The new Pro Twins class

[98tls]

Racing costs money, end of story.

If you haven't got much money you race a bucket or streetstock. If you are casual or exploring the idea of racing with a bigger bike then you have a crack in Clubman's, which is perfect for those with road bikes. So it's not like there aren't options for people with a limited budget or who just want to get a taste.

If you think "yep, I want to get a bit more serious" then I don't think it would come as a suprise that you are also expected to show a bit more financial and bike prep commitment if you want to be at the pointy end.

Having said that I don't see why someone can't rock up to the track with a road bike and minimal prep and excel if they have genuine talent. Look at how Darryl (DSS3) used to show up on his R1 with OEM suspension, OEM fairings etc and ride rings around full on race bikes. That boy could ride and it showed. Same goes for the Pro Twins class, where I reckon a modicum of talent will outshine a worse rider with a Power Commander.

I reckon riders usually underestimate the amount of grip they have with full wets and overestimate their essentially road tyres so there will more than likely be a cost saving associated with fewer crashes if full wets are allowed.

The exhaust rule makes the bikes a more marketable prospect for both spectators, sponsors and participants alike. If they sound great then more people will watch, more people will want to get involved and more sponsors will want to get on board.

Great post slowpoke,fairings,power commanders etc wont help a mediocre rider compete with a guy with talent,you see it many times even road riding with guys riding the latest and greatest but just holding others up through the good roads.

[GSVR]

Oh, I was under the impression I was up against played with bikes. My bad.

Not sure if the ten hrses would be fully advatageous on the damp tracks, but I guess I'll find out soon enough.

We all want more power and less weight but ultimately everyone ends up spending/wasteing lots of cash to get an advantage when if little or no mods where allowed you'd get more racers. Its just great to have racing where bikes and riders are evenly matched. It makes for good racing for the riders and spectators and can only be good for the sport.

[Hellraiser]

It is possible to make a class like this affordable by having things like control tyres, disallowing fuel injection, keep the bikes all the same so that it comes down to rider skill rather than how big your wallet is.

Motor Sport NZ have been doing it for years with classes like the Pro 7's etc .... etc

For me it would go something like this .....

Dunlope Sponsor the series there for the control tyre is a Dunlope XXXX and is purchased at cost price from the supplier.

Lets say Virgin Mufflers is also a Sponsor of the series there for all the bikes must run one of his mufflers again sold to the riders at a discount.

Brake Pads are supplied by someones else and must be the same for all bikes and again are supplied at a heavly discounted price.

etc ....etc

Now if someone was really onto it they may even be able to get some of the big manufactures behind it like Kawasaki & Suzuki (abit like the ford & holden thing in the super cars) get them to supply mechanics for race weekends, help people with set up issues etc ... etc keeping everyone on a level playing field.

None of these are my ideas its really just stuff that Motorsport NZ's being doing for awhile now.

It seems to me that motorcycling NZ is trying to reinvent the wheel.

At the end of the day Motor Sport does cost money but it can be alot cheeper than is is now.

My 0.10 worth .....

[slowpoke]

There are some good idea's in Hellraisers post.
It's been done overseas by that bloke Summkunt but we don't seem to have a NZ relative of Summkunt to co-ordinate things.
Having said that it must be a nightmare for organisers to try and get something off the ground. Even getting a feel for what racers want is a mission in itself. If you polled the race community most wouldn't wouldn't see a new class as applying to them so wouldn't respond. Of those that did respond most would reply in a way that would best suit them rather than the sport overall.
There is also the difficult decision of what we are actually trying to achieve with the new class: are we trying to get the maximum number of bums on seats or are we trying to give riders a chance to learn basic skills. By taking the adjustability out of a class are we doing riders a disservice? By having to set up a new shock and/or forks are we better setting them up for the future?

[TonyB]

we wanna race, but often have families and other commitments.... a cheap class is a great idea but it needs to stay that way. Fork internals and powercommanders aren't necessary and nor are ohlins rear shocks or even wets if everyone is on the same tyre.

Too true! I know that well known racers with years of experience have made the comment that suspension upgrades are necessary for safety, buuuuut I reckon if everyone is on the same bike, with the same tyres and the same suspension, then you'll all have the same problems. So the outer limit of handling performance is the same for everyone- if someone pushes too hard, they'll find out pretty quick, and so will the guys that try to follow, so everyone will run up against the same problem and will have to back off. This is what happens with the Street Stock series- you have loads of talented young riders pushing hard on bikes with pretty average handling, but there's no carnage, because the limit is the same for everyone.

A standard suspension rule would only become a problem when someone cheats. Then they'll be able to push that much more, and the guys behind may well crash trying to keep up. Keep the rules tight and you'll have great racing on a sensible budget.

[oyster]

I think Saturday at Levels was New Zealands first true Pro Twin class racing.
Mixed with 125GP and F3, the combined feild totalled about 35 bikes.
And a 16 year old, first time on an unfinished ER6 smoked the lot of them, except fellow 16 year old Gregor Stevens on the 125GP, just at the end of the race when Tom's clutch was giving greif. Top result methinks, for Pro Twins, and the rise of the young'uns. The next bike home was another pro twin, with a 17 year old on board.
I've been helping prepare Tom's bike, and it was dropped around today for a bit more. I couldn't believe how totally stuffed the rear tyre is after only 3 races. It still has the standard rear shock, the new one is not far away thank goodness. This confirms the idea of keeping standard suspension is quite wrong, the bikes will just destroy tyres. It'll be interesting to see the tyre life when a good shock, well set up, is fitted.

[TonyB]

Hmmm, I forgot about tyre life. Good point

[k14]

Yes he and Anthony both went well. Also there was another guy up front on his ER6 (can't remember his name) doing alright. Not sure if the other couple of 650's up there were to pro twins spec or not.

Do you know why tom decided to go for pro twins as opposed to 125? Of course I'm biased but I would have thought that 125 is where you'd be encouraging the streetstock "graduates" to go to.

[Sparky Bills]

So since they finally have their own class. Are they allowed to cross enter into F3/2 still?

If so, whats the point of the new class?

[k14]

So since they finally have their own class. Are they allowed to cross enter into F3/2 still?

If so, whats the point of the new class?

They are run in F3 at club level, motorcycling canterbury doesn't allow cross entering at club events.

[Drew]

So since they finally have their own class. Are they allowed to cross enter into F3/2 still?

If so, whats the point of the new class?

Because greedy pricks like me, want to get two titles at the same time.

But if your budget doesn't stretch to all the mods allowed in F3, you should still have a chance to win in a cheaper class is the reason I thought it was being started.

Perhaps also, closer racing forced by more equal machinery, makes for better viewing, ergo, more people should show up to watch, the up side of that is more money to the organisers and vendors, the upside of that is the sport grows, and so on, and so forth, untill hopefully, our top riders, are actually more competitive at an international level, then more races come here...

You should have the picture by now, it's a snow ball effect.

My two cents only, and who wants to listen to a crack ho anyway.

[johnsv650]

wheres your race report ?
how was the 125cc going ?

[johnsv650]

i think it was called "junior class"

[FROSTY:Me]

Guys those of you that can remember back to the eightys or even early nightys will remember the heyday of 250 PRODUCTION racing.
I remember clearly being in grids of 40 or more bikes at NATIONAL level and having to qualify for a or b grade at club level.
The attraction being it was an ENTRY level class with NO modifications bar servicing allowed.
As I understood it this was the INTENT of the new pro twins class

[evol mas]

lets face it guys winning in motorsport is expencive!
so you can either join them or go buy a pair of $100 nike football boots and take up soccer! iv spent $20 grand + of my own hard earnt money on my pro twin sv so far and i am an 18yo apprentice so if i can afford it you should be abel to aswell. you can either spend the money and go out with a fair chance at winning or have a basic bike and go out and have sum fun! and thats all ther is to it