I grew up racing motocross and have been obsessed for years. Motocross and money are my two biggest passions and interests. I’ve noticed over the years that there are many analogous parallels relating to motocross. Between common sayings and other observations I have made, there is a lot to share and teach about money through motocross.
James “Bubba” Stewart is one of my favorite riders and is known for many things:
- Several records and titles
- Jumping insane gaps
- Highlight reel crashes
- Pure heart and determination
He has amazing natural talent on the bike and is one of the most exciting motocross racers in history. He long held the title of “FMOP,” meaning “Fastest Man On the Planet.” Most importantly he unleashed a new technique with devastating consequences to his competition, revolutionizing the sport with The “Bubba Scrub,” demonstrated above.
Bubba Scrub Science
Motocross bikes have front and rear suspension, similar to a downhill mountain bike. The suspension in the front are called “forks” as there are two tubes on either side of the front wheel, similar to a steak fork. The rear of the bike has a shock. Front and rear suspension provides about 10-12 inches of travel that can cushion bumps and jump landings. Also important to note, is the motocross bikes are rear wheel drive.
Having this basic concept of suspension in mind, let’s talk about what happens when you hit a jump. As you go up the face of the jump, the suspension will be compressed. Cresting the jump will unload the suspension, so it will affect your height.
The advantage to the “Bubba Scrub” is you are turning on the face of the jump and leaning the bike over. This prevents the suspension from springing you higher into the air after it compresses and decompresses.
Since you are getting less height to make the jump, you usually compensate with more speed to clear the gap. More speed approaching and landing from the jump, combined with a lower overall height means that you will not be in the air for as much time. A motorcycle cannot accelerate in the air, so the less time spent there, the better. Maximizing time on the ground with this technique produces better lap times. This video explains it more clearly.
Bubba Scrub Your Finances
Similarly, the FIRE movement (Financial Independence/Retire Early) started by Vicki Robin, and continued by Mr. Money Mustache and others is revolutionizing finance in America to some degree. The techniques and strategies lead to shorter careers, as the Bubba Scrub leads to faster lap times. It all comes down to a higher level of efficiency, maximizing your time on the ground and doing something cool.
Bubba also gave rise to a saying in motocross which says “It’s Stewable.” This is usually said in reference to some crazy jump combination at a Supercross, like a big triple or quad, or even jumping over an half a section that everyone else rides through. He often jumped things no one else dared to. Of course, I’ve adapted this to my own slogan, with slightly altered spelling: “It’s Stuable!”
Similarly, those of us in the FIRE community are doing things that don’t seem to make sense to the older generation. For some reason it seems like too big of a sacrifice to live a modest lifestyle and give up stuff for time. I can’t really explain it, but to me, it seems like working forever at a job you don’t like so you can buy lots of stuff is too big of a sacrifice.
Bubba Scrub your finances, and do something different. Stop spending all your time losing time in the air and get your wheels on the ground so they can drive you forward faster.
For those wanting to know more about the bubba scrub, you can learn here.
