This could only make the racing even more exciting. I feel that AMA Superbike is the hardest title in the world to win because of the depth of talent in the field. Harley has been the butt of many jokes from fans and racers (myself included) for quite some time, but deep down we all like to cheer for an underdog. Those guys have been doing a great job working with a budget a fraction of what the other factories spend. Hopefully Harley will use some of those `record earnings' to give these guys a fighting chance.
Harley to be M.I.A. at Daytona Tire Test
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Hmmm...
Interesting. Are they really going to put words into actions? I support the effort, because I would love to see a real American superbike be competitive on the track, but along with many others, I want to see them on the street as well. If it is true that they are investing the "resources necessary" to win, they can succeed. Aprilia is one small company that has given the bigger competitors a run for their money this year in World Superbike, coming in 3rd place overall- ahead of Ducati and Kawasaki.
Interesting. Are they really going to put words into actions? I support the effort, because I would love to see a real American superbike be competitive on the track, but along with many others, I want to see them on the street as well. If it is true that they are investing the "resources necessary" to win, they can succeed. Aprilia is one small company that has given the bigger competitors a run for their money this year in World Superbike, coming in 3rd place overall- ahead of Ducati and Kawasaki.
Re: Fraction ...I guess 3/2 is a fraction
Do you really think a re-hashed Japanese twin (oh, by the way Suzuki stayed with the four and didn't see it through development) would work better than a purpose-built in house design that has the "depth of talent" of Roush racing and Ford behind it? And think of the contractual problems, not to mention the rancor or do or die Harley fans. I don't. ;^)
Do you really think a re-hashed Japanese twin (oh, by the way Suzuki stayed with the four and didn't see it through development) would work better than a purpose-built in house design that has the "depth of talent" of Roush racing and Ford behind it? And think of the contractual problems, not to mention the rancor or do or die Harley fans. I don't. ;^)
The number of production VR1000's that are out there will never see American public roads. Harley does not want it to happen. In order to buy one of these overpriced non-competetive bikes, you must sign a contract saying that it will not be ridden on public roads in America. Anyone who can cough up enough cash to buy a VR probably has the funds to bring one to the US and destroy Harley's hard fought contempt for sport riding.
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They will win if they buy a Honda, HD will never be a sportbike
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214 Posts
The only way Harley can be competitive at Daytona is to take the current race bike, jack up the gas cap, and slide a whole new bike underneath.
A close copy of the RC51 should do nicely. Plus, it will save them a lot of development headaches. Hey, it worked for Honda -- isn't the RC51 nothing but an improved Ducati 996 anyway? Besides, the Japanese have been doing the same thing to Harley street bikes the whole time.
A close copy of the RC51 should do nicely. Plus, it will save them a lot of development headaches. Hey, it worked for Honda -- isn't the RC51 nothing but an improved Ducati 996 anyway? Besides, the Japanese have been doing the same thing to Harley street bikes the whole time.
I Coulda Been a Contender...
The U.S. could be building bikes with Japanese
speed and German quality, but... Every resurrected
brand in the past few years has been the same old
chrome pig, as if the only biker interested in
a U.S. brand is an accountant who wants to pretend
he's an outlaw on sunny weekends.
The Europeans watch bike riding, for the greater part, and the U.S. fans ride them. Isn't anyone
over here listening?
The U.S. could be building bikes with Japanese
speed and German quality, but... Every resurrected
brand in the past few years has been the same old
chrome pig, as if the only biker interested in
a U.S. brand is an accountant who wants to pretend
he's an outlaw on sunny weekends.
The Europeans watch bike riding, for the greater part, and the U.S. fans ride them. Isn't anyone
over here listening?
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154 Posts
If in fact Harley holds second place in wins, it's because of the winning in the very early years of Daytona. I don't believe Harley has won the Daytona 200 for almost 30 years. Oh, by the way, 3/4 of Russell's wins came on a Kawasaki, only one on a Yamaha. The Yamaha's Daytona wins you speak of came from the 2-strokes they raced in the 70's and '80's (ridden by King Kenny Roberts and the like) before they changed the rules to require 4-strokes. Eddie Lawson also won Daytona for Yamaha, on a FZR-750, in the late '80's.
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154 Posts
Re: go take a buell for a ride, then tell me what you think
"120 ft-lbs at the rear wheel"? I think not. Not even close. Want torque? Look at the Hayabusa's numbers. For less than your $8k, I could get a new Bandit 1200 that would eat the Buell for lunch. And lets not forget how ugly the Buells are...
"120 ft-lbs at the rear wheel"? I think not. Not even close. Want torque? Look at the Hayabusa's numbers. For less than your $8k, I could get a new Bandit 1200 that would eat the Buell for lunch. And lets not forget how ugly the Buells are...
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154 Posts
Re: torque numbers from the dyno
From what I've read, the 'Busa smokes most anything in roll-ons too. And remember, the 98 ft-lbs is STOCK. For the same "strocker" displacement in a 'Busa engine, I've seen an article in one of the bike mags of 200 horse and 150 ft-lbs or so. At the last 2 Superbike races at Mid-Ohio, they had a few Buells run on the dyno. The most I saw from one with at least a pipe on it was 92 horse, and 80-something ft-lbs. Yeah, they sound good, but so does a Ducati.
From what I've read, the 'Busa smokes most anything in roll-ons too. And remember, the 98 ft-lbs is STOCK. For the same "strocker" displacement in a 'Busa engine, I've seen an article in one of the bike mags of 200 horse and 150 ft-lbs or so. At the last 2 Superbike races at Mid-Ohio, they had a few Buells run on the dyno. The most I saw from one with at least a pipe on it was 92 horse, and 80-something ft-lbs. Yeah, they sound good, but so does a Ducati.
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