MotoGP 2012

[Oscar]

I thought in your business you would understand risk....
It's those quiet guys that always cause trouble!

He turned up, cleaned the 950, and then we went for a ride to Raglan on the XT500 and the R80G/S.

[rachprice]

here is an interesting perspective on 2012...http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/817/11...n-MotoGP-.aspx

I totally agree with that....

Obviously something needs to be done and Im glad they are trying to do something I just wonder if we might lose motogp forever

[rachprice]

Nope, it's just slower around a track.

Trouble is the factories didn't offer a solution. If they'd been a lil' more agreeable to cost cutting options we wouldn't be in this situation. I would like to have seen the GP bikes stay but with a control ECU as per BSB, but the factories wouldn't have it. They've shot themselves in the foot....or have they? With the costs involved they may well be happy (behind the scenes) to have someone else give them a way out without losing face?

It's a bullshit article really. CE II has admitted to only riding at 65%, and some of the other teams are even earlier in development with inexperienced (at that level) riders at possibly the very first test and to compare that against qualifying and race times of guys who are highly familiar with their bikes isn't worth the pixels it's written with. Sure there's a big gap, but it's early days and testing is far different to racing.

He's got one thing right though: if I'd paid a coupla grand to fly to Mugello or some other iconic track and saw only 15 bikes on the grid I'd be farkin' pissed off. To put it another way, with the skinny grids as per last season and lack of competition I wouldn't even consider going and neither would many thousands of other potential spectators.

Yeah to be honest I would prefer them slower around the track but a bit more wild....I think when some of them say its too dangerous without, they forget they would be going a lot slower. Who says they need to ban all electronics even? Maybe dropping them to the very basics may be an option?

I agree about the factories not providing an option....they may well regret that in the near future! (or hopefully come up with an option!!)

By the way, could they just stop changing the rules every fucking 2 seconds!

mmmm don't think its bullshit, I understand what you are saying - but 9 fucking seconds, that's a lifetime - and they aren't all 100% familiar, being a change in bike. Weren't the very first lap times testing for CRT slower than the superbikes (please correct me if iI'm wrong)

I flew all the way to Valencia not race gone but the one before and there weren't a lot - 17 I think anhd to be honest I had an incredible time. It was fucking exciting, even though the commentary was in spanish!!!

[Reckless]

Here it is!! GP12

But concentrate you got about 3 seconds of it right at the end

http://www.motogp.com/en/videos/2012...+at+the+GP12+1

[puddytat]

Honestly, they really need to do something ,because apart from watching Casey dominate & the odd tussle here & there, i found it a tad boring to watch.
The best racing of the season for me was watching the 125's & Moto2.I dont really give a fuck about brand, its the riders for me & Id prefer a grid of 40 0dd MotoGP CRT bikes than the small fields of the last few seasons.

[Crasherfromwayback]

& Id prefer a grid of 40 0dd MotoGP CRT bikes than the small fields of the last few seasons.

Then stick to World Superbikes.

[cs363]

He turned up, cleaned the 950, and then we went for a ride to Raglan on the XT500 and the R80G/S.

Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story, this is KB - FFS!

[cmoore]

MotoGP is the elite end of the sport, during good economic times there will be a few more teams because they can find the sponsorship, but history tells us there has generally always been only a small group that is truly competitive each year, more often than not one team and one rider dominates, because it is about prototypes and as such one group will develop an advantage which the others will take a year to catch up to. I don't like changing that basic formula just to get more bikes on the grid because it would appear to reduce the one common goal throughout MotoGp history....to develop something new to go faster than the others.

[DEATH_INC.]

Then stick to World Superbikes.

True, if it's good close racing ya want (most of the time) WSBK is where it's at, tho I'd like to see traction control pulled from this.
Leave all the techheads alone to develop their ultimate racing machines (moto gp), and don't worry about the quality of the racing, that's not what it's about.

[slowpoke]

Yeah to be honest I would prefer them slower around the track but a bit more wild....I think when some of them say its too dangerous without, they forget they would be going a lot slower. Who says they need to ban all electronics even? Maybe dropping them to the very basics may be an option?

Me too. A BSB style ECU would do the trick with just fuel injection, ignition, quickshifter, so you can lose an engineer (or two) and let the rider earn his money looking after the wheelie and traction control.

I agree about the factories not providing an option....they may well regret that in the near future! (or hopefully come up with an option!!)

By the way, could they just stop changing the rules every fucking 2 seconds!

mmmm don't think its bullshit, I understand what you are saying - but 9 fucking seconds, that's a lifetime - and they aren't all 100% familiar, being a change in bike. Weren't the very first lap times testing for CRT slower than the superbikes (please correct me if iI'm wrong)

The times are definitely a worry, but I just wanna see 'em both in full race mode before I write 'em off.
I flew all the way to Valencia not race gone but the one before and there weren't a lot - 17 I think anhd to be honest I had an incredible time. It was fucking exciting, even though the commentary was in spanish!!!

MotoGP is the elite end of the sport, during good economic times there will be a few more teams because they can find the sponsorship, but history tells us there has generally always been only a small group that is truly competitive each year, more often than not one team and one rider dominates, because it is about prototypes and as such one group will develop an advantage which the others will take a year to catch up to. I don't like changing that basic formula just to get more bikes on the grid because it would appear to reduce the one common goal throughout MotoGp history....to develop something new to go faster than the others.

So you would be happy to go back to these days:

"After the 1957 season, the Italian motorcycle manufacturers Gilera, Moto Guzzi and Mondial jointly agreed to withdraw from Grand Prix competition due to escalating costs and diminishing sales. Count Agusta originally agreed to withdraw, but then had second thoughts. MV Agusta went on to dominate Grand Prix racing, winning 17 consecutive 500 cc world championships." (Wiki)

Substitute a few manufacturers and this sounds awfully familiar.

Leave all the techheads alone to develop their ultimate racing machines (moto gp), and don't worry about the quality of the racing, that's not what it's about.

That's not what it is about to you. It might be about something completely different to others. If they are ultimate racing machines why are they limited by capacity, fuel allowance and type, number of gears, number of cylinders, brake rotor diameter, combustion cycle, GPS use, electronic suspension,etc etc etc? There are rules, the rules change or would you rather go back to racing 50cc with 10 gears? Good luck drawing a crowd for that. Ultimately the series has to be profitable for all concerned or it will die, simple as that.

[Crasherfromwayback]

. MV Agusta went on to dominate Grand Prix racing, winning 17 consecutive 500 cc world championships." (Wiki)

Substitute a few manufacturers and this sounds awfully familiar.[/COLOR]


.

Not to me is doesn't. In the last few years we've had the title go to Ducati, Yamaha and now Honda.

[RobGassit]

I'm with you.
I Nicky.
And no, nothing to do with how he looks. He just seems like a really down to earth bloke who does it 'cause he loves it. I would love to see him up on the podium a bit more.

Prepare yourself for disappointment.

[Oscar]

After 2010, and some of the best shit I've seen in a while, I'm happy with 18 odd full on GP bikes thanks all the same.

Opps. "I leant it to my mate..." Nek minnit.

18 was the exception and it wasn't going to get any better...
Notwithstanding that, it was basically at a point where Honda constantly got what they wanted (no two stokes in any class for example), otherwise they would take their toys and go home. CRT is structured to break the Japanese control of MotoGP.

[slowpoke]

Not to me is doesn't. In the last few years we've had the title go to Ducati, Yamaha and now Honda.

True dat, but I was peering into my cracked chrystal ball at the the proposed future if we'd stayed with the the program of unfettered technology and bugger the cost or the racing. Suzuki have followed Kawasaki out the backdoor, and Aprilia transferred their MotoGP project to WSBK. With Ducati and Yamaha being outspent by Honda in tough economic times how long before they get tired of the beating and pack it in? Ask any bookie and get odds on the Honda juggernaut not winning the championship this year...and the next for that matter, if the factories are still involved.

I'd love to be wrong but I get the feeling that Honda are the modern equivalent of MV Agusta back in the day and there is no 2 stroke revolution coming to save us from yawnsville. CRT won't save us either as it stands alongside the Factory bikes. I'm interested to see how they go and develop but ultimately it needs to be one set of rules (whatever they might be) across the board or it's just FUBAR.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Honda constantly got what they wanted (no two stokes in any class for example), otherwise they would take their toys and go home. CRT is structured to break the Japanese control of MotoGP.

I'd love to be wrong but I get the feeling that Honda are the modern equivalent of MV Agusta back in the day and there is no 2 stroke revolution coming to save us from yawnsville. .

I was chatting to a friend of mine that sells Aprillia the other day. He was telling me about the new direct injection two stroke scooter they have. Meets Euro 5, and gets 300km's on the same size tank the previous one got 120km's out of.

Bout time everyone told Honda to stick their diesels up their arse and form a runaway series for injected strokers I say. Cheaper to produce, run and replace. Sorted. Sort of back to the future.