Greg Minnaar's Team G Cross Honda call it a day

[Cruxpearl]

from BikeRadar.com

 

Honda announced at the weekend that the G Cross team will not be continuing in 2008.

The statement released by Honda doesn't really explain why the team has been disbanded, but thanks those that have helped to propel the group to the top of the downhill mountain bike world.

Honda were the first to show that the gearbox concept in a mountain bike was a viable option in racing conditions, and there was speculation as to whether the G-Cross would enter production. We expect it'll never hit the shops now.

We're waiting with anticipation as to which team will snap up the G Cross riders Greg Minnaar, Brendan Fairclough and Cyrille Kurtz.

[Red Zone]

Pity Honda put a lot into the sport, hopefully greg gets a good ride and some more world cup / world champs.

[Guest colonel]

Honda is weird to be honest, they did the exact same thing in motocross (in SA) a few years ago, they came out swinging with really good and new equipment, ran a really succesfull team and then out of the blue they disbanded without any real word as to why the team had folded.

I will say thou that anything Honda does regards to equipment wise is far ahead of any of its competition.

 

[Red Zone]

It is strange, I wonder if they will release details of their secret gear box.

[rock]

It is strange' date=' I wonder if they will release details of their secret gear box.[/quote']

 

no secret, juts a 7speed cassette and a derailler in a carbon fibre box.......

 

 

[Bikalot]

i think they used the dh team as like a research and development thing for their moto x bikes,so maybe they have found out all they want or there isint much else they can learn

[rock]

Let's get Minnaar on a Morewood.....local's lekker bru

[Guest colonel]

i think they used the dh team as like a research and development thing for their moto x bikes' date='so maybe they have found out all they want or there isint much else they can learn[/quote']

 

No they wouldnt use DH info for MX atall, the front forks for example on their bikes are sub-shrunken MX units, they have taken MX technology and used it for DH. ON a world wide scale Honda's MX technology are leaps and bounds above the rest fo the manufacturers.

[javadude]

 

i think they used the dh team as like a research and development thing for their moto x bikes' date='so maybe they have found out all they want or there isint much else they can learn[/quote']

 

No they wouldnt use DH info for MX atall, the front forks for example on their bikes are sub-shrunken MX units, they have taken MX technology and used it for DH. ON a world wide scale Honda's MX technology are leaps and bounds above the rest fo the manufacturers.

 

I agree. Honda have full factory MX teams in the US and Europe, so what would they get out of developing suspension for 20Kg DH bikes. It was more than likely a branding exercise aimed at selling more Motocross bikes, Maybe they thought there was some kind of synergy between DH/4X and MX.

 

[Guest colonel]

Honda sells enough bikes worldwide they dont need to advertise through DH bikes. Alot of the top DH riders all ride MX in their spare time. I rode with Miller in 2002 at the Springfield track in Durban beofre and he can haul on a MX bike aswell.

[RodTi]

blah blah blah blah

 

Why has no-one asked what's happeing with those loverly loverly silver bikes?

[steve]

blah blah blah blah

 

Why has no-one asked what's happeing with those loverly loverly silver bikes?

 

Probably find they go to a privateer team with Honda links - much like Mugen is.

 

Like any motorsport or sponsorship programme, a manufacturer is only in it for as long as they feel they're getting a return on their investment.

 

The returns can be anything from research and development to brand awareness to even things like, "okay, we'll run a team in your series if the local motorsport federation gives us the rights to a one make superbike class" or anything along those lines.

 

I do think GM has done wonders for D/hill awareness in SA, but I'm pretty disgusted at the lack of media coverage he's recieved - only Mylo's underated MTB mag seems to keep his name in lights