While Chip is a salesman from hell, the initial thoughts I had when I made the decision on which class to allow him to run had nothing to do with advertising. I told him up front if I felt the bike was too fast we'd have to look at a different class and remove points. That was the very first thing he was told, my responsibility is to WERA as a whole and all of our riders, that isn't going to be ignored for some potential advertising. Our customers are our business and that is always at the forefront of any decision. I did some research on his bike and other electric bikes. They're all really running good Clubman to mid level SV times. Even if his could stretch it's legs at a place like Fontana it would still be a fast SV type of machine. So I took that and went up a class to HW Twins. Looking at the laptimes I made the right call.
Really, none of the HVTSS bikes are qualified to run well. A couple of cats out there playing on some cool bikes, much respect. MY point about the SS class was Chips electric bike was far from stock bike. I used the Stock class as an easy example because it seemed to fit less in stock. It doesn't fit in TWIN superbike either. Maybe by (some) times but, that's it. I feel it doesn't meet the rules. I fear quoting the parts of the rulebook that I feel makes it not fit. Especially to someone who has a hand in the book. But, it's simply not a TWIN in SS or SB format.
I understand your "call" as far as where to put it as far as times. I'm sticking to strictly the rulebook. I'm all for letting the guy race. Just with other like-bikes.
He raced with "like-bikes". Bikes that perform "like" his as seen by "performance indexing". There's quotes from the rulebook about that too if you'd like? So you propose he should raceall by himself since there's no other electric bikes out there? Makes sense. Why not have everyone just do timed solo runs since every bike is "slightly" different. We can hand out punch and pie afterwards and possibly a group hug?
No, not race all by himself. I understand his times are near mine therefor he could be racing with me with the "performance indexing" idea. But, really, he should be a lot faster on that thing. Will he be able to drop 200lbs by next Fontana and race the same classes ? I know I need to get back in the rulebook. I don't, obviously, know all the rules. What's keeping him from modifying the bike more then stomping the LWTSB class to crap next time out and taking our points ?
FWIW I applaud WERA for fitting Chip's bike in, and his crew for putting together a kickass bike. They have to start somewhere and see how it works out. I think everyone was pretty gracious about accepting it--and didn't he give up his points anyway?
Wait a damn minute. OP presumably got beat by an electric bike that performs about like an SV (or perhaps like a clubman bike) that was racing in HWTSB? And is now complaining that it doesn't fit the class? Am I understanding this correctly? Technically a Big Wheel or Green Machine doesn't fit the Clubman class, but I wouldn't complain if someone entered one. I'd probably get beat by it anyway.
He's not running it in Lightweight Twins. That's been my point the entire damn time. YOU ARE RUNNING UP A CLASS TO HEAVYWEIGHT TWINS!!!!!!!!!!!
That's the beauty of performance indexing. He will probably be put in a different class when he drops 200 pounds.
WHat those other guys said. Performance indexing means if the bike doesn't fit into a class, it'll be entered into a class WERA feels it performs similar to. When Chip brought the bike to Fontana this month, it performed similar to fast SVs, and WERA placed it in a class ABOVE that. If Chip brings the bike back and sheds 200 lbs, has a boost of HP, or any other changes really, that means WERA can re-assign the bike to a new class where it now fits based on it's new performance index. I'd even venture to guess Mongo will find the class it performs similar to and bump Chip's bike up a class like he did in the past. You would think that would keep people from whining about it...
The thing has like 140 pounds of batteries sitting up high behind him, like a rigid passenger or something. Getting beat by him and that bike is like driving a Corvette and getting beaten through a series of corners by a guy driving a 1989 4-cylinder Hino cab-over with a 14-foot box full of racebikes!