25th
2010 the year of the moped.
Ok, so I know I have been saying that for a while now. However, 2010 is really shaping up to be an amazing season. Why now rather than last year? Starting in the spring there is going to be a total of four different moped racing series. Polini Cup, and Moped TV, did quite a bit to build up the excitement of moped racing. Thousands of people tuned in, and realized that moped racing is the cheapest and most attainable form of small motorcycle racing.
So starting in April, there will be racing in Portland Oregon, Atwater California, Denver Colorado, and a yet unnamed spot in Ohio. This is huge. Already from one year of the Polini Cup, we are seeing new technologies feeding into the moped culture. Also, finally there is an outlet for moped tuning. Up to this point, it has mostly been about building a crazy bike, taking it to a rally, and trying to blast. Really fun, but hard on the bike, dangerous, and not really liked by the local law enforcement.
Moped Racing has been going around the world for at least the last thirty years. It seems just as it is petering out in Europe, it is doing the opposite here. Most of the race parts we are using were handed down to us as copies of original race teams such as Bidalot, MBK, Peugeot, Malossi, and Polini. We are seeing American companies are stepping up with new products: pipes, kits, and such.
Starting with Europe’s hand-me-downs, it seems that the less constrictive rules of the US circuits are allowing an interesting rift to develop between the Euro tech, and the American stuff. Just taking a look at the top of the line Motomatic bike, (One of the top racing teams of the Polini Cup) vs. the French aesthetic, you quickly see the different paths that are we are taking.
I am excited for this upcoming season, and I am very interested to see who outside of mopeds notices, and decides to join in. One thing is for sure, this season we are going to see some of the fastest mopeds ever built ridden by some of the best moped riders who have ever ridden.
Keep your eyes peeled on the soon to updated www.mopedraceteam.com for all the upcoming race stuff in one spot.
