| Author | Message | ||
     Jaimec |
Damn. After looking so promising a few years ago, it looks like Ben Spies IS the new "John Hopkins." http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/racing/motogp-ben- spies-double-shoulder-surgery-expected-return-shor tterm/ | ||
| Jaimec |
Cal is looking pretty strong... broke the track record in taking his second pole position, and he's the only Yamaha on the front row to boot. | ||
| Crusty |
I wonder if he still doesn't like the new fuel tank setup? | ||
| Blake |
Hopkins was an immature alcoholic washout who never won any world championship or AMA Superbike title. Spies has a stellar record of top level motorcycle racing accomplishments, for whatever reason just not in MotoGP. It seems ever more clear that MotoGP has become a series where small stature is an advantage. | ||
| Gaesati |
I find it difficult to believe that any one rider can have so much bad luck in just two years as Ben Spies has had. | ||
| Bads1 |
Umm Blake he Hopkins was a Ama champion is SuperStock and AMA FX. Shortly after he went to GP. | ||
| Jaimec |
Per the movie "Faster," Hopkins was the next big "American Hope" based on his performance in those two classes as well. Unfortunately, he began his career on the hopelessly outclassed Suzuki MotoGP bike and only made things worse by jumping to the equally uncompetitive Kawasaki. My friends and I often wondered what his story might've been had he gotten a ride with Honda or Yamaha early on... but (like Ben Spies) he was loyal to Suzuki. Unlike Ben, however, Suzuki took a chance with him in MotoGP. Maybe it was their experience with Hopkins that made them gunshy with Spies? Who knows. In any event, Ben certainly got the better deal from Yamaha, first in WSBK and then in MotoGP. It's just too bad someone at Yamaha "hurt his feelings" last year and he burned his bridges with them. It looks like his career is just about over unless he can redeem himself in WSBK (as Marco has done, and Max before him). | ||
| Trojan |
It's just too bad someone at Yamaha "hurt his feelings" last year and he burned his bridges with them. After the season he had it wasn't surprising that someone hurt his feelings (although not his fault at times)! He jumped before he was pushed to be honest. I think Ben should just retire now rather than trying to come back from injury again. Even a superbike could be too much now as James Toseland and Neil Hodgson both found trying to return from similar shoulder injuries. | ||
| Xb1125r |
i hope crutchlow does not meet the same fate. Spies was doig good while in in tech 3 team. then we moved to the factory and it all went south. | ||
| Xb1125r |
Cal messed up big at the start again. he claims pole and then 5 bikes pass him like nothing. looks like Marquez at this rate will become the new champ | ||
| Trojan |
Crutchlow seems to struggle not with the actual start (he got away pretty well off the line) but is just too tentative into the first corner which allows other riders to get past. However once the fuel load went down he was pushing to catch back to the Hondas when he crashed (having just set the fastest first sector time of the race). You have to remember too that he is at a disadvantage to the factory Yamahas so has to ride harder just to keep up even with them, let alone the superior Hondas. Next year he will definitely struggle early on with the Ducati, but he obviously thinks they can bridge the gap and give him a chance at the title or he wouldn't have jumped ship. However the performance of the Ducatis this weekend shows no improvement at all, only managing to look better becuse both Tech 3 bikes crashed out. They have either made no progress at all or are already concentraing on next years bike at the expense of this years championship? | ||
| Jaimec |
And what would that be? He got the fuel tank he was begging for all year, and now he can't seem to figure out how to exploit it and even mentioned going back to the previous one for Silverstone. I think any disadvantage is entirely in his mind. | ||
| Trojan |
The factory Yamaha is always at least one step ahead of the Tech 3 bikes (ancd cal's tech 3 bike is another step ahead of Bradley's too), so despite what the press ay, there are differences between them. The Tech 3 bike is still using last years frame for instance, and I'm sure there are plenty of smaller differences too that they don't tell us about. I'm sure the differences would be almost unnoticeable to us mere humans, but to an alien motoGp rider? Changing the fuel tank location is actually a big difference, and normally teams would test over the winter with something that moved the weight so radically for the rider. To change mid season may not have been the best idea that Tech 3 had, but of course they are under pressure to improve from Cal too. You could see that on low fuel runs Cal was as fast as any of the leading riders, especially in qualifying and FP3. They need to find a way of inspiring his confidence with heavier fuel loads regardless of tank design used. | ||
| Jaimec |
A very interesting read: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/739/16892/Motorcycle -Article/Single-Track-Mind---MotoGP-Has-to-Change. aspx Since it would DRASTICALLY reduce the influence of the Spanish "feeder" series, it'll NEVER fly as long as Dorna and Ezpeleta are in charge, but I do like the thinking "outside the box." | ||
| Ducbsa |
Freddie Spencer had problems with one year's Honda GP bike with the fuel tank underneath and the expansion chambers going over the top of the motor. Too much mass centralization? | ||
| Trojan |
Interesting article, and I like Frank (I have even entered the Thundersprint ona few occasions with bikes I have built, ridden by 'celebs'), although I think Frank has a few facts very wrong.... Circuits can (& frequently do) discount tickets for both WSBK and MotoGP events. Portugal charged a nominal 1 Euro if I remember correctly for their last MotoGp round and the Spanish have been discounting for years. WSBK does frequently attract crowds larger than 31,00 (pretty much every UK event in living memory has had a bigger gate than that on race day alone). Frank can attract major names to Thundersprint and fill the day for spectators because it is only marginally and theoretically a competitive event. For most entrants it is a pleasant day out and for celebs a chance to show off in front of large crowds to satisfy sponsors etc. If Frank had to accomodate a whole paddock full of trucks etc he simply couldn't do it, nor could he manage to fill a whole day with just 3 major races like MotoGP has to.Frank does not have to pay riders to attend, nor did spectators have to pay to watch the event when it was held in the car park. last year he moved it to a permanent circuit in North Wales and it very nearly went under because of lack of attendance  Maybe the answer is to make 'star' riders race in more than one class like they used to in the 'good old days'. I used to enjoy watching the likes of Phil Read, Mike Hailwood, Agostini, Barry Sheene etc race at brands Hatch in the late 60's to early seventies and compete in multiple events on multiple machines in one day. The more races they rode in the more they got paid. The problem now is that the top riders are paid a lot of money to race in just one class and factory teams would have a fit if Lorenzo or Rossi decided to do a club race at the weekend on another manufacturers machine (or even another Yamaha for that matter!). Wouldn't it be great to see Marc Marquez race in WSBK one week then MotoGP the next? Or even return to the days when riders raced in more than one GP class? Freddu Spencer was the last to do it but I don't doubt that todays stars could race in both Moto2 and MotoGP quite easily if it were not for factory worries over crashing and sponsor clashes. Rather than moan about the state of MotoGP and WSBK what we really need to address is the state of national competition that feeds the International scene. Neither the UK nor US have a domestic Moto2 series (does the US even have Moto3 yet?) so anyone wishing to get into MotoGP classes is pretty much forced to race in the Spanish championship right now. This is what makes it the natural feeder class for big teams, not because the riders are somehow naturally any better than top BSB or AMA riders surely? The domestic organsiers need to get into gear and promote GP classes again in order to get riders into the spotlight and used to machinery they will ride if they ever get the chance to compete at world level. Riding around in domestic superbike series is only ever going to feed WSBK (if they are lucky enough to get that far!). Domestic series also need to work hard on TV companies and domestic sponsors. It is no accident that DORNA runs the Spanish series so well and attracts major sponsors to the series, and there is no reason why UK/US/French/german/japanese series couldn't emulate this formula quite easily. Britain and the US have arguably already has the best domestic Superbike series' in the world, so why not add a Moto2 class as well instead of Superstock/Supersport every week? | ||
| 46champ |
Matt if we go to Moto2 class rules I will quit watching and reading. I will not watch a bunch of Hondas race. I don't care that you say you can't tell the difference I know what they are. When that class first started the Honda was going to be there for 3 years...well why is it still there. | ||
| Trojan |
When that class first started the Honda was going to be there for 3 years...well why is it still there. because the series has been an astounding success story. When it was announced everybody mourned the loss of the 250 class. Now nobody even mentions the 250's any longer because Moto2 racing has been so close and exciting. Nobody even bothers that it is Honda powered either, and it really doesn't matter to the class if it is Honda, Yamaha or McCullough engines powering the bikes. One of the other reasons that Honda still power the bikes is that NO other factory bid for the contract or has tried to enter it since it was first announced. To say that we should not play because Honda is involved is just self harming to our national organisers. If we don't do it then others will, and they will be the next generation of GP riders. Lastly......watching MotoGP is also watching a bunch of Hondas race, with a few token yamahas thrown in for good measure. Whatever we think of Honda, they carry MotoGp racing at present and if they left the series would fall to pieces pretty quickly. next year will see more Hondas than we have now, so we'd better get used to it  | ||
| Jaimec |
Probably why I'm finding MotoGP less and less interesting, and WSBK and AMA Pro SBK far more interesting lately. | ||
| Jaimec |
Good article at "The Soup:" http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2013/Aug/130827brad smith.htm Most telling quote regards "new equipment." Brad realizes that the bike is the same as the one Lorenzo rode to a championship last year, and unlike his team mate, realizes that adding new parts will just prolong the learning process. Sounds like he has a good head on his shoulders. | ||
| Trojan |
unlike his team mate, realizes that adding new parts will just prolong the learning process And unlike his team mate brad is in his rookie year of a 2 year contract, so is under no pressure and no illusions about his place in the team or his ability to actually win a race (not yet). Cal is in year 3 and HAS to perform. he knows he3 has the ability so is frustrated by being one small step behind the factory pair in terms of equipment levels. He isn't a PR guy, so speaks his mind all the time, which unfortunately makes him sound like he is complaining a bit too much at times. Hopefully Brad Smith will mature into a decent rider capable of regualr podiums next year, but i doubt he will be able to match Crutchlows performance this year. | ||
| Jaimec |
Unfortunately for Mr. Smith, this is ALSO Mr. Marquez' rookie year too... | ||
| Trojan |
It will be interesting to see how next years Moto2 graduates get on in the big pond. Scott Redding on a 'customer' production Honda and Pol Espagaro on the theoretically better Tech 3 Yamaha. Add in a few top names coming from WSB probably (Melandri, Rea, Davies and Laverty are all in 'discussion' with MotoGp teams allegedly) and it could be quite a compeitive rookie competition next year. | ||
| Xb1125r |
now that the germans are running ducati i would not be surprised if the bike for nextyear is way superior then this year. personally I would love to see a silver AUDI Bike. I know it would kick BMW from the start | ||
| Crusty |
I'm sure that an Audi powered motorcycle would outperform every BMW on the grid at a MotoGP race.  | ||
| Jaimec |
Crusty, maybe they could dice with the BMW Safety Cars... | ||
| Rasta_dog |
 | ||
| Trojan |
i would not be surprised if the bike for nextyear is way superior then this year. couldn't get much worse than this years bike though could it? Crutchlow has apparently had deep and meaningful discussions regarding the 2014 bike already, so probably has more idea than we or even the current riders do about the direction they will take next year. | ||
| 46champ |
Matt one of the things I don't understand about everyone raving about Moto2 is it is just a spec class. For years all I ever heard about AMA flat track racing was "It is nothing but a bunch of Harley's racing. Well what is the difference the only things in common were the Harley XR750 engines. People were racing Harley frames Knight frames Lawwill frames and several other one offs. Though most ran Ceriani forks not all did, and there was never a universial shock. So what is the difference is it because Honda motors good Harley motors bad. We don't have to worry too much about the Harley engines in a few years they will be gone just like we ran the Offenhauser's out of Indy car racing and it has never been the same since. | ||
| Crusty |
Ain't that the truth! I still stand by my (and Rob Muzzy's) statement that the most exciting form of racing to watch is a Mile. There's a Doubleheader Springfield Mile this weekend, and I couldn't go. I'm bummed.  |
