Difference between "kit" and "works" for AMA Honda's this year?

Can someone fill me in on the details between a "kit" bike and a "works"
bike?

Both Erion and "factory" Honda teams are running kit bikes this year, and
I'm just curious what the differences are.

In the past, I've heard of where you can buy the stock motorcycle, and the
get a box of performance parts for the bike for racing purposes (and the
performance parts were typically quite expensive).

Is that the "kit" they're talking about here? How is this different this
year from what Erion was doing last year? It was never clear to me how the
Erion and Factory Honda teams differed in terms of hardware. How is what is
happening this year in the AMA different from what Ten Kate (sp?) did last
year in WSB?

Finally, how are the Honda teams different from something like Yoshimura
Suzuki?

Just trying to understand the nuanced details here.

Thanx!

Regards,

Will Hartung
()

 

Yes, this is what's available to the privateer teams. One has to have
racing bonifides to buy them (an established team), because too much
of this stuff can end up on street bikes. Ohlins, for example ,says
they sell more of their top line racing suspension bits to well heeled
street riders than race teams.

It, very likely, changes weekly. Honda may start the season by saying
that there will only be "kit" parts available, ostensibly, to save
money. Then, as the season progresses, one of the teams shows
exceptional promise or they need to become more competitive, new parts
are developed and given to the works supported teams. Whether this
happens or not depends on, the necessity, and whether there is money
for it from either sponsors or the factory itself.

Is there some secret handshake or signal or something, that Hawk
litsters are supposed to use when addressing each other in a different
medium?

Bill Smith

 

All a bit irrelevant really. Does anyone, anywhere lease a factory
CBR1000? And if they did, did they pay full price? The only people to
have them last year were American Honda and HRC UK. I kind of doubt
either of them paid that money. This year the only Factory CBRs are in
the UK.

We'll have to see if all those bikes are competitive, but AMA, BSB, WSB
actually looks quite healthy for 2005. There's a lot of privately tuned
machines out there using a few kit parts, engines from people like Ten
Kate and the usual collection of Ohlins, Brembo and so on. The only
bikes that look like genuine factory or almost factory are the AMA and
WSB Ducatis, HRC UK and the main Suzuki teams in each championship. Even
the WSB Yamahas are built locally. Personally, I think this is as it
should be. It *should* be possible in Superbike to take a standard road
bike and turn it into a competitive racer if you can gather together the
money and skills.

Just like last year, the Yamaha Superstocks look seriously fast at
Daytona. It's such a shame that nobody takes it the next stage and turns
the bike into a Superbike.

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For a bike that changes every 2. uh-huh.

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