BallReviews
Equipment Boards => Motiv => Topic started by: 3835 on June 14, 2023, 08:12:32 AM
-
Interesting to see a new Tank on the USBC Approved List as of yesterday (June 13 2023). Looks bright yellow, just like the new Vibe and the Sun Storm LE. Wonder if the Tank Yellow Jacket will be similar to the Carbide (as in same core and or cover but with a different surface prep. I guess it could be an overseas release too but I think Motiv stopped overseas only releases....
I have no other information at this time.
-
I saw some specs posted:
Frixion M5 Solid Microcell Polymer
1000 Grit LSS
Flux Core
New cover supposedly reduces lane shine, but is also highly tunable. It sounds like they've attempted to make the most versatile Tank yet. It also says it's good for wet/dry. I hope it's all true because I got rid of all my other Tanks (a few regrets) except for my Covert.
-
https://www.motivbowling.com/products/balls/light-oil/tank-yellowjacket.html
-
Will have some video of this one back half of next week, it’s design intent is around making this one the most urethane like shape, extremely early, and forward motion. Intrigued, because the MCP balls haven’t shaped like reactive, but they just aren’t early and as slow downlane as traditional urethane.
-
Mike - will the Carbide stay in the line-up? I think I had heard somewhere in the past that because of MCP, only one MCP ball would be in the current line-up at a time....
-
Mike - will the Carbide stay in the line-up? I think I had heard somewhere in the past that because of MCP, only one MCP ball would be in the current line-up at a time....
I believe both will be in the line for a bit this time around, the Yellow Jacket is a Tour Edition ball, not a full catalog piece, so it's not likely to be around more than 9 months unless sales dictate so.
-
Makes sense.
Maybe it will become for Motiv what the IQ Tour has become for Storm....
-
Screen shot of Yellow Jacket using Motiv's comparison tool. Note numbers very close to Purple Tank M5 MCP vs Solid Urethane. What I think Motiv is trying to do is make a MCP ball close to other brands solid urethane's to use on tour per Mike's observation.
[/gifv](https://www.ballreviews.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FcmC5vXx.png&hash=4177c9457b49c0d124c34d65b3e235ab2c716314) (https://imgur.com/cmC5vXx)[/gifv]
-
I have a NIB Purple Tank i'm going to drill when I drill my Yellow Jackets Wednesday, i'm not sure i'll have access on a good pattern for them that night when I get done in the shop, but if I can pull a string and make it happen i'll get some video of them compared to each other.
From the musings i've heard, I wouldn't expect a true urethane ball from Motiv again with the PBA urethane restrictions that may be even more strict or even a straight ban coming in the future, but time will tell.
-
Mike -
Care to elaborate on the potential more strict urethane ban on the PBA tour in the future. I have not heard that one yet....
-
All urethane balls manufactured before August 1, 2022 are banned for use in PBA competition.
There has also been an increase in testing the hardness/softness of urethane balls.
-
MJS -
When did that come out? I didn't see any articles pertaining to that. I only know of the you cannot use a urethane ball that was poured over 2 years ago rule....
-
https://www.11thframe.com/news/article/14047/PBA-bans-urethanes-made-before-Aug-1-2022-for-the-national-PBA (https://www.11thframe.com/news/article/14047/PBA-bans-urethanes-made-before-Aug-1-2022-for-the-national-PBA)
https://vcpbowling.com/2023/01/27/pba-announces-ban-on-all-urethane-bowling-balls-for-national-tour/ (https://vcpbowling.com/2023/01/27/pba-announces-ban-on-all-urethane-bowling-balls-for-national-tour/)
-
Thanks MJS for sharing the links on current state, there is also rumbling that more rule adjustments are in the works, but until something is announced it’s just rumor.
Back to the Yellowjacket, drilled both of mine last night, and couple interesting things. This new cover formulation almost feels like a hybrid of old particle and old urethane balls in the sense that it was not easy to get surface to adjust on a spinner. I’m so used to modern reactive and you can basically skip grits, definitely not the case on the Yellowjacket.
OOB first couple shots hit the lane and immediately hooked, after about 5 trips down the lane I was finally able to get the ball to push, it’s very early, and very forward downlane.
The other one I drilled I took the surface up to 4000, it was feet longer than the OOB, but still quite soft downlane. I’m intrigued when I can get on some flatter patterns and shorter patterns, but my eyes liked what I saw with how soft they were downlane. This is not a ball I see people really opening angles up in the fronts with initial impressions and that to me is a good thing, because the line has other balls for that.
I’ll report back more when I can get some more lane time and come back with some video clips.
-
Thanks for the update Mike. When compared to the Desert Tank or Purple Urethane Tank, do you see any similarities?
-
The Blue Tank is the ball I use the most, of anything. Used most in league last year. Use most on sport shot. I will not go to a tournament without it.
Before Blue Tank came out I went through many balls looking for something that could truly be an in-between reactive and urethane on sport shot. I did not like Pitch Black, and hated Purple Hammer.
I have a 420 rev rate, but 2 degrees of axis tilt, so the more "urethane" balls hook at my feet and I have a really hard time projecting them down lane. I also didn't like Carbide Tank for this reason.
My point is, while I understand the search for some urethane replica. I hope they also continue to release balls that are more Blue Tank like.
If my Blue Tank is too much, then I have to go down an old urethane. Blue Hammer (have one of those), or Natural (got that). Something which can be used as a control piece on really dry lanes would be nice. I don't think there is anything available now which can replace an old urethane ball.
Honestly, when people now talk about a "urethane" reaction, what they really mean is Pitch Black or Purple Hammer.
-
It looked pretty good with EJ throwing it. But then so would a 12-inch concrete block.
-
Well two things, first off haven’t had a chance to throw a fresh purple next to the Yellowjacket yet, but will make it happen this week, and I don’t own a Desert but I recall the one I did have being much cleaner and still shaping more downlane. The Yellowjacket stands up so dang early and is very forward. I’ll get a video done this week to shown this in detail.
Also this deserves its own thread but here’s your pba urethane update https://www.pba.com/2023/june/2023-pba-hardness-report
TL:DR 78 hardness required on urethane moving forward
-
Quick look at the Yellowjacket here, the ball is so strong up front at box finish, it's a bit tough to use on normal volume patterns, with less surface it's much more usable and shapes pretty well on patterns you'll see on a normal basis. This is definitely the most forward shaping MCP ball Motiv has created yet.
-
Thanks Mike. Good video especially the comparisons.
-
Will this ball illegal in PBA events next year based on the new hardness rule?
-
Will this ball illegal in PBA events next year based on the new hardness rule?
In a YouTube video, J.R. Raymond referred to urethane and urethane like balls being banned by the PBA.
These Motiv MCP balls are definitely urethane like.
-
As long as the hardness is 78 or above it would be eligible, that said I have no idea what the hardness is on these microcell polymer covers nor could I find anything on the manufacturer’s website.
-
From the pba definition of what "urethane like" is, and from what i've been told, the Yellowjacket will not be affected by the new PBA rule, these Yellowjackets do soak oil up, just slowly.
-
The Yellow Jacket is a pretty good ball, at least on Cheeta. But it seems to get nasty dirty faster than any ball I have owned. After two games, it was more brownish-gray than yellow.
After the first trip down the lane, it looked like a yellow plaid pattern shirt.
It also doesn't clean easily. I started with my normal cleaner and it had little effect. Moved to Genesis Max (which is pretty much the old lane masters cleaner), which worked a little better. The only way to really get it back to the original color was mild ball cleaner with a light magic eraser pad.
I used my Carbon for a game, the surface was fine. I also game the Hy-Road and Night Road a few tosses. Both had some visible marks, but nothing unusual. They both cleaned right up.
-
The Yellow Jacket is a pretty good ball, at least on Cheeta. But it seems to get nasty dirty faster than any ball I have owned. After two games, it was more brownish-gray than yellow.
After the first trip down the lane, it looked like a yellow plaid pattern shirt.
It also doesn't clean easily. I started with my normal cleaner and it had little effect. Moved to Genesis Max (which is pretty much the old lane masters cleaner), which worked a little better. The only way to really get it back to the original color was mild ball cleaner with a light magic eraser pad.
I used my Carbon for a game, the surface was fine. I also game the Hy-Road and Night Road a few tosses. Both had some visible marks, but nothing unusual. They both cleaned right up.
No denying the Yellowjacket looks horrible immediately and it isn't the easiest to clean up, makes you wonder though if all balls get that level of dirty but pigment doesn't show it. Regardless, do agree that they look good on shorter patterns, was able to get some stuff out to practice on this week and the box finish one (with ~20 games) still was a bit too strong for my ball speed on boardwalk, the 4000 grit one was the motion I was after, and worked really good til the pattern naturally started to stretch and reactive came into play.
-
The Yellow Jacket is a pretty good ball, at least on Cheeta. But it seems to get nasty dirty faster than any ball I have owned. After two games, it was more brownish-gray than yellow.
After the first trip down the lane, it looked like a yellow plaid pattern shirt.
It also doesn't clean easily. I started with my normal cleaner and it had little effect. Moved to Genesis Max (which is pretty much the old lane masters cleaner), which worked a little better. The only way to really get it back to the original color was mild ball cleaner with a light magic eraser pad.
I used my Carbon for a game, the surface was fine. I also game the Hy-Road and Night Road a few tosses. Both had some visible marks, but nothing unusual. They both cleaned right up.
No denying the Yellowjacket looks horrible immediately and it isn't the easiest to clean up, makes you wonder though if all balls get that level of dirty but pigment doesn't show it. Regardless, do agree that they look good on shorter patterns, was able to get some stuff out to practice on this week and the box finish one (with ~20 games) still was a bit too strong for my ball speed on boardwalk, the 4000 grit one was the motion I was after, and worked really good til the pattern naturally started to stretch and reactive came into play.
We have Wolf in two weeks, so I will see how effective it is on truly short oil.