When it comes to winning the biggest prize in the sport, British legend, Dave Thorpe got it right more often than not, winning himself three 500cc titles in the golden era of the 500cc GP racing. Known as one of the all-time greats of our sport, a rider who calculated his seasons and often kept to himself and his group of friends or family.

Thorpe was very much a man who didn’t fall into the trap of many of the leading international riders, who had based themselves in Lommel, back in the 1980s. He travelled home, spending time away from the sport, and felt comfortable with that, outside of the motocross bubble if you like. It gave him time to reflect, but also time to recover and not have his mind constantly around the sport.

Current HRC factory rider, Tim Gajser is very similar to the great British hero. He too doesn’t live in Lommel during the season, but heads home to Slovenia after every Grand Prix, and has his family and friends around him.

Two Honda legends, their racing careers separated by more than 30 years, but very similar in their attitude to racing. Soft spoken, always respectful and a hunger for success. That hunger something normal people like us, cannot understand.

It won’t surprise too many that when Thorpes fellow 1980s legends passed away, the likes of Eric Geboers, Georges Jobe or Andre Malherbe, he attended their funerals and gave them the send-off and respect he had given them throughout their careers. Just like Tim Gajser, Dave Thorpe is a man of principles and honour, a family man, circled by loved ones and respected by many.

A former racer, but also a big fan of the sport, Thorpe keeps his eye on all the racing, be it AMA supercross, Arenacross, or MXGP and having spilt blood and broken bones in this sport, he knows the pitfalls of how dangerous the sport is, and how smart you have to be when not only building for the season, but also building for the championship.

Fortunately, DT is a friendly, open and polite man and we were able to give him a call and ask him his opinion of what might happen in 2025. A season that might see some history made and a season, his fellow Honda man, Tim Gajser enters as the favourite to win his sixth World Motocross Championship. It is a similar story that Thorpe himself had lived through in the 1980s, so he has a pretty good idea what might go on in the mind of the Slovenian legend.

MXlarge: You are a Honda man, and I know you are not big on the all-time list and stuff, but if he can win the title, he will join Joel Roberts with six World titles and should also pass Robert for GP wins (Robert has 50 and Gajser currently has 49). He will also go for his 50th Grand Prix victory in Argentina, which would equal Roberts 50 win, so it’s a big year for history to be made. I know you don’t take it seriously, but its still a massive thing, isn’t it?

Thorpe: Yes, it is, and I am sure Tim is the same, and I still think like this, I don’t think it is even a part of his thought process.

MXlarge: I interviewed him a few weeks ago, and he didn’t even know about his record and Joel Roberts record being similar.

Thorpe: Right and you know what, there is an element of that, that is important, because racing is tough and to treat each race, as a single race, is the way to go forward, until towards the end of course. I think I would be the same as him, I wouldn’t know, it wouldn’t be on my radar, and it wouldn’t be a thought process going into Argentina.

MXlarge: I was speaking to Joel Smets and he completely agreed that there are so many great champions the sport has had, and you where the perfect example of the all-time list doesn’t mean as much as the champions in it. He said he doesn’t look at any of that, because there are so many great champions and he didn’t want to disrespect any of them by placing them in an order.

Thorpe: I generally think, the majority of riders, champions, ex riders, ex champions, you want to be judged when you are finished, and you don’t want to be judged when you are in the middle. For somebody like Stefan, to win the 10 World titles, or somebody that has won one, two or three, it is all an amazing accomplishment, and you are not really judged until its all over and you hang up your boots. And that is how the majority of riders would look at it now.

MXlarge: As far as Tim, he seems like the logical favourite. He started the pre-season well, with two overall wins in Italy and he looks very, very good. He finished the 2024 season with that amazing pass on Jett Lawrence at the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations, which he himself said has set him up really nicely for this year. What is your opinion of him for this season, is he your favourite going into Argentina?

Thorpe: I kind of look at it closely and I feel like Tim and the team have done a good job in choosing their events wisely and they haven’t done too much, but they have done enough. The have gotten some races behind them with the new bike. You would have to say their prep is ideal. When you look at poor Jeffrey, he kind of raced every race under the sun in 2024 and the law of average, says you are going to come unstuck at some point. Unfortunately, he did come unstuck in the race in Holland. Whilst you cannot wrap your riders in cotton wool, Tim’s prep from the outside looking in, has been very good.

MXlarge: I didn’t follow your career that close, as I lived in Australia and only came over sometimes for the odd Grand Prix, or MXdN and following sport in the 1980s wasn’t as easy as it is now. I get the feeling Tim is actually a lot like you were in your career. You didn’t live in Belgium like a lot of the leading riders, you would travel home, back to England. Am I correct in saying that?

Thorpe: Yes, I was exactly the same. I am a home boy and Tim is too. There is an element of that, that takes you outside the bubble and in your own space, with your own friends and your own life. I think for some people, it works really well and for others, they feel they need to be in the bubble 24/7. It is just how you are isn’t it.

MXLarge: I was speaking to Glenn Coldenhoff, the oldest rider in the MXGP series and we always speak about his age, because he is now 34 and has to sometimes change some things in his preparation. While talking, I realized that in fact, the majority of the top guys, are in their 30s or getting close. I cannot remember riders being that old, or at least most of them being that old and I assume its now possible because of the way the bikes have improved and less demanding on the body and the way people eat now and prepare. It is probably much more advanced than in your day. You guys were not that old right?

Thorpe: I think it is probably pushing on a little bit now with the ages and I think you are right, fitness, nutrition, the way they prepare. You only have to look at footballers, there are plenty of footballers who are playing very well in their 30s. I think it’s an evolution of everything, fitness, bikes, everything.

MXLarge: I know you are a big fan, and we had the long winter, and you follow the AMA supercross and the Arenacross, but you are also like most of us, who really love motocross. That is what gets you excited. How excited are you for the first round in Argentina this coming weekend?

Thorpe: I am looking forward to it. It is a long winter when you don’t watch the outdoor motocross. I do enjoy Arenacross and supercross, but it’s the motocross what fascinates me. It is unfortunate that Jeffrey won’t be there, but Romain has had a good winter, and he has also picked good races to do in the pre-season. The series is going to be very exciting. A couple of youngsters coming in, they are never shy to twist the throttle.

MXLarge: We have Lucas Coenen joining the class (word is now he might miss Argentina due to injuries to his wrists). Watching him, his style is all over the bike and aggressive and he made some big mistakes in Italy and could have ended badly. What is your opinion of him on the 450?

Thorpe: I first met the two brothers, a couple of years ago in Spain, we were in the same hotel. I watched them and their dad work, and I watched their work ethic, and I always felt, the boys have a big future in the sport. You could argue that he maybe stepped up to the big bike too soon, but, having watched him and the team he is with, they are one of the best teams, I think he is going to need to settle down, because you cannot keep having those big hits, because they will bite you back on a big bike. We will see the next generation of the 450-class evolving with that boy.

MXlarge: Can you see him winning a Grand Prix this year?

Thorpe: I can see him winning races, whether he is a candidate for the championship, I don’t think so yet. I would love to see him prove me wrong, because I am all for the youngsters, but there are some very good professionals in that class. They are hardened racers and to beat the boys that are always around the top three, it will be hard for him, week in and week out.

MXLarge: We have the guys like Coldenhoff, Vlaanderen, Jonass, maybe Geerts, those guys you get the feeling they will be around there somewhere, getting podiums, but then you have Maxime Renaux, who seems, if he can stay on the bike, he could fight for GP wins and even the championship?

Thorpe: I rate him highly and he has been unluck with injuries, but he has certainly a very aggressive rider on the track and typically French, everything is amazing when it is going well, but when it goes wrong, it goes very wrong. For me, there are a lot of riders who will shine early in the season, I think there will be numerous winners and I don’t think anyone will run away with it, but the second half of the season, that is when it gets tough on everybody and the consistency plays out. Generally, as always, that involved two or three people. Those people are the ones who will push on to the end.

MXlarge: What do you look forward to the most in 2025?

Thorpe: Well, I am looking forward to the British GP, because it’s at a good time of the year. Hopefully, we will have some good weather, and it always promotes good racing. The Des Nations there last year, was some of the best racing we have ever seen.