MotoGP 2012

[Crasherfromwayback]

Some things you simply can not ride around. The front end issues with the Ducati he could, the back end chatter with the Honda he can't. From the apex to full upright is where Stoner is strongest and that's exactly where the chatter occurs. The nature of the problem means there is literally nothing he or anyone else can change style-wise to fix it except open the throttle later - which isn't a fix.

You're on a hiding to nothing being a Stoner fan mate!

[roogazza]

Yes, but at least most of the two strokes bumped over quite easily.

If you were a reasonably big strong guy with good technique,
one step and bang ! Amazing eerie quiet just before that first engine fired.

[SimJen]

Some things you simply can not ride around. The front end issues with the Ducati he could, the back end chatter with the Honda he can't. From the apex to full upright is where Stoner is strongest and that's exactly where the chatter occurs. The nature of the problem means there is literally nothing he or anyone else can change style-wise to fix it except open the throttle later - which isn't a fix.

Funny how Stoner seemingly can't ride around this issue, but he could ride around the Duc's front end (he must be awesome!).
All the Rossi haters (Stoner Fans) must find it hard to justify their mans abilities now, after they've been slagging of Rossi's issues for so long...
I wonder if Rossi could ride around the Honda's chatter?
The difference is, Honda will throw whatever it takes at the bike/chassis to fix it as quick as humanly possible, Ducati will think its the riders problem!
And then once smoko is over they might change a couple of bolts or maybe hollow out an axle a little more....in true Italiano styles!

[Crasherfromwayback]

Funny how Stoner seemingly can't ride around this issue, but he could ride around the Duc's front end (he must be awesome!).
All the Rossi haters (Stoner Fans) must find it hard to justify their mans abilities now, after they've been slagging of Rossi's issues for so long...

When Stoner gets beaten in qualifying by a guy on a sat bike on a semi reg basis I might start wondering.

[SimJen]

When Stoner gets beaten in qualifying by a guy on a sat bike on a semi reg basis I might start wondering.

haha me shit stirring
Noone remembers who qualified where unless its on pole and then its only a side note to the final race positions that really matter!
In all fairness the guy you are referring too has had the same bike the whole year and is learning to cope with what he has, it has been completely untouched!
Rossi/Hayden are on an ever changing machine (not big enough changes mind you?)

[Crasherfromwayback]

haha me shit stirring
Noone remembers who qualified where unless its on pole and then its only a side note to the final race positions that really matter!
In all fairness the guy you are referring too has had the same bike the whole year and is learning to cope with what he has, it has been completely untouched!
Rossi/Hayden are on an ever changing machine (not big enough changes mind you?)

Me likewise!

Look, Rossi simply isn't prepared to through himself down the road on a regular basis trying to prove things he long ago proved. I dig.

And I hope he's on a competitive bike next year. I also hope Hayden stays.

[SimJen]

And I hope he's on a competitive bike next year. I also hope Hayden stays.

Yeah me too, Hayden comes across as one of the good guys! A real gent and a family man and a fricken hard worker!
Ducati though would be looking to the future and need a young gun to do it! I reckon they should get the Duc race ready then only when Rossi retires get a young up and comer!
It can't hurt to develop a bike using a couple of previous world champions!

[Mental Trousers]

Who Ducati employs as their riders for 2013 is likely to be a purely marketing decision. From that perspective Rossi has to stay because that's the Italian market sown up. But America is a huge market for Ducati so they need someone with that passport to keep the yanks onside. After all, Americans are ridiculously patriotic and they're not going to support some arrogant prick with a weird accent like Crutchlow.

Having the right passport is often the thing that gets someone their ride. It's why Nicky Hayden got in at Ducati in the first place and it's why Ben Spies is most likely to retain his seat despite his results so far.

If Yamaha support Dovi with a full factory spec bike and backup like I think they should they'll have the 3 most important markets covered - Spain, America and Italy.

[Cleve]

If Yamaha support Dovi with a full factory spec bike and backup like I think they should they'll have the 3 most important markets covered - Spain, America and Italy.

3 most important markets I would think would be Indonesia, Vietnam and then perhaps America...?

[Mental Trousers]

3 most important markets I would think would be Indonesia, Vietnam and then perhaps America...?

Maybe for ring-a-ding scooters and the like, but I don't think they sell many R1's, FJR1300's, MT01's, V Star's, YZ's, WR's, XT660's, Grizzly's, Raptor's, Rhino's etc in Indo or Vietnam. You don't go MotoGP racing to sell 110cc scooters.

[Crasherfromwayback]

If you were a reasonably big strong guy with good technique,
one step and bang ! .

Don't even need to be that with smokers. Easy as piss to start.

[jasonu]

Merv, I wonder how many guys on here nowdays know of or have experienced 'push starts' ?
Very,very few,we're a dying breed !

Nice watch mate.
Was that Chopper Reid smoking a fag at 7m 10s???

[pritch]

You don't go MotoGP racing to sell 110cc scooters.

Ummm Yamaha may beg to differ. Lorenzo had the word "Jupiter" writ large across his arse, apparently Spies also has it somewhere on his leathers and it's on both bikes. The Jupiter Z1 is a 115cc bike.

The manufacturers are all looking hard at the Asian market, probably because a large part of the western world markets are stalled?

[Crasherfromwayback]

Ummm Yamaha may beg to differ. Lorenzo had the word "Jupiter" writ large across his arse, apparently Spies also has it somewhere on his leathers and it's on both bikes. The Jupiter Z1 is a 115cc bike.

The manufacturers are all looking hard at the Asian market, probably because a large part of the western world markets are stalled?

They'll be having the name of a curry chain on their arses in no time.

[pritch]

Listened to an interesting interview with Mike Webb Moto GP race director this afternoon. For part of it he was explaining the apparent discrepancy between penalties handed out.

I can't quote him exactly but he said words to the effect, all riders start a new season on zero points with Race Direction.
He said the public tend to look at the outcome of an accident whereas race direction are more focussed on the cause.

Simoncelli received a more serious penalty than Bautista because Simoncelli had been warned about his riding on a number of occasions previous to the crash he caused. Bautista had not received warnings, but it was felt that the error he made was larger than could be excused for a rider at that level, so he had to receive some penalty.

This would also explain why Rossi received no penalty for bringing down Stoner.

When the interviewer mentioned Marquez, Webb replied that Marquez is a "work in progress" and that he hopes Marquez has listened.
Be interesting to see how that works out.

He said the whole thing is a balancing act, they want to allow people to race hard but they don't want anybody needlessly risking the lives of other competitors.

Webb said that Race Direction have access to views and technology that the public do not see and he seems happy with the information available to the four man committee that comprises Race Direction.