it too!

Edited by ncc, 21 May 2012 - 06:22 AM.

It was definately the Yamaha.  Definately.

MediumDriver, on 19 May 2012 - 06:55 PM, said:

Remember them asking Tedesco what it was like racing with the Lites guys again?...  "What's it like back in the 250 class... are those younger guys more aggressive?"  Tedesco, "I don't know about aggressive, more like spastic."

Suzuki... the sweetest handling bikes around  IMO ... (and I've owned them all.)

Wow, I just watched the TV races from Hangtown.  Btw, thanks slicknick610, how do I donate?

The speed those boys were going had me awe struck. I cannot wait to see more of Stewart's head cam race video footage.

Dungey looked smoooooth as usual, and looks like he can up his level as the series rolls on.

Stewart looked good. Seriously good on that RMZ. There's no doubt he loves that bike.  Hard braking in the bad bumps into turns and dropping into corner ruts at insane speeds. Wide open in rough weeper turns and total trust the front is tracking where he expects it to. Scrubbing over that tabletop when just behind MA#800 and pulling the bike back into line incredibly late.

Funny to see how his forks barely even compress at low speeds, but he can still feel very confident in the front.

That chassis must be a great match for JS.  Some fun viewing coming up in the next few weeks.

jcm3, on 20 May 2012 - 01:06 PM, said:

Shouldn't that tell Yamaha something? Your "revolutionary" bike has to be modified greatly to be competitive. The truth is that they had an idea, ran with it, couldn't make it work, and instead of admitting their mistake just continue to try to convince everyone that it's the "bike of the future." Worst bike I've personally ever ridden. Suspension modifications are to be expected of course, but having to relocate the engine? Really? Race-ready bike my sweet buns! Maybe when they see their sales declining dramatically they'll let go of this hopeless vendetta against a traditional design that works right in the first place.

Maybe this proves the old saying "its 90% rider and 10% bike" really isnt true?
Either way JS is due respect for putting himself in a situation where the conditions are right for him to win, and showing that its not about the $. ..Smart move on his part

Edited by TDW, 21 May 2012 - 06:34 AM.

JBBR, on 20 May 2012 - 06:09 PM, said:

i think you have it backwards buddy...you seam very mad at something.. Is it cause he wouldnt sign ur a$$ or something?  Ps im married dont think my wife would like for me to find a girlfriend.  Ur rambling is dumb and even the anti james people call you out!  Its ok i guess we are use to the dunken uncle that yells out dumb things!  See ya next week uncle jbbr!  Take ur meds please!

T-Doshi9, on 21 May 2012 - 07:39 AM, said:

NaPaul, on 21 May 2012 - 04:38 AM, said:

James isn't that critical of the bike?   Why are you?  

Isn't that new motor mount only about $150.   Every bike is different.   I don't knock the yamaha.  If there was one in my garage, I'd ride it!

NaPaul, on 21 May 2012 - 04:38 AM, said:

Yes, I think it does tell Yamaha something (it's not my revolutionary bike, it's theirs), and I imagine that they are working on it.  It's a quick, cheap mod, which I do imagine will be addressed in the future.  Big companies don't respond that quickly, it takes years to get a change like this in production.  I just read that Yamaha started working on the new WR450 in 2009, for example.

Even though it is an engine relocation, we're talking about a $150 mod, with parts that come in a box as small as a business card box, and which takes an hour or two to do.  It's a work around, and if you look at any national level bike, they are full of work arounds to resolve factory deficiencies.  They took a chance, and they'll need to tweak it to get it right.  No biggie.  It's not an issue at the national level, as they are not running the stock configuration anyway.

I commend them for not following the status quo.  Before you knock that they didn't do what everyone else always did and take the safe route, take a look around the world and see where that rationale would have gotten us.  Enjoy your horse and carriage.

Stewart's PR skills are professional.  He usually has a sincere looking smile, and doesn't bad-mouth the competition.  That being said, I bet he likes the RMZ a lot... more then he leads on.  When you find a bike that fits your style things can go really well.  I wouldn't be suprised if James is dominant this year.  I say that while always pulling for Dungey.

Stewart's downfall?... being pressured.

d_mac, on 21 May 2012 - 09:20 AM, said:

Pissing up your pants? What does that even mean?

TheWeez, on 21 May 2012 - 09:26 AM, said:

Maybe that's how it's done down under

Almost want to map the hate by geography. Could be telling.

frdbtr, on 20 May 2012 - 06:39 AM, said:

all it proves to me is that bubba cant ride anybrand bike and go fast without crashing which takes away from his credentials as far as im concerned.....simply put is that bubba dont have enough skills to race a yamaha without crashing 10 out of 12 times....thats all that has been proven at this point

I agree not all bikes are for everyone but can one of the JS7 fans explain why the bike was good enough to win so many heat races, yet cause him to crash out of so many main events?!?

bluedawg, on 21 May 2012 - 12:56 PM, said:

So you are saying that the yamaha requires more skill to ride than the Suzuki?   is that because its harder to ride?   What are you really saying?    

jdaugherty33, on 21 May 2012 - 02:16 PM, said:

    Consider that the lap times in the heats are faster than the qualifying lap times.   Then the lap times in the main are faster than the heat races.   He's pushing it just a bit harder.

JBBR, on 19 May 2012 - 08:50 PM, said:

He's got the 2010 champ for competition out there. I look for Dungey to get better as the series goes on, he's no doubt still dialing the bike in for MX. If JS wins, he will have beat the guy who challenged RV all year in 2011 for the MX championship. Having said all that, let me say this; If RV was racing he would have waxed everyone. Gotta be in it to win it though. I'm just glad were out of the stadiums so we can see some real grind it out racing.

mauricedorris, on 21 May 2012 - 02:44 PM, said:

you wouldnt understand if i spelled it out for you....you are blind to the facts...anyone that thinks the yamaha was or is bubbas problem is blind to the fact that its not the bike its bubba with the problem...now,are you saying that the yamaha cant be pushed without crashing it? what are you really trying to say?