Pro RV not running the Kayaba Air Fork

[James]

Maybe the KTM team was getting pressured by the factory to try that shock and Dungey never liked it to begin with. So they make the shock fail in front of the largest audience they can find So they have an excuse to go back to the traditional style shock...

Things would have to be really really really desperate for that to happen because as a racer/race team you aren't going to jeopardize a race like that. Especially not when you're 4th in points as you'd be gambling your whole season on you being able to get a transfer position in the LCQ. And as you saw he barely made it into the main because of that pile up in the LCQ. BTW for the record, after he came back and got the last transfer position in the LCQ, I called the outcome of the main.

i cant help feel like decoster was trying to cover for ktm by blaming dungey for the bike problem. this happend at the mec with dungeys shifter too

Decoster's interview was nearly impossible to understand but I'm pretty sure he said that Dungey was happy with the air shock and wanted to use it.

Speculation on my part is that the air shock works very well, better than the traditional spring shock, it just really suffers in the durability department.

Oh and KTM/Decoster didn't make the bike hit a tuff block(s) at MEC....

 

[yamadogyz]

Decoster's interview was nearly impossible to understand but I'm pretty sure he said that Dungey was happy with the air shock and wanted to use it.

Speculation on my part is that the air shock works very well, better than the traditional spring shock, it just really suffers in the durability department.

Oh and KTM/Decoster didn't make the bike hit a tuff block(s) at MEC....

A3- decoster referred to dungey wanting to use the shock rather than a normal spring shock, hence it went bad and ktm wasnt to blame, although, ktm built that shock. (i believe)

mec- he made it sound like dungey hit the tuff block twice, and bent the shifter twice. that he did, but i hit alot with mine and it never bent tuff blocks arent even that hard. once again he transitioned the full blame to dungey for bending it, but to bend twice in one race i feel the structural durability lacks

i dont want to start any arguements, just dungeys specific bike seems to be of poor durability

 

[PSJBrock]

A3- decoster referred to dungey wanting to use the shock rather than a normal spring shock, hence it went bad and ktm wasnt to blame, although, ktm built that shock. (i believe)

mec- he made it sound like dungey hit the tuff block twice, and bent the shifter twice. that he did, but i hit alot with mine and it never bent tuff blocks arent even that hard. once again he transitioned the full blame to dungey for bending it, but to bend twice in one race i feel the structural durability lacks

i dont want to start any arguements, just dungeys specific bike seems to be of poor durability

Well if you blame bike problems on the rider the public brushes it off as an accident or sh*t happens. You blame a bike problem on the bike and the craftsmanship of the components used on that bike and your bike sales fall.

Seems like a no brainer to me.

 

[James]

A3- decoster referred to dungey wanting to use the shock rather than a normal spring shock, hence it went bad and ktm wasnt to blame, although, ktm built that shock. (i believe)

He said KTM wasn't to blame or are you just trying to read between the lines? Wasn't he asked if/why they were running the air shock and didn't he answer that Dungey wanted to ride with it?

 

[Mihylo33]

Race conditions vary so much from practice conditions. Its almost impossible to replicate those conditions because 5 laps of hard practice isn't anything compared to 5 laps of a race..... Penske has been working with airshocks for the last 5 yrs in moto applications and I don't really see the advantage unless its in the wieght dept.

 

[Mihylo33]

He said KTM wasn't to blame or are you just trying to read between the lines? Wasn't he asked if/why they were running the air shock and didn't he answer that Dungey wanted to ride with it?

Yep, exactly what he said... Everyone loves the air shock until it fails.

 

[yamadogyz]

Well if you blame bike problems on the rider the public brushes it off as an accident or sh*t happens. You blame a bike problem on the bike and the craftsmanship of the components used on that bike and your bike sales fall.

Seems like a no brainer to me.

He said KTM wasn't to blame or are you just trying to read between the lines? Wasn't he asked if/why they were running the air shock and didn't he answer that Dungey wanted to ride with it?

i dont know, i liked ktm but after witnessing all the problems ive lost respect. im sure theres alot they arent telling you.

Race conditions vary so much from practice conditions. Its almost impossible to replicate those conditions because 5 laps of hard practice isn't anything compared to 5 laps of a race..... Penske has been working with airshocks for the last 5 yrs in moto applications and I don't really see the advantage unless its in the wieght dept.

ama has regulations that your bike has to be so heavy anyhow if they really wanted to drop weight on a bike theres better options. air shocks=junk

 

[James]

i dont know, i liked ktm but after witnessing all the problems ive lost respect. im sure theres alot they arent telling you.

These are race/works bikes, about the only thing they'll have in common with the KTM at the local dealership is the color orange. This applies to all the factory bikes.

 

[PSJBrock]

These are race/works bikes, about the only thing they'll have in common with the KTM at the local dealership is the color orange. This applies to all the factory bikes.

True but after talking with some people in the industry. ALL the top guys are total head cases. They don't like change. There are guys that run Renthal bars with pro taper stickers because the team is sponsored by pro taper, but they have been using renthals for their entire career and don't want to switch.

So I think saying that Dungey "wanted" to run an air shock is not entirely true. Maybe the air shock was the best choice out of what he was offered. I don't think dungey woke up one day and walked into KTM headquarters and said hey guys lets run an air shock this year.

 

[yamadogyz]

True but after talking with some people in the industry. ALL the top guys are total head cases. They don't like change. There are guys that run Renthal bars with pro taper stickers because the team is sponsored by pro taper, but they have been using renthals for their entire career and don't want to switch.

So I think saying that Dungey "wanted" to run an air shock is not entirely true. Maybe the air shock was the best choice out of what he was offered. I don't think dungey woke up one day and walked into KTM headquarters and said hey guys lets run an air shock this year.

i kinda agree with this