Standing the Test of Time with Kyle Chisholm | Moto Tips

January 28, 2022

Kyle Chisolm may only be 34 but 2022 is his 17th season of professional racing and he is showing no signs of slowing down. A perennial 450 Supercross main event rider, Chiz has been lucky to have avoided too many injuries through the years and we thought he’d be a good guy to ask for tips on how to enjoy a long, fruitful professional racing career. Coming into this weekend’s Anaheim Two Supercross, where Chisholm will be title sponsored by Firepower Parts, it seemed fitting to ring our old buddy up for this installment of Firepower Parts Moto Tips!

“To be honest, when I sit back and think about stuff, yes it feels like I have been around forever,” says Chisholm. “I have traveled so much and been around for a long time, but at same time it feels like only two years ago when I started. It feels like yesterday, not 17 years ago when I turned pro! It goes by so quickly…

Enjoy It

“I think for me, I would say you have to really enjoy what you do. Like anything in life…find what you love to do and you will never have to work a day in your life. That’s what they say, right? Well, I don’t know if that is true. (Laughs) While racing dirt bikes is certainly fun, it is not all good times. We have to work hard! There are lots of sacrifices. You have to miss out on some good times as a youngster, you have to go to bed early, you have to train your butt off… Despite all these things, you have to really love what you do and really enjoy most aspects of it. And I do! You just have to learn to deal with the parts of the job that are not so glamorous of fun.

“I love racing on Saturdays! Competing, bettering myself, working hard, and seeing results…I love it! I love putting in the work during the week…doing the stuff that no one sees. Doing motos during the week can get old, but I enjoy that part of it. When I don’t…that is when I won’t do it any longer. I like working out. I like the gym works. I will continue to do all of that when I am done racing. I know what the end goal is, so the suffering is all worth it. I love the fans. I love seeing friends at the races. When you have done it this long it is like a second home.

Be Smart

“I have always tried to be smart and make wise decisions on the track. Motocross is a dangerous sport and there is so much risk involved in everything we do. For me, and especially as I have gotten older, I have learned to stay within my limits. I take calculated risks. you need to recognize the danger and take smart chances. You don’t need to haul ass so hard during the week…save the full-speed riding for the weekends. I would say this is part of why I have been able to race as long as I have. You learn what to do and what not to do, and don’t take unnecessary chances.

Always Learn

“If you make mistake after mistake, you’d better be learning from them! Every time I go to the track I am working on something; not just riding and burning lap after lap. You have to keep learning, keep bettering yourself. Even when it comes to working out, I assess what worked and what didn’t. I stay open minded on and off the bike and I always try to improve in every aspect of the sport. I study tape from old races a lot. I watch the things I did wrong and make sure I never make those mistakes again.”

Recover Propertly

“You have to be smart when you’re injured. I am 100% guilty of not doing that and coming back too soon, or racing at less than 100%. When you come back too soon or race hurt, you’re only asking for things to get worse. There were times I came back too early and it was never worth it. Fortunately, when I have had injuries I found a great place to do physical therapy, so I put in the work to recover, too. I work really hard through injuries. The end goal is to be the best racer that I can be and of course, I want to get better as quickly as possible, but I try to be realistic about it.

Make Smart Business Decisions

Another thing that might not be so obvious is making smart decisions with your business connections. Don’t burn bridges! Our industry is small, so always be authentic…be yourself. Be honest and try to do the right thing. You should always try to have the proper people skills in life, anyway…don’t get caught up in the bubble of, “I am important. I race for a living,” there is so much more to the world than that. Just stay humble, and build good relationships.

“I’ve been lucky to have a great, long career, and I have enjoyed every minute of it.”