MotoAmerica 2022 silly season

Well like Nascar and unlike the core product( assuming you mean superbikes), baggers are bringing fans and sponsors and are paying riders it seems so idk how it's a bad thing.

 

MA/FIM can do both to balance the bikes - a hard rpm limit or maximums on the torque map.

 

If you limit the rpm a bunch, then the range between peak torque and peak power will be really small making a bike difficult to keep in the power band. Think 2-stroke powerband.

 

Nascar owns racing in the US and pretty much Canada. They are good at what they do for sure. But sportscar, Indycar and all suffer from it. Even in Canada, so much Sponsor money goes to Nascar north. It hurts the more " pure racing" like formula cars etc.

Glad for people to get work, and if they are happy and enjoying riding the big things around great. But if it is taking resources away from the core product, streetbikes style then that ain't so great. I would rather have a full field of Superbikes.

There is a rider I like. Successful. He's running a baggers program this year along with his roadracing bike. This guy should be in Superbike hands down. I was disappointed to see him not move up again, but ad baggers. The budget and time would be better spent chasing the pinnacle I think. That is kinda what I was alluding in another post to. I listen to a lot of pods etc with American riders and so many seem to have a real, "what ever happens, happens" attitude to career progression. Whereas, the Europeans would sell their brothers organs to move into the next class. I just can't see someone in Moto2, even the Spanish series running a baggers program on the side. It's all in. Again, I am just a fan with skin in the game. Cheering on MotoA and all the young US riders.

 

I haven't followed new motorcycle sales statistics lately. Do people still buy supersport style bikes?

 

Been an issue here in NA every-since NASCAR went 'mainstream'. The 800-pound gorilla syndrome (in motorsports), that sux-up the vast majority of TV time and thus sponsorship money...

 

The current issue is finding one as the manufactures are struggling to produce them. I havent seen any 1ks on dealers floors for a couple years now. Most seem to be sold way before they arrive state side.

 

Baggers aren’t taking away dollars or rides in superbikes.

if a rider chooses a better financial path which puts them on baggers that’s got nothing to do with NASCAR.

Vance and Hines, S&S etc didn’t and won’t have a super bike budget. But they are bringing in a lot of new fans ajd $$$ into the paddocks.

a lot of dudes that were happy building silly big inch v twin engines now are learning about turning, brakes and suspension and it’s cool.

your argument would be valid if Moto America eliminated the SBK class in favor of Baggers. Then I see your point.

 

Couldn't have said it better. And once you actually go and see KOBs race you know that they are full on road racing machines and very impressive to watch. Plain and simple the teams and riders are not fucking around out there.

 

Exactly, people have to think about it as when people buy tickets to watch the baggers in person and you send those ticket sales numbers to potential sponsors as a way of showing value, the sponsors don't know which class brought the people to the track they just care that they were at the track.
Tv is obviously more specific because they can see who viewed what.

 

Another thing I like is that the casual fan (not us) doesnt know the difference between superbike, supersport, or superstock. They see "crotch rockets". Until the baggers come out and they sound like a thunder storm. So another cool thing. I am far from a bagger lover, and would never build one (maybe ride or help someone else develop theirs) but what thye have done is create a new level of excitement and new eyes on the sport as a whole. Sure, most probably turn off the show when baggers arent racing, but for 1000 fans, maybe 100 might stay tuned to watch the other classes....

 

Anyone that doubts the impact, no matter how anyone “feels” about it only needs to look at the Road America views... Vance and Hines built a huge successful racing and product company after the left the Superbike class... Baggers brought them back...

 

Vance and Hines were around way before they went road racing. Built their name and company on drag racing and they are still heavy hitters there. They ran the Harley “factory” program for years and are now back running the factory Suzuki program in drag racing.

 

Also, not that I am connecting dots, but looking forward, Vance & Hines apparently signed to take over the Suzuki platform in Drag racing....... Does that mean perhaps a small foot in the door for somehting in the future? Terry and Byron are extremely passionate about racing. Maybe some success with Suzuki on the drag strip may turn into Suzuki supporting another RR team?

I don't know to what extent they support M4, but it wasnt that long ago Suzuki supported multiple teams. V&H already has 2 semis, a show hauler, and like 4 sprinters..... Wouldn't be that difficult to expand into RR.... Hmmm might have to get Terry on the phone and work on my sales pitch...

 

The V&H Race shop (where the drag and flat track team is based) would make Attack, M4, and probaby most other teams look silly. When I say there are at any given time, approx 200 different engines being built for every series you can think of, and some of yall would shit when you hear what factory SX teams are running VH heads on their bikes......

They literally made their own "harley" engines for drag and flat track in house and are even maching solid suzuki heads and engines out of billet. In other words, theres really nothing they cant build.... Hell, they even build their own chassis as well,

 

V&H developed and are selling a 4 valve per cylinder set up for Suzukis in drag racing after decades of everyone still using the GS set up. It’s f@cking fast and holds together almost as well as the ancient GS setup.
Between that, Harley dirty track and drag parts, their cruiser products, they are an 800 pound gorilla and that’s kick ass.

 

On that xcleratetv.com site it's awesome the commentary and guys they interview in the archive of races they have so far. It's a great history lesson in motorcycle racing and I look forward to new videos being uploaded every week. In a couple of those road races they interviewed a guy from V&H.

 

Forgive me if I'm wrong but didn't they nerf a lot of the "superbike'ish" style rules that the KOB class originally had? Like custom swingarms/linkages and stuff like forced induction? Didn't a few of those shops have well over $100K into a bike for (at the time) a one off an exhibition race?

Personally, I think some focus on that Hooligan class would be beneficial. Those are the bikes I see on the road most often. Having one of those classes with SBK style rules would be neat.

 

They do a heck of a great job on in-line 4 cylinder heads, I can tell you that much.

 

as the resident sport bike guy in a sea of harley owners at work I can definately say that there is alot of interest in the Bagger racing. I have had several guys stop by my desk to ask about what it would take to make their bikes handle and stop better and none of them seem to batt an eye at the cost of the upgrades. It will be interesting once it warms up to see if any of them follow through. so far at least two have asked me to help them upgrade although both are former sport riders so that may play into it.

Apparently there is alot of interest in this new setup on online groups and with a certain subset of riders low and slow is being replaced by a sportier stance.