Travis Pastrana is dusting down his two-stroke for Red Bull Straight Rhythm

Motorsports legend and dirt-bike enthusiast Travis Pastrana will be climbing back on his trusty two-stroke steed at Red Bull Straight Rhythm 2019. Here are his thoughts about the event.
Travis Pastrana just might be the most successful motorcyclist ever. He had a prolific racing career, is one of the most decorated FMX athletes of all time and, thanks to his undying passion for bikes, he continues to be a part of the sport today in any way he can, including rocking up at this year’s Red Bull Straight Rhythm.
The Maryland-born veteran will be competing aboard a 500cc two-stroke against Tyler Bowers, but before Pastrana gets his race head on, we got in touch with him to talk '90s nostalgia and two-strokes.

What do you think of tracks with no turns?
I wish it had been around longer. It’s fun because it takes most of the physical conditioning out. For someone who loves to jump, whose knees and ankles are too messed up to do outdoor motocross or deal with ruts and is too beat up to continue racing and training at that level, it’s perfect. Dave Despain said it best – it’s where all the retired people go.
We all love riding our motorcycles and we love being competitive. When you take out a lot of the technical aspects, and a lot of the conditioning aspect, you make it so everyone is really close to the same speed. You bring back the old-school nostalgia of two-strokes. It's not part of a championship and it brings back the fun.
That's why I love it and why it's such a great idea. Everyone is there on different bikes than they normally race, or they might be borrowing something. It's not the newest technology, it's old school and everyone is on an even playing field. It's just about having fun.
What brought you back out to race?
I rode quite a bit last year, getting ready to ride the Motocross of Nations for Team Puerto Rico, which was a complete fiasco. Kevin Windham proved you can just jump off the couch 20kg overweight and still kick ass, so I don't know what I was doing wrong. I got pretty beat up and I realised I'm too old to get back on a motorcycle and do that stuff. I still do freestyle and whatever, but to put in laps is very, very difficult for me.
After everything kind of healed up for six months, though, I was like, 'You know what, let’s go ride'. The DMXS Radio guys called me out, Tyler Bowers called me out and I got a call from Jeremy Malott from Red Bull and he was like, 'dude, you should come out'. I thought, if I'm going to come out and announce, I might as well be riding. You can't keep me off a dirt bike, but it's a little scary, because it's still gnarly. You get going really fast.
It's not like turns are the hard part, right?
Well, turns are the hard part to keep your speed up and to stay with the top guys. I think that's what's changed since I was racing at the top level, 15 or 20 years ago. But jumps are something I've always enjoyed and excelled at, so to come out and be able to ride a 500cc takes some of the pressure off. I don't have any trouble making the jumps, I just have a hard time actually hitting the downside sometimes. However, to come out and do a one-off class and not have to do heat after heat after heat, I definitely want to be a part of that.

What did you think of last year's race?

Oh, it was amazing. I'm the biggest motorcycle enthusiast there is, even more so now than when I was racing. I don't ever miss a race, I watch everything. It doesn't matter what area code or time zone we're in. It makes me want to ride, though, so this is a great opportunity to kind of half be part of it.

Does the lack of turns make racing the 500 easier?

Honestly, the only place the 500 excels is in the whoops and that’s the only place I still excel – probably because I’m tall. It hits a lot harder than a 450 and vibrates way more. My right ankle and right knee are pretty jacked and it kicked back a few years ago when I raced. My knee was so swollen that I couldn't bend it or sit down for like a month.

The 500 doesn't make anything easier, it probably makes everything harder. It's just fun and it sounds awesome. You shift up to fourth and grab hold of it through the whoops; that thing will loop out from under you in the gnarliest section of all time. It's pretty cool.

What's your favourite thing about racing two-strokes?

I never really graduated to four-strokes. Two-strokes just feel lighter, although now four-strokes aren't really that much heavier. Are two-strokes better for racing? Absolutely not. I just like them, especially the 125s and even the 500 – you shift that probably 10 more times down a straight course than you would a 450.

With a 450, you can pretty much leave it in second or third gear and it doesn't really matter. With a two-stroke, you always have to be in the right power band. You can really pop on and off stuff and I've always really liked that. You can throw them around easier. You see the freestyle guys – they're buying their own bikes just to run two-strokes. It's just what I've always ridden.

You were just coming into the pro ranks at the end of the '90s, so what do you think of the retro theme of Straight Rhythm?

It's rad. Any excuse I have to be somewhat competitive, I love. And if I'm not winning, I'll be flipping, but any chance I have to ride my dirt bike at an event is awesome.