Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128214
No Fear/Factory Connection Honda's Kellin Windham KW: Yeah. I never really wanted to say I retired because I never really thought that I was not going to ever come back racing, but my master plan while I was away was, I started a motocross track and some riding trails, so I never was far away from what we're doing. I've just been around, and I wasn't so interested in racing, and finally one day I started calling people, 'Hey, how'd everybody do?' and stuff, and it slowly came back in, and here I am. CN: What made you decide to ride the CRF450R? KW: A combination of things, really. When I left Honda two or three years ago, I wasn't unhappy with the bike or anything, I was just unhappy with myself, and I was looking for what I could do to get happy. Obviously changing bikes and all that wasn't the key. That's what required me to take this little break, and while I was off, I was like, 'Man, the bike looks good, and a lot of people say it would fit my riding style and stuff; it makes perfect sense.' There's no sense going back to a two-stroke when eventually I'd probably wind up on a four-stroke anyway. That was the bike I wanted to ride, and lucky for me, thankfully, it all worked out. STORY AND PHOTOS BY KIT PALMER evin Windham. Since his amateur days, those two words would conjure up fear in the hearts and minds of his competitors. He was smooth, fast and perhaps one of the most technically perfect motocross racers in the world, and on any given Saturday or Sunday, his competitors knew that Windham may have one of his days when he's just plain unstoppable, but he wasn't happy. Many people wondered what it would be like if his attitude toward racing were better, and this year it seems we may find out. Long touted as the most naturally talented rider perhaps on the planet, be prepared to witness the second coming of K-Dub. K K-Dub got around Glen Helen at the recent Dunlop D756RR tire Introduction in a hurry. Not much has changed there. Cycle News: What have you been doing for the past year-plus since your leg injury? Kevin Windham: Well, I mean it's been a year and a half, so a number of things, really. Number one was getting my leg going, and then I decided there were some things I needed to change because I didn't feel the way I needed to be feeling as a professional racer. Just decided to take a chance and start a family and had kind of a rocky start to that - we had a premature baby, but she's doing great now. I've got all of that in order, and now I'm just really focusing here the last two months on coming back riding. I always rode, but it was always just for fun. I decided I wanted to come back, so I'm trying to get that accomplished. CN: So you have been riding; it's not like you're totally knocking the rust off right now. 44 MAY 14, 2003' I: U I: I e n e vv s