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AMA Supertwins?

 
hawkman996 hawkman996
User | Posts: 137 | Joined: 11/04
Posted: 06/16/05
11:12 AM

I am a fanatic for anything on two-wheels, espeacially if it has a twin between the frame.  I also love watching motorcycle racing.  These two were intertwined my first year into this sport.  I remember watching Troy Baylis and Colin Edwards going at each other on a Ducati 996 and a Honda RC51 respectively.  The last race of the WSB season that year ranks as my all time favorite battle on the track.  If any of you saw the race you know what I mean.

The point of all I have said is that I miss watching twins battling it out on the racetrack.  Yes I get to watch the Ducati 999R's trying to keep pace with the latest crop of Japans best 4's but it's not the same.  I miss the sound of so many twins rumbling down the track.  

I dream of a day AMA or any other racing body would add a class striclty for twins (mainstream so I can watch on TV).  I have read many posts on this forum stating how twins have seduced certain members with their sound, power characteristics, and looks.  So I am wondering what you twin lover (and non-twin lovers) think about a twin racing class.

The AMA could do something like superstock allowing just a few mod's so that more manufacturers can join right away.  This would allow Honda to redevelope the RC51, KTM to put the RC8 engine in a superbike, and Aprilia & Ducati would have a focused platform to showoff their bikes.  Don't get me wrong I do like watching Superbike/Superstock/Supersport/Form. Xtreme but twins excite me more.  If it were to take off then rules could be added to make it more like Superbike.  Then people would have their super fast 4's and twin lovers like me could have our cake and eat it too!

Plus just think of the added benefits of racing developement.  

 
TEvo TEvo
Enthusiast | Posts: 322 | Joined: 10/02
Posted: 06/16/05
11:37 AM

Sign me up...

Although, it reality, I highly doubt the AMA will resurrect a twin based class. They'd rather stick them into the Formula Xtreme rules (watching Buell trying to compete in this class is mildly amusing). Then again, Ducati didn't do so well with the 749R, either. Although, it is questionable how well funded/resourced the HMC/Chandler effort was and why it wasn't a more focused effort.

With the sport twins relatively removed from the "mainstream" of sportriding culture, a "new" roadracing class specifically for twins at the AMA level is, imho, unlikely. It'll remain at the WERA and CCS/Formula USA level.

The price of the European marques is a turn-off for a lot of riders... and teams.
Who of the Big Four aside from Honda still makes a open-class sport twin that would be competitive in such a class? How long will the RC-51 stay in production given the current multi-cylinder focus (and poor sales numbers)?  

 
hawkman996 hawkman996
User | Posts: 137 | Joined: 11/04
Posted: 06/16/05
12:02 PM

I agree it is highly unlikely this would happen but "I have a dream"...lol.  

It would be nice to have Buell join in with a new entry and Suzuki to develope the SV1000s motor more for a GSX-R type racebike.  Man all that would have me living in a dream world.

It's too bad the likelyhood of this becoming reality is nill seeing as how a good chunk of sportbike riders are obsessed with the highest hp machines.  Yet I know their is a fair amount of twin obsessive riders out there too and we just have wishes that will be left ungranted.  I am still content though because the bikes are constantly improving and the current gen liter 4's are outstanding.  

 
z31maniac z31maniac
New User | Posts: 29 | Joined: 06/04
Posted: 06/17/05
09:35 PM

I LOVE TWINS!!! But, I won't give up my R6, I'll have to find a way to afford another.

If only I made better money, a dealership near me was selling Aprilia RSV's OTD for 11,9k a month ago. I would love one, but can't afford one. The SV1000S would be good enough for me except they go cheap on the suspension.

So hopefully the next bike I will get to add will be a KTM Super Duke or maybe that beautiful Hinckely Triple  

 
enp83 enp83
Enthusiast | Posts: 361 | Joined: 02/05
Posted: 06/17/05
10:51 PM

Quote:

How long will the RC-51 stay in production given the current multi-cylinder focus (and poor sales numbers)?



Poor sales numbers?  It seems like it's impossible to find sales numbers online (any help would be much appreciated).  I was always under the impression that Honda sold RCs in far less numbers (although it's certainly not hard to get a new RC) than CBRs, and that Honda was fine with that because they were never trying to sell more RC51s than 929s/954s/1000RRs.

I'd like to see it and would love the added benefits that came long with it  

 
TEvo TEvo
Enthusiast | Posts: 322 | Joined: 10/02
Posted: 06/18/05
05:11 AM

Ask your dealer if he has a copy of the MIC (Motorcycle Industry Council) Statistical Annual.

Or if you really have to know ASAP, it's $25.

http://www.mic.org/mic.cfm?spl=2&action=display&pagename=StatAnnual  

 
enp83 enp83
Enthusiast | Posts: 361 | Joined: 02/05
Posted: 06/18/05
09:15 AM

Hmm, I'll ask a couple guys I know at dealerships about the MIC stats, but I'm not curious enough to shell out $25, thanx for the info.  

 
DataDan DataDan
New User | Posts: 9 | Joined: 11/99
Posted: 06/18/05
11:38 AM

The AMA ran an excellent twins series through the early '90s. Because it wasn't a production formula, we got to see unique bikes such as John Wittner's Moto Guzzi and my favorite, the Britten V1000.

There were two classes, which ran in the same race, with one for smaller bikes. Kevin Erion, now owner of Erion Racing, won the 1989 lightweight championship on his Two Brothers Racing Hawk GT.

At the time, Ducati was beginning to dominate Superbike, and their bikes were also winning twins races. So the same bikes and riders could win either race, which diminished the value of the twins series.  

 
RedRocket RedRocket
New User | Posts: 38 | Joined: 03/04
Posted: 06/18/05
09:36 PM

I know it is not the twins you were talking about, but I found that the "Boxer Cup" (BMW) race pretty exciting.  Too bad they cut it from the show at the D-200 this year.

Being an old VFR Interceptor lover, I was very intrigued by the article in MOTORCYCLIST this month about the ***  An American made Moto-GP entry that is a V-4.  That sounds like good stuff to me.  

 
hawkman996 hawkman996
User | Posts: 137 | Joined: 11/04
Posted: 06/20/05
05:20 PM

I've heard of the boxer cup and most people say its exciting and if not then an interesting show watching them drag the heads.

I saw the same article and was rather impressed.  An American MotoGP bike...hope it happens.  

 
03tlrmo 03tlrmo
New User | Posts: 20 | Joined: 06/05
Posted: 06/24/05
09:18 AM

I love twins I have a tlr and people love that thing when i pull up. People are amazed on the way it sounds with it's yoshi rs3 carbon fibers on it. I wonder why they took it out of manufacturing and made sv1000 out of it's engine I like the tlr better personaly. I would love to see it in the ama. Personaly honda would probably be better off with the rc51 this year 1000rr isn't doing anything but breaking down if you ask me how many races have they even came close this year to gixxer, the sorry ducati is doing as better job.I hate ducati probably cause I'm broke and will never afford one oh well. long live suzuki(wish they didnt stop the tlr)  

 
hawkman996 hawkman996
User | Posts: 137 | Joined: 11/04
Posted: 06/25/05
05:26 PM

Those TL's do sound ssswwwweeeetttt with pipes on them.  
 

 

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