weatherwatcher 664 Posted June 10, 2015 That is why so many young riders struggle to stay riding speedway, thier parents help them out when younger and the early tean years, when they have to find all the money on top of running a house and family, the sport tacks a back seat. It is getting far to costly, with the add on nuts bolts washers and tuning, so if the Gerhard engine is left alone as it comes from the factory, then the PL and NL can run an engine for all season with no tune up's no extra bits to by, as long as they all run on the same standard setup, then you get a much fairer meeting, with the winner being the rider who has the most knowladge and know how to ride the track, not the rider who has the most money to spend to get the faster engine, by spending silly amounts with the guys who tune the bikes. Lets get back to what the sport was all about an affordable way to have fun riding a bike. That was until the big boys came onto the scene and started over developing an engine that is now at the point of blowing its self to small pieces of shrapnel. If they want to do this in the GP's then let them, but let the grass root riders get along with an engine that is well designed and comes from the factory, in a full racing condition, that will run longer than the other engines on the market, with less down time. So why play about with them to get an extra ten penneth out of them. Leave them alone and race them as they are and the same should go for all the other engines too. Lets make a sport a level playing field, with riders being able to affords to race and enjoy the sport, not beak thier bank accounts just trying to be the fastest rider around the tracks. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f-s-p 832 Posted June 10, 2015 6k £ for an engine in mid PL is overpaying. http://www.speedwaysanomat.fi/galleria/2015/2015_smliiga4/ Was at Hyvinkää yesterday, Timo Lahti was riding the new German engine. Said it was good, won all foyr heats when on it. Shame he had to borrow a bike agains Davey Watt-Kauko Nieminen. A few pics early on in the linked gallery. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Duane 65 Posted June 10, 2015 For someone so close to the Sport Phil is either towing the Party line or really hasn't got much understanding of modern ruthless Speedway, PL middle order Riders are paying £6k for an engine, and £700 for a service after 25 races, and that's fact not fiction £6000 for a engine! Or do you mean £6000 for a engine that's smashed to the eyeballs? That's $12,000 over here in Aussie. You can buy a brand new complete bike for that, ready to go. Me thinks your engine tuners want to retire really early. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevehone 3,430 Posted June 10, 2015 not sure if anyone can see my facebook from here but I put a picture of the Gerhard engine on earlier >> https://www.facebook.com/steve.hone.9 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tyretrax 2,253 Posted June 10, 2015 I can't, I'm not on F.B. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevehone 3,430 Posted June 10, 2015 (edited) my picture here if anyone is interested >> https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_womble/18496636750/in/dateposted-public/ Edited June 10, 2015 by stevehone Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
weatherwatcher 664 Posted June 11, 2015 Who is producing the German engine. Another completely different looking design. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sings4Speedway 3,247 Posted June 11, 2015 Who is going to supply the parts / service these engines when the time comes? If they all have to go back to Gerhard it would be a hell of a waiting time? Mid / lower tier riders still need to find the outlay in the first place. If these engines are circa £5000 and most clubs expect you to turn up with two bikes that's a hell of an outlay especially considering you can pick up a new or nearly new GM/JAWA for £2500..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tyretrax 2,253 Posted June 11, 2015 my picture here if anyone is interested >> https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_womble/18496636750/in/dateposted-public/ That's better, thanks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barncooseboy 237 Posted June 11, 2015 Ben Barker and Sam Simota currently using prototype new JRM the two engines are different, the BB one actually built in Germany Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phil 303 Posted June 11, 2015 I KNOW that. But if the GTR doesn't require servicing for at least 100, maybe 200, races then the savings are quite astronomical. Is that what he is claiming ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,994 Posted June 11, 2015 Not every dropped point is down to an opponent net having a 'faster' engine. We all know that,but try telling a rider......at least most of the time when they are interviewed they seem to blame the bike if not the track.Was a rider just a few weeks back who won his first two heats,got a last in the next and then done well in his last two.Of course for some reason he decided to change something on his bike in the third heat whch was why he finished last and then got it going again.Now why on earth after two heat wins he decided to chnge things and then came last only he knows,but that is how riders seem to operate.So if someone is known to have tuned up one of these and goes well then most will feel pressured into doing to same,even if it is only that little devil sitting on their shoulder that is putting the pressure on them.Stands to reason Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
speedibee 3,091 Posted June 11, 2015 (edited) BUT that will be up to the rider(s) concerned. If they want to spend additional money in the belief it will be better so be it. Chris Harris told me on Monday that Jarek Hampel sent his engines back to his tuner after just two meetings, 10 heats. But on the evidence of what he rode that night Chris said would be happy to run with that. If a rider believes that a GTR performs as well as a GM without additional tuning and servicing and can save him a significant sum of money over the course of a season then surely it has to be a viable proposition. This is why we never get anywhere with costs . of course it's not up to the riders you fool . once one rider sponsored by a tuner ,turns up with a modified Gerhard , then all the others will have to spend money to keep up . and the whole cost cutting exercise is out the window .. Durrhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Edited June 11, 2015 by speedibee 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DutchGrasstrack 804 Posted June 11, 2015 German grasstrack sidecar racer Imanuel Schramm will also use a GTR engine this saturday at the Euro sidecar semi final in Loppersum. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,994 Posted June 11, 2015 German grasstrack sidecar racer Imanuel Schramm will also use a GTR engine this saturday at the Euro sidecar semi final in Loppersum. He has been one of the main testers and been giving his feedback to Gerhard,according to the speedweek article I linked to earlier in this thread 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
