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4/1/2008
Location
Littleton, CO, USA
Edited Date/Time
1/27/2012 2:11am
My friend and I have a debate going on about factory riders and their practice bikes.
I say that the riders "Practice" bike that is sent home with him during the week is set up exactly like his "Race" bike is with all the bells and whistles that come on a full blown factory bike. ( IE: Works Cylinders, Titanium nuts and bolts, and all the components that go into both works suspension and factory motors.)
He says that the riders "Practice" bike that is sent home with him during the week is bone stock with the execption of his suspension and ergonomic set-up that mimics his "Race" bike, but as far as the motor he says: "Yeah, it's modified, but it's not exactly like their race motors and they don't have the titanium nuts and bolts, etc.
Who is either correct. or closer to being right on this subject.
I say its about 80%-90% the same as their race bike,
He says its about 50% of what they race on the weekends.
I say that the riders "Practice" bike that is sent home with him during the week is set up exactly like his "Race" bike is with all the bells and whistles that come on a full blown factory bike. ( IE: Works Cylinders, Titanium nuts and bolts, and all the components that go into both works suspension and factory motors.)
He says that the riders "Practice" bike that is sent home with him during the week is bone stock with the execption of his suspension and ergonomic set-up that mimics his "Race" bike, but as far as the motor he says: "Yeah, it's modified, but it's not exactly like their race motors and they don't have the titanium nuts and bolts, etc.
Who is either correct. or closer to being right on this subject.
I say its about 80%-90% the same as their race bike,
He says its about 50% of what they race on the weekends.
I doubt it
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Remember Alessi and the rear shock incident?
I do remember reading somewhere that the practice bikes were not as trick as factory, and was always curious why that would be - other than parts getting in the wrong hands, obviously.
With all the testing, and set up they do it seems counter productive to practice on something that is not exactly like you set it up for racing. Esp with the suspension.
RV's 5 minutes mentioned rumors of him doing 50 lap motos. lol
I was under the impression though that the suspension was where most of the cost is. I can't remember the numbers but wasn't Stewarts suspension a few years back some astronomical amount of money?
Hi! by the way
little story from back in 1994. Robbie Reynard gets signed to factory Kawi in may of 93. Goes to cali, rides his full on factory scoot. gets hurt at first SX. comes home. gets healed up, they send out 2 practice bikes. Suspension was modified stock units, a handful of parts that were used for ergo's, stock motor with a pipe. They think, hey hes only coming back for the last few nats, no big deal.
Oct of 93, goes to cali for 2 months. they test and test and test his factory 1994 kx125. he comes home for xmas. still has his 1994 practice bikes and they send home a handful of ergo parts. Problem is, his factory bike is so much better than his practice bikes, its not even the same animal. the fit is, but the suspension, motor, they are so different you cant even call it the same brand of bike. And the war begins. They asked for the ignition, cylinder, head, and carb from his factory bike, and a set of the offset head bearings. Got told no. They didnt want the trick tranny, or the factory suspension, they understood that the suspension on these bikes is so good because of the tight tolerances and the constant rebuild (factory forks wear FAST due to tight tolerances)... but at least let us make our practice bike go as fast as his race bike and turn like it. Nope. cant let those out of the shop. He could goto cali and ride it all day, just couldnt bring it home.
so..... just a good story about it imo.
side note, they did have the full on bike 1 weekend. the rig was in dallas, a new part came over from japan, they had to test it, only place to do that was at home. a sometimes poster on here got to ride it, momma trey knows him i think Mike Ollison, lets just say it was holy shit fast and the suspension... omg.
Pit Row
There was also a test bike that was identical to the race bike and had everything on it. If we were "testing" that is what we used.
However Ferry's practice bikes at Kawi had everything the race one did. It was a identical and knowing him, he would insist on everything inside the motor to be identical also.
Lesser teams probably vary according to budget and I've seen guys have suspension and a bone stock motor with a pipe on some lower-level teams.
I think, at least when the economy was good (04-07ish) the teams would give the riders the best practice bikes possible to make them coomfortable with what they had to race. PRevents injuries too. Today in the AMA I wouldn´t know. With Zookie struggeling etc I just don´t see how they can afford it. However, with the current SX and MX champ on board they have to do something right.....? Good topic!
Barnett practiced on production bikes because he went through 125s like crazy and Suzuki could'nt keep up with parts. From 84 on all Suzuki riders had production pratice bikes because of budget.
Its like mom says, depends on the team and the rider. I do know that Dungey has full race bikes.
A transcript of that article would be great!
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