Dangerous Machines Or Dangerous Tracks.

[SCB]

I called a plumber last week because I had a leak. He turned up and used a jack hammer to try and tighten a loose nut that was causing a leak. Unfortunately he broke his arm when he lost control of it and is now complaining I didn't provide him with the right problem. I asked why he didnt just use a spanner to fix the job and he told me, "could you do better".

 

Surely if you have a job, you use the right tool for the job. Or are speedway riders too thick for that?!

[stevehone]

keep saying it, but riders should keep an upright in their armoury for when tracks aren't perfect

[Tsunami]

I disagree that there are more injuries - certainly there are less serious ones these days, largely due to improved safety measures e.g airfences.

I recall in the 80s most years the final was missing a star rider due to injury eg 84 sigalos 85 carter 86 s moran 89 Jan o

The only career ending (or worse) injuries to top riders that I can think of in recent times is Darcy (and Rico) but go back to 80s/90s I can name countless riders.

I'd say the sport at the top level is increasingly being raced on big tracks and I'd also say the quality of racing at that level is better than it has ever been. You can't tell me that the likes of Darcy Tai Emil Zmarzlick etc are less skilled than their predecessors - different skills perhaps.

So no way are changes going to be made on a global scale to accomodate the fact that the uk has some small/tricky tracks.

Don't recall zmarzlick or dudek spending too much time over here. Emil only a short stint. Vaculik never. Pawlicki 1 or was it 2 seasons?

I think the new generation will not necessarily race in britain and I doubt they will struggle as a consequence.

I agree about the newer generation, as you have said big events are now held on big foreign tracks. But that is only true now, not in the history before that. Wembley being a tight track and high on the list for World Final, attracted many riders to come to the UK for the experience. The yanks always used to come here, and even my favourite Danes, always came here to get more meetings on the small tracks, even though they had some themselves. The UK tracks have been regular training grounds for riders having aspirations to be on the world stage, and competition against like minded riders.

[Starman2006]

keep saying it, but riders should keep an upright in their armoury for when tracks aren't perfect

Then all riders would be using uprights.

[Bald Bloke]

keep saying it, but riders should keep an upright in their armoury for when tracks aren't perfect

A current engine mounted upright wouldn't work imho.The power characteristics are wrong.

Most engines are short stroke and produce big (up to 75 bhp) power high up the rev range(maybe 11,000 rpm..)

When they hit dirt they take off,upright or not.

I'm no expert but you can soften off the motor but its still a short stroke revving it's nads off.

It's more complicated than sitting your engine upright.

Long stroke,60bhp and lower revving might help on deep/tricky tracks,but no riders gonna try it.

Cost a lot with no guarrentee

Edited August 12, 2017 by Bald Bloke

[stevehone]

 

Long stroke,60bhp and lower revving might help on deep/tricky tracks,but no riders gonna try it.

 

 

I don't mean just mounting one of the high revvers upright, I mean using a lower revving long stroke to allow more control

[Bald Bloke]

 

I don't mean just mounting one of the high revvers upright, I mean using a lower revving long stroke to allow more control

I see

[stevehone]

riding a Weslake I found to be consistent, a Godden was much harder to ride.

there must be a lower revving solution to these tracks

[OldRacer]

There are far more injuries these days than ever I can remember. Most of them caused by the Bikes.

 

 

I'd be interested to see stats on this. I don't have a strong feeling either way, but there have always been plenty of nasty injuries in speedway.

[The Master 88]

I have said it before on here, Untuned Sealed motors from the factory it will stop a lot of silly money being spent and silly power coming out of a fragile motor, Yes as people have said progress things get faster, but Now in BSB they are running basically stock motors, WSB is looking to go the same, Moto GP, have put in restrictions year on year, I cant take about 4 wheel racing as I don't have a clue, Safety has got better because of air fences but then we have gone Backwards in a way with Nylon Suits, Kevlars, not good enough for todays racing not much protection, look at the damage to Crumpies arm, etc,

The White Knight, on 12 Aug 2017 - 3:47 PM, said:

There are far more injuries these days than ever I can remember. Most of them caused by the Bikes.

Is there or is there far more media coverage so we know, In the 60s/ 70s /80s I could not tell you who was riding in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy Poland etc let alone tell you if anyone got hurt.

 

Are riders doing to many meetings in to many countries getting Fatigue and making mistakes, the whole speedway world is different now to then can you compare.

[Daniel Smith]

What I say is that the majority of life / career ending accidents tend to happen outside of British Speedway yet Brirish Speedway gets thw biggest flack from riders.

Some tracks here could do with being smoother but they're no more dangerous than anywhere else.

In fact, our safety records are way better than Polish tracks.

The thing is, they pay bigger bucks so that stops riders bleating about them.

Money over safety with riders imo

[Stoke Potter]

UK tracks are generally too narrow and poorly prepared. The one notable exception being Belle Vue.

You won't stop technology on the bikes so you have to fix the tracks.

The added bonus if you do so is you get tracks where the riders can actually race and you improve the product.

[foamfence]

UK tracks are generally too narrow and poorly prepared. The one notable exception being Belle Vue.

You won't stop technology on the bikes so you have to fix the tracks.

The added bonus if you do so is you get tracks where the riders can actually race and you improve the product.

So where are you going to site these tracks and the get the finance to buy the land and develop it? Most current tracks are in rented and shared arenas with little or no scope for alteration. You certainly could standardise machinery, you don't have to follow the herd.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

The modern bike roughly travels at the same speed as the bikes in the 80s ,however the speed of the back wheel has increased by around 2000 revs and that 2000 revs has a lot to answer for in terms of cost and safety

[Star Lady]

The modern bike roughly travels at the same speed as the bikes in the 80s ,however the speed of the back wheel has increased by around 2000 revs and that 2000 revs has a lot to answer for in terms of cost and safety

Not sure I understand that but the question remains has the extra 2000 revs improved the sport as a spectacle or simply fuelled the egos of the riders 2000 times

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

Not sure I understand that but the question remains has the extra 2000 revs improved the sport as a spectacle or simply fuelled the egos of the riders 2000 times

no it hasn't improved the sport but it certainly has increased the unpredictable nature of the bike and rocketed the cost Edited August 13, 2017 by THE DEAN MACHINE

[The White Knight]

I have said it before on here, Untuned Sealed motors from the factory it will stop a lot of silly money being spent and silly power coming out of a fragile motor, Yes as people have said progress things get faster, but Now in BSB they are running basically stock motors, WSB is looking to go the same, Moto GP, have put in restrictions year on year, I cant take about 4 wheel racing as I don't have a clue, Safety has got better because of air fences but then we have gone Backwards in a way with Nylon Suits, Kevlars, not good enough for todays racing not much protection, look at the damage to Crumpies arm, etc,

The White Knight, on 12 Aug 2017 - 3:47 PM, said:

Is there or is there far more media coverage so we know, In the 60s/ 70s /80s I could not tell you who was riding in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy Poland etc let alone tell you if anyone got hurt.

 

Are riders doing to many meetings in to many countries getting Fatigue and making mistakes, the whole speedway world is different now to then can you compare.

You may have a point here regarding different Countries - but as for media coverage it is virtually none existant these days, sadly. There was loads more media coverage in the 60's/70's.

 

I still believe my statement about more injuries these days to be true though. It has to be said that I cannot prove it - but that is my honest belief.

Edited August 13, 2017 by The White Knight

[Buttons]

There have been moans and groans for ages about riders coming off and state of tracks etc, the trouble is the tracks are the same as they were in the 60's (well most of them) but the bikes are not.

 

Surely when this started to happen why didn't the powers that be do something about it ie, tell riders in two or three years the bikes were going to change, to give riders a chance to organise everything.

[foamfence]

Yoou may have a point here regarding different Countries - but as for media coverage it is virtually none existant these days, sadly. There was loads more media coverage in the 60's/70's.

 

I still believe my statement about more injuries these days to be true though. It has to be said that I cannot prove it - but that is my honest belief.

It used to be quite common for a team to do a full season with the same seven riders, fans could often reel off any other teams 1-7, these days that seems to be becoming a rarity.

[stevehone]

 

 

I still believe my statement about more injuries these days to be true though. It has to be said that I cannot prove it - but that is my honest belief.

 

riders used to ride once maybe twice per week back then, now most riders are doing much more than that.

percentages are bound to be higher