MotoGP 2012

[Crasherfromwayback]

Cronyism... Hayden deserves better than that....

Yeah pretty fucking rank I reckon.

Hayden and Dovi would be the two I'd be after in the MotoGP paddock.

.

Agreed 100%

[jasonu]

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[NAR RG500]

I got the same response as Denill, and probably the same one you got also Jason.

I responded with the fact that we will not be paying the entire monthly bill.

MotoGp.com looking like a dam good option.

[Robert Taylor]

whilst i am very happy for Lorenzo and Yamaha following stoners dive at the last corner...come on seriously...how many of us leapt in the air screaming with joy....ok maybe just me.....i am slightly worried at how damn fast the honda was....

I will own up to leaping in the air as well, the points lead has been partly restored.

Casey Moaner............BAD Australian

Mark Webber.............GOOD Australian

[Trudes]

I am so hoping someone somewhere offers Nicky something decent to ride for next season. He's been loyal to Ducati, never really hear of him bitching and blaming machinery or the crew when things haven't worked out. I'd love to see him at least having a chance. At least he generally follows the "In order to finish first, first you must finish" mantra.

[Crasherfromwayback]

I will own up to leaping in the air as well, the points lead has been partly restored.

Casey Moaner............BAD Australian

Love him or loath him, the sport will be worse off without him.

[slowpoke]

Cronyism... Hayden deserves better than that. And maybe a satellite Honda ride is. Dagnabbit — where are Suzuki, Kawasaki, Aprilia, BMW et al so that more of these amazing riders can keep racing in MotoGP?!?

I'm actually a Hayden fan, but the stats don't look good. I really enjoy the Superbikeplanet website too, Dean Adams is a funny, insightful bloke when he puts his writing hat on.

But he's waving a thread-bare stars 'n stripes in lobbying for Nicky Hayden over Rossi. Not to mention he's completely wrong. Hayden doing better than Rossi? Rossi's 71 points to Haydens 65 tell's it otherwise, and he wouldn't be that close if a certain tyre hadn't fallen apart. Rossi 79 premier class wins to Hayden's 3 despite 6 years on the Factory Honda.

As much as the septic tanks are lamenting him having the wrong passport, if he didn't have an American one he wouldn't have had a ride to start with. Can you imagine say the Aussie national superbike champ jumping straight onto a Factory Honda MotoGP ride?

He's a non-stop tryer, an ex-World Champion, and nice bloke, but realistically the outright speed just isn't there. With limited seats and so much talent vying for so few seats the numbers just don't add up for him. Any other time he'd be fine, but with MotoGP in it's death throes he could find himself part of the collateral damage.

[DidJit]

Ah, yes, all good points. And you’re right about limited seats and a healthy supply of very fast and talented riders. But we're not seeing Filippo, Vittoriano, Gabriele et al having to prove their worth, are we? They, too, have been “non-stop tryers” and they're not hanging themselves out to dry in the same fashion... Although, with the Audi deal finalized, I would say they had better start proving their worth quickly, because generally the first things that go when under-performing companies are taken over are upper and middle management. It isn't just the quality of riders that are holding Ducati back from the podium. That was the point of the article (in my opinion).

[Mental Trousers]

.... but with MotoGP in it's death throes he could find himself part of the collateral damage.

Death throes?? MotoGP is certainly changing but it definitely isn't dying. Just because they're making it cheaper and easier for teams doesn't mean it's dead. Probably the end of 100% pure prototypes, but the championship class has only been pure prototypes (no production bits allowed) in modern history anyway. It's returning to something closer to what it used to be when everyone was running TZ's etc.

[Mental Trousers]

Ah, yes, all good points. And you’re right about limited seats and a healthy supply of very fast and talented riders. But we're not seeing Filippo, Vittoriano, Gabriele et al having to prove their worth, are we? They, too, have been “non-stop tryers” and they're not hanging themselves out to dry in the same fashion... Although, with the Audi deal finalized, I would say they had better start proving their worth quickly, because generally the first things that go when under-performing companies are taken over are upper and middle management. It isn't just the quality of riders that are holding Ducati back from the podium. That was the point of the article (in my opinion).

Exactly. The main reason for the Ducatis being a dog for the last few years is the management. Specifically their head engineer Filippo Preziosi. He's an engine man and an arrogant prick too so he refuses to acknowledge there's a problem with the engine design. And it's the engine layout that is the only that hasn't changed through the various iterations of the bike and it's the main reason for the characteristics of the Ducati's that have carried through all of them.

Change the engine you change the entire character of the bike. But to do that they're going to have to change the management.

[pritch]

Damn!

After the weekends results I expected to take a hit in the MCN race league KB division, but from 2nd to 5th?

My boy Casey dropped it, Michael Laverty binned it, and Bautista had to start from the back, although that latter didn't influence things much.

Ah well there's always next week...

[slowpoke]

Ah, yes, all good points. And you’re right about limited seats and a healthy supply of very fast and talented riders. But we're not seeing Filippo, Vittoriano, Gabriele et al having to prove their worth, are we? They, too, have been “non-stop tryers” and they're not hanging themselves out to dry in the same fashion... Although, with the Audi deal finalized, I would say they had better start proving their worth quickly, because generally the first things that go when under-performing companies are taken over are upper and middle management. It isn't just the quality of riders that are holding Ducati back from the podium. That was the point of the article (in my opinion).

Yep, totally agree regards Preziosi. I'm not sure about a complete gutting of the race department, there needs to be some continuation rather than everyone learning from scratch? But Preziosi has floundered for too long despite a loooong list of some very good riders trying to polish a turd.

[DidJit]

I think what really needs to go is closed-mindedness. Try a new engine configuration (on the track and not just in a computer simulation) to see whether or not it makes a difference; try a new chassis; try a new system that addresses the current sudden delivery of power...
But, hey, I'm just another race fan looking in on the outside.

[roogazza]

Death throes?? MotoGP is certainly changing but it definitely isn't dying. Just because they're making it cheaper and easier for teams doesn't mean it's dead. Probably the end of 100% pure prototypes, but the championship class has only been pure prototypes (no production bits allowed) in modern history anyway. It's returning to something closer to what it used to be when everyone was running TZ's etc.

Death thros, maybe not yet but times are certainly tough.
Agree on the move towards what we used to have eg TZs etc. great years when everything was booming, probably the best ?
It's wonderful to have experienced those years and probably why all the olds farts get yelled at by 5 minute bikers when we suggest things are dying off here in NZ.
It's a world wide thing. Will it come back, maybe,maybe not.

When I started on bikes my heros were on V4 250 Two Strokes and 500 3 & 4 cyl 4 Strokes.

[tigertim20]

Damn, what a great race!
I much enjoyed seeing the numbers at the end, its Lorenzo leading, Pedrosa second, and Stoner third for the championship?
A competitive three horse race for the latter half of the season sounds like we are in for some good times!!