New 600 production class

[Drew]

I dunno mate, if Stroudy or Robbie was on their old well sorted K7/8 gsxr's I reckon they'd still be well in the hunt. James Smith and Choppa have shown they are still very competitive.....and all for less than the cost of a new GSXR, and less than half the cost of a K9 RCMP GSXR. Bargain.

Can't win=no race? So why even race at Club level then? Sketchy hands us our arse on a plate on a lousy 600, and like it or not he always will. We've all got our different motivations but to me it's like sex, even coming last is still fun.

You've got me wrong bro. I tried to be more clear in the post that followed the one you quoted.

[lostinflyz]

I think youve hit the nail on the head Drew! I've been talking to my sponsors or more acurately suppliers with discount and Motorcycle racing is an unknown, Fuck all people know much about it, Slotmedia a sponsor also sponsors drifting and speedway and the exposure and people that go to those sports that spend money is huge, at drift meets there are full car parks with guys and girls itching to spend money we dont have that in bike racing, MNZ have only managed to get two rounds televised and christ knows what has happened to the first and we dont have any highlights on the news! What I'm trying to say is MNZ have to get the profile of the sport up so it gets tv coverage so we can get sponsors so we can race and so we get bigger grids. We have a great spectacle its just no one knows or is interested in it.

as someone who always bags MNZ as per above, i do have to say they dont do too bad. comparing exposure (ok no TV, but generally there is newspaper articles, online coverage, twattering ect) and the size of crowds at all south island meetings, this years nats has had what i would have called pretty good crowd numbers and some reasonably good exposure (tv ads, newspapers, radio commercials ect).

Although its probably not what once was, its has a reasonable base from which to grow, and thats got to be an acceptable start. Too expect a TV deal is to try and acheive something that is realistically beyond the capabilities and popularity of the nz race screen, and would likely cost more than the benefit it could possibly solve.

I think we need to accept that racing alone is not enough to generate the publicity alone and look at it more creatively. I can say from here events like the burt munro challenge probably get the most main stream coverage of any motorcycle event in NZ???

anyway gone off topic so back to 600's. Having f1 and f2 reintroduced would merely make factory teams faster and life more expensive. You cant underestimate what the dealers and properly supported crews bring and give to NZ road racing, so catering to them a bit is not a poor idea, especially if it can help the less supported privateer. It hasn't helped plenty of foreign race series and bodies alienating those who bring the most to the table.

[slowpoke]

You've got me wrong bro. I tried to be more clear in the post that followed the one you quoted.

Haha, yep that's me, fall into a bucket of nipples and come up sucking my own thumb......

anyway gone off topic so back to 600's. Having f1 and f2 reintroduced would merely make factory teams faster and life more expensive. You cant underestimate what the dealers and properly supported crews bring and give to NZ road racing, so catering to them a bit is not a poor idea, especially if it can help the less supported privateer. It hasn't helped plenty of foreign race series and bodies alienating those who bring the most to the table.

Yeah, it's a tough situation to balance. But anything that gets say Peter Tanner on his RSVR Factory, Johan on his 998 Duc, the guy in Christchurch with the Moto-Guzzi MGS-01, Andrew Forward's 1198R etc etc on the grid has to be good for the spectacle and the sport, 'cos they're all ineligible at the moment. They might as well open it up, the new BMW S1000R is gonna set the cat amongst the pigeons with it's quick shifter, traction control etc as standard.

[lostinflyz]

Haha, yep that's me, fall into a bucket of nipples and come up sucking my own thumb......



Yeah, it's a tough situation to balance. But anything that gets say Peter Tanner on his RSVR Factory, Johan on his 998 Duc, the guy in Christchurch with the Moto-Guzzi MGS-01, Andrew Forward's 1198R etc etc on the grid has to be good for the spectacle and the sport, 'cos they're all ineligible at the moment. They might as well open it up, the new BMW S1000R is gonna set the cat amongst the pigeons with it's quick shifter, traction control etc as standard.

yea i agree there are a few guys that it would be great to get in there i have to agree. didn't we once allow the britten to race sbk?????

[oyster]

as someone who always bags MNZ as per above, i do have to say they dont do too bad. comparing exposure (ok no TV, but generally there is newspaper articles, online coverage, twattering ect) and the size of crowds at all south island meetings, this years nats has had what i would have called pretty good crowd numbers and some reasonably good exposure (tv ads, newspapers, radio commercials ect).

Although its probably not what once was, its has a reasonable base from which to grow, and thats got to be an acceptable start. Too expect a TV deal is to try and acheive something that is realistically beyond the capabilities and popularity of the nz race screen, and would likely cost more than the benefit it could possibly solve.

I think we need to accept that racing alone is not enough to generate the publicity alone and look at it more creatively. I can say from here events like the burt munro challenge probably get the most main stream coverage of any motorcycle event in NZ???

anyway gone off topic so back to 600's. Having f1 and f2 reintroduced would merely make factory teams faster and life more expensive. You cant underestimate what the dealers and properly supported crews bring and give to NZ road racing, so catering to them a bit is not a poor idea, especially if it can help the less supported privateer. It hasn't helped plenty of foreign race series and bodies alienating those who bring the most to the table.

I agree entirely. For the minuscule size of our sport, we do very well with the exposure/promotion we get.
The GP meeting at Ruapuna was huge, big crowds, trade stalls and at lunchtime you could hardly move in the
pits. It was humming. Is this MNZ's job? Of course not, it's the local club's job. That means you, me, rolled up sleeves making it happen. "MNZ" (to people want to bag it), are a very small group of elected volunteers
that WE elect to represent us. If you don't like it, get in there and fix it. As any commissioner or board
member if they'd like some constructive help. No need to tell the answer.....
And the comment re youth not interested. Rubbish, it's up to the clubs to attract them and support
them. They're interested alright, look at the youth (in BIG quantities) on both sides of the pit wall at the
GP meeting. If other clubs do nothing for them, and focus on "dumbed down" clubman and classic
style classes that have no career paths to the top, then it's understandable there will be little interest.
If they provide Streetstock, pro twin, 125GP etc with good recruitment and support structure,
it'll work very well.
Please note I love classics, and youth has a place here too( I took a team of 6 teenagers on Girder forks
to the BM) but it's all needed in balance

[oyster]

Add to that the new 250 pro light class and the sport would definitely be moving in the right direction.We have already developed a competitively priced body kit for the Kawasaki EX250 and are currently working with Fergus and Ken from Hyosung NZ in developing kits for both the early and new fuel injected models of their 250 range.Both these distributors are commited to this new class as are we[/QUOTE]

The purpose of the 250 twin is to provide "technical insurance" as the 150 two stroke ages beyond
viability. Being new models and the" industry interest" could make a diffrence, but that remains to be seen.
2 of them (EX 250's) ran in the South Island Nationals Streetstock support series and went really well.
Two wins at Teretonga went to an EX 250. But Seth Devereax rode it , and he is currently one of
the best SS riders (winner if the Sportz Fotoz Cup) and thisis his home circuit. He would have gone
much quicker on his regular 2 stroke 150 for sure. But it showed the Ex is VERY close over 3 circuits,
wet and dry, so this is good news as they become more popular in Streetstock.

The 250 twin will not be the "silver bullet" to solve all problems. It is 98% of a Streetstock bike at
4 times the price so the real effort needs to be in the CLASS (Streetsock) development by the clubs. The bike alone
wont change anything (apart from industry interest, as above, if it comes) I must mention Seth's bike was sponsored by Kawaski NZ. Good on them Thanks Kawasaki!!

[wharfy]

yea i agree there are a few guys that it would be great to get in there i have to agree. didn't we once allow the britten to race sbk?????

Indeed and that was not without its share of controvery !!
The main problem I see is at the moment we only have about a dozen guys CAPABLE of keeping on the same lap as Budgen/Stroudy/Choppa etc in the premier class.
How we improve the number I don't know, things like streetstock in South and the Moto Academy are a good start.

[lostinflyz]

Indeed and that was not without its share of controvery !!
The main problem I see is at the moment we only have about a dozen guys CAPABLE of keeping on the same lap as Budgen/Stroudy/Choppa etc in the premier class.
How we improve the number I don't know, things like streetstock in South and the Moto Academy are a good start.

Motogp is often quite happy when 12 guys finish on the lead lap. When it comes to guys like stroudy and robbie i think you have to accept that their pace is gonna be well beyond even most of the good. thats talent and usually someones gotta a significant amount more than everyone else.

[JayRacer37]

Just get an old bike and go racing. For the hell of it. Isn't that what we all want, and why we started? For the love of it?? You can't make racing a bike cheaper, and we currently have ALL the options covered. If you want a cheap mid capacity - get a pro twin. If your a novice - you have streetstock. You want to spend some money and race the fastest thing? There are a few poeple on here racing superbike. You could get Drews for 10K, that bike has done lap times close to whats winning nationals now, there's no reason it or something similar couldn't again. How about 600's? The best class at nationals I've heard, and really, they're not that difficult/expensive to run. My bike is just an old 06 R6, with outdated shock and forks. Its eligible for the stock class (with the original headers slung back on). But why would I want to dilute down 600SP? Why do we need a 2nd class, with the same bikes, and a slightly different set of rules? If I can race my bike into the top 5 at nationals, theres no reason someone like Nick Cole or Jimmy Smith wouldn't be able to race it for the win (and maybe i'll be able to later in the season). If you have a race bike in your shed, regardless of class (even clubmans, for those 1198S's and whatnot (though they should go in SBK, thats another argument), you should be out at your local national round at least and making a show of it. Stop making excuses - get out racing, thats what you have it for!

[Tony.OK]

Yup.......just race what ya got and enjoy, or do what I did and think ya need the lastest thing then over committ and completely fuck yerself up financially and mentally.....no wait, I was already a miserable sod haha.

I know what I'd do if I could choose again

[gammaguy]

racing costs money

so does drinking,drugs and clubbing

its all about choices and i know what i would rather be doing.racing motorcycles gives an addictive combination of pain,pleasure,reward and sacrifice that no drug can compete with.

sadly i dont have the time to race competitively these days,but i still love my trackday fix!

enjoying it is what it is all about,winning is the icing on the cake.

[slowpoke]

Just get an old bike and go racing. For the hell of it. Isn't that what we all want, and why we started? For the love of it?? You can't make racing a bike cheaper, and we currently have ALL the options covered. If you want a cheap mid capacity - get a pro twin. If your a novice - you have streetstock. You want to spend some money and race the fastest thing? There are a few poeple on here racing superbike. You could get Drews for 10K, that bike has done lap times close to whats winning nationals now, there's no reason it or something similar couldn't again. How about 600's? The best class at nationals I've heard, and really, they're not that difficult/expensive to run. My bike is just an old 06 R6, with outdated shock and forks. Its eligible for the stock class (with the original headers slung back on). But why would I want to dilute down 600SP? Why do we need a 2nd class, with the same bikes, and a slightly different set of rules? If I can race my bike into the top 5 at nationals, theres no reason someone like Nick Cole or Jimmy Smith wouldn't be able to race it for the win (and maybe i'll be able to later in the season). If you have a race bike in your shed, regardless of class (even clubmans, for those 1198S's and whatnot (though they should go in SBK, thats another argument), you should be out at your local national round at least and making a show of it. Stop making excuses - get out racing, thats what you have it for!

Great post mate! You'd think we were racing for sheep stations, when it's just a bunch of petrol heads goin' round and round. Who cares if your bike is competitive, or even if you are, so long as you are on the right side of the fence doin' skids it's all good.

Was good to see you enjoyin' yourself out there again....next year for the beemer in race trim eh?

[Rcktfsh]

250 production wasn't treated as just a beginner class but also attracted top riders, riders such as Robert Holden and Bob Toomey for example in '84 raced senior prod on GSX1135's, junior prod on GSX550's & 250 prod on RG's. Wellington Motorcycle Centre's no3 rider that season Eddie Kattenburg only got to race the 550 & 1135 but did win a 250 tt title 3 or 4 years later on a TZR. John Boote the rider who gave the TZ700 it's world debut in 1973 was racing 250 prod in 1985 as well as junior prod on a GPZ600. Glen Williams MK1 would also do duty over the 3 production classes at a meeting. Its pretty hard to think of any top riders of the era who didn't race the class at some stage, Stroudie still gets nostalgic about his TZR wishing he could corner his Superbike as hard as he did it. There where big benefits for new riders being able to race on a levelish playing field against the best riders of the day, imagine the effect of a few top riders of today going out in ss150 on the moral of the class. Actually for a rider like Sketchy for example going round the South Island tracks for the 1st time this year a 150 in the trailer would have given him a doubling of track time for bugger all cost.

[roogazza]

250 production wasn't treated as just a beginner class but also attracted top riders, riders such as Robert Holden and Bob Toomey for example in '84 raced senior prod on GSX1135's, junior prod on GSX550's & 250 prod on RG's. Wellington Motorcycle Centre's no3 rider that season Eddie Kattenburg only got to race the 550 & 1135 but did win a 250 tt title 3 or 4 years later on a TZR. John Boote the rider who gave the TZ700 it's world debut in 1973 was racing 250 prod in 1985 as well as junior prod on a GPZ600. Glen Williams MK1 would also do duty over the 3 production classes at a meeting. Its pretty hard to think of any top riders of the era who didn't race the class at some stage, Stroudie still gets nostalgic about his TZR wishing he could corner his Superbike as hard as he did it. There where big benefits for new riders being able to race on a levelish playing field against the best riders of the day, imagine the effect of a few top riders of today going out in ss150 on the moral of the class. Actually for a rider like Sketchy for example going round the South Island tracks for the 1st time this year a 150 in the trailer would have given him a doubling of track time for bugger all cost.

We can say it over and over, but things change. Is it no wonder that the 'older' amongst us wander around with big knowing smiles, that we had the very best years ?? !!! Gaz.

[SWERVE]

If i remember correctly earlier in the year at a MCC event 2 "top riders" did have a ride in Streetstock as a moral booster for the youngsters.
Dennis Charlett & Dan Ormsby....................... Dennis fell at first corner.............Dan blew it up................. or maybe the pace was just tooooooooo much eh.
Im sure that wa s the outcome........correct me if im wrong ...pete!