Prototype? racing

[Valentinik]

much has been made of the fact that the four stroke GP bikes must be protoypes that are not based on production models (as in WSB).
If Ducati (or any other factory) turned up at a round and realised that they had forgotten to pack all their parts, would they be able to go to the local Ducati dealership and use parts from a standard bike? i reckon that in Ducati's case the only parts would be the windscreen, the seat and some of the bodywork.
My point is this. Whats to stop them from changing the shape of the bodywork and declaring the bike a prototype?
What else would they have to change?

[Lazy Boy]

Nobody knows the answer to that question!
Nobody.
Because all the rules are currently under discussion.
And WSB has indicated they will sue if the bikes are production based bikes.
But WSB doesn't hold ultimate power.
The manufacturers do.
Where would WSB be if say... 3 of the 6 manufact. pulled out to run GP?
What would the fans say?
Would WSB lose popularity?
Are they worried about this?
Helll yes!
So the manuf. hold the trump card.
But there are 6 of them!
They don't all see eye to eye.
They have formed a new assoc. to attempt to try to solve this (MSMA?)

So... Who knows?

My opinion... its not a proto if >>>
it has the same bore and stroke
or the same bore centers
or a cyl head that will exchange
or center cases that will exchange

Forget bodywork.. that is meaningless.

One more bit of input >>

I don't appreciate the idea that buyers of new bikes will be asked to finance a significant portion of this expensive
prototype 4 stroke GP program.

World GP motorcycle GP racing doesn't have the deep pocket sponsors that F1 car racing does... and a fair portion of the cost of racing GP and WSB currently comes out of the pockets of new bike buyers.

How much of the $17,000 a 996 Duck costs goes to the WSB program?.... I bet its a lot.

How much of a CBR929RR's cost goes to WSB and GP?

Now start a new expensive engine development program.... Who pays for that? We do... to some extent.

And don't tell me that the technology filters down to streetbikes eventually... because yes it does....

BUT!...tell me ... who needs more streetbike than a 2000 GSXR750?
Nobody on this earth buddy !!
Nobody!!

In my opinion technology has reached the point of diminishing returns for streetbikes.

Do you really think some semi experienced streetbike rider needs more performance than Kenny Roberts EVER had in a GP racebike?... just to ride to the store on?.... because that is about where we are now.

[elephino]

From what I understand, the GP bikes cannot use the frame, block, heads, suspension, etc of any road bike made by the manfacturer. ie it must all be created and used for the race bikes ONLY. I'm not too sure on bodywork, but I'd assume that must be unique too.

Basically, you shouldn't be able to buy, say, any Honda road bike and be able to put any part (maybe a bolt or two) onto the Honda GP bike.

[dododo]

Do we pay for their race efforts? like you say: to some extent but...I don't care how they allocate their money as long as it doesn't make the bikes more expensive or as long as the bikes wouldn't get significantly cheaper if they wouldn't race.(I think that there are too many parties involved who need to earn money on a bike to allocate a lot of money to racing anyway.) And as long as they sell a lot of bikes it's just a small amount per bike. Besides that i'm happy to pay for the entertainment and joy i receive watching the races.
Problem is a lot of the parties involved in racing are in it just for their own sake, for making money. The fans are of secundary importance to them. Why are they changing the rules? To make racing more exciting? Noooooooo that's just the means to an end. The end is advertising money. If that means killing the competition(WSB) they'll just do that. They don't give a toss about the fact that the fans are more
then happy with the situation.
I don't think the flamini-group(WSB) must fight GP rules. I think the fans will keep liking to see bikes that just look like the ones they've got. So..extend the rules, make it an open class, allow CBR's, GSXR's, R1's for instance, I don't care, be creative.

As for "the need" for "more streetbike than a GSXr750". Bikes are our hobby/passion whatever. So it's not about need, it's about wanting, knowing that some things on the bikes of the racers you admire are also on your bike(hence the popularity of WSB). We stopped outgun the capabilities of our bikes about 10-15 years ago but that's not important to us. What is important is knowing that your bike has the
capability although you have not and this means that you have to/need to/can improve. Part of our hobby i think