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

[steveyb]

Man, the one bike per rider idea really is such a difficult one for me to come down on either side of.
On the one hand it is a sure fire way to help keep a lid on costs, but on the other hand, for big bikes that can get pretty beat up in even an inocuous looking crash it can severely curtail a riders championship.
It seems to be working well in Moto3 and even in Moto2, (WSBK as well I can't recall) but those bikes don't seem to destroy themselves in the same way as a SBK or 600 can.
Would it mean that riders who previously might have had two bikes will have to slow down and be more circumspect? Maybe, maybe not.
What about riders from overseas or local, who are paying big $ to ride in NZ teams but might be out for a round or more due to smashed bike? Is it really fair? I for one would not be able to expect an overseas rider to pay the $2M per season fee if I did not have a spare bike they could just jump onto for whatever reason.
How many riders in NZ have spare bike(s) anyway? Not too many as far as I can recall, so is the idea of one bike per rider an issue at all? Don't know.
What about the teams that have a full bike in spare parts sitting in the truck?

It is a really interesting question, one worth a real ponder me thinks.

[Billy]

Man, the one bike per rider idea really is such a difficult one for me to come down on either side of.
On the one hand it is a sure fire way to help keep a lid on costs, but on the other hand, for big bikes that can get pretty beat up in even an inocuous looking crash it can severely curtail a riders championship.
It seems to be working well in Moto3 and even in Moto2, (WSBK as well I can't recall) but those bikes don't seem to destroy themselves in the same way as a SBK or 600 can.
Would it mean that riders who previously might have had two bikes will have to slow down and be more circumspect? Maybe, maybe not.
What about riders from overseas or local, who are paying big $ to ride in NZ teams but might be out for a round or more due to smashed bike? Is it really fair? I for one would not be able to expect an overseas rider to pay the $2M per season fee if I did not have a spare bike they could just jump onto for whatever reason.
How many riders in NZ have spare bike(s) anyway? Not too many as far as I can recall, so is the idea of one bike per rider an issue at all? Don't know.
What about the teams that have a full bike in spare parts sitting in the truck?

It is a really interesting question, one worth a real ponder me thinks.

All good points again,However I think you'll find Codgy was having a bit of a laugh with that over a reply I sent out regarding a submission to his "850 twins in Supersport" proposal.

[Mental Trousers]

Man, the one bike per rider idea really is such a difficult one for me to come down on either side of.
On the one hand it is a sure fire way to help keep a lid on costs, but on the other hand, for big bikes that can get pretty beat up in even an inocuous looking crash it can severely curtail a riders championship.
It seems to be working well in Moto3 and even in Moto2, (WSBK as well I can't recall) but those bikes don't seem to destroy themselves in the same way as a SBK or 600 can.
Would it mean that riders who previously might have had two bikes will have to slow down and be more circumspect? Maybe, maybe not.
What about riders from overseas or local, who are paying big $ to ride in NZ teams but might be out for a round or more due to smashed bike? Is it really fair? I for one would not be able to expect an overseas rider to pay the $2M per season fee if I did not have a spare bike they could just jump onto for whatever reason.
How many riders in NZ have spare bike(s) anyway? Not too many as far as I can recall, so is the idea of one bike per rider an issue at all? Don't know.
What about the teams that have a full bike in spare parts sitting in the truck?

It is a really interesting question, one worth a real ponder me thinks.

It's easy. I've only got one bike so everyone else should only be allowed one as well!!

[codgyoleracer]

All good points again,However I think you'll find Codgy was having a bit of a laugh with that over a reply I sent out regarding a submission to his "850 twins in Supersport" proposal.

Nah, the BSB have a one bike rule as well, so hence the question. 850 twins in Supersport ?, Now there's an idea. Must start a thread on that one in the next few years. :-)

[slowpoke]

The way it should be. Control tyres are a big wank. IMAO . I heard ASBK was moving away from one make months ago . Let the brands compete. The sooner Michelin and Dunlop etc can return to world championship the better. Just look at the problems WSBK control wets , they are bitching like hell about those tyres.

Not so much of a wank if you want a true riders championship. Doesn't matter if the tyres are shit it's the same for everyone and best rider/team wins, rather than those favoured few on brand X. I want to see riders/machines battling on the track, I couldn't care less about a tyre war. Nothing would make me turn off the telly quicker than seeing brand X dominate and waiting for brand Y to catch up, while potential front runners are nobbled and also rans are made to look good (like Tamada on that Bridgestone shod Konica Honda).

[Shaun]

Not so much of a wank if you want a true riders championship. Doesn't matter if the tyres are shit it's the same for everyone and best rider/team wins, rather than those favoured few on brand X. I want to see riders/machines battling on the track, I couldn't care less about a tyre war. Nothing would make me turn off the telly quicker than seeing brand X dominate and waiting for brand Y to catch up, while potential front runners are nobbled and also rans are made to look good (like Tamada on that Bridgestone shod Konica Honda).

Totally Agree

[Mental Trousers]

You want a true riders championship just put everyone on the same bikes, same tyres, same fuel etc. Only thing they can change is twiddle the adjusters on the suspension then go racing.

One tyre rules are half arsed.

[slowpoke]

You want a true riders championship just put everyone on the same bikes, same tyres, same fuel etc. Only thing they can change is twiddle the adjusters on the suspension then go racing.

One tyre rules are half arsed.

Last I saw they give out trophies to riders and manufacturers, not tyre companies. The stories you hear of the old days when Michelin etc flew in specials for the favoured few just make me cringe. Stuff like Elias being an also ran in '06, on a privateer Honda, being gifted a set of Pedrosa's "special's" and going on to win an epic race with Rossi make the "sport" a joke, creating much the same 2 tiers as we have now with the prorotypes and CRT. If the best man can't win then I'm not interested.

Edit: I understand what you are saying regards parity and where to draw the line, but the basic interaction with the road is something that should be universal.

[suzuki21]

Last I saw they give out trophies to riders and manufacturers, not tyre companies. The stories you hear of the old days when Michelin etc flew in specials for the favoured few just make me cringe. Stuff like Elias being an also ran in '06, on a privateer Honda, being gifted a set of Pedrosa's "special's" and going on to win an epic race with Rossi make the "sport" a joke, creating much the same 2 tiers as we have now with the prorotypes and CRT. If the best man can't win then I'm not interested.

Edit: I understand what you are saying regards parity and where to draw the line, but the basic interaction with the road is something that should be universal.

Yep it sucks, did you know in the IDM sbk only the top ten qualifiers get the good race tyres. Once you are in that group you are away laughing as they give you good qualifying tyres the next round - go figure.
Nothing in life is fair and we have to deal with what we have - ask my wife.

[SWERVE]

You want a true riders championship just put everyone on the same bikes, same tyres, same fuel etc. Only thing they can change is twiddle the adjusters on the suspension then go racing.

One tyre rules are half arsed.

30 BMW 1000R for sale on another thread.......theres a start.............joking

[Robert Taylor]

But it shouldnt be lost sight of that many of the bikes we can buy today are the result of ongoing development. Many of those positive developments come from the racetrack and not neccessarily all of those geared to going fast. There already are classes that are strictly controlled with do's and dont's and it would be silly to over-restrict the premier classes.

[Robert Taylor]

Yep it sucks, did you know in the IDM sbk only the top ten qualifiers get the good race tyres. Once you are in that group you are away laughing as they give you good qualifying tyres the next round - go figure.
Nothing in life is fair and we have to deal with what we have - ask my wife.

Id call that incentive. ( Capitalism versus socialism and its dumbing down mentality ) Incentive to qualify and race well, incentive for the technicians to build a good bike and set it up well track to track. And not forgetting incentive for your wife.

[twinshock750]

Last I saw they give out trophies to riders and manufacturers, not tyre companies. The stories you hear of the old days when Michelin etc flew in specials for the favoured few just make me cringe. Stuff like Elias being an also ran in '06, on a privateer Honda, being gifted a set of Pedrosa's "special's" and going on to win an epic race with Rossi make the "sport" a joke, creating much the same 2 tiers as we have now with the prorotypes and CRT. If the best man can't win then I'm not interested.

Edit: I understand what you are saying regards parity and where to draw the line, but the basic interaction with the road is something that should be universal.

What about the poor bastard who for some reason can't get comfortable on the one make tyre...Look at Simon Crafar, GP winner, podium placer, and regular top 1/2 doz in 98 on Dunlops. '99 on Michies's gets the DCM (Don't Come Monday).

What if the tyre you get just doesn't work with your bike? Ohh, bad luck see you next year, they might be different.

The best rider should by default be good enough to find a tyre that works best FOR THEM. Though recognising your comment above Slowpoke, whether he can access that particular tyre is a different story.....!

[Tony.OK]

Progress is all good, but at what stage does it become just Time Trials?
Happened in F1 and got so boring spectators stopped turning up/watching........they went backwards in techy gear and it became more popular again.

Sure we want to see the latest n greatest machines/tech but if ppl loose interest due to boring races it can only hurt the sport long term.
At the end of the day its the spectators that keep it all going isn't it?

[codgyoleracer]

What about the poor bastard who for some reason can't get comfortable on the one make tyre...Look at Simon Crafar, GP winner, podium placer, and regular top 1/2 doz in 98 on Dunlops. '99 on Michies's gets the DCM (Don't Come Monday).

What if the tyre you get just doesn't work with your bike? Ohh, bad luck see you next year, they might be different.

The best rider should by default be good enough to find a tyre that works best FOR THEM. Though recognising your comment above Slowpoke, whether he can access that particular tyre is a different story.....!

The control tyre component of the BSB series, is justthat "a component" of a total package. As is the one bike rule, and as is their regs on bike build which pulled back the cost to build bikes and get them on the grid in that particular championship.

If all other things are equal (which they will never be) - then sure there would be a strong argument against a control tyre rule or the one bike rule as a single stand-alone discusssion, but when you add all of these components together the total outcome make the package work. Its unfair in essence to breakdown the components of a series and not consider them all as a whole.

This of course assumes that BSB have good process in place and are working to a "mission statement" for the series along the lines of

"BSB - Designed to bring to the public an exciting motorcycle racing spectacle - and provide an opportunity for both large and small race teams to be competitive"

This is the sort of stuff that has to be in place before you even start thinking about the individual series rules and the individual class rules. This stuff doesn’t exist here, - and or is not adhered too.

Unless you work to these types of over-viewing guideline statements, - you will often quickly loose direction, and fall into the mistake of allowing political forces outside of "the sport" steering the ship.