MotoGP 2016

[5150]

[Autech]

What do you mean *used* to?

Haha, should we fire it up properly and discuss how often Pedrosa finished ahead of Stoner in the 125s, 250s and Motogp? Though sadly never on the top spot in the top class like Stoner achieved.

[Ntoxcated]

I will paraphrase: you used to think the source of that yellow light in the sky was omitted from Casey Stoner's Gluteus Maximus.

*emitted

[Crasherfromwayback]

Haha, should we fire it up properly and discuss how often Pedrosa finished ahead of Stoner in the 125s, 250s and Motogp? Though sadly never on the top spot in the top class like Stoner achieved.

They had some good 250 races, but Pedro was an absolute weapon on them. Stoner really seemed to have got the better of the big boys though eh.

[carbonhed]

Barring injuries to Marquez or Lorenzo I can't see Rossi recovering from this start to the season.

He'll have to actually start winning races and he's only won one of the last thirteen GP's... at Silverstone in the rain.

Last year he won two of the first three races. But Pedrosa was injured, Marquez's Honda was shite and Lorenzo got off to a slow start.

This year he's got an improving Pedrosa, Iannone and Dovisioso plus Vinales to battle with for the minor places... and he's not even winning those battles anymore.

If he hadn't inherited second in Argentina, after settling for fourth, he'd be battling with Barbera for sixth in the Championship.

Plus he's managed to turn Marquez into a mortal enemy... he no longer has the chops for that battle... if he ever gets close enough.

[Berries]

Barring injuries to Marquez or Lorenzo I can't see Rossi recovering from this start to the season.

Snip of mouth frothing and possible rampant masturbation while wearing an AGV helmet.

Plus he's managed to turn Marquez into a mortal enemy... he no longer has the chops for that battle... if he ever gets close enough.

You have some weird obsession to keep going off topic just to post your latest rant. The way you go on it seems you must be holding a candle for him?

[eelracing]

The way you go on it seems you must be holding a candle for him?

Don't be to harsh on ol carbo,after all it don't take a rocket scientist to realise that history and youth is no longer on Vale's side.
Not since ex WWII bomber pilot Les Graham in 1949 has there been a 37 year old win the blue riband class.

Yet the fact that Rossi is still forcing these young-bucks to bring their A-game to every round escapes those that just cant see it.
Not for Vale to fade into the dying light...he's a fighter that still lives and breathes racing,long after every other ex-champ has retired to improve their golf swing.
That's got to be admired and only the self deluded would write him off.

[pritch]

On another note, Mat Oxley's latest in Motor Sport Magazine inspired vigorous debate overnight eventually leading Kevin Cameron to respond. Their combined information should satisfy everybody except the engineers among us.

http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/ra...ing-backwards/

[Grumph]

That's all been known for years. Practically, it made no difference to things until power levels rose to the point where it was worth doing. I'd imagine that electronics can only do so much to help above a certain power level which is when you start looking at the architecture of the machinery.
Oxley's missing one thing too - if you're going to do a major redesign to reverse rotation, you don't have to stick with the crossover gearbox layout which requires a jackshaft.... It's quite feasible - and common - to put the final drive on the input shaft. Gives a 1:1 top which may upset the ratio choices available but with the budgets available, shouldn't be a problem.

[pritch]

That's all been known for years. Practically, it made no difference to things until power levels rose to the point where it was worth doing.

I doubt that the MotoGuzzi single mentioned by Cameron made many ponies. The Honda two strokes made more, but not as much as the big four strokes.

The M1 has been using reverse rotation since Rossi went to Yamaha, and now (thirteeen years later?) it would seem everybody has been converted.
So while it may have all been known for years it has taken until now for the advantages to become unanimous, and for that to be deemed worthy of mention.

[Dave-]

I was always taught the gyroscopic effect of the wheels contributed piss all to the overall stability of the bike, the drive train even less so.

I guess at the height of motorcycle racing though these tiny factors are just some of the many tiny factors that can make a noticeable difference.

[Badjelly]

I was always taught the gyroscopic effect of the wheels contributed piss all to the overall stability of the bike, the drive train even less so.

Whoa, that's getting a bit technical! Based on the comments of Kevin Cameron (whom I trust more than I trust Mat Oxley, or anyone else, on these matters), I think the effect is somewhere between "piss all" and "completely dominates the handling of the vehicle".

Back in 5th form physics...(Do they still teach physics in the 5th form these days? Do they have a 5th form?)...the teacher had a bicycle wheel with a handle on each end of the axle. We used to spin the thing pretty fast (another precise technical term) and then try to alter the orientation of the axle. It kicked back pretty hard. Having some familiarity with the steering characteristics of bicycles, I reckon that forces of that magnitude have to have an effect, though I'm ready to believe that what allows you to stay upright has more to do with the trail built into the steering and the lateral forces on the contact patch.

[roogazza]

The M1 has been using reverse rotation since Rossi went to Yamaha, and now (thirteeen years later?) it would seem everybody has been converted.
So while it may have all been known for years it has taken until now for the advantages to become unanimous, and for that to be deemed worthy of mention.

Yeah pritch, I'm surprised Honda havn't been running theirs backwards until now ?
The choices Rossi (and his Aussie Tech at the time) made,turned the M1 something special for 2004.

Quite enjoy reading Mat Oxleys writing on 'motorsportmagazine' myself.

[Drew]

That's all been known for years. Practically, it made no difference to things until power levels rose to the point where it was worth doing. I'd imagine that electronics can only do so much to help above a certain power level which is when you start looking at the architecture of the machinery.
Oxley's missing one thing too - if you're going to do a major redesign to reverse rotation, you don't have to stick with the crossover gearbox layout which requires a jackshaft.... It's quite feasible - and common - to put the final drive on the input shaft. Gives a 1:1 top which may upset the ratio choices available but with the budgets available, shouldn't be a problem.

It's moocho easier these days than it was too. Stacked gearboxes means either shaft can be nice and close to the swingarm pivot. Unlike my stupid GT125 motor of old.

[pritch]

I seem to recall that before they withdrew from GPs Kawasaki had been trying to improve the ability of their bike to change direction. They shortened the steering geometry until the bike became a twitchy beast of a thing to ride.

It would probably have been Jeremy Burgess, rather than Rossi, who gave direction to the Yamaha engineers. I was looking forward to Burgess's book but so far it doesn't look like a book is forthcoming. Pity, he'd have a lot of stories to tell. Alex Briggs said Burgess was busy working on his golf game though.