Rider Check: Robert Lind 7

Name: Robert Lind

Hometown: Kalmar, Sweden

Currently reside in: Perris, CA

Amateur accomplishments: There were a couple of top three overall finishes in the amateurs series in Sweden.

Pro achievements: My first Pro season here in the U.S. was 2012, and I've been working on my speed ever since, which I had to, because I wasn't that fast when I got here. I started to qualify for the mains pretty quick and now after two seasons in the 450 class at the Nationals, I have a best finish of 21st.

First bike: Yamaha PW50.

In my first race, I... have no idea, my memory doesn’t go that far back. Haha. One of the first memories I have from a race was probably onboard a KX60, I was crashing in the lead I think, and then I was so angry at my dad's friend who was talking with me before the race to take a different line over there, I did, I crashed, and I blamed him for the accident. Haha.

Why do I ride? What is it about motocross that gets me fired up? That's a hard question, I get that some times and I really don't have any specific answer. Why does a soccer player play soccer? Is it really that fun for a grown up man to kick a ball? I've been doing this for such a long time, and most of the time I love everything that includes motocross. Taking care of sponsors, promoting myself and the sponsors, practicing hard on and of the track, the racing and the traveling. I love this life and riding motocross and supercross, simple as that.

If I'm not riding, I'm probably: When I have some time left after all the mechanic stuff that has to be done, and all the training, I like to just chill out with friends or with my girl.

I'm currently driving: Dodge RAM 1500.

Dream vehicle: Have none, I'm not that into cars that I have a dream vehicle.

Musical tastes include: Listening a lot to rap music, but I really like listening to most of the music, depends on which mood I am into for the day.

My five must-have apps: Instagram, Facebook, Email.

Three web sites I can't do without: Vital MX, Racer X, Youtube.

If I were the King of Motocross, I'd change it by... That's a hard one too, so many things to do, but I don't think you can make a change just because your the King of the sport, it's the whole industry, every rider and every team that has to work in the same direction to make the sport bigger. Looking outside the motocross industry, which would profit every rider more, not just the top guys.

Something to make the sport safer would be: Same here, you can say more protection on the body, but everything develops and all the riders get faster. So the tracks are built harder and harder to separate the better from the worse, and that makes it dangerous for riders back in the pack many times. Do your physical training seriously and try to be in as good shape as you can is one thing for sure that makes it safer when something goes wrong.

My hidden talent is: Ball sports.

Something that people might not know about me: Well, first of all I would never borrow any money to ride or race motocross. That's kind of one policy my family and I always stuck behind. I sold my apartment, car, bikes, pretty much everything I had in Sweden, so that together with sponsor money I could race the National season in 2012. I wanted to give myself a chance to ride fulltime on the best tracks and against the best riders, and see how far I could reach. For sure it's a sacrifice I made, but I already have my education done and I can go home to Sweden and start working for the rest of my life when I feel I'm ready. I can only do this in my "young age" and I don't regret for one second that I did what I did. And now I'm here, going into my third season and this time for both the Supercross / Motocross season.

I don't know how other riders do, but overall I think most of the Motocross riders could be better at promoting themselves and the people that help them out. It's so much more than just riding the bike and the results you’re getting. If you don’t have a rich family you really have to think outside the box and what the company that might be your sponsor wants back from you. There's money in the Motocross industry, no doubt. But most of the time I guess that's mostly for the top riders, so for a rider like me and many others. it's hard. Like in Sweden, the sport of Motocross is very small. I started to work with sponsors there when I was 18 years old. And I can tell that a company is appreciating so much more of what you do and how you market their company than just the results. I handle every single meeting with every company that’s supporting me, have a sponsor meeting at the end of the year with everyone invited if they want to come, doing regular updates on my web site and keeping the sponsors back home updated all the time so they feel that they are involved. Like after the National season I had to go home for more then one reason, but one of the big reasons was to talk with all the sponsors in Sweden who are still supporting me even if I'm racing overseas now. And I'm really grateful for the help that I get. I'm sure a lot of other riders are doing the same work, and it might sound like I have ton of sponsors but I really don't, not even close. But I see no reason to cry about things like that, I'm so happy to be in the position that I can race my dirt bike on the highest level you can in Motocross / Supercross. I'm also doing so much more than just riding the bike, which is what a lot of people might think.

If I weren't racing I'd probably: Be dealing with buying apartment buildings, that's really something I want to get into in the future. At least in Sweden.

You can find me @... www.robracing.se
Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/robert.lind.520
Instagram. @rob869

Gotta thank: MX Heaven Holidays, Dunloop, Team DirtCandy Graphics, Filtrate Eyewear, Motostar clothing, Öhlins Suspension, Silkolene, Eksbrand, Galfer, Troy Lee Designs, and Mike. All the sponsors in Sweden and all the supporters.