Guy B quote from Racer X

[JohnN]

This is quote was published in the Noise section of Racer X the January 2010 issue.

I think two-strokes are sort of like a past relationship. You  remember the good parts, and quickly forget the bad parts. There's a lot of nostalgia for the scent, and the sound, but the equipment and racing itself is better now. Guy B

What do you think about this?

[meger z]

i dont watch 4ts unless im trying to get to sleep,4ts are like a bad dream .

[Alec S]

I think I'd have to ask him what/why it's "better" today.

 My guess is that there is also some "nostalgia" for bikes that are cheap to purchase, maintain, require less maintenance, weigh less, and are more dynamic to ride/jump......

[Hondacrrider]

i dont watch 4ts unless im trying to get to sleep,4ts are like a bad dream .

Why don't you watch them, I love watching the local races and watching 4t's fail to start at the finish line, quite funny

[scooter042]

Sounds like GuyB is pretty far up into the politics with the big 4. What's he got to gain by pushin Kool Aid? Maybe he rides a free bike like some of the others that are tight with the bike makers. Anyone with somethin to gain always says it's OK to give the pigs a double displacement advantage and the 30# heavier tech is somehow better.

[JohnN]

You know what's interesting is how much advertising there is on Vital. One of the new big advertisers is Yamaha. Who is now offering deals to sell their inventory of leftover machines.

Here's my "reverse" quote;

"Four-strokes are just like the Emperor's New Clothes"

Since I have a 5 year old, I've been reading her a lot of fairy tales. For those not familiar with the story, he is a plot summary from WikiPedia.

"An Emperor who cares for nothing but his wardrobe hires two weavers who promise him the finest suit of clothes from a fabric invisible to anyone who is unfit for his position or "just hopelessly stupid".

The Emperor cannot see the cloth himself, but pretends that he can for fear of appearing unfit for his position or stupid; his ministers do the same. When the swindlers report that the suit is finished, they dress him in mime and the Emperor then marches in procession before his subjects.

A child in the crowd calls out that the Emperor is wearing nothing at all and the cry is taken up by others. The Emperor cringes, suspecting the assertion is true, but holds himself up proudly and continues the procession."

Does this story sound familiar?  

[JETZcorp]

Basically sums up the whole of advertising.  "We have the best bike in the world, now with the patented Super-Special-Awesome-Valve-System (SSAVS) for more power!  At the same time, we've used space-age materials and make this year's bike eight ounces lighter to reduce fuel economy and save the world!  This is here.  This is, the new Megacross!"

[Hondacrrider]

haha, ya, but, to make it lighter, it's called a two stroke, for more power, you go with two stroke, and to make things cleaner for the environment, there are solutions out there, like, Bombardiers etec engines, getting better gas mileage than four strokes

[westyzkx]

This is quote was published in the Noise section of Racer X the January 2010 issue.

I think two-strokes are sort of like a past relationship. You  remember the good parts, and quickly forget the bad parts. There's a lot of nostalgia for the scent, and the sound, but the equipment and racing itself is better now. Guy B

What do you think about this?

I totally dissagree with this guy 'the equipment and racing is better now' yeah right - the only people who really think this rubbish are the people who are brain washed by the big 4 and their false stories and advertising claims... if its so great why they need 2 x bigger engines?  

And for the record I have a CURRENT relationship with a 2 stroke and there's not one single bad thing about it.. its amazing.

[Alec S]

To be fair, there is more to a "current" bike then the motor.

That's why I have a 97 CR500 motor in a 05 CRF.  Quite the different bike then the steelie it came in for MX.

I'd like to have the choice of an open class 2T from Honda myself.

[JETZcorp]

I don't think they'll ever go back.  Honda are dedicated to four-strokes in a big way, and even if the equal-displacement comes back, I imagine they'll just crank up the money on marketing thumpers.  Remember, these are the guys who tried road-racing against two-strokes with eight-valved, oval-pistoned four-strokes in road racing to avoid deviating from their 4T policy.  When that didn't work, the rules suddenly got changed.

[Alec S]

I agree with you......

[JohnN]

Unfortunately, you hit the nail on the head.

When they can't compete fairly, they get the rules changed in order to sell what they want. Ignoring what many of the customers want.

This is bad business and will hurt them in the future.

[dogger315]

Guy B as a journalist, is entitled to his opinion.  And his opinion is all this is.  One would have to
look at the amount of corporate advertisement on Vital to get a better understanding.
Personally, I think he is on the wrong side on this.  With most of the world's economies in the
dumper, bike sales are way down and will continue to be as prices for the 4ts constantly go up.
The manufacturers are trying to squeeze more profit from each unit to compensate but this a
lose lose proposition.  The high initial cost plus the high maintenance and modifications cost
(and many other reasons), are what drove me and many others like me away from 4ts and
back to two strokes.  I believe this trend will continue until either the economy recovers in a
big way (not any time soon) or 4ts cost, reliability and fun factor become aligned with 2ts (never
happen). 

This 4t "plague" can be blamed on one organization, the AMA and their idiotic loophole that allowed
Yamaha to build and compete with a true works bike with nearly twice the displacement.  The other
manufacturers all followed suit eyeing big profits during the artificially propped up economy of the
time, and here we are.

Remember, these are the guys who tried road-racing against two-strokes with eight-valved, oval-pistoned four-strokes in road racing to avoid deviating from their 4T policy.  When that didn't work, the rules suddenly got changed.

Not exactly.  Honda returned to the GPs in 1979 with the NR500.  Thirteen years earlier, Honda dominated
every GP class with four stroke engines so they decided to return with what they knew.  After three
years of development, the NR was a bust and Honda switched to the three cylinder two stroke NS engine.
The NS500 went on to dominate GP racing for the next seventeen years with riders like Spencer, Lawson
and Doohan.  Notice the rules didn't suddenly get change, the four stroke rule wasn't implemented by the
FIM for another 20 years after Honda's failed NR program.

Honda is an engine company first and foremost.  Wether 2 or 4 stroke, they build winners.  One doesn't
have to look further than what they did to motocross in 1973 with their first ever two stroke engine.

dogger

[metal_miracle]

i don`t buy there magazines anymore

i just wont pay for their 4stroke crusade

its a shame what  honda have done to this sport its sad that they left us whit out a choise