What cracks me up about the AMA is

[Danger]

There was also Cannondale a few short years ago, shame they didn't survive. I've actually got a front and rear Ohlins from off a Cannondale, rear shock was like the original KTM Ohlins PDS with what we call a piston and a half setup. Quite an innovative bike with many features that are starting to surface on others now like the Yamaha 450 with the exhaust coming out the rear of the engine (from memory Cannondale ran the same setup). Not sure why they folded, think their bikes were too expensive to make.

[barty5]

If you read through the link i posted re: ATK you will find they have survived to a point but only in the fact that Atk took them over to keep it alive.

[cheese]

If you read through the link i posted re: ATK you will find they have survived to a point but only in the fact that Atk took them over to keep it alive.

Huh?? ATK got taken over by ATK?

[ChurchurDan]

The ATK 700 2t would be a handfull. Nice looking bikes too.

[barty5]

no atk took over cannondale

[cheese]

Oh right.

Anyway my other observation of AMA, they are just about all Gingers... Dam you Gingers, you've got a secret society and are trying to take over the world.

[tommorth]

ninjas in disgise

[Rupe]

Oh right.

Anyway my other observation of AMA, they are just about all Gingers... Dam you Gingers, you've got a secret society and are trying to take over the world.

the also have long hair, and they like to say thanks to the big man upstairs. maybe if I go to church and grow long ginger hair i'll get crazy fast too .

[oldguy]

but you have to admit, anyone who is anyone in MX wants to go to the states to prove they are.
FIM vs AMA outdoors I know which I prefer, to watch.
JS7 been called the N word, but never a Ginger
you also have to be named
Ryan, Josh, Jason or unsual name like Trey

[Danger]

I thought that 450 race was sick! Much more entertaining without Bubba and Reed riding.
And yes a high proportion of the top riders in recent years have had redish hair if not outright ginger, like BT, Everts, RC, Poto, now Dungey is getting up there and I can think of some local kids that have ginger hair that are very good riders too.

[krad_nz]

What is it about the gingers aye? Dungey isn' a ginge though?

[p.dath]

That is a bunch of yanks riding about on Jap bikes when they hate Jap cars. I guess being 1/3 of the worlds market of bikes they have a heavy influence on what goes into the bikes, but has there ever been any big USA brand bikes and were they any good? Or were they as shit as their cars??

I would say China would be the worlds largest market for motorbikes, probably followed by India. China is also a huge manufacturer of motorbikes, but most of it is made for domestic consumption.

[takitimu]

That is a bunch of yanks riding about on Jap bikes when they hate Jap cars. I guess being 1/3 of the worlds market of bikes they have a heavy influence on what goes into the bikes, but has there ever been any big USA brand bikes and were they any good? Or were they as shit as their cars??

Mmmm, first thing, the latest Camaro is pretty damn good, I'd choose it over an XR6, only minor problem is the roof is damn low. The latest Yank cars in general are pretty damn good, they've improved alot in the last 4 years.

In something like Hill climbing no doubt the move to Jap bikes over the last 5 years affected crowds ( massive reduction ), but given the crowds were Harley riders, is that really surprising, I'm not so sure it was the fact the bikes were Jap, just they were not Harleys, would have made no difference if they were KTM or Husky & the Hill Climb crowd is very different to MX/SX.

Last thought, I am sure you'd have thought that a US company could not get close to Nikon/Canon/Sony/Panasonic, but Red is doing just that & Polaris just bought swissauto. The Yanks are a weird bunch, but they have some really smart/wealthy people, if/when Polaris make a play for the Dirt Bike market I don't think it'll be a flop like the BMW.

[cheese]

I would say China would be the worlds largest market for motorbikes, probably followed by India. China is also a huge manufacturer of motorbikes, but most of it is made for domestic consumption.

Sorry I was referring to dirt bikes. bikes in general, well China and India have fuckloads.