Dungey goes KTM

[motogrady]

The silly season just got a bit real in the MX world. Rumors abound, who's riding what where
and for how much they're doing it for......Reed seems to want to stay with Honda equipment. He's
running his own team again. Word has he's put a good bit of money into things outside the sport,
real estate, apartment buildings, all of a sudden he's not only a big hitter as a rider, but a major player behind the scenes......
Ryan Villopoto is staying green. Big thing there is his team manager, Mike Fisher,
got canned this week. You'd think a guy whose team won both the AMA Nationals and the AMA Supercross
series would have gotten a bonus. Instead, he got his walking papers. Huh?...........James Stewart is looking
for a new ride. He does SX only, which doesn't start till January, but rumors have him testing with Suzuki...........
Ryan Dungey isn't messing around. #5 joined the KTM effort officially this week, joining
up with his mentor Roger DeCoster, spearheading an assault on the American dirtbike market
and Japan's share of it. Smart move, a lot have tried jumping from the Nippon bikes to the European
bikes, with so so results. The more time on that thing the better. Anyways, here's a peek at the new year,
2012, off the RacerX.com website. Dungey on his new ride.

[M143]

Thanx Grado,

I'm looking forward to seeing how KTM does with the new line up.

[Buelligan]

This is the first time I can recall a top tier rider in the prime of his career (which Dungey most certainly still is) jumping from a Big Four ride to a European team. It says a lot about Roger DeCoster.

If Roger could get Dungey back into a championship, outdoor or supercross, it would be his most significant accomplishment as a team manager. Probably the most significant accomplish for any team manager ever.

Gonna be interesting for sure.

[motogrady]

They seem to be serious, KTM that is. Japan seems to, I dunno, be stepping back
factory wise. Suzuki merged their stuff with Yoshimura. Yamaha has JoeGibbsRacing
pretty much fronting their effort. Green and Red only carry 2 factory guys anymore,
with ProCircuit being the Kawasakis in the 250 class, and Reed poised to run again, seems it's private team time again... The factory rides are vanishing. Plus DeCoster going there had to be a major factor.
Rumor has Dungey get's 1.5 mil a year for 2 years from the pumpkin, plus all the bling he can sell.


Remember Jeff Ward? AMA Champ in 125, 250 and 500cc bikes? The guy that almost won
the Indy 500 in a car? He's bought into the team Stewart used to race for, L&M, the SanManuel
Indian Casino backed group that ran Supercross only. This might turn into a powerhouse if they
get the right rider. Speaking of Stewart, nobody knows what he's up too. No contract, with the start
of the SX series only 8 weeks away, you'd think he'd be getting ready.

RyanV, the fastest guy on the planet last year, The Champion, in both MX and SX, put off a honeymoon
to run this weekends Monster Energy Cup. They run 3 motos, win them all and you get 1 million dollars.

Dungey is supposed to be there also, shaking the new KTM down.

Villopoto? Kawasaki's top guy?

Says he's coming in and taking the cash.

[Buelligan]

Originally Posted by motogrady

Remember Jeff Ward? AMA Champ in 125, 250 and 500cc bikes? The guy that almost won the Indy 500 in a car?

Yeah, I remember Jeff Ward. I saw him in the parking lot of the Atlanta Supercross way back in 1979 or 80. He was also the AMA's first SuperMoto champ just a few years ago... hell of a racing career.

Here's something I didn't realize until just now... Jeff Ward is Scottish. He was born in Scotland to Scottish parents.

I guess Dean Wilson wasn't the first Scottish rider to win an AMA championship.

[M143]

a little OT, but Roger and Bob Hannah marketed unbreakable levers called "DeHandlers"

[Monkeyshines]

clever name. there were a pair of those on my DT for a while. they felt squishy.

[motogrady]

If you can get past the music, a look inside.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSo2y...layer_embedded

[Buelligan]

Originally Posted by Monkeyshines

clever name. there were a pair of those on my DT for a while. they felt squishy.

YES! I tried a pair back in the day and came to the very same conclusion... didn't like them at all. All unbreakable plastic levers were squishy. They always weren't unbreakable, either.

The short lever concept was good though. No one uses all their fingers on dirtbike levers (check out the pics of Dungey above) and shorter levers don't break as easily in crashes. If they had made them out of aluminum, they might be the standard of the industry today.

I'm surprised alluminum ones aren't used now.

[suzukijo]

lots of people interested in what will happen with Dungey at KTM.
lets hope it doesnt turn out like Rossi/Ducati Burgess reunion.

about the shorty levers, i hate them.
i dont like the square edges, and "I am" one of those who use all my fingers to pull the lever in.
I have small hands, (some say thats what makes me a good technician), so i need them all to pull the lever, i seem to have more "feel" than using just one or two or three, i often ride with my palms on the bars and fingers out over the lever, i'm goofy when i ride, dont try to change me.

the plastic levers, would bend, and all "feel" of the clutch or brake, was mushy, if you used them, you know they are the wrong way to go, give me an aluminum lever anyday, especially a long one to get all my fingers on, who in their right mind would want a short lever?

and what about Stewart? blue, yellow, whats he gonna ride, who wants him?
will the new Mc / Brooks team show its muscle, is honda staying in the hunt, will mitch continue to give them the "good stuff", that makes HP?
lots of stuff to watch tonite, cant wait. even my girlfriend is asking me whats going to happen, I dont know?