Comments on: AMA Pro Racing Adds AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Spec Racing Series

By: Steve Ducharme

Steve Ducharme — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 03:30:57 +0000

I think you’re snark is a bit misplaced on this one. This is essentially the same type of series as the old Speed Triple spec class races back in 95/96. While it was a limited run it was no failure. It accomplished what it set out to do which was highlight what was essentially an overweight, ill handling pig of a bike in it’s own spec race series.

Ecosse has it right. This is already a pretty successful series in Europe and deserve a shot over here. The 1200 is probably at least as bad as the first gen Speed Triples (I owned a 95 so I CAN say that) and look at how that bike improved. Quit being such a snark. Since when is more racing a bad thing? sheesh!

By: Ecosse

Ecosse — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 22:59:40 +0000

xr1200 spec racing is/was pretty popular in europe last time i checked. and if the euro bike snobs gush over this bike i don’t see the point of the pile on. well, except to pick on an easy target (hd). at least give harley credit for a much improved sportster and one closer to the original concept introduced in ’57. everyone’s a critic, geez.

me? i wouldn’t mind owning one of these 1200′s. as for the ama being a shadow of what it was… oh look, a baby wolf!

By: Skipper

Skipper — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 13:32:07 +0000

Oh boy, now the Harley Davidson R&D department will have to design a “all new” line of Harley Racing Clothes. The Harley R&D department has nothing else to do except design clothes, jock straps, nose picker gloves, ash trays, beer can holders and everything else with the Harley name on it – except a decent modern motorcycle. The only way a Harley can win a race is to race against themselves. I am sure the race would be crowded with the pirate dressing Strugis crowd standing around drinking beer and bragging about Harley’s.

By: Steven

Steven — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:41:33 +0000

The only way a Harley can win a race is to race against themselves as everything else on 2 wheels will blow those antiques off the track. I am sure the Harley crowd will watch these pretend races though.

By: gnmac

gnmac — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:00:44 +0000

Wow, pigs do fly, don’t they!

By: Bjorn

Bjorn — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:54:27 +0000

“Jessee says:

I don’t care how much money you throw at it that bike will not win any races but it will get a few laughs.”

I predict it will win every race it enters. After all it’s a single make series.

By: Jessee

Jessee — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:35:50 +0000

What a joke. That bike is so out of date it would really be funny to see one in a race. It would give the crowd a good laugh. Harley should stick to making a new “Sturgis Bike” or something like that. The beer drinking geezer Harley rider is not interested in racing and the younger bike riders are not interested in a out of date Harley. I don’t care how much money you throw at it that bike will not win any races but it will get a few laughs.

By: Bjorn

Bjorn — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 08:32:45 +0000

I can sympathise with Dan, bikes that disgorge their lubricants on the track are a menace.

However, set up with an appropriate catch system to counter any regurgitation (bellypan, catch bottle, incontenence sheet), these things will make for a great spectacle for the general public. Like it or not, Harley Davidson bohemoths with sit-up-and-beg riding positions are what many non-motorcycling people think about when motorcycles enter their conciousness.

If there is close racing, lurid slides and bikes tying themselves in knots it will be popular. In Australia the 883s were great in the ’90s for getting people who wouldn’t know a superbike from a swordfish out to the track, spending money at the gate and the food stalls and bars.

In order to survive as a viable business and attract sponsors, motorcycle racing needs to attract a wider audience than just motorcyclists. With the death of closed road racing that took the sport to the masses, anything that brings bodies through the gate and places motorcycles in the general public’s mind can only be a good thing.

You can always stand by the fence and laugh.

By: eric

eric — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:34:11 +0000

It won’t be the official class to run the 200 because the motors won’t last the race at full revs.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:01:42 +0000

For me, it is just another political HD/AMA move. HD can’t compete with anyone, so they just race against themselves, or have the rules changed in their favor. And they call themselves a “Motor Company” and claim to make the best bikes in the world, with all others being inferior. Everything they do (R&D, marketing, killing Buell, etc) is pathetic, imho.

Why kill Buell, the bike with a future (since it has no HD engine), and start racing an irrigation pump on wheels? To have the American Buell program axed, only to have the axing company return with this crap is absurd and insulting.

Look at what BMW and KTM have achieved in such a short time with S1000RR and RC8. Real motorbike companies trying to catch up the Japanese and Italians, not just hide in the weeds racing themselves.