MotoAmerica changes for 2018

The only good thing about all of this is that bikes are getting less chickenshit my the day.

They will keep upping each other as this displacement war goes on, and then at some point they will start improving the chassis, brakes, etc.

Before long, the 600cc class will be booming again.

 

That's what I'm saying. This is an apples to apples comparison yet Yamaha guys are getting heat for complaining. R3 came in at 25cc larger than the N300, Kawi responds with 103cc increase and people cheer it.

Meanwhile there are plenty of folks on the beeb that bitch about Ducati and any other twin getting a cc "advantage." Mainly Ducati....well because, Ducati.

600 to 636, % wise, makes alot more sense than 321 to 399.

 

Pretty soon it'll be the "All new YZ650 - besting the SV650 with traction control, ABS and engine braking directly from Yamaha R1."

 

Turns out, going forward, that even Ducati agrees that even their displacement advantage isn't worth sticking with the twin.

Kawasaki has always behaved like a Japanese Ducati with goofball specials like the H2 and race specials for homologation purposes and blurring the displacement lines and special editions and such even though they are wildly different companies.

 

A technical perspective from someone who's total body of motorcycle mechanical knowledge can be summed up with :

(1) This makes it go and this makes it stop.

(2) Thank you for shopping at Livengood Motorsports.

 

The 400 racing in the Jr. Cup is the equivalent of letting GSXR750's in supersport.

Theres a lot going on here and it needs to get fixed. I dont have an issue with a 390 single in the class. I have an issue with a $24,000 KTM in the class that at this point nobody but the 2 KTM Factory support riders have access to. I tried to buy one last week just to see. I can get a KTM 390R sometime in April or May but KTM North America had not heard anything about the 300 SSP kit that is being used coming to the US.

I'm in a very unique position with my Team Ownership. I was told last night that I could do whatever I felt was right. If I wanted to go buy a Ninja 400 this morning or import a KTM I could.

What I feel is right is staying with Yamaha. They built a pretty incredible program for these kids. They put together partnerships with other companies for these kids to get free product, free support and contingency. They put together a crew of data and chassis guys for us to have free access to. They gave the kids hospitality at the races, daily meeting with Graves, Hayes to coach them at any time during the weekends and so much more. Yamaha is backing these kids up, helping foster talent and grow the sport. That deserves some loyalty and respect.

I have faith they will get parity in the rules at some point. I think the championship will be well out of reach by the time they do.

 

The golf cart? Transmission locked up going down the hill and flipped it.

 

It was not good. They had 2 guys on the back that just asked for a ride. One guy ended up in the hospital to get checked out. Gauge was driving and said that it just locked up and started going sideways. He saved it once. Golf cart guys called bullshit on him until they flipped it back on its wheels and 4 guys pushing couldnt get it to roll.

 

Yeah, brand new rental cart. Thanks, he got a little beat up but nothing serious.

 

Well said.

 

Man, I was wondering that exact thing when I went down that hill as well.

 

My data guy walks in the pit Thursday and like its nothing out of the ordinary says "Hey Kelly, you know Gauge is standing next to a flipped golf cart on the hill?"

 

The Kaw 400 and 390R on the grid is total BS. Sounds like they'll take anything just to fill the grids up.

Kelly, I admire your loyalty.

 

Oh I’m sure it was.

 

What’s the difference in HP and weight roughly between the Yam, KTM and Kawi?