Industry Insider: floggers, new bikes and BSB…

44Teeth.com’s new guest columnist Dave Davidson, Industry Insider talks about vloggers, non-existent Yamaha’s, and ex-WSBK Champs.

Vlogg off

What’s the difference between a desperate vlogger and a professional journalist? If you don’t know the answer to that, than I’m afraid to say, you’re part of the problem. I’m happy to report though, most people do know the difference, as has been made evident thanks to a recent launch campaign from a prominent motorcycle manufacturer (I won’t name any names).

You see, paying an enthusiastic amateur to bleat on about the qualities of your new model, in the guise of a ‘review’, might sound like a great idea to a bunch of pencil pushing PR people, sat round a table. But in actual fact, it’s not. Because people aren’t stupid. And, thankfully, the majority can tell the difference between a genuine, journalistic review, and a paid-for advert. Even if that paid-for advert is dressed up as a genuine review.

What this smacks of, to me (and, I would wager, to most of the people in the industry), is a fear to let anyone with any genuine experience and credible knowledge, anywhere near the bike. I’m just glad that the general public are sharp enough to consistently call this kind of propaganda out, for what it really is.

Too slow?

The new Yamaha R7, which I’m sick and tired of hearing isn’t an OW01, has been busy flooding the internet this week. Why? Because Yamaha held their international launch event for the model last week. Despite it receiving praise from the world’s press, there are still a lot of you out there that think it’ll be too slow, and therefore boring. Which, by the way, is a completely ridiculous notion.

But, if you quite like the idea of the R7, yet you’re so rubbish on a bike that you couldn’t possibly ride anything with less than 100bhp, you might be in luck. Because rumour has it, there’ll be an R9 coming in the near (or far) future. Think of an MT-09 in a sportsbike package. 117bhp is supersport power in anyone’s book… Still, that’ll probably be too boring for some of you, won’t it?

British Super-Sykes

What chance have young, up and coming riders got to win a BSB championship, when the paddock’s full of world-class riders, looking to bolster up their retirement fund before they finally hang their leathers up and go and work for Eurosport. Countless GP and WSBK level riders have demoted themselves to national level competition over the years, stealing trophies from hard working kids. I could write you a list. Redding, Byrne, Haslam, Kiyonari, Haga, Smrž. Alright, they didn’t all steal many trophies, but you catch my drift.

One such rider I do expect to steal some silverware in 2022 is the grinning Yorkshireman, Tom Sykes. That’s if the rumours of his sensational return to BSB are to be believed. I must stress, I’ve got absolutely no proof the ex-WSBK Champ is returning to BSB. I did overhear a couple of people discussing a Tom Sykes, Ryan Vickers, Paul Bird love-triangle, though. So you never know…

Dave Davidson, Industry Insider