Le Mans MotoGP *Spoiler*

**quallman1234** · 18th May 2008, 10:11

So normally by this time everyone's raving about the current gp coming up.

But not this time?
Maybe everyone hate's the french.

Pedorsa got pole! Amazing.
Stoner's having a cry because he didn't.
Rossi's getting his arse back in to gear.
Lorenzo's got a fooked foot but still hanging in with the best.

**NZsarge** · 18th May 2008, 10:20

Hmm, Pipsqueak on pole eh? I'm thinking he'll be hard to stop at Le Mans, roll on the race.

**White trash** · 18th May 2008, 10:32

But see what tops the speed traps? Hopper on the Kumandsukme is at least 5 kays faster than anything else.

Still languishing back in ninth place though.

My prediction: Rossi, Pedrosa and Stoner will run off from everybody else early in the piece. Stoner will slowly lose touch with the front runners. Halfway through, it'll piss down. The Texas Tornado Colin "Edwards" Texas Tornado, will happen to be passing the pit entrance (albeit three quaters of a lap down) when it rains, nipping in quickly to swap bikes and continuing on his drawling way. The rain will be that intense that all will fall in the surface flooding with the exception of wet weather maestroes, Chris "The Aussie Vermin" Vermuelen and Anthony "My Bike's The Worst Ever Built, I'd Rather Be Out There On A Yamaha Super Jog" West. And of course Colin Tornado III, who wins the race by a lap and a half, then promptly retires as "unbeatable".

Don't say I didn't warn ya.

**Sparky Bills** · 18th May 2008, 11:14

Originally Posted by White trash

But see what tops the speed traps? Hopper on the Kumandsukme is at least 5 kays faster than anything else.

Still languishing back in ninth place though.

My prediction: Rossi, Pedrosa and Stoner will run off from everybody else early in the piece. Stoner will slowly lose touch with the front runners. Halfway through, it'll piss down. The Texas Tornado Colin "Edwards" Texas Tornado, will happen to be passing the pit entrance (albeit three quaters of a lap down) when it rains, nipping in quickly to swap bikes and continuing on his drawling way. The rain will be that intense that all will fall in the surface flooding with the exception of wet weather maestroes, Chris "The Aussie Vermin" Vermuelen and Anthony "My Bike's The Worst Ever Built, I'd Rather Be Out There On A Yamaha Super Jog" West. And of course Colin Tornado III, who wins the race by a lap and a half, then promptly retires as "unbeatable".

Don't say I didn't warn ya.

That would be the most exciting race ever!!
You should put a bet on the TAB

**riffer** · 18th May 2008, 11:34

Originally Posted by White trash

But see what tops the speed traps? Hopper on the Kumandsukme is at least 5 kays faster than anything else.

Still languishing back in ninth place though.

So the new fairing is working. Now they need a decent frame and they might just win a race. Damn - I'd love to see the green machines on the podium just once this season.

**James Deuce** · 18th May 2008, 11:52

Originally Posted by quallman1234

So normally by this time everyone's raving about the current gp coming up.

But not this time?

Maybe because it's boring, processional, and with a couple of exceptions the riders could be any old midget who started racing pit bikes at 3 years old, and has a Dad with access to 20 million Euros.

F1 started doing the shit that's going on at the moment with MotoGP in the mid-80s. Once they got rid of the turbo-grenades, downforce generating fans, side skirts and drivers with testicles rather than money it went the same way.

Dorna need to understand that motorcycle racing isn't, and never will be a a mass market level entertainment sporting "event" like F1, NASCAR, or Football (soccer you cretins, not oval ball sports).

Superbike's is a mess. Ducati need to be chucked out. Supersport and Superstock is crap because no matter what manufacturer made the bikes, by the time you put sponsorship crap all over them the bikes all look the same.

The 2 strokes are the only thing left that require rider and tuner skill at the track. They're the modern equivalent of the old F1 turbo-grenades.

**k14** · 18th May 2008, 14:12

Originally Posted by Jim2

Superbike's is a mess. Ducati need to be chucked out. Supersport and Superstock is crap because no matter what manufacturer made the bikes, by the time you put sponsorship crap all over them the bikes all look the same.

Not true, superbikes and supersport this season is better than last (and that is saying something). Easily the best racing out there, any number of 7 or 8 riders could win a race. I also doubt that ducati needs to be chucked out, the rules seem to be fairly even where they currently stand. Only one Mr Bayliss can consistantly run at the front, the other 3 riders are around the top 10 depending on which track it is. Last weekend both superbike races the top 3 were seperated by 1 or 2 tenths, and the supersport race was just as close. The assen supersport race was one of the best I've ever seen, 9 riders end to end coming into the final corner??? Not even get that good racing in 250's or 125's.

But yes, motogp is a yawn fest. Looking at the practice times, maybe?? But I said that to myself before china too. Oh well, can live and hope.

**White trash** · 18th May 2008, 14:18

The trouble with the GP racing, is any one of the riders have the skill to tring a couple of real good laps together durin qalifying, giving nice close times and an unrealistic idea that it's going to be a close race. But after quater of the race is run, it seems there's only a few able to run consistantly in that bracket. And it's usually the same three or four riders.

Look at the Texas Tornados qualifying in China, fastest lap ever by a bike. Where'd he finish the race again?

**riffer** · 18th May 2008, 16:35

So you're a racer Jimmy. Give us some perspective here.

What
is the problem with Edwards and the others? Is it a matter of fitness? Or mental attitude?

How much different is motogp riding from the rest of motorcycle racing? Can we compare it to say, a Super14 match and a Bledisloe Cup?

Why do you think these guys can't maintain pace?

**k14** · 18th May 2008, 16:38

I'd say they are all equally talented riders, put them all out there on a stock gixxer thou and they be right on each others tails. The difference is who has the best setup, suspension, tyres, engine management etc. Which rider is best able to relay info to the team and whoever is the smartest cookie in the pits. The honda, yamaha and duc seem to be fairly evenly matched. It seems who can hit the setup best that wins the race.

**James Deuce** · 18th May 2008, 16:52

Originally Posted by k14

Not true, superbikes and supersport this season is better than last (and that is saying something). Easily the best racing out there, any number of 7 or 8 riders could win a race. I also doubt that ducati needs to be chucked out, the rules seem to be fairly even where they currently stand. Only one Mr Bayliss can consistantly run at the front, the other 3 riders are around the top 10 depending on which track it is. Last weekend both superbike races the top 3 were seperated by 1 or 2 tenths, and the supersport race was just as close. The assen supersport race was one of the best I've ever seen, 9 riders end to end coming into the final corner??? Not even get that good racing in 250's or 125's.

But yes, motogp is a yawn fest. Looking at the practice times, maybe?? But I said that to myself before china too. Oh well, can live and hope.

I'm not talking about racing. I'm talking about selling an entertainment package. The organisers of all of the racing series touted as premier classes aren't interested in technical innovation any more, just sponsor money and at least 3 bikes crossing the line within a second of each other at the front of the field.. The racing might be good in Supersport, but just like F1, actually no, in F1 you can at least still pick the Ferraris out of the crowd, the bikes all look the same. To the untrained eye it looks like a single bike class. There's more diversity in MotoGP in terms of silhouette and distinctive features. Supersport is like NASCAR without the ovals and personalities.

Ducati? I'm very tired of Ferrari and Ducati being allowed to run cheater equipment because "the sport is richer for their participation". Ducati (as you pointed out) can't hack it in Superbikes without a capacity cheat.

**White trash** · 18th May 2008, 17:34

Originally Posted by riffer

So you're a racer Jimmy. Give us some perspective here.

What
is the problem with Edwards and the others? Is it a matter of fitness? Or mental attitude?

How much different is motogp riding from the rest of motorcycle racing? Can we compare it to say, a Super14 match and a Bledisloe Cup?

Why do you think these guys can't maintain pace?

Dunno if I'm actually qualified to give an explanation Simon, bit I'll give it a shot.

From what I've found in the past twelve months, the higher the class, the more spot on your setup has to be. Things you can ride around on say a 600 that's not perfect, will be amplified twice on a Superbike. Hence the reason you'll see the best racing ever in 125s. Not bad in 250s and downright proccessional in MotoGP.

Same goes for Superstock. Versus Supersport and then onto Superbike.

I thought it'd be the other way, got a little handling problem? No worries, I'll just use the horsepower. Ahhh-ahhh, I don't think so Mr Trash, the extra power makes it fucken worse. Heaps worse. So I reckon if your GP bike's not SPOT on, you're gonna pay dearly.

Funnily enough the vastly experienced Mr Williams warned me of this exact phenomina twelve months ago.

**merv** · 18th May 2008, 18:15

Love the quote from Edwards on this page http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/May/080517c.htm

Julian Ryder had this to say "Colin Edwards, who was mightily displeased to be baulked by Marco Melandri while on a good run with his last qualifying tire. "Good job it didn't happen in Texas, I carry a gun there!", was the Edwards analysis. I think he was joking..."

Yeah why can't Edward string a decent race together? His WSB days against Bayliss saw some ding dong battles that he could win at times and Troy would win the others.

**riffer** · 18th May 2008, 18:54

Originally Posted by White trash

I thought it'd be the other way, got a little handling problem? No worries, I'll just use the horsepower. Ahhh-ahhh, I don't think so Mr Trash, the extra power makes it fucken worse. Heaps worse. So I reckon if your GP bike's not SPOT on, you're gonna pay dearly.

Yeah, you could have a point. But there's two issues I have here. Firstly, the riders who have great qualifying laps can't manage to do it in the actual race. Getting the holeshot doesn't seem to have too much of an effect here. Some riders seem to just be able to keep a consistent pace at or just under the lap record, lap after lap. Others can't do it.

The other thing is looking back at the last year with Casey Stoner. Now he could be a freak but I recall seeing his Ducati bucking and weaving and generally looking very unhappy but he just kept the throttle pinned and kept in the lead. Freakish skills or setup? I've also read (but who can believe this) that Stoner is a rider that gets on the power faster and harder than any other rider in the field, and that until Ducati found a way to get the bike to handle this he had a real problem with it. Perhaps Ducati found a way to harness that power with the suspension setup better than anyone else. Who knows, but it's a pretty good explanation.

I still think there's a fair bit of mindfuck going on too, but it seems to be all internal now, rather than psyching out the other riders. I miss the Rossi/Gibernau and Rossi/Biaggi type battles - Pedrosa/Lorenzo are wusses. It's too nice at the moment. We need a good punch up in the pits.