Justin Barcia’s Early Read on Haiden Deegan’s Speed, Confidence and Potential

Loading page...

Key takeaways

Rider assessment: Barcia’s strongest case for Haiden Deegan being ready is not simply visible speed, but the combination of style, comfort and apparent belief in his own riding. He also clearly qualifies that judgment by saying he has only watched videos .

Industry: Barcia sees Deegan’s importance as potentially extending beyond results. In his view, the sport needs personalities capable of bringing in new fans and sponsors, and Deegan may be able to contribute on both fronts.

Technique: Barcia says his high-revving reputation is largely connected to what happens in the air. His stated intention is to get the motorcycle down sooner and transfer power to the ground, while his on-ground RPM and torque data are generally controlled .

Career: Barcia believes Deegan is good enough to begin racing, but he does not present that as a certainty or demand. He leaves room either to go immediately or wait, and later emphasizes that Deegan and his father should make the decision together .

Career development: Recalling an amateur appearance at Blue Diamond, Barcia says the carbureted bikes were not running well and that frustration led him to keep the motorcycle revving hard throughout the day . The anecdote shows that the recognizable habit was already present early in his career.

Anecdote: Barcia describes his early farm riding as a period centered on riding, experimenting and having fun. When a crew arrived to film the newly built track, he says he fed off the setup and committed to increasingly intense attempts .

Interview analysis

What Barcia’s revving is meant to accomplish

What is said: Barcia explains that he now revs less than he once did . He describes most of the conspicuous revving as occurring in the air, where he is trying to bring the motorcycle back to the ground quickly . He adds that his RPM and torque behavior while on the ground usually looks reasonable in the data, although he occasionally holds second gear too long .

RaceMeUp read: His explanation separates sound from sustained engine load. The audible aggression is not presented merely as showmanship: Barcia links it to his attempt to shorten the airborne phase and apply power on the ground . That remains his own account of the technique; the interview does not independently establish how much time or performance it produces.

Why he thought Deegan looked ready

What is said: Barcia says Deegan has the speed and appears ready from the footage he has watched . More specifically, he points to Deegan’s style, comfort and visible confidence in what he is doing on the motorcycle . He repeatedly notes that he has not evaluated him in person .

RaceMeUp read: Barcia’s assessment is more nuanced than a prediction based on raw pace alone. He treats composure and commitment to a riding style as evidence that Deegan could make the next step . However, his video-only perspective is an important limitation, and the source supplies no direct comparison against race conditions beyond the interviewer’s broader question .

Timing the move into racing

What is said: Barcia says Deegan could race immediately or wait, but believes he is good enough to go . He would prefer to see him racing sooner rather than later , while also saying Brian Deegan is smart and that father and son will make the decision together .

RaceMeUp read: The key distinction is between readiness and timing. Barcia expresses confidence in the rider’s apparent ability without claiming control over the career decision . His emphasis on a joint family decision also tempers the interviewer’s more forceful suggestion that Deegan should simply enter East Coast races .

Potential impact beyond the track

What is said: Asked about the audience Deegan might bring, Barcia praises the family-driven content and the profile surrounding Brian Deegan . He says racing needs people who can attract new sponsors and fans, and suggests Haiden could potentially help change that . He also mentions existing connections such as Ford as evidence that the family was already active in that space .

RaceMeUp read: Barcia is offering a possibility, not guaranteeing a transformation. Within the interview, Deegan’s perceived value rests on two parallel elements: apparent readiness on the motorcycle and an established ability to draw attention through family content and commercial relationships .

The early roots of Barcia’s riding identity

What is said: Barcia remembers being frustrated by poorly running carbureted bikes at Blue Diamond and keeping them revving throughout the day . Later, he recalls an early filming session at his farm, where a new track, a camera crew and a cherry picker encouraged him to keep pushing . He also acknowledges that one overjump was particularly dangerous because the tabletop dropped into a deep section .

RaceMeUp read: The two stories connect Barcia’s public riding identity to repetition rather than a single staged moment. The revving was already embedded in his amateur riding , while the farm footage amplified a willingness to feed off the filming environment and commit to risky attempts . Barcia himself describes one of those moments as intense and sketchy rather than presenting it as routine .

Notable quotes

Justin Barcia — “I just want to get on the ground faster and get that power to the ground.”

Justin Barcia — “You can see his style and his comfort. You can see he believes in his riding and what he does.”

Justin Barcia — “We need people to bring in new sponsors and new fans, so maybe he could be the one who changes that.”

Justin Barcia — “All I did was ride and have fun.”

Takeaways

Barcia’s assessment of Haiden Deegan is notable for the criteria behind it: speed matters, but he places equal weight on visible comfort, style and self-belief . He sees enough in the footage to consider Deegan ready, while openly acknowledging that he has not watched him ride in person and leaving the final timing to Deegan and his father . Barcia also identifies a broader opportunity—the ability to bring new audiences and sponsors into racing—but frames it as a possibility rather than a guaranteed outcome . His separate explanation of high revving provides useful technical context: he associates the habit primarily with airborne motorcycle control and getting power back to the ground , not simply noise or aggression.

[00:00] I met a gypsy. [00:01] We can't leave without talking about why [00:05] you love revving your motorcycle so much. [00:12] So it's funny you say that because I was. [00:15] I was talking to someone about that this past weekend. [00:19] I don't know who, but they're like, yeah, you like you. [00:22] Just you rev it, but you don't rev it as much as you used to. [00:25] And I'm like, and I don't know why, but like, [00:28] I just, I just want to get on the ground faster, I think. [00:32] And just like get that power to the ground because [00:34] like if you look at like if you see my, like my data and stuff, like my, [00:39] my RPM and talk and all that, like while I'm on the ground is pretty good. [00:42] Like, I'm not really revved up too crazy. [00:44] Like, yeah, sometimes whatever. [00:45] I get loose cannon and like hold second gear too long or whatever, [00:48] but for the most part it's pretty good. It's. [00:50] But mostly it's just all air. [00:52] So, like, I'm just treading water, like just trying to get that thing [00:55] to the ground quicker. [00:56] So that's really all I can say is I'm just trying to get that thing [00:59] to the ground quick. [01:00] And luckily, you know, I'm on a factory team [01:03] and these engines are strong and, you know, it's holding up good. [01:09] That was a [01:09] video that I watched of you recently just by accident. [01:13] Actually, it was on AJ Captain's Arrows YouTube channel. [01:16] And there was a video of you at like some amateur race as a kid. [01:21] Maybe you just got your Geico ride, like you might have even had 151 on your bike. [01:26] And it was like, [01:29] you know what I'm talking about. [01:31] I know exactly what you're talking about. [01:33] Yeah, I was [01:33] I just got my on my Geico bikes and I was at a place was called Blue Diamond. [01:38] It's shut now. Yeah. [01:39] Unfortunately. Great track, but the [01:42] it was the bikes were carbonated and they didn't run so good. [01:45] And I remember that day, like, [01:47] I was just, like, just pissed off all day about how it was, like, kind of bargain. [01:52] And I just kept it cracked the whole day. [01:56] Dude, those bikes would not blow up. [01:58] I just blah, blah, blah blah, blah. [01:59] Like, yeah, that video, I saw it too. [02:02] Well, not long ago maybe same thing. [02:04] And I was just like, that was just so stupid. [02:08] It was literally just, [02:13] She was like, [02:14] oh fuck. Like, how many bikes did you go through in your 250 days on Geico? [02:19] Or they were pretty good at making sure that they didn't. [02:21] Grenade. [02:23] Yeah, they were good at making sure they didn't. [02:25] Grenade. [02:25] Just swapping the engines out quick. [02:28] Yeah. [02:28] Like it sounds crazy. [02:29] I read it so much, but these bikes can just handle it. [02:32] It's just it's just impressive, honestly, because I because I really push them [02:36] to push them to the limit. [02:39] Dude, I think you probably don't realize how much you [02:44] fucked up an entire generation of amateur kids, though. [02:47] Like, I look at Deegan and I look at, like, [02:49] all of the the Am kids, and they're just like, baby bashes, man. [02:53] Just put that thing on the valves and just let it sing. [02:57] That's so cool. [02:58] I'm so proud of them. [03:03] You're just like, yeah, everyone's telling them, but everyone's like, man, [03:06] you got to shift gears. You got to shift gears and you're over there. [03:08] Just like boys don't listen to any of these fools. [03:13] It's awesome. Yeah. [03:14] No, Deacon's ripping to you. [03:15] I'm stoked to see when he. [03:17] He goes racing. Those guys or those are on it. [03:20] His dad does a good job with him. [03:21] I'm stoked to see him go racing. [03:24] Yeah, man, I feel like he'll probably like. [03:26] I think he'll probably do East Coast, some East coast races for sure. [03:30] Like, I just don't. [03:32] I don't see him not showing up. [03:34] Yeah, I see the same thing. [03:36] It likes the videos and stuff. [03:37] Seeing him, he looks really good. [03:38] And yeah, I don't know, I, I feel like he should, [03:42] he should just go for it and just do. Due East coast. [03:44] He's ready. [03:45] I don't think there's a for for him. [03:48] It's he can go now or he could wait whatever. [03:50] But no reason. He's just good enough to go. [03:53] I mean, I don't even really see him right in person. Just videos. [03:56] But I can tell that he's looks looks ready, so hopefully he. [04:00] Yeah. So you can like actually lighting. [04:02] So like you can actually look at a guy [04:05] and go like oh he's ready because we all I mean if you just look at [04:10] I mean you could, you could watch like a Kade place [04:13] and go ride at a local track and you'd be like, Holy fuck. [04:17] Like, who would beat that dude? You know? [04:19] But that doesn't mean that he can go out, you know? [04:22] So it's like. [04:23] But you can see when you see Hayden, you can see like, he's ready. [04:26] He's got the speed. [04:29] I mean, for me, I can see it. [04:30] I just I watched watch this last YouTube video because and I've been interested too [04:34] because they moved to Tallahassee, which is cool. [04:35] Like I hope to get them out, come out to track and hang out. [04:38] They just seem like a good time, a lot of fun. [04:41] So yeah, but I just the videos, like I haven't seen it in person, [04:44] but I can just you can see his his like his style and his comfort. [04:49] He really you can see he like believes in in his riding and what he does. [04:53] And so yeah for me I, I see it like I'm sure his dad definitely sees it as well. [04:59] But he's, you know, his dad's smart, [05:00] so he's going to make the right decision and they're going to do it together. [05:03] But yeah, I'd like to see the see him go racing sooner than later. [05:07] What what do you think the fan like [05:12] reaction will be or the people that he'll actually bring to the racing? [05:16] Because there's just not many people. [05:18] There's probably literally [05:20] no one that can bring the kind of people that he can to a stadium, is it? [05:24] And it's just crazy to even think [05:25] that a 16 year old kid is in that crazy of a position. [05:31] It's cool. [05:31] It's really cool. [05:32] I'm like, their channel's fun. Fun to watch. [05:35] Like it's just a good what they do is cool and they just it's a it's the family, [05:40] you know, it's all there. [05:41] You know Bryan's, you know, a legend of, you know, when he's doing backflips [05:47] and having Pastrana always going on and stuff like, so gnarly. [05:50] So, it'd be great, you know, if anyone who could bring, like. [05:55] That's the thing. [05:55] We need people to bring in new sponsors and new fans and all this stuff. [05:59] So maybe he could be the one who changes that. [06:03] I. That would be sick. [06:04] That would be awesome. [06:05] If they could do that. [06:06] And like, you know, they do have those [06:07] like they do have connections already like with Ford and and things like that. [06:12] So they're already yeah, they're already doing stuff. [06:14] So I think it'll it'll be great. [06:16] It's only going to make the sport better. [06:18] Yeah, yeah. [06:19] No, I'm with you, dude. [06:20] I just had a random idea. [06:23] Deegan. Platinum at bam land. [06:27] Oh, that'd be so epic. [06:29] Get out there with some cherry pickers. [06:31] Swanberg on the camera. [06:34] May it be so sick. [06:35] Yeah, I just I just mellowed the track out [06:37] like it's still obviously it's still pretty intense. [06:39] But maybe when I retire and I'll just get like a good sponsor to [06:43] to kick in some money and I'll get an excavator [06:45] and just make like, insane again. [06:48] Yeah, that would be epic. [06:49] Well, we'll get you out there as well. [06:51] So it'll be it'll be legit. [06:54] Dude, that verb platinum video. [06:56] I watched it this morning and I was just like, [07:00] what the fuck was he up to, man? [07:03] Like, that was a kid. [07:04] Well, that's it was so literally that was like, yeah, it was literally [07:08] like my first or second year out at the the farm by myself. Just [07:14] just sending it just, [07:15] just all I did was ride and have fun and yeah, it was. [07:19] And then those guys were like, yeah, we want to come and film this. [07:21] And like, the track just got built and and I was just the cherry picker, [07:26] like sending it. [07:27] It was, oh, I was just like feeding off of it. [07:30] Like it was so funny. [07:33] Dude. [07:33] The the one shot where you go long, I think it was just one of the tabletops. [07:38] Oh, off the table a one, bro. Same shit. [07:40] Just upside down with the flat s but different. [07:45] That one was that one was way sketcher [07:47] because the tabletop went like super deep into a hole kind of. [07:51] And I literally like it was it was gnarly. [07:54] But luckily I just like bashed it out and kept her on. [07:58] But yeah, it was so intense. [08:01] You just finished [08:01] watching a clip from the full three hour podcast. [08:05] You're on our clips channel, [08:07] the full podcast, live on the Gypsy Tales podcast channel. [08:10] It's linked right here. Go over to that channel. [08:13] Give us a like, give us a subscribe and make sure you never miss [08:17] a full episode of the Gypsy Tales podcast. [08:19] You don't want to watch it on YouTube. You want to watch it on the go. [08:21] You can also head to our iTunes or Spotify [08:25] to get the full three hour podcast in audio format. [08:29] I met a Gypsy.

Jump to topics