Who Will Win The 2008 MotoGP Series:

**pritch** · 26th September 2007, 10:59

Originally Posted by denill

Ummm, it's already rolled on?

Ummm I know we're going to daylight saving this weekend but.....

**denill** · 26th September 2007, 11:07

Originally Posted by pritch008

I can remember some of the comments by the pundits in the Brit mags before the start of the season.

Honda would be very strong early. They would have an advantage regarding engine details such as cylinder head form, since they were expected to arrive at an 800cc engine by simply removing one cylinder. The new engine size was even stated to be a Honda plot engineered to give them an advantage.

Stoner's numerous crashes the previous season had gained him joke status...

The guys who write this stuff are supposed to have insider contacts, some have ridden in GPs...

I don't think anybody foresaw the impact that the new tyre rules would have, certainly Michelin don't seem to have. Then there was the new rule limiting fuel which gave (is giving?) all the teams problems.

I'm not sure about Yamaha, before Rossi joined them they usually finished 10th 11th 12th or thereabout. After Rossi joined them they finished 1st and 10th or similar. Lorenzo may be on a learning curve next year so it may still be 1st(?) and 10th for a while.

Be interesting to see if Yamaha can get their new engine to hang together over the winter and to see if Kawasaki can come up with something competitive.

Yeah good points Pritch. Crystal balls are very unreliable.
West the other Bloody Aussie is good for a wild card and if Kawasaki and he keep on the way they are - I reckon a top 5 finish. (This post will self destruct before the end of next season)

**merv** · 26th September 2007, 12:54

Originally Posted by pritch008

Roll on the 1998 season...

Yeah I'd love it back, think I had more hair then.

**chris** · 26th September 2007, 13:45

Originally Posted by chris

Stoner is gonna have his hands full beating his team mate for next year, Melandri.

This will still be the most interesting part of the first few races.

**koba** · 26th September 2007, 15:17

Vermulen, Once the suzuki is up to pace.

**cowpoos** · 26th September 2007, 15:25

Originally Posted by merv

Yeah I'd love it back, think I had more hair then.

but were ya taller?

**NZsarge** · 26th September 2007, 15:31

Originally Posted by koba

Vermulen, Once the suzuki is up to pace.

I think it would be fair to say Suzuki are'nt far off the pace now, just the odd tweak I reckon

**koba** · 26th September 2007, 15:33

Originally Posted by NZsarge

I think it would be fair to say Suzuki are'nt far off the pace now, just the odd tweak I reckon

Yep, Damn right, and it shows in the results they have had.
It has taken a long time but next yeah they might just push it that little bit further.

But are Vermulen and hoppy still signed to suzuki?

**NZsarge** · 26th September 2007, 15:35

Originally Posted by koba

Yep, Damn right, and it shows in the results they have had.
It has taken a long time but next yeah they might just push it that little bit further.

But are Vermulen and hoppy still signed to suzuki?

Pass, I dunno the answer to that one sorry.

**White trash** · 26th September 2007, 16:04

Originally Posted by koba

but are Vermulen and hoppy still signed to suzuki?

Vermin is, but Hopper is off to Kumandsukme to run around at the back again. Seems he missed the Suzukis performance or lack there of from 2005, thought the Kawasaki was the worst he could get..........

**merv** · 26th September 2007, 18:12

Originally Posted by cowpoos

but were ya taller?

Yeah I was and as my lovely wife keeps reminding me the average human loses a seventh of their height as they age so when you start out mine or Finn's size at least the seventh we lose isn't as big as some will lose .. lol

Back in 1998 who was the champ - was still Doohan wasn't it?

As for 2008 - always hard to say because predictions can be fraught with error - I'll guess Rossi will up his act and win it.

**denill** · 27th September 2007, 08:00

Looks like one of the 'Some One Elses' won't include the Texas Tornado?

Fiat Yamaha’s Colin Edwards may be coming home.

The Texan is planning to finish his career where it started, in the AMA Superbike Championship, as a member of Yamaha’s U.S. Superbike team in 2009 and 2010.

“That is kind of what I envision,” Edwards said at Sunday’s Japanese GP in Motegi. “Been in the factory team for what, the last three years? And going over to Tech 3 (Yamaha) I think is Yamaha’s polite way of kind of saying ‘Thanks and we need to bring up some young guys,’ which they do. I don’t want to get in the way of some young riders coming up.”

Edwards said he “had a hell of a win streak going there in ’94 and left in ’95 to come to World Superbike. And I felt that ’95 was going to be my year to win the AMA Superbike Championship. I’m not going to say we’re going to go over there…hell, we got to beat Ben (Spies) and Mat (Mladin). That’s the first step. And I think if Yamaha are willing to step up, as in Yamaha factory in Japan, and everything looks right and the cards are on the table and placed in the right position, then, yeah, I’ll do that. I’d definitely be more than interested.”

Edwards has been traveling the world since 1995 and wants to slow down, a little. He has a wife and two young children and it might be time to settle down to a life of domestic tranquility in Conroe, Texas.

“The other end of that, I’ve thought about ‘I’ll see you next year’ and then retire. I entertained that thought for about 30 seconds talking to my wife and she said, you’re going to be so f---ing bored. And she’s right. And it’s not the matter of being bored, it’s just I’ll go crazy not having anything to do or look forward to. And I had this discussion with my crew chief, it’s like, ‘How in the hell am I supposed to stay motivated, much less the whole team, when we have this tire problem?’ Where we go out and test every tire and they’re all a second off the pace. How do you stay motivated? But the reality of it is as soon as you get on the bike and close your shield…you got here for the reason that when you do that you go ten-tenths. As far as motivation off the track, yeah, there are sometimes you can get a little bit down on yourself, but when you close that shield and I don’t give a s--t who you are, if you’re up in this league at this level, you go flat out.” Edwards picked the brains of the Eric and Ben Bostrom during the recent Yamaha dealer show in Orlando, wanting to know everything about the team, the bike, and the series. Many of the tracks Edwards raced on in 1994 are still on the calendar and all have improved. But they’re a long way from grand prix caliber, with the exception of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

“Honestly, I’ve been watching pretty much all the races this year, first off to watch the battle royale that’s been going on; it’s been some good racing,” he said, “but also to look at the tracks. Yeah, there’s nothing like I used to race on. Charlotte and Loudon and Miami. I’ve been watching and, obviously, I know what they’ve done to places.

“You’re going to have to revert back to the old mentality. We grew up in the U.S. and we know that there are corners you absolutely cannot crash. Doesn’t matter what happens, you just can’t crash there and you can’t go over too aggressive of a pass, because the guy you’re trying to pass might crash.”

The current Superbike team has had sporadic results with occasional podiums, but no consistency. For him to come, he’d have to see commitment on the part of the factory. “I think that’s what I’m saying the cards need to be right,” he said. “If it’s going to happen…I don’t want to go over there just to do it. I’m not going to go over there just to compete. I want to go over there and win, which is saying a lot. But at the same time, why else race? There’s no other point in going over there. I’ve had some talking with Keith (McCarty) and stuff. That’s the only reason. There’s no other reason.”

Edwards has had the pick of the best tires in the world, up to this year. The AMA Superbike Championship is essentially a spec series with Dunlop supplying all the factory teams and most of the top satellite teams. Edwards thinks it might be worth exploring other options.

“If Yamaha decides to maybe do something different, to maybe look for an advantage somewhere, we could do that as well,” he said.

**NZsarge** · 27th September 2007, 08:15

Yeah, Edwards seems like a fairly decent character, understanding of him to realize that new talent needs to come through, particularly at Yamaha I think. Good luck for the future Mr Edwards.