Eddie Krawiec 6.77@200?

[stanzig44]

I think all the recent words on this topic is proof that NHRA's lack of parity is making V&H seem like the bad guys. Since they are the only ones who can run v-rods and 4 valves, they must be "cheaters". I gotta agree with Bryce on this one.

Patrick - sorry to bring down the grammar police and this is not meant to bash, but please learn the difference between there, their and they're. If you need a copy-editor for your book, I could hook you up.

 

[twostep]

I see one solution, and unfortunately, it's the most unpleasant one out there with the most potential ramifications. That solution is for every non-Harley Pro Stock rider to pull out. Boycott every upcoming race until something is done.

That something is allowing others to compete with Harleys, Harley must make factory pieces they provide Vance and Hines available to everyone, and either everybody runs DOHC and 4 valves, or nobody does.

This can't work if anyone waffles. Every Pro Stock team out there needs to band together, appoint 2 or 3 representatives and request a meeting with Graham Light. Be courteous and respectful, but firm and to the point. Either NHRA effects these changes, or PSM can go the way of PST.

Why would you want to campaign your Buell or Suzuki anyway, knowing those two Harleys are going to beat the brakes off your bike week after week after week? It makes more sense to just park 'em.

One thing's for certain - either the other teams can step up with some real force, or their sponsors will do it for them. That GEICO Gecko will find another sandbox to play in, and in the not too distant future, I'm afraid.

 

[Rat]

I see one solution, and unfortunately, it's the most unpleasant one out there with the most potential ramifications. That solution is for every non-Harley Pro Stock rider to pull out. Boycott every upcoming race until something is done.

That something is allowing others to compete with Harleys, Harley must make factory pieces they provide Vance and Hines available to everyone, and either everybody runs DOHC and 4 valves, or nobody does.

This can't work if anyone waffles. Every Pro Stock team out there needs to band together, appoint 2 or 3 representatives and request a meeting with Graham Light. Be courteous and respectful, but firm and to the point. Either NHRA effects these changes, or PSM can go the way of PST.

Why would you want to campaign your Buell or Suzuki anyway, knowing those two Harleys are going to beat the brakes off your bike week after week after week? It makes more sense to just park 'em.

One thing's for certain - either the other teams can step up with some real force, or their sponsors will do it for them. That GEICO Gecko will find another sandbox to play in, and in the not too distant future, I'm afraid.

Exactly NHRA can continue to stay the course and sponsors are gonna pull out. I think the issue is not enough pressure has been put on the NHRA by the members of the class. Some would say they know the rules and choose to compete, but were else are they gonna go? They need to all be a pain in nhra's ass because parity sits at their doorstep.

 

[Joker]

Since Harley pays NHRA $683k a year, maybe another manu should pony up $700k for next year since that seems to be the key.

 

[cantdrive55]

Who's left to support PSM?

Buell - Out of Business
Suzuki - Apparently no interest
Honda - Don't recall them ever having a bike, but it wouldn't surprise me if someone tried
Kawasaki - Muzzy gave it a go, didn't go too far
KTM - ?
BMW - ?
Victory - ?
Yamaha - ?

Unfortunately, a boycott wouldn't do much. Teams already have a ton of capital invested. So, to sit out and watch on tv wouldn't do them any good, or their sponsors. NHRA would just keep on rollin' with or without them. At this point, I think NHRA wants a 200 mph PSM pass, and they're desperately hoping it's a VH H-D. I'm done complaining about the PSM rules, it's so lop-sided that it's not even funny anymore.

 

[sdwarf36]

From George Bryce today:

Congrats for what? Winning with a stacked deck? I just dont see how anyone can think a win by HD is worth celebrating. Lets say the Summit Pro Stock team was allowed to run 820 ci engines which nobody else was allowed to run, and everybody else had to run 500 ci engines, and the Summit team were winning all the races. Would that be impressive? Absolutely not !!! Until everyone can run the same equipment that the HD's do, and the HD's continue to win, I can't see how any congrats is deserved.

Sorry for the spoiler alert!!!!

Here is a new one...Eddie and Andrew win all 16 races in 2012...or if either goofs up some one else won 1 or 2.

Facts..there are only 2 bikes with 4 valves per cylinder...they got 1st and 2nd today....Out of 25 teams they are the only riders/team ALLOWED to have 4 valves per cylinder.
They are the ONLY team allowed to have Harleys
You cant even buy a Vrod body.....
YOU cant buy an engine...even if you own Harley dealerships...

We sold Hector, Matt and other 160 inch 2 valve, pushrod bikes and engines...and to anyone that wants one.
FACT: NHRA told us we HAD to or we CANT race.......

Fact: after Eddie beat us by .24 in 2nd round NHRA tech came over and tore our engine down to check to see if we are legal WTF!!!!!!!!!

Oh man--George-yes-we get it-enough already!
I'm a big fan--notice my avatar? All your points are true-but you said 2 years ago you were getting out of PSB because of the tilted tables-an honorable thing to do. And you knew damn well that there wasn't going to be any change when you came back. No need to gripe to all the message boards now-we get it-we understand your frustration. Be a thorn in NHRA's side-you're preaching to the choir on the internets.
Here's a act of disobedience that will draw attention:
Everyone take you normal Fri nite Q pass + get a time.
One of Saturdays passes, everyone stage normal-and just sit there. Take the green + dont move. Sit for a minute+ push you bike back. Next pair do the same thing. The TV crew will HAVE to say something about it. Everyone will still have a time-but it would get the point across-while not messing up things too much.
But I bet the best you could hope for is another 20lbs put on the Harleys.

 

[NYNitro86]

Who's left to support PSM?

Buell - Out of Business
Suzuki - Apparently no interest
Honda - Don't recall them ever having a bike, but it wouldn't surprise me if someone tried
Kawasaki - Muzzy gave it a go, didn't go too far
KTM - ?
BMW - ?
Victory - ?
Yamaha - ?

Unfortunately, a boycott wouldn't do much. Teams already have a ton of capital invested. So, to sit out and watch on tv wouldn't do them any good, or their sponsors. NHRA would just keep on rollin' with or without them. At this point, I think NHRA wants a 200 mph PSM pass, and they're desperately hoping it's a VH H-D. I'm done complaining about the PSM rules, it's so lop-sided that it's not even funny anymore.

There's all this talk about Viper Motorcycles...

 

[none]

Once upon a time Honda decided they wanted to play Pro Stock racer in the NHRA arena so they made a deal with Byron Hines to field a winning bike. The only problem was the bore spaceing was to narrow to run a piston big enough to get the cubic inches they needed to compete so Byron went to NHRA and pleaded his case, He claimed if he could run less weight than the other bikes it would be fair seeing as how he could not run a big enough motor. NHRA went along with it and Byron went to work. I think the first race he ran the Honda in he won with it! The tech guys were a little suspicious and decided they best take a look. As I remember either him or Honda had made a special crank with the throughs spaced out and a new cylinder block with the bores spread out enough to get the cubic inches everybody else had!! After some severe reworking of the head they were ready to kick some butt and they did. This was many,many years ago so some of the details are a little fuzzie in my head but I assure you it did happen and Honda and Byron Hines were tossed out. Any of you bike guys remember this incident?

 

[e]

.....Well Paul, don't remember the Honda, but do remember Byron running a Yamaha for a brief spell and he actually one on that one too !!!.....Think it was around the time Terry had hung them up and Byron was just getting his feet wet on the riding side of things.......Forgot where his win was or the times, just that it was back when they (V & H) were into trying just about any combination !!!......................E

 

[twostep]

.....Well Paul, don't remember the Honda, but do remember Byron running a Yamaha for a brief spell and he actually one on that one too !!!.....

They won the Daytona 200 with a Yamaha, but I don't recall them ever winning - or campaigning - a Yamaha in NHRA Pro Stock. I could be wrong.

 

[e]

.....Yeah Two, it was on the dragracing side of things and it kind of caught everyone offguard because no one before or if I'm remembering right even after ever made one work again !!!.....Seems like it had some yellow coloring which was a bit different then what you'd normally expect a V & H bike to be.....Byron only ran it a few times, but he actually won a race on the thing!!!.....Got quite a bit of print about it.....Guess I'd better go back in time and do some checking.....Hell, you even got me doing a double think now.....Seems like it was before he and Terry got going in roadracing with the Daytona win........................E

 

[e]

.....Well Two, I found a couple of pictures of the Yamaha P/S bike !!!....It was in the yellow and red colors......Still don't have a date or times, but also found an older Bob Fry story where he talks about Byron doing something even Terry had never done...race a Yamaha P/S bike and winning on it !!!.....He was using the 5 valve cylinder head !!!.....Wouldn't that get people talking now a days !!!!!!............................E

 

[sdwarf36]

They won at Topeka in 92? with the Yamaha. (just that one win) It wasnt a 5 valve-it was based off the FJ 1100-it was a 4 valve air cooled engine. One thing they did try-it had 3 spark plugs per cylinders!
I was (one of the very few) racing a FJ at the time. I had good conversation with Byron about it at E.town one year. They would crack a set of cases or crank every 3 runs! But they were sponsored by Yamaha in their road racing-so they had to run it.

 

[e]

.....Thanks for the update Sherman, you're helping this tired 'ol brain !!!.................E

 

[Nick Name]

Once upon a time Honda decided they wanted to play Pro Stock racer in the NHRA arena so they made a deal with Byron Hines to field a winning bike. The only problem was the bore spaceing was to narrow to run a piston big enough to get the cubic inches they needed to compete so Byron went to NHRA and pleaded his case, He claimed if he could run less weight than the other bikes it would be fair seeing as how he could not run a big enough motor. NHRA went along with it and Byron went to work. I think the first race he ran the Honda in he won with it! The tech guys were a little suspicious and decided they best take a look. As I remember either him or Honda had made a special crank with the throughs spaced out and a new cylinder block with the bores spread out enough to get the cubic inches everybody else had!! After some severe reworking of the head they were ready to kick some butt and they did. This was many,many years ago so some of the details are a little fuzzie in my head but I assure you it did happen and Honda and Byron Hines were tossed out. Any of you bike guys remember this incident?

I don't think that is how it went down. Vance was in talks with Kawasaki and Suzuki about sponsorship. Things were not going well and thewy thought they had V&H over a barrel.

They decided to show them that they could win with a Honda if they wanted to. At the time, the rules allowed the Honda to be a little lighter.

They built it with offset bores to get 1260cc. It didn't require a special crank. We sold a lot of those CB1100F big blocks with offsets.

Anyway, they took the thing to Gainsville and won the race. The whole racing community was stunned that they could do this with a Honda.

I was a contingency sponsor at the time, and would get copies of all of the paperwork after an event. When the paperwork arrived, I believe Bob Carpenter was runner up, it stated that the winner declined to fill out the paperwork. Why?

Because Honda had posted $1500.00 to win with a Honda. The paperwork was an advertising release. Terry Vance would not let Honda use his name to advertise the only pro stock race they had ever won, for a lousy $1500.

Needless to say, at the next event, they were on a fully sponsored Kawasaki or Suzuki, I forget which.

People have always given Byron the much deserved credit for making the power to make them winners, but it was Terry Vance that got people to fork over big money to be involved. Not to mention he was also one of the best riders the class has ever seen.

As for the HD thing, I think it is not fair, but truthfully, those of us in the motorcycle performance industry have long ago quit following NHRA PSM.