Interested in MotoGP?

[gav]

You said it. It was built for the Midget! But to a certain extent maybe that was Spanish money speaking. REPSOL.

Either way...pretty sucksville treatment from Honda.

Never saw them building a special for Alex Criville when Doohan was champ!

[slowpoke]

Fair enough - but ruin a good angle whydontya?.
Actually just having the crash fencing blowing up in the air was reason enough to call it off.

Honda are a bit different aye? Hayden won them a championship but now that he's struggling he gets treated like shit.
Apparently Mr Honda sat a young Nicky down early in his GP career and told him that at HRC you either win or we don't want you around.
I guess HRC rider is the top job so it should be the most demanding.

But the interesting thing with Hayden was even though he delivered HRC a world title and defeated Rossi, he was still treated as second best, as can be seen when they wheeled the 800 out for the first time. You think that bike was built for the reigning World Champ?

I dunno, I reckon the Big H are far too smart for that. No favourites here, even though they were supposedly the force behind the new 800 rules: 990cc V5 minus 1 cylinder =V4 800cc. I don't reckon they've counted on the adaptability of their opponents and have been caught resting their laurels a tad. They've just built what they thought would be the best bike and been found wanting both mechanically and polymer-ly (tyres).

What ever your school of thought either: 200+hp=superbike or 800cc=250cc technique, Pedrosa or Hayden ride quite differently, but injury has skewed the playing field so we'll never know. Hopefully Hayden will jump to Ducati next season, grab the thing by the throat and we'll have an fantastic championship on our hands next year.

Whatever happens Rossi has proven time and again that he is a force to be reckoned with no matter what the conditions. The king is dead, long live the king!

[Chrislost]

spies was doing alright from what i saw of the race.
cool! hope he gets a ride one day soon... need sombody new to suport round 2010 odd....

i loved the way rossie got in front and pulled away. (before the wind changed/rain/shit)

[TonyB]

Its a shame the title race isn't close, it looked like being an epic year early on, with Pedrosa, Lorenzo, Stoner and Rossi all winning races. Next year could be really interesting, now that Lorenzo has got his first year of crashing out of the way he could be a real force to be reckoned with. Though I suspect he might be a bit vuneralble mentally....something that Rossi will take advantage of if he has to. Hayden could go really well on the Ducati too, I reckon it'll suit his style.

[gav]

Hayden could go really well on the Ducati too, I reckon it'll suit his style.

And what is his style? I always thought he was more a rear end rider, hanging it out etc. Stoner doesnt ride like that, he is very hard on the front and just lets everything catch up with the front end, and very precise, which is exactly what the Ducati requires apparently. It was designed to be ridden in a very exact and precise manner, according to Ducati.
It would be awesome to see Hayden get his mojo back and fight for the title, I hope he can do it!

[lostinflyz]

hayden just needs motivation and support. honda have been pretty harsh considering last year their bike was a joke and this year its slowly getting there.

On a duke i reckon he could be a bit of a weapon, but i can see him and stoner clashing. Something about stoners whining and neediness says things may not be so great. Either way all i hope is that he plays at the front end cause hes grown up alot and appears to be a good dude now and rides a different style to most fellers now day. just look at indy and his determination pre and during the weekend.

either way im pretty certain he'll enjoy the duke as its got lots of snot and looks like it needs a bit of man handling,and thats hayden to a T. In the end the greatest thing would be if every bike was podium worthy and it was a 18-19 bike shitfight for first. i'd be giddy if that was the case.

[slowpoke]

And what is his style? I always thought he was more a rear end rider, hanging it out etc. Stoner doesnt ride like that, he is very hard on the front and just lets everything catch up with the front end, and very precise, which is exactly what the Ducati requires apparently. It was designed to be ridden in a very exact and precise manner, according to Ducati.
It would be awesome to see Hayden get his mojo back and fight for the title, I hope he can do it!

It'll be interesting. Stoner was a many time junior dirt tracking champion and that was also Hayden's background in his formative years.

[gav]

This sounds pretty cool, Hayden introduced at an American Ducati dealer meeting.
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Sep/080916ew.htm

[TonyB]

And what is his style? I always thought he was more a rear end rider, hanging it out etc. Stoner doesnt ride like that, he is very hard on the front and just lets everything catch up with the front end, and very precise, which is exactly what the Ducati requires apparently. It was designed to be ridden in a very exact and precise manner, according to Ducati.

Hmmmm, I always thought Stoner was into backing it in etc. One of us must be wrong

In the EuroSport commentary for one of the races they were commenting on how the Bridgestone front that Stoner and Rossi use is designed for a bike that puts much less load than normal on the front. They were saying that was why Rossi struggled initially, because Yamaha had to make the bike fit the tyre, and none of the other Bridgestone runners are using that tyre yet because they haven't got the correct setup. The theory is supposed to be that with more load on the rear, they can get the bike to hook up and accelerate out of the corners better. The more I think about that, the more I'm in two minds as to whether that will mean the Ducati will suit Hayden...

[codgyoleracer]

And Again: if West can be so bloody good in conditions that limits the power that can be utillised and be so much BETTER than the others - he has to be a good rider??

So if you ignored Lorenzo - who is the standout underdog/up-n-cummer this year ?

My pick - Dovisioso, reliable & surprisingly quick for a privateer team effort.

[roogazza]

So if you ignored Lorenzo - who is the standout underdog/up-n-cummer this year ?

My pick - Dovisioso, reliable & surprisingly quick for a privateer team effort.

He's my pick Glen, on a 250 he was great against Lorenzo even though his Honda was well down on puff. Gaz.

[denill]

He's my pick Glen, on a 250 he was great against Lorenzo even though his Honda was well down on puff. Gaz.

And that soon brings us to the great debate of who are the hot picks for 2009.

Gotta be between -Rossi, Stoner, Lorenzo, Pedrosa and maybe Dovizioso??

[pritch]

My pick - Dovisioso, reliable & surprisingly quick for a privateer team effort.

I'll second that... He and Lorenzo adapted very quickly to the bigger bikes.

[codgyoleracer]

[QUOTE=roogazza;1730121]Rossi is very 'steady' then Dr.Glen !!! Jesus he's good.

Rossi is doing stuff thats at the "next level" , He has such an affinity with a motorcycle its scary. He seems to have an almost personal relationship with a bike & he is a very very good listener.

[NZsarge]

[QUOTE=codgyoleracer;1734477]

Rossi is very 'steady' then Dr.Glen !!! Jesus he's good.

Rossi is doing stuff thats at the "next level" , He has such an affinity with a motorcycle its scary. He seems to have an almost personal relationship with a bike & he is a very very good listener.

Hmmm, well said.