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I'm sure this has been talked about before, but is there a rule against riders having an earpiece/radio to communicate with the mechanic or someone spotting? It seems like it would be something that could easily be possible and would benefit the rider by having a spotter like in any other type of racing...
The Shop
They could use in-ear monitors that block out a good majority of the sound of the bike while still allowing them to hear and feel enough of the bike but still be able to hear their mechanic. Professional drummers and all musicians use these to hear their mixes over the sound that is amplified and projected out to the crowd.
But, I don’t think it would be all that useful to be able to hear the mechanic all the time and it would detract from one of the longest-standing traditions in our sport. That is, a rider has to “feel” his competition and race with minimal communication with his mechanic/team.
Would you guys want to do this ? I wouldn’t. I hate it when I’m on the gate and the 2 card comes up and someone says something to me or taps me.
It would take some time to develop a good feel for the amount of input a rider wants/needs, but if done right could also go a long ways toward keeping riders safe.
An added bonus is they can also clearly communicate if they are being caught and by whom. Or relay a different line another rider is doing to make up time. I believe they are prohibited in order to keep costs down and make it fair for privateers. However, this is 2019... a two way radio system would cost less than an aftermarket exhaust system
the two biggest arguments are cost and distraction. Well, as mentioned they are pretty cheap now. As for distraction, I think that is not really valid as they use radios in F1. I think if an F1 driver can handle the "distraction" then a mx/sx rider can as well.
I would like to see it tested
For sure. It's long overdue. The car guys have used them for years,
Face it. At the top level, it's not an individual thing. It's a team thing. So why hold back?
Safety wise, think of the advantage a guy would have if his pit yelled in the mike there's a wad in the big triple?
Or how it would help if the guy in the tower said so and so is making good time on everyone going wide in turn 3.
Or even if you don't quit sucking as a rider and pass some guys we don't get that bonus Monday.
The advantages are endless.....
Pit Row
However,
I don't understand why the AMA and other sanctioning bodies don't mandate the use of 1 way radios like RACEceiver Racing Radios. This is widely accepted in other forms of racing.
How valuable would it be for the AMA officials to communicate red flag, medical flag, etc. in a certain section of the track. Think about how many times in the past downed riders have been ran over because flaggers have no immediate way to direct traffic away from a downed rider.
What would happen if a radio communication had incorrect info? So an alert goes out that says “stay right” when in fact it should have been “stay left” and a racer jumps on a downed rider or gets landed on himself.
Absolutely no good would come from in helmet communications during a SX or MX race. The riders would like it about as much as having an ice pick in their ear too.
Just my two cents.
Pit to driver comms doesn't do Formula 1 any favors and it most certainly wouldn't be a benefit for motorcycle racing - whatever form it takes.
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