MotoAmerica | 2024 | Silly Season

Don't let facts get in the way of a good story.

Fuck, HD has a honest to gawd factory team in MA.

 

Is there now or has there ever been published payout net terms from MA? Are there stipulations for being paid net 10-30-60-90-120?

 

The hooligans is almost the class I’ve been blabbering about forever about but currently limited to the potato potato bikes. Naked 1000 to 1200 superbikes. No clip ons, limited plastic ( other than catch pans) and no electronic aids.

Honda cb1000 vs the katana vs . . .

straight pipes! Stockish chassis, limited suspension mods, limited electronics, heavily modded motors.

 

So does Indian. Probably spending more than honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki combined.

 

If they sound like this, hell, I'll even cheer on a Honda!




* - note: a while back, I had even considered building a bike similar to this, as one was raced by my childhood hero, Ron Pierce. The sound of these inline diesels is pretty amazing.

 

Rick, maybe not that offensive but. . . Yeah, that’s the look and the sound. Get rid of 1000 superwhatever and the hooligans with a wide bar naked 1000cc plus class.

race what’s selling.

 

What revenues are generated during the off-season that would help them pay the balance of the purse for this season? Unpaid sponsorship from this year? Next year's sponsorship? The latter doesn't seem conducive to a sustainable operation unless they are expecting the money to get bigger.

 

The only other thing I could think of is the auto renew of the MA subscription? Not sure when that is?

 

I don't know when partners kick in or the schedule they have to meet for payment but I imagine all of that has been collected by now. Could be wrong, don't know. I do know that in the past when a partner fell behind teams were required to cover up or remove that partner's logos from leathers and bikes.

Charles Ponzi proved that.

 

When a private citizen does it, we call it a Ponzi scheme. When the government does it, we call it social security.

 

I have a serious question regarding Triumph and the supersport class. Nikki Tuuli managed 8th in the championship on the 765 street triple. Just how much work would the bike need to be competitive?

Triumph's website has it listed with about 130 hp, not much more than a stock R6. I'm guessing it's heavy and doesn't handle as well either.

 

I think FTX took a lesson from the government.

 

oh they can be more than competitive. It just takes a team with money and support.

 

Well, that's a given. Would the money needed be in the ballpark of the GSXR-750 (I think $40k was mentioned) or a built R6?
Is the support/knowledge base of the bike so small that it just isn't worth the effort compared to other options?

 

It goes deeper than just that. It helps when there are several others racing the same bike vs being an alien in the paddock. You lose out on a lot on just that alone.

 

Hmmm. I remember one winning Daytona in 2022. Rider did not complain about handling or power.

 

I completely forgot about TOBC.

 

The bike is a bit of an anomaly from the other next gen bikes because it needs mods to get the HP up to a competitive level. The 765 is allowed a Triumph top end kit shown in the MA approved parts list:
Triumph Street Triple 765RS Next Generation Triumph 1140319 Race kit complete Top end Triumph Kit

I know Brian Mullins built a budget 765 and raced it at Rd Atl with a stock engine without the power up kit. With the MA tq map, it made 110hp. The GSXR750, the V2, and the MV F3RR are stock engines that are balanced because they make excessive HP out of the factory.

The same thing is going to happen with the GSX8R in twins cup. With a full exhaust system and airbox mods, the bike makes about 84hp and 63 ft/lbs torque. So the bike will need a power up kit to get about 15more HP out of it, then the tq map will need to balance it to get the TQ down to about 50 ish like the other twins cup bikes that have 110cc less displacement.

 

What about the win on Sunday, sell on Monday concept. If you're entertained then "and that has value for anything a fan might buy from basic necessities to toys" or a new motorcycle? But what is clear now more than ever road-racing here is a niche market, and I hope more 20 year olds like my grandsons want to enjoy it but...

 

I don’t know that rider well although I did do a Toyota endorsement for his Arai when he was young… I saw him at Austin for the GP that year and ask him how hard it was not to show his hand before that last straight