| Author | Message | ||
     Macchiato |
Anyone know where to find interviews from the paddocks and Buell in ref. to their opinions of the DMG/AMA rule changes. As well as future plans as to the direction of the company's racing plans. | ||
| Hellgate |
Guessing the future plans of DMG??? That is one guess I'd never make. Who on earth knows??? I'm not sure that they don't know as they seem to make it up as they go. | ||
| Macchiato |
True, but the other boards seem to think that Buell/HD is running DMG. However from what I've read so far, Buell is subject to DMG whims and most don't seem to realize that it was DMG that forced Buell to make a homologated version last minute vice offering the parts to convert existing R's. | ||
| Dentguy |
DMG didn't FORCE Buell to make anything. Erik Buell sent a list of parts that he thought were necessary to get the bike up to speed and Roger Edmondson said he couldn't allow his guys to approve the list of parts. So they found a way around it. From Roadracingworld.com.... "RW: And that leads us to the homologation of the Buell 1125RR. Did Erik Buell originally request to homologate just a kit of parts to make the 1125R more competitive in American Superbike? RE: Yes, he did. He sent a list of parts he thought were necessary to get that bike up to speed, and frankly it was a list I couldn’t allow our guys to approve. Then the question came up was there anyway we can take this motorcycle, which we’re currently offering to the public, and make it competitive. And I said, ‘Yes, if you want to put together a race kit and you install it and you’ll support it in terms of selling those same pieces to anybody who wants to buy one and if you’ll race it, yes, we’ll take a look at homologating a complete motorcycle.’ And I’m glad that we did. The only area of concern that I have is I feel the price [$39,995] is a little stronger than where we want to go." The whole interview is here. http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?artic le=37510 | ||
| Xnoahx |
Future racing plans for the next 5 years? WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN | ||
| Imonabuss |
Yep, the other boards are right on target, Buell (net sales last year maybe $100 million, with probably no profit) has bought out Jim France whose net worth is $1.4 billion ($1.4 billion makes $85 million in income if invested very conservatively, BTW). And beat out Honda with their net sales of $102 billion and $2 billion in profit (wonder how much of the $100 billion was spent on racing?). Gives you some idea of the level of the intellect on the other boards. | ||
| Court |
Why . . . . pardon me for being a construction worker . . . . would you go to a Yamaha, Suzuki or Ducati board to hold a discussion about Buells racing plans? Stuff just confuses me. | ||
| Slaughter |
Funny how far DMG (the evil empire) can reach! Honda was obviously so pissed at DMG for the way the season was run that not only did they pull out of the 2010 AMA season, they ALSO cancelled their 2010 Formula One program! (no smiley) | ||
| Jersey_thunder |
UM...WIN !!! | ||
| Buell2001b |
If there is anything good Obama could do is slap a 400% tariff on Honda. lol besides who needs Honda when Buell makes great bikes | ||
| Ridenusa4l |
+100 Buell2001b HAHAHAHA NO MORE JAP CRAP!!! lol Long live  Jake | ||
| Gschuette |
I believe Buell would be well served to start on a 1200cc engine from the 1125 platform. When they introduce it make sure it fits into the rules 100%. All the race wins are certainly making people take notice but then it gets diminished by all the favoritism talk. Buell really needs to show they can win when playing by the same rules. That being said I don't think the RR is that big of a deal. Does anyone really think that bike is going to regularly beat the Yoshimura Suzuki bikes? I hope so but I don't have much faith. Go Buell! | ||
| Court |
I hope so but I don't have much faith. i have COMPLETE faith . . . . but then I was the one, following the XBRR's at Daytona when the rest of the world was tolling the Buell Racing death noll, that "Buell will be one of the top 5 names in racing in 5 years". Faith. 1125RR development has just begun. | ||
| Slojon |
How about Michael Jordan BUELL?!!! What is needed are a few Superbike teams...RMR, are YOU interested? | ||
| Blake |
"I don't think the RR is that big of a deal." Buell is fielding a serious entry in AMA Superbike. That anyone who is a Buell racing fan could ever state anything like "I don't think the RR is that big of a deal" just utterly completely astounds me. Three years ago, the thought of a Buell competing in AMA Superbike was for us typical Buell racing fans nothing but fantasy. Buck up Greg. Sheesh. | ||
| Jdugger |
I'm sympathetic to Gsc's point above about the RR not being competitive. In time, I'm sure it will be better, but I think it's crazy to imagine Buell is going to go out and compete with the 1125RR against the established I4 race teams in AMA in the first season of the RR. It's down on power, down on rider, down on... well everything! | ||
| Elvis |
Here's what I posted in July 2008: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show .cgi?tpc=290431&post=1185343#POST1185343 A lot has changed since then, but, if anything, I would say Buell has accomplished more than I thought they would by this point. At that time, DMG had proposed a "Literbike" class. That class would have been similar to Canadian Superbike and allowed engine mods but with a horsepower limit. Buell probably started serious development of the 1125RR at that time (and that may give some insight into the controversy regarding the 1125RR ) The key points that have happened since I posted that plan (other than the change from "Literbike" to Superbike which made things much harder for Buell): Richie Morris Racing has become a more serious player more quickly than I would have guessed and Latus looks like they may be a serious team if they continue to develop. I had no idea that the "very good, very young" riders that I hoped for would be Danny Eslick, Taylor Knapp and Cory West. Those three riders exceed my wildest expectations. Let's hope they stay on Buells. (Message edited by elvis on October 14, 2009) | ||
| Hellgate |
The new Aprilia RSV4Rs are out for next year. Stock power is about 180 at the crank. As much as I love the 1125 it is no match for that bike. The new BMWs will be out too. And of course bikes like the R1 will be more developed than they were this year. The competention hasn't been sleeping this year. The big unknown are the rules for next year and what effect they will have on what a team can do. The RR is a great bike for a year one bike but it will be short of the new stock. Also the homolgation exception is a big issue. It really needs to be fixed. Granted the end result is the same in the end; build the bike (GSXR, R1, etc.) or buy a complete bike (RR) - What is missing by buying a complete race bike is the process each team goes through to get the end product. It really needs to be the same for all. (Message edited by Hellgate on October 14, 2009) | ||
| Court |
>>>It's down on power, down on rider, down on... well everything! And . . .running in the Top 10 within a month of being unveiled. | ||
| Tbenson |
1125R chases GSXR 1000. Good Race! (Message edited by blake on October 15, 2009) | ||
| Reepicheep |
Anybody else connect the dots on the Yoshi GSXR-1000 review in this months cycle world? It talked about the $25k street bike, raved about how well it worked on the track, and seemed to imply two really interesting points: 1) The good parts for it are available because of the new AMA rules against unobtanium. 2) It still has a long way to go before it is close to the GSXR-1000 superbikes that race. The second point really suprised me. The GSXR-1000 is built as a race bike that is street legal from the start, not a street bike that can race (like the 1125R). I wouldn't have thought they would have to do all that work to get the thing competitive. (And I wouldn't mind seeing virtually stock GSXR-750's racing in daytona sportbike against the highly modded 600's. I suspect the 750's would get crushed.) | ||
| Slaughter |
People that think that you can race a litrebike "out of the box" are only kidding themselves. RRW did a piece on Toye campaigning the R1 in AMA a couple years ago. Made headlines because he came in something like 10th in his first race - but that was Fontana where he has TONS of time. They documented the expenses that it took to make it competitive and by the end of the year had spent about $60,000 | ||
| Blake |
"I wouldn't have thought they would have to do all that work to get the thing competitive. " That's the whole factory game, trying to outgun each other, privateers be damned. | ||
| Gschuette |
"Buell is fielding a serious entry in AMA Superbike. That anyone who is a Buell racing fan could ever state anything like "I don't think the RR is that big of a deal" just utterly completely astounds me. Three years ago, the thought of a Buell competing in AMA Superbike was for us typical Buell racing fans nothing but fantasy. Buck up Greg. Sheesh." hehehehe sorry that was a bit of an incomplete thought. I was intending for that to come across as not that big of a deal to suzuki or yamaha at the time being. To me the Buell enthusiast it is a big deal I just didn't expect it to be a world beater in its first year. Especially when you consider the Duc has WSB championships on its resume to the Buells Daytona Sportbike championship versus 600s. So after the news of today us owners who love the brand but could see the shortcomings and writing on the wall, regardless of it being Harley or Buell's fault, are thinking I told you so. It certainly hurts. I see so much potential in this brand and that is why I always loved Buells. They seemed to constantly have the impossible tucked up their sleeve. Just when you thought they couldn't do something better than the big guys they did. Personally, I blame Harley for holding Buell back. Again it is irrelevant who caused the problems selling Buells. There were problems that needed to be addressed and they were slow in doing so. Ok this is my final point. I'm hoping Court is right. I think Buell as a standalone company or under the wings of a more liberal mothership may be the best thing for Buell. Buell and Harley couldn't really be any further apart on the innovation scale. Blake, I do need to thank you for making this great place for us Buell owners. I am a Buell fan to the end! I saw room for improvement in Harley's management of the brand, not the product. GO BUELL!!!!! |
