MotoGP 2012

[DidJit]

Thanks Mate that was a great read!

David Emmett's Motomatters blog is a treasure trove of MotoGP info.

[Crasherfromwayback]

I know I know...it's only early days for the CRT bikes an all that. But slower than a Moto2 bike? Pah.

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2011/...23noturkey.htm

[merv]

Not sounding pretty so far then at that slow speed.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Not sounding pretty so far then at that slow speed.

Yep. The pro Moto 2/ CRT people miss the point I reckon. I've seen many Superbike Race meets, but until you've seen a purpose built GP bike at full tilt you ain't seen anything like it in the world. So slowing them down to reduce costs, and to have more entrants fucks it completely. Might as well can it, and put all your money in Proddy racing (Superbikes/Supersport) and call it a day.

Remember Rossi's reaction to riding a 500 for the first time in the film 'Faster'? "FUCK!!!" That's how I was just watching my first GP!

Then when the 1000's came along...FUCK again. Now...CRT's and Moto 2 bikes. More like Yawn.

[Oscar]

Yep. The pro Moto 2/ CRT people miss the point I reckon. I've seen many Superbike Race meets, but until you've seen a purpose built GP bike at full tilt you ain't seen anything like it in the world. So slowing them down to reduce costs, and to have more entrants fucks it completely. Might as well can it, and put all your money in Proddy racing (Superbikes/Supersport) and call it a day.

Remember Rossi's reaction to riding a 500 for the first time in the film 'Faster'? "FUCK!!!" That's how I was just watching my first GP!

Then when the 1000's came along...FUCK again. Now...CRT's and Moto 2 bikes. More like Yawn.

I kinda agree, but the fact is something had to change.
As far as I can see, Honda is the villian of the piece, along with the worldwide economy.
CRT/MotoGP is better than nothing.

[Crasherfromwayback]

I kinda agree, but the fact is something had to change.
As far as I can see, Honda is the villian of the piece, along with the worldwide economy.
CRT/MotoGP is better than nothing.

Oh I hear ya...and agree that there need to be changes. I just think they're the wrong type of changes, as seeing them slower than proddie based bikes sucks serious arse.

[denill]

I kinda agree, but the fact is something had to change.
As far as I can see, Honda is the villian of the piece, along with the worldwide economy.
CRT/MotoGP is better than nothing.

You're right. Three factory bikes and must be close to two is not what it's about.

Carmelo Ezpeleta will of course level the playing field by loosenig the CRT restrictiions.

[denill]

When Lorenzo's racing career is finished he may have other choices as a comedian:

When Harris and Emmett asked Lorenzo what it was like to sit in the booth during the season finale and see his M1 raced by Yamaha test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga. Lorenzo immediately responded, "It feels like someone else is riding my girlfriend."

Earlier in the season when the Lorenzo and Rossi rivalry was still raging, the real Jorge Lorenzo responded to one of Rossi's verbal attacks by saying something to the effect of 'It must suck to be beaten by kids every weekend.'

[roogazza]

Oh I hear ya...and agree that there need to be changes. I just think they're the wrong type of changes, as seeing them slower than proddie based bikes sucks serious arse.

Most would prefer prototypes Pete, but the main audience aren't all using stopwatches. I'm sure it'll be ok racing. I hope Stoner stays if it becomes totally CRT.
The current Bridgestone wearers don't match all of the Michelin race and lap records do they, as an example ?

[Crasherfromwayback]

Most would prefer prototypes Pete, but the main audience aren't all using stopwatches. I'm sure it'll be ok racing. I hope Stoner stays if it becomes totally CRT.
The current Bridgestone wearers don't match all of the Michelin race and lap records do they, as an example ?

You don't need a stopwatch to see the difference between a proper GP bike and a proddie based bike, you know that.

And I'm only guessing (can't be arsed looking), but I would've thought the only records left from Michelin days would be qualifying laps on 'Q's'.

[slowpoke]

I know I know...it's only early days for the CRT bikes an all that. But slower than a Moto2 bike? Pah.

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2011/...23noturkey.htm

C'mon Pete, when the flag drops next season no way in farkin' hell is a 125hp prototype framed Moto2 bike gonna be faster than something similar with nearly twice the horsepower (insert that gear driven cam RSV4 engine here), carbon brakes, open gear ratio's (which the Moto2 bikes don't have).

You don't need a stopwatch to see the difference between a proper GP bike and a proddie based bike, you know that.

It wasn't that long ago that a Ducati Superbike was quicker than an NSR500.........

[Crasherfromwayback]

C'mon Pete, when the flag drops next season no way in farkin' hell is a 125hp prototype framed Moto2 bike gonna be faster than something similar with nearly twice the horsepower (insert that gear driven cam RSV4 engine here), carbon brakes, open gear ratio's (which the Moto2 bikes don't have).



It wasn't that long ago that a Ducati Superbike was quicker than an NSR500.........

Yeah...and I said they'll get quicker soon enough.

At one track...Donington if I remember correctly...Steve Hislop?

You've been to a GP though have you not? And a World Superbike meet? If so...are you gonna tell me the WSB meet was as awesome as the GP?

I've been to dozens of both...and to me, there's simply no comparison. My point being...if we're gonna dumb down GP bikes, to proddie based race bikes...might as well simply can the show and go to Superbike meets.

[DidJit]

Ok, I'm gonna troll just a little bit, but actually I'm genuinely curious... What is proddie-based about these new CRTs?

I'm just assuming here, but they have the same Bridgestones as the factory GP bikes (doesn't that sound like an oxymoron — factory prototype?... I digress...); the same wheels; the same carbon brakes; the same Öhlins suspension; a full prototype chassis; the same electronics package base (actually, I'm not sure about that last one)...

The only thing the CRTs are starting from a production base is the lump — and even then, they're not just bolting in a stock standard 1000cc. I understand (and I may very well be wrong) that most of the current production sports bike litre engines will have to be modified to 81 x 48.5mm bore and stroke, and then have all sorts of other go-fast bits added (gear driven cams etc.)...

So in my simple mind, what rolls out of a CRT garage is absolutely nothing like what I could purchase off the showroom floor. So what's proddie about them?

[Crasherfromwayback]

Ok, I'm gonna troll just a little bit, but actually I'm genuinely curious... What is proddie-based about these new CRTs?

The only thing the CRTs are starting from a production base is the lump — and even then, they're not just bolting in a stock standard 1000cc. I understand (and I may very well be wrong) that most of the current production sports bike litre engines will have to be modified to 81 x 48.5mm bore and stroke, and then have all sorts of other go-fast bits added (gear driven cams etc.)...

So in my simple mind, what rolls out of a CRT garage is absolutely nothing like what I could purchase off the showroom floor. So what's proddie about them?

Fair question! When I use the term proddie based, I'm referring to a type of racing more than the bike its self if that makes sense. All the rules (bore and stroke, number of cyls, limit of fuel etc etc), is making it more like 'proddie based' racing than open slather GP racing where pretty much anything goes within a much looser set of rules.

But regardless of rules...and time you slow the bikes down THAT much to make racing 'better'...you're fucking it. Humans get faster, All Blacks get bigger. Racing gets faster...let it be.

[DidJit]

Fair enough. I think the GP racing concept and atmosphere is embedded in enough people that it'll remain for some time yet.

As far as going faster, I think the factories that are able to afford fielding a full-on prototype will keep lowering the lap times, and I don't see Casey as the resting-on-his-laurels type either (meaning the riders and teams will keep pushing to beat their previous times as a matter of simple human nature). I reckon the CRTs will replace the satellites and then the factories (as evidenced already by Aprilia) may well alter their approach to suit (in terms of selling/leasing race bikes for the GP grid).

I wonder how long before a CRT bike beats a satellite bike next year. Or, even better, how long before a CRT beats all the satellites.