| Author | Message | ||
     M2nc |
On the other hand, the Red Bull MotoGP in Indianapolis drew over 90,000 people on race day during the tail end of a hurricane. And don't forget the first MotoGP at Laguna Seca after ten years was the first event in track HISTORY to sell out BEFORE the day of the actual event... Many great tracks are getting dumped by NASCAR's Top Classes because they do not have a greater capacity than that. The Brickyard 400 has what 2.5 times the spectators every year? Bristol which only seat 100,000 has been sold out for years. For a country nearing 300 million, 200,000 spectators at two races of MotoGP is peanuts. Have MotoGP racing every weekend for six months in the US and you would have no problem finding a seat. Sport bikes here are more used for stunt riding than performance riding. I remember one ride I took with a young kid on a sport bike. The kid was truly talented when riding a wheelie. Every time I looked in the rear view mirror, his bike was pointing to the sky. We hit a challenging stretch of road and he followed me through the first curve. After blowing past the double yellow, I have to give him credit, he just let me go. Most of the younger riders at work will not follow me through a twisty section and everyone here knows I am nothing special on two wheels and stay for the most part within my comfort level. Dirt bike racing in the US is still strong though. High flying arena racing is pretty big over here and I have heard little complaining from the fans about AMA there. Of course there are no American manufacturers and that is a shame. I would still love to see Buell head in that direction. So I have to give DMG some creative license here. Yes it may be true that the 1125R out classes it's competition in DSBK, but time will tell. Until I see more than one Buell on the podium like Yamaha at Daytona, I will not believe the bitchin. If DMG finds a formula that hits a niche with American fans, then it will be for the betterment of the sport. Time will tell, but if you take a look at all the discussion about the series already, it is a sign that people are interested. I have to admit, other than cheering for Ducatis in WSBK and MotoGP, and for America riders in those series, I have paid little attention to motorcycle racing over the past few years. | ||
| Jaimec |
http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/editorials/2009/ 03/26/editorial-chicanery | ||
| Court |
His logic is that Hacking was put on probation to assure a Buell win at Atlanta? If you believe all that crap happened at Area 51 and that Obama intentionally delayed the issuance of the cable converters . . . . . well perhaps that story will fly. However. . . as kind of a Buell fan . . . . I like his assumption that absent foul mouth that no one else in the field of racing can beat a Buell . . and that he didn't say which Buell they couldn't beat. Tell them to cut the ••••••• whining . . . get in here, race or go home and shut the •••• up. Just my opinion . . . | ||
| Greenlantern |
"Hacking will miss the next round of the series at Road Atlanta, which will almost certainly guarantee that a Buell will be leading the championship. If you can't beat 'em, ban 'em. It isn't enough that they've designed a class where one machine is twice as large as the rest, has the greatest list of special allowances, and can weigh the same as the twins? Now they have to put the toughest competition, a multiple-time champion, in the docket." Uhhhhhhh......what?  What a ••••••• Nancy! I categorize conspiracies (Against Buell in this instant) somewhere between elves and leprechauns. But if this s*** keeps up I may have to start hiding my lucky charms and iron! | ||
| Court |
Nice post . . . . you just missed two things . . . "We" didn't "ban them" now did "We" put hacking in the "docket". Suzuki was included, in parity with all the brands, as the series rules were crafted. Hacking should have his Mother wash his mouth out with soap. That kind of behavior is simply bad manners. . . . doesn't matter if it's a race track or a construction site. Classless ******. (Message edited by court on March 28, 2009) (Message edited by court on March 28, 2009) | ||
| Jaimec |
The article was written before Hacking's suspension was lifted. | ||
| Bads1 |
He'll be riding Atlanta. Press release was yesterday. | ||
| Crusty |
Didn't Roadracing World out Henny Ray Abrams as being on American Honda's payroll? I'm sure that's a pure and objective editorial response to what he perceives is an unbalanced class structure. (balance, in this case, would be a field of all Hondas) | ||
| Diablo1 |
Didn't Roadracing World out Henny Ray Abrams as being on American Honda's payroll? I'm sure that's a pure and objective editorial response to what he perceives is an unbalanced class structure. (balance, in this case, would be a field of all Hondas) So, if he's on the Honda payroll, why is he trying to help Hacking and Kawasaki keep the points lead? I know....it's a Japanese conspiracy against the American bike...right.} | ||
| Fresnobuell |
It's good that Hacking is running next weekend. It will take away lots of excuses when the Buell takes the number 1 plate at the end of the season. | ||
| Court |
 | ||
| F_skinner |
That kinda of says it all... Great talent on a great bike! | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Court...where did you find that? | ||
| Gregtonn |
Absolutely Outstanding add! Go Buell!! G | ||
| Blake |
Excellent memory Crusty. http://www.roadracingworld.com/search/?lookup=Henn y+Ray+Abrams&x=5&y=7 "if he's on the Honda payroll," There is no "if" about it. The man is a pathetic shill. Henry Ray Adams is a shill for Honda - Part 1 Henry Ray Adams is a shill for Honda - Part 2 Henry Ray Adams is a shill for Honda - Part 3 Henry Ray Adams is a shill for Honda - Part 4 | ||
| Court |
That's half of a 2 page spread . . you'll be seeing in a week or so. I'm hoping it makes the New York Times tomorrow.  | ||
| Blake |
An excerpt from part one of the above:
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| Blake |
Great looking ad Court. I'll be anxious to see it in entirety. Please let us know where it first shows up, so those of us looking to do so may collect one for the scrap book. | ||
| Elvis |
So, if he's on the Honda payroll, why is he trying to help Hacking and Kawasaki keep the points lead? I know....it's a Japanese conspiracy against the American bike...right. If he's in bed with Honda, he would probably like to see DMG fail. | ||
| Diablo1 |
If he's in bed with Honda, he would probably like to see DMG fail. And why would that be? How would Honda benefit either in the short or long term with DMG failing? Does Honda run their own race series? I can see why Buell and their fans would want DMG to be successful, given the current DMG rules which permit the 1125 to out-motor the competition on the straight aways. Last night I watched the Fontana race, and I have no doubt that the Eslick bike had a significant power advantage over the others. On long tracks, the other brands don't stand a chance.} | ||
| Elvis |
And why would that be? How would Honda benefit either in the short or long term with DMG failing? Does Honda run their own race series? Did you miss the whole MIC thing? While that was going on, I was asking this same question. It would be nice to think that was all over and done and we could just move on, but I'm afraid that's not going to happen. Honda isn't winning and they have a lot of power. Ask yourself this question: would Honda rather have a race series in which they're not competitive . . . or no race series at all? | ||
| Sd26 |
Ted, Honda does not have their own series, correct. However, the previous AMA program allowed American Honda to field their teams with known advantages. These items were anything from carburetors that were supposed to be available, but they would not sell to privateers, special Showa forks that Yoshimura would claim at the beginning of the year which then no one else could claim (Yoshimura also had these special forks), HRC black boxes, pistons, cams, etc...items that were specifically illegal but were actually used over the course of all kinds of different seasons. Homologized exhaust systems, but using unhomologized HRC collectors that gave gains in power and torque over the labeling that was on the exhaust can. Honda America spends a lot of money on their program. And it benefits the teams that receive the substantial support from Honda America to have exclusive opportunities to get those items. When a basically private effort causes problems, they are a threat to the large amounts of money that they receive. If they can't compete against a smaller effort, their funding gets cut off at the knees. Graves Yamaha went so far as to steal Robbie Jensen's cylinder head in 2003 at Brainerd. Robbie was in the top five pack on his R6 that he built at home. He and the other top teams were taken aside for a tear down. While collecting his parts, he said that the cylinder head he was given was not his. Instantly, the claim was that he was incorrect. But Robbie names all of his motors/bikes. I think it was "Cleopatra" that was found in the Grave's tub of parts. I think that was pretty much the last AMA event Robbie did. Regardless of what fan I am, I've raced six brands of bikes, the previous rules structure was ridiculous in the parts overlook, pre production bike availability, tires, etc. Eslick's bike was one Buell. Unless all the Buell's suddenly are faster, it's Eslick that gives his Buell 1125 an advantage. If one mandates a specific brand as having such an actual advantage based on some kind of real results, it would be logical to restrict the GSXR1000 in American Superbike. Mat Mladin won by how much? And how many times has it filled the top positions? On long or short tracks, as you say, "the other brands don't stand a chance". | ||
| Sd26 |
Don't forget too that the previous AMA Pro Racing program received direct funding from American Honda, American Suzuki, etc. Since AMA Pro Racing was always struggling for capital, if those distribution channels decided they didn't like the rules, or, more specifically, didn't like how they were enforced, they strangled the AMA. Was pretty easy. Last year, American Honda and American Suzuki were caught and actually held accountable to the rules that others had been using all along. However, AMA Pro Racing did not go further in talking about the stroker crank in Hodgson's CBR600RR. They at least let them save face on that. They, American Honda, are rats for not paying Hayes his Daytona 200 bonus money when they were directly responsible for causing him to be disqualified from the results because of their arrogance in not following the rules even when they were specifically warned by last year's AMA tech inspector before the season started to "bring legal bikes to Daytona and from then on". | ||
| Diablo1 |
I understand there were problems in the past because of either lax enforcement of rules or big dollar factory involvement to a few select racers. But, that's water under the bridge. Most fans see the current DMG Superbike rules as fair - Mladin wins because he's fast. His bike seemed no faster than Hayden's, and Hayden got passed at Fontana while on the brakes. Mladin thinks the DMG rules make the bikes slower - he would know. The Sportbike rules are a hodge-podge and are very difficult to make fair, maybe impossible if the goal is to have stock displacement bikes competing. The marketing of 600cc bikes is a big deal to the big four. All of a sudden, the rules slow down the 600s from last year's series, and throw in big displacement twins that out-motor them on the straights. It doesn't matter if it was an Aprilia or a Ducati that was out-motoring the 600s. It's just that there is no level playing field for the 600s to show their stuff. A lot of folks assumed the 600s would be as fast as they were last year and the big twins wouldn't stand a chance. It's obvious they were wrong. | ||
| Sd26 |
You're putting up points, so I'll talk about them piece by piece. First, enforcement was not allowed against the Japanese factories. It just didn't happen. If it was found, it got pushed under something. If you were a privateer, they would have you bust it down to the last bolt. Do DMG ruels make the bikes slower? Sure, and why does that matter? The case has already been made that US tracks have a safety problem, period. So, slowing them down one way or another, even if is fractional accomplishes a couple things. First, safety. Second, teams like Michael Jordan's can actually go out and buy a set of fork homologated fork internals for their superbike vs not being able to buy special $125k forks that Yoshimura had been using previously. That locks the whole AMA program out from sponsorship as who would want to sponsor a team that has no chance when the rules are stacked against you so much? Daytona Sportbike is not a 600 class. It does contain 600's. Four manufacturers make popular 600's. But there were ten manufacturers included in the original rules draft. http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?artic le=33334 Given that there have been two races and the top ten have been completely dominated by 600's, how can one make a statement saying "that there is not level playing field for 600s to show their stuff". If it were true that 600's were so bad, again, private teams would sell off their 600's for 1125's immedately. Can one show me where that is the case? If it is singularly that the 1125 is out motoring everything, in addition to the purse and the generous Buell contingency program, then this would be a fact. It isn't. | ||
| Diablo1 |
f it were true that 600's were so bad, again, private teams would sell off their 600's for 1125's immedately. There is some inertia to change bikes. I'll assume even the private teams have some sponsorship agreement etc. that prevents them from changing bikes easily. You may see more of the other teams go Buell in the future}, if the rules stay the same. The other approach that we've already observed is for the racers to bitch loudly for a DMG rules change to slow down the Buell. Hacking has the points lead now, and he certainly thinks the Buell has an unfair advantage. I've heard him say so in the post-race interview at Fontana. | ||
| Sd26 |
I haven't heard a "group" of AMA Daytona Sportbike riders ask to slow down the Buell. Mike Fitzgerald put it pretty well saying that Eslick is just more connected to the bike than anyone. Hacking is a known whiner for over ten years. But that makes him valuable to those that have an axe to grind. | ||
| Blake |
"All of a sudden, the rules slow down the 600s from last year's series, and throw in big displacement twins that out-motor them on the straights." Baloney. Making stuff up to suite your agenda here is poor form, frankly its dishonest. There were a number of other Buell 1125Rs in the race. Your assertion is false and provably so. Danny outrode the competition. Freddie Spencer was initially hinting at the better drive out of the corners by the twin cylinder machines, but then after seeing the amazing ease with which Danny negotiated the infield and chicanes, he started touting the handling of the big Buell. He was flat out impressed. While Hackings front tire was sliding, Danny's 1125R front wheel/brake assembly with its significantly reduced unsprung mass was providing superior grip in the turns. The Buell it turns out, turns better. Facts bear this out at Daytona, where Danny garnered pack leading split times through the infield. We'll see what happens at VIR. You heard Hacking complain about getting beat by Slick? OHHHH! Well then! Than proves it.  That about sums up your entire logic on the issue. | ||
| S2pengy |
Like the new Buell pegasus logo | ||
| Chadhargis |
Being an avid track day attendee, I've ridden Road Atlanta and Barber so I'm familiar with those tracks. I know the areas that are difficult. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the Buell does on those tracks. Barber isn't a "horsepower" track. The elevation changes and lack of any long straights will be fun to watch. I'm really excited about seeing Buell out there. I like it even more that there is controversy. That's what will sell tickets and get people tuning in on TV. Go Buell!! |
