What do you REALLY think of Nicky Hayden:

**gav** · 9th March 2007, 17:58

Originally Posted by denill

So where do you think he'll finish this year Gav??

Better than 5th...........

**pritch** · 10th March 2007, 07:35

Interesting speed figures, but then Ducati were fastest in a straight line last year too. Regarding this Jeremy Burgess remarked to the effect "There's usually just one straight but there are lots of corners."

I remember reading an interview years ago, it may have been Hailwood. He was saying that the first few races were scary as everybody thought they had a chance at the title and was giving it everything they had. It could all get a bit wild. After a couple of races it becomes apparent that in fact there are only a few who have a real shot at it and every body else settles down.

It's looking to be a good year...

I may yet have to get Sky. Bugga!

**sAsLEX** · 10th March 2007, 08:00

Originally Posted by gav

Think Hayden topped the charts for qualifying too didnt he throughout the season? Won a car or something? How did he manage that? Just lucky I guess...

Racecraft and racing the clock are rather different, Sete was still quick but Rossi had him on the track!

**Deano** · 10th March 2007, 19:03

Originally Posted by vifferman

Ah... that's not actually true.
Rossi lost the World Championship.

You calling Rossi a loser ?

Pedrosa, Hayden, Rossi.......

**Verity** · 10th March 2007, 20:14

We tape all MotoGP and Superbike races, as we don't have a back yard, you can keep your goats. We're happy for them to go out on loan as long as they come back. If interested, send me a PM.

**denill** · 12th March 2007, 13:30

Read: Rossi had another look at turn nine again but no matter how agile his machine was on the infield, he had no answer to the 20km/h top speed advantage enjoyed by the Ducati. Stoner won by 2.83 seconds at the flag. And set a fastest lap and race record of 1m 56.528s on that final blistering lap. Dani in third was 8.5 seconds away from Stoner – too far away for consolation.

From my point of view - what a great result!! But hasn't that put the cat among the pigeons? Or is it just goin to be a one off?
As someone also wrote: Jerez hasn't got the long, fast straight of Losail.

PS: Pity I've already voted, as I picked Nicky to finish 3rd in '07??
Not so sure of that now??

**JayRacer37** · 24th May 2007, 17:36

Originally Posted by gav

Better than 5th...........

Revival (I hope)....
Whats the thoughts on Hayden now we have all seen what he seems to be capible of this season??

**quattrocchi** · 24th May 2007, 23:05

Originally Posted by JayRacer37

Revival (I hope)....
Whats the thoughts on Hayden now we have all seen what he seems to be capible of this season??

I see someone who is mediochre and who seems not to be able to ride with determination. Just the way he became Champ last year.

I will say, tho, that he's consistent. Always seems to be at or near the middle of the field. (If all those in front of him were to have great misfortunes delivered upon them then he'll become the Champ again

**James Deuce** · 24th May 2007, 23:15

He rode a development mule to the world championship last year. Now he's suffering the same woes as the rest of the Honda riders. In case you guys haven't noticed, the Honda sucks this year. Every Honda rider is struggling to stay in touch with Ducati and Yamaha, and even the Suzuki seems a better package this year.

Honda have screwed up big time and you guys are bitching at Nicky Hayden? They had one test rider last year and he was their lead rider. Typical Honda rubbish. Yet he still won. People don't lose the championship. Rossi didn't score enough points to win last year. Second is the first loser.

I know! We could make the MotoGP championship just like Dancing With The Stars and the viewers could vote for their favourite rider thereby making sure that the "best" rider wins irrespective of who crosses the line first.

Until you're out there "picking up a World Championship because Rossi lost it and you won even though you sucked" you have no idea. Even Mr Lawrence wouldn't see which way Nicky Hayden went on equal machinery (except maybe Classic Racers). Every one of those guys on that grid, even the serial crashers, are phenomenal riders.

**BarBender** · 24th May 2007, 23:28

What do you REALLY think of Nicky Hayden?

I think he's half Vulcan.

**BarryG** · 25th May 2007, 04:55

I think he still bounces pretty well!
That was some getoff at Le Mans, not much left on the bike when it came to rest. I wonder if they rebuilt it for Monday's tests, or he'd destroyed it well enough to got a new one (probably one positive aspect of the bin!)?
Cheers
Barry

**Sketchy_Racer** · 25th May 2007, 07:12

Originally Posted by Jim2

He rode a development mule to the world championship last year. Now he's suffering the same woes as the rest of the Honda riders. In case you guys haven't noticed, the Honda sucks this year. Every Honda rider is struggling to stay in touch with Ducati and Yamaha, and even the Suzuki seems a better package this year.

Honda have screwed up big time and you guys are bitching at Nicky Hayden? They had one test rider last year and he was their lead rider. Typical Honda rubbish. Yet he still won. People don't lose the championship. Rossi didn't score enough points to win last year. Second is the first loser.

I know! We could make the MotoGP championship just like Dancing With The Stars and the viewers could vote for their favourite rider thereby making sure that the "best" rider wins irrespective of who crosses the line first.

Until you're out there "picking up a World Championship because Rossi lost it and you won even though you sucked" you have no idea. Even Mr Lawrence wouldn't see which way Nicky Hayden went on equal machinery (except maybe Classic Racers). Every one of those guys on that grid, even the serial crashers, are phenomenal riders.

So we can't say that Hayden is 'crap' rider, Yet you have the 'inside' knowledge to to say that he isn't.

Test bike or no test bike.

Hondas suck this year? Well he's on the factory backed HRC honda, Which i would like to think would be better than other honda teams bikes, yet he's still finishing well down compared to other hondas.

I have never watched hayden race, and said after "wow, that was a great race"

Rather, "oh, look the goes hayden, going round and round, Oh bugger look now Rossi got knocked off/ tyre feel apart/ engine blew up"

I didn't see haydens 'test' bike having any of those issues to deal with last season..

haha, Im sure Mr Lawrence may beg to differ on that fact...

Meh don't really care much, But i think its patently obvious thar Hayden is far from the best rider in motoGP at the moment.

The proof is in the pudding

**James Deuce** · 25th May 2007, 07:54

HRC regularly get thrashed by satellite teams. They spend too much effort on trying to prove that riders don't matter, only Honda engineering solutions.

You haven't been watching the Hayden I have. Part of the "problem" is that Rossi is such a huge draw card that TV spends a lot of time looking at him.

**k14** · 25th May 2007, 07:59

Yeah it pisses me off when people take a shot at him too. He's really up against it this year and was actually not going too badly till his crash on the weekend. Honda has totally screwed him, designing the 800 100% around their big hope (Pedrosa) who hasn't gone very well at all. They did exactly the same thing when Pedrosa went from the RS125 to RS250. Total bike redesign and some of their riders from previous years couldn't fit on the bike at all cause it was made for a midget.

This combined with the fact that Michelin are struggling this year is just compounds the problems. See the melandri/elias team aren't going as bad as the repsol's. It seems as though thats mainly because they are running bridgestones.

Will be interesting to see if he can beat the midget at leguna, not holding my breath though. Honda has a big uphill battle if they are wanting to win a gp.

**k14** · 25th May 2007, 08:02

Originally Posted by RG100!!

I didn't see haydens 'test' bike having any of those issues to deal with last season..

Huh??? Which racing were you watching? Go watch the brno race again, lost about 5 places (something like that) in the last few laps due to a slipping clutch to finish around 8th or 9th. This plauged him for the next 2 or 3 races till honda eventually let him run the same clutch all the other guys were running. There were also other instances of him having to run test parts. Thats the reason why rossi left honda, got fed up of having to do testing during races. Not a shit show of any part resembling a test item showing up on rossi's bike now unless its on a test day.