| Author | Message | ||
     Jimidan |
I did not see the MotoGP race listed on SPEED Sunday, because I didn't read the above about it being shown of an alphabet channel. SPEED showed the 250 race and then the motocross race, but no MotoGP. I automatically record all Motorcycle Racing with my DVR, and it didn't pick it up either on CBS. Boo hiss. What the heck was it listed under? (Message edited by jimidan on June 11, 2007) (Message edited by jimidan on June 11, 2007) | ||
| Jaimec |
Rocket: And Biaggi signed with Toyota. The two old rivals will face off again with four wheels... | ||
| Rocketman |
Biaggi hasn't signed for Toyota. That's a blatant lie!  Rocket | ||
| Vagelis46 |
I like the way Vale celebrated at Catalunya despite his 2nd place. Is he finished ?? No f#@$% way! He is the best of all times, and still can deliver great performances. Who is finished in MotoGP ? Nicky Hayden. HRC next year? I do not think so. Another disappointing performance. It cannot be just the fairing. There many problems with the Honda. Once again Melandri expressed his disapointment on the bike, and said good things for Bridgestone. Once again Checa said that he is not happy with the bike. What happened to Nakano this year? Is he still racing? In some corners Pedrosa's front end was not stable at all. It was scary.... Good for Danny to fight like that. It was Hayden who made development for the new 800cc? If that was the case his feedback was not that good, was it? Hayden has a big part in this, unless the bike was developed without his involvement, and then he should start talking. I once said that it would be interesting to see how Honda will develop the new bike without the feedback from a top rider. Now it is clear that they f%@$# up ,big time. Bravo to Australia for the pure talented & aggressive riders, all these years. What can I say? Is it the water? | ||
| Slaughter |
Rossi might just re-introduce us to sportsmanship (I can openly trace the death of sportsmanship to Cassius Clay's rise in popularity - but that's another thread, another time)
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| Jackbequick |
CBS will also be covering Moto GP from The Netherlands on June 30th and then from Germany on July 15th. You can read the details here. Maybe CBS smells money and thinks it will be good money maker for them. I personally think that is a too bad that SpeedTV cannot still carry it too. It's like they have been doing an okay job but now a major network wants the action so SpeedTV has to get pushed aside? I also think it is too bad that someone compromised the finish here on the BadWeb before the race was even on here in the U.S. because it was not broadcast live. It was delayed to get it into a time frame that was better for the U.S. veiwers. If it was broadcast live on anything, I'd probably stay up or get up and watch it. Even in the middle of the night. That would spoil the spoilers. :> Jack | ||
| Trojan |
What a fabulous race, and all credit toi Stoner for fighting back as hard as Rossi. It must still be so galling for Rossi to spend a whole lap trying to gap Stoner just to get jumped on the straight every time though. Donington may well be a different kettle of fish. With no real straight to speak of Ducati won't have any speed advantage, but Stoner has shown he can take the fight to Rossi on the twisty bits too so it should be a blinder! Personally I would still like to see Rossi take the title, but I will enjoy a close fought season nonetheless  By the way, what happened to Edwards & Hayden? They both had a terrible race, and with both their team mates in the top three they really have no excuse any more not to do well. Where do you think they will be drawing their pay checks next year? Hayden for Gresini Honda or even Kawasaki MotoGP alongside Capirossi? Edwards to WSB with Aprilia? | ||
| Vagelis46 |
You could log in to motogp.com, pay 55 Euro and watch all the races live from your PC. I think it is worth it, since there are live races, QP, FP2, interviews.... | ||
| Vagelis46 |
"Edwards to WSB with Aprilia?" Is Aprilia racing in 2008 or 2009? | ||
| Jimidan |
Hayden did not sign with another team this year preferring to stay with Honda (the girl he brung to the big dance). I cannot foresee that Honda will dump him because of this year. He is not the only Honda rider having trouble with this new bike...everybody but Dani is, in fact. Honda will get it all figured out, that is for sure. | ||
| Rocketman |
There were four great rides on Sunday. Hopkins is the best American out there. De Puniet was outstanding bringing the Kwak home 5th. More so considering he limped off the bike with his knee injury. Rocket | ||
| 12r |
Hayden for Gresini Honda or even Kawasaki MotoGP alongside Capirossi? Edwards to WSB with Aprilia? Next year, Hayden will partner Rossi at Yamaha and Edwards will be cleaning the motorhome. | ||
| Jaimec |
You do realize right now that Edwards is ahead of Hayden in the standings, right? | ||
| Macbuell |
I thought Hayden signed a new 3 year contract or something like that with Honda this past off-season. I found it, it was for two years, not three. http://www.speedtv.com/articles/moto/motogp/32749/ I'm not sure how the contract is structured or worded, but can Honda just ditch Hayden in the middle of his contract. I wouldn't think so and if so, I would think that it would cost Honda quite a bit. On a related note, it looks like turning down Yamaha and sticking with Honda may have been a bad business decision for Nicky. (Message edited by MACBuell on June 12, 2007) | ||
| Trojan |
I'm not sure how the contract is structured or worded, but can Honda just ditch Hayden in the middle of his contract. I wouldn't think so and if so, I would think that it would cost Honda quite a bit. Honda have no rider loyalty, so if it suits Honda to dump Nicky and pay up I'm sure they wouldn't hesitate for a second. There are very few Sportsmen in professional sports you know | ||
| Jaimec |
I THINK Nicky was thinking that if he left Honda to go to Yamaha, he'd be second fiddle to Rossi. I'm sure he BELIEVED that if he stayed with Honda that he'd be the "Top Dog." It seems apparent that Honda had other ideas with regards to little Dani Pedrosa... | ||
| Rocketman |
I don't believe for a moment Pedrosa is getting special treatment from Honda. I believe Honda are doing all they can to get their bikes to compete with what's leading. Focusing more attention on one rider than another would not be ideal when all riders are needing the bike advancing. I'm pretty sure Honda know this as well as anyone. Hayden is the poorest performing Honda rider. I'm sure Honda don't want that for their world champion, especially if it were Honda's fault more than Hayden's. Rocket | ||
| Jaimec |
Then we'll disagree. It was reported by several sources so far this year that Nicky was getting parts AFTER Dani. Maybe they're taking turns because last year it was Nicky that had the "prototype" bike and everyone else had the "production" version. It's why Nicky was having so many clutch problems that no one else on a Honda was experiencing. Despite those problems though... he DID win the title last year so he was doing SOMETHING right. He is also struggling more with the 800 this year than any other Honda rider too. Nearly all articles I've read indicate that Honda built the 800 around Dani's stature and that a normal sized human being (like Nicky) would have "issues." | ||
| Trojan |
Hmmm, interesting that when Hayden gets the parts first he is seen as suffering because he has to test the prototypes, but when Pedrosa gets the parts first Hayden suffers because he hasn't got the latest parts. I think the truth is that Hayden has lost confidence in his own abilities and has struggled far more than any other rider to adapt to the Honda. He needs to find himself a Keith Code character and try to get his head back together. Honda are more interested in the constructors championship than the riders crown, so will support whoever is performing better at the time. Both repsol riders had the modified exhausts at the last GP, and Hayden definitely had wider bodywork fitted, so he is not being forgotten just yet. It will be very interesting to see what Honda do for Nicky in the run up to Laguna this year. | ||
| Jaimec |
Earlier this year Nicky was meeting with Freddie Spencer (who now runs a school in Las Vegas and knows a little something about winning on a Honda). Freddie is still the only man to win the 250 and 500 cc title in the same year. Not even Vale can make that claim. | ||
| Slaughter |
Did Freddie with the titles or did he just podium in both - a few races but not overall? | ||
| Jaimec |
A ray of hope for "Trick Daddy:" http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2007/Jun/e/n070613e .htm As for Spencer, here's your answer: http://www.fastfreddie.com/school/html/midFreddie. htm | ||
| Davegess |
He knew a thing or three about goin' fast didn't he? | ||
| Blake |
Freddie woth both titles.  | ||
| Slaughter |
Yeah! Good read - Freddie's site. (Too bad his school is over $3K) My personal hero is still Surtees - finishing on the podium in 350cc, 500cc AND Formula One in the same season - but he didn't WIN the series. | ||
| 12r |
I was at Silverstone in 85 to see Spencer in both races. It was cold, wet and miserable but Spencer's riding was a tour de force. People rave about Valentino but Spencer was just as good.  | ||
| Jaimec |
Freddie dethroned King Kenny! That alone speaks volumes. He also managed to win with that vicious, ill-handling three cylinder Honda two stroke. He managed that by keeping the revs up and sliding BOTH ends through the turns; the first racer to use that method successfully. Roberts introduced rear-wheel sliding when he first went to Europe; a method Nicky still uses to this day. It's a technique mastered by American dirt track racers but seems to be a skill that actually hurts the riders on the current crop of 800cc MotoGP bikes. | ||
| Trojan |
Rear wheel steering is great for getting ill handling bikes to turn, but the new 800's require a lot more finesse and smooth riding to get the best out of them, hence the 250 style being seen more often at the front these days. Most of the time now you will only see the bike drifting into the corners on the slipper clutch rather than sliding out on the power. Advanced electronics also help in this respect. People like Hayden, Capirossi and Edwards need to change their style much more than most of the other riders, and that is showing in the results so far. Whether Spencer was better than Rossi or Hailwood or Read or Agostini will always be a source of argument and divided opinion. The best we can agree to is that they were all great in their time. My favourite will always be Hailwood, simply because he could win on anything, and often did 5 or 6 classes in a single meeting. Returning to win the TT after years away was quite a feat too. | ||
| Rocketman |
Hailwood did something else rather remarkable too. With his 1978 TT comeback, not only had he not ridden a bike in 7 or 8 years, save a few shakedown runs (I believe at Mallory) a week or three before the TT, he also spanned a generation when he cocked his leg over the 900 Duc. Previous to that, all else he'd raced was from an older and now departed era. I vote Hailwood too. Rocket | ||
| 12r |
Stoner comments on 'questionable' Rossi manoeuvres http://www.motogp.com/en/motogp/motogp_podcast.htm ?menu=podcast (After The Flag #6, 110 MB) |
