2012 Vetter Fuel Economy Challenges

[cvetter]

I am happy to announce the Schedule for 2012 Vetter Fuel Economy Challenges:

• Friday, May 4:* The Quail Motorcycle Gathering, Carmel, CA
• Saturday, June 1:* Washington State (specifics to be announced)
• Friday, July 20:* AMA Vintage Days, Mansfield Ohio

This is where we find out how we compare with each other in real driving conditions. As you can see, I am doing my best to be in your neighborhood.

Details will be posted here as they become available

[low&slow]

Hi Craig, Thanks for posting the dates. I'll definitely be there for Carmel, probably for the Seattle meet and maybe Mid-Ohio. Las Vegas to Barstow was fun, hopefully that could be added to the calendar. Thanks again for all your great work in hosting the Challenges. Merry XMas , Vic

[visionary]

Just thinking out loud!

Wouldn't it be great if we had an event like this in Europe!

We have some quite advanced builders/modders here that would challenge the best in the USA.

We would need a central location (France?) and a late summer date that coincides with some "event" of interest.

Perhaps Craig could "syndicate" his format and regs for us to use, or nominate a proxy, or even fly over?

Anyone interested? What do you think Craig?

[cvetter]

We are thinking the same. I would love to host a World Challenge. The problem is money. You and I - we Ecomodders - are in the business of living better on less energy. Most of what we do involves "consuming less". Spending less. We don't spend more. Traditional sponsors tend to be big, established concerns, that have existing money slated to promote and increase their sales. Whose sales would we increase?

Our potential sponsors are mostly struggling startups, like us Ecomodders. Our money and energy goes into dreaming and developing, not sponsoring.

We need to identify the sponsors who will help us ship our bikes back and forth across the pond... making the connection that helping us would increase their sales. Ideas?

It is possible.

Happy New Year

If we can find them, I will jump on it.

[HHOTDI]

[QUOTE=cvetter;276028]I am happy to announce the Schedule for 2012 Vetter Fuel Economy Challenges:

• Friday, May 4:* The Quail Motorcycle Gathering, Carmel, CA
• Saturday, June 1:* Washington State (specifics to be announced)
• Friday, July 20:* AMA Vintage Days, Mansfield Ohio

Hello Craig, So glad to see that you have posted the 2012 schedule and I am excited about it. I was checking my calendar and noticed that the Washington location, TBA, is listed as a Saturday June 1st. The calendar reads Friday is the 1st and Saturday is the 2nd....If you could clarify it for us that would be great...and i am so looking forward to it too!

May I also put my $.02 in for a suitable location..? The Tri-Cities (pasco/kennewick/richland), they have a lot of excellent roads and wide-open spaces for a nice competition like this(and it is only 2.5 hrs from my house, lol). It is pretty hot there that time of the year, so you should feel right at home, lol. We are very excited to see your progress through the winter with your friend's Ninja and the tail fairing you guys are making for it. Thanks for the updates, they're truly an inspiration to the rest of us.

A very special thanks Craig to you and Carol for all you guys do, it is noticed and much appreciated and we are grateful. Mike :{)

[cvetter]

Thank you, Mike. Let me give you a peek at how these Challenges work. If the ride is on Saturday, we try to meet for dinner the night before at some local burger place to get to know each other. Then we spend the rest of the evening in the parking lot, looking over each other's machines, etc. I go over the schedule for the next day and review how we want it to work. Altho you seem to have a number of serious high mileage enthusiasts in the Pacific Northwest, I love it when normal bikes come for the Challenge, too because the results give us real mileage of the bikes people ride.

Sounds like we will be meeting Friday night, June 1. I am looking forward to the event.

Craig

[HHOTDI]

Excellent Sir, I am so looking forward to it. I'll even ru a n Ad in our local paper to help promote it once you have picked a location... Whooo Hoooo!

Thanks again Craig! Mike :{)

[TedV]

A world challenge would be interesting. But I'd say it would point out that Europe has better motors available for economy. Like cars that get better fuel economy than my motorcycle along with more choices of readily available fuel sipping motorcycles.

Making out my schedule of events for the year. Will see if I can make it back up to Mid Ohio.

Thanks!!

[visionary]

Hi Craig, ref your point about a series sponsor for the Vetter Challenge, I would like to make the following suggestion,(even though I'm sue its something you must have considered).

Can't we get "The Discovery Channel" interested? They produce some excellent documentaries (of real merit) alongside the mildly entertaining crap. I'm sure the trials and tribulations of us ecomodders warrants as much airtime as the stupid antics of the average tattoo'd redneck burning up the planets resources.
Chances are your challenges would be more entertaining, cheaper to film, and be morally superior (which must count for something with a large multinational corporation with and an image to protect),than the existing chopper/hot rod output.
Even if we don't compete at present, there's bound to be a time when audiences "burn out" on chopper building.

Someone on this forum must know a "way in" - lets present a case for a real-life documentary series thats entertaining (without temper tantrums and breaking things), informative and fun. Who knows, we may catch the wave and wake up the world to what we already know - Detroit doesn't know it all!

Craig - if you film it, they will come!

Gotta stop now, that's my alarm clock going off.

[drmiller100]

what are the rules?
can I bring a three wheeler car/motorcycle?