| Author | Message | ||
     Trojan |
Rossi was quoted as at Sepang as saying he feels much more comfortable on the bike now and is considering extending his contract for 2015-16 (If Yamaha still want him of course!). Bit early yet I know, but he seems to have backed away from the stance he hade last year of seeing how the first half of the season goes before deciding his future. I can hear the sighs of relief at DORNA now... | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
I've always been an advocate for oldies in racing  Rocket in England | ||
| Jaimec |
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2014/03/the-repsol- honda-era-is-ending-opinion/ Cue: "So Long, Farewell" from "The Sound of Music." Don't let the door hit you in the arse on the way out!! | ||
| Trojan |
the close relationship between Ducati and the Open spec software designer, Magneti Marelli, leads to speculation by Honda that Ducati has influenced the Open software package to the point where it is much closer to the quality of the Factory software. Pretty obvious really, given that Ducati handed over ALL of their factory software to DORNA before announicng that they would race in the Open class this year. A very clever move too, as it now means that the Open software provided to teams by DORNA is in fact the 2013 Ducati factory software anyway  Most smaller teams simply won't have the elctronics expertise to use most of it, so Ducati aren't giving away too much by making it available. However, it has been reported elsewhere that in fact the Ducatis were testing at Sepang and Philip Island using the 2013 DORNA software and NOT the new advanced version DORNA allow the OPEN teams to run the new 2014 software in background mode but not live yet) which makes Ducatis testing performace even more impressive. However again.....none of the Ducatis has yet run a full race distance on the new tyres or software, so it may not be as close as we would hope...yet. Honda need to realise that MotoGP is a sport, not their personal development yard. Rules are there for everyone to follow and they need to either get in line for the Open software or leave altogether. As they have negligible involvement in WSB I can't see them leaving really. | ||
| Trojan |
Seems Hondas moaning has produced some results for them.... http://www.motomatters.com/news/2014/03/06/motogp_ rule_change_imminent_intermediate.html So now we conceivably have 3 classes running in MotoGP at the same time, and nobody will know who is running in which class because it can change according to results! Pathetic climb down by DORNA yet again when faced by angry Honda officials. Honda and Yamaha were apparently asked to contribute to the spec software but refused, leaving only Ducati to work with Magnetti Marelli, so how can they now call foul? So now will we have 3 winners in the enclosure at the end of the race? Factory, Intermediate (Factory 2) and Open class winners? Ridiculous state of affairs before the season even starts  | ||
| Jaimec |
Carmelo has REALLY got to develop a spine and tell Honda to go pound sand... You gotta love it. Honda forces a rule change down everybody's throats... and then balks when that rules change benefits someone other than themselves. | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
Sickening. I was about to purchase the multiscreen Video Pass for 140 Euros. I'm sat here thinking twice about it now. Rocket in England | ||
| Northernthunder |
It will surely be an awkward (factory 1?)podium if a (factory 2) bike wins the race outright | ||
| Trojan |
The confusion will really kick in towards the end of the season for sure. What if Ducati/Forward get their third 3rd place after they have already used 11 engines? Do they then have to start from pit lane at the next race as a punishment for doing well? Yamaha are actually more guilty than Ducati when it comes to rule bending, as the original plan for Forward racing to run FTR chassis has now been forgotten altogether and the entry list reads 'Forward yamaha'. That means Aleix Espagaro (and CE) has effectively snuck in a full factory Yamaha (last years Crutchlow bike) with soft tyres and more fuel, using software developed by Ducati that Yamaha refused to provide data to. I think we'll see the championship degenerate into a long series of arguments and claims/counterclaims and protests as the year progresses. If the aim of DORNA was to get everyone to use the spec software this is a strange way of doing it Encourage teams to change to the Open class/spec software option, then punish them for doing it becaue Honda don't like it. Pathetic Dorna...grow a pair and stand up to Honda for once. | ||
| Xb1125r |
Honda is the bully in the block. I hope Hero with EBR have so much success that HERO becomes the kid Honda does not mess with | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
Yamaha are actually more guilty than Ducati when it comes to rule bending, as the original plan for Forward racing to run FTR chassis has now been forgotten altogether and the entry list reads 'Forward yamaha'. That means Aleix Espagaro (and CE) has effectively snuck in a full factory Yamaha (last years Crutchlow bike) with soft tyres and more fuel, using software developed by Ducati that Yamaha refused to provide data to. I was wondering where this had gone. What a bloody cheek. Or, cheat more like. I think we'll see the championship degenerate into a long series of arguments and claims/counterclaims and protests as the year progresses. Agreed Matt, but whatever happens now, it looks to me like we have two races. One where the Aliens fight for the overall win, and a second race where factory bikes take on open bikes but some of the open bikes are factory bikes with different software, more fuel and grippy rubber. As these results settle, it won't just be a case of factory v open, but open v open and factory v factory. But then the penalties kick in and the SPECTATORS the true die hard FANS OF THE SPORT will be left with a meaningless bunch of results where we will never be able to determine who was the better rider that season likely anywhere back from 5th place. It's like a racing ferkin lottery. Do I want to part with my £140 for a 'video pass'? Yes I do but I'm so bloody pi55ed off I might spit my dummy out in protest and say stuff Dorna and Ezpeleta. He becoming the Jean Marie Balestre of Moto GP. Rocket in England | ||
| Jaimec |
When the rules were written, the ONLY difference between "Factory" and "Open" was the DORNA-supplied software for the standard ECU. If the factories wanted to write their own software, then they ALL AGREED to the fuel and engine limitations. UNANIMOUSLY. There was NO OTHER difference between the two classes. When Magneti-Marelli was developing their software, they apparently requested input from ALL of the factories. ONLY Ducati agreed to provide data. And now Honda is throwing a hissy-fit because Ducati and Yamaha are benefiting from an arrangement THEY ALL agreed to?? I'd tell Honda to go pound sand. Seriously. Who needs them? Maybe without them and their bottomless budget, the series will once again return to relative affordability and a more competitive grid would naturally evolve without anything further from DORNA required. | ||
| Bads1 |
Without Honda the series would suffer. | ||
| Jaimec |
I doubt it. I blame Honda's reckless spending on being the primary cause of MotoGP being so expensive these days. All of the other factories either have to spend equally to keep up (Yamaha/Ducati), or drop out altogether (Kawasaki/Suzuki). | ||
| Bads1 |
Well there would be a lot of bikes not on grid Jaime. Anytime a Manufacture pulls out a series hurts. Look at AMA?? Like them or not they are still needed and very wanted. Lots of people are fans of Honda for there bikes.... Hell I love my Honda's. | ||
| Blake |
"Love"? Why do we say that when referring to mere things? Hollywood. Not meaning to pick on you Dana, my friend. Just something I've been noticing a lot lately. I'll start a quick board topic. Honda makes great motorcycles, but I hate their behavior in racing. | ||
| Bads1 |
Blake not to pick on ya but its a figure of speech. I love Chocolate ice cream. Honda is a company just like any other if they can get what they want they will. | ||
| Jaimec |
I don't think AMA Pro Racing's collapse has anything to do with Honda not being there. In fact, the racing has been TERRIFIC without them. The collapsing series has more to do with DMG's utter ineptitude than anything Honda or the factories did. | ||
| Bads1 |
Dmg's rules changes were the beginning and Honda left. Now we have a series of non other then bikes that are closer to what is on a show room to some extent..... closer then they ever were. Remember the Super Stock class.LOL | ||
| Trojan |
Without Honda the series would suffer. That is what they said in 1969. The truth was that the series continued without Honda just fine thanks. true there was a period when MV were left as the only factory team and dominated the series, but the void left by Honda eventually led to the Yamaha TD/TZ two stroke customer bikes that really did level the series or the privateer riders. Maybe Honda leaving motoGP would lead to another ground breaking 'customer ' bike becoming available? | ||
| Bads1 |
Matt, I've heard you say this yourself. I wish I could find it so I could Quote you.lol What ground bike?? Yamaha then would rule the roost. One steps out another steps in. They left it would be a Ducati Yamaha field as a whole. With Suzuki coming back. Lots of money lost. This isn't 1969.lol | ||
| Jaimec |
But NO ONE spends money like Honda. With them out of the series, the other manufacturers wouldn't have to spend as much just to try to keep up. You might even see more manufacturers return as the cost of entry would no longer be so high. | ||
| Bads1 |
Would it or is that speculation?? | ||
| Trojan |
With no Hondas in MotoGP there would almost certainly be more rule changes to allow 'CRT' style production engined machines to compete with the remaining factory bikes. What is certain is that there is no such thing as a vacuum in sport, and if Honda leaves someone will fill the gap for sure. I think it would encourage factories that have been wavering on the periphery of MotoGp for a long time (Aprilia/BMW/Suzuki) to get back into the series, particularly if they don't have to try and outspend HRC. Most importantly, it would at last wrest control of the rule book once and for all away from Honda/MSMA and back into the hands of the FIM and DORNA. Honda would probably return to the series in a couple of years anyway, as they need to have a presence in top level motorcycle sport. With DORNA now controlling MotoGP and WSB they can't exactly just jump ship to the other series can they | ||
| Vagelis46 |
I think that the real problem is that Yamaha seems to be in HRC's side on this one. If Yamaha had switched to Open , and contributed to the Open software, then there would not be a request for a factory 2 category.... For me , as a racing fan , I see no point in the development of superadvanced electronics..... I am 100% with Ducati on this one... The real question is : How more advanced is the software package, that MagnetiMarelli introduced after Ducati's contribution ? Is it as sofisticated as the package that Ducati used in its factory bikes ? Or is it something between ? | ||
| Trojan |
If Yamaha had switched to Open , and contributed to the Open software, then there would not be a request for a factory 2 category.... Effectively Yamaha have done the same switch as Ducati now that FTR will not be making frames for Forward racing. Forward have ended up with a full fat factory Yamaha with some dodgy FTr bodywork running in Open class. The only difference is that Ducati have been up front and offerd up the software to ALL the Open teams, unlike Yamaha. How more advanced is the software package, that MagnetiMarelli introduced after Ducati's contribution ? Is it as sofisticated as the package that Ducati used in its factory bikes ? Or is it something between ? From what I have read it si pretty much the full factory software developed by Ducati and handed over to the FIM. The problem is that it is so advanced compared to the current Open software that nobody except Ducati is able to use it, so it has been decided that nobody will use it yet (including Ducati I believe). As an example, the factory teams anti wheelie control can be set up to deal with every corner and undulation on the circuit individually, whereas the poor old Open software has two settings only....on or off! Until the smaller teams have the facilities to use the advanced Ducati software it will stay in the DORNA cupboard. maybe the factory teams should be made to lend their data technicans with the Open teams! | ||
| Vagelis46 |
""From what I have read it si pretty much the full factory software developed by Ducati and handed over to the FIM."" I am not so sure any more , since Dalignia said that with the available open software (version2), he is not sure they will have enough petrol for the race , if they are forced to use 22.5liters ....... So maybe after Ducati handed their factory software to MagnetiMarelli , MagnetiMarelli came up with a new updated software, based on the software that Ducati gave them, but not identical or as sophisticated...... So it seems that Ducati got "screwed"......... HRC made their "satelite: customers, Gressini and Checinelo , to do all the bitching and complaining, so that Ducati has to use 22.5liters instead of the agreed 24liters for the open bikes.... | ||
| Jaimec |
Before Yamaha starts bitching, they oughtta check out the performance of one Aleix Espargaro... | ||
| Jaimec |
Sounds like I MAY have prematurely pointed the finger at Honda: http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/motogp/factory-2-o p-ed/ Still, it is mighty fishy... | ||
| Simond |
You could argue that Honda have been the racing good guys in recent years. Their Moto3 bike is a genuine low cost route into the GP paddock. It is only the fact that KTM have pumped a fortune into their bike that has made it the default choice if you want to be competitive. It also costs over twice as much as the Honda. Now Honda are having to produce a more exotic bike that costs twice as much as their original in order to compete with KTM. |
