[shamar1]

A: when the '05 AMA season starts...!!! :shocked:

apparently, the AMHONDA effort doesn't seem to be getting all the works bits outta Japan for next year. plumlee, luddington and all those quys are great, but not having equipment closer to last year's is an unfortunate shot in the foot. :rolling: it's like starting with a new bike all over again. miguel has nothing data wise really to build on from all of last year's hard effort. and with that, mladin runs away with his 6th championship damn near uncontested. :808993-banghead:

could this also mean Japan realizes after mat's 5 titles... and rossi taking a sole M1 and DECIMATING, LAYING TO WASTE THEIR ENTIRE ARMADA OF V5's... that perhaps they've been wasting too much money here in America...? and maybe... just maybe... it's time to "GREEN LIGHT" the vermuelen/tenkate world superbike effort afterall...? :laugh: (ie. someone who at least has a shot at giving honda a title in '05, :blush

damn sure ain't gonna happen in grand prix... damn sure ain't gonna happen in AMA... not likely to dethrone crescent in BSB... AUS, JPN, and CAN aren't really vital markets to claim... so by process of elimination, what's high profile enough left to focus on if not world supers...? :shocked: $1/4 million dollar competitive hondas don't just up and get "mothballed". those old bikes (or pieces) gotta be going somewhere...? now who reads in-between the lines, predicting the future better than S1...? :grin: the writing's on the wall fellas.

from cyclenews, the words...

http://www.cyclenews.com/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=6970

from soup-erbike planet, the pics...

notice the skinny "everymans" exhaust and absence of the works swinger...? :rolling:

notice the upper with actual holes for ducting. indicative of an attempt to regain power now lost.

here, miguel pretends to be elated with both the duct openings AND the gay OEM swingarm of his new bike... WTF...!!! :808908-wtf: i didn't sign up for this. when did i become ben bostrom...?!?! :808875-bs:

i dunno know... being christmas eve... maybe i should've titled this post with one of my patented... "CANCEL CHRISTMAS" headlines...?!?! :kaboom:

 

[F4iHigh]

wow, hahaha that would be pretty far out of they straight up ganked Miguel's & Ben's bikes and gave them to Vermuelen and Muggeridge!


unless maybe Ben is bringing his 04 AMA bike straight to Renegade? Not likely but who knows what goes on in the minds of the evil lords of honda racing corp.

 

[clax]

WSB is shaping up to be like ol' times. Assuming Honda will green-light the Ten Kate effort, look at how much there'll be next year....a fairly large group of top guys and top bikes.

It'll certainly make it easier for Hodgson now.

Will Honda flood the grid with more than 3 1000RRs, seeing as how there's Ten Kate, Bostrom, and Chili supposedly signing with Klaffi Honda?

 

[south]

From the first paragraph, it appears that the cost-cutting measures are being employed by American Honda and not necessarily the "home office" in Japan. Granted, I suppose Honda-Japan could "give" away works bikes to run in the AMA, but that might fly in the face of Honda's established (complex and convoluted) racing business/political practices.

Throw in the reported reluctance/inability of American Honda to supply a ride for BBoz unless he arranges his own sponsorship $$, and the fact that Honda sits on the AMA competition board--i.e. Honda doesn't appear to be showing up for their own party--add the fact that AMA Superbike is STILL without a title sponsor, and it looks to me like AMA (Superbike) road racing is in the process of being gutted.

'Course, this line of thought/action makes PERFECT sense, if Honda plans to push through the conjectured switch to 600cc machinery for AMA Superbike in '06. Let's see now...pull the Honda sponsorship from the Supersport series--where they presently have NO factory presence--and offer it up for the currently unsponsored Superbike series--provided Honda's AMA bedfellows play along and mandate the switch to 600s, and I don't see ANY problem there given Honda's $$ and direct involvement with the decision making at AMA Pro Racing.

Then, spend another season as the sole factory developing a 600 "Superbike" in the FX series, cobble together a couple of off-the-shelf CBR1000RRs as place holders for Superbike in '05, and rule the roost in '06.

 

[KurtsSV]

It doesn't look like Erion is going to run in Superbike in '05. No mention of a rider for a superbike from that team. Not giving Erion a Superbike as well would also be cost saving. :808875-bs:

 

[netf4orce]

Re: Q: when is a works honda not a works honda...

I see this as a positive even if it means another year of Mat sitting in the king's chair. Truth is Honda has been throwing crazy money at AMA Superbike for years and only have one championship to show for it. I really think this is one of the steps that will bring the series back. When the unobtainium machines go away and the tuner specials return, the series will be back. Suzuki and Ducati will be the only hold outs. Ducati, in spite of renewed interest will likely go back to semi-works if Neil and EBoz can't do better than last year (and I don't think they will).

 

[jay64]

I don't know, I saw it as a positive when I first heard about this. It was mentioned that now only Suzuki is the only one left that is a full works effort, but in all actuality, Honda is now moving more in the footsteps of Yosh, rather than away from it. Yosh totally tweaks on their own stuff, and now American Honda can do the same thing. Look how well Ten kate did when they were given the ability to just build the sh!t out of their own stuff and not rely on corporate to build everything for them. Kawasaki is stuck in the same boat as Honda was, they have to do everything that Corporate tells them to do and they can't experiment or take chances. That is probably a huge reason why they are not entering superbike.

 

[skohlscheen]

Gee, imagine that. Using a PRODUCTION bike in a production based series. Nah, it'll never work :rolling:

 

[skohlscheen]

[ QUOTE ]
F4iHigh said:
wow, hahaha that would be pretty far out of they straight up ganked Miguel's & Ben's bikes and gave them to Vermuelen and Muggeridge!


[/ QUOTE ]
You really think Ten Kate would take an unproven(at the World level) bike over their already developed near title winning bike? Get real. They have been working pretty much independant of HRC, and will probably stay that way.


On another interesting Honda racing side note. I read that Jeff Ward('04 AMA Supermoto champion and multi time AMA MX champ, in the 80's) is planning to ride Miguel's old FX 600 in this coming Daytona 200. Under the Team Troy Lee Designs banner. Guess that's where AMHonda is getting some spending money, by selling old bikes. Wonder where I've seen that tactic before :grin:

 

[DosEquis]

I think Miguel and Co had their chance on the best superbike Honda's ever provided and they still couldn't win the championship. That is very unfortunate they couldn't give them SOMETHING similar to last years bike so they could at least have a chance against Mladin because he has to develop a new bike too.

 

[F4iHigh]

[ QUOTE ]
skohlscheen said:
[ QUOTE ]
F4iHigh said:
wow, hahaha that would be pretty far out of they straight up ganked Miguel's & Ben's bikes and gave them to Vermuelen and Muggeridge!


[/ QUOTE ]
You really think Ten Kate would take an unproven(at the World level) bike over their already developed near title winning bike? Get real. They have been working pretty much independant of HRC, and will probably stay that way.


[/ QUOTE ]

I thought the word was that they will be receiving much greater support from Honda in 2005. Ten Kate did well last year but there was only competition from Ducati, now they have to deal with Suzuki & Yamaha. I'd think they would take all of the factory help/parts they can get. The inter-factory competition should be of a much higher level in '05 than it was in '04.

 

[skohlscheen]

[ QUOTE ]
F4iHigh said:
[ QUOTE ]
skohlscheen said:
[ QUOTE ]
F4iHigh said:
wow, hahaha that would be pretty far out of they straight up ganked Miguel's & Ben's bikes and gave them to Vermuelen and Muggeridge!


[/ QUOTE ]
You really think Ten Kate would take an unproven(at the World level) bike over their already developed near title winning bike? Get real. They have been working pretty much independant of HRC, and will probably stay that way.


[/ QUOTE ]

I thought the word was that they will be receiving much greater support from Honda in 2005. Ten Kate did well last year but there was only competition from Ducati, now they have to deal with Suzuki & Yamaha. I'd think they would take all of the factory help/parts they can get. The inter-factory competition should be of a much higher level in '05 than it was in '04.

[/ QUOTE ]
Just judging from how Ten Kate has conducted itself in World Supersport. I'd say no, they don't want, or need, more factory support. They've been beating factory teams for years in WSS.

 

[south]

Looks like American Honda definitely got their work cut out for them and appears that they're only getting further behind: soup.

Word is they've still got steel con rods in the Superbike motors--talk about your stone-age technology. :rolling: :wink: :lol: