Triples now in Super Hooligans

Curious what change is pushing you out?

 

Cost... with all the changes I would need to make to the 2019 FTR, I would have been closer to start with a 2023 FTR now based on the rules which just more money. It just feels like the Hooligans has migrated to more of a "pro" series now than when it started which seemed more grass roots racing. Just my opinion.

If I remember correctly from the old rules, now a fuel cell required, spec'ed race tires now so I will have to redo the suspension and wheels (was going to keep the stock wheels and run good DOTs), and no B main which I thought was perfect to allow all us slow to go guys a chance to race and I think I read somewhere where to make the race now you had to be within XX seconds of the fast qualifier... I would hate to travel out West for two weeks and never get to get on the track...

I feel like I would be better off getting an electric bike and go race which take the fun out of it. And in the end, I just wanted to go have some fun on the track with my FTR before I age out... I not new to racing but it has been 30 years...

 

Yeah, it's clear that MA is pushing SH to 'grow up' a bit, I don't think they were prepared for the number of people wanting to run it. RSD's insistence that all entries get a main in the past was pretty cool. The fact that triples are now allowed tells me more MFGs outside of Indian are starting to poke and want to play, I'm thinking MA feels they've got enough interest that they can start tightening things up and still have good grids. On the other hand, it's cool to see other series starting to adopt SH style classes.

On the tires front, SH is still the only class that just has a simple "All machines must be fitted with Dunlop tires" rule, all others have to run serialized Dunlops from a limited, tracked allocation, we can run whatever we want as long as it's from Dunlop. Technically... you should be able to run knobbies but I suspect Tech would frown on that.

On the fuel cell front, if you've made your own tank, and it's not made from metal, that's when that requirement kicks in? All tanks must have fuel foam stuffed in them.

 

Maybe it's just me, but those two statements seem to contradict each other.

If Hooligans wasn't a "pro" series, what was the attraction to running it vs club racing if grass roots racing was what you were looking for?

 

Dont take this the wrong way, as I am an asshole at heart, but the reason its more of a Pro feel is because its migrating into a "pro" class.

I get it and I am guilty as anyone, but the fact of the matter is, this series and its classes arent designed for the guys who want to tell their buddies they gridded up or are "pro"

I could see the writing on the wall where some guys are like 10+seconds per lap off the pace and not only is that not a good show but its also adding danger into the mix of an already dangerous sport.

 

Hmm, I think they are congruence statements...

 

Cannot disagree... but that is why I liked the idea of the B main.

 

It's time for the Hooligans class to grow up if they want to stay in the MA paddock. 33 Hooligans bikes signed up for Daytona in 2023. If they used the 110% rule for qualifying, only 15 made the cut, with the slowest bikes more than 30 seconds off the pace! With the KTM990 and the triples allowed in the class for 2024, the pace is going to be way faster. If you want to have fun with your hooligan bike, take it club racing.

 

A big reason the qualifying has been so lax in Hooligans was because up until recently there wasn't another series running that class (outside of BRL but they've got their own weird rules that I don't necessarily understand). With CCS/ASRA introducing a restructure of Thunderbike and a few others making Hooligans-styled classes, there isn't a need to accommodate us slow pokes so if we want to be on an MA grid then we get to treat it as such.

If you need help building the bike I'm not super far from you I think and I'll never say no to throwing a wrench or brain in the mix.

 

I agree with you on the BRL rules after reading thru them. And I see where the Thunderbike class specifically calls out including the FTR. It looks like I should fit in a least one or two WERA classes... If not, I guess I will have a really nice dedicated track bike...

Appreciate the wrench offer and if you like bourbon or scotch, I can make wrenching or just visiting a little better.

 

I dont think the addition of the TRIPLE and KTM990 in and of themselves will change the game.
The top 5-6 are top level extremely talented riders on really good equipment.
I dont see the pace at the pointy end being much different just because rules allow different bikes , I do think the pace and lap times mid-pack and back pack will increase with the new additions.
It was my experience this season that "the slow riders and bikes 30 seconds off" as it was stated were air cooled bikes running their own class, with that class being gone I believe some of these riders will maybe buy some of the water cooled bikes and up their personal paces.
Qualifying was brought up : In 2023 the grid for SUPERHOOLIGANS was set by using 115% of the 5th place qualifier and I have not read or heard if this will remain for 2024. As far as the "safety " concern I did not know of one incident on track caused by lapped riders.
As I've stated I'm still gonna show up with my SV1000, unless I;'m given a Triumph. for me I see no reason to run out and by one. I was able to qualify for the A main at each round ( altho falsly I'D on the B main by Michael at Laguna, ).
If an overweight no talent grandfather of 4 can do it with a 20yr old bike you guys should be just fine...stop making excuses and come have fun if you have a hooligan legal bike.
Personally I cant wait! Hope to meet you guys at Daytona

 

If ya’ll are looking for some more grassroots type racing but still along the same idea as super hooligans, try supermoto. You don’t need big budgets to ride fast, it’s “cheap” (relatively speaking), bikes crash well, you can bang bars, and the occasional MotoAmerica pro shows up in the off-season, so you can say you raced against the pros.

my personal favorite MotoAmerica class is superhooligans, and I entertained building up an 890, but I’m not particularly fast and I don’t want to be the guy that’s 10 seconds off the pace.

supermoto has that same kinda vibe though. Well, at least before the superhooligan class grew up.

 

Where do supermotos race nowadays?

 

Depends on which coast you're on

 

Supermoto is fun, I can do well on the pavement portions, but it doesn’t scratch the same itch for me. It’s also fading slightly in my region which sucks.

 

california still seems huge. we’ve got a decent group here in utah. if you do the social media thing, follow amasupermoto.. they have a national series ever year. i just went down and did the national finale in tucson this past november. Dibrino showed up to that one and we had our three S1GP, supermoto of nations guys there.

i see a lot more social media stuff from pro racers that train on supermotos in the offseason. i think just last off season fabio quatararo (sp?) came out and rode in california. a few of our motoamerica guys are frequently posting supermoto stuff on their socials.

it’s always been the red headed step child of motorcycle racing, but it’s not dead!

 

Hey Eyore, I’m planning to build and run a Duke 890r this season. I would prefer to only run WERA, but there’s not really a class that would be a natural home for SH bikes. From my reading of the rulebook, it’s only eligible for A, B, and HWT Twins. I think it would be pretty competitive in HWT Twins, but the grids aren’t great. It would gets its assed kicked in A or B against I4-1000’s and 750’s. It would be somewhat competitive against I4-600’s, but the 890 isn’t eligible for C class.

I’m gonna grid up and do the best I can against those faster bikes, but I know I probably won’t be competitive. Maybe if we can get a few SH type bikes out there, we can start our own unofficial SH class within one of these classes.

 

South coast.

 

Bump to see what everyone here is racing in this class next year

 

I'm still hoping to put together an 890, at least for the COTA round, even though Im sure I wont qualify. But I just got laid off, so who knows if I can get one together in time to get enough seat time in.