Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1056041
W H A T Y O U A R E S A Y I N G "If you want to win, then build something that is capable of winning." AFT Rule Changes Dear Sirs: Although I can under- stand and give credence to the various positions in this argument (i.e., "more manufacturers equals more fan interest," or "equalize performance to make it more excit- ing"), all of those ideas have tried and failed, over and over. Sports cars use an index of performance rules to make certain classes more equal, but those are only in the second-tier classes. NASCAR is losing fans because of a number of factors, mostly that the cars are all the same with different names and paint jobs (the "car of tomorrow") and because they keep screwing with the rules (index of perfor- mance) to make thing more equal. We had enough of that in the 1950s and 1960s when Harley, which effectively controlled the AMA (trust me, I was there!), and got a 50% displacement advan- tage. Then Harley comes up with the XR750 and dominates flat track racing for the next 50 years? The bottom line is that this is racing. Act like it. If you want to win, then build something that is capable of win- ning. Harley has been sitting on its laurels for far too long, and throwing a half million of contingency money into the pot isn't going to help if what Harley produces isn't capable of winning! Flat track racing has previously rewarded ingenuity, and this is no time to stop. If Honda could turn a street engine sideways, and win with it, and privateers can take Kawasakis, Ducatis and Suzukis and make them competitive, then it is time for the Motor Company to get it's "S" together and develop something new, just like Indian did. Stop whining or kvetching and build a modern, competitive engine. Flat track racing doesn't need an index of performance to handicap those willing to work and progress! Richard T. Haight If the AFT rules committee was in charge of the Olympics, Usain Bolt would have been required to run wearing ankle weights. In flat track, the only time that rules are changed in the name of "competitiveness" is when Harley- Davidson isn't winning the major- ity of races. Decades went by in which Harley XR750s dominated flat track, and there wasn't a peep from the rules committees or Harley fans suggesting that something had to be done to slow down the Harleys. But as soon as Honda, in the 1980s, and Indian, more recently, started dominating, there was a rush to enact rules to slow them down. Any manufacturer that engineers a better flat track bike is penalized just so that Harley doesn't have to up its game. Fred Maxwell Surely time for an editorial in Cycle News addressing the fact that AMA Pro have totally pulled the wool over the fans eyes with this "race-only" Polaris...eer…Indian, flat tracker fiasco. The 60+ comments on your posting "Indian Motorcycle Not Happy With New AFT Rule For 2019" shows that most fans don't realize what a huge con job has been pulled on them by AMA Pro and Polaris! Is somebody in the mainstream press going to have the balls to ex- pose the shame of Polaris, convinc- ing the AMA Rules Committee to add additional rules permitting their, and only their, "race-only" engine? Going against 85 years of requiring homologated production-based en- gines for Class C racing. The very essence of Class C established in 1933. Class A, for "race-only" engines was dropped in 1933. Sorry, Po- laris. All your competitors know that and honored it. Dennis Merwood Archives: The Bavarian Underdog Great read, great history. A bunch of us were out there club racing air-cooled Duck 750s (and 800s) in the mid-to-late '90s that ranged from high 70s to low 90s in horse- power, depending on your wallet/ level, etc. I don't even remember my rev limit. But that is some seri- ous horses from that kind of motor/ tech. Bob Close Great story about a great brand! Juan R. Montalvo Letters to the editor can be sent to voices@cyclenews.com. Published letters do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News. Letters should not exceed 150 words and are subject to editing. Anonymous letters won't be considered for publication and each letter should contain the writer's name, address and daytime phone number… Editor P6 CN III VOICES