| Author | Message | ||
     Blake |
I don't much care for the music they chose, but man, that is RACING! http://vimeo.com/28865459 | ||
| Blake |
And another one of the Knoxville Half Mile. Woman wins and another race decided by 0.004 seconds. http://vimeo.com/29378260 | ||
| Firstbuell |
final trio of AMA Pro flat track events [all 1/2-miles]: 9/24 Minnesota 10/1 Calistoga, CA 10/15 Pomona, CA | ||
| Crusty |
If I could only see one race for the rest of my life, it would be the Springfield Mile. Video footage pales in comparison to seeing it live. If you've never been there, you are missing a very worthwhile experience. | ||
| Davegess |
I agree, I have been to a lot of races, Daytona, Isle of Man, etc and watching those boys toss it into turn 1 at 140 mph tops them all. | ||
| Davegess |
I watched the video, very nice but it does not come close to how exciting the races are. Go see one. | ||
| Blake |
When should we go? On Any Sunday?  | ||
| Davegess |
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| Firstbuell |
final AMA Pro 1/2-miles events: 9/24 Minnesota 10/1 Calistoga, CA [On Any Sunday's Bruce Brown is a Grand Marshal, as is Mert Lawwill] 10/15 Pomona, CA} | ||
| Blake |
I watched the mile video again. It's irritating that they overdubbed and wiped out the sound of the bikes. If the buffoons at H-D brought to market a genuine modern XR750-make it EFI-they would sell beyond their wildest dreams. The XR1200 was a beyond lame attempt at that by people who value image over actual performance. | ||
| Bob_thompson |
Nice video, music is OK but I would rather hear the bikes at full tilt going by. It really is more exciting in person. Springfield mile is the bomb in flat track. Loved the old days when some Brit bikes were still competing but the new bikes coming in makes for some good racing. When is Chris Carr going to retire? He IS one tough competitor. And those flag men are crazy waving the checkereds with riders coming by at 120. WOW! Gotta go again......soon. The Mile flat tracks, our old Widowmaker hillclimb here in Utah, as well as Bonneville, and AMA superbike racing; nothing better around the world. And I probably left out much. Outstanding! PS, thanks Firstbuell, glad to see those guys still around and Blake is right, a street legal XR750 WOULD sell well. (Message edited by Bob_thompson on September 23, 2011) | ||
| Firstbuell |
hey Bob_t, 1 Triumph, #32 Shane Baer, regularly makes the Main also, up to 4 Kawasaki 650s run at most AMA Pro flat track events; plus 1 or 2 each of Suzuki, BMW, Ducati Dave Lloyd still wishes somebody would fund his Aprilia effort again - they've learned a lot with the Ducati that'd help on the 'priller | ||
| Davegess |
I don't know that there is any way to make an XR750 type street bike for any sort of reasonable price. The S1 Buell's were about as close as you could get and were very expensive to make. | ||
| Blake |
Why, what is the insurmountable challenge? I guess I just don't see it. | ||
| Blake |
I have an idea! Let's tell Erik that Harley's spent millions figuring out that they can't do it, so he shouldn't even think about it.  | ||
| Davegess |
I have an idea! Let's tell Erik that Harley's spent millions figuring out that they can't do it, so he shouldn't even think about it. joker That might work Here is what I think would be the challenges; First you need a complete new frame, the current Sportster frame is very heavy and not a great platform to build a good handling bike. Wrong steering head angle etc. You take one of the dirt track frames and try to replicate the design for less money using mass production but I think the tubing is much better than they would want to spend. Second the engine, you could use the last generation of Buell XB motors and get the HP you need BUT how do you mount this solidly in a flat track frame without beating the rider to death at the high RPMs these things turn? You could build a trellis frame like a tuber Buell BUT then you have a Buell not an XR750. I suspect that H-D has looked long and hard at the numbers and decided the investment in engineering and tooling would be better spent elsewhere. How many XR1200s sold? You would likely need to quadruple those numbers to justify the cost. We all think it is cool but how many could you sell if they shook like a paint shaker and cost $13,000? | ||
| Fast1075 |
The first bike race I ever attended was a short track race at a little dirt track in Michigan called Millburg Speedway...I saw guys riding KR's and Triumphs, and BSA's and old Sportsters hacked together...it was a spectacle of speed and grit. Bikers and racers and nere-do-wells...leather and patches and rockers a plenty...I took it all in..it was raw and bizzarre and completely awesome. My Dad took me when I was about 7 years old. I went home covered with clay and burning with a desire for motorcycles that still burns hot today....51 years later. | ||
| Blake |
I'd just take the track bike and make it street legal. The vibes are part of the appeal. It's a rude racing machine, don't take away the rude. The market for that bike isn't the comfort seeking crowd. It's the young guys who dig dirt track and the older ones who dig history and dirt track. Shouldn't matter what the frame is made from. Material is not much of a concern in the costing until you start talking about carbon fiber or titanium or exotic aluminum and magnesium castings. | ||
| Davegess |
That would be a 40,000 buck motorcycle and require yearly engine rebuilds and would never pass EPA. The XR 750 motor is a very old pure race motor. | ||
| Blake |
Come on Dave. You know what I mean,an EPA compliant version and--this is major--re-engineered and mass produced for economy of scale. Are you applying for a position on the H-D board or something? | ||
| Crusty |
It wouldn't sell. H-D tried that in 1983 with the XR-1000, and it sold about as well as the XLCR did. | ||
| Firstbuell |
yes !! 2012 Springfield Mile to air July 1 on NBC Sports The 2012 Springfield Mile will air on July 1 at 2 p.m. (Pacific) on NBC Sports, according to AMA Pro Racing. "We are very excited to have fans see the thrilling action that our riders take part in each and every event weekend," said Dan Johnsen, Director of AMA Pro Flat Track. "NBC Sports is the perfect platform for showcasing the extremely competitive and exciting racing found at every AMA Pro Flat Track event and we look forward to thrilling audiences across America." Viewers will see the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Expert Twins Class presented by Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, along with the up-and-coming AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles support class as they battle the legendary Springfield Mile. The Memorial Day weekend event featured some of the tightest racing and closest finishes to date in AMA Pro Flat Track. | ||
| Crusty |
Aw, Hell; I missed it! I was away for a couple of days, and missed this post. I would have set my DVR to record it. Oh well, maybe I'll catch the next one... | ||
| Buellhusker |
They did not show this in our area, a repeat of some past basketball game. | ||
| Firstbuell |
so we all found unique ways to NOT view that rare, non-repeated Springfield Mile b'cast, eh? I simply can't receive MAV-TV where I live & subscribe + NBC Sports' wesite is near-impenetrable anyway, here's a "don't feel TOO sorry about a missed Mile" posting, based on my historical research for the recent string of West Coast AMA Pro "National" races I developed quite a list of "GNCs don't run there anymore" - this is former [since 1954] AMA Pro "National" Miles only: San Jose San Mateo Baylands Golden Gate Fields Stockton Fresno Del Mar Seattle Portland Phoenix Prescott Valley, AZ Albuquerque Colorado Springs Sedalia, MO Chicago Cicero, IL DuQuoin, IL Livonia, MI Minneapolis Shakopee, MN Grove City, OH Langhorne, PA Nazareth, PA Syracuse Vernon, NY Atlanta New Orleans Dallas (Message edited by firstbuell on August 30, 2012) (Message edited by firstbuell on August 30, 2012) (Message edited by firstbuell on August 30, 2012) (Message edited by firstbuell on August 30, 2012) |
