Without watching the video first, I can tell you it's the rider that makes the difference one thousand percent. Hell, he'd win on a ten year-old 80cc rat trap.

i don't think it's fair calling Sean an amateur, but my god....Ed can ride

That KTM still looks beautiful all these years later

The 2000€ bike looks better than the 20000€ bike

One of my friends was a good high school tennis player. I remember him saying, when people would complain about their racket, "here, take my really expensive top of the line racket, I'll use yours". He'd always crush them with any old racket. I the case in this video, both guys are quality riders in their own rights.

Please, I am an amature rider, where might I find a 2000 dollar bike that isn't totally clapped?

Years ago, when Bob Hannah was riding for Yamaha, he came to a track local to me, with a YZ250 from the showroom of a local dealer. The bike was bone stock, but it had been adjusted to Bob's preferences. In both motos, he started close to last (intentionally, I think), then proceeded to lay waste to the field, including the local hot shot, who had a big lead. He caught the leader at about half way through the moto, then dropped him like a rock. Moto 2 was a repeat of moto 1.

Now an episode of Ed Bradley riding yzilla👏👏👏

K-Dub passed me on a 1974 Bultaco like i was sitting still at Wildwood MX in Kentwood, LA. Doesn't matter what bike is being ridden talent and skill always win.

That is what is so cool about our sport. The rider really makes the difference. The bike preparation and set-up only make the difference when riders are of the same level.

I'm not a Motorcross rider, but I used to hang glide. Being in the southern hemisphere all the Champions would come down and fly my local hill during our summer before the world championship competitions. So I would rub shoulders with the best in the world. The difference between the weekend warriors and the guys who win championships is huge. I was on the hill one day waiting for the weather to change as it was too light and wasn't flyable. A young girl went up to Steve Moyes, (multi world champion, factory pilot for Moyes Delta Gliders) and asked him to look at her Mars 150 (small beginner glider intended for very light pilots). He hopped in. Took off. Gained altitude (which no one else has been able to do flying correctly sized gliders) did a few tests which burned through his altitude, gained it again, did some more tests and top landed. Half a dozen guys who saw him staying up launched and they all flew straight down to the beach. Equipment can make a difference, and for sure, when he competed he flew the best glider Moyes built, but it only makes a difference between equally talented pilots

I read the title of this video to my GF and we both just loved at each other and laughed and said anyone that's ever been on a bike and rode for at least 3 feet knows that no amount of money can buy skill... That being said this was all a very well put together video and entertaining to watch.... Great job

I was faster on a track on my 99' CR125 than I was on My Mint 95' CR500... It's all about usable power, weight, and bike Control! Now in the dunes or a drag race, 500 for sure, tight trails, the 125, Baja, 500 again?! 😮 Gotta have the right tool for the Job! 👊

Brand new 500 2 stroke vs clapped out 250 4 stroke? With a big head start for the former? Ed is a savage!

Good job calculating that 15 second handicap made it real tense

Would be interesting to see the different times on both bikes with the pro rider

I'm not into motor cross, I don't even ever watch it (hell, I watch bicycles) - but this was GREAT to watch. Very fun, and a great show of what skills get a person.

Sean is awesome, his commentary during the race was cracking me up lol good race!

Whenever the YZ comes out of the garage you know it's going to be a lit video.

Great video Max, ed and Sean were blasting round that track, like anything skill plays a big part, those lad's deserve a beer , thanks for the videos max.

Owning the track is about as much ad one can be in their "own" element! Still very impressive. I once went to Baja with Geroge Earl. He's a Baja legend from the 1st in 1967. His sons took over the racing in the early 2000s and he was 70yrs old on our trip. He rode a mid 90s husky 250f that was tricked out with all his works parts. Still running a conventional (not upside down) fork. Also on our trip, a Dakar racer from the france to Dakar days, a 19yr Baja racer for HRC and two EMTs who race the Baja 250 every yr but had never done the 500 or the 1000 rounding out those that compete. Then my friend and who enjoy fast desert riding bit do not compete and another 8 riders who came from all across the country to ride with a legend. George was faster than everyone on his home grown 90s bike by a decent margin. It was incredible to witness. The 19yr old was on a factory HRC 450r but it didnt matter, George was just faster, and it wasnt even a competition pace. The combination of being there for over 40 years and a bike that perfectly setup for him (70hp and 210lbs) had him leaving everyone. My friend and I basically ride alone. The racers were gone, no dust in the air gone, and the other 8 riders were much slower than my frind and I. We stopped every 25 to 40 miles on our trek from San Felipe to the Bay of LA (aprox a 250 mile day) amd the racers would wait 15 to 20min for my friend and I, then wed all wait for upwards of a half n hr for everyone else. It was a really cool way to see the difference between casual trail riders, adrenalin addicted enthusiasts (my friend and I) and people with real competition tested skills. I will say this though, that ex Dakar guy was the most smooth and safe rider I've ever riden with. His terrain reading skills at speed and his ability to know when to push would easily lead my friend and I into uncomfortable speeds. George did end up killing his bike. We took a single track just before Coco's corner amd at a wather crossing we all stopped to check the depth. Geroge was running sweep for us. He pulled up and asked what was going on, then told us we were a bunch on women, turned around to get some speed, and submarined his bike bending a valve in the process. Also of note, the HRC bike had the header snap off at the manifold in a set of whoops. Kid was really pushing hard to try to keep George in site. George and Malcolm Smith were friends since they were teenagers. George stayed with Baja racing and is almost unknown in the states but in baja even at the time we went there together he was hit up for pics and autographs by people of all ages.

That KTM is still a brutal war machine, make no mistake about it.

I love watching such great riders. It’s crazy how hard edd was working while looking so casual on the bike.

The way he can pick lines is nuts!

Before the race started, I believed it was on the rider. So my money was on the pro. The video was intense. I was literally out off my seat cheering on Ed! Good video. Better than watching a Hollywood suspense thriller.

😊🙏 Can't believe a Two Bike MotorCross comparison can generates this much excitement! Yeap , Experienced Rider / Driver counts a lot but having a Good Bike / Vehicle , Team & Supports helped a lot too! Thank You So Much Guys for the Fun & Valuable Comparison! 🌷🌿🌏💜🕊

As a big fan of all motorsports, in F1, MotoGP, etc, the engineering is part of the show. I like the relevance of the rider on motorcross and I also admire the engineers on F1. They're all great sports! And I glad they're so different

Yzilla makes me drool!!! I know there is a comment about beat Sean on an 80cc....I actually beat every bike on my track including cr500's on a CR80...they couldn't touch me on the corners...and couldn't get far enough ahead of me on the straightaways to beat me...how time goes bye! Another fantastic interview Max! Keep em coming! 👊🤙💪🇨🇦

That old KTM sounds pretty good. She's still got some bark. 😅

I have an 86 490 I grew up on 2strokes but I love a good dirt bike 4or2stroke thanks for good videos

story time. i was riding a Rmx250 at the track when i started tracks. When i upgraded to a almost new rm 96.. I went from zero to hero. I jump from begginer to junior in two practices and my the end of the season intermediate . Skill is there and the machine makes a huge difference.

that was fun to watch, I was really confident Sean was going to pull off the W but skill is skill and can't be replaced with shiny bits....

1/2 a second lost coming out of every corner on the YZ waiting to get it lined up before hitting to 'go' switch! Great vid, long live the 2t monsters!

Great vid Max. Long live the Zilla that is one awesome 2 stroke machine and it sounds so sweet.

I was told all I needed was a WR250R with a couple of mods. I found one, it's in the shop getting fitted for some good old-fashioned Colorado winter off-roading and we're gonna see! I haven't been off-road on a bike for about 56-57 years. Can't wait.

I was suprised about the Ktm price . I’m almost tempted to buy one but at 59 my days of healing quickly are long gone.

What an outstanding video !!!! Just look at this track - simply amazing and beautiful - real world stuff right here !!! Looks like both riders are having a blast !!! I prefer 2 strokes myself but must admit my Fact edition KTM 450 hauls the mail !!! IMO it is crazy fast and almost scary - at 55 yrs old I prefer the pre-mix bikes - also what I grew up with as did most of us " old timers " lol - what a great video and thank you for all you do and share for our sport !!!

Great performance crew! It was a lot of fun to watch.

The "amateur" is no slouch. He can ride really well.

At 62 years old, I'm stoked whenever I get out there. Fuk the bike. Just so long as I can rely on it.

Fun race but we knew the finish before the start. Pro rider could have ridden a dualsport and still win. Also most non-pro riders turn faster lap times on a 250 than a 500. What lap times did Sean get on the 250 if he got to ride it? I know I'd be quicker on the old 250 4 stroke than on your full built 500 2 stroke. I will guess that most of us would. Great video as always!

Now I want to see an amatuer on the $20,000 bike and a pro on my 40+ year old Husqvarna WR250.

thankyou so much for doing this, i recently got into a right argument with hundreds on a page that called me a dickhead when i said a pro on a low end bike would beat an amateur on a beast. Sean is not what i would call amateur either, he is fast as F

I love these videos. Always super creative and fun. Sean looks like he's pretty well dialed in as a rider. Very impressive. I would love to see both guys on 4 strokes, one factory spec, the other weekend warrior spec and do the same with the riders. The two stroke, to me, adds variables that kind of mess with the control of the experiment. But, what the hell do I know?

You make a good moto-point! I've always said that bikes are so good now, that if you had the talent you could go out and win a National on one with very little modification.

Great video Max 💪🏻 love the track but tell Ed to sort the road out 😂

Great video. I never raced or did anything similar but this was a fun watch

Where can I get a 2,000$ bike like that?!

I would totally agree the same can be said about trials riding when Bernie Schreiber won the world championship for Bultaco he said he could've won on a five-year-old motorcycle as long as it's in good fettle Great videos keep up the good work

That is what we road and loved back in the day... LO and that's an older 250cc vs a newer 500cc amazing..

Ed taking the 500 out would have made a great finale

I hope this video can convince all the people that spend copious amounts of money on bike upgrades and aftermarket parts. It’s not going to make you faster. There’s no substitute for skill and experience. Your best upgrade is your body. Put in the work to go faster!

My little brother was always an awesome rider, still is. I remember way back when I was 15 and had a mighty YZ125G and he was on an XR80, and anywhere we went, he was never far behind, blowing sparks, header glowing, often right on my heels in tight stuff. Rider always wins.

I raced at Saddleback Park back in the 70's I once seen a Honda pro rider during practice dam near pass everyone on a trials bike of some kind. It was amazing to watch. I don't remember if it was Tommy croft or a support rider turn factory.

I guessed the outcome, but it was unreal as to how much of a lead the Amateur was given and how quickly the pro got him. Also, when the pro got him in his sights but was still behind, it was easy to see how much of it was rider vs bike... on the straights the 500 was (gradually) moving away from the 250, but huge amounts of ground are made up entering the corner, much higher cornering speed and exiting the corners which is "all rider". Its actually good practice to use a smaller displacement bike, it forces you to hit corners as hard as you can, which is where most could use more practice anyways.

Track looks mega, I'll have to suffer the 3.5 hrs journey up there soon Great video as usual 👌

Great riding + superb Vid production !!

Thanks lads. Cheers from OZ

Well, that was fun to watch. And while this post will prove unconventional to some, it bears reading. With that, I have to say that that was in no way a fair comparison--all respect due those two riders! In my day (racing in the 70's on a Elsinore 125, 250, and YZ 360) the 125 expert class always set the fastest lap times. They outdid the 250's and open bore bikes every time. Reason: they had the fieriest HP to weight ratio money could buy. While the bigger bore bikes could pull the 125 down the straights (but not by as much as you would think!) the 125 made up time in the corners and through the whoops. While a rider had a harder time whoa-ing his open bore bike down as a corner approached, the 125 had no such issues, and could keep up speed by keeping the throttle pinned, and railing it. When it came to getting air, it landed much softer and less violent than the bigger bore bikes, taking less out of you. In our time, we raced three 30 minute motos. What always happened, without fail, is that the riders on the bigger bore bikes would tire much more quickly, where the rider on the 125, although just as tired, still had energy in reserve. The 125 was just easier to ride. Me my brother and my cousin all raced, and on our off days, we would mount these three different sized bikes, and tear the track up for some fun. In the end, the 125 Elsinore proved king of the track, where we all cited the same thing: the HP to weight ratio of the 125 was exceptional. My cousin when out and bought one the next day, using his KX 125 as a trade-in. One day while racing at Spillway Park in Santa Maria, California, a pro rider by the name of Marty Smith showed up along with his cousin, who was on the same consumer bike as us. Marty was aboard his all red factory Elsinore, looking for a tune up before hitting the start of the pro circuit. He could pull our stock 125's as easy as the 250's did. He came in first. I came in second. My cousin came in third. My brother aboard his Suzuki RM 125 came in fourth. Marty's cousin came in fifth. My brother then went and used his Suzuki as a trade-in. Those Elsinore 125's were the ticket to winning. I saw a video on KZfaq where a 1974 Honda 125 Elsinore (21.7 HP at 179 lbs.), was racing against newer 250Fs (rated anywhere from 30 to 40 HP with an average weight of 265 lbs.) In the end, the little Elsinore reigned king. While all riders are not created equally, the class in which they race says they earned their spot on the start line. You can see it here (cut and paste:) kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fbR2q5V50trRink.html. It's fun to watch, even as the rider aboard the 125 Elsinore forgets to put the thing in gear, and everyone leaves him sitting at the start line eating their dust. You can't help but cheer on, this underdog riding outdated technology. May I suggest that next time you line these guys up, you put them both on the same-sized bike? Me thinks you will get a different result. Thanks!

met ed, very nice guy. missin riding and ed track. enjoyed watchin it

Dude they would be asking $2,000 for that ktm with a blown up motor in the middle of winter here.

I love old bikes, but I would definitely prefer a new two stroke over an old four stroke! Both looked smooth. Corner speed and scrubbing looked like it made the difference.

Dam good riding, they were fun to watch. great job !!!

Same thing in road racing. At a club race a visiting Moto GP pro got the itch to participate so he borrowed a bone stock SV650 from out of the parking lot, lined up without any practice and started at the back of the pack. The bikes racing included Liter's with mods so some pretty decent hardware...and he lapped the field on the stock SV. Yep...rider 90 bike 10.

The most important fact that no one is mentioning is the fact that Ed was running his own personal track ! Also, that KTM is worth atleast 4 grand

This was Great, thank you!

The typo for your sponsor was hilarious.

That was close. Sean is a pretty high end amateur. He was slinging that big 500. Ed is definitely a very good pro rider. A 15 second interval in 3 laps is James Stewart level riding.

Love your videos guys and nice to see the mighty Y Z out again, awsome

I watched a guy on a nearly 20 year old 1982 YZ250 rail the turns, roll the doubles, but overall smoke his competition in the novice class in the late 90s. The guy hadn't raced in many years, but the skill came back to him really quick. Both of the guys in this video are skilled, with one being a more seasoned racer. I think that putting the weekend warrior guy on a 500 was not the smartest move, but it was still a fun video to watch.

A 500cc two stroke is a frightening proposition to ride! Even the pro would have trouble using all that power!

Superbe choose for this vids, very fun to see. Just let Ed to drive this 500cc to see what a talent can made with this hyper motor cross

heres how this phenomenon works in almost every case/sport: the "pros" started off and got good on every level of equipment, and their pro equipment is to maintain their level of skill and competitive ness so thats why when these type of "challenges" are done, the pro can use the lesser gear with success. a good welder can do perfect dimes with stick welding with a few batteries

Only ever ridden a trailie myself and the fun that can be had on or off road is unsurpassable. Mine was a Kawasaki AE80 and I was unbeatable on it.

I would LOVE to see Sean on the 250 with a 30 second lead to see how quickly Ed could catch him on the 500

Reminds me of my cousin who grew up with Mike Eagles who played 853 games in the NHL for a few different teams. He was drafted 116th in 1981. He'd go back to his hometown during the summer and play in the beer league against mostly guys he knew growing up. He was a very average NHL'er who hung on for years on the 4th line. But against guys who were all solid hockey players he was an absolute superstar. He could skate backwards faster than they skated forwards. Talent wins man.

I don't care about motocross at ALL, but I watched this suggested video on a whim, & it was really fun!

Love your videos! My first bike was a 1980 CR250 LC and LH kick start was a fun bike!

Always told my son it's the rider, not the bike. When I bought him a new YZ250 we went riding and brought his KX100. He couldn't touch me on his 100 and said "Well you're on a 250, ofcourse ur faster" so I said "let's switch". Smoked him on the 100. He learned a bit that day. Now.....I can't keep up to him, getting old sucks. Still fast, but a skilled 17yr old beats a skilled 40yr old with bad knees.

Man that was exciting 👍🏼👍🏼 The guy looks like Chase's British brother

As much as I like Putoline the Motorex logo on the KTM while you were talking about it did make me smile.

Hey man what camera do u use and how is your video quality so good so smooth even in 1080 50fps Which format do you save or which software ?

The fact that the Pro beet the intermediate on a 250 stroke while the intermediate had 400 2 stroke is something that tells you he can ride a dirtbike.

yeah... here in Florida a KTM like that is still $3500-$4000. $2000 gets you a chinese dual sport newish (unless its a high quality brand like Kayo or GPX) or a bike that needs a lot of work to make it run

Wery good video! Sean he was a really good rider! I thought that Ed would pass him after just a lap. If it would been a little ruffer track i think Sean could have tanken the victory. Thanks Max for an very interesting chanel! 👌

i was on the edge of my seat...sweaty palms this was epic

Making up time braking later, better momentum, the little things the pros know...insane. Totally different, but I have been surfing all my life. Surfing with/seeing professionals surf...the POWER, SPEED they surf with is on a completely different level.

That was an awesome race and test. Great riding from both those two old Gents. 👍👍

Sean is much better and faster than the typical weekend warriors.

enduro-rider here many years ago when cc started to be very important,we had(still have) a guy in our club that resisted buying a bigger bike,he ensisted on riding 125cc(and still does) smokes atleat 70% of the other club-riders on the enduro-track,now he is in his 60:ies and still manage to show his enourmous skill and experience on his 125 ,and i think it's hillarious when a younger rider like in his 20:ies on a new 450 comes around ans sees this old guy on a 125 and laughs..2 laps later,the laugh is completley gone and instead they ask "how the hell does he do that???" , offcourse our hometrack and this guy has been riding there for over 40 years,so he knows every root and stone there is

28, been in to road bikes for years. Whats a good beginner bike to take to the dirt in the Southern AZ area?

I mean If what matters is the rider then Sean is a really good one, he held off fairly well

Awesome video Max , loved it ...........

This was brilliant! 👍🇬🇧

subscribed! reminds me of some dirt bike top gear. Thats awesome!! Across the line!!

The rider is 90% of the equation. A clapped out 20+ year old 125 two stroke ridden by any current pro rider would absolutely blow my doors off if I was on a factory prepped Steve Matthes tuned '24 Y450F, and I know it.

I'd like to see something similar with a WSB spec bike, vs a well-prepped comparable superstock bike. Simon Crafar as the "journalist/pro" on and someone similar to Sean as the skilled amateur. I'd bet you see similar results.

Reminds me of the golf videos where the tour pro gets the children's clubs from the pawn shop and the youtube influencer golfer gets the $5000 set. Pro smashes it down the middle %90 the distance of his normal hit and tells you about how impressed he is with the $5 club from 1987.

That 2-Stroke had the advantage right there! Even if the displacements were equal

That track is so smooth!