The PC/FMF/Kawi puzzle

FreshTopEnd
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FreshTopEnd 1/13/2011 9:21am
1/13/2011 9:21am
R-acer wrote:
My feeling is that Mitch Payton is more powerful in the industry than Mike Fisher. I dont think Mitch and [b]Kawasaki [/b]are going to let Fisher...
My feeling is that Mitch Payton is more powerful in the industry than Mike Fisher.
I dont think Mitch and Kawasaki are going to let Fisher divide them.
Just my gut feeling. I would think Kawasaki would rather have Mitch than Mike.
So you are capable of sensible posts!
peelout
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peelout 1/13/2011 9:28am
1/13/2011 9:28am
this whole thing seems like a mess, one that we likely will never get the full story about.
Mod Killer
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Mod Killer 1/13/2011 10:00am
1/13/2011 10:00am
peelout wrote:
this whole thing seems like a mess, one that we likely will never get the full story about.
the full story was posted somewhere else.

and this thread is perfect evidence of why this site couldnt handle the truth. the speculation and conclusions that are being drawn are pretty asinine.

im no fan of fisher, and i'd love to pile on him if i could, but people need to lay off of mike fisher. mitch is no saint in this whole deal.
SL91
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SL91 1/13/2011 10:14am
1/13/2011 10:14am
I'm sure Mitch didn't get to the top by being a nice guy all the time. If you're that successful, you're good at looking out for #1.

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Fuzion
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Fuzion 1/13/2011 10:16am
1/13/2011 10:16am
- Honda already has the successful GEICO team (plus has TLD, all on PC motors at least)

- Suzuki is now factory with Bobby Hewit

- KTM has a bigger factory presence (especially with Decoster)

- Yamaha has their Star team, although not as much success as I'm sure they would have wanted since the Yot days...

My guess that if Mitch was not on Kawasaki's, is best option would be Yamaha

Maybe Mitch will just Pull out a "Reed" and do his own deal on his own terms????

just a thought
anniebertmojo
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anniebertmojo 1/13/2011 10:18am
1/13/2011 10:18am
motoplook wrote:
according to Lebigusa.com http://www.lebigusa.com/...afmfpro-circuit.html Translate from French thanks to my friends in Laval, QC and Reverso To everyone's surprise Kawasaki USA announced that the official team...
according to Lebigusa.com



http://www.lebigusa.com/...afmfpro-circuit.html



Translate from French thanks to my friends in Laval, QC and Reverso Smile



To everyone's surprise Kawasaki USA announced that the official team would be equipped with FMF. Partner of Kawasaki for more than 20 years, Pro Circuit saw itself just like that put aside. What happened between Mitch Payton and Kawasaki? Why did it all go bad? LeBigUSA.com investigated.



Mitch Payton still has difficulty in taking the blow. To see Kawasaki equipped with FMF hurts him. " Sincerely, I still don't know what really happened" he said. Everything seems to come from Mike Fisher, the team manager of the team Kawasaki. Former Research and development guy based in Japan, Mike has kept a priviledged relationship with the Japanese engineers. He would have seem managed to convince Kawi Japan that the Pro Circuit pipes were too heavy, too noisy and not enough powerful. The best alternative for them was then to turn to FMF.



"I have never had the opportunity to answer his attacks, explains Mitch Payton. At no time I was able to discuss with Mike Fisher and bring him solutions. I called him on his cell, called his office, I sent him SMS. No answer. he did everything on his own, took his own decisions and just threw out of the window 20 years of cooperation with Kawasaki. I don't understand why he did such a thing."



Big Money and Politics




It's during the Team Kawasaki open house before Anaheim that Mitch sees for the first time the FMF pipes on the Factory Kawi bikes. "I thought I was going to get sick". He explains that he took this opportunity to try to confront Mike Fisher who replied evasively that his cell was broken and that he didn't have the opportunity to call back all his callers. The situation is locked and nothing will happen between the two men.

"Last year I approached Mike Fisher with the idea to run a 450 under the PC team, says Payton. Apparently such an idea strongly displeased him; He was afraid that we wouldovershadow the official team. I think that we are paying the full price today. It's oks, I am going to be patient. I haven't said my last word. "



Shall we see one 450F under the PC awning for the Outdoors or will Pro Circuit change color in 2012? Everything is possible.
Yes - Mike Guerra worked for Mitch as a mechanic at Anaheim Husky / early PC days. I believe he left around 85-ish.

Jim Perry worked for Payton too for many years before moving over to Yamaha. He started off by cleaning pipes and worked his way up to porting cylinders, team manager, etc....

Mike Hooker (now TRD head dyno tech) worked for Payton also. Same deal as Jim Perry, but got more involved in the pipe designs.
Mod Killer
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Mod Killer 1/13/2011 10:20am
1/13/2011 10:20am
pc and husq with bmw title sponsorship would be awesome to see.
peelout
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peelout 1/13/2011 11:10am
1/13/2011 11:10am
peelout wrote:
this whole thing seems like a mess, one that we likely will never get the full story about.
Mod Killer wrote:
the full story was posted somewhere else. and this thread is perfect evidence of why this site couldnt handle the truth. the speculation and conclusions that...
the full story was posted somewhere else.

and this thread is perfect evidence of why this site couldnt handle the truth. the speculation and conclusions that are being drawn are pretty asinine.

im no fan of fisher, and i'd love to pile on him if i could, but people need to lay off of mike fisher. mitch is no saint in this whole deal.
what i meant was that there are always 3 sides to every story.

in this case, there is mitch's story, fisher's story, and the true story.

the third one will likely never become public. for now, it's all he said he said
jasonv43
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jasonv43 1/13/2011 11:35am
1/13/2011 11:35am
Maybe, just mabe this is somehow related to the Miss Supercross debacle.Wink
Brent
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Brent 1/13/2011 11:36am
1/13/2011 11:36am Edited Date/Time 1/13/2011 11:37am
Fisher has been less than a nice guy since back in the old CMC days, Some might say he's been an ass to more than a few people both on and off the race track.

That said, I'm sure he is just doing what he feels is right for his team.

If FMF's product is lighter and quieter, why not switch? Maybe Payton didn't give them what they wanted when they wanted it?
Rick_the_Rocket 1/13/2011 12:01pm
1/13/2011 12:01pm
Didn't Poto DNF a SX race last year because his exhaust packed with dirt after a cart wheel, you look at the design of a Pro-circuit muffler and it's like a cookie cutter, if the bike cart wheels, that muffler is going to cut into the dirt. Both Fisher and Mitch mention that changes were requested, my guess is that was a part of it. Fisher can't afford to have a DNF like that when the championship is so stacked this year. I'm sure money, politics and pride also has something to do with it though!
bearded clam
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bearded clam 1/13/2011 12:26pm
1/13/2011 12:26pm
zippy895 wrote:
why r some of u jumping to conclusions on fisher?this business between team managers really is not for us to critique.
it is a business situation.
Since fisher has been there they lost there long time suspension guy Greme, Norm Bigelow who had been there for over 30 years, a long time relationship w Pro Circuit and a couple other quality long time vendors. Not sure if this is all Mike but a picture is being painted.
MBBadgers
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MBBadgers 1/13/2011 12:40pm
1/13/2011 12:40pm
zippy895 wrote:
why r some of u jumping to conclusions on fisher?this business between team managers really is not for us to critique.
it is a business situation.
bearded clam wrote:
Since fisher has been there they lost there long time suspension guy Greme, Norm Bigelow who had been there for over 30 years, a long time...
Since fisher has been there they lost there long time suspension guy Greme, Norm Bigelow who had been there for over 30 years, a long time relationship w Pro Circuit and a couple other quality long time vendors. Not sure if this is all Mike but a picture is being painted.
Mike is a Team Manager, you really think he's hiring and firing people at Kawi? Kawi like ALL the manufacturers are hurting in their Motorcycle division, they had lay offs, and as business men would know you get rid of the highest paid people and hire cheap, as dumb as it may be it's just what happens. MP/PC aren't paying MF's salary, there is a food chain at Kawi.
Brent
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Brent 1/13/2011 1:46pm
1/13/2011 1:46pm
bearded clam wrote:
Since fisher has been there they lost there long time suspension guy Greme, Norm Bigelow who had been there for over 30 years, a long time...
Since fisher has been there they lost there long time suspension guy Greme, Norm Bigelow who had been there for over 30 years, a long time relationship w Pro Circuit and a couple other quality long time vendors. Not sure if this is all Mike but a picture is being painted.
I hear that Graeme is the top suspension guy out there right now, I have to call that guy next time I need a re-fresh

I guess he is a one man operation and keeps it low key.
bearded clam
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bearded clam 1/14/2011 9:04am
1/14/2011 9:04am
zippy895 wrote:
why r some of u jumping to conclusions on fisher?this business between team managers really is not for us to critique.
it is a business situation.
bearded clam wrote:
Since fisher has been there they lost there long time suspension guy Greme, Norm Bigelow who had been there for over 30 years, a long time...
Since fisher has been there they lost there long time suspension guy Greme, Norm Bigelow who had been there for over 30 years, a long time relationship w Pro Circuit and a couple other quality long time vendors. Not sure if this is all Mike but a picture is being painted.
MBBadgers wrote:
Mike is a Team Manager, you really think he's hiring and firing people at Kawi? Kawi like ALL the manufacturers are hurting in their Motorcycle division...
Mike is a Team Manager, you really think he's hiring and firing people at Kawi? Kawi like ALL the manufacturers are hurting in their Motorcycle division, they had lay offs, and as business men would know you get rid of the highest paid people and hire cheap, as dumb as it may be it's just what happens. MP/PC aren't paying MF's salary, there is a food chain at Kawi.
Graeme wasnt fired he left. The vendors like PC are also mikes doing. And Norm getting let go maby your right but Norm was invaluable...it would seem mike would have the pull to keep him on the team but I dont get the feeling Mike did that...he seems to be out there in his own world doing it mikes way and only mikes way. Its working though...cant deni that.

And yes Brent, Graeme is as good as they get...was at Kawi for many years then went to honda and was let go when they canned there team. I think team 22 should hire him full time...his skills arnt being fully utilized!
lumpy790
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lumpy790 1/14/2011 3:55pm
1/14/2011 3:55pm Edited Date/Time 1/14/2011 4:00pm
Sponsorship at this level does not happen over night. Negotiation begins just after the last national. Contracts would have been signed, $$ paid (by PC), product exchanged and testing would have begun many months ago. Mitch has known for sum time.
Towelie
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Towelie 1/14/2011 4:03pm
1/14/2011 4:03pm
bearded clam wrote:
Since fisher has been there they lost there long time suspension guy Greme, Norm Bigelow who had been there for over 30 years, a long time...
Since fisher has been there they lost there long time suspension guy Greme, Norm Bigelow who had been there for over 30 years, a long time relationship w Pro Circuit and a couple other quality long time vendors. Not sure if this is all Mike but a picture is being painted.
You have the best screen name ever, I love you man
TerryK
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TerryK 1/14/2011 4:35pm
1/14/2011 4:35pm
Umm, too late guys, PC and Kawasaki have parted ways. That what this whole deal is about. Have you not been reading??

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