| Author | Message | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
     Henshao |
It's a good thing you were there to clear that up. We all applaud your contribution. By the way, what are your excuses for failing to field a winning WSBK team? Lack of desire? Excuses, excuses... If, by your measure: a broken chain, failed clutch, loose exhaust bolt are not marked improvements over spun bearing, wrist pin failure, et cetera; then I posit that you are simply negative for negativity's sake and perhaps you both enjoy and desire EBR's struggles, presumably because of some deeply rooted malicious streak. We can only assume Erik talked about someone's mother. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
And the wolves turned on themselves.... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Blake |
Some folks don't feel good about themselves unless they are belittling others. Best to just ignored them. (Tpooper). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tpoppa |
Good one Blake I regularly analyze business decisions professionally. Both good and bad. I call 'em like I see 'em. In this world objectivity will get you a heck of a lot further than excuses. “Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth because they don't want their illusions destroyed.” --Friedrich Nietzsche | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Snacktoast |
Gents, lets take a deep breath and take a step back here. The beauty of this situation is that we are all passionate about the brand and the name. Sometimes we just disagree about the best way to express that emotion. Personally, I feel that the team has made steps forward from last year. The recent engine failures were a result of a poorly prepared part that went into them. While it's frustrating that there's a case of engine failures, and two precautionary DNS (not due to a lack of parts, just a lack of known good parts), to me it's important that the engine held together based on its fundamental architecture. The ultimate, and undeniable truth, is that no one on this board knows the behind-the-scenes reasons why or how there have been teething issues. The second important point is that these guys are battling in the spirit of the man and the brand they represent. Some of those among us choose to focus on these failures with a microscope, which unfortunately causes blinders to inhibit the view of the forest for the trees. I think, by any reasonable measure, failures that fall into the category of unfortunate (exhaust, clutch problems, broken chain) vs. preventable (engine assembly problems, poorly prepped parts, etc.) are discernable by a reasonable measure of common sense and by this measuring stick, there is slow improvement. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Snacktoast |
Who told you they are racing RX engines in WSBK as that is not true.... Don't believe everything you read. Never read it anywhere, so please don't assume. I DO NOT subscribe to the, "I read it on the internet, so it must be true" mentality. Please do not assume this to be the case. I am, however, aware of the architecture differences between the two engines, including different rod and piston design that required the RX rod length and weight to be homologated for WSBK, whereas the RS was not due to low production numbers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simond |
...... so Jonathan Rea is looking good......?  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reepicheep |
What!?!? Motorcycle racing isn't a good business decision? Say it aint so!  Thank goodness we cleared that up! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vagelis46 |
Johny Rea is the 2015 WSBK Champion ! ! ! VdMark is a rising star ..... DUcati looks like they now understand how to setup the "frameless" 1199. I think only Gugliano could have stopped Rea .... but he injured himself ... EBR is looking much better than 2014... Superpoles and points in every race .... I am looking forward to Imola , wonder what Canepa can do there.... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Court |
>>>Thank goodness we cleared that up! Precisely . . . and what fun it is to "analyze" a business decision absent a single shred of data or information other than a blurb in the Milwaukee paper. I suspect this will play out over time and some folks will have to revisit their positions. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Crusty |
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| Tpoppa |
Court, The wisest business man I ever worked with once told me to be cautious of those who are overly concerned with "managing the message." I consider that each time I read one of your posts skillfully disquising an excuse as a moral victory. Substance > Spin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Diabuell |
LMAO @ Crusty's post. That's about all we can do at this point! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Diabuell |
One other thing I love my 09 XB12R! Can't say enough about air-cooled. GAS-Check OIL-Check IGN-Check CYA LATER!!  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| M2typhoon |
I highly doubt any of us have more than 10% of the real details about the story behind EBR filing. Yeah, HERO could have backed out of bringing bikes to the US and pulled funding, Yeah, Erik could have over extended himself on the idea of the HERO investment. Hell, we don't even know the true terms of the HERO investment. Erik may not have even seen a dime of it. We don't know. For anyone to hypothesize on conjecture is nuts. The story stands that EBR plum ran out of cash flow and to think you can fund and entire company on a two bike line-up both to be considered superbikes is not good business but, it's all Erik had. He didn't have a different motor or a chassis. He took what he had and tweaked the hell out of it. Doing a different range of bikes would not have happened financially. I will say this though. Every time HERO pushed back their bikes, EBR pushed the AX back. The went hand in hand. (Message edited by m2typhoon on April 21, 2015) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fast1075 |
Somebody "Cube" a Hero!!!!! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classax |
Anyone else notice that Larry seems to be struggling to learn the tracks yet keeps managing to qualify well ahead of the cut off. Where as last year it always seemed like Aaron and Geoff were on the bubble of not even making the show? Its not like the field has gotten slower... yet Canepa is a perennial superpole participant and the Worm seems to find a way to make the grid. In a way this is the whole EB racing story, daring to be different on a shoe string budget. Never making it to the top but enjoying the ride all the way. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Henshao |
Does anyone have a comparo of last year's general lap times vs this year, for the whole field? Where would this year's EBR's be, had they raced last year? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hughlysses |
WSBK stats are available for several years here: http://www.worldsbk.com/en/results%20statistics Comparing Assen results in 2014 and 2015:
So, on one hand, somehow Rea was faster on what's essentially an EVO machine this year than the fastest rider was on a regular machine last year? Nic was quicker on the EBR this year than he was on the EVO Duc last year, and considerably quicker than Geoff was on the EBR last year. So yea, I'd say EBR has progressed significantly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mackja |
Those numbers show just how much more corner speed the EBR has over the Duc, better lap times with a slower top end speed. If they could find another 30hp things would be real interesting!! Bike has so much potential to just fade away. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hughlysses |
You just have to wonder if there's an ultra-short stroke modded 1190 in a dyno room somewhere growing cold while this receivership goes on... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hybridmomentspass |
Which is supposed to be faster, EVO or 'regular' bike? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hughlysses |
The way I understand it, last season, "EVO" was the new class that limited engine modifications compared to the regular WSBK class. This year, all bikes are basically operating under EVO rules. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Henshao |
Good stuff Hugh. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hybridmomentspass |
Ok, so the evo class, with its stricter limits SHOULD be a slower bike, yes? What the chart shows is how much better a rider Canepa is over May. Not saying May sucks, dude is awesome, but 3 seconds on, what should be, a 'slower' bike is a lot! (from the 2014 results, Canepa was 3 sec quicker on the same day/track/race as May). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Steve_a |
Nicola's bike has better electronics and more power than Geoff's did last year. And is backed by a better team. It's not all the rider, though that may be some of it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Henshao |
Larry was also (slightly) faster than May and he struggled mightily with this track. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hughlysses |
Nic posted 130 photos from Assen to his Facebook page this morning. Here's one good one:  And I still say, he may not have the fastest bike, but I'm pretty sure he's got the hottest umbrella girl!   | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classax |
More HP doesn't always mean faster lap times. Sometimes a ride'rs style and pace allow him to more fully use a bike with less power resulting in a more relax rider. More power can often mean battling for grip, struggles with braking markers, and delay getting back on the gas. All things for the rider to contend with that require attention. When you're more relaxed you are smoother and smoother is always faster... I'm not saying always, but sometimes a less powerful bike is easier to set up and ride, which results in quicker times despite giving up some top end, sometimes... Rea was on a underpowered bike (for him last year) he seems to have found the sweet spot. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fresnobuell |
Track layout would be another important factor...but you speak the truth. This is why some people are slower on a liter bike vs. a 600. |
