MotoGP 2012

[Brian d marge]

I have a photo of one of the crt engines , unfortunately I'm using a tablet PC, and I'm not sure how to upload ...from here

sure does look different though....
stephen

[Crasherfromwayback]

I have a photo of one of the cry engines , unfortunately I'm using a tablet PC, and I'm not sure how to upload ...from here

sure does look different though....
stephen

TZ Yamaha's tend to...

[slowpoke]

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.

But aren't you keen to fuck off the electronics? Doesn't all the electrickery makes the bikes MUCH betterer gooder fasterer? So why the contradiction?

The answer is that it's not just about a laptime, it's about "The Show".

From the Cemetery Circuit organisers to Dorna, organisers don't go spruiking to potential sponsors or media groups about laptimes, you talk up how brilliant the show is and how excited people are by your product. You can have incredible machines and amazing riders destroying lap times wherever they go but if it's a tiny field and they go 'round like boring slot cars then I'm not gonna watch them, just like I can't be arsed watching F1. If you have to add compulsory pitstops to a race to generate some approximation of excitement there's something majorly wrong.

That's the situation we're approaching with MotoGP, where we're hoping for rain just to add some sort of variability. With manufacturers deserting the series and only 2 competitive teams (and even that is debatable) and no hope of anyone else outspending Honda how are things likely to change? Wait for Honda to get bored?

Seriously, what's the alternative? They have to be slowed down, they are already too fast for many circuits where runoff is at a premium, and they're only going to get faster. So why not slow them down in a way that drags in many different manufacturers, and many different variables, where you don't need the budget of a multinational conglomerate to be competitive? Sure a spec ECU minus the traction control etc would improve things but you are still stuck with a pitiful number of manufacturers/entrants and still have exhorbitant costs in getting even an uncompetitive bike on the grid. And while the anoraks out there might feel their eyeballs have been soiled I can't help thinking that a field of 25-30 153kg bikes packing 230-240hp (Biaggi's RSV4 is +215hp) will be a pretty good show.

Nah, I reckon change had to come and this isn't a bad first step. I'm not totally convinced yet, it'll be interesting to see how things develop, but I'm glad they are trying something to get MotoGP off the F1 path to yawnsville.

[Brian d marge]

TZ Yamaha's tend to...

Sell quite well. seize ? blow Lilliputian monkeys?

You may have missed a lot ....... have another look at that photo ......

Stephen

[roogazza]

Had to share this from 2007. Only a couple of laps but worth a quiz.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmUF457AQ-c

[Crasherfromwayback]

But aren't you keen to fuck off the electronics? Doesn't all the electrickery makes the bikes MUCH betterer gooder fasterer? So why the contradiction?

The answer is that it's not just about a laptime, it's about "The Show".


, it'll be interesting to see how things develop, but I'm glad they are trying something to get MotoGP off the F1 path to yawnsville.

I agree with you 100% that something has to be done cost wise to get more involved, and simply culling the electronics will go a long way toward that. I don't think doing so will slow them down that much, but for sure it'd sort the real talent from the nearly. I also a gree with 'the show'...but in my opinion, the show was awesome this year, but they're once again fucking with the rules, and adding costs of having to build another new bike. Stability is a better idea. Hell, even Yamaha said they were interested in building a V-Four engine, but wouldn't while the rules keep changing.

500cc two stroke era rules were the same for a very long time, and had some of the biggest fields ever.

[denill]

Had to share this from 2007. Only a couple of laps but worth a quiz.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmUF457AQ-c

Yeah, a good watch Gaz.....................

What a race - and what was the result.

BTW, the Ducati didn't look to shabby back then

[Crasherfromwayback]

Sell quite well. seize ? blow Lilliputian monkeys?

You may have missed a lot ....... have another look at that photo ......

Stephen

You talkin 'bout crying over the hole in the cases?

[merv]

Yeah Gaz a good clip, the boys were close then and funny how the Ducati was so fast - seems like a distant memory now.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Yeah Gaz a good clip, the boys were close then and funny how the Ducati was so fast - seems like a distant memory now.

How's your eye sight Merv? When Stoner went by Rossi with 7 laps to go...he passed him through sheer cornering speed. Not like he dusted Rossi off down the straight? Seems like people are still having trouble with his '07' title. Pity it's not the only one he's won then eh!!

[denill]

Still waiting for the knowledgeable ones to tell me the result

[merv]

With you all the way Pete, Stoner certainly can ride and he made that Duc go compared to his successors on the brand. 2007 he had the trellis frame though eh and went on to win the championship.

According to this he won that race at Catalunya too http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2008/C...er+superb+race not that I can remember that detail.

[Brian d marge]

You talkin 'bout crying over the hole in the cases?

Sorry , It was my blasted spell check on the Tablet pc , it auto magically changes it , then its almost impossible to correct it ,,,

CRT , , those were Some CRT cases , wall thicknesses , rods that aint a 17mmm gudgeon pin ,,,and cylinder spacing suggests ,,,they looking for power

Stephen

[slowpoke]

I agree with you 100% that something has to be done cost wise to get more involved, and simply culling the electronics will go a long way toward that. I don't think doing so will slow them down that much, but for sure it'd sort the real talent from the nearly. I also a gree with 'the show'...but in my opinion, the show was awesome this year, but they're once again fucking with the rules, and adding costs of having to build another new bike. Stability is a better idea. Hell, even Yamaha said they were interested in building a V-Four engine, but wouldn't while the rules keep changing.

500cc two stroke era rules were the same for a very long time, and had some of the biggest fields ever.

Yeah I agree regards the whole stability issue, but it's tricky getting the formula or circumstances right that allow it. Looking back the GP500's seem to be of a much simpler era and it would be interesting to talk to some of the experts in the know about how the GP500's would have developed if they'd stuck with them. Would costs have escalated along with technology as they did with say Aprilia's GP250's? Would we be seeing horrendously expensive funky gearboxes as Honda have developed? Or direct injection, traction/wheelie control and herds of laptop wielding electronics engineers clogging the paddock? Dunno......

The answer seems to lie in the KISS principle though eh? At the end of the day the GP500's were fairly simple machines, just developed to the Nth degree. The trick is to find a similar formula for the 4T's and let 'em get on with it. I know it won't appeal to the purists but in the current economic climate I think we have to be realistic and say that more restrictions or some forms of simplification are required, there's no worse time in the history of the world championship to have a technological arms race.

[denill]

It's only gotta help the class that's in crisis:

Another piece of the MotoGP puzzle fell into place yesterday, and another boost for the CRT rules aimed at getting more bikes on the grid. The Aspar team announced officially that they will be racing as a Claiming Rule Team in 2012, fielding riders Randy de Puniet and Aleix Espargaro. The team is to use Aprilia engines in their MotoGP machines, though the press release makes no mention of which chassis they will use.