Continued

Q What is your living arrangement? Are you flying back and forth from Europe, or is your dad flying back and forth and you're living over there, or what is the situation?

A Last year I lived in Belgium all year, where the team was. And it was kind of cool. I just ... it was all right, but this year I've kind of just traveled around when we've had a bit of time off, and spent some time in Italy, or in Spain, and things like that, and this next trip I'm going to spend some time in Italy at Alpinestars. The schedule has been a little bit different this year. We've had a couple times where we've had three weeks off, or two weeks summer break, and now this one. So if we have more than two weekends off, I definitely just come home. The jet lag doesn't bother me. Then again, I enjoy it over there. Some days I miss home, but it's kind of nice to get away from everything and just kind of be in your own world. I had fun in England. I went riding with some friends there, and one time in Spain, one of the Honda test riders took me out trials riding. And different things like that. I went to an F1 race when I had a weekend off. So just as long as you try to find some stuff to do, instead of just sitting around the hotel all day or something.

Q What did you think of the F1 race? Which one did you go to?

A I went to Barcelona. It was cool. The cars were incredible. That was gnarly. Mamola was there, and he had the hook up with all the F1 guys, and I got to sit in a few cars, and meet the drivers and stuff. It was something to see. I don't know if you've been to F1, but the technology and the - just top shelf, everything is run so smooth. It ain't no clowns running that thing. It's not like the county fair or nothing. I mean, these guys got it together more than any series I've seen.

But the racing's boring, I'll tell you. Schumacher got in the lead and checked out. Schumacher dominating the way he is, and it's kind of been a bit boring lately.

Q How is it for you in Europe? Are you recognized walking down the street, or how is it?

A I guess, I can go and do what I want, no problem like that at all, but it is - in Spain, especially, because the bikes are so big there, and, you know, Repsol being from there, they do a lot of ads, and different things like that. So it is, it's kind of gnarly. Sometimes you'll be walking down the street in Barcelona just minding your own business, and start signing autographs. A lot more people would recognize me downtown Barcelona than, say, downtown Indianapolis. Which is kind of trippy to me. But it's all good. But I ain't in it for - that stuff don't excite me. I like the racing.

Q Michelin threw the fat rear tire at you guys, kind of unexpectedly, at the beginning of the season. How did you acclimate to that, or was it unexpected to you?

A Not really. When we got the tire, some guys had a problem, picked up chatter, but for me, it was just better straight away. Some guys were going back and forth between the old profile, new profile, but as soon as I put the new one on, I didn't even want to try the old one any more, just because all the grip.

It's changed the style a little bit. You see guys riding a bit more, almost 250-ish, not having to pick it up so much on the way out of a corner, and carrying a bit more corner speed. So it took a little bit just to adjust to that, because it has a lot more edge grip, and you can actually carry more corner speed on the side of the tire. It was a big improvement. The lap times this year are so much faster than last year, and I think a lot of it is due to the tires.

Q Why do some guys struggle with the chatter and some guys don't, from your perspective? Is it riding style, or ...

A I don't really know. I think a lot of it, the chatter, is just - you know, chatter's one of the weird things about bike racing. I mean, if you got a little bit, and you get that feel for it, sometimes you just cannot get rid of it. And I think it plays, it just gets in your head.

For me, we had a little bit of it with the new tire, but right away, my suspension guy, just, we did a few little small adjustments, and got rid of it. And for me, chatter is not even an issue anymore, really. Especially on the front. Some guys are having a lot of chatter on the front, and I don't have any on the front. Sometimes a little bit on the rear, but - I don't know.

I think maybe I'm used to it. When I rode 600s, in the US, especially on Supersport bikes, chatter was just something you almost had to learn to deal with. So maybe it doesn't affect me as much as some guys.

Q There's a lot of talk about a USGP. What are you thoughts on it?

A Shoot, I hope it happens, but like you say, a lot of talk, and talk ain't nothing. There's been a lot of talk for two years, so - they say it's going to happen. Even some of the highest people at Dorna always tell me, oh, announcement coming soon, we're coming. And, like you say, talk. We can talk all you want, but until I see it in writing and stuff, I'm going to have my doubts, just because it seems like a lot of politics, a lot of - money, I think the bottom line is money, and promoter, and all that business side of things.

But shoot, I hope it happens. I think America wants it, and to see these bikes, I really, I think the American fans - because you watch them on TV, and they don't look that different (from other bikes), and they don't even sound different, they just look like regular bikes out there going around. But you see them live, and they're just, you know, I mean, I'm biased, but I think they're incredible. So I think it would be good for the fans here to see it.

Q How bad do you miss dirt track? Or are you over it?

A You know, I'm pretty much over it, to be honest with you. Sometimes I think about, I'll see Cycle News and there's some short track, or Springfield TT that I like, and I'll say, God, that looks fun. But to be honest with you, my dream now has changed, and sure, it would've been nice to do the Grand Slam. That's what I wanted to do, and that was definitely a big dream of mine, but now I've just moved on. I haven't forgot about it by no means. But right now, I'm - every - I'm putting everything into this deal, and - sure, I'll always love dirt track, and without a doubt it's a cool sport, but - it's kind of, AMA, they got to get some, definitely, it needs something. I don't know what it needs. The GTX bikes maybe helps, but it's - it's good racing when the track's right, but now, just all the tracks - you know, I don't miss going to these follow the leader car track half miles, where whoever gets the holeshot is going to win the race, and the rider can't really do nothing. But sure, I miss it a bit. But not really. Not too much, to be honest with you, just because I'm so into this deal here. I mean, MotoGP is obviously much bigger than that, and it's made me forget about it, pretty much.

Q Kurtis Roberts, your, some would say, arch-rival, is racing the series. Do you guys spend any time together over there, or what's the situation?

A Not really. I see Kurtis a bit, airports, different things, hanging out. I talk to him a little bit, but we by no means hang out and kick it or anything. But I see him a bit, but that's about as far as it goes, really.

Q Do you hang out with any riders over there?

A I wouldn't say I really hang out, hang out. But me and Barros actually get along really quite good. We don't really talk about - but yeah, we goof off, and hang out a bit, you know, in the hospitality, and have a few laughs and stuff. I got some guys that I talk to, but I wouldn't say I really hang out with a lot of guys, spend a lot, any major time, with anybody.

Q You're in the last year of your contract. Is getting that contract renewed in your head every day, or is that something for later in the season, or what's the situation?

A Well, it's never too early for contract time, unfortunately. It's just part of it. Sure, I've been dreaming to get to this team, and this level, for a long time, so I don't want to let it slip away, and I know they want results, and they're not going to - I mean, I know they're definitely behind me and see a lot of potential, but having potential gets people fired. Results and wins gets people promotions. So I don't want to just - I don't know. My contract's up, and I have spoken to Honda, and there's a lot of rumors going around Europe right now what I'm going to do next year. A lot of crazy rumors. But obviously, I want to stay. I hope things work out. I like where I'm at, like the team, like everything. So we'll see what happens. But being an American and things, you definitely, like I said, they're not going to keep me just because I've got a big sponsor or anything else behind me.

Q Is there interest from Honda to keep you? Have you felt that?

A They actually have been really supportive, and I have been talking to them, and different things, about next year. So we'll see what happens.

Q Any big issues with your season we have not covered here?

A Not really. Just this three-week break's killing me. I'm ready to go back racing. It's cool to come home and get a little rest, but I'm ready to go back and hit it. Because at the same time, I'm still learning a lot, and every day I'm picking things up, and trying to work with the team.

The team has been different, my crew chief, and things, we're still trying to, even though it sounds crazy after a year and a half, still trying to understand those guys a little bit, and more how they do things. And sometimes we've disagreed on how we should go about things, but I'm really looking forward to this last part of the year. There's definitely some tracks I really like, some tracks that I not only raced at last year, but I tested at too, which makes a difference when you have a lot of laps there.

Qatar, that place is going to be wide open. Nobody's been there. So that ought to be different. And just not laying down. I mean, sure, I'd like to be winning races. I'd like to be ahead of where I'm at, because I came from, my last year in AMA, where I was winning a lot, and everything was so great, I'm used to winning, and it's frustrating when you get beat. So it's just not easy. I ain't laying down. Just keep going at 'em. I believe in myself, and know that when it all comes good, that it's going to happen. Just the sooner the better.