| Author | Message | ||
     Bads1 |
Blake last year the rules were 370 wasn't the minimum. They changed it this year so now its 370. Maybe you should call Mitch Hansen and tell him his crew chief Ulrich didn't make a poor choice by putting those wheels on and you might be the better man for the job?? But then again they won't need to this year they can run them. | ||
| Court |
I am delighted to see KTM back in the fray . . they are among the best racing bikes in the world, just like EBR, and similarly have racing in their genes. As far as I am concerned the more the merrier. It's nice to see the staff at EBR doing such great things at this moment and getting suck great attention (you were watching, right?). . .they are really getting their ducks in a row . . . it'd be a shame not to mix it up with the very best other top firms have to offer. Absent competition you'd see something like the great ad I read last week . . Harley-Davidson proudly proclaiming they "Won the XR1200 Class". Congratulations . . er, I think. See ya at Daytona . . . . GAME ON ! By the way , , . parts are the Achilles heel of some brands. During the years I was in the business I saw Ducati twice cut off by their vendors for not paying their bills . . parts, for a time, were like hen's teeth. It's nice to see them, even with Burger King money, getting back on their feet. | ||
| Trojan |
I doubt KTM would treat their customers like that and have no one left at work to help customers Many European companies close for the whole of August, and don't leave anyone even to answer the telephone! It is common practice in Italy, France, Germany and some other mostly southern Euro countries (and very frustrating for us poor souls who don't get to close for August!). It isn't that there is a shortage of parts, but that the US KTM distributor needs to realise in advance that the factory will close for August and carry sufficient 'common' spares to last until the factory re-opens in September. I'm pretty sure the race team will carry what they need or will have access to the German Superbike team spares locker should they need it  now if we can get bmw, ktm, ebr, ducati to go after the flat track title too. HD has had a long enough run at Flat track. They already did, but the rules soon got changed to stop them beating H-D  Now that the Kawasaki ER6 (Ninja 650) engined bikes are starting to win it will be interesting to see how they try to ban those too! | ||
| Crusty |
They already did, but the rules soon got changed to stop them beating H-D I'll challenge that statement. A Ducati has won one National (Prescott, AZ with Joe Kopp riding). BMW hasn't won a National yet. I think they managed to make the Main event, but they haven't gotten close to a Podium. Rules weren't changed to Protect H-D. If anything, the rules have been changed to allow other manufacturers a chance of being able to compete with the XR-750. Unless you believe that a Ducati race prepped engine should be allowed a 33% increase in displacement over a race prepped H-D engine in order to be competitive. It takes a lot more than just horsepower to win a flat track race. Suzuki learned that when their TL 1000 engines were making a lot more horsepower than the XR 750s, but all they managed to do was wear out tires after only a few laps. Bill Werner's highly modified Kawasaki twins had a couple of successes, but lately have fallen out of contention. Too much horsepower is a liability when you're trying to get maximum traction. The XR-750 doesn't need protection from the other Marques; it's had some very talented and experienced Tuners improving it for decades. The others need help to get in the same ring. | ||
| Trojan |
If anything, the rules have been changed to allow other manufacturers a chance of being able to compete with the XR-750. Unless you believe that a Ducati race prepped engine should be allowed a 33% increase in displacement over a race prepped H-D engine in order to be competitive. H-D could of course build a 1000cc engine to fit the rules, rather than change the rules to outlaw the 1 litre engines that were beating H-D? The Ducati engine that beat teh H-D bikes at Prescott was taken out of a street bike if I read correctly, so compared to a race only and very expensive H-D XR750 motor I don't see the advanateg that a 33% capacity increase alone would give? BMW hasn't won a National yet. I think they managed to make the Main event, but they haven't gotten close to a Podium. BMW have no input into that bike, and it was against BMW's advice. I'm sur eif it started winning they may change their tune, but it is a very small effort by one team to make it work at the moment. If H-D aren't scared of the competiton why have the rules been constantly changed to protect the XR750 over many years? Honda built an XR750 beater that was almost immediately banned a few years ago, and now Ducati/KTM etc suffer the same fate. H-D's ancient engine meanwhile continues to be the one to use simply because it fits the rulebook best and has years of development behind it. The fact that the motor is almost unavailable to most people now seems unimportant to teh organisers. Surely encouraging the use of modern road based engines (which is after all where the XR750 started many years ago) will get more people racing and improve the series? Look what happened in the short track races when MX bikes first arrived? traditionalists complained that it would be the death of racing etc etc.....Now they have made short track racing more popular than ever, including series outside the US. | ||
| Crusty |
The Honda RS 750 was not "almost immediately banned" It won the championship for several years in the hands of Ricky Graham and Bubba Shobert. Many races were won by others on Hondas like Doug Chandler, Hank Scott, Terry Poovey and Steve Moorehead. Rules were adjusted to benefit the smaller race teams, who couldn't afford the elevated price of the Honda Spares vs the price of H-D spares. So; what bearing do events of 24 years ago have to do with todays racing? Maybe we should go back to the mid '70s when the XR 750s kicked Yamaha's asses? (The Yamaha twin was making about 10 Horsepower more than the XR, but couldn't get it to the ground)Dont bring up that TZ750 Abortion Debacle. One of the smartest decisions the AMA made was to outlaw them before they killed dirt track off completely. | ||
| 46champ |
I agree with Crusty and to add a few things to what he said. The Honda RS 750 was never banned it got a restrictor in the inlet tract the exact same restrictor the XR 750 got. You can still to this date race a RS 750 if you can find the parts, don't go to Honda they won't sell. Even Rob Muzzy who is no fan of anything H-D said the RS would ruin flattrack racing because none of the privateers could afford to race it. Oh yea the TZ 750 dirt bike the bike that won Indy at the next race it ran at I think Rochester could hardly get into the field and Kenny Roberts said he wouldn't ride again. | ||
| Firstbuell |
Crusty sez, ".....Rules were adjusted to benefit the smaller race teams, who couldn't afford the elevated price of the Honda Spares vs the price of H-D spares....." man - knowing what we do about XR parts prices, that's plain scary I offer that the main reason the Kaws 650s haven't consistently beaten XR750s is that not enough of em have run well enough for long enough to put it all truly 'together' many solid H-D teams have $100k-250k in XR bikes & parts inventory, plus all that specific knowledge - that's why they haven't traded a proven $75k H-D winner for a $15k challenger..... | ||
| Slaughter |
  http://www.ducati.com/news/ducati_powered_flat_tra cker_makes_history/2010/05/07/1504/index.do
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| Firstbuell |
I remember something about those Lloyd Bros Ducati trackers being 1100cc everyone's limited to 1000cc now, correct? | ||
| Trojan |
I remember something about those Lloyd Bros Ducati trackers being 1100cc everyone's limited to 1000cc now, correct? The original Lloyd Brother bike was built from a GT1000 Ducati Sport Classic engine and modified road chassis, although I think I read that they used a Hypermotard engine later in the custom chassis, and that would have been 1100cc. | ||
| Firstbuell |
moar data: AMA Pro Racing's in-house development team was able to make major improvements to the AMA Pro Road Racing and AMA Pro Flat Track Timing & Scoring Website and Mobile Apps over the off-season, focusing on expanding the social media functionality to better engage users and expand the brand. With the newly-added native Twitter functionality and Facebook integration, fans can share the experience with their friends without having to miss a second of racing action. Also, the improved Connect screen features up-to-the-minute news headlines and teasers as well as tabs with integrated feeds from each discipline's social media sites on Facebook and Twitter. The AMA Pro Live Timing & Scoring Mobile Apps are currently available for Apple iPhone users in the iTunes Store and for Android users in the Android Market. AMA Pro Road Racing's newly redesigned Live Timing website is available at http://live.amaproracing.com/rr/, while AMA Pro Flat Track's Live Timing website can be accessed at http://live.amaproracing.com/ft/. Apple iPhone users interested in purchasing the Pro app or downloading the free app should head over to the iTunes Store using the links below: AMA Pro Road Racing Pro App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ama-p...421280266?m t=8 AMA Pro Flat Track Pro App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ama-p...421401351?m t=8 Android users interested in purchasing the Pro app or downloading the free app should head over to the Android Market: AMA Pro Road Racing Pro App: https://market.android.com/details?i...ing.livetim ing AMA Pro Flat Track Pro App: https://market.android.com/details?i...g.ftlivetim ing | ||
| Xb1125r |
one more month and AMA superbike starts, can't wait. who are your top 3 guys? | ||
| Firstbuell |
rationally: Hayes Blake [no, not him!] Herrin -------------------------------------- hopefully: Danny Geoff Roger Lee, or a BMW (Message edited by firstbuell on February 22, 2012) | ||
| Xb1125r |
Danny Geoff Hayes I hope | ||
| Svh |
My top 10: Hayes Young Herrin Bostrom Hayden Filmore Eslick Clark Pegram May | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
Hayes Young Eslick There are others I'd like to see do well (May, Pegram, Filmore), but dont see it likely. I truly do think Eslick has what it takes, hes a first class racer and think he'll make a huge impact in his rookie season in American Superbike | ||
| Svh |
I sure hope you are right about Eslick. As much as I don't care for Herrin I think he is going to do quite well just like Cardenas last year. He has been faster than Hayes in preseason testing at times. Whole list gets jumbled if Tommy Hayden gets a ride as well. | ||
| Xb1125r |
I think Hayes might not be racing as hard as he can, and probably wants to give Herrin some confidence so they race as a team. its liek ebr team eslick the rookie and geoff the veteran together make a great team | ||
| Bads1 |
Hayes won't give Herrin a inch. Josh in a interview last week is going out there with both guns cocked. That doesn't go on in the Jordan camp either. This season I without out doubt know there will be way more in the hunt. | ||
| Svh |
Its going to be a fun season. Really looking forward to it. No way in hell Hayes is giving Herrin anything to help him gain confidence. These guys aren't wired that way. | ||
| Bads1 |
Pretty good read on Mladin and what hes doing now. http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20120223# pg57 | ||
| Mog |
 Interesting. http://heromotocorp.com/mediacenterconsumer/pressr elease | ||
| Bads1 |
Cool Jake Zemke found a ride. Hes riding a EVO 848 in Sprotbike class. He'll be riding for The Ducshop. | ||
| Smoke |
he was testing at Jennings last weekend and rolling along pretty good. Jake is a class act. Best luck this season Jake! tim | ||
| Bads1 |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKtZ6uQHabk | ||
| Firstbuell |
DAYTONA - current [as of 3/5] SpeedTV Pacific programming for Sat 3/17: 11:30am SuperBike & SuperSport 12:30pm Daytona 200 3pm XR1200s take a break - 4pm-5:30pm 5:30pm Indy SX [live] 8:30pm Daytona dirt short-tracks [2] | ||
| Deanh8 |
No Taylor Knapp on an 1190? Would be awesome to see 3 EBR's on track. | ||
| Rde48 |
There will be 3, thanks to Rob from crotchrocket.tv!!! Shawn Higbee will be putting in a full weekend on the crotchrocket.tv EBR 1190RS in Superbike and on the Buell 1125R in DSB. | ||
| Slaughter |
From Wes Orloff's Facebook page:
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