speaking of race fuel

[mdr14]

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=28074

[Jeff]

$500/gallon?  You gotta be kidding me...  Does such a thing exist?

[LMsports]

It's called MR10. It's not 500.00/gallon but it is crazy expensive.

[Super Dave]

Yeah, but there are custom blends of fuels.  Elf was doing it in 1994 for each manufacturer's team in the US, until Mike Joy got the EPA to crack down on the illegal trafficing of their leaded fuels over the borders.

MX has had custom blends recently, and some of the teams have gotten cracked in tech because the fuels missed the mark.

Still, I don't know how you can enforce it. 

[steeltoe]

A taste test should do it.

[Super Dave]

 

[tzracer]

Back in the 80s, some F1 teams had fuel tailored to each track. Honda was able to gain something like 90hp from just fuel alone. Costs were on the order of $900 per gallon.

[Johnny B]

Two strokes are exempt.

[ahastings]

The most expensive leaded race fuel VP sells that is used for motorcycle roadracing is MR10 which retails for $34 gal ,though you will get near the same performance with U4 for $14 gal. It is just that U4 will not pass the AMA fuel test. MX is another story because AMA Pro requires the FIM mandated unleaded fuel and most of the factory teams are using MR PRO4 which retails for around $37 gal. Throwing out those $500 and $1000 gallon numbers is just for hype. NOBODY  in club racing is spending that kind of money on fuel and I really doubt anyone in AMA is either.

[JBraun]

The most expensive leaded race fuel VP sells that is used for motorcycle roadracing is MR10 which retails for $34 gal ,....
Throwing out those $500 and $1000 gallon numbers is just for hype.

Not necesarily. I know a dude named Steve Rounds who spins wrenches for Factory Yamaha, and was working with Eboz last year. When the FX championship came down to the last round, the gloves came off. Yamaha had special fuel blended which aparently got them another couple hp and cost over $200/ gallon.

[mdr14]

I am not sure how I feel about the fuel issue yet.

I do think that overall that racing expenses are going up too much ( cringe when you see the new dunlop prices)

When I started racing on the clube scene (1992 ish)... Nobody spent more than 5 or 6 bucks a gallon for fuel. I think I saw Todd Harrington use VP C-12 at the time... ( remember the old Dr. Bob - TOdd Harrington mentoring then turned rival relationship back then)

I know I mostly ran pump gas or some unocal 108.

Shoot, Now you at least better show up with U4 or an equivalent.

Whats the point supposed to be, good racing or the fastest absolute lap time you can achieve?
But the fastest absolute lap time is still a goal even if you control the costs with spec tire and fuel..

I only think spec equipment would be desirable if the cost are kept down.

Like I would not pay $360+ a set for spec tires. I would pay $320 or less a set though.

[Super Dave]

AHRMA did very close to spec racing with the MZ Skorpion Cup series and then the Laverda series, and now the Triumph series.

Doesn't attract a lot of entries in the US, so I don't see how it's worth talking about.  I made decent money, but it was a stepping stone to something else even for me at the time.

Why not eliminate complete replacement of the stock fork cartridges?  That would be a good way to reduce costs in the spendy classes.  But that's another topic.