Slaw
For over a century, Michelin has been a pioneer in the motorcycle industry. Embracing the philosophy of continuous improvement, Michelin consistently delivers innovative solutions and cutting-edge technology for all segments of motorcycling. Michelin’s off-road motorcycle tires incorporate state-of-the-art materials and tread designs to deliver optimal grip, durability, and riding confidence to meet the demands of riders in all conditions and terrains. Learn more at www.michelinman.com/motorcycle.
We are back with another edition of Michelin Most Likely and this week we (I) look into the 450SX title chase (again) and the demise of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna and what’s next for the teams riders.
Who is most likely to win the 450SX championship?
I’m done predicting this. I have been wrong over and over and over. Except last week when I said Hunter was in a must-win situation and he won.
What I will say is, I do think Salt Lake City favors Hunter. Similar to Denver in a lot of ways—where Hunter just dominated—if you are Hunter Lawrence, you have to feel confident coming into the weekend.
Wait, did I just predict Hunter?
What is most likely to happen to the Husqvarna riders?
If you missed it, on Wednesday Husqvarna Mobility announced it was moving away from an in-house factory team and instead would “support independent teams and riders with factory level materials and technical expertise for the SMX series” next year and beyond.
Does that mean a team—like say ClubMX for example—would run the factory squad or will it be more spread around? Time will tell, as the press release didn’t really give too many details. I’d expect we’ll learn more this weekend in Salt Lake City.
RJ Hampshire all but confirmed he’ll be looking for a new ride in 2027 on Instagram. What about Malcolm Stewart and 250 riders Casey Cochran, Daxton Bennick and Ryder DiFrancesco?
Per VitalMX, Ryder D and Dax will be moving to KTM for 2027, while Malcolm, RJ and Cochran will be looking for new homes. That is currently unofficial news, but Vital is pretty tied into such matters, so no reason not to trust the source.
So, where does that put said riders? Umm, who knows, but you would have to think Ducati and Triumph would hone in on the 450 riders. As for Cochran? I think he’ll have to take a lesser deal and work his way back toward a factory ride for 2028.
