Mladin Calls 2004 AMA Superbike Rules A Massive Mistake

Mladin Calls 2004 AMA Superbike Rules A Massive Mistake

© 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Three-time AMA Superbike Champion and current AMA Superbike Championship points leader Mat Mladin says AMA Pro Racing has made a big mistake with its new 2004 Superbike rules for 2004, and complains that the new technical regulations will give 1000cc V-Twins an advantage over 1000cc four-cylinder racebikes.

“I think the AMA has made an absolute massive mistake in what they’ve done with the rules. All because one guy’s winning races this year they decide to change it? That’s crazy,” said Mladin, nine-time race winner in 2003.

The 2004 rules will require 1000cc Fours, like the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 ridden by Mladin, to go back to stock airboxes and stock fuel-injection throttle bodies while 1000cc V-Twins will be able to run near their current state of tune.

“They’re saying, yeah, but they can only have the same gearbox (one homologated and one standard gearbox) option as us, as the four cylinders, but Ducati doesn’t change their gearboxes anyway. So essentially they’re allowing a full V-Twin Superbike and we’re going to be handicapped by, who knows, 10-15 horsepower. So all the AMA’s gone and done is put the advantage straight back into the V-Twin’s hands, like the V-Twins have had.

“I think a better way is Ducati needs to abide by everyone else’s rules for once and not have everyone play by Ducati’s rules. Simple. How many years have V-Twins had an advantage over four-cylinder motorcycles? Ever since they’ve been around.”

Mladin believes 1000cc four-cylinder bikes and 1000cc V-Twins under the 2003 rules are competitive with each other and points out Honda’s 1-2-3 finish at Daytona and other strong V-Twin showings at Road America and Mid-Ohio.

“I believe our bike comes off the turn fractionally better, but I believe the V-Twins still have top end on us,” said Mladin.

Al Ludington, Crew Chief for American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel, disagrees with Mladin and complains that the AMA should have already done something to make V-Twins more competitive, mid-season. On Honda’s radar gun during the recent Dunlop tire test at Daytona, Ludington said Mladin’s GSX-R1000 hit 187 mph, RC51 Hondas ridden by Duhamel and Ben Bostrom hit 181 mph and a 2004 Superstock-spec GSX-R1000 ridden by Aaron Yates hit 181 mph.

“The 2004 rules will probably even things up (on horsepower),” said Ludington, “but the four-cylinder is going to be the way to go. The way the weight bias is on the Four helps its handling too much. They all have the power to blow away the rear tire. The Four gets turned and stood up on the big part of the tire quicker, allowing them to get on the gas sooner.

“The AMA doesn’t address the difference in parity in a timely manner,” said Ludington. “Look at NASCAR. I know people say it’s boring, but $2.2 billion in revenue isn’t boring. NASCAR has its own R&D facility with its own wind tunnel and engine development program.

“And NHRA. Have you seen that bike that Vance & Hines is drag racing now? They won a couple of races in a row, and NHRA called them up and told them to add 10 pounds to the bike for the next round. The problem lies in the AMA’s adjustments to the rules.

“You can’t write rules in the winter and hope they’ll be good for the next eight months.”

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