What's With Alessi?

Well I think it's in Alessi's head and the fact that he has never been any good at SX! Tell me a time when he was at the front of a sx pack at the end of a main event............. sure he got some holeshots, but he'd drop anchor after that. Add to the fact that he's never wanted to ride SX, was super excited to get an outdoor only contract and race GP's with KTM......... and now he's back on the SX circuit stumbling.......... He's not in the game. He's waiting for outdoors to come around and rebound for MX.......... but he doesn't realize how bad he looks now.

On the 350 side of things............ I don't think there is an advantage to a 350 in a SX event where the main events are only 19 minutes long and the track is built to challenge bikes. 450's have the power on tap to make some things easy that a 350 just won't be able to do.......... so SX is a tough sell on a 350. On the flip side............. outdoors where you are going 35 minutes plus pushing the limits of your motorcycle and carrying as much speed as possible for an entire moto, the 350 may allow you to go faster over that long period of time. It worked for Carioli last year that way against 450's in the GP's. Smaller guys that get worn out by a 450 in a long moto would benefit from a 350 like Alessi and Carioli. I'm not so sure that a larger guy that can handle a 450 would be a benefit on a 350........ that's why they are making both bikes.

350's are suited to a particular type of rider and Alessi should be perfect considering his size / weight for outdoors.
 
i agree with john250, maybe the mike is just burnt out. starting so young, everything you do revolves around racing, maybe he hit his peak already, and that has come and gone? we can all agree he is still a phenomenal rider, but maybe hes just running out of fuel. some people today are starting there kids at an older age so they are not burnt out and have already peaked at such a young age, but this doesnt happen to everyone. hopefully alessi will fix whatever is wrong and put in better laps, im very surprised not seeing him in the main.
 
Get off the excuse that both MA and AS are on 350's. The 350 is still being developed and it's too soon to write it off. At this time, it may not be good fit for SX at the Pro Level, but does have advantages in the outdoor series. If the powers to be at KTM where really looking at the big picture of a marketing stategy, they would have one rider on a 350, another on a 450 and that european guy on a 250SX that did pretty well at some of the european sx's.

As to Short's results, he is finishing where most people expect him to given that all the top riders are racing this season, then add in Trey Canard and Justin Brayton. Which puts him finishing any where from 5-10. MA is just not mentally into the series and it is showing big time. From a confidence building point of view, KTM would probably be better off pulling him out of the SX series and let him get ready for the outdoors. Let run some WORCS races like he did a couple of years back.

As to MA's starts, if you watch them, he is just not getting any kind of jump off the gate. His reaction time is not there and that has nothing to do with the bike. It's a mental issue.

He is probably not happy that he was made to race the SX series and is now rebelling against Decoster and KTM. Not the mature thing to do. After his contract expires, he will probably not have a ride with any factory team in 2012 and will be back as a privateer.
 
Something else I've been thinking about is the hydraulic clutch. Both Alessi and Short were holeshot kings on other brands, and now are barely near the front, if not mid pack.

Not saying the clutch is bad, but I can say from my own experience riding KTMs that I never got used to the feel of it on the starting line.
 
when the factory teams are making their bikes right down to the weight limit of 220lbs, there is no power to weight advantage at the pro level.
 
The hydro clutch shouldn't affect short as factory honda runs hydro clutches on their bikes, and shorty pulled many holeshots during the nationals. No matter what the issue is, Alessi is riding pathedic compared what he is capable of.
 
antonio cairoli won the MX1 world championship on the 350 and was toe to toe with dungey at the "Of nations" for most of a moto. Think the bike is capable. Yeah he looks uninspired, except in that one qualifier when his brother passed him
 
Bet the bikes at this level are all pretty much the same as the rider makes the real difference.

I often wonder if a rider in this position has had an injury, is trying to hide it while just still getting out there
in hopes of gaining some points for later in the season with hopes of coming on strong later in the season.

Dungey also did not start off the season looking 100% or even half as aggressive as last year.
 
mx049 said:
Dungey also did not start off the season looking 100% or even half as aggressive as last year.
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because now he has a 100% stewart that finally has the bike working his way, and also trey canard and a new and improved RV. i dont think dungey is riding any less. everyone else has stepped it up.
 
I think he has just had too many injuries. I don't think he will ever be 100%. It gets harder as you get older to bounce back and the body can only endure so much. Everyone knows how physical and how difficult it is to be competitive in this sport, even without without injuries...Anyone remember Pastrana trying to qualify for the X-Games SX. He couldn't Hang... Too Banged Up. Maybe a little off his Game, Just my 2 Cents.
 
barrington314 said:
when the factory teams are making their bikes right down to the weight limit of 220lbs, there is no power to weight advantage at the pro level.
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How do you figure that? Regardless of whether they weight 220lbs or 300lbs a bike with 60hp is going to have an advantge over one with 55hp when the race weight of both is the same.
 
Alessi made the show and got a half decent start in the main . Faded back after that . Short mixed it up pretty well with some top riders . Roger will work with them and get things sorted out better . I hope he lets the German kid ride the 350 during the eastern rounds as was mentioned in the broadcast . I've always loved the European bikes and root for them the most . Wish Husky would build a team . Maybe pull RC out of retirement and put him on one ? I can dream can't I ?
 
Speaking of Riding through adversity....... how about Josh Hansen riding with a broken hand to the win and having the bones move out of position during the main event after being set in place after heats.......... only to have to get them re set again! I'm not a Hanny fan, but that is showing some toughness in my book and I appreciate that from any rider!
 
I agree with you RockerRobin on that one... Mikes problem is Mike! End of story... His whole life has been based on what Mike wanted not on what the boss wanted... Now he is playing the spoiled baby part to a perfection! I have never liked him for that reason. Even as an amature if it didnt go Mikes way he cryed and pouted. I have ALWAYS said I thought the talent was in Jeff's corner and he was just never given the chance.... I hope it isnt to late for Jeff to be his own man! After years of being told he wsnt that good his mental image of himself has got to be very low.... Run with it Jeff and show them who s the real star in the family!!!!
 
Alessi finds way to anger me every week. Got 32 points in fantasy this week. What does he get last week when I pick him? "0" Doesn't even make the main.
 
FERGYMOTO said:
How do you figure that? Regardless of whether they weight 220lbs or 300lbs a bike with 60hp is going to have an advantge over one with 55hp when the race weight of both is the same.
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exactly. im saying the ktm doesnt have a better power to weight ratio like some where led to believe because the top pros bikes all weigh within a few pounds of each other. the marketing ploy was that ktm was easier to ride because it weighed less than the 450s but still had the power of a 450. its actually not even true with stock bikes as the crf 450 weighs 6 pounds less.
 
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