Why is James crashing so much this year? Lack of focus? Is the backwards Yamaha motor taking his career backwards? I will say that it looks like he has struggled with setup on the YZF all season, thing just doesn't look right for him. He goes from washing the front end out, to getting kicked over the bars in the span of about 30 yards of track....
It's no different this year than any...even when he was on a KX125. Who else was quading a section in Vegas (just for show as it wasn't faster) and then washed out in the main, was hauling the mail to get back to the front and broke his collar bone?
He IS the fastest this sport has ever seen. Those of you haters like a buddy of mine will say "no his NOT" 'cause he isn't winning (every race), but at least he agrees for one lap, there isn't anyone on a MX bike faster, so maybe the correct term is the quickest?
I think he has always just pushed it that hard and it's coming down to a time where he isn't mulitple seconds faster a lap and cannot make up the time when he goes down. It's who he is and how he has always done it. He's just going so damn fast now that it messes more up than it did on his PW50....
Also, the tracks have been gnarly. Those whoops he wrecked into Reed coming out off were something I am not certain I'd even double....ride through....ride on the side of them? I think he needs to back it down a little, at least in certain sections, and he'll be fine, but as I said before, it's who he is. Ricky was a crash-o-matic in his first couple of years with the big dogs. He just learned he couldn't stay that way and win....consistently. VP was 6th fastest qualifier this past week...go figure?
Time off may, his show, Bahammas, etc. may have something to do with it. Look at Tiger Woods?
When you stop tying your shoe for a week, do you forget how to or can't do it as fast? Silly wabbits... We aren't talking about the weekend warriors in the 30+ B vet class here..... These guys have been riding all their life...a lot!!! They can win heat races with a broken hand, qualify mains with torn ACL's, etc.... C'mon man!
P.S.- I do wish he would race the outdoors (Windham too). So much more fun seeing ALL the fast guys out there.....