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Mario1125
| | Posted on Friday, April 03, 2009 - 10:58 am: | 
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"Edmondson actually answered most of my questions about the direction that DMG is headed... pretty good interview and he comes off as a reasonable guy with a plan. Key points for me:
1. An honest attempt is being made to make manufacturers race what they sell. This is going to be tough but should level the playing field.
2. Live TV was lost because of poor ratings and lack of advertising money.
3. DMG is trying to improve the show to get the live coverage back.
4. The safety car is better than a red flag. I don't agree, but his logic is sound.
5. The series is a work in progress (I guess that is always true).
Lets hope DMG succeeds."
I agree. I also like his statement regarding the top two Buell's being the third fastest. I believe Buell has the best rider not the fastest bike.
(Message edited by mario1125 on April 03, 2009) |
Ceejay
| | Posted on Friday, April 03, 2009 - 11:23 am: |
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so now all those jumping up and down about buell being too fast, why isn't my bike(brand X) the fastest anymore can go back to being content of being a sucky rider on a fast(er) bike. 
I too think the pace car sucks, but the idea has merits-pace bike would be much better than a car or red flag.
as I see it they are doing well with what they got, why people are complaining is beyond me. I guess it's that Eslick smile as big as the Texas, er Oklahoma, sky that's firing them up. Seems that if they were true race fans they'd be more than happy to want people to come out and watch(within reason I guess) |
Court
| | Posted on Friday, April 03, 2009 - 12:23 pm: |
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Buell owner are not alone . . .
quote:Sport Exhaust Discontinued ????
-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
I just placed the order this week for my new Cayman S. The dealer called me today to tell me that the Porsche Sport Exhaust option has been discontinued for both the Cayman and Boxster for 2009!!! Is there someone with a good connection at Porsche who can confirm this? The dealer told me he received an email this week from Porsche saying it was discontinued. Is there a dealer out there who will confirm this or share the email with us?
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Slaughter
| | Posted on Friday, April 03, 2009 - 01:00 pm: |
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Part/component availability should be available to ALL racers with money and NOT just to a select few.
If we're going to have a no-holds-barred TRUE Superbike racing contest, let's bring back Formula One!!! We haven't had REAL road racing since the AMA killed the last REAL race series. Heck Superbike is based on STREETBIKES fercrissakes - and they have the nerve to call it Superbike???
When we were pitting for Jensen a few years back at Laguna, he finagled a deal to get a set of Yates' cams through a backdoor deal (doubt that Yosh even knew) - those cams made his Gixxer come ALIVE with just minor tweaks on fueling. If you think MAPS are time consuming, you ought to see how much effort is expended on cam development.
Either we stop kidding ourselves about limiting the Pro-level racing classes by making the playing field more level - to where multi-millionaires like Michael Jordan CAN get cams and other engine internals - or let's get back to REAL racing where the poor folks that were "forced" to race the Yamaha TZ750 while the favored few got the OW-series bikes a full season ahead of the Philistines...
I'm whining. Have to go etch the shop floor before epoxy painting... wind's blowing and it's miserable out and I'm in a bad mood
So why DON'T we have a truly premiere racing class - as the Formula One used to be back when we started this mis-named "pretend" racing class that we call Superbikes? |
Crusty
| | Posted on Friday, April 03, 2009 - 07:50 pm: |
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So why DON'T we have a truly premiere racing class - as the Formula One used to be back when we started this mis-named "pretend" racing class that we call Superbikes?
Why? Because the general public disliked the annoying cackling whine that the two strokes made, and wouldn't go to the races. That's the real reason the TZ 750 Dirt tracker was banned. Everybody was staying away from the road races, and the AMA was afraid the same thing would happen to Dirt Track. (They did the Right Thing, in my opinion)
As far as a truly Premier racing series, give DMG some time. I think they're on to something, and it won't be long before Daytona Sportbike becomes the best paved show you can watch. Class C racing is back; and soon, racing will be more about the Rider and less about the bike. Or do you prefer a race where the Factory OW-01s of Kenny Roberts and Johnny Cecotto lap EVERYBODY else? |
Imonabuss
| | Posted on Friday, April 03, 2009 - 08:56 pm: |
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Actually Kenny lapped Cecotto, who lapped everyone else, meaning Kenny lapped everyone but Cecotto twice. That was the death knell of F1 racing in the US. |
Jima4media
| | Posted on Friday, April 03, 2009 - 09:42 pm: |
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The TZ750 was fast back in the day, but how do the lap times on the major tracks compare with today's 600s and liter bikes?
TZs only made 120-130 RWHP.
My guess is that todays lap times are 5 -10 seconds better today because of tires, frames, suspension, motors, and brakes.
Someone will have to dig out their old paper pre-internet magazines to know for sure.
The layout of the tracks has changed much, and a lot of the old tracks are not even in use.
(Message edited by jima4media on April 03, 2009) |
Dbird29
| | Posted on Friday, April 03, 2009 - 09:46 pm: |
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Holy SACBorg posting •••••
Jima4media has come home! |
Slaughter
| | Posted on Saturday, April 04, 2009 - 12:43 am: |
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Yeah but I still long for 2-smokes and no-compromise race machinery. We worked with Team Hansen... DuHamel, Nixon, Wilvert... and the H2R, KR series came close but no ceegar to the TZ750 - though the KR250 under DuHamel coulda/woulda/shoulda been a killer machine.
Wilvert raced a TZ750 for us the season after Kawasaki/Hansen folded their tents. Still stay in touch with Wilvert after all these years - and he STILL races (AHRMA) and has done a couple turns on David Crussel's H2R in AHRMA just for old time's sake.
Hurley at Daytona:
I just so vividly remeber thinking that calling a streetbike-based race the "Superbike" class was just silly when they were still racing REAL racing motorcycles.
Where could they have gone? Look at the 500cc MotoGP bikes and imagine them at 750cc with 20 more years of development. You think 130HP? Coulda/woulda/shoulda.
I don't miss Stuporbike as it used to be. It was as attainable to the average racer as was the OW- bikes to the "rest of the pack."
I'll still likely build an H2R someday in a Hansen chassis. They still exist... but I'm getting older and peaky 2-strokes were fun when I thought I could ride my RD400 and came THIS |------| close to buying an H1R. (Just as well that I never did)
I gotta stop now... it's late, I'm tired and too lazy to proofread. |
Blake
| | Posted on Saturday, April 04, 2009 - 10:32 am: |
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Some of my favorite excerpts from Roger Edmondson's interview:
quote:It's always amazing to me that everyone was complaining like crazy about AMA roadracing in the past, but as soon as we tried to change something, you would have thought we moved their cheese. It's just incredible. Now I've got people longing for the 'good ole days' that were considered terrible a year ago.
That's why it doesn't pay for us to listen too much to the mindless screaming that takes place, and in fact try to separate from that the good voices out there that are using logic and common sense.
quote:I think it's important to note that we've never been anti-factory. It may have come across that way because we got crosswise with some of the factories and our vision being different than theirs. But at the end of the day, the factories are a very critical part of supporting the sport.
The problem I've had is that they've been carrying the burden on their own. I believe it's the wrong burden. From my standpoint, for a healthy sport, I would rather see the manufacturers show up with 18-wheelers full of demo bikes and marketing materials and displays, than 18-wheelers full of race bikes. That is the job of the racing industry. The manufacturers should be free to use these events as a medium to sell motorcycles. Where they have to provide the athletes and the machines, they're going to do it in a 'take-no-prisoners' mode and when they do that, it chases out the private teams. And without the private teams, you've got no infrastructure.
Last year's Superbike field averaged 23-24 bikes and only half of them were Superbikes just becausethe average team couldn't afford them. This year we're averaging over 30 Superbikes and they're all prepared according to the rules because the rules bring the thing within reach.
It is also interesting to me to see how close the lap times are this year on motorcycles that currently cost less than some of the forks did last year. I think that sends a message.
quote:Again, I go back to the fact that many of our bikes, built to the limit of the rules, cost less than the forks on some of those world championship Superbikes. It's an unfair comparison but people typically make it and they make it without any attempt to qualify the differences.
I too disagree with the safety car, a safety/pace bike would be okay. Worse though is the stupid rolling starts. The opening drag race to the first turn is one of the most exciting parts of the whole race. It was a very poor decision to eliminate that in favor of a rolling start. What kind of "Logic" was used in arriving at that strange decision? |
Imonabuss
| | Posted on Saturday, April 04, 2009 - 01:12 pm: |
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Blake,
The hideous injuries that have occurred in standing starts would be my guess. This is especially bad in multi-wave starts. |
Crusty
| | Posted on Saturday, April 04, 2009 - 02:49 pm: |
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I wonder what Scott Russell thinks about rolling starts? |
Blake
| | Posted on Sunday, April 05, 2009 - 07:47 pm: |
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Good point. |
Rmr
| | Posted on Monday, April 06, 2009 - 09:13 am: |
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6MIBaC2My0
I think of standing starts everytime I try bend my wrist!....roll on rolling starts |
Slaughter
| | Posted on Monday, April 06, 2009 - 09:19 am: |
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I think rolling starts is workable. A standing start cost me a half year in a wheelchair... but the pace car for yellows? Not so sure. |
Sparky
| | Posted on Monday, April 06, 2009 - 12:15 pm: |
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We don't need no stinkin' wobbly 'safety car'.
I say give 'em a "1125R Defender" with blazing flashing yellow & blue lights and siren! Not only will it get the rider's attention, it can actually catch the leaders and lead them through chicanes and down the straightaways. |
Bads1
| | Posted on Monday, April 06, 2009 - 02:07 pm: |
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I was right there on the straight when this happened to Steve Rapp at Road America. The guy walked away and they restarted the race. He rode his #2 bike. I'll never forget it as long as I live. My jaw just dropped.
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Sd26
| | Posted on Monday, April 06, 2009 - 02:22 pm: |
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I think of standing starts everytime I try bend my wrist!....roll on rolling starts
Good think Max had something to poor over your fuel drenched...well...
There's been some nasty fuel in the AMA...LOL! |
Rmr
| | Posted on Monday, April 06, 2009 - 03:55 pm: |
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Thanks for reminding me Dave....least that doesnt hurt anymore |
Fast1075
| | Posted on Monday, April 06, 2009 - 04:20 pm: |
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The cackle of the TZ750 ran the crowds off? (in road racing)??? That sound made the hair on my arms stand straight up!!! No wussy girlie man silencers...And the smell of bean oil...watching the Suzuki chassis twist up and hurl riders on the track...the sound of a Gamma at full song.. |
Ducbsa
| | Posted on Monday, April 06, 2009 - 05:50 pm: |
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I went to Daytona several years in the early'80's and I gotta agree with you.
As an aside, that was a fantastic time. Kenny on his factory specials, BOTT with all sorts of wild twins, great vintage racing, then the Honda four stroke racers for Freddie. I count myself pretty lucky to have been there, I even got to be pit crew.
"The cackle of the TZ750 ran the crowds off? (in road racing)??? That sound made the hair on my arms stand straight up!!! No wussy girlie man silencers...And the smell of bean oil...watching the Suzuki chassis twist up and hurl riders on the track...the sound of a Gamma at full song.." |
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