Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

"27 + 31 does not equal I. Or 2. Or 3. Or 4. Or even 5." L ters 1 the editor should be sent to V et 0 oices, Cr,c1e News, POBox508.4, Cosio Mesa, CA 92628-5084; faxed to 714·751-6685 or em cied to edilol@cyclenews.com. Published leite rs do not necessarilyreflectthe positionof Cycl News, Inc leiters should notexceed 200 e . words, and allore subject to editing_Anonymous lett rs willnot be consi ered forpublic e d ation. All lett rs shouldcontain the writer's name, address and daytime phone number... Ed e itor. Catch Springfield I'm sitting here looking at Cycle News, looking at race coverage around the world and, heck, just down the road . I truly enjoy all forms of motorcycle racing. I'm a pretty lucky guy, having seen Kenny Roberts and his boys, Cal Rayborn, Mark Brelsford , the Haydens, Chris Carr, Scott Parker, Bob Hannah, Roger DeCoster, McGrath, Ricky Carmichael, Bubba Stewart, new kids, old pros, cocky punks and tough guys. But until you see 01' Springer bury it off into turn three at the Springfield Mile in a pack of 15 or so, well, you just ain't seen a motorcycle race. Do yourself a favor: Go to Springfield before Jay Springsteen decides to fish all summer. Greg Tysor via the Internet X Games Supermoto The only thing that could have made the X Games supermoto race any better would have been the add ition of Eric Bostrom, Chris Carr, Ricky Carmichael, Stefan Everts and Nicky Hayden . I really enjoyed the show. Good job, ESPN and Ben Bostrom! Stretch Eberly Mec hanicsburg, PA The X Games X Supermato was actually televised an ABC... Editor Motogenetics When I'm not riding my dirt bike, I'm th inking of ways to improve dirt bikes, and yesterday I had the idea that dirt tires should be self-healing. Every time you ride in the dirt, the knobs wear down, of course. So why doesn't someone develop a tire that would regenerate the knobs overnight? Every day, you would have a new tire . Saves a lot of time changing tires. It could also be one with no tube so that you would never be plagued by flats again. just think... Oh wait! I heard them talking about this on the news . We can't do valve-stem-cell research. Darn! Never mind... John Johnson via the Internet Formula Xtreme 200 I've got to tell you how disappointed I am with the change to Formula Xtreme bikes for the Daytona 200. I have followed AMA Superbike racing for years and make it a point to attend several races every year. Daytona has always been a special place for me; the length of the race , the pit stops, and the tremendous view of the track and the pit action is unmatched at any other venue. Ove r the years, I have seen more truly exciting racing at Daytona than anywhere else . W hile I fully appreciate the safety concerns, and am supportive of the proposed track changes , going to FX is a mistake . The top riders and factories don't all support the class, or if they do participate for just Daytona, it will be an essentially meaningless event. Superbike is the premier class and needs to be run at Daytona as the top race . While you may have fixed the Daytona "proble m" from a rider's perspective, you have absolutely ruined the event for this fan. John Kern via the Internet Formula Xtreme 200 Part II Congrats to BigRed for once again duping the competition before the 2005 Daytona 200 goes green! They being the only factory bike in the class this year and the other big three all but conceding them victory before the flag even flies is masterful . This stinks! I hope the AMA figures out its direction soon , as you will begin to see more and more empty venues . This is a temporary solution to a long-term problem. When Don Sakakura says Yoshimura Suzuki can't be competitive in six months, I believe it. Yamaha, more than likely, will back off from its plans to re-enter the class. And Kawasaki? I hope it brings its Supersport livery down and destroys the X-machines in the 200. It's doubtful the AMA gets the message - you don't need Formula Boring as the main class, but keep it as the side show that it is. Steven De La Mora Fontana, CA Formula Xtreme 200 Part III In the light of the recent changes to the Daytona 200, I have some suggestions for restructuring the classes for 2005 . I pose the challenge to the manufacturers to "improve the breed" by racing cruisers! It has always been said that racing improves the breed and racing technology is a trickle-down phenomenon. Almost all the current manu facturers produce some sort of "performance cru iser" that boasts sportbike brakes , wheels and even forks on some models. They also all have fat rubber and, increasingly as of late, a seri ous dose of horsepower and torque. Imagine a grid that cou ld include slightly modified Mean Streaks, Warriors, VTXs, Marauders, Hammers, Bonnevilles and VRods. Sounds like an untapped resource and new fan base to me . The naysayers will, of course, bring up gripes about too little ground clearance and too much weight . These factors will have to be con- sidered in future deve lopment of said "performance cruisers." How better to test this theory than to have an authentic "battle of the twins "(or triple, if you're a Triumph fan)? I can just see it now... sitting on the observation mound at Mid-Ohi o's "Thunder Valley" and having a physiological rea lization of where the term "thunde r" comes fro m. Personally speaking, the most entertaining part of racing for me is variety. The best part of the Formula Xtreme class is the odd Buell and Ducati disrupting the barrage of inline fours. Imagine hearing the postrace podium inte rview after the cru iser-class race: "Yeah, I was coming out of turn eight and started to drag the pegs, but the Honda horsepower helped me power it through the turn. Then I had a missed shift and almost tossed it into the sand. I'm gonna have to get ready for the Supers port race later and wou ld like to thank my sponsors Hard Krome, Kuryaken, Corbin, Custom Chrome, j&P Cycles and Roeder's Harley-Davidson for supplying me with a quick ride today !" K. Boker via the Internet Formula Xtreme 200 Part IV The AMA:s latest decis ions regarding road-racing classes for next year and the Daytona 200 leave me shaking my head again. The factories and other marketing folks have long aired justifiable complaints about the lack of differentiation in the present classes: two 1000cc classes and two 600cc classes. So rather than liste n to the stakeholders, the "powers that be" at the AMA perpetuate the same problems for anot her year. Why not have a single IOOOcc class and a single 600cc class to focus the spectator interest and manufacturer participation? It would save the factories money and focus spectator interest. Why is there still no class for the privateers to really showcase the mselves (and learn "life on the road")? The present structure is too expensive and has too much factory participation (although spread very thin over too many classes) to serve this function . The 750cc Supers port class used to meet this goal handily... and the AMA killed it. How about a Single-marque, stock, spec-tire series? If speeds need to be reduced in the Daytona 200 (and they probably do) , why choose the class with the least number of entrants and the lowest level of factory participation? Makes no sense. Why not se lect the 600cc Supers port class? It has a strong identity, a good history, a heavily subscribed entry, and strong factory participation. www.cyclenEWS.com The AMA has again demonstrated that they lack the skillsand the talent to manage any professional racing series . Wolter Nosh Tucson , AZ Three Cheers for Red Bull Hooray for Red Bull (for reportedly agreeing to pay to have laguna bro ught up to FIM standards, thus allowing a MotoGP) . Who runs that company? I guess I wish they ran the AMA. They should have turn six named after them! W hich reminds me, if you have any spare cash, you can buy a personalized brick at Laguna to help pay for steps and a patio at the Corkscrew. I know that in some ways a deck will ruin the shared Corkscrew experience, but the track is going that way anyway (more areas for higher-paying VIPS, less access for the average joe) , so why not get your name immorta lized in Monterey? David Bell Oakland, CA No Alessi Fan The Alessis are a perfect example why it is a bad idea for kids to forgo a formal education to pursue motocross stardom. 27+3 1 does not equal I. Or 2. Or 3. Or 4. Or even 5. Joe Kuick via the Int ern et MX des Nations To avoid this unfortunate motocross situation from ever happening again, my suggestion is that the AMA should consider selecting seven potential riders by the time the Nationals start, and hopefu lly they 'll wind up with th ree willing and healthy riders plus an alternate or two by the time the fall rolls aro und. At the same time, the AMA and the manufacturers should decide on the budget required for the event and also continue to solicit private donations so America can put its best foot forward in this prestigious event. There should be no question of ou r participation, ever, end o f story. On a different subject, last year it was Washougal and this year it was Millville, regard ing unnecessary crashes due to flagging issues. I am not singli ng out these two excellent facilities, as the problem exists at the majority of the National tracks. Can we really get creative and start using two f1aggers on known problem sections and areas with limited visibility? Overkill in the flagging department is better tha n injuries or worse. Mich ael Rigdon via t he Interne t C Y CLE NEWS • SEPTEMBER 1, 2004 5

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