Kit Palmer | January 7, 2016
A very fit and trim Chad Reed looks ready to begin his 13th year on the professional supercross/motocross, just like he did when he came over to the U.S. in 2003. The Australian, who turns 34 in March, is the oldest rider on the circuit, but he’s not letting a number change the way he feels. Instead, he feels as motivated as ever, and he has plenty of reasons to be motivated. Not only does he just want to win but also do well for his new/old team, Yamaha.
Just yesterday, Reed and Yamaha announced that the two have officially been reunited after a seven-year separation. Reed made his U.S. debut riding Yamahas and will now finish out his career on the same brand, riding a factory-backed YZ450F in this year’s supercross championship, bringing with him his long-time sponsor Monster Energy.
Having spent the last seven years jumping from one brand to the other, Reed says that he feels right at home on the blue bike, which has seen a rather significant overhaul since he last rode a YZ450F in ‘08, before the bike got a major redo in 2010. But despite the big changes, Reed says that the bike still feels like a Yamaha and hasn’t had a problem getting used to the bike, which he first rode a few days before the Monster Energy Cup in October.
“The bike’s been good, but, truthfully it’s a Yamaha,” Reed told Cycle News during today’s Anaheim 1 press conference. “It’s night and day different in many, many things, but I think at the end of the day its core is Yamaha. A lot of the things that it does are positive things, and the things that I learned as a young pro are still very much a part of this motorcycle. You can say this and that, the engine is turned [around], all these kind of things, but, for me, it really is a Yamaha at its heart. So a lot of the positives I felt in my early years are still there, so it’s been a great transition.”
Not only is he happy to be back riding a Yamaha, but he’s also happy to be back with the company.
“It’s only been official since yesterday, and this morning, I got the chance to walk through the building [Yamaha corporate office in Cypress, California] and the feeling I got and the welcome back—they’re generally happy to see me back and the feeling is mutual. I’m really happy to wrap it up [Reed’s career] where I have some history and some respect, more than anything.”
Reed says that he’s not just riding out his career at Yamaha but riding to win.
“We’re here, we’re in it, and we’re here to win it, that’s what we’re here for,” Reed says. “This is not my swan song, I want to be here, I want to race, I want to be a part of the fight week in and week out and I honestly and truly believe that I can be.”
Reed won’t say that this will be he last year racing, not yet, at least.
“You never know [if this will be his last year]. I’m in this thing to win it and to be competitive, and for whatever I wasn’t, then I won’t be on the gate next year. The passion is there, the want to wake up in the morning work hard and be better than the day before is still burning stronger than ever, so I see no need to stay at home and watch from the television. I want to be here, and that’s the key reason, and I want to be a part it, challenging for race wins, challenging for a championship, for the podium week in and week out, that’s the goal.
“I’m motivated, I don’t feel that age is really a question, other than the fact that nobody prior to me has been able to do it. I look at the elder athletes in basketball, football and fighting, Mayweather being 39 or whatever he was, road racing, all these people, I still feel as young as I was in 2003, I think you got to want to do it, got to want to be there, and I do, so I feel the need to get out there and work hard and punish myself day in and day out.”
Reed says that he has no plans to ride the outdoor nationals after supercross, but he won’t be entirely done with motocross.
“No outdoors for me. If I show up for some American races I’ll be surprised, but as a part of my agreements, I have to do four GPs, two GPs in Europe and two in the U.S., to help Monster out with that. So I’m excited about that.”