<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Babelfish @ May 1 2009, 02:57 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>You like the analogy of the '80's Rally cars yet fail to see that even when the modern WRC cars are way faster they are safer to drive than the old monsters. And I'm not talking about teh safety cage.
I'm not a fan of 800's as they are today, I just don't understand the black and white sides people here take. It's an illusion, grow up and face reallity.
How do you conclude that I fail to see that the 'modern WRC cars are way safer to drive than the old monsters?' I never made any reference to safety, merely the fact that I derived more enjoyment from watching their more powerful predecessors.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Babelfish @ May 1 2009, 05:37 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>The 990 area had good racing through all the years it excisted, not only the last year.
I don't buy that the difference became that large due to the engines (The chassi's hardly changed at all except on Honda and Ducati. Probably not more than any regular yearly update)
It's other factors that has produced the big change. Fuel limit and TC for starters.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Arrabbiata1 @ Apr 30 2009, 09:00 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>...the bikes began to evolve around other things that made them go faster...which weren't in the engine department anymore.
The rise of technology was inevitable, it would have similarly 'cursed' the 990's -and also it's easy to make the 800cc bikes into scapegoats, I accept all that. What I do not accept is your corollary, or should I say assumption that the 800's are safer per-se. The
technology has undoubtably played a large part in reducing crashes, and making the bikes easier to ride, that is irrefutable, but as you say this would have come to the fore had the 990's remained - the capacity reduction has only served to changed the
characteristics of the machines for the worse, and it has been to the detriment of the close racing we once enjoyed. The development of the 800's, form their inception, has revolved
around the electronics - this would not have been the case had the 990's remained. I'm not so much trying to champion a return to the 990's - though it would be nice - I'm trying to say they should never have been dropped. The 990's had an amenable wide powerband, whereas the 800's produce peaky power, with huge gaps in the power curve. The point was recently made by Nakamoto I think, in reply to those decrying the technical aids, that the way the 800cc bikes have evolved, they would be practically unrideable if you took such electronic assistance as tc away. The latter could probably be said of today's superbikes, but remember that their roadracing counter-parts are largely unecumbered by TC. The manufactures embraced electronics, like a faustian pact there is no turning back...motorcycle racing has sold its soul.
You said in one of your posts...
"I'm not a fan of 800's as they are today, I just don't understand the black and white sides people here take. It's an illusion, grow up and face reallity."
Grow up and face reality?...meaning we can't get misty eyed when we want to? we can't evoke memories of a better age of racing. I don't regard this as the diametric opposition of black and white - sides being blindly taken like you say, more a grey area. I'm not in denial about the inexorable march of technology, and I'm under no illusions - I simply maintain that reducing the capacity of this class was a huge mistake. You say that you are no fan of the 800's either - ask yourself why, when you also maintain that 'to blame it on the 800's is an excuse' Why are you not a fan of the 800's Babel? - make a
qualitative assessment for once and cut the techno-'babble' fish. Tell us what really 'floats your boat'
