Well seriously, it wouldn't really take any time for John or whoever's getting involved with the Maico test to shoot Ricky (or anyone else with a big name and an expired contract) to give it a go. Who knows, some of them might have heard big stories from their dads about the ye olde German machines and want to see what the fuss is about. If we actually managed to get a big name on our test, we might get the attention of some magazines.
Maico won't save the 2 stroke. The rules will. The new Maicos look way too outdated. I will put my money on 6 new KTM 250sx DFI instead of one Maico which makes a difference for the sport. It is an old YZ with a Maico Sticker on it. WOW. WOW. Brand loyal people are just funny. You guys are all about the power of the Maicos..Have you ever UPS your engine to Pro Circuit???
I never said it would help the broad two-stroke cause. When I said "we" I was referring to those of us who want to see Maico be more than a small shack making 50 bikes a year. Of course I'm big on rule changes for equal displacement, you'll probably find a hundred thousand riders for every one that believes in it more strongly.
And if you think the new Maico is an old YZ with a new sticker... well I don't want to be offensive but it's hard to do. You know that there's more to a bike than its plastic, yes? There are some slight details that are different from a YZ, like the entire chassis, the entire suspension, the entire engine, etc. Show me a 500cc YZ with left-side kick and a hydraulic clutch, and then you'll have a point.
So, on other notes, it's really not realistic to get Ricky himself. When I proposed we contact him, it was really one of those nothing-to-lose things. There's maybe a 1/10,000 chance that he'll take the hook, and perhaps that would be worth it. I don't really see Chevy having a problem with their driver testing a bike, and does anyone know if he actually does still have something with Suzuki? I'm not sure, it's certainly possible. But that's just details. The broad thing I was trying to get at was the prospect of having a big name to test the bike. Even if it's a name from ten years ago, like McGrath, or Johnson, or anyone that people would recognize and trust. Hell, even Super Hunky could make some waves. I'm not trying to make light of what we're already planning, an enthusiasts' test is better than no test at all. However, if we have someone with some PR weight under him, it'll do more to revive this all-two-stroke company than a bunch of dudes from the internets.
And I can see how a high-level pro would be able to pick apart the little things and be used to crazy-tuned works bikes. But, I don't see any reason why such a rider wouldn't be able to compare this bike to any other stocker. It would seem very strange to me if whatever tester we got had no idea what a normal stock bike even felt like, I mean, that would be a pretty hefty bubble to be in. We're not talking about Mick Jagger here. And if this reviewer finds that the Maico truly is worse than the Japanese competition, well that's Maico's fault. Don't we want a non-biased test?
