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World Class Balance


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I've been watching the Superstock 1000 Cup races on the internet and have been very impressed. Here is a bit of the last lap from this year's Valencia race to illustrate my point. Claudio Corti demonstrates amazing balance. He also illustrates why that's not enough on its own.

 

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That was some awesome drift action.

 

Actually, that was an awesome race. One of the guys at work downloaded it and we watched it at work today.

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Actually, that was an awesome race.

Honestly, most of the Superstock 1000 Cup races are nearly as exciting. Even the one from last year at Silverstone in the rain was good. I think B-Boz is right about suggesting the DMG use the same classes as World Superbike. How would anybody here in the states know if they never see those races which I think is a real shame. (Although I think DMG got it right by including the rider in the minimum weights)

 

I've been watching that bit of Corti over and over again analyzing his body positioning...

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Actually, that was an awesome race.

Honestly, most of the Superstock 1000 Cup races are nearly as exciting. Even the one from last year at Silverstone in the rain was good. I think B-Boz is right about suggesting the DMG use the same classes as World Superbike. How would anybody here in the states know if they never see those races which I think is a real shame. (Although I think DMG got it right by including the rider in the minimum weights)

 

I've been watching that bit of Corti over and over again analyzing his body positioning...

 

Who is DMG?

 

I heard an inside rumor in the grapevine at work today (Kawasaki Rep) that AMA Pro-Racing is doing away with 600 Supersport altogether next year to be replaced with a 600 Superbike or Formula type class. "Anything goes" type of thing...? Sounds exciting!

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I can't remember the riders name, but there is a Moto GP rider who does the same thing in a few of his races, especially when they come to the US. It's an eye opener every time he does it. I think it's going into the corkscrew.

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Who is DMG?

 

I think it stands for Daytona Motorsport Group or something like that. Its the organization that bought Pro racing from AMA.

 

I heard an inside rumor in the grapevine at work today (Kawasaki Rep) that AMA Pro-Racing is doing away with 600 Supersport altogether next year to be replaced with a 600 Superbike or Formula type class. "Anything goes" type of thing...? Sounds exciting!

 

Yeah, I read a bunch of stuff online about it. (Roardracing World, Superbike Planet, etc.) They were trying to get rid of 1000 cc bikes because they are too fast for American tracks but the manufacturers flipped out. Then they decided to go with a "Literbike" class with the rules worked out for 2009 Superbike previously but it will be a support class for "Daytona Superbike" premier class. The later is basically Formula FX as we know it today and will have much higher purses than the "Literbike" class.

 

"Literbike," as I understand it, will allow less modifications than Superbike today but more modifications than Supersport. The idea is to keep costs down.

 

I'm not a big fan of Formula FX. I think Daytona went lame when they went to FX. In fact, I wasn't pleased when they went from international formula one specs to superbike specs. Daytona totally lost its international best-of-the-best feel, lost its attraction of fastest teams in the world, and lost a great deal of its prestige in the process. I watch the race every year but its more of tradition than excitement for me. I worry that the same thing is going to happen to AMA Pro racing as a whole. New Zealand has a great little domestic racing scene but nobody cares except the Kiwis!

 

We'll see... ...I guess its still in flux at the moment.

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OK... so I've been a little out of the loop lately... but what the heck? I step out for a cuppa and when I get back ... lol.

 

I haven't kept up with racing since 03/04, I guess. You'd think I fell asleep under a tree in the Catskills for twenty years or something. I only recently started catching GP/WSB races again after some cool dude turned me onto torrent protocol and the world of online underground video. (After picking up an S-video cable at Radio Shack, I'm thinking of canceling my local cable...lol.) Perhaps it's time I renew my subscription to RRW or at least check the news on their website once in while if I intend to engage in conversation without sounding like I've been living in, well... New Zealand. Again.

 

The "scene" in NZ is small, yet, it produces riders like Aaron Slight, Simon Crafar, Andy Stroud, Bruce Anstey and Shaun Harris (ETC) and builders/racers like Burt Munro and John Britten. Not to mention Bruce McClaren, Richard Pearse, Bill Hamilton or even Sir Edmund Hillary for that matter. I mean, the population of the entire country only broke 4 million a couple of years ago with the influx of Asian immigrants to the Auckland area. Is there a higher "per capita" producer of great racers or builders? Must be something in the water. Or the fact that they are separated by a lot of water from the rest of the world which has bred innovation and adaptability into the culture perhaps.

 

Anyway... I'm downloading Forbidden Kingdom for my Sunday feature and copped a copy of the '06 Ulster GP while I'm waiting.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

BH

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I only recently started catching GP/WSB races again after some cool dude turned me onto torrent protocol and the world of online underground video. (After picking up an S-video cable at Radio Shack, I'm thinking of canceling my local cable...lol.)

 

<giggle>

 

The "scene" in NZ is small, yet, it produces riders like Aaron Slight, Simon Crafar, Andy Stroud, Bruce Anstey and Shaun Harris (ETC) and builders/racers like Burt Munro and John Britten. Not to mention Bruce McClaren, Richard Pearse, Bill Hamilton or even Sir Edmund Hillary for that matter. I mean, the population of the entire country only broke 4 million a couple of years ago with the influx of Asian immigrants to the Auckland area. Is there a higher "per capita" producer of great racers or builders?

 

Exactly my point! BTW: I'm married to a Kiwi grrl....

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You're a lucky gii! Kiwi grrls rock!

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Her name isn't Sheila... is it? <g>

 

OK, seriously now...

 

I should mention a few more Kiwi's of note, some of whom I was privileged to race and travel with while living in NZ (and whose association was priceless on a personal level).

 

The first is motorcycle racing champion Midge Smart (dual Kiwi and Brit) and his wonderful family without whom my season in NZ could not have happened. And I can't fail to mention (and thank) Paul and Mandy of Trisail Racing (my sponsor in NZ and NZ HRC distributor), two wonderful people also without whom my NZ experience would never have happened.

 

The next is Dave Cole (NZ 250GP Champ) Trisail mechanic and teammate turning wrenches for Midge Smart 03-05 (NZ 125GP Champ, TT champ, National Series Champ, etc).

 

Next is Jason Easton (NZ F3 champ) and his engineer/tuner (whose name escapes me at the moment...arrrgh! but whose father worked with Bruce McClaren I believe). They spent a season kicking Ducati factory butt in Europe on their homebuilt race bike. My Kiwi experience and the Kiwi scene in general would not be the same without them, their skills... and their mad antics!

 

Dominic Jones who gave Midge serious competition on a 125 the year I was there and came to the US last year to race AMA.

 

Brian Bernard who spent some time racing here in the US and is currently (I think) sponsoring Dave Sadowski... racing in NZ! Brian is a super dude and a keystone in the NZ scene.

 

Shaun Harris (NZ and Isle of Man champ) was a fantastic host and hysterically funny (especially sharing stories of his experiences of the Isle of Man and world travels over a few Kiwi brews).

 

And Andrew Stroud (NZ champ and Britten rider here in the US) without whose dentist referral I would have been left to find emergency dental care in a foreign country on my own... lol. A nicer person I have never met.

 

Another big prop has to go to another former Kiwi teammate of mine who inspired me and inspired me to believe in my own abilities to design and fabricate... Neville Algie (NZ 250GP champ), who lives in Indianapolis and builds exhaust systems for CART/IRL and his brother who lives in Ohio and owns a company that fabricates carbon fibre composite parts for the Formula One circuit.

 

There are many others who deserve mention, but, I would be here all night.

 

And cheers to Keith Code and CSS for letting me mention these personal things here on their website and without whom my racing career, riding life and life in general would have been so much less... if not non-existent considering how many times over I owe them my life due to the skills I learned at their schools. Kiwi's in spirit all to be sure!

 

BH

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I should mention a few more Kiwi's of note, some of whom I was privileged to race and travel with while living in NZ (and whose association was priceless on a personal level)...

WOW! I've only heard of maybe 3 or 4 of those guys and I consider myself to be pretty "cluey." I've only been to NZ once and that was for our 'southern hemisphere' wedding. (How about that sky at night: completely alien constellation!)

 

I understand Burt Monroe's grandson was in attendance at our wedding but that's all I got.

 

Don't those Kiwis really know how to have a good time!?

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And cheers to Keith Code and CSS ... Kiwi's in spirit all to be sure!

 

I offer into evidence the 1/3 page photo of the Britten on page 1 of the introduction to Twist of the Wrist II.

 

Sweet as...

 

;)

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I should mention a few more Kiwi's of note, some of whom I was privileged to race and travel with while living in NZ (and whose association was priceless on a personal level)...

WOW! I've only heard of maybe 3 or 4 of those guys and I consider myself to be pretty "cluey." I've only been to NZ once and that was for our 'southern hemisphere' wedding. (How about that sky at night: completely alien constellation!)

 

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time...

 

And the Magellanic Clouds.

 

And the Man in the Moon... UPSIDE DOWN!

 

And Invercargill sunsets that last for hours in December and January. And climbing out of the caravan at 3am to pee and the last glow of the sunset has just sort of moved back across the horizon toward the east.

 

That latitude makes for some interesting effects. One night after the Sun had set below the horizon, the underside of some broken mid-level clouds on the dark half of the sky (black and star filled) were being lit from below by sunlight from below the horizon. Flourescent colored glowing clouds in a black star filled sky. Like something out of a psychedelic Magical Mystery Tour. Outrageous. Of course the camera was back at the track as we were just "grocery" (um... beer) shopping in town. Well, actually, we were holding impromptu grocery cart races in the parking lot at that point... but... um... that's another story.

 

I also hooked up with a sailboat racing team while I was there and crewed several NZ Gold Cup races. One of which was an overnight race around the Hauraki Gulf accompanied by a school of dolphins and flourescent plankton flourescing off the bow under the full moon through the lines.... sigh. I earned an invite to crew an Auckland/Fiji open ocean race and.... sometimes I really can't recall why I ever came back.

 

 

I understand Burt Monroe's grandson was in attendance at our wedding but that's all I got.

 

Wow! Burt Munro's grandson! How cool is that?!

 

 

Don't those Kiwis really know how to have a good time!?

 

Um... what happens in NZ...

 

:lol:

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