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/128400
letters to the edilof should be seal to Voices, Cycle News, PO Box 5084, Casto Meso, CA 92628-5084; foxed to 71.4-751-6685 or emoiled to editor@cycleaews.com. Publi,hed letters do nol neces$Orily reRect the positioa 01 Cycle New" Inc. letters ,hould nol exceed 200 word" and ollar. ,ubject to editing. Anonymou' letters will not be con,idered for poblicolian. All letters ,hould cantoia the wriler', nome, acldr." and daytime phone aumber... fdilor. "That's racing, and at Reno, it was exciting as it gets." Double Points Saving Two-Strokes Scott Rosseau's "Scootermania" column (Issue #40, October 12) on the double points awarded at the Red Bull AMA Reno Supermoto A-Go-Go was right on the mark. Having attended the Reno event, I can safely say that it was the most exciting racing I've seen all year - including the MotoGP event at Laguna Seca in July - and much of the credit for that excitement goes to the double points that were awarded in the final Supermoto race. I was standing just down from the Urban X-Jumps and could watch the rest of the track on the big TV screens inside the Red Bull Energy Center tent. When I saw Jeff Ward go down on the TV screen, and then have trouble starting his bike, I immediately realized Jurgen Kunzel had a shot at the championship because of double points. Could Kunzel keep it on two wheels? Could Wardy charge through the pack and make up enough points to retain the championship? As we all know now, Kunzel won the championship, but during that final race it was all up in the air. Although it's a bummer that Wardy did so well during the season only to lose the championship in the final race because of double points, he had to ride the same track for the same points as everyone else. That's racing, and at Reno, it was as exciting as it gets. R. V. Scheide Santo Rosa, CA The rules that allow four-strokes to be twice the displacement of two-strokes in their respective classes created the current crop of fantastic four-stroke motocross motorcycles. But technology has made that rule somewhat obsolete, as it has become clear that a two-stroke of half the displacement is at a definite disadvantage. lightning could strike twice if the AMA allowed two-strokes to be 20-percent bigger than they are under current rules, and now is the time to do it, with the name change under way. An "MX lite" two-stroke could become a ISO, an "MX" two-stroke could become a 300. Local tracks could follow suit. This increase in displacement would even the playing field on starts, corner speed and short-jump attacks. For racing, this would give riders more choices in their classes and let people develop specific styles and even different choices for different tracks. For the fans, this would make for more interesting racing. Are you a two-stroke old-school fan, or a four-stroke really oldschool fan? (Think Rolf Tibblin and Jeff Smith). For the factories, it would open up yet another new market. There are a lot of riders who still prefer two-strokes but don't want to be 37th around the first turn, or like having that extra power when they play-ride. The R&D for a 150cc motocross bike would go fast and cheap, as it wouldn't be that much different from a 12Scc bike. I don't know the economics of it, and it may be that the factories are happy to abandon the two-stroke and focus all their engineering on the four-stroke, but twostroke technology is still the most potent power per pound and cubic centimeter. How would you like a factory-built, 195pound, ISOcc two-stroke with its lower Standing Up For Alessi How short are our memories? Does anyone remember the era of Rick Johnson, Jeff Ward and Ron Lechien? How many times were riders "parked," as the phrase went? Mike Alessi has been the target of how many riders this season? He didn't whine, cry or claim unfair team tactics. 1don't care how many letters were in last week's issue, this kid is the future of American motocross. As long as we are on that subject, I have read a few letters citing the inequity between what the promoters take in on a given weekend and what is being paid out. The fact of the matter is, when the attendance matches what Supercross and road racing draws, the purse will continue to be the sorry state of affairs we now have. It's up to you, the fan, to drag yourself and anyone who might be interested to an event. The promoters, sponsors and factories can only do so much. Go buy something from Parts Unlimited or any of the other sponsors, and thank them and the riders while you are at it. If you don't, we stand to lose the outdoor Nationals. Don't just complain and whine, do something. Jerry McCommons via the Internet 6 maintenance cost, quieter exhaust, easier starting and snappy powerband? Don Radlauer via the Internet Dirt Track Changes I was excited when I started reading the article in Cycle News that the AMA was reorganizing the Grand National Championship flat-track rules. I thought, "If they get it right, hundreds of thousands will again be able to witness the most thrilling form of racing ever." Unfortunately, as I examined their solution to the declining number of spectators, my heart sunk. AMNHarley - it's not about making a special class for Japanese 4S0cc bikes that will attract more fans, it is about the headto-head competition between manufactures in the 750cc class. OCTOBER 19,2005 • CYCLE NEWS "In the day," which lasted for over 30 years, when you observed the bikes in the parking lot, it was 40-percent Harleys, and the balance was made up of all the other brands - same as on the track. Today at a GNC, it's about 9S-percent Harleys - the same as on the track. That speaks volumes. Get Honda, Triumph, Yamaha, etc., back into the mix on 750cc engines (not IOOOcc), and you will have a show. Look at it this way - imagine NASCAR with nothing racing but Volvos. John Gloss Ladoga, IN Atkins Says... To my fans and the racing community: As you know, I've been around the world racing, evolVing as a rider and a person. The challenges of Supermoto and the determination reqUired to earn a championship are what drew me to the track. This past weekend in Reno, I raced the best 16 laps of my entire career. As a motocross and supercross champion, there have been many other races in my past that took me to the top, but the Supermoto A-Go-Go Final is like no other race. It brings together the energy of the street with the skill of the sport and the ferocity of battle. While leading the final lap, entering the last comer within meters from the finish line, my championship ended with an impact from my opponent. In a state of bewilderment, I watched from the ground what I had held off for some 12 laps slip past me. Struggling to regain my senses, the sheer energy of the fans and my desire to win inspired me to push my body and bike to the finish line. As I collapsed on the ground, dazed from the crash, I knew in my heart this sport will see me as a champion. As we all await the official outcome, preparations for next year are already under way. I will be back, challenging for the championship once again. It's the great fans of Supermoto who fuel my drive and will to win. Due to my postrace injuries, I was unable to properly thank my sponsors and the people who made it poSSible for me to compete at this level: my wife, Heather Atkins, for all of her support and pre-race preparations; Chuck McCarty, practice and race mechanic, for his extra-long hours and encouragement; Mitch Hansen and Elliot Cho from HMC Racing; and to my sponsors Generations of Sonoma Wines, Michelin, KTM Motorcycles, Race Tech, KTM 3 Brothers, Vortex, Silkolene, EBC, Troy Lee Designs, Oakley, Ogio, Oxtar, Shoei, Asterisk, Mechanix Wear, FMF and Works Connection. Thank you for your support! Darryl Atkins via the Internet