Tyre warmers on buckets?

[Slingshot]

I'd like to keep it as 'Buckets of Shit'. Using newer bikes is one thing - programmable electronic ignition, fuel injection, type warmers... where is the line today? Where will it be tomorrow?

Check this site out: http://www.megasquirt.info I had a master plan of getting a CB125t and fuel injecting the fucker. Imagine pulling into the pits at the slipway, plugging the laptop into the bucket and altering the fuel mapping...just because you can.

Soon it will be cheaper to get a CBR125/150 than an old MB100 (and easier). Do we have a list of 'homologated' bikes?

No and who are you calling a homo

Already the way classes are divided differs in various parts of the country to suit local tracks. Is this good?

Yes & no...good for local competiton bad for national competiton. Problem (or maybe the good thing) is that there's no national governing body for bucketing.

What about those that have a backbone bike? Can they compete or do they just make up the numbers?

Just making up the numbers...but my goal when racing at the moment is to be at the front of the bikes that I consider to be of similar performance. So in my mind, I'm a winner

There are always going to be the haves and the have nots in racing no matter what the class.

There's nothing in the rules about tyre warmers so too bad.

As I racer, and I've said this before, I will use all the resources available I have to win. (Like the rest human race I must have depleted most of my resources cos I ain't won in a while!)

I don't begrudge anyone who has better equipment, spent more time or money on their bike to get it the way they want it even if they're kicking my arse.I just get angry and ride harder and if they still beat me then that's my lot.
I'm getting kicked all over the place by a fucken scooter with 40cc more than me for Christ sake, but that's my issue to overcome.
In the end everyone spends the amount of money they believe to justifiable for their level of involvement.
So don't be a knocker about it, don't be negative, find away to turn it around to your advantage.

And if you can't do that, just knock them off!

Well said.

Some of the dollars invested in R&D in some of the local Welly bikes would be getting well up there.
Should we outlaw these bikes too? (rhetorical question)

[McJim]

I reckon it's not in the spirit of bucket racing. If you must spend $$$ on tyre warmers then spend the $$$ upgrading to another class.

But then I don't even have a bucket to race......yet

[kiwicam]

A few years ago when the 150,s became available the limit was raised to accommodate them,mainly because of the rising prices of parts for the older bikes like Xl125 etc. As you guys have mentioned you now have more people joining up every weekend (isnt this the whole point?).

Who wins Who cares !

The next step up the ladder is usually streetstock, a controlled class where the advantage of faster/newer machines will no longer be available.

Look at where the current class champions are coming from guys.Most of them cut their teeth on buckets.

If you feel the need to even things up make the tracks slower not the bikes.

Enjoy yourselves and pitch it in....

Tyre warmers are a bit OTT but

[Sully60]

I reckon it's not in the spirit of bucket racing. If you must spend $$$ on tyre warmers then spend the $$$ upgrading to another class.

What is this spirit of bucket racing you refer to?

Let's not forget that F4 and F5 are two of the three remaining formula classes left in NZ. Tyre warmers are just a conspicuous way of gaining an advantage wether real or percieved. Some of the less conspicuous things are the very essence of what a formula class is about. The difference with buckets is that most people are more than happy to share what some in the "big boy" classes would keep secret.

Don't be put off by what others might have McJim. At round two of our series last year someone brought their spine framed, cantilevered shock machines with skinny 18" wheels down and swept all before them (except F5Dave).
So a bit of canny riding and reasonable machine can still achieve a good result.

I don't get upset by it but I wonder if the class could end up with semi-talented riders with deep pockets winning everything and putting off those with no money but more talent.

The cream will always rise to the top.

If you can, cast your mind back to 2005, Jay Lawrence was riding an identical bike to F5Daves with just over half the power and a poofteenth of the development of Daves bike (sorry Dave but this is a good example) but Jay was not at all phased and neither were rest of the field.

(High-tech by way of who-you-know and clever-bastard-itis)

So you're telling me that the stuff that comes out of the Factory has not been blessed with a good dose of "clever-bastard-itis"?

[Kendog]

So you're telling me that the stuff that comes out of the Factory has not been blessed with a good dose of "clever-bastard-itis"?

The stuff I have seen from there sure has.

[Sully60]

The stuff I have seen from there sure has.

Exactley!

It's all a matter of perspective.

Thanks for having my back Kendog, I'm going to help you build a real fast bucket and you can use my tyre warmers

[Skunk]

Yes & no...good for local competiton bad for national competiton. Problem (or maybe the good thing) is that there's no national governing body for bucketing.

Yes there is. It's called Motorcycling NZ.

Just making up the numbers...but my goal when racing at the moment is to be at the front of the bikes that I consider to be of similar performance. So in my mind, I'm a winner

If I could beat you I'd consider myself a winner.

A few years ago when the 150,s became available the limit was raised to accommodate them,mainly because of the rising prices of parts for the older bikes like Xl125 etc. As you guys have mentioned you now have more people joining up every weekend (isnt this the whole point?).

This is exactly what I have in mind. A path for advancing the class without making it too expensive (by either too-hard-to-get-parts nor too-expensive-to-race standards).

So you're telling me that the stuff that comes out of the Factory has not been blessed with a good dose of "clever-bastard-itis"?

No, I don't think so. I'm thinking of the supercharged XL100 and the like. The Steadman boys type stuff. Real clever thoughts and engineering even if it didn't always work.

I have no complaints about how things are. I just wonder if they could be better. Just thoughts and nothing more.

But where do you draw the line? Tyre warmers are an expensive advantage for the first few laps. If someone who finishes behind you gets them and beats you what do you do?

Give up or cough up?

What next?

[Trudes]

pfft, tyre warmers.... all you need is to get someone to ride your bucket in the class before the one you're riding in... eh honey

[Slingshot]

Yes there is. It's called Motorcycling NZ.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

[Skunk]

Yeah, yeah. I know. Somehow they left it in the rule book when they revised it. I don't think they meant too...

[gav]

Someone is going always going to have an advantage though arent they? Some might have tyre warmers, some might work in a bike shop with access to cheap parts, others might have access and skills to build and tune their bikes, some might only weigh 45kg! And where did the cheap bit come into it? Don't forget bucket racing started on the airforce bases, only because the guys were restricted to staying on base. The level of bikes at the early Woodbourne days were eyeopening, handbuilt, alloy framed, monoshocked, water cooled, running on slicks, anything went.
And when did it become a cheap sport? I raced on Sunday, and after paying for race fuel, hiring a trailer, paying for a day licence and entry fees, i got two 6 lap races which worked out at $10 per lap on the Ruapuna A track (tri oval) !
Anyone got a cheap Pre 82 bike?

[Skunk]

A couple of the buckets had tyre warmers on yesterday and they would have had a huge advantage over those of us that went out on cold tyres on a cold track. Do we all spend $500 on warmer to keep up?

You guys are the club members and fellow racers......tell the Commitee what you would like to see included/excluded to make the racing more competitive and affordable for us all. We can ammend the "inhouse" rules to suit, tell us what you want.

OK, enough of my ramblings.

My vote:
Ban tyre warmers for the time being. They cost too much and they don't teach you anything. Learn about grip and tyre temperature.

[Skunk]

I raced on Sunday, and after paying for race fuel, hiring a trailer, paying for a day licence and entry fees, i got two 6 lap races which worked out at $10 per lap on the Ruapuna A track (tri oval) !
Anyone got a cheap Pre 82 bike?

Sucker! A meet here costs $35 and we put in way more laps than you...

[gav]

Don't worry BOB will more than make up for it!
I guess I could have ridden around the car park like you lot though for 20 minutes?

[Skunk]

We've had a one hour race at our airstrip (yes, it's airstrip - we're really into the grass roots of buckets here) before. I wonder if you could cope with that?

Come up and prove it if you think you can.