With the 2017 Supercross series rapidly approaching, the focus is on the main players, like Ken Roczen, Ryan Dungey, Eli Tomac. There’s buzz Cooper Webb moving up to the 400 class, Marvin Musquin’s confidence following a prosperous offseason, Chad Reed’s revival, and the switch to new teams for many riders. Then there’s Cole Seely, the quiet SoCal native who has proven that he’s a threat for Supercross wins. Entering their third 450 season, Seely has the capabilities necessary to consistently run in the top five. Add in an all-new bicycle in the 2017 Honda CRF450, a brand new contract with Honda and a championship contender teammate in Ken Roczen, and it could be an interesting year just for Cole. We caught up with your pet to discuss the ’17 CRF450, teaming up with Ken Roczen, and much more.
By Jim Kimball
Cole, let us rewind a bit and talk about the particular 450 Nationals this summer. You were displaying solid speed before getting injured.
Yeah, I had simply switched up my training program a bit and was working really hard during the weeks between races. Motocross is really a big part of my job the other that I take really seriously, therefore i wanted to up my program to pay for the lack of speed that I had in the past years. I had been putting in a ton of work and things were heading really well. Even with the injury, it is still nice to know that it has given me confidence in my program plus a direction I think to work on. This year I can apply those things that I discovered and know that my training program is working and keep putting in that work.
What aspects of your program does Jeff Ward help with?
Jeff has helped me in every aspect of my racing, from bike set up to line choices. He writes my program for me during the week as far as riding–whether I ride long motos, sprint work, or whatever it is going to be. He or she oversees all of that. Jeff is with me every single day when I am riding. This individual knows me very well as a driver and a person, so when we go to a race he can help me. Jeff continues to be through so much. He has so much information for every aspect of the sport, so it is certainly a huge advantage having him by my side. I plan on dealing with him for a long time to come. The first time I actually met Jeff I think I was twelve or 13, and racing the 80 class. We go back more than ten years now, so it is really amazing to extend that relationship for as long as we now have. We live down the street from one another now. He drives over to the house and we go to the track. We have a pretty cool relationship.
“WHO ELSE GETS TO TEST The FACTORY HONDA AND HELP CREATE A NEW BIKE? IT IS PRETTY AMAZING TO BE IN THAT POSITION. ”
Is the 2017 Honda CRF450 is good as it’s discussed up to be?
The new bike has been awesome. We have this in a really good position right now. In past times couple of weeks we have gotten some really good settings and broken some floor on trying some new stuff. It has been a really fun process simply learning the bike through and through, figuring out what direction to visit with suspension and engine configurations. It is all new to us, so it has been a pretty cool experience. I have been very involved in all of it, so I believe this is a really cool thing to be a a part of. Who else gets to test a factory Honda and help create a new bike? It is pretty awesome to be in that position.
How are you and new teammate Ken Roczen getting along?
We have spent a handful of times at the test track together. This individual kind of has his own program and am have mine, so there has not been a whole lot of working together at this time. We have only been teammates for a few months now, but we go along great. It is cool to have him and his mechanic on board now and also have his whole program with us. They may be a cool group of people and it is a good fit for us and all of that, so it is going to be a fun couple of years for me.
You were teammates with Trey Canard for a few years. Did you develop a close relationship with him while he was at Honda?
Trey and I spent a ton of time together. We were really good friends even before I had signed along with Honda. Being teammates just helped with our relationship. We are really good pals and we still will be, just on two different teams. Kenny is awesome and it is going to be fun posting the rig with him and being around him for the following couple of years. I have been really blessed pretty much my whole career with having really cool teammates, and good men that I actually would hang out along with if we were not on the same team. Ford is like a big family to me, therefore it has been good.
You ultimately signed with HRC Honda for 2017, but you were pursued by several other factory teams. Exactly what led to your decision to remain at Ford?
I had been approached by a few different teams before I needed made my final decision to indication with Honda again. Honestly, it had been never really a thought to go somewhere else. I am really happy with where We are at. I fit in really well with the people I work with. I like dealing with everyone, from the team manager to the mechanics and suspension guys towards the media people. I didn’t wish to change that. I never regarded as going anywhere else, because it is such an awesome program that I have going on. Ford is home to me. It is like household here, so I do not see me personally going anywhere else any time soon. When the choice came to re-sign with them, it was a pretty easy deal.
Getting approached by many teams in a year when other bikers are still struggling to find a deal needs to flatter you.
Yes, for sure. It is definitely a blessing to get multiple offers when men are getting none. It is a tough sport, but I have put in a lot of function and definitely worked towards trying to function as the best. I would like to think that I are worthy of it. I am going to keep doing the things i am doing and pushing me personally every day at being the best. It just shows that people recognize this. Seeing that your hard work is paying off is definitely a cool feeling.
Is the 2017 Honda CRF450 far and away better than your 2016 race bike?
It is certainly better. Still, the 2016 setup was awesome. I really liked my bike. I was actually kind of concerned at first before I had even rode the 2017, because I was so comfortable on the ’16. I did not want to get away from what I was racing. Fortunately, the 2017 has managed all of those good characteristics, and Ford added even more. I think the bike corners phenomenally. It is really, really good within the turns. It maintains good grip, as well as tracking through the turns. The rear end follows very well with the front-end, and there’s also increased power, especially with the stock setup. The 2017 provides quite a bit more power and I think a lot of people are actually going to like it. I find me personally carrying a higher gear. That makes traveling easier. Whenever you can make things simpler you can go faster, which results in a good feeling and confidence.
Will your race bike use an electric starter?
Yes. We have been running the electric start since I started tests on the 2017 model. As far as I know we are keeping the electric beginner on the race bike. It is something which I am pretty happy about.
“NOW THAT I’VE RIDDEN THE BIKE, I THINK THE PARTICULAR 2017 IS AN ALL-AROUND BETTER BICYCLE. ANYBODY THAT CAN RIDE THE BIKES BACK-TO-BACK WILL NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE BIKE STILL FEELS LIKE The HONDA. ”
So you were worried that Honda might have taken a step backward with the CRF450 before it came out for 2017?
Well, I really liked my 2016 set up. Now that I’ve ridden the bicycle, I think the 2017 is an overall better bike. Anybody that can trip the bikes back-to-back will notice the difference. At the same time, the bike nevertheless feels like a Honda. It nevertheless has the same ergonomics. The fit and finish of everything on the bicycle is very top of the line, as you’d expect from Honda. It is a well-tuned device. I think anybody that gets to ride one is going to be happy.
Have you noticed a lot more globalization of Honda, as far as revealing information, now that HRC is associated with all aspects?
So far as I know it is, but when I authorized with Honda is when the communication picked up. I do not really know the difference or what it was like beforehand. Provided that I have been a part of the team, the particular communication has been huge. Regularly we now have somebody from HRC Japan or some part of that side of the world over here with us tests, trying different components and different settings. It is good to have another choice, I would say. Sometimes they come plan a suggestion or part to help create a better race bike. Like I actually said, I did not know what it had been like before I came aboard.
What was this like racing in Japan some time ago?
I had never been out of North America before. I have been to Mexico and Canada, but never overseas. It was a really cool initial experience to go over there and spend some time with my big bosses over in Japan. It was definitely awesome and they treated us very well. It was a fun experience.
Air fork versus spring shell seems to be a hot topic these days. The 2017 Honda CRF450 within stock form comes with Showa springtime forks. Are you returning to spring, or continuing with air forks?
On our race bike the suspension set up is staying basically the same. Aside from having to build a brand new shock body, the suspension may be the same. We’ve had so much achievement with the KYB air forks. The ones that we run aren’t what come on production bikes. It is a very certain system and suspension setup, and we are staying with it. As far as the standard rider goes, I think going back towards the spring fork on the production bicycle is definitely a huge plus. It is very easy, whereas the air fork is a little tougher to set up. Every time I had a stock production bike as my personal bike I always put the conventional spring fork back again on it. That’s because it was a lot easier to fine-tune for everyday traveling. The typical weekend warrior guy will certainly appreciate having the spring fork back again on the bike.
Would you welcome the proposal of Feld Motor Sports increasing the particular Supercross schedule beyond the seventeen rounds that are currently on the standing?
I have heard gossips here and there, although it’s nothing extremely credible. I’ve heard more Supercross races, less Nationals, and maybe a couple of international Supercross rounds in the next couple of years to come. As far as a rider, I think it is cool. It definitely shows that the sport is growing and gaining curiosity worldwide, so it is pretty awesome to become a part of. If we were to do that, my only concern would be traveling. Exactly where are we going to ride plus practice? Where are we going to train? Where are we likely to stay? That is just from a racer’s perspective. You also have to take into account the group managers figuring out how the bikes are likely to get there [to the races], how the team members are going to get there. That just seems like a whole some other headache. I am sure we will get some help and all of that, but like I actually said, it is definitely cool to see our sport growing.
“I THINK THE BIGGEST IMPORTANT TO THAT IS WHAT RYAN HAS DONE, PLUS IT’S RYAN DUNGEY WHO WHAT I’M SAYING IS, IS HIS CONSISTENCY. IT IS PRETTY CRAZY TO THINK HOW MANY TIMES HE’S LANDED ON THE PODIUM AND HOW CONSTANT HE IS RACE TO RACE PLUS SEASON TO SEASON. ”
There have been plenty of younger 250 guys moving up towards the 450 class the past few years, but it has still been difficult for anyone not really named Ryan to win the Supercross Championship. Why is that?
I think the biggest key to that particular is what Ryan has done, and it is Ryan Dungey who I am talking about, is definitely his consistency. It is pretty crazy to think how many times he has arrived on the podium and how consistent they are race to race and season to season. I think that is precisely why he is who he is, and it can make him Ryan Dungey. That is definitely something all of us are chasing and we are all working for. There is certainly so much talent in the class now that on any given night somebody new could win a race. It is a matter of being consistent, and that is what makes the 450 class so much more difficult. You are dealing with twice the amount of racing and twice the amount of talented riders. It is super hard and definitely a good accomplishment when you can finish in the best three or top five on a race weekend. Consistency is what wins game titles nowadays, and that is what Ryan Dungey has going for him.
Does the 450 suit you better than the 250?
Yes, I think just naturally I have always rode the bike with kind of a low RPM. I respect the power that [the 450] has and know that it is a completely different machine from the 250. That really assists me. It makes riding easier and it is part of my style. I think the 450 suits me better, which has made the transition a lot easier.
What are your chances of winning the 2017 Supercross title?
I have always been the guy in the shadows, but that is great by me. I don’t mind being under the radar. I just do my own thing. I think people can type of forget about me before every season, but then by the time the season rolls around I remind them who We are and why I am on manufacturing plant Honda. As long as the important people know, that is all that really matters.
What are you focusing on heading into Anaheim 1?
Right now, I am kind of in the center of my preseason testing and exercising. This is the time of the year when I make my biggest gains and develop most of my speed and power. I will probably start to taper down halfway through December and just ensure that I am recovered and rested when Anaheim rolls around. A huge section of it–equally as important as the instruction part–is getting enough rest. From Anaheim 1 I want to come out of right now there decently. If I am in the five then that is a good night for certain. The first round is nerve racking. It is very important make it through and score solid points. Last year I was fortunate enough to land on the podium, so obviously I would be happy with that again. So long as I am putting in the work there is no reasons why we cannot be at the very top of the class and battle for wins as well as the title by the end of the season.
