MotoGP 2012

[merv]

Rossi needs to kick some arse if he wants to top Ago's record of GP wins.

[BMWST?]

those two yamaha men better not fight too hard or they might fing pedrosa will benefit

[Crasherfromwayback]

Rossi needs to kick some arse if he wants to top Ago's record of GP wins.

It's not gonna happen.

[gsxr&crf450]

Rossi needs to kick some arse if he wants to top Ago's record of GP wins.

Agostini was a great rider for sure, however there were only a handfull of Factory bikes with maybe Phil Reed and a few others on competitive bikes. If you look back through the old books and history you will see the evidence. The modern riders have incredible odds to compete with. Agostini had it comparitively easy.

[Oscar]

Agostini was a great rider for sure, however there were only a handfull of Factory bikes with maybe Phil Reed and a few others on competitive bikes. If you look back through the old books and history you will see the evidence. The modern riders have incredible odds to compete with. Agostini had it comparitively easy.

Too true.
He was also able to compete in multiple categories which Vale has never been able to do.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Too true.
He was also able to compete in multiple categories which Vale has never been able to do.

I agree with the Ago thing too. But who says Rossi wasn't allowed to do the 250/500 double a-la Freddie Spencer!

[Oscar]

I agree with the Ago thing too. But who says Rossi wasn't allowed to do the 250/500 double a-la Freddie Spencer!

They changed the rules, just after Freddie's double, IIRC.

[Crasherfromwayback]

They changed the rules, just after Freddie's double, IIRC.

Pussies! I reckon Rossi would've been good enough to have pulled it off too.

[Oscar]

Pussies! I reckon Rossi would've been good enough to have pulled it off too.

I've never quite figured out why they did it.
It may have summat to do with the age limit in 125/Moto3 and the "Spies Rule".

[DidJit]

Dovi’s off to Ducati.

Win-win for him really. If he isn't able to put the bike on the podium, he just points at Vale and shrugs; if (Audi make) Ducati make the bike competitive, he gets kudos.

[yod]

Dovi’s off to Ducati.

Win-win for him really. If he isn't able to put the bike on the podium, he just points at Vale and shrugs; if (Audi make) Ducati make the bike competitive, he gets kudos.

Go Dovi, hope he does well. Rossi will be a bit gutted if they finally get the bike sorted after he leaves!

[Drew]

Go Dovi, hope he does well. Rossi will be a bit gutted if they finally get the bike sorted after he leaves!

I doubt it. Reckon he'd say it was too much of a gamble to expect miracles within the next two seasons just because of new management.

[yod]

I doubt it. Reckon he'd say it was too much of a gamble to expect miracles within the next two seasons just because of new management.

Yeah, it's more about the R&D commitment Dovi has asked for as part of his contract, whether he actually gets it remains to be seen. Maybe they could buy Suzuki's old bike and start from there

[Mental Trousers]

Dovi’s off to Ducati.

Win-win for him really. If he isn't able to put the bike on the podium, he just points at Vale and shrugs; if (Audi make) Ducati make the bike competitive, he gets kudos.

I'll be so happy if Dovi or Nicky take a win next year.

Be interesting to see how Dovi gets along with the Ducati. It's a significantly different beast to the Yamaha which seemed to suit him so well.

I doubt it. Reckon he'd say it was too much of a gamble to expect miracles within the next two seasons just because of new management.

Management is exactly the thing that has to change. They've proven that since Stoner won on the Ducati they've been unable to produce a competitive, rideable bike. They've literally thrown away complete designs and started from scratch a couple of times and still it's only good for 5th or a crash.

[tail_end_charlie]

Isn't there a bit of the age old argument asking if your are being persistant and trying to refine a design, or that your just flogging a dead horse and need to start new. Ducati has gone for three totally different chassy designs since they got into MotoGP (steel trellis, CF, and now Al beam) where as everyone else has more or less just stuck with the Al beam frame (other then a couple of the privateers doing steel trellis).

So Ducati started MotoGP in 2003 (correct me if I'm wrong) and have had 3 frame types, going from steel trellis ('03-'06), CF ('07-'11) and now Al beam. Seems a bit like they are good at coming up with new ideas, and engineering them, but then put them out there and are a bit lackadasical about trying to refine those designs. If you look back at Honda and Yamaha especially, ther have had more or less the same overall design for both chassi and engine through each iteration of the Moto GP class (990, 800 and 1000), but have been introducing new parts and tweaking things as the season goes to try and find what works.

Seems like Ducati just throw out a design, lazily change a couple of things in a season or two, then wad up that design and throw and completely new design at the problem. Do they not understand the concept of the scientific method? You know, change one thing at a time so that you can tell what actually made a differance in performance.



Disclaimer: I don't actually know what I'm talking about and everything I say should be taken as words of wisdom from a armchair general/mechanic/engineer/racer.