Are the boys at BSB with their "stock" superbikes onto something?

[Tony.OK]

Right !, now that I,ve got that one sorted out for you , lets get back to this BSB Superbike dumbdown discussion....

Have you noticed how the guys that never had TC are now having some good runs compared to those that have gotten used to relying on it?
Its all about the technique of riding now eh?

[gixerracer]

Tut tut Wayne ( Dennis Adair ) and Craig, youll get your fingers smacked for veering off thread!

Having over many years effectively sponsored many more people than I can poke a stick at I think my blinkers are very firmly off. The service we ( for example ) give during the winter series is ( effectively ) a form of sponsporship. Sure we pick up work from it but there is a not insubstanial cost that very much comes off our bottom line. That it is considered a ''given'' that sponsorship should widely occur in road racing and many other sports is an indication that many are ''blinkered'' in their thinking. Especially considering that road bike sales ( especially of race replicas ) have been in a very depressed state for some time. We also have a number of car racing customers and they know that if they want product that someone ( them ) have to pay for it. Thats fair and reasonable, without any cold heartedness. Businesses have bills to pay.

If I asked for a heat pump or a house to be sponsored to me ( or a greenhouse but then Glenn has never requested sponsorship , in fairness ) I pretty much know what the answer would be! Fair comparison?

Note that ( as an example ) the suspension that the likes of Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and that sulky Aussie guy use is not sponsored to them, nor is their technical backup.

But back on thread, sure the ''control tyre'' thing may ( in fairness ) warrant further investigation and its feasibility will rest on the willingness ( or otherwise ) of any local tyre distributor to supply.

Not the same really. If I sponsor your house a Heatpump whats in it for my company and LG? Same goes if GW gives you a greenhouse?
I will sponsor you a heatpump and you sponsor me Gas cartridges- that works

[Robert Taylor]

Not the same really. If I sponsor your house a Heatpump whats in it for my company and LG? Same goes if GW gives you a greenhouse?
I will sponsor you a heatpump and you sponsor me Gas cartridges- that works

Actually this raises an interesting point thats not irrelevant to the thrust of Glenn starting this thread. With few exceptions most suppliers to the road race fraternity heavily subsidise their pricing, often to the point of economic insensibility. A lot have over the years put a lot of free time and product into road racing, out of their own pockets. But there is always immense pressure to do even more because it gets considered as the norm. ''Heck you guys must be creaming it''. Well thats a tui moment if ever there was one!
As for the gas cartridges that Craig mentioned we have sold every single set ( and now, more than a few of them ) I.e we have not sponsored a set to anybody nor had any need to. Part of that is because we have met the stark realities of the market, there is only one margin and that is heavily subsidised, also there is pre-prep that we do. Suggested retail from Sweden inclusive of local taxes should be around $3900 but we sell way way below that.
Cynically were I ''sponsored'' a heat pump or a greenhouse and the suppliers stickers were prominently placed upon them there'd likely be just as much longer term chance of visibility as stickers on a road race bike! I will be buying a greenhouse off Glenn in the future and doubtless asking him for a bit of a deal, but respecting his need to make a fair and reasonable profit. If I actually needed a heat pump then Id buy it off Craig or Choppa. But my wood fire works very well with the added bonus that Im also able to keep warm in summer chopping the wood!
Attraction of new sponsors would ensure the revenue stream for new equipment.. Were I sponsoring ( and I have done LOTS of that over the years and still do by default ) Id be insisting on performance clauses and guarantees of product sales that would at least recover my expenditure. Therein that illustrates a very real problem for sponsors of ''minor'' sports in a low population country, the return is very minute and it can be a loss, in most instances. I think Suzuki NZs involvement and costs would be the prime example.

[codgyoleracer]

Have you noticed how the guys that never had TC are now having some good runs compared to those that have gotten used to relying on it?
Its all about the technique of riding now eh?

The BSB spec set up, - does seem to have created some new faces at the pointy end of the field aye.
I think the organisers have been able to put a vision in place and they are now seeing the benefits.
As a rule though people hate change, its time consuming, can create uncertainties, requires new thinking & development and often involves new people outside of the normal clan to become involved.

[Robert Taylor]

The BSB spec set up, - does seem to have created some new faces at the pointy end of the field aye.
I think the organisers have been able to put a vision in place and they are now seeing the benefits.
As a rule though people hate change, its time consuming, can create uncertainties, requires new thinking & development and often involves new people outside of the normal clan to become involved.

Are their new machine spec rules now somewhat closer to our largely successful rules?

[codgyoleracer]

Are their new machine spec rules now somewhat closer to our largely successful rules?

Note item 14 in this thread.

Its all about relativity

[jellywrestler]

Im also able to keep warm in summer chopping the wood!

Do you have to velcro your glasses to your forehead when you're 'Chopping'?

[Robert Taylor]

Do you have to velcro your glasses to your forehead when you're 'Chopping'?

No, but what is actually of immense assistance is fantisising that each block of wood is the head of an ex Priminister, the one that callously destroyed our Air force.

But anyway on topic I see that BSB is still a little different to ours. So what would likely be the consensus of opinion here in NZ in support of a Superstock formula for 1000s as is currently in place, as the only ''Superbike'' class in NZ? As espoused by Kiwi Graham

[Billy]

No, but what is actually of immense assistance is fantisising that each block of wood is the head of an ex Priminister, the one that callously destroyed our Air force.

But anyway on topic I see that BSB is still a little different to ours. So what would likely be the consensus of opinion here in NZ in support of a Superstock formula for 1000s as is currently in place, as the only ''Superbike'' class in NZ? As espoused by Kiwi Graham

What has been suggested too me to date is basically what we have now but with stock engines

[Mental Trousers]

What has been suggested too me to date is basically what we have now but with stock engines

So essentially Appendix G (Super Sport) but with stock engines?? Sounds perfectly sensible to me.

http://www.mnz.co.nz/download/2012_M...Supersport.pdf

[Billy]

So essentially Appendix G (Super Sport) but with stock engines?? Sounds perfectly sensible to me.

http://www.mnz.co.nz/download/2012_M...Supersport.pdf

Careful now or you,ll be blacklisted for agreeing with the gestapo,Also the same for Superbike

[codgyoleracer]

[Robert Taylor]

Showa, Bitubo, Penske, Wilbers, Race Tech, etc.............

[codgyoleracer]

Not the same really. If I sponsor your house a Heatpump whats in it for my company and LG? Same goes if GW gives you a greenhouse?
I will sponsor you a heatpump and you sponsor me Gas cartridges- that works

Off subject :-) , now i know where that old heat pump of ours is destined for Craig ..... :-)

[Edbear]

I generally ascribe to the view of, "if it ain't broke..." I, along with everyone no doubt, enjoy watching the Superbikes and most if not all classes for what each brings to the sport but recognise the cost factor. It reached the point with F1 that the team spending the most, (like US politics), won and it would be a shame to have a financially dependent race rather than a talent dependent one.

This thread has shown the difficulty of working out a fair playing field so I wonder whether there is a way to tweak what we have already? Unfortunately racing is by it's nature an expensive sport and not everyone has the same budget.

What I regretted about the F1 scene was the loss of technological advancement in "dumbing down" the regs but today you see it forced teams to explore new technology to realise their advantages.

The Superbikes are not to that level of technical demand due to fairly tight rules now so is there another avenue we could consider to help even things up a bit? Just thinking out loud as I am not as familiar with the regs as those in the know are of course.