MotoGP 2013

[steveyb]

He certainly hasn't had it as easy as Rossi seemed to make it when he was on top.

IT was someone famous that once said:
"You know, it is funny, that the harder I work, the luckier I get"

[BMWST?]

I think it's more than a highlight.
Pedrosa had a good lead early in the race, this was his chance to create a decent points gap at the top.
Instead he lets an old fella, his team mate and a non factory bike pass him to finish just one position ahead of Lorenzo.

I don't think Pedrosa has the mental toughness to win a championship. This race shows that.

Lorenzo on the other hand.....

p.s. anyone else notice Pedrosa did not give an English interview after the race. He really is a grumpy gnome.

youre dreaming.He hasnt been on it all weekend.Dont know why but the smallest thing seems to put these bikes of the knife edge.See Cal was running wide at first...full tank,VR himself has been struggling till they have made a small but significant change to a very good bike.I think the race was too cold for the Hondas,MM has the balls to ride round it,DP knows that 4th place is better than no place.I reckon we will see another end of season charge from DP as the season advances into late summer in Europe and we head to some more "Honda" tracks

[Drew]

IT was someone famous that once said:
"You know, it is funny, that the harder I work, the luckier I get"

I never said it was luck. I meant that Lorenzo is not so clear of the rest of the field, that he can dominate the way that Rossi did.

[pritch]

I think it's more than a highlight.
Pedrosa had a good lead early in the race, this was his chance to create a decent points gap at the top.
Instead he lets an old fella, his team mate and a non factory bike pass him to finish just one position ahead of Lorenzo.

I don't think Pedrosa has the mental toughness to win a championship. This race shows that.

Grinned all of the way through the race, but having said that I don't know quite what to make of it.

Pedrosa crashed during qualifying, apparently got back to the pits in time to go out for another lap but took his gloves off.
The possibility that he had hurt himself occurred to me then, and again during the race when he was not performing as well as expected.

Hopefully Yamaha have a new fuel tank sorted, Lorenzo was testing one at Barcelona. They really ought to give Crutchlow one as well, he did all that could have been asked of him finishing in front of Pedro thus reducing the latter's points haul. Yamaha though are in engine trouble and the riders may have to start from pitlane before long.

Must check out who has been winning at the Sachsenring in recent years

[denill]

They really ought to give Crutchlow one as well, he did all that could have been asked of him finishing in front of Pedro thus reducing the latter's points haul.

And if CC does nothing else - it will make Yamaha more inclined to take his jibes on the chin.

[pritch]

IT was someone famous that once said:
"You know, it is funny, that the harder I work, the luckier I get"

Gary Player, "The more I practice the luckier I get." To a TV commentator who told him that one of his shots was lucky.

[merv]

Hey gazza are you sober yet after celebrating VR's win?

[Robert Taylor]

IT was someone famous that once said:
"You know, it is funny, that the harder I work, the luckier I get"

How about ''the less I knew the easier it was''

[roogazza]

Hey gazza are you sober yet after celebrating VR's win?

With all the medication I take Merv, can't do that anymore.But yeah still smiling.

How about ''the less I knew the easier it was''

Or Robert, "The older I get the faster I was," My boys bought me that "T Shirt" a no fear thingy , in the eighties.
Think they might have been trying to tell me something cos I got the hat, "FIG JAM" as well !
(you know, 'fuck I'm good just ask me ' !!! )

[DidJit]

If I were a (non-MSMA) team owner, bang for buck, I think I’d still be looking at the ART...

[Crasherfromwayback]

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2013/Jul/130701d17.htm

Dark days indeed for Ducati.

[SS90]

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2013/Jul/130701d17.htm

Dark days indeed for Ducati.

Hmmm, yes, a page on the Internet, that must be true.
It should be said however that while this current ducati has got worse, and the others have stayed the superior without any changes, it wouldn't take a genius to suggest that a step in the opposite direction wouldn't achieve a desirable end.

[Oscar]

Hmmm, yes, a page on the Internet, that must be true.

? Of course it's true - did you not watch the race?
The first Ducati was 10th - behind the first CRT bike.

That is a dark day for any team.

[DidJit]

... a step in the opposite direction wouldn't achieve a desirable end.

Which would be?

Up til now (according to what Dovi and Nicky have been able to let slip to the press), Ducati Corse have mostly been working on chassis stiffness this year... What is the opposite direction to that? (Genuine question.)

Current internet chatter is suggesting changes to the weight distribution of the lump. Would that fix the understeer issue? Throttle response (or, rather, engine power being too harsh on the rear tyre) is also still to be solved (either through electronics or more traditional/mechanical methods).

[pritch]

Current internet chatter is suggesting changes to the weight distribution of the lump. Would that fix the understeer issue? .

I liked the article that pointed out how far rear of centre the Ducati front drive sprocket is. The Honda and the Yamaha both have their drive sprockets exactly half distance between the front and rear axles. The item reasoned that this placement would make the Ducati handle like a chopper compared to the others.

When the new Speed Triple was designed the battery was moved up by the steering head to put more weight over the front wheel.
Perhaps to make up for the drive sprocket being so far back? The S3 sprocket is rear of half way, but nowhere near as far back as on the Duc GP bike.

But I'm not an engineer, and they're paying some highly qualified guys to sort all this out, so I await their results with interest.