Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
While newly crowned 2003 AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin says announced 2004 AMA Superbike rules requiring stock airboxes and throttle bodies will slow down 1000cc four-cylinder bikes enough to put them at a serious disadvantage to 1000cc V-Twins, he’s also stated that privateer machines (said by their crews and riders to be equipped with stock airboxes and throttle bodies) are actually faster on the racetrack than his Yoshimura Suzuki with homologated kit throttle bodies and kit airbox.
Mladin has stated that announced AMA Superbike rules, which will mandate a stock airbox and stock throttle bodies on 1000cc four-cylinder machines, will decrease the power output of his GSX-R1000 and put him at a big disadvantage to the Twins in 2004.
“I think the AMA has made an absolute massive mistake in what they’ve done with the rules…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,” Mladin told Roadracingworld.com August 28 at Virginia International Raceway.
But Mladin also said that some current privateer bikes are faster than his, making the comments during a post-qualifying press conference September 20 at Barber Motorsports Park. In the press conference held after final Superbike qualifying, Mladin’s teammate Aaron Yates was telling of the difficulty he had passing Suzuki GSX-R1000-mounted Michael Barnes during the session when Mladin jumped in with a comment.
“The privateer Suzukis are quicker than ours,” said Mladin. “I got behind Shawn Higbee and he pulled away from me down the straight, and I’m a factory rider. These guys are always complaining about their bikes, but there’s a couple of Suzukis out there that are quicker than ours.”
Higbee’s 2002-model GSX-R1000 runs with stock throttle bodies under a stock airbox and is legal under the 2004 Superbike rules, according to Kevin Hunt, Crew Chief for Kaufman/Millennium Suzuki.
“We’ve never changed the airbox and throttle bodies, primarily because of cost, again. The way our bikes sit right now, there would be no deviation for the ’04 class,” said Hunt September 21 at Barber. Hunt said that his bike has run the same pistons, rods and crankshaft all season with only the bearings changed at regular intervals and has not suffered any mechanical DNFs during 2003 races.
“On our dyno, a stock one [GSX-R1000] is in the 142-145 [horsepower] range. With the stock wheel and tire assembly on, we’re in the high-180s at the rear wheel. Not bad,” said Hunt.
When asked what he thought when he heard Mladin’s comment about his bike’s speed, Hunt smiled and said, “I was grinning all night, even in my sleep. It makes me feel good because we are still on a very durable combination. That’s a real big pat on the back to all of our mechanics. We haven’t even had any stupid stuff coming loose on the bike. I’m very, very happy with that.”
“We haven’t tested the stock throttle bodies with our current engine configuration,” said Yoshimura Suzuki team manager Don Sakakura when asked what he thought of the speed of Higbee’s Suzuki.
In a phone call to Roadracingworld.com today, Mladin said again that Higbee’s bike was faster than his in a straight line. Mladin also said that there is no way to know if Higbee’s bike is legal internally because the machine hasn’t been torn down by AMA officials, and that if it truly does have stock throttle bodies and a stock airbox with legal engine internals, then Higbee’s crew is building a better racebike than Mladin’s crew, and “I don’t believe it.”
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