| Author | Message | ||
     Duggram |
Have you ever noticed any prejudice against Buells in any of the racing organizations? I think I just bumped into some. Being a newbie to racing on a Buell do you think I need to keep a low profile? | ||
| Sd26 |
Prejudice? What do you mean? What preconceived notion are they coming up with when Buell's have been racing for a long, long time? Then what are you expecting to have happen that you would need to keep a "low profile"? Are they barring you from entering races? | ||
| Slaughter |
It's everywhere. Just roll with it. In 5 years at Willow, the teasing is becoming pretty good-natured now - even to the point that the AMA/WSMC announcer, David Koenig is going to buy one. I'm teased more about falling off than I am about the bike... and now that Higbee is dominating the Twins classes, things are going to be changing. The coming year is gonna be interesting - Barnes (Richie Morris Racing), Josh Bryan (Latus), Eric Pinson (Antelope Valley) and others in AMA/DMG - and MotoST. They'll get over it. | ||
| Rubberdown |
Get over it. I've always thought XB Buells racing in lightweights was a joke anyway. However, if you believe the rules to be unfair, stand up and convince the sanctioning bodies otherwise. I'm guessing that you're on an 1125 which is a new bike. It will take a while for the promoters to figure out for themselves where the bike fits in their view of the racing classes. Now might be a good time to present your case before the promoters become entrenched in their decisions. | ||
| Eboos |
Duggram, I too am new to the WERA forum, and I've noticed that, by and large, they are jerks. There are a lot more people on CCS forum that race Buells and more people seem to be open to the. These boards are not offical representations of the race organizations, so who really cares what they thing anyway. I haven't run into any actual prejudice while racing. Confusion and unfamilarity in tech is the worst that I've seen, but no harassment at all. | ||
| Rubberdown |
WERA jerks? WOW. MY experience is that they are a great group to race with. Have you ever raced a WERA event? (Message edited by rubberdown on January 21, 2009) | ||
| Benm2 |
WERA has some, CCS has always been supportive. WERA has been coming around a little bit though. Buell racing didn't get the most respect since they weren't always the fastest bikes, or hopped-up examples would have nice spectacular blowouts. Not only has that changed, but the consistent support of racing on a grass-roots level has brought a lot of people around. It's tough to get mad at Buell when you see Henry at sooooo many events, AND also how willing Buell racers are to share parts & labor at the track. Their contingency hasn't hurt either. | ||
| Eboos |
I'm sure at the races, everyone will pretty much be cool, just like at Loudon, but I'm talking about a privately owned message board. I brought this up because of the way I saw Duggram being ganged up on by people using either elitest or just plain stupid comments. Duggram was letting his enthusiasm get the better of him, but I don't think deserved the response. | ||
| Sd26 |
I think it becomes a bit rough when the displacement range is so wide. It's like handicap bowling or bracket drag racing. Ducati has been doing it for years, but Buell is behind them. Much smaller too, but it is what it is. It wasn't so long ago that Ducati 996's made about the same power as a good 600. So, the example is there for Buell to follow. But the Buell product has certainly gotten better. It was really common for us to go watch the Buell series races years ago between our events because it was often a race of attrition. "Oh, that's a rod." "Oh, no oil pressure." "Oh, that one's putting down oil." It was, at that time, kind of like a vintage bike race where you rode the bike to make it survive sometimes. The XB certainly changed a lot of that. I think maybe that's the "scary" part to those that don't want to recognize the work that was put into the whole Buell program from top to bottom: it's came a long way from not so long ago. It's something tangible that real progress can be seen. Meanwhile, the other manufacturers bikes have become a little boring to me. Same ol', same ol', and titanium valves hurt reliability over the long term for racers, period. And that's starting to make those bikes more expensive. I haven't raced a tuber, but the XB rocks in the handling department. I put it up with my best and favorite race bikes, period. | ||
| Paint_shaker |
Dugg, I saw that on the WERA forums. Don't let it eat at you. Just go out, race and have a good time... Which is exactly what I plan on doing!!! I don't give 2 hoots about what other non-Buell racers think about my bike. If I am fast, I'll get by them or already be in front of them and they can enjoy watching my six. If I am not so fast, at least I will be enjoying myself! Eboos, I wanted to race CCS, but they only have 1 race scheduled for my home track (Jennings), so I am going to race WERA. I don't feel the the need to defend my decision to race a Buell to anyone. If they persist, I'll reply "When you pay MY bills, I'll race whatever you want... As long as it doesn't interfere with me racing a Buell!!!" Buell as a company is only 25 years old... Imagaine how the Wright brothers must have felt when people laughed at them and their crazy flying machine! | ||
| Duggram |
Nothing to get over for me. I'm just curious. When I first started at my home track I got razzing too, for both the bike and falling. For sure I have no concerns about WERA. At my home track quite a few riders talk positive about WERA. Appreciate all the comments. Good issue to be aware of. | ||
| Duggram |
Good comment Paint. | ||
| Sd26 |
I agree Paint...there was a time when riding Honda's, Yamaha's, and Suzuki's was funny. Ducati's were kind of strange for quite some time too. Up until just after 2000, if you had a Ducati, you had to be rich to maintain it. I don't think organizations should concern one. They have rules, and, generally, they are pretty darn reasonable. People can be aholes though. LOL! They don't force the rules upon you though. Until they pay your bills...LOL! I totally agree. (Message edited by gearheaderiko on January 21, 2009) | ||
| Eboos |
From what I've seen, everyone has been cool at the track in person. It's only the internet tough guys that are talking crap. Anyone that doesn't have anything to prove would be quiet anyway. | ||
| Knickers |
Duggram - I started doing WERA regionals last year and never heard a disparaging word. Even when I got my tech sticker pulled due to an oil leak - oops. Had a few comments from people who said they were glad to see a Buell in the mix. Just race it. | ||
| Slaughter |
I've found that so often people in Twins classes are GLAD for the bigger fields... and in my case even the Ducati guys are glad since Ducati doesn't pay contingency UNLESS the field is at least a certain number of entries. Time to race! | ||
| Hutch |
hey Steve remenber when the jerk at Fontana race ask Tim to start his load bike outside of the garadge because it was to load and he didnt't like the sound of a Buell. | ||
| Slaughter |
Yeah - but we ought to remember that it wasn't necessary for Tim to be revving his bike inside the garage - it did idle OK for me when I rode it in testing... it just wasn't necessary to keep blipping the throttle there at idle inside the garages. I always try to remember that I have a loud bike and keep the noise down - even in the outdoors at Willow Springs. And that jerk was Ed Sorbo - contributing writer/staff of Roadracing World... and yes, he CAN be a jerk. |
