Photo By: Shan Moore
Joe Geyer and family pose with Josh Strang's bike.
Josh Strang's Suzuki RM-Z450: Pretty good. They said they're going to give me a good washing and then Joe's going to take care of me. He seems like a nice guy. I'm a little sad, though, I'll probably miss Josh and the Suzuki guys. I'm glad I was won by a racer like Joe. We're going to have some fun together.
How beat up were you after the race?
You know, not as bad as I thought. Some of the guys on the team told me about Snowshoe last year, when Josh rammed into a deer on the last lap! I was really scared about that-having some nightmares coming in. Most of the race bikes tell me the riders have a tough time sleeping the night before a race, but seriously, I had a tough time settling down on Saturday night myself.
Yeah and you were probably locked in the FMF/Makita Suzuki semi with no place to go.
Exactly. I know a lot of people were out in the Snowshoe village partying. That doesn't work for me, though. I run on gasoline, not alcohol.
So when did Josh start riding you?
He gets a couple of bikes throughout the year. I think he even rode some '09s early in the season, but I know those bikes well, they're my relatives, and we're all pretty similar. Josh got on my brother (a different 2010 RM-Z450) at Big Buck. Then they brought me in for the last two races-John Penton GNCC and this one at Snowshoe.
Photo By: Shan Moore
Strang's bike is not media shy.
I know! Penton was gnarly, but my whole family likes the mud. Two years ago, Josh and Paul Whibley were riding my grandfathers (2008 model RM-Z450s) and they were 1-2 at that race, and I think it was even worse then. We have fuel injection and don't mind the mud or water at all. I mean, yeah, I get muddy, but the team guys, Chris (Wolf, Strang's mechanic), Shane (Nalley, Team Coordinator) and Mike (Webb, Team Manager) clean me and fix me up right after the races. Plus, that race was only two hours. I kind of like the muddy ones in a way because they team gives me even more time and attention after the event. And I got to go up to the podium with Josh because we got second. I got on the podium! I was super pumped!
After Penton I hung with Nalley back in Indiana and then we came to Snowshoe. It was a tough one, yeah, lots of rocks and ruts. But Josh took it easy on me. No deer crashes, really no major mistakes. I think he was trying to be nice to me.
Josh, and a few other riders, mentioned the heat and humidity at Snowshoe.
Yeah, it was hot and humid, and we had the altitude to deal with. Really, though, I'm able to adjust automatically with the EFI so I didn't mind. And the views! Oh man, you really get to see some sights at this race!
So how many hours do you have on you?
About six. A little under three at Penton and a little over three here. I don't know for sure, they'll strap an hour meter on me if they really need to know. Kind of like you folks with a thermometer-you're just assuming you're 98.6 degrees unless someone actually takes your temperature and tells you different.
Photo By: Shan Moore
Look for Josh's bikes--and old one and a new one--at Unadilla.
Well, that's what's cool. I've gotten to hang with some really cool bikes, like Ryan Dungey has one of my brothers (RM-Z450) but it has all kinds of works parts on it, like his engine and suspension, they won't even tell me what's in them. For me, I do off-road, and Suzuki says they want to make sure I last to the finish. They don't do as many experiments, they just give me some quality stuff and let Josh do the rest. I like it that way, because I think I'm pretty race ready right from the beginning, and I don't want people to think I win only because I have special parts. They tell me anyone could buy the same stuff I have. I've got Acerbis plastics, handguards and a carbon fiber front disc cover. CV-4 red radiator hoses and radiator cap. Works Connection radiator braces, brake reservoir caps, engine plugs and oil caps. DID O-Ring chain on Renthal sprockets. TM Designs chain guide and a rear disc protector. A GPR steering stabilizer. Renthal handlebars and grips.DP Brake rotors. RG-3 tunes my fork and shock, Zip Ty gave me an oil filter cap, brake reservoir extension and chain adjusters. My engine has hangers from Tokyo Mods and a really cool FMF stainless exhaust with a Mega bomb header and a titanium 4.1 canister. I've also got Hinson Racing clutch components, a 2.5 gallon IMS fuel tank, and a Motion Pro quick turn throttle system. I've got fresh Dunlop tires and N-Style Team FMF/Makita Suzuki graphics. My absolute favorite part is the numbers.
Why?
I got to have the white background with the red number, because Josh and I are leading the points! Everyone else runs red backgrounds with a white number. I really take pride in leading the standings.
So what do you know about your new rider, Joe Geyer?
Not much yet. Seems like a nice family guy, and everyone says he's been a part of the races for a while. It's pretty funny, he actually put his daughter's name on the slip, and she's only 10-months old. When I first heard that, I thought I wasn't going to be ridden for like 20 years! But I guess Joe is going to take me, and Rhorie, the daughter, is just the good-luck charm. I'm going to miss my Suzuki guys, but it will be cool to be part of a family like this. And we're going to go racing! Joe told me we're racing Sportsman A at Unadilla! I'm really excited about that because I'll get to see Josh and the team again-and maybe I'll get a win. I know Joe's been riding a KTM in 45+ B, and he got second this morning at Snowshoe. He's fourth in points in that class, I want to help him go after the title like I did with Josh. He's a good rider and hopefully he'll take good care of me, and hopefully I'll take good care of him!
Have a good summer, Josh's bike. Anyone you want to thank?
Josh of course! And a big shout out to Riderdown.org. They got the money raised at the raffle, and it really feels good to be able to give back like that. And my old team at FMF/Makita Suzuki. This whole thing was their idea, and I really feel honored that they picked me to do it. This team has won all these races and championships, but they've never given a bike away before, so it's pretty neat. And of course I need to thank the good people in the GNCC Series. If it weren't for you, Suzuki may not even be racing out here, and I wouldn't have been able to meet so many great people. So thanks!
Share