Romaniacs missing link: The Ride to Fame?

[ktm950se]

After watching DVDs of the full Romaniacs race for this, and the past several, years, I have one question:



Why is this race not dominated by Christinis? There are so many sections where riders are simply spinning there wheels, literally, when having addition 'drive' offered by Christini's 2-WD system would allow them to move forward instead is struggling not to go backwards.



From the looks of it, there's hardly one of these bikes to be seen anywhere on the course, and even when there is one in the running, its not being ridden by any of the race winners.

Is the technology too fragile, does the company not provide the necessary race backing/field service, is the 2-WD concept not really practical?

Thanks for your thoughts on this.

ktm950se

[tehdutchie]

I've never ridden one nor are there many (if any) to be found in Europe. I consider the effort similar to Yamaha's 2WD WR bike, if it doesnt improve my riding skill (which is minimal already) it is not worth the effort..

[dashmoto]

I've only heard of one in the UK, and I only really know what they are from forums with a lot of North Americans on like this one. I'd think the only way one would show up in a Euro event is if Christini themselves decided to field a rider. Would the extra sales be worth it?

[Hausi1]

I've read somewhere that they are extremely fragile and take forever to be correctly dialed in. And the advantage is limited...

There is also the added weight and complexity, you don't want something to break in the middle of nowhere...


Don't know if this is true, but made sense to me.

[Dakar Dan]

Great footage of Kyle Redmond on a Christini in an Erzberg DVD from a couple of years ago. As a newbie to the event and starting from the second row, he finished extremely well, literally riding around other guys stuck without traction.

[stk0308]

Originally Posted by Hausi1

I've read somewhere that they are extremely fragile and take forever to be correctly dialed in. And the advantage is limited...

There is also the added weight and complexity, you don't want something to break in the middle of nowhere...

The best person to ask about that would be Geoff Aaron. He beat a Christini around the AMA Endurocross series for a couple of years. Taddy was the only one to beat him consistantly. Changing to a normal Honda hasn't seemed to improve his finishing. Quite the opposite actually.

[doyle]

I actually live within relative spitting distance of the Christini factory. I don't think they have the resources to properly field a competitive entry. They are a very small organization, I'm talking like 4 or 5 people small and I believe their desire is to license the technology to manufacturers rather than build individual bikes themselves. That said, I do believe they received a significant order from the Department of Defense for a run of bikes for military patrols, so perhaps their immediate focus is not on racing.

If you believe Christini, their system is not too heavy, nor very fragile, but it's not cheap either and for such a niche product in a niche market, one has to wonder about the longevity of such a business model.

US MILITARY RECEIVES CHRISTINI AWD 450 MOTORCYCLES
FILED UNDER: NEWS ON OCTOBER 5, 2011
After evaluating all the other Off Road brands currently made worldwide, the US Military has chosen CHRISTINI AWD to supply the troops with a tactical scout bike to be used in worldwide operations. The testing has been ongoing for over 4 years, and the CHRISTINI has proven to have capabilities unlike any other motorcycle in the world.
With the AWD system, our bikes can go where no other vehicle or bike can with less effort and fatigue. This capability is necessary for the troops who have to traverse very difficult terrain with significant gear and weight. The addition of an auto clutch makes the bike a hill climbing machine, but has the speed and agility to move quickly when needed.
The first order is being delivered for training with larger follow on orders in the works.

[Dakar Dan]

Originally Posted by stk0308

The best person to ask about that would be Geoff Aaron. He beat a Christini around the AMA Endurocross series for a couple of years. Taddy was the only one to beat him consistantly. Changing to a normal Honda hasn't seemed to improve his finishing. Quite the opposite actually.

Ah, yeah...that's probably Geoff Aarons I was meaning, not Kyle Redmond.
They all sound the same to me.