A rather selective retirement..
So HD MoCo will depart road racing... but not the dirt oval or the quarter-mile strip. This merits reflection... the road race competition had continuously raised the performance bar (somewhat predictably) to the point of redundancy, and alas, the fate of the VR1000 was sealed. It would be reincarnated in a modestly de-tuned street version (V-rod) which will hopefully recoup the past road race investment over the next few years of aggressive retail marketing and "lifestyle" hyperbole... and that just might work. They may indeed make up every dollar spent on the road racing program through retail sales of the "new" street bike. Remember, it's the dollars that are of supreme importance to the Board and the stockholders.
Now let us consider the dirt oval and the drag strip... The rules of the games change to some degree each year; and the current competitors have invested considerable time and resources in maximizing the performance of sanctioned/approved designs. HD has not done poorly on these tracks - but it has been most often the privateer teams who have pushed the envelope and the presumed design limitations of the air/oil cooled V-twin. And beware complacency, for there are other manufacturers' machines prowling about these arenas - taking no prisoners nor offering excuses. The drag strip does not coddle whiners... if it breaks - too bad. It either wins or it doesn't. Second place on Sunday doesn't sell on Monday.
Perhaps HD has some new engineering which may debut in these forms of competition... that would indeed be interesting. I only hope not to be bored... So, let the games begin!
So HD MoCo will depart road racing... but not the dirt oval or the quarter-mile strip. This merits reflection... the road race competition had continuously raised the performance bar (somewhat predictably) to the point of redundancy, and alas, the fate of the VR1000 was sealed. It would be reincarnated in a modestly de-tuned street version (V-rod) which will hopefully recoup the past road race investment over the next few years of aggressive retail marketing and "lifestyle" hyperbole... and that just might work. They may indeed make up every dollar spent on the road racing program through retail sales of the "new" street bike. Remember, it's the dollars that are of supreme importance to the Board and the stockholders.
Now let us consider the dirt oval and the drag strip... The rules of the games change to some degree each year; and the current competitors have invested considerable time and resources in maximizing the performance of sanctioned/approved designs. HD has not done poorly on these tracks - but it has been most often the privateer teams who have pushed the envelope and the presumed design limitations of the air/oil cooled V-twin. And beware complacency, for there are other manufacturers' machines prowling about these arenas - taking no prisoners nor offering excuses. The drag strip does not coddle whiners... if it breaks - too bad. It either wins or it doesn't. Second place on Sunday doesn't sell on Monday.
Perhaps HD has some new engineering which may debut in these forms of competition... that would indeed be interesting. I only hope not to be bored... So, let the games begin!
