| Author |
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Blake
| | Posted on Friday, September 02, 2011 - 10:52 am: | 
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Matt,
The AMA never had a Buell S1 pro series. They did have "Pro Thunder", but that was open to all kinds of bikes.
What you may be thinking of is the former Formula USA racing organization's BMC sponsored "Buell Lightning" class.
The Buell S1 race bikes were actual sport bikes, a hundred pounds lighter, far more nimble, with much better handling, and handlebars that didn't rival the adornment of longhorn cattle. One of those fifteen year old racing machines would lay waste to an XR1200. Wouldn't that be a wonderful demonstration of reality, to allow fifteen year old Buells to race against H-D's best so-called "sport bike" of today? Chassis matters. |
Blake
| | Posted on Friday, September 02, 2011 - 10:53 am: |
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Image, not so much.
H-D sport bike? Fail. |
Notblues2
| | Posted on Friday, September 02, 2011 - 11:35 am: |
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You sound just like the Jap bike riders when they put down Buells. |
Aeholton
| | Posted on Friday, September 02, 2011 - 12:55 pm: |
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The poor performance of the machines was just such a huge distraction that it ruined it for me.
Read as: The badge on the machines was just such a huge distraction that it ruined it for me.  |
Indy_bueller
| | Posted on Friday, September 02, 2011 - 12:59 pm: |
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I felt quite similar to the way Blake feels. But my old friends at James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing asked me to come and pit for them last weekend, so after almost two seasons of avoiding it I was back in the pits again, this time wrenching on a couple XR's.
You can say what you want about the XR not being a real sport bike. I agree with you. A couple of things happened this weekend that I didn't expect though, that changed my mind a little about the class in general.
The first thing was a young man by the name of Taylor O'Hara. This kid is the true definition of a "privateer". Operating on a shoe-string budget, with only one mechanic and his girlfriend to help him out, he went out there and handed a butt-kicking to everyone on Saturday. Including that big money team with the sponsor that starts with a "G". He went out there again on Sunday with a sticky clutch and got third. A truely inspiring performance for the weekend from a kid that's got way more heart than money.
The second thing was the handlebar to handlebar racing. The battle for first was exciting to watch from start to finish, not just for a few seconds here or there. From eyeball level at the racetrack, MotoGP was a snoozer of a race. Moto2 was somewhat better. But none of the races had me yelling "WOW!" or the crowd screaming as much as the Sportster race.
I dunno. Maybe you just had to be there. |
Strokizator
| | Posted on Friday, September 02, 2011 - 01:36 pm: |
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I agree. The XR races were fun to watch even though they were close to 20 seconds a lap down on the big boys (that's huge!).
Then again, the pit bike races at the local TT track are usually a hoot too. Close racing, no matter the class, is a good show. |
Blake
| | Posted on Friday, September 02, 2011 - 03:00 pm: |
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>>> You sound just like the Jap bike riders when they put down Buells.
You mean the ones who finished behind me in Thunderbike and various Twins class races? |
Notblues2
| | Posted on Saturday, September 03, 2011 - 11:32 am: |
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I'd bet money that if you went out in that XR1200 race on your Buell you'd finish dead last.
I have no respect for bike bigots sorry whether they're ricer riders putting down Buells or Buell riders putting down Harleys it's all the same. Being faster than someone somewhere doesn't make it ok. |
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