Buell at Isle of Man TT!

[naustin]

For those that haven't already heard, a Buell is being considered for entry in the Isle of Man TT race.  Because the Buell doesn't fit in any of the traditional classes, a special exemption must be given.  More information is available at BWB in the Racing - Road-racing forum in a similarly titled thread.

The more chatter we can generate about the Buell, the more likely a special exemption will be granted.  The exemptions are granted for "interesting" bikes that might not otherwise qualify.

Go to the IOMTT forum at http://www.iomtt.com/forums/thread/70291.aspx and chime in to show your desire to see a Buell run the Isle of Man!

Thanks!

Nick

[Snowbird]

That would amount to a good durability test and a revealing performance comparison.    

IMHO, the IOM TT race is more comparable to real world performance than the typical track race. It's about the only race that really piques my interest.

[naustin]

Something interesting...

Winning average speed at Daytona was 101mph. Qualifying average speed at IOM is 110mph with the fastest guys doing average laps in the 120mph range and the record lap average speed almost 130mph.  It's 30 some miles per lap, and six laps.  These guys are more wide open than daytona, except on narrow, bumpy village roads!!

Truely amazing.  

Check this vid...  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9Qz4SxlrvY

[naustin]

bump...  

[Kootenanny]

Well, much as I'd like to see a Buell race in the IOM TT, on the other hand it's a kind of no-win situation (kinda like in AMA FX)--if the bike does well, people will complain about "special treatment" and "rule bending"--but if it does poorly, people will comment about how Buell can't compete despite the "special treatment" and "rule bending."  So, to be honest, I'm a bit ambivalent about the whole thing.

On a different but related topic, I just read an article about how the IOM TT may not exist for two many more years--this will be the 100th running, I understand, but apparently there is growing resistance to it.

[naustin]

I agree, It's totally out-classed by the top tier inline 4cyl competitors.  But, the IOM is more than just a race.  Its the most historic event in motorcycle racing and an endurance test for both man and machine.  Buell enthusiasts just want to see the bike run and finish because that will be a victory in itself. Its the road racing equivalent of the Paris-Dakar race.  Sometimes just finishing is victory enough.  There are many that don't believe the Buell is fast enough to make the qualifying average lap speed of 110mph.  And there are many that don't believe a bike with a Harley Davidson derived motor can last the 250 mile race without breaking down.  More than anything else, Buell owners want to prove these people wrong.

And who knows, this could be the stepping stone event that drums up the interest to generate a future factory sponsored road-racing effort.  In light of the new relationship between rotax and Buell on the dirt bikes, the next few years could become very interesting very quickly.