I don't think he'll take it over, but I do expect PC exhausts to be back on the factory bikes next year! It only makes sense for the team to be using them and I'm sure Mitch can match anything that anybody else can create when it comes to performance.

Does anyone know the story of why Mike Fisher was let go? I see a tweet from Reed, looks like a fair amount of animosity still lingers.

Isn't Tickle riding the KX450F in supercross next Year which is a first for MEPCK? It'd make sense for MEK to have Mitch run both the opens & lites? I also think I saw that Villopotos MXDN bike was running a PC pipe but I could be wrong.

Racer X has his 'official' statement. Sounds like he knew is was coming. There is lots of talk about teh fact the PC-Kawi deal was up for renewal and that Mitch Payton laid down the law. Most likely with regard to the 450 team running FMF this year.

Plus the extra heat he brought on himself with Monster when FMF released their energy drink. The plot thickens for 2012.

As most of you may or not know I was both Mikes mechanic back in the 80's when he did the 86 supercross season here (wining the Adelaide SX too by the way) and I was also a Kawasaki Racing team manager for here back a few years ago. So I know Mike and Kawasaki very well. Mike has been with Kawasaki for nearly 20 years and I don't talk to him allot, but going off what I know of Mike and Kawasaki's management styles his walking out would have been the result of pressure to reduce expenditure. This happened at Kawasaki after a big winning year, when Bubba was there in the US team and here too after Dan Reardon and Mitch Hoad took a bunch of races wins and Dan landed the 2006 Supercross Championship Kawasaki reduced the operational budget by 30% after they Re-signed the riders..... I quit and walked way then so I guess Mike got the same treatment again this year.

It is my understanding that teams are now taking out insurance policies so they only have to pay a portion of the bonus, insurance covers the rest. Those championships should not have cost Kawi too much. I think some teams did get themselves in a financial mess in years past because of bonuses.

That's a good point, it is a part of the budget that's hard to account for in the early part of the season. So crazy this silly season, for both riders and team personnel!

I don't know of any Japanese distributor ponying up such a bet/insurance, it runs against the ethos of their companies. It has been gear companies and less well funded types that use this little known insurance.

The Lloyds of London style of "insurance" is not really insurance as most of us are used to thinking of it. It is more like gambling where you bet 20-30% ( more the better your rider is) of the bonus amount and if he wins you get the bonus amount if he doesn't you loose the 20-30 % ether way you know what your going to spend, and is a way of fixing your overheads.


A couple of years ago we inquired about the availability of such products here in Aust and got blank stares back from the insurance types.

One wonders who or where they go to for there form guides to work out the odds......could be Gaza over at Fullnoise is secretly on Lloyds payroll and their behind his Moto Manger LOL

PC will have a 450 in the field next year and Broc Tickle will be on it

DrRoss wrote:

I don't know of any Japanese distributor ponying up such a bet/insurance, it runs against the ethos of their companies. It has been gear companies and less well funded types that use this little known insurance. The Lloyds of London style of "insurance" is not really insurance as most of us are used to thinking of it. It is more like gambling where you bet 20-30% ( more the better your rider is) of the bonus amount and if he wins you get the bonus amount if he doesn't you loose the 20-30 % ether way you know what your going to spend, and is a way of fixing your overheads.A couple of years ago we inquired about the availability of such products here in Aust and got blank stares back from the insurance types. One wonders who or where they go to for there form guides to work out the odds......could be Gaza over at Fullnoise is secretly on Lloyds payroll and their behind his Moto Manger LOL

But back to the subject, I thought Hansen would have been a good choice with Tickle for PC on a 450

From what I heard Hansen is linked with H&H Kaw.
Rumor has it Chad has insured himself alot of times.

Sounds like the PC450 will be possibly Tickle indoors and Ratray outdoors. Don't know if they will run 2 x 450s. Doubt it.
Hansen on the H&H KX450F. The yanks bag him, but he will be fast and smooth indoors on that bike.