OK my thoughts on a new production class

[Shaun]

The sport's invisible. That's why there's no gate takings. As I kept saying it's from the outside looking in, which is the perspective of most people, though the majority of NZers would be surprised to find out that there is still organised motorcycle racing in NZ.

Just saying. No need to get defensive.

I am not getting defensive Jim, just trying to find out what it is that MNZ are supposed to be doing wrong, so maybe I can pass on some comments to them to try and help make the sport better

PS, there was television advertisement this year as well as magazines as well as posters in bike shops ( Some) as well as the Internet, DAM, what more can be done?

[FROSTY:Me]

This forum is a perfect reflection of road racing in New Zealand.
lots of people making noises and lots of others crying em down.
Yet FUCK ALL that pull their fingers out of their asses and actually DO something.
Dude if you want a 450 MX proddy class--get it going --get some momentum behind it
Proof positive of the power of just doing SOMETHING is the bloke who basicly singlehandedly created the 150 streetstock class in the south island.
45-50 bikes at ruapuna being raced and most of em by kids under 18 years old.

[stanko]

Pete Jones has had to work bloody hard to get Streetstock to the level it is at in the SI. If there were a few Pete Joneses in the NI ther would be grids of 200 bikes. Street stock is a formula that is accessable to almost anyone (helps if you have parents) and is a feeder to greater things. I belive this is where the next generation of winners will come from. Its motorcyclings equivelent of Karting, the best race car drivers come form karting.

Most of the "we want a new class" ideas dont seem to be too well thought out . Ive got a bla bla bike so we should have a class for them. Maybe we should say what sort of class do we need to have to help riders climb the ladder, instead we have a ladder with heaps of rungs missing and a few too close together.

As well as street stock Pete runs rider training for under 13's, the next step on the ladder is streetstock, then what ? 125's or 600's. F3 is a kinda clubmans class.

In Aussie there is a New honda CBR150 one model class just starting, do we need tighter formulas or will the kiwi no8 way suceed?

[Keystone19]

At the Manfeild round of the nationals this year MNZ called a meeting of all F3 racers and announced that plans were underway to introduce a Pro Twin Championship class. I believe this class will run concurrently with the current F3 class which will remain unchanged.

The proposed rules have been drafted. I do not currently have a copy but I believe there will be similar restrictions in the class as there are in 600 sports production e.g. treaded tyres must be run, front end and suspension must remain standard, rear suspension may be changed, power commander will be permitted, no engine modifications will be allowed, pipe may be changed although I am not sure if a full system will be allowed etc...There will be two divisions to the class - under 20 years of age and over 20 years of age.

MNZ is convinced this Championship level class will be run from the 2008 series and I understand that the key manufacturers have been consulted.

A supermotard class (run separately to F3 and protwins) would be exciting to watch. Look forward to seeing how you progress this idea Scott411.

[roadracingoldfart]

I think both classes mentioned at the early part of this thread have merit but i am sitting on the fence instead of picking a better option out of the two.
Run in a strictly enforced rule format , a formula of proddy bikes are a great leveler for new and seasoned racers, but the two suggested have differant styles to appeal to differant abilities.
I am very worried about the appathy amoung the racing fraternity lately as some will have seen i posted a thread on this forum and offered a free season on my bike to anyone wanting to go into a draw.
Well i got 7 applicants so far 3 females and 4 males and there have been over 350 views of the thread so what does that tell us all. Either very few want to commit to a season raceing or maybee because its free there must be a catch so nobody trusts me.
I would be hessitant to start a new class format with that kind of slackness showing out from under the layers of the road racing fans in this country
Cheers Paul.

[roogazza]

I don't read any whinging going on here, just a couple of blokes making suggestions. So if you want to kill them off as well, keep jumping on them !
It's a shame racing is like it is, but I count myself lucky that there were people around years ago that enjoyed being on committees and organising this stuff.
PC New Zealand killed off the street circuits, and that's when road racing died. (there you go , jump on that) G.

[Goblin]

The problem with 450MX bikes is,Yes its ok at street meetings,but they suffer big time at a purpose built track,as in struggle with the long straights & is really bad for engine life,reving a single that hard for that long,just ask the guys who are currently doing it & will be boring in a straight line

Would it be too much effort or too expensive to make a dirt section in the infield of the tracks like they used to have at Taupo? That way you could take out the long straights and have these bikes doing what they do best. This could also bring a lot of MX riders over to road racing. They managed it at Wanganui ok and the crowd loved it.

[bistard]

Would it be too much effort or too expensive to make a dirt section in the infield of the tracks like they used to have at Taupo? That way you could take out the long straights and have these bikes doing what they do best. This could also bring a lot of MX riders over to road racing. They managed it at Wanganui ok and the crowd loved it.

Hey Goblin,yes great point with the dirt section,but they have to come back on the track at some stage & there will be dirt & shit everywhere,so either set the dirt section up where it does not matter,or it has to be cleaned up before racing continues

[Goblin]

Hey Goblin,yes great point with the dirt section,but they have to come back on the track at some stage & there will be dirt & shit everywhere,so either set the dirt section up where it does not matter,or it has to be cleaned up before racing continues

Yes indeed! It could work well and I'd be more than willing to push broom to clear the dirt after a supermoto race. But I guess too many people would complain about the time this would take.

[Tim 39]

Pete Jones has had to work bloody hard to get Streetstock to the level it is at in the SI. If there were a few Pete Joneses in the NI ther would be grids of 200 bikes. Street stock is a formula that is accessable to almost anyone (helps if you have parents) and is a feeder to greater things. I belive this is where the next generation of winners will come from. Its motorcyclings equivelent of Karting, the best race car drivers come form karting.

Most of the "we want a new class" ideas dont seem to be too well thought out . Ive got a bla bla bike so we should have a class for them. Maybe we should say what sort of class do we need to have to help riders climb the ladder, instead we have a ladder with heaps of rungs missing and a few too close together.

As well as street stock Pete runs rider training for under 13's, the next step on the ladder is streetstock, then what ? 125's or 600's. F3 is a kinda clubmans class.

In Aussie there is a New honda CBR150 one model class just starting, do we need tighter formulas or will the kiwi no8 way suceed?

I fully agree with what you're saying here, I believe a 650 production class would be the best class to "fill the missing rung" having started on a streetstock 150 myself, I'd definetly say that the progression from being allowed to touch nothing, nothings adjustable, to everything being fully adjustable and a whole lot more expense and seriousness (125 now), is a huge step, so If I was on a 150 at the moment looking to move up, I'd be thinking get this bloody standard 650 class up and running.
I think the ideas of those people at manfeild about the mods allowed were well thought out and could work very well, all they need is support, once this gets going it will take off, I know heaps of people keen already
Bring it on, great for the sport