More big crashes

[IainB]

I'll just throw this into the mix, could it be... throttle jockeys?

I just watched the 2007 Cardiff GP Final on the Speedway360 show and the throttle control that all the riders showed on a 5h1t show of a track was quite unbelievable to watch.

With the prominence of Polish Speedway could it be that the latest generation of riders are being brought up on tracks that require the throttle to be pinned to the stopper rather than days gone by where riders were brought up on British tracks that require a bit of technique and throttle control? 🤔

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

27 minutes ago, IainB said:

I'll just throw this into the mix, could it be... throttle jockeys?

I just watched the 2007 Cardiff GP Final on the Speedway360 show and the throttle control that all the riders showed on a 5h1t show of a track was quite unbelievable to watch.

With the prominence of Polish Speedway could it be that the latest generation of riders are being brought up on tracks that require the throttle to be pinned to the stopper rather than days gone by where riders were brought up on British tracks that require a bit of technique and throttle control? 🤔

This is why I suggest limiting the revs to 10,000 but don’t do it by means of a rev limiter, make it so as the engine itself will not reach 10,000 revs and chuck more dirt on the track, it will encourage more torque mid range engines and do away with pinned throttle racing which in itself is fine but when it goes wrong is catastrophic 

[Technik]

In the 90's we were trying to get engines to rev over 10,000rpm. There were still crashes then but not as many serious ones that we are experiencing now. Todays engine can achieve 18000RPM but is restricted to 13500RPM. I'd have to ask the question why would an engine tuner build a motor that cannot be used to its full potential.

For me the bore size should be limited which would mean a longer stroke to get to 500cc & in turn this would reduce the RPM to a usable level.

The short stroke engine has not made the sport any faster as the list of track records will support only a fraction of a second each time it is reset in most cases & less than a second over a 25 year spread.

The short stroke motor has made the sport more about who can hold on the longest & who is prepared to take the biggest risk rather than the best control & skill set

[BangerBoy]

One theory could be that now we have airfences riders taking more risks than without them

[YeOldPitGate]

There's also the fact most riders are simply riding more and more when I went in the mid 80's early 90's most rode one league in Britain, international and continental meetings, now some riders are in four leagues plus doubling up in UK, loads of under 21 events, European competitions, grand prix of 10-12 rounds against one off finals.

The increase in bike speed most likely hasn't helped but the simple maths is the more time your on a bike the more chances sadly of bad crashes.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

1 hour ago, YeOldPitGate said:

There's also the fact most riders are simply riding more and more when I went in the mid 80's early 90's most rode one league in Britain, international and continental meetings, now some riders are in four leagues plus doubling up in UK, loads of under 21 events, European competitions, grand prix of 10-12 rounds against one off finals.

The increase in bike speed most likely hasn't helped but the simple maths is the more time your on a bike the more chances sadly of bad crashes.

The first one is not actually true although it feels that way, riders will do around 80-100 meetings a year which they have done since the late 80s they just do more abroad these days, remember riders use to race around 40 meetings in uk for just one club, now they race for 2 clubs and still don’t do that amount and the second is not really true either,bike speed is pretty much the same as the 80s it’s back wheel speed that has increased which I believe is the biggest contributor to the high speed crashes 

Edited May 23 by THE DEAN MACHINE

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

1 hour ago, BangerBoy said:

One theory could be that now we have airfences riders taking more risks than without them

Why that maybe true it isn’t a factor in the type of crashes we’re seeing 

[BangerBoy]

19 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

Why that maybe true it isn’t a factor in the type of crashes we’re seeing 

Thinking take air fence away might slow them down.

Also would bunch them up a bit to create closer racing like the old days!!

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

2 hours ago, BangerBoy said:

Thinking take air fence away might slow them down.

Also would bunch them up a bit to create closer racing like the old days!!

Back in the 90s I was determined to master Exeter, I was only going there once a season with stoke or whoever and when ever I went I was crap, knowing Bruce cribb I asked for his advice about how to ride it, his advice was clip the kerb going into 3rd bend and then go straight up to fence, seeing as their fence was steel this was the last thing I wanted to hear but his thinking was if your already on the fence and lose control you will just skim off the fence, if your on the inside and lose control you will travel across the track hit the fence full on, now I understand what he was saying but unfortunately I didn’t have the balls to try it, I can’t say a rider will take a bigger risk if there is an air fence, that’s not how a rider thinks 

[Gavan]

And now Tai

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

1 minute ago, Gavan said:

And now Tai

Tai crash was not really a big one, his engine blew and it just spit him to the floor and then his bike caught fire 

[chunky]

9 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

Back in the 90s I was determined to master Exeter, I was only going there once a season with stoke or whoever and when ever I went I was crap, knowing Bruce cribb I asked for his advice about how to ride it, his advice was clip the kerb going into 3rd bend and then go straight up to fence, seeing as their fence was steel this was the last thing I wanted to hear but his thinking was if your already on the fence and lose control you will just skim off the fence, if your on the inside and lose control you will travel across the track hit the fence full on, now I understand what he was saying but unfortunately I didn’t have the balls to try it, I can’t say a rider will take a bigger risk if there is an air fence, that’s not how a rider thinks 

That was why Gordon Kennett said he preferred solid fences. If it was just a glancing blow, you could stay on your bike, and steer it away.

[Fromafar]

19 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

Back in the 90s I was determined to master Exeter, I was only going there once a season with stoke or whoever and when ever I went I was crap, knowing Bruce cribb I asked for his advice about how to ride it, his advice was clip the kerb going into 3rd bend and then go straight up to fence, seeing as their fence was steel this was the last thing I wanted to hear but his thinking was if your already on the fence and lose control you will just skim off the fence, if your on the inside and lose control you will travel across the track hit the fence full on, now I understand what he was saying but unfortunately I didn’t have the balls to try it, I can’t say a rider will take a bigger risk if there is an air fence, that’s not how a rider thinks 

Remembered seeing Vaclav Verner for Exeter at Halifax in the late 70’s tight into 3rd bend every lap out to the fence back wheel off the fence and wheeling down the straight for every lap, scored double figures.Some racer.

[Fromafar]

14 minutes ago, Whitelinehugger said:

What an idiot

🤡

[gjcone44]

dont forget he's talking to himself..🤣

[M.D]

30 minutes ago, Fromafar said:

Remembered seeing Vaclav Verner for Exeter at Halifax in the late 70’s tight into 3rd bend every lap out to the fence back wheel off the fence and wheeling down the straight for every lap, scored double figures.Some racer.

In the 80's Eastbourne had a Polish rider, Robert Slabon. You could see he had ability but struggled around the tight Arlington raceway and a few away tracks. Went up to the shay and he looked a world beater, won his first two heats but in his third, hit the fence big time and badly broke his arm.

[Neila]

4 hours ago, Whitelinehugger said:

What an idiot

What a 🤡

[IainB]

Do more riders tend to move about on their bikes these days than in the past?

[gjcone44]

19 minutes ago, IainB said:

Do more riders tend to move about on their bikes these days than in the past?

yes i recon

[Daniel Smith]

5 hours ago, IainB said:

Do more riders tend to move about on their bikes these days than in the past?

Maybe but not intentionally anyway. The major difference even from a decade ago is an awful lot are not on their footrests, it's their flailing legs that makes them look busy on the bike. Many argue they can react better to direction change off the footrest & it's easier to get off the machine if it lifts.

As been mentioned before, a lower Horse Power, lower RPM, increased Torque would see riders more controlled & back on their footrests.

The issue for me (especially in Poland) is that Zmarzlik has become the Poster-Boy for that 'Wild Style' and riders of significantly lower ability think they can do the same without mastering the basics.