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/128331
DUNLOP TIRE LOIiI!iTII:!i 101 What does it take to support the tire needs of four major OEMs, their support teams , and numerous privateers in the American Motorcyclist Association's four road racing series? As Dunlop Tire Company 's well-oiled support effort rolls into Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota this weekend for round seven of the AMA:s 2004 Superbike season , a snapshot view reveals a logistical tour-de-force of products and personnel . For a typical race weekend, two Dunlop IS-wheel transports arrive Wednesday morn ing of race week with as many as 2000 tires for a "doubleheader": two Superbike races and three support-class competitions - Superstock , Supersport and Formula Xtreme. The tires vary from racing slicksto DOT-approved tread patterns, in numerous diameters and profiles and a range of compounds. A full complement of rain tires is also included for tracks that are AMA-approved for wet-weather racing. A brace of seasoned technicians and engineers also arrive on Wednesday, and setup begins just afte r noon. "We' ll bring in as many as IS tire techs from one of our motorcycle tire distributors for a doubleheader weekend ," says Jim Allen, Dunlop's manager of U.S. road racing. "On top of that, three service engineers and a development techn ician will arrive from Europe, and our own support guys arrive from Buffalo, of course - in to tal, nearly two dozen experienced staff." When the race teams arrive in the paddock for practice, Dunlop's signature yellow and black flags seem to signal that this traveling high-tech tire shop is open for business. Every day of a race weekend is an exercise in adaptive planningand frenetic time management that revolves around track conditions, temperature, weather and race team strategies. It's not unusual for Dunlop to offer each Superbike factory team up to six rear and three front slick tire options, ranging from soft to med ium to hard compounds, depend ing on Dunlop's extensive track database . 'J\t a numbe r of races this year, we 've made tires for specific tracks just two weeks before the race ," says Allen. "It's our way of bringing the latest know-how to the track using a just-in-time process ." Similarslicktire options are provided to the Superstock and Formula Xtreme teams. "O ur crew's 12-hour days start at 7:00 a.rn., and we 'll run that pace right through Sunday, when we pack up," says Allen. "By Monday, we're on the road , headed back to our offices around the world to prep for the next round ." What drives the Dunlop team to work so hard? "In our hearts, we 're all competitors, and we want to win," Allen says. "We spend so many hours and days together that we become a family. Our will to win and our knowledge of the product, the tracks and each other have evolved and sharpened over many years of AMAsupport. It's a competitive advantage. But we never take it for granted ." To cast your vote, log on to vvwvv.cyclenews.com. WEb INSiYE Cyclenews.com reader poll question of the week Which of the following new '05 motocross models are you the most interested in reading about? A. Suzu ki's RM-Z450 fou r-stroke. B.Yam ah a's alumi num-framed YZ250 two- stro ke . C. Yamaha's alum inum-fram e d YZ 125 two-stro ke . D. Kawasaki's new 10<250 two -stroke. On-line poll results from last week Which American MotoGP rider do you think has the best chance of winning a race th is year? Colin Edwards Nicky Hayden John Hopkins Kenny Roberts Jr. Kurtis Roberts 994 1414 33 93 44 38.56%) 54.85%) 1.28%l 3.61% 1.71% ! SUZUKI'S NEW MOTO[ROSS STARS? The annual Suzuki Dealer show is an event where dealers from around the country gather to see new models from the company and place orders for the following season . For years the show has taken place in Las Vegas, Nevada, and this year was no exception. There was a decent amount of news from Suzuki for the upcoming 2005 model year, but the biggest news was without a doubt the release of its new 450cc motocross bike, the RM-Z450 . Additionally, as is the case almost every year in the hypercompetitive motocross segment, the other models in the RM range receive updates to improve their performance. The dealer show is always a full-blown event, with lights, fireworks and enough fanfare to keep hundreds of dealers entertained for the duration of two nights. Suzuki's vice president of motorcycle/marine, Mel Harris. got the show rolling with a video parody of the popular Discovery TV show ':A.merican Chopper." with Harris playing the role of Paul Teutul Sr. This was all a setup to introduce the company's rebranding and relaunch of its Boulevard cruiser brand. The motocross line was then introduced by an impressive stunt-filled performance on the Paris Hotel's massive ballroom stage. The riders wheelied, stoppied and jumped their way through a routine that could only have been done by professional stunt riders, or so it seemed. But when the helmets came off, it was Suzuki's own Yoshimura Suzuki factory road race team of four-time AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin (left), Ben Spies (second from left) and Aaron Yates (far right) joining Travis Pastrana (second from right) in the demonstration. The dealers seemed impressed not only by the appearance of the knee draggers, but by motocross riding skills. www.cyclenews.com CYCLE NEWS . JULY 7,2004 121