| Author |
Message |
    
M2nc
| | Posted on Thursday, June 04, 2009 - 07:26 am: | 
|
You know Car and Driver last year took thirty cars to VIR for a comparison run one weekend. At the the end of the day a car stood out that was unexpected, the Chevy Cobolt SS. Even though it was in the lowest price category it had a lower lap time than many cars with more horsepower than it including the Subaru WRX-STi, Lexus I350 and the Dodge Challenger RT.
This is road racing not drag racing. If the competition above would of been held at a drag strip the Cobolt would have been waxed by the Dodge, but it wasn't. The guys at M4 Suzuki understand this. They do not have the most power bike, even among 600s. But they have the set up that makes the bike handle better, so on tight courses they have the advantage. The Buells are heavier and that penalizes them on the tight course, but in the more open courses their flat torque curves help them jump off the corners. As long as the lap times are close, to me this whining is just a result of years of displacement only regulations. |
Elvis
| | Posted on Thursday, June 04, 2009 - 08:32 am: |
|
I think it may be time to change the title of this thread. 
Here's an interesting article:
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/03june09_das_mdstyl e.htm
Here's hoping we hear a lot of whining this weekend.
It seems to me the answer to this controversy is very simple: If you don't like the class, don't watch it. There are plenty of other motorcycle races to watch.
Here's a question. Without looking it up. . . can anyone name the current leader in FIM Supersport?
While DMG went through some strange twists along the way, the bottom line is they now have an undercard that's interesting. There's still Superbike for anyone who wants to see racing that is more "fair" based on the traditional formula. |
Duggram
| | Posted on Thursday, June 04, 2009 - 09:23 am: |
|
Elvis, great read. BTW there's a space in your link.
There was another mag that did a similar test, but I think they only road on the street, no track time. They were quick to point out that the 1125 was superior in that situation and therefore the criticism of the AMA is justified. Total crap. |
Paint_shaker
| | Posted on Thursday, June 04, 2009 - 05:54 pm: |
|
"After riding the three bikes both on the street and on the racetrack, we found capable motorcycles, but no clear winner. When you get down to it, it's all about the rider. May the best man win."
And that is exactly what is happening in the Daytona Sportbike Class. |
Dentguy
| | Posted on Friday, June 05, 2009 - 07:57 pm: |
|
I will ask again, and as many times as it takes until someone can intelligently answer the question, why the bike with the "unfair advantage" has not had the fastest lap time, top speed, or been on the podium more often than bikes half its displacement?
Because the bikes don't ride themselves.
http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?artic le=36817
So much for the top speed thing. |
Sd26
| | Posted on Friday, June 05, 2009 - 08:13 pm: |
|
Peris and Zemke just got busted for having the incorrect fuel. Not their fault obviously as riders. |
Duggram
| | Posted on Saturday, June 06, 2009 - 08:44 am: |
|
Great comment from John Ulrich on the WERA forum in the "Buell's displacement advantage is unfair?" thread.
"The class is whatever the organizers say it is, and in this case it's a mixed formula class known as Daytona Sportbike. The fact that it is not all 600s is probably why it isn't called, for example, Supersport, or 600 Superstock, or 600 anything else.
I know guys racing 600s against the thing who seem to have less problem with the concept than you do. Not sure why.
Mixed formula classes are common in AMA history. Look up Class C and consider 500cc OHV bikes vs. 750cc side-valve engines, for example. The concept is nothing new, and history repeats itself. Or consider MotoGP when it started, 990cc 4-strokes vs. 500cc 2-strokes. People who don't like it, have the option of not running it.
My team races 600s in Daytona Sportbike. I have no problem with the formula. The more types the better, and the more money spent in the paddock, the better." |
|
