| Author | Message | ||
     Sloppy |
Even though I'm a big fan of racing and it does need to be a competative sport, I have noticed a distinct level of "Buell Bashing" Example: from Superbike Palent: "Matt Lynn's engine let go on the back straight, oiling the track and bringing out the stoppage." Notice it's not advertised who the supplier is whose engine grenaded nor do we know the bike brand, hmmm. vs., from same source: "The Buell XBRR Steve Crevier was black-flagged." We know who the manufacturer is, who the racer is -- but there's NO explanation on WHY it was black flagged. Note the difference between the two: Someone's engine BLEW UP and OILED the track vs. a BUELL XBRR was ejected from the race... Another note to make is the amount of money (in millions) that's available from the parent company: Honda: 6,825,562 Kawasaki: 585,700 Suzuki: 1,419,022 Yamaha: 860,980 Harley Davidson: 13,152 I find it odd that people belittle an effort against competitors with over 100 times the resources and find every avenue to advertise their failure. That's not only bad for the under-dog but it encourages the continued monopoly of the sport. We can not make excuses for Buell's program -- they need to get on the podium this year to be considered a viable competitor, but it's very unfair to not recognize the obstacles they face to get there. | ||
| Cluckcluckpush |
Shouldn't they should be able to afford more than the profit from a couple Softails! I mean, really what did they do for 13K, buy lunch?? Not to rain on anyones parade or anything, but where do those numbers come from? Honda spends almost 7 million and Ducati doesn't spend a dime? I don't buy the under-dog theory, they could do it if they made an effort at financial commitment, according to these numbers, that's all it takes? One HD executive's bonus could match Honda's race funding. Superbike Planet feels the VR should still be racing, and were very sad to see it go. If everyone went racing like Buell, they wouldn't fill the stands at the county fair, it would be 6 20ft trailers gathered around a track with 8 unpaid riders. The series would last a year. They shouldn't bash Buell, but you also need to respect the long term dedication to competition that the Japanese Manufacturers show in their financial support in the series. Go to a casino with five bucks and see how long you last. Just a little reality, hope it doesn't cause too many Koolaid reactions. | ||
| M1combat |
Well... aside from the casino thing being a bad analogy... "Go to a casino with five bucks and see how long you last. Just a little reality, hope it doesn't cause too many Koolaid reactions." Go to the casino with the intention of gambling with $500... Are you going to quit after five just because the first five may not go your way? Ducati doesn't spend a dime? My guess is that Ducati just wasn't included... Your statements on this subject all of a sudden make a lot more sense... | ||
| M1combat |
And stop voting for yourself... really... | ||
| Jimidan |
You mean we can vote for ourselves? Cool! Also, Mr. Sloppy Seconds sez: "Another note to make is the amount of money (in millions) that's available from the parent company." What does this mean? We need some context for it to make sense. thanks jimidan | ||
| Sloppy |
That is the capital that the companies are worth for investors to make decisions with (in dollars). It's a measure of their financial capability -- in a very simplified view, for every $100 that HD spends, Honda can spend $50,000 for the two to have an equal financial impact on their company... Numbers are per Morning Star. Duc's not up there because I didn't know their stock symbol. Perhaps someone in the investing field can shed more light on the financial capabilities of all the motor companies? The point is, the competition can afford to spend a lot more money to be competative. Let's face it, Honda has been the innovator in racing because they have the financial backing to do it. I'm not taking anything away from the Big 4, but let's recognize that if you don't have the financial backing that it is going to be a struggle. I wouldn't be surprised if the bonus check & stock options for Honda's Pres. is more than the price of HD Company. | ||
| M1combat |
Ummm... HD is a pretty big player in the business. Keep in mind that Honda does F1 and all that stuff too. They spend a LOT of money there. |
