Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

CHICANERY Bv Hrrurur Rav Aenan s a How Can lt Be? efore Harley-Davidson could @in road racing the VR I 000 in 1994, they had to homologate 50 street versions. The story I heard, and I'll be the first to AMA Pro Racing from welcoming the big twin into the gorgeous mosaic that is now the Formula "Xtremely Liberal" Daytona 200. It would be easy to blame this staSSer- ingly wrongheaded decision on the tem- porary troika running AMA Pro Racing in the wake of the forced exodus of AMA Pro Racing CEO Scott Hollingsworth. But that would be wrong. (Did I sa/ that?) They had little to do with it, though one of them did take the unusual step of issu- ing a press release saying that the $31,000 bike was legal... and everyone lived happi- ly ever after? Ummmm, no. The release itself contained a line so precious it made me weeP like agimPy fi8- ure skater. lt said "that a press release dis- tributed by Buell to announce the motor- cycle may have created some confusion as to the bike's eligibilit/." This from an organization whose command of English is inversely proportional to its deafness to the paddock din. Among my favorites is the November 2005 release heralding the new final round of racin8 at Mid-Ohio. "ln addition to determining the AMA Superbike Champion, the Mid-Ohio linale wiil [my emphasis] crown champions in each of the series' support classes includ- ing AMA Supersport. Superstock and Formula Xtreme." leaving the class to Erion Honda, But everyone also believes Buell should be asked to play by the same rules a5 the rest ofthe field. Does anyone seriously believe that Harley-Davidson can't field a com- petitive road racer? (lt's been a while; remind me - did the VR in VRl000 stand for Velocity Retarded or Victim Ready or Vanishing Rapidly?). The Buell XBRR and the Buell XB l2R Firebolt, on which it's based, have about as much in common as Brad Pift and Andrew Pitt. A 2-year-old, or Angelina Erion backed up to this window once before. ln 2002, Erion's riders Protested the legality of Damon Buckmaster's Graves Motorsports Yamaha Rl/R7 hybrid. The AMA tossed out the protest, so he appealed. And on May 2l , 2002, an impar- dal three-rnember board decided he was right. Graves had to build a new motorcy- cle and Erion was vindicated. The AMA oflicial who told Graves his bike was okay is the very same person who was quoted in the AIYA press release justiting the legalit/ of the Buell - Al'4A director of competition Merrill Vanderslice. Vande6lice has liftle sup- port in the AIYA road- race paddock. More than a few expected him to be swept out with Hollingswonh, Decisions like this do lit- tle to endear him to the paddock, It also didn't help that he treated the AIYA road-race adviso- ry board like the fat 8uy in the middle seau he didn't talk to them and, one way or another, he wa5 going to figure a way to get around them when he had to. The road-race adviso- ry board is comprised of members of the factory and some factory-sup- ported road-race teams, and AMA ofiiciais- They discuss a whole spec- trum of issues, br.tt the XBRR was neYer among them. How did that hap- pen? Swingarms on Superstock-spec Suzuki GSX-RI 000s merit discussion, but not a l.ace bike purpose-built by a subsidiary of the most successful motor company in the world aimed at what dod- dering nostalgisB still believe is AmeriG's most presligious motorq/cle race? lf the matter had been brought up, it would have died faster rhan a hopped-up XB l2R trying to wheeze through 200 miles. Buell admits they won't have the full run ofXBRRs by the March Daytona 200. "Buell will produce 50 XBRR motorcy- cles with a short initial run in late February and the balance made in APril." Do we take them on Sood faith? Or should they be required to build 50 motorcycles before they're homologated? Time to check the locks on the room with l0 doors. Cll Jolie, could tell the diflerence. Why could- n't the AMA Pro Racing tech wizards? The XB l2R makes 102 horsepower, at 6800 rpm, and the XBRR 150 hp, at 8000, according to specs on the Buell website. And that's the customer model. Can you increase power by 50 percent without a stronger crankshart and cases? Probably not. Crankhafts are ungoverned, but if the cases are different does that fall under the open modification rules allowed air- cooled twins in Formula Xtreme? Not unless, as Kevin E.ion pointed out, you ''put them back in the big melting pot in the sky, melted them down into their raw state, and poured them into a raw casting. And I don't believe that's what the intent of the rule is and I don't believe that's what the intent of the class is." CYCLE NEWS . FEBRUARY 22,2006 83 admit I have problems with its authenticity, is about the room with l0doors. The story begins with an eagle-eyed AMA inspector being taken into a room in which the composite parts of five motor- cycles were laid out on the floor. After a curcory examination of pistons, Yatves, gas caps, clips-ons. stickers, etc., he declared, "Looks good," before leaving the room briefly. After a short triP down a circular hallway, he was shown back into a room with the parts of five motorcycles laid out on the floor, pistons, valves, gas caps, clip- ons. and stickers, etc. Far too clever to be snookered, he asked, 'Aren't these the same five piles of parts?" The answer came back, "How could they be? They're in a differ- ent Toom." "l'4y bad," he admitted sheepishv, and so it went until all 50 were present and accounted for: I was reminded of the story because the Buell XBRR that the AMA iust gave its bless- ing to is about as legal as crack and only a crack- pot would certif/ it. But that dadn't stop one of our certillable friends in Not if Mat t'4ladin has anything to say about it. And last I''lay's tech bulletin man- dating grind-proof engine covers for all motorcycles had Ducati Austin's Gary Medley in such a tizzy that he lost what little hair he had, Ever try buying an after- market engine cover for a Ducati F05 from J.C. Whitney? On short notice? An early disclaimer: Everyone l've spo- ken to welcomes Buell to the once mori- bund and Honda-dominated FX class. lt will certainly make for a more interesting Daytona 200, since that's the only race that matters in FX and it's the one the Buell factory's b€en aiming for. Yamaha's entry of Jason Disalvo and Eric Elostrom added interest at the same time Honda pulled the factory plug - except for Daytona and possibly one more - while t x t I

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