MotoGP 2012

[Crasherfromwayback]

what we need is everybodies favourite wingeing opinionated twat Jeremy Clarkson to do one of his famously unbiased comparo's, then reverse the outcome to get the real answer!

Yeah. Because even if you try and get info on top speeds down the straights of various tracks...they often take readings so far down the straight the bikes are already off the gas and on the picks while the car still has full throttle on!

[merv]

Now if MotoGP had berms on the corners of the tracks that would even the speed between them and F1 a bit - they'd have to be pop up berms so they don't get in the way when the cars used the same track, but then the riders would have to practice on the wall of death or something to get used to the G Forces. Rodger Freeth tried the wings thing didn't he, but we never saw that again.

Anyway my comment on four vs two was in reply to the 20 secs different lap times point, and what I would add is that difference in lap time between an F1 car and the best road going sportscar would probably be very similar to the difference in lap time between a MotoGP bike (a proper one, you know a Honda, not a CRT bike) and the best road going sportsbike (I'll leave you to argue what that is), but in any case it won't be as great as 20 seconds for either four or two wheels.

[slowpoke]

Anyway my comment on four vs two was in reply to the 20 secs different lap times point, and what I would add is that difference in lap time between an F1 car and the best road going sportscar would probably be very similar to the difference in lap time between a MotoGP bike (a proper one, you know a Honda, not a CRT bike) and the best road going sportsbike (I'll leave you to argue what that is), but in any case it won't be as great as 20 seconds for either four or two wheels.

Nah, I reckon a cheap arse yamondawasuki sportsbike would be waaaaay closer to a MotoGP bike than any sportscar vs an F1 car. But that's what makes sportsbikes such fun, they are ridiculously cheap for the performance vs horrendously expensive for any decent sportscar.

[denill]

That's more due to the fact it has four wheels and not two.

Yeah, meaning - MORE rubber on the road.

[SimJen]

first day of testing in Jerez is over, obviously a few teams testing setups! (ducati/crt's) but Stoner is straight back into it, posting the quickest lap on his final lap!

1. Casey Stoner AUS Repsol Honda (RC213V) 1m 39.146s (Lap 54/54)
2. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory (YZR-M1) 1m 39.419s (46/76)
3. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) 1m 39.579s (40/60)
4. Ben Spies USA Yamaha Factory (YZR-M1) 1m 39.984s (44/71)
5. Cal Crutchlow GBR Monster Yamaha Tech3 (YZR-M1) 1m 40.130s (60/74)
6. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Team (GP12) 1m 40.512s (60/77)
7. Alvaro Bautista ESP San Carlo Honda Gresini (RC213V) 1m 40.545s (49/56)
8. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Monster Yamaha Tech3 (YZR-M1) 1m 40.665s (45/46)
9. Valentino Rossi ITA Ducati Team (GP12) 1m 40.920s (51/64)
10. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda (RC213V) 1m 40.983s (48/64)
11. Randy De Puniet FRA Power Electronics Aspar (ART)* 1m 41.015s (35/39)
12. Hector Barbera ESP Pramac Racing (GP12) 1m 41.388s (66/72)
13. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing (GP12) 1m 41.603s (55/71)
14. Aleix Espargaro ESP Power Electronics Aspar (ART)* 1m 42.293s (52/59)
15. Franco Battaini ITA Ducati Test Rider (GP12) 1m 42.403s (5/72)
16. Colin Edwards USA NGM Forward Racing (Suter-BMW)* 1m 42.462s (47/56)
17. Michele Pirro ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini (FTR-Honda)* 1m 42.655s (43/49)
18. Danilo Petrucci ITA Came Iodaracing (Ioda-Aprilia)* 1m 42.750s (19/39)
19. Mattia Pasini ITA Speed Master (ART)* 1m 43.006s (17/59)
20. Yonny Hernandez COL Avintia (FTR-Kawasaki)* 1m 43.437s (48/49)
21. James Ellison GBR PBM (ART)* 1m 43.477s (60/61)
22. Ivan Silva ESP Avintia (FTR-Kawasaki)* 1m 44.025s (60/60)

* CRT entry.

[Mental Trousers]

Bring 'em back I say. Clean burning two strokes. Yes please. (Not that I ever gave a fuck that they smoked. I used to too)

They were looking at direct injection two strokes for Moto2 - factories (i.e. Honda) didn't like it.

Good to see the CRT bikes are starting to get a bit of pace. RdP is under 2 seconds off Stoner's time, which means he's within 1.5 seconds of what's achievable for everyone who isn't Casey Stoner. That's not bad for a bike that hasn't raced yet. Aprillia might find themselves being labelled a Factory Team next season if they don't watch out.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Good to see the CRT bikes are starting to get a bit of pace. RdP is under 2 seconds off Stoner's time, which means he's within 1.5 seconds of what's achievable for everyone who isn't Casey Stoner. That's not bad for a bike that hasn't raced yet. Aprillia might find themselves being labelled a Factory Team next season if they don't watch out.

I'll be glad if they can all go as fast as a factory bike eventually. And yeah...Aprillia are bending the rules a tad I'd say.

[DidJit]

I'll be glad if they can all go as fast as a factory bike eventually.

I don't know if the factories would let that happen.

Crutchlow was at pains to point out that his bike is a step behind the factory Yamahas of Spies and Lorenzo, something that was painfully clear at track side. The Factory Yamahas hustled through the fast corners with nary a hint of interference, while Crutchlow's M1 sounded like an asthmatic smoker having a coughing fit.

And yeah...Aprillia are bending the rules a tad I'd say.

Who cares. They've been able to put 4½ more bikes on the grid via privateer teams — one of whom is already harassing the satellites with a second not far behind. One great season of racing coming up!

[pritch]

This years M1 looks great with more white on it I reckon...

That's only 'cause they haven't got a major sponsor. I'm sure they'd like less white and a big sponsor's name.

Honda and Yamaha seem to have their ducks in a row for speed and handling but Ducati hasn't found a magic bullet. Yet.
Rossi says the weight is still too far back and he wants to move forward on the bike. Some pundits blame the 90 degree engine.
If the engine layout is actually the cause of the problem, it's likely to be a less than rivetting year with only four guys in with a real chance.

The comments by Simon Crafar on his MotoVudu DVD about the effect tyres can have on a career may be germane.
Gary McCoy has been there done that too.

[Crasherfromwayback]

That's only 'cause they haven't got a major sponsor. I'm sure they'd like less white and a big sponsor's name.

.

Don't think they had one last year though either mate. Fiat left at the end of 2010 didn't they?

[pritch]

Fiat went with Rossi when he went, although that arrangement might be jeopardised by the reported Audi move to buy Ducati.
As may be the existing "special relationship" between Ducati and Mercedes AMG?

Malaysian oil & gas company Petronas belatedly came on board Yamaha as a sponsor for 2011, but evidently didn't stay for 2012.

[Cleve]

I'll be glad if they can all go as fast as a factory bike eventually. And yeah...Aprillia are bending the rules a tad I'd say.

There are no CRT rules. Just "guidelines"...

[Cleve]

and as Dennis Noyes puts it;
"There will be disagreement among the big three over some details, and unified distrust of Aprilia’s status as a CRT (independent) team (which grants an allowance of 12 engines rather than six and 23 liters of fuel rather than 21), but there are no grounds to reclassify Aprilia as a factory entry because the ART machines supplied by Aprilia to various teams are not leased but sold outright, unlike the satellite bikes rented out by Honda, Yamaha, and Ducati. Ultimately, the difference between factory and CRT machines is exclusively in the fact that CRT bikes are sold outright to teams."

[Cleve]

the full article is here: http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...es-beyond-2012

[Reckless]

great read thanks Cleve