New AMA Class Structure

[darylbowden]

Read all about it: http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Apr/080417a.htm

[sh]

ok, obvious and probably dumb question ... does any of this mean we'll see a Ducati in AMA?

[derby]

i'm sad to see (600) supersport go... great racing in that class.

i can't believe they're gonna call a call what basically amounts to not-even-FX machinery "superbikes". nice that they're gonna weigh the bikes with riders, though.

regular ecu exchanges implies, to me at least, banning traction control.

"litrebike"... they do realize that there are (potentially) some 1.2L bikes in the field, right? if all the factories play, and i do mean Factories, this could be a 20-24 bike grid before you even start counting privateers. i hate to say it, but this could actually work.

spec tires/fuel is gonna cost the little guys a ton.

so who gets the tire deal, pirelli or dunlop? >


as an aside, f1 and motogp teams are contracted to race and fill the grid. if they don't, they're penalized. the 4 bike requirement is actually really interesting.

moto-st is a decent addition to the schedule. hopefully it'll get some decent airtime (and better production/editing).

ditto for the RBRC. sad that's it's not a true (125/250) gp class like the olden days.

i DO think they'll make it a full on show, though.

[derby]

Originally Posted by sh

ok, obvious and probably dumb question ... does any of this mean we'll see a Ducati in AMA?

the fact that they're keeping the previously agreed on 2009 bodes well for that. what may put a kink in it is how "premier" the litrebike class turns out to be.

but if it looks like everybody else is going to come out and play, i expect ducati to as well.

[darylbowden]

Originally Posted by derby

the fact that they're keeping the previously agreed on 2009 bodes well for that. what may put a kink in it is how "premier" the litrebike class turns out to be.

but if it looks like everybody else is going to come out and play, i expect ducati to as well.

I dunno - I don't see Ducati spending the $$$ to field 4 bikes. But, here's hoping.

[derby]

Originally Posted by darylbowden

I dunno - I don't see Ducati spending the $$$ to field 4 bikes. But, here's hoping.

well, they could just "outsource" their factory team like they did in the vance & hines era. give a (very) well funded team access to corse and hope for the best.

given the figures i've heard for the "true" 1098RS racebikes, they'd be out ~$400k before they even started looking for riders to put on 'em.

[tufty]

Is there any room for 848's in the new rules?

[derby]

Originally Posted by tufty

Is there any room for 848's in the new rules?

depending on how much they follow the fx displacement limits, those'll likely fall under "daytona superbikes".

[spidey]

Originally Posted by derby

so who gets the tire deal, pirelli or dunlop? >

Is there even a question? Dunlop.

[derby]

Originally Posted by Spidey

Is there even a question? Dunlop.

th only reason there is a question is because who is involved. guess who the spec tire is for DMG's other series...

i'll gave ya a hint, it ain't dunlop.