MotoGP 2012

[Drew]

I think he deserved his title. Don't you?

Best average of results for the season wins. There is no question.

[ecko_nzed]

Best average of results for the season wins. There is no question.

That sounds a lot like math, I thought it had more to do with the size of ones testicular circumference?

[Drew]

That sounds a lot like math, I thought it had more to do with the size of ones testicular circumference?

That is only relevant when doing wheelies, on an RVF 400.

[tbs]

Tell that to the hordes of people who think Nicky Hayden didn't deserve his title.

Those hordes annoy me..... because he obviously did.

He accrued the most points in the season, and won the title. He could have wrapped it up in the second to last race but his team-mate took him down. (Payback's a bitch eh Dani?....) Then he held his nerve when Rossi binned it to take the title in the final race. Great stuff!

He beat Rossi's Yamaha on a Honda that wasn't the best bike on the track, and he did it while acting as a virtual test mule for Honda's engineering department.

The following year pretty much sucked for Nicky. Second worst title defense ever as I recall, but what the haters don't seem to realize was that Honda had completely dropped the ball on their design for the new 800. They made it so short that it pitched back and forth on throttle and brakes far too much for a rider of Nicky's size, making it highly unstable both going in and accelerating out of a corner. They pretty much made it for Dani, but even he didn't like it very much. I've got matching photos of Nicky and Dani braking into a turn and Nicky's forks are totally bottomed while Dani's have about an inch of travel left. Poor bugger never stood a chance.

Then of course he went to Ducati and struggled with it like every other non-Australian rider on the grid. This year he showed what a class rider he really is by consistently matching or outpacing Vale in qualifying and race pace. He took off like a jack-rabbit in some races until is tire performance prematurely fell off, and he tried bold moves toward race ends in an effort to get a better than 6th place, which didn't always work out well, but Vale seemed relatively happy to ride along behind and pick up any places which fell into his lap.

Until Indy, I reckon Nicky was well placed to beat Rossi on points this season, but of course his season was ruined by the same corner that ruined Casey's season (and ankle)

I'm looking froward to him as No 1 Ducati rider next season, and I hope Audi's money builds him a bike that is capable of fighting for better than 5th or 6th place.

Maybe then he might get the credit he deserves.

[Drew]

Those hordes annoy me..... because he obviously did.

He accrued the most points in the season, and won the title. He could have wrapped it up in the second to last race but his team-mate took him down. (Payback's a bitch eh Dani?....) Then he held his nerve when Rossi binned it to take the title in the final race. Great stuff!

He beat Rossi's Yamaha on a Honda that wasn't the best bike on the track, and he did it while acting as a virtual test mule for Honda's engineering department.

The following year pretty much sucked for Nicky. Second worst title defense ever as I recall, but what the haters don't seem to realize was that Honda had completely dropped the ball on their design for the new 800. They made it so short that it pitched back and forth on throttle and brakes far too much for a rider of Nicky's size, making it highly unstable both going in and accelerating out of a corner. They pretty much made it for Dani, but even he didn't like it very much. I've got matching photos of Nicky and Dani braking into a turn and Nicky's forks are totally bottomed while Dani's have about an inch of travel left. Poor bugger never stood a chance.

Then of course he went to Ducati and struggled with it like every other non-Australian rider on the grid. This year he showed what a class rider he really is by consistently matching or outpacing Vale in qualifying and race pace. He took off like a jack-rabbit in some races until is tire performance prematurely fell off, and he tried bold moves toward race ends in an effort to get a better than 6th place, which didn't always work out well, but Vale seemed relatively happy to ride along behind and pick up any places which fell into his lap.

Until Indy, I reckon Nicky was well placed to beat Rossi on points this season, but of course his season was ruined by the same corner that ruined Casey's season (and ankle)

I'm looking froward to him as No 1 Ducati rider next season, and I hope Audi's money builds him a bike that is capable of fighting for better than 5th or 6th place.

Maybe then he might get the credit he deserves.

Show me these results Hayden/Valentino for this year, I certainly haven't seen him out do or match him.

All the rest I don't disagree with.

[tbs]

Show me these results Hayden/Valentino for this year, I certainly haven't seen him out do or match him.

All the rest I don't disagree with.

Well without digging too deep, there was the last race.

[tail_end_charlie]

Show me these results Hayden/Valentino for this year, I certainly haven't seen him out do or match him.

All the rest I don't disagree with.

(Qualifing position-Race position)

Place...........................Total....QAT.....S PA....POR...FRA....CAT....GBR......NED.....GER.... ITL......USA.......INP....CZH...RSM...ARG....JPN.. ...MAL
6..........ROSSI.Valentino..148....12-10....13-9....9-7....7-2....9-7....10-9....10-13....9-6....10-5....10-NC....11-7....6-7....6-2....8-8....9-7....11-5

9..........HAYDEN Nicky.....114.....5-6.......3-8...10-11..11-6...7-9.....7-7......9-6.....7-10....4-7......8-6.......8-NS....-.....10-7...9-NC..10-8....9-4


F****** if I can figure out how to insert a proper table.

[Drew]

Well without digging too deep, there was the last race.

Ummmm, nope.

Pain in the arse to look up. Seems to have finished ahead of Rossi 6 or maybe seven times. With no podiums.

16 races been, so 9 or 10 times beating Hayden, with 2 podiums.

Pretty clear.

[Drew]

Ummmm, nope.

Pain in the arse to look up. Seems to have finished ahead of Rossi 6 or maybe seven times. With no podiums.

16 races been, so 9 or 10 times beating Hayden, with 2 podiums.

Pretty clear.

Fuck, read that all wrong.

[tbs]

Ummmm, nope.

Pain in the arse to look up. Seems to have finished ahead of Rossi 6 or maybe seven times. With no podiums.

16 races been, so 9 or 10 times beating Hayden, with 2 podiums.

Pretty clear.

I think the difference is in consistency. Nicky is always there or thereabouts (riding injured aside), and up until mid season this year he very rarely crashed, while Rossi could ride brilliantly one race (usually in the wet) and then be completely pants the next.

If (as Rossi once rather famously claimed) the rider is the biggest factor rather than the bike, then the one so often called the GOAT should have been consistently beating Nicky, but their on track pace and points tally was pretty even until Nicky's high-side at Indy.

Some of those times then Vale beat Nicky was when Nicky was ahead, and pushing really hard to make a couple of extra places. I can't remember which race it was, but case in point was when Nicky put a clean move on Bautista and then Bautista came back next corner and nearly punted Nicky into the gravel, at which point Rossi the opportunist slid on by.

[tail_end_charlie]

Some of those times then Vale beat Nicky was when Nicky was ahead, and pushing really hard to make a couple of extra places. I can't remember which race it was, but case in point was when Nicky put a clean move on Bautista and then Bautista came back next corner and nearly punted Nicky into the gravel, at which point Rossi the opportunist slid on by.

You thinking of the Sachsenring? Where he put a bit of a hard move on Bradl, and then next corner Bradl put an equally hard move on him and Nicky did well to keep the bike upright? Thats when they (Nicky and Bradl) were fighting for fifth, and when Nicky went off track he lost 2 seconds and 5 places. Rossi ended up taking advantage and picking up like 2 positions on the last couple laps.

[tbs]

You thinking of the Sachsenring? Where he put a bit of a hard move on Bradl, and then next corner Bradl put an equally hard move on him and Nicky did well to keep the bike upright? Thats when they (Nicky and Bradl) were fighting for fifth, and when Nicky went off track he lost 2 seconds and 5 places. Rossi ended up taking advantage and picking up like 2 positions on the last couple laps.

Yup, but I never thought Nicky's move was all that hard. Maybe it was, but it was clean... He got past cleanly and then Bradl put a pretty rugged move on him in return.... and yes, he did well to keep it upright. (apologies to Bautista).

[SimJen]

If (as Rossi once rather famously claimed) the rider is the biggest factor rather than the bike, then the one so often called the GOAT should have been consistently beating Nicky, but their on track pace and points tally was pretty even until Nicky's high-side at Indy.

Some of those times then Vale beat Nicky was when Nicky was ahead, and pushing really hard to make a couple of extra places. I can't remember which race it was, but case in point was when Nicky put a clean move on Bautista and then Bautista came back next corner and nearly punted Nicky into the gravel, at which point Rossi the opportunist slid on by.

I'm pretty sure it was Jeremy Burgess that made that statement?
Rossi has had higher placed finishes and despite all of the problems for both riders will still finish ahead of Hayden in points.
This makes him more successful on that bike than his teammate, simple as that!
Points win prizes.

[tbs]

I'm pretty sure it was Jeremy Burgess that made that statement?
Rossi has had higher placed finishes and despite all of the problems for both riders will still finish ahead of Hayden in points.
This makes him more successful on that bike than his teammate, simple as that!
Points win prizes.

Yes, Rossi has been more successful on the Ducati, both years. 139 points to Nicky's 132 last year. But my point was that Nicky has a lot of detractors, but the margin between them has been slim. And up until Nicky's crash at Indy they were very close again, and I thought Nicky was trying harder than Rossi, which sometimes cost places and points. I was gunning for him to beat Vale this year, but of course the Indy crash totally stuffed that.

Rossi has had some pretty good rides this year, but other times his bike has just seemed like a really bad hair day and he can't seem to do anything with it.

And as you say, points win prizes, which is why Nicky deserved that 2006 title.

[tail_end_charlie]

Yes, Rossi has been more successful on the Ducati, both years. 139 points to Nicky's 132 last year. But my point was that Nicky has a lot of detractors, but the margin between them has been slim. And up until Nicky's crash at Indy they were very close again, and I thought Nicky was trying harder than Rossi, which sometimes cost places and points. I was gunning for him to beat Vale this year, but of course the Indy crash totally stuffed that.

Rossi has had some pretty good rides this year, but other times his bike has just seemed like a really bad hair day and he can't seem to do anything with it.

And as you say, points win prizes, which is why Nicky deserved that 2006 title.

Yep.

I nearly had a heart attack when Ben stuffed it up the inside of Nicky at Motegi.