Why the rules to equalize displacement in Pro Racing will be tough to change
Last weeks Racerhead column (#37) written by Davey Coombs brought up the subject of changing the rules in Pro MX Racing to allow 250 two strokes to compete head-to-head against 250 four-strokes. As usual when this subject is brought up there a huge contingent of racers and fans that want to see it happen.
Davey Coombs of Racer-X and MX Sports.
One man in particular, our friend scooter 42 from ThumperTalk had some excellent points to make about the rule change and his experiences in racing over the past 20 years.
The Big 4
None of the big 4 want 2 strokes in Pro MX Racing. They want to rid the world of two strokes and have a corner on the market with bikes that will make them more money. Upward marketing (sell fewer but for more profit and screw the poor guy who can’t afford to play) is what it is called and they do not care if the average Joe can afford to race or not. Wait and see what happens to the price of 4 Strokes after 2 Strokes are gone if you think they are expensive now! As long as they are selling fewer bikes and making more money per unit, they will be happy. In the end, selling fewer bikes costs them less overhead and cost of goods= more profit over the product life-cycle. They also realize that there will be fewer used bikes in 10 years as all the 4 strokes will be totaled by then sitting in barns with blown motors that will cost more to fix than the bike is worth. If you can’t come up with 7K to buy a new one then too bad. No more affordable 6-10 year old bikes for kids with entry level jobs on a budget to ride. MX will be a rich mans sport controlled by the big 4. If 2 strokes do not survive, things will be very different soon.
The big 4 have been very outspoken against allowing 2 strokes on an even playing field or any compromise that even resembles ‘fair’. They want them completely gone. They know that the 250 4 stroke can not compete with the 2 stroke at the pro level and this will blow there whole $ plan. If the 4 Strokes were so much better they would have nothing to be scared of but they have admitted that the 2 strokes are better by being so strongly against allowing them. Honda threatened to pull out of the series as an attempt to stop it from happening. Davey Coombs has good intentions but it will not come easy, if at all.
Yamaha's "highly advanced" YZF450 weighs in at 245lbs. Over 19 pounds heavier than a stock YZ250 two-stroke.
The fact is 2 strokes are lighter, faster, cheaper to maintain and no amount of marketing can change it. The all new YZ450F is 7 pounds HEAVIER than last years model. How is this good for MX when the rider is looking for the lightest machine possible to fight with for a whole moto. The big 4 will have the $50,000 to make the 450 lighter for the top pros. Will the privateers? Will YOU? A lot of “poor average joes” will be trucking around the track with a 245 pound bikes pushing through turns. It takes thousands of dollars to shave a few pounds off a bike. The YZ250 2 stroke is already 19 pounds lighter than the new bad boy 450 and will always cost $140 to rebuild even after it is 10 years old. $4000 worth of titanium can’t fix the 450′s overweight problem and surely does not make it more affordable or easier to go fast on.
The big 4 are not trying to develop more reliable, lighter, faster bikes for us to race. They are trying to build bikes that make them more money. 2 strokes go against everything they see as good for their bottom line. Anyone who thinks that the big 4 are racers trying to build the best race bikes are sadly mistaken. They are business men looking for bottom line. We need to stop being cattle and speak out for what we want and the AMA needs to stop being on the take and start looking out for what’s best for the sport. They have proven that is not the case over the years, but this may be a chance to put in a word and possibly keep the sport going the right direction a little longer.
Suzuki RMZ450.
I have raced 125 and 250 2 strokes for 20 years. I raced an RMZ450(a very good bike for someone… still cant figure out why I drank Kool Aid) for 2 years. So to the point. It is true that the 4 stroke evens out the riders. I may be a vet racer and not in an 18 year old body, but my skills still remain on getting great starts. Age and fitness do not affect experience on starts. So I pull consistent holeshots over the years on my 250 2 strokes. I buy a faster 450 and all of a sudden I am 4-6th on my starts on a faster bike. I pulled holeshots against 450′s while racing my 250 2 strokes regardless of brand! I ditch the 450 and get a YZ250 and I pull top 2 again, only ever being beat by my 250 2 stroke buddies, with generously full gates of 450′s again. My 2 buddies, both A riders, had the same results and we have 20 years of data here. This is not a one time thing or one person experience. We were recently able to pull top spots to the first turn on a deep long start. Oddly, we pulled ahead at the END where the 450 should have had the motor. I think we got on top of the loose deep loam sooner and were not plowing through the dirt, but on TOP of it. 3 racers same results. Fluke?
The Honda CR125 is a great bike that will most likely never be sold in the US again.
I also believe that the 4 $troke lumps everybody together more and does not reward the aggressive or skilled rider. I am not that fast guy…but, I have timed my laps many times. I was very consistent on the 450, I give it that. To the point where I would ride aggressively two laps, very smooth two laps and 90% two laps. The result? Less than 1.5 seconds per lap difference. On the 2 stroke you know the results. I was up to 5 seconds per lap off depending on which shenanigans I pulled. A 2 stroke rewards a great rider and makes the one making mistakes PAY. I truly think that bikes being equal, $T’s (4 strokes) make C riders B riders, B riders A riders and some A riders better, but the very top A riders just A riders again. Making the machine a bigger part of the equation has enabled the big 4 to have a larger impact resulting in more control over who wins. Factory big budgets compound the ‘machine’ portion of the equation and make more of a difference now that a privateer can rarely overcome. Anyone who thinks that the big 4 did not spend a million and several hundred hours analyzing this impact on their bottom line as it relates to racing and increased marketing potential is sadly mistaken. Narrowing the spread was one of the arguments used by the AMA to “make racing closer and therefore better for the fans”. Socialized MX.
As long as you have money to burn, the four-strokes are great.
As for the 7lbs the 2010 YZF450 gained over the 09 YZ450F model weight subject: Is it a coincidence that around the same time the big 4 started making more complicated, expensive bikes that they also started getting heavier? How easy is it for the factories to spend mega bucks making a 250 pound $T (4 stroke) lighter and put the rider on the podium? EASY. Can a privateer spend $4k on titanium fasteners to shave only a few measly pounds and $20k on a motor every moto? NO. Factories gain even more control. When the big 4 have control over the sanctioning bodies, rules and who wins. GAME OVER. DING DING! More profit.
BRAAAP! I’m going to get a beer. Dang
This was posted on ThumperTalk and is re-printed here with the permission of Scooter 42. Thank you!
http://www.racerxonline.com/article/racerhead-37-2009.aspx
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Comments
By Bill Truax on September 18th, 2009 at 3:19 am
Who’s zoomin’ who?
Forget about pollution,we’re racin’. If we starve the root of the sport it’ll die it’s as simple as that. A two-stroke rebuild I can afford. A four-stroke rebuild could cost me my mortgage.
Motocross engines fail every night of the week- in practice,on course,maybe the back yard. My pocketbook dictates my participation. Right now we’re ready,willing and able to compete,with our two-stroke.
Why send the cost upstream? My kid racer doesn’t want to be left out,he savors the trophy’s he’s won on a two-stroke. Work your numbers,work my numbers. Why feed the wolves?
My kid’s trophy’s came on a two-stroke. I rebuit it and jetted it on my budget. The two-stroke concept is a feeder breeder,inexpensive and competetive. Jake’s proud of his trouphy’s.
If two-strokes go away, a legion of youngsters might just go away as well because their daddys couldn’t afford it.
The kids will find other interests. Two-strokes-cheap and available. Four-stroke-expensive,factory. Are we growing the sport or are we killing it?
By Targo on September 19th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Additionally,it’s going to be an uphill battle when you have legions of Koolaid drinking $T fans that have never ridden a 2T, think $T are the kool “modern” technology and think the big 4 are just trying to get us the bestest bikes they can.
It’s amazing the people that don’t believe their is a marketing dept. behind much of this. Until they wake up and smell the pre-mix they’ll sheepeople down the $T road.
By Bill Truax on September 20th, 2009 at 3:28 am
Hi John
Tonight we went to race localy its my 15 year old son’s 3rd race on the 125 after out growing his cr85. They combined the 250c class with the 125c class everyone road bikes 2007 or newer 4 stroke. Most of the riders were around 24yrs old. One of the fathers asked me how old jakes bike was? 2001 I said. “It looks good for how old it is” he said. Well on the start jake got 3rd with two 450 four strokes in front of him, Not bad for a 9 year old two stroke. He hit all the jumps and finished 3rd overall. I have about $1200 in the bike some of the four strokes thousand more. The kid that led most of the race on his KX250F fell in a corner and could’nt start his bike and got last! Bye the way Jakes bike starts on the first kick every time. Jake is now a believer he wanted a four stroke like his freinds but is now happy with his two stroke!