Posts
358
Joined
7/16/2008
Location
Geff, IL
US
Edited Date/Time
1/26/2012 4:19am
I'm a Honda guy. When I raced in the 80's Honda was the best brand and team. Now it seems like the bikes won't start and the riders, well they seem like great guys, but they are not the fastest guys out there. I wonder if Honda thinks they will sell more bikes by having riders that are well liked as opposed to being the fastest? Maybe they do. I know my kids stand in the Honda line for autographs. But when you have to bump start your bike on the line or fall over and get lapped twice before you can get your bike restarted it looks bad
Honda is still the best brand bike, they just aren't chasing the top few guys right now.
Fall over and get lapped twice before restarting? WOW, Ya REALLY shouldn't be racing!!
Get an electric start bike. That way, you can still race while putting everyone else in danger...
The Shop
I will venture to say why I think honda is missing out, but it is purely a theory.
For quite some time, kawi has had the best "farm" system around. They have the most exposure and arguably the best bikes at an amateur level with their team green program.
By supporting promising up and comers as far back as 65's and 85's, they seem to develop a relationship that lasts into the beginning stages of the "next big dude's" career.
AKA carmicheal, aka stewart aka villopoto, stroupe.....etc...
Those kids have been team green a long time.
Now it is Dean Wilson and Adam Cincurillo and Blake Bagget in their upcoming wings.
It also doesn't hurt kawi to have the "best" lites team in the world with mitch payton. While I truly feel all the teams have caught up to his team this year, in the past, he has always had the best equipment and a "program" that works, like or hate it.
That means coming out of amateur ranks, even if your were a suzuki support rider or honda support rider coming up, if Mitch offered you a ride, it would be hard to say no.
That, to me, is why honda is not winning today, because their farm system is not as good, if they even have one comparable team green at all (which I feel they don't)
Honda is like the Yankee's, the most money but not winning anymore because they lost their roots, the up and coming.
That said, others must have caught on to kawi's method, because Factory Connection has stepped into the amateur support program, and in their first year of implementation, it has already won them a championship with canard. I expect Barcia to win too when he turns pro.
That's my two cents.
But team green seems to nab the best of that bunch. Only conclusion I can come to is Honda of Houston doesn't give the same level support that team green seems to.
Either way, you have to admit that Team Green has had their paws on everyone of the latest and greatest, with RC, JS, RV, and the excellant bunch of riders they have coming up now.
Don't forget, before Factory Connection stole canard, he rode green too....
I think it's pretty doubtful to assume that they would sell more units if their factory teams were dominating like in the past as compared to now. While I think the team puts in the same effort as ever, I don't think they are prepared to pay though the nose for a dominant rider like Stewart. Especially when it isn't going to have much of an impact on their bottom line.
I know quite a few people who have been out of MX for years and when they get back in it, all they want is Honda.
it was quite astounding really....but I bet their xr market really boosts their stats.
Pit Row
http://www.mic.org/mic.cfm?pagename=News&content=C148F791-3048-280F-E86…
RANK YEAR MAKE NAME & MODEL AS OF JULY 1, 2006
1 2005 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL1200C 21,639
2 2006 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTCUI 20,476
3 2005 HONDA CRF50F 17,464
4 2005 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTCUI 17,443
5 2003 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTCI 16,568
6 2005 YAMAHA XVS1100/A 16,456
7 2004 HONDA CRF50F 16,365
8 2003 HONDA XR50R 15,975
9 2004 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL1200C 15,927
10 2006 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHXI 15,205
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