What do YOU want out of your racing?

[Shade]

We all know that racing costs a fair bit of money... So why do you do it? What do you get out of it?

For me, the reason I wanted to race is purely for the skills gained. Each race will teach you probably 6 months worth of riding on the road, if not more. Even then, alot which you learn on the track cant be obtained on the road safely.

I dont particuarly want to be the best, if i do well, cool, if not, im happy. What I do like is the confidence in knowing that I can safely corner at speed, and know what the bike is doing, in the wet AND dry. Which I believe is worth more than any amount of money.

So, for all your racers out there, what do you want out of your racing? To be the best? To just finish the race? Adrenaline junkie? What drives you?

Cheers
Shade

[Two Smoker]

At first it was for the fun of it.... And im an adrenalin junkie... Now ive added another reason to race...

[Sparky Bills]

Love the freedom of speed.
I want to be the best!
Love the crowds watching and cheering!
Love the sound and smell!
Its something i can be proud to say that i do.
Helps my road riding something cronic.

I could go on and on...

[FROSTY]

FUN --it may not seem it at the time but Im having more fun than you can imagine.It just feels so good when you get a corner just right.

[Windy]

I like spending thousands of pounds to try and win a trophy worth £2.50 :)

[froggyfrenchman]

i started coz it was exciting, kept doing it coz it was a fun chalenge, loved building my bike and making it faster and faster for every meet. Now i only really keep doing it for the social aspect and that i can help those up and coming racers. All round it is just enjoyable. Not to mention the adrenilin that starts pumping when you are having a great close race

[ben444]

Few of keep asking ourselves why we keep doing this,"...we spend thousands of dollars and at the end of it we don't even get a chocolate fish.." so the last meeting I bought the boys chocolate fish :2thumbsup

Basically, cos it's a shit load of fun :done:

[White trash]

I don't race, cause there's a chance of being beaten. What I do is burgle track days.

I admire the effort, patience and money that every single racer throws at their bikes. It's something I don't think I could be fucked with, but amount of talent on any one track at any one time in New Zealand is abismal. Take from that what you will.

[Quasievil]

I only have a couple of reasons, the first one is to beat frosty and the second one is to look cool, both it seems are impossible on a suzuki:dodge:

[Cleve]

So Yamaha can pay me US$40 million a year as well ...???

[TonyB]

To crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and hear the lamentations of the women.

Oh, wait... thats what I want from my barbarianisim...

Racing- to have fun and learn as much as I can about riding ie: improve my skills

and

To crush Dangerous, see him fall behind me, and hear the lamentations of Rashika.

[mikey]

I don't race, cause there's a chance of being beaten. What I do is burgle track days.

I admire the effort, patience and money that every single racer throws at their bikes. It's something I don't think I could be fucked with, but amount of talent on any one track at any one time in New Zealand is abismal. Take from that what you will.


did you read what you just wrote

"i dont race because im scared of being beaten" then the "talent on any one track in NZ is abismal" hahahahhahaha read it an weep.

you just called scared of being beaten by a nuch of non talented riders.......

bar the insult to all the riders in nz...... GREAT CALL WHITE TRASH

[Brian d marge]

In order to talk the talk you need to walk the walk .....

only by racing myself can I gain experience as a Engineer in ...or to KNOW why and what the changes do ...

SO FAR,,,,,its been about fitness and trying to stop riding like a big girlies blouse ....

Though I have learned a HEAP of what NOT to do ...for example you CANT mask incorrect spring rates ...ya have to bite the bullet and buy the real deal .....Also preparation is the key .....


Stephen

[Kickaha]

you just called scared of being beaten by a nuch of non talented riders.......

bar the insult to all the riders in nz...... GREAT CALL WHITE TRASH

The level of talent goes up as soon as he leaves the track :lol:




.
but amount of talent on any one track at any one time in New Zealand is abismal. Take from that what you will.

piss taking aside, why do you think that?

[TwoSeven]

I find hobby racing quite boring to be honest - still like watching it tho, but no longer have any interest in participating. Now I just like building the bike as a garage project and working out new designs.

A decade or so ago, I put my bike on the track (when it was newish) and did a resonable time which was slightly off the local record that then existed, from then on I realised that the last few seconds was all about money and effort and risking injury which I never had any interest in. In those days tho I was blindingly fit and had been riding 12 hour days for the previous year or so.

These days, mentally I know I am still capable of getting back to that level of performance, but have realised that I dont cope with injury as well as I used to, I can no longer get to that level of fitness (once you lose it - its gone) and there are other more important things that require my money and time to be spent on.

Its not as tho they have done anything new with bikes in the last 15 years, they are still the same old thing in the sports bike department. My only interest in road bikes now is finding something comfortable to commute to work on (I saw a nice guzzi cruiser the other day).

I do have an interest in minimoto - although no funds, and recently I have been thinking about designing a mini-motard to see if its possible.

[White trash]

piss taking aside, why do you think that?

Because there's no incentive for the truly skillfull riders to join in. Bernard racing's doing what they can to find new talent but it's not enough. If Hayden Fitzgerald, who can win at will in NZ, can't finnish in the top ten in Austrailia, what hope in hell have we got on the world stage?

Don't get me wrong, I don't think I'm better than these guys, just from a spectator point of view, I'm not impressed and it's not exciting.

[White trash]

did you read what you just wrote

"i dont race because im scared of being beaten" then the "talent on any one track in NZ is abismal" hahahahhahaha read it an weep.

you just called scared of being beaten by a nuch of non talented riders.......

bar the insult to all the riders in nz...... GREAT CALL WHITE TRASH

Actually, did YOU read what I wrote? I didn't claim to better than these guys, I would have my serve of humble pie against most of NZ racers right now. The fact that two of NZs top 600 racers can't even stay in the top 15 of the field in Australiais what worries me.

And think of this smart arse, if I ca't stay with these guys, and 99% of KBers can't stay with me, what does that say about the general skill level of New Zealand motorcyclists?

[FROSTY]

well personally I think its all about feeding the funnel.Road racing in godzone is being run on a shoestring by a very few dedicated folks.
You wanna improve the quality of racing --I beleive we need to improve the QUANTITY of available racing.
Watch a club level meeting before the nationals -then watch the same meeting after the nats. The bar gets raised as the racing intensifies.
Another thing to keep in mind is its frigging difficullt to raise sponsor dollars in this country. That means if people kike hayden want to compete they are doing it off their own backs --unlike a lot of the professional -or heavily supported auzzies

[Brian d marge]

Actually, did YOU read what I wrote? I didn't claim to better than these guys, I would have my serve of humble pie against most of NZ racers right now. The fact that two of NZs top 600 racers can't even stay in the top 15 of the field in Australiais what worries me.

And think of this smart arse, if I ca't stay with these guys, and 99% of KBers can't stay with me, what does that say about the general skill level of New Zealand motorcyclists?

It does beg the question why doesnt it ...I mean there ARE some VERY talanted riders in NZ ...I mean one guy I grew up with could wheelstand a CB360 ..now that is good ...he got to the gate at work but he could never get it to the stop sign ....
The Rossis of the world ...start from an early age ,,,,,and come up through the 125 etc long and hard apprentiship ....
People such As Bernard Racing are making a difference ...my feeling is he may be struggling financially ..
Over here Racing has personalities ...My wife doesnt know SH1t about bikes but she is always asking about Ukawa ...yes I know
If the sport could be made profitable ( no sniggering in the cheap seats ) ,,,,I supose it would feed upon itself ...
The other way I could think off is by developing new stuff ,,and selling the Knowledge gained ,,,sort of like what brittan did ,,,push the boundrys of the tech and flog it off
Its not like NZ is short of talanted Engineers either ...look at who is working at the GP level ...
Just some thought s

Stephen

[k14]

Because there's no incentive for the truly skillfull riders to join in. Bernard racing's doing what they can to find new talent but it's not enough. If Hayden Fitzgerald, who can win at will in NZ, can't finnish in the top ten in Austrailia, what hope in hell have we got on the world stage?

Don't get me wrong, I don't think I'm better than these guys, just from a spectator point of view, I'm not impressed and it's not exciting.
So do you know the full situation?? He is riding a bike that is around 10hp down that most of the other guys over there. He has no chance in hell of competing against the factory guys with fully spec'd bikes and new tyres every race. He is on a cbr600 with a bit of work and has to use the same tyres for a whole race weekend. He is beating guys on better bikes than his. Look at his results in the wet, finished in the top 10 off a grid spot of 19th.

Also look at what shaun harris is doing. Going over to the states next year to setup his team, taking dom jones with him. Dom's already been over there and quite easily held his own, again on a borrowed and under spec'd bike.

Its not as bad as you think, but it's not good either.

[Quasievil]

Its as frosty said, there is but a small following of people who watch the sport and because of this its a cheap sport, ie no sponsors dollars,
WT is bang on the money to, I suggest a few put the time into actually reading his posts as intended.

Imagine this, COKE, MOBIL,TELECOM and other big names sponsoring a motorcycle event in NZ ........regulary, now imagine this, Two smoker on a factory sponsored bike...... Im now thinking suddenly the standard and ability of the NZ racer has just gone up ten fold , what ya reckon

[FROSTY]

Just to give ya an idea --in the uk there is a race meeting every day of almost every weekend -imagine how much better a rider we would be with that much racing.
I know myself I improve heaps when Ive had a trackday or two before a meeting

[TwoSeven]

I have a fair amount of experience working in managing projects, ok, in a different field, but one of my key skills is the capability to understand whats required to succeed in something and even more, understand how to get it out of people to do that.

Being successful in motorcycle racing in any country especially NZ does NOT require money - thats an excuse that pessimists use to raise the bar so that they can make people fail - a cultural thing that is quite common here.

Every person has the same opportunities and talent as every other person, its all a level playing ground - most people (and I can pretty safely say most everyone on this forum) has probably never been pushed beyond their limits so will not be aware of their real capabilities there desires will always remain dreams because they dont push themselves to make them real. In that regards, people put up barriers to say why they will fail or even, they wont succeed as well as they desire too. I see this day in and day out, I even see it on riders on race tracks.

Any person in this country could potentially be made to run at the top of any event in any sport in the world, there is no excuse why not. Any person in motocycling in NZ (within reason) could be made to run in the top 10 of any aussie series. It requires two things - desire and someone to show them how.

Teamwork is about enablement and support, there are no leaders in a team, just a shared goal that is common to its members. When people work in a balanced team (from a psychology point of view), there is nothing that the team cannot achieve. Its unbalanced teams that fail. Once you put a leader in a team, that team will fail. Good team managers do not give instructional commands, only strategic commands. If you want to become a world champion then you must have the desire to make those strategic commands stretch goals (bhags - big hairy audacious goal as the technical name is), you must have the team in place that can learn how to break those bhags into mini-goals and the desire to see them implimented.

For an individual to succeed, they need to learn to listen to their team and allow the team to make mistakes and likewise they themselves must make mistakes. Only thru getting things wrong, will you really know how to get things right. I very seldom see this in the motorcycle scene in NZ. I see ego's, I see chest beating, I see people trying to go it alone, I see people riding in circles making the same mistake as the person next to them. Sure people talk to each other, laugh and joke, but those people have forgotten how to really listen, observe and understand and to push hard.

I watch the top riders and I read their comments in the mags, and its all about limitations and how machinary didnt work and how they could have done better only if - I dont read about how they are working in a team and how they are achieving their goals and overcoming their propblems. Why dont they compete overseas - because the dont want to. If they did, they'd already be there.

Teams also need to learn to make mistakes and how to listen collectively. In management we use a mentoring system, where successful people industry coach other people to also be successful, it happens in other sports - netball even, old players come back and coach the teams. Does this happen in road bike racing - no it doesnt. Has anyone actually asked successful road racers to come here and mentor the industry (not just individuals the whole industry). How do you know whats required to succeed if you never ask?

If you want to increase the number of people in the sport you have to make it a family affair, because the family is the TEAM that gives the core support and allows individuals to live their dreams. Thats why rossi is world champion, because his family was involved all thru his life in mini-moto up to motogp. You'll probably find that of any champion - if its not their family, then their team and peers will have taken its place.

I very seldom see families at road racing events getting the 5 yearold out on a minimoto while dad or mum is out on the big bike - I see it at dirt bike events which funnily enough, has world champions. There is no point in saying things about what classes you need and all that rubbish, when the most basic thing required is quite simply to make a family day out - the rest will grow from that.

[texmo]

I went to puke today for racing the scootahs did 4laps and were told to stay behind a car that would only do 70miles per hour... its not just the raceing that dose it for me its the whole environment. The track would have tobe the most fun with your cloths on.

[Ivan]

So do you know the full situation?? He is riding a bike that is around 10hp down that most of the other guys over there. He has no chance in hell of competing against the factory guys with fully spec'd bikes and new tyres every race. He is on a cbr600 with a bit of work and has to use the same tyres for a whole race weekend. He is beating guys on better bikes than his. Look at his results in the wet, finished in the top 10 off a grid spot of 19th.

Also look at what shaun harris is doing. Going over to the states next year to setup his team, taking dom jones with him. Dom's already been over there and quite easily held his own, again on a borrowed and under spec'd bike.

Its not as bad as you think, but it's not good either.

Yeah in Aus they are aloud to do the cams the heads etc etc we cant do that in New Zeland and yeah lookat Dominic Jones and look at Sam Smith on a 125 and look at Shaun Harris and Look at Bruce Anstey and Look at Aaron Slight I could go on forever in a Day we have the experience we just need that break onto a good bike with the right horses and the right setup and new tires

[Kickaha]

Yeah in Aus they are aloud to do the cams the heads etc etc we cant do that in New Zeland and yeah lookat Dominic Jones and look at Sam Smith on a 125 and look at Shaun Harris and Look at Bruce Anstey and Look at Aaron Slight I could go on forever in a Day we have the experience we just need that break onto a good bike with the right horses and the right setup and new tires


Wasn't it Sam Smith who got a third in the 125GP class? guess some can run at the front of the field in Aussie, pity MNZ just wanted to wank on about the 600 riders instead of giving him some recognition

Domonic Jones was also doing very well in the USA before he damaged his wrist and is looking for a bike to compete in the premier class (buckets)

[Coyote]

I enjoyed racing before I wrecked the bike. Hope to do it again sometime

[Ivan]

Dom should build a bucket a RS125 housed bucket cause he was the man on one of those and MNZ should have looked at 125's we aint ever gonna win the Oceana cup either for 2 reasons 1 our 600s arnt up to oz spec 2 its 3 kiwis vs 30 something ozzys as long as all the 15 ozzys finish race one they got it wrapped up and in the bag Sam Smith showed what you can do on a 125 were we are aloud to do what we like I wonder why the Ozzys dont want the oceana cup to be in 125's HHMMMM I wonder

[username]

How do you guys put up with the total bullshit this idiot spouts??
TwoSeven have you ever actually raced a motorbike?
Have you started your own team supporting a young rider?
If not then shut up because you haven't a clue.

[TwoSeven]

How do you guys put up with the total bullshit this idiot spouts??
TwoSeven have you ever actually raced a motorbike?
Have you started your own team supporting a young rider?
If not then shut the fuck up because you haven't a clue.

Fookoff!!!!

There is nothing worse than an ignoramous that cant express their thoughts with a valid counter or follow thru discussion.

The three main points of my post were to highlight.


Motivation and know-how to succeed
A team to support you, the team should have a mentor
The most effective supporting team is ones own family


The rest of my post basically said that any individual is capable of performing beyong expectations to be at the top of any sport, and that usually when they are not performing its because of one of the above failing.

If you disagree with any of that - then please post and explain why as any normal person would do.

[Kickaha]

Dom should build a bucket a RS125 housed bucket cause he was the man on one of those

If he builds a bucket we'll kick his arse, done it in the past when we both rode Identical bikes so I don't see why I can't do it again
(providing I can build a motor that dosn't blow up)

Dom's on 24

[Kickaha]

Because there's no incentive for the truly skillfull riders to join in. Bernard racing's doing what they can to find new talent but it's not enough. If Hayden Fitzgerald, who can win at will in NZ, can't finnish in the top ten in Austrailia, what hope in hell have we got on the world stage?

.

All the incentive I need is to prove to myself I can beat the guys I'm racing against and thats the same for most people I know

What do you consider an incentive, money? trips overseas to race?

[FROSTY]

Kick I think the point trashy is making is that beyond bucket racing,Bike rqacing in NZ is pretty darned expensive with very little sponsorship available.
There is a point you can go no furthur except to move overseas.
thinking about it -We have pro footballers,cricketers even archers but NO NZ based racers.

[Kickaha]

Kick I think the point trashy is making is that beyond bucket racing,Bike rqacing in NZ is pretty darned expensive with very little sponsorship available.
There is a point you can go no furthur except to move overseas.
thinking about it -We have pro footballers,cricketers even archers but NO NZ based racers.

It's a low profile sport because it isn't marketed to the same extent as the others

We are geographically isolated and it doesnt make sense to base yourself down the bottom of the world to race overseas and race locally when they wont provide the same level of competition, the only way the level gets higher is for guys to race off shore and then continue to race when they get back here to lift the level of the local riders.

We have a small population base so the amount of available sponsorship money is limited and generally goes to higher profile sports but the people I know who wanted money to race go out and find it instead of bitching about how they cant find any and generally they get it

I want $10,000 to do a full on competitve season in the sidecars and I will get it, I know it wont be easy and I dare say there will be a few rejections but we'll find it

[username]

[QUOTE=TwoSeven]
Being successful in motorcycle racing in any country especially NZ does NOT require money - thats an excuse that pessimists use to raise the bar so that they can make people fail - a cultural thing that is quite common here.

A decade or so ago, I put my bike on the track (when it was newish) and did a resonable time which was slightly off the local record that then existed, from then on I realised that the last few seconds was all about money and effort and risking injury which I never had any interest in. In those days tho I was blindingly fit and had been riding 12 hour days for the previous year or so
(2 posts in this thread by Two Seven)

Now can anybody else see the irony of this idiot contradicting himself?
Ohh and Two Seven. Yes you know me.You spout the same shit at a club race meeting. Funny You are also the last person to step up to the plate and help out.
I for one will take your comments seriously if you actually do more than talk the talk at your local club.
Sometimes if you give a person enough rope they will as they say Hang Themselves :devil2: :devil2:

[username]

I want $10,000 to do a full on competitve season in the sidecars and I will get it, I know it wont be easy and I dare say there will be a few rejections but we'll find it
Mr Kickaha,If it isn't a deep dark secret I would like to know how you're going to do it.

[FROSTY]

username--getting sponsorship is all about getting out there and asking.
I beleive "as a rule" most potential sponsors want to know -Whats in it for me.
The assistance Ive received has been because I have and will continue to promote certain peoples products.
Keep in mind its not just money ya need-its STUFF
rather than say going to cycletreads and saying--Hi -give me $1000 to help me race. You'de be better to say --Hey guys I'm using youre cgy brand tyres and I love them can you supply me 3 sets and in exchange at every meeting Ill pass around Cycletreads flyers.
Ya see -win-win

[TwoSeven]

[QUOTE=TwoSeven]
Being successful in motorcycle racing in any country especially NZ does NOT require money - thats an excuse that pessimists use to raise the bar so that they can make people fail - a cultural thing that is quite common here.

A decade or so ago, I put my bike on the track (when it was newish) and did a resonable time which was slightly off the local record that then existed, from then on I realised that the last few seconds was all about money and effort and risking injury which I never had any interest in. In those days tho I was blindingly fit and had been riding 12 hour days for the previous year or so
(2 posts in this thread by Two Seven)

Now can anybody else see the irony of this idiot contradicting himself?
Ohh and Two Seven. Yes you know me.You spout the same shit at a club race meeting. Funny You are also the last person to step up to the plate and help out.
I for one will take your comments seriously if you actually do more than talk the talk at your local club.
Sometimes if you give a person enough rope they will as they say Hang Themselves :devil2: :devil2:

I think you might mistake me for someone else. Last time I was in a local club was the scouts back in the 70s. :)

Also, I think you juxtapose two different parts of a discussion to come up with the wrong answer. But to answer the point that you are making even tho it had nothing to do with my points, let me use an example.

Recently I watched a bunch of people racing on bikes that they'd pretty much assembled themselves out of other people unwanted junk. They enjoyed themselves, they supported each other, they competed, they demonstrated skill - I certainly didnt see them moaning about how much it cost them to compete (in fact I think the joke was how cheap they managed it). These people achieved what they did because they set a goal and did it, then worried about the 'how to' only when they needed to. People who are successful in any field, usually master this skill quite easily.

I cited my own example as I had a machine, set my goal went out and achieved it, did I want to progress further - no, because I had other priorities. Should I have chosen to stay in bike racing, I suspect I would have achieved the goals I set there as well, even without having the money - instead I moved to a field I am more passionate about - my point here, was that there were other factors that reduced my motivation to proceed with this sport. :)

Ask anyone who has brought a house, do they all go out and get the money first - probably not, in fact there are many people who buy houses with the most minimal of deposits they can use - I have even heard of people buying a house, then trying to get the deposit together - why because they are confident in their own abilities to solve those problems only when they need to - rather than use them as excuses to prevent them from doing things in the first place. The point I make here, is that humans have a propensity to resolve problems just in time no matter how big a hurdle they form - only those without the desire use those hurdles as barriers.

You give me the impression that you have some vision that racing involves some mega millions of dollars - I dont know where you got this from, perhaps you watch too much TV. Yes, as you go up the scale of professionalism, more amounts are used, but remember that also as you go up the scale of professionalism, so does your ability to utilise whats on offer to you - in fact, perhaps you'll learn the fundemental principle of business is to always use other peoples money. Racing professonally has never been about how well you can ride in circles - its about your capability of developing and working your team to achieve its goals - when you work out that the goals are not always about riding the bike, you'll understand what it is to run a business and manage a team effectively. When you learn to develop and realise business strategy, you'll understand that its never about the money, never has been. The smart people will have realised its about how well you can develop and communicate your ideas. Its why I suggested that if people have mentors that show them how to do things properly, they wont have to spend as much time resovling barriers that probably dont need to exist.

I think you really need to spend some time understanding the capabilities of people before you start out on the personal flame war which you seem to be trying to instigate. To me you are creating the imagry of a little child throwing a tantrum because they lack the ability to communicate effectively. Thats how I see your posts at the moment - although perhaps you may not intend them that way :)

I'm still waiting for you to make your point I asked you to in my last post. In what way is teamwork and motiviation and family support bad ?

[username]

So mr bigmouth. You are telling me you have never been to a bucket race meeting ? You have never offered "sage" advise to all concerned and nearly got yourself thrown out?
Keep pontificating sunshine Its funny seeing a little man blow up his chest and get indignant over the computer.
No flame war here I've just seen your ill timed and ill informed drivvel for long enough.
If you have such issues with how racing in New Zealand is done then pull your finger out and help.
It seems Im not allowed to express myself in language I would use face to face. So I'll put it like this. Put up or shut up

[FROSTY]

Ok guys as much fun as this is .........
username/TwoSeven -How about you guys carry on your arguments in the real world or on PM.

[White trash]

So you need to prove it to yourself K? You don't need to race and throw thousands at the sport to prove that (well you guys do) but any road rider can get to a track, be timed or better still, ride with the racers, and prove themselves there.

I wanna know what the incentive is for me, to chuck a shitload of cash at something, so that I can then see a flag, which told me pretty much what I knew to start with.

As the title of the thread suggests, everybody's in it for different reasons and power to them, they've more commitment in one toe than I've got in my whole body, but to me, it's pointless.

Now if someone did what they've done in the UK with the Virgin R6 cup and said, top 3 get a career racing bikes? Where do I fucken sign?! I'd eat nothing but two minute noodles for a couple of seasons to give it a crack.

[Coyote]

Now if someone did what they've done in the UK with the Virgin R6 cup and said, top 3 get a career racing bikes? Where do I fucken sign?! I'd eat nothing but two minute noodles for a couple of seasons to give it a crack.
Yeah, if anyones got something like that planned, I'll be up for it

[username]

I wonder if we can get a deal like that for sidecars and buckets?
Any offers,Going going, Yep i thought so GONE

[TwoSeven]

So mr bigmouth. You are telling me you have never been to a bucket race meeting ? You have never offered "sage" advise to all concerned and nearly got yourself thrown out?
Keep pontificating sunshine Its funny seeing a little man blow up his chest and get indignant over the computer.
No flame war here I've just seen your ill timed and ill informed drivvel for long enough.
If you have such issues with how racing in New Zealand is done then pull your finger out and help.
It seems Im not allowed to express myself in language I would use face to face. So I'll put it like this. Put up or shut up

I have no idea what your on about. You seem to be foaming at the mouth about something perhaps someone else did.

I have never been to a bucket racing event - not one that I knew about - bout as close as i have been to buckets is seeing them at other events, dont belong to any clubs of any kind, let alone bike clubs etc etc.

I think you really do have me mistaken for someone else as I pointed out before.

[Kickaha]

so that I can then see a flag, which told me pretty much what I knew to start with..

that you're slow as fuck? :lol:



As the title of the thread suggests, everybody's in it for different reasons and power to them, they've more commitment in one toe than I've got in my whole body, but to me, it's pointless.
.
pointless? you could say that about life, grow up, get old die! where's the point in that :bleh:


Now if someone did what they've done in the UK with the Virgin R6 cup and said, top 3 get a career racing bikes? Where do I fucken sign?! I'd eat nothing but two minute noodles for a couple of seasons to give it a crack.

Awesome idea :niceone: , but once you win that series where do you go?, it would have to be offshore to get a career with bike racing and again I think that would come down to avalable money to get someone the right ride with the right team and in the right series to get them noticed


Keep in mind its not just money ya need-its STUFF


I'd rather have money, while "stuff" is good money can be spent on whatever "stuff" you want or need at the time, having someone give you tyres etc isn't much good if you blow a motor and don't have the cash to repair it

[gpercivl]

Top 15 in this year's 600 National's would be nice (just to get back on topic).

And, watch Logan kick some butts on the 450

[FROSTY]

I hear what you're saying kickaha. I'd rather moolah than "stuff'.
My point though was to be a bit more open minded in how you aproach sponsors -Stuff may be all they are prepared to give

[Fluffy Cat]

I race to develop my NSR and RS 250s.Have learnt heaps about suspension,jetting,data logging etc.
A very good development tool and the NSR will be back. Doing some off track development on that at the mo!.

[Hoon]

I race to improve myself....conquer my fears and acheive my goals. This season I'd like to crack into the 1.09s (ideally 1.08s) and crash less. As long as I show steady improvement I'm satisfied but the day I stop progressing will mean time to move on.

[Fluffy Cat]

"Conquer your fears"what!!.You need to develop your fears.You are crashing because of lack of fear!.Here is your training prog.......
1-Create fear
2-Develop fear
3-Fear!!!!
See that was not to bad,i think you are doing good now yar gut gut.Come back for zee next session tomorrow......

[Shaun]

I have a fair amount of experience working in managing projects, ok, in a different field, but one of my key skills is the capability to understand whats required to succeed in something and even more, understand how to get it out of people to do that.

Being successful in motorcycle racing in any country especially NZ does NOT require money - thats an excuse that pessimists use to raise the bar so that they can make people fail - a cultural thing that is quite common here.

Every person has the same opportunities and talent as every other person, its all a level playing ground - most people (and I can pretty safely say most everyone on this forum) has probably never been pushed beyond their limits so will not be aware of their real capabilities there desires will always remain dreams because they dont push themselves to make them real. In that regards, people put up barriers to say why they will fail or even, they wont succeed as well as they desire too. I see this day in and day out, I even see it on riders on race tracks.

Any person in this country could potentially be made to run at the top of any event in any sport in the world, there is no excuse why not. Any person in motocycling in NZ (within reason) could be made to run in the top 10 of any aussie series. It requires two things - desire and someone to show them how.

Teamwork is about enablement and support, there are no leaders in a team, just a shared goal that is common to its members. When people work in a balanced team (from a psychology point of view), there is nothing that the team cannot achieve. Its unbalanced teams that fail. Once you put a leader in a team, that team will fail. Good team managers do not give instructional commands, only strategic commands. If you want to become a world champion then you must have the desire to make those strategic commands stretch goals (bhags - big hairy audacious goal as the technical name is), you must have the team in place that can learn how to break those bhags into mini-goals and the desire to see them implimented.

For an individual to succeed, they need to learn to listen to their team and allow the team to make mistakes and likewise they themselves must make mistakes. Only thru getting things wrong, will you really know how to get things right. I very seldom see this in the motorcycle scene in NZ. I see ego's, I see chest beating, I see people trying to go it alone, I see people riding in circles making the same mistake as the person next to them. Sure people talk to each other, laugh and joke, but those people have forgotten how to really listen, observe and understand and to push hard.

I watch the top riders and I read their comments in the mags, and its all about limitations and how machinary didnt work and how they could have done better only if - I dont read about how they are working in a team and how they are achieving their goals and overcoming their propblems. Why dont they compete overseas - because the dont want to. If they did, they'd already be there.

Teams also need to learn to make mistakes and how to listen collectively. In management we use a mentoring system, where successful people industry coach other people to also be successful, it happens in other sports - netball even, old players come back and coach the teams. Does this happen in road bike racing - no it doesnt. Has anyone actually asked successful road racers to come here and mentor the industry (not just individuals the whole industry). How do you know whats required to succeed if you never ask?

If you want to increase the number of people in the sport you have to make it a family affair, because the family is the TEAM that gives the core support and allows individuals to live their dreams. Thats why rossi is world champion, because his family was involved all thru his life in mini-moto up to motogp. You'll probably find that of any champion - if its not their family, then their team and peers will have taken its place.

I very seldom see families at road racing events getting the 5 yearold out on a minimoto while dad or mum is out on the big bike - I see it at dirt bike events which funnily enough, has world champions. There is no point in saying things about what classes you need and all that rubbish, when the most basic thing required is quite simply to make a family day out - the rest will grow from that.

This is the best opinion I have ever read about racing. The problem with racing in NZ is not the clubs and MNZ! it is the riders ( Some) A bunch of soft -ocks that will not stand up together but will all sit around after and fix the world.

I race because I love it with a passion
To do big darkies on the throttle
To learn more about set up and to push myself to another level
And to see if I can get through a season without upsetting someone with the TRUTH



Nah, never happen

[Ivan]

Same here I race because I love the feeling of speed and my knee on the ground and getting help from guys like Shaun

[Sensei]

I race ?? Oh thats right I only " Road Race " :2thumbsup :blip: . Power to all you Guy's & Girls that Track race not my thing . I'd have to agree with Jimmy apart from the few lucky one's that have gotten oversea's . The other's will just have to fight it out among themselves time & time again . :doh:

[Kwaka-Kid]

Well it started when i saw it on TV, and there were loads of hot chicks around the racers with umbrellas and all, and already failing at every other way to score hot chicks in life i figured i could give it a go. After all, it looked easy you just kinda fall the bike down onto one side and wave a lanky knee at the ground gentally proding it. Turns out im just as bad at the sport as i was scoring those chicks, but i kinda got hooked along the way.

I Love it! Cant go without it. Love the industry and every last bit of racing/the crap that comes with it! In a way id like to say i dont care if i win or loose i just wanna be a part of it, and make sure im mixing in the middle of it all. But i would be lieing, hahha!

I wanna win! Something, anything just gimmie something! I have always been competetive and aswell as the adreneline buzz i get my silent kicks outta beating people. The Bonus to it all is to prove one side of my family wrong - and win something! someday.

oh, and that hope of hot chicks never dies of course - dont try and tell me you guys dont at least partially do it for that either!