Being a Factory Amateur Rider isn't all it seems

friday10 wrote:

What ever happened to working on your own bike?

1911 wrote:

4 strokes?????

SPYGUY wrote:

Does this info stay here?

flarider wrote:

Without going into detail, in order to protect riders, OEM's, friends and even myself, I want to tell a story, or more accurately a combination of...

Without going into detail, in order to protect riders, OEM's, friends and even myself, I want to tell a story, or more accurately a combination of instances, of how sometimes things aren't always as they seem, and that no matter what, don't trust others to do your work.

There were several instances at Loretta Lynn's where riders had mechanical failures, and while you may say "no big deal, that's normal," I am going to tell you that they were entirely avoidable and pretty much all of the OEM's are overlooking some serious talent...not talent on the track, but talent in the pits.

I know of one rider, OEM team rider, a title contender in an upper level class, suffering a DNF because a piston was installed improperly.
I know another who had a transmission failure after the OEM team mechanics repaired a different mechanical failure requiring splitting the cases.
I know of a two stroke mini rider who's bike blew up because it wasn't put together right.

While all are a bummer, all were avoidable.

One thing I have noticed is these OEM's are stretched super thin at these races, while at the same time far too many people are taking advantage of them. If you have to build/rebuild dozens of bikes of various sizes, types, even model years, shit's going to happen. It shouldn't happen, but it does, and just because you're a factory rider, don't think you have the best equipment or mechanics.
And I do not understand why the OEM's have let these guys who were the best there is at two stroke building go...why? 65's and 85's are still two strokes...there's a lot of two stroke mechanic talent on the sidelines, hire a few.

I guess my point is, if you do not have a factory ride in amateurs, don't think they have better equipment or a better assembled bikes....because that likely may not be true. I saw and heard of too many bikes assembled like shit or wrong....bikes of factory riders or factory support riders.

Being non-factory does seem to have some advantages

Rudeboy119 wrote:

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haydos25 wrote:

I took the original post as a word of advice to young amateur privateers not to be psyched out when they line up nest to a...

I took the original post as a word of advice to young amateur privateers not to be psyched out when they line up nest to a shiny "factory" looking bike. Often thats enough to lose the race right there.

When you think about it, its only logical. These big teams have a multitude of bikes to work on every day at those races. The chances of them making a mistake is so much higher, given the demands of getting so many bikes sorted and on schedule.

Whereas having one person who's sole focus is your bike for the entire week is quite often a better set up, as he'll have more time to double and triple check the basics of his work, meaning the catastrophe's you mention are less likely.