| Author | Message | ||
     Trojan |
Comparing Byrne to Haga is difficult because they have never been on the same spec Ducati (and still won't be next year). Also when you look at the poor level of equipment and lack of support Byrne had in his brief MotoGP career it is little wonder that he failed to impress, and was eventually dumped through KTM's refusal to supply engines to team Roberts. Next year will certainly be one to watch, and I think that Crutchlow will undoubtedly be one of the new stars, even if he is a reluctant superbike rider for Yamaha (He wanted to get out of his 2 year Yamaha contract in order to ride for Gresini in Moto2, but Yamaha enforced his contract for 2010). Toseland will also be fast, as will the usual suspects from this year (and Camier) so it promises to be an exciting season already. | ||
| Trojan |
Camier is now confirmed as Biaggi's teammate at Aprilia next year, which now makes a total of 7 Brits on decent rides in 2010 WSB  With that many good riders on good bikes even we Brits can't mess this up surely? Who's going to be top of the pile....Crutchlow, Toseland, Camier, Haslam, Byrne, Rea, Sykes? (not to mention Vermuelen, Haga, Biaggi, Corser etc) | ||
| Jaimec |
So the ratings for WSBK will be a lot higher than the ratings for MotoGP in Great Britain for 2010? | ||
| Rocketman |
Not unless they put it on terrestrial or Freeview. Toseland surely must be the Brit favourite before a wheel is turned? Rocket | ||
| Manxboy |
I had the pleasure of racing at the Goodwood Revival a couple of months ago, and got to spend a bit of time with Leon Haslam and Jeremy McWilliams as they were both racing in the same race. They took the time to "talk me" around a very difficult circuit (I missed most of practice with machine difficulties) I found Leon ( and Jeremy) to be great down to earth blokes with HUGE talent, no matter what they ride, vintage or WSBK! I for one will be cheering Leon along and am sure he'll be up the "pointy end". Hoping to go back next year for more fun at Goodwood, Leon said he'd love to do it again as well! | ||
| Rocketman |
Before I get hung I was speaking merely as a peasant in the gallery. I'm sure Leon is as fast as they come. I just find him not the champion he should have been if he's supposed to be that good. For now he's the best of the rest. Hodgson, Toseland, Byrne, have risen to championship success amongst fierce competition where as Haslam has failed whilst being so close, and perhaps when competition was less fierce. Oddly enough I remember his dad Ron suffering similar fate. Rocket | ||
| Rocketman |
I had the pleasure of racing at the Goodwood Revival a couple of months ago How I love those Manx's. By chance do you run a Nova Transmissions gearbox in yours? Rocket | ||
| Manxboy |
The Manx Norton I ride in the US has a 6 speed Summerfield gearbox, and it works great. I've heard only good things about the Nova 'boxes. The bike I qualified on @ Goodwood was a 1966 500 MV Agusta 3 cylinder, and it was a blast to ride, frickin' loud, but what brilliant "music" @ 12,000 rpm! | ||
| Rocketman |
I was at the FoS back in 96 I think, when MV was the featured marque. I wouldn't be surprised if the MV you rode at Revival was there on display back then. There were many famous and special MV's there that year. What a fantastic weekend we had, and a fabulous event. I mentioned Nova Transmissions as it's Graham Dyson's company. Dyson being Barry Hart's partner in the Barton until Erik Buell bought it all and shipped it to the States paving the way for the first Buells. Rocket | ||
| Trojan |
Hodgson, Toseland, Byrne, have risen to championship success amongst fierce competition where as Haslam has failed whilst being so close, and perhaps when competition was less fierce. The big difference is that Hodgson and Toseland had bikes that were FAR superior to everyone else in the field when they won the WSB crown (Toseland's second championship was not so clear cut and he had a bigger battle for it). Likewise Byrne had the ONLY factory spec Ducati in BSB when he won the championship, so was at an advantage compared to the other riders straight away. Whilst all of them are supremely talented, Haslam has not had the quality of rides that the others have enjoyed so far, so hopefully next years Suzuki will redress the balance for him. Haslam was racing against some very talented riders in BSB too, such as Crutchlow, Sykes, Byrne, Kyonari, and was only beaten to the title by Kiyonari and Byrne in 2007 & 2008. | ||
| Rocketman |
Haslam first two seasons in BSB were on a GSE Airwaves Ducati. Probably the best bike out there. Then he went to HM Plant Honda where he struggled whilst his teammate of less experience, Crutchlow, wiped the floor with him. I think you're a bit of a fan Matt, which is clouding your judgement. Unusual for you, lol. Rocket | ||
| Trojan |
Haslam did have good teams, and with GSE he had a good (but not the same spec as Byrne got) Ducati. However it was his first seaason in BSB so expecting him to win it first time out would probably be a little too much. The Honda he rode was not what it seemed from the outside. HM Plant Honda went from having full factory bikes (Kiyonari was even paid directly by Honda) to 'built in Louth' privateer bikes in 2008. I spent some time with the team at the Croft BSB round and their bikes were nowhere near to the spec that outsiders expected them to be, and compared to previous years bikes they were positively primitive. 2009 was even 'thinner' for HM plant Honda, with no spare bikes for either rider and much reduced spec again, which would explain to some degree why the did so badly compared to previous years (getting riders banned & injured didn't help either though!). Crutchlow is a sensation and will definitely be one of the top guys in WSB next year. In fact I confidently predict that he will completely overshadow Toseland at Yamaha. | ||
| Rocketman |
'Built in Louth' won Edwards a title or two some years ago. How the world has turned. I enjoyed my visit to Honda. Impressive set up they have there, and what an overwhelming display of silverware too!  Rocket | ||
| Trojan |
I agree that the Honda GB HQ is an impressive place (as is their raceday hospitality unit!) and that their ability to build racebikes is second only to the factory teams. However,they can only work with what they have, and in 2008 they had a lot less from the factory than they had previously enjoyed  I think that the days of 'direct factory support' for domestic Superbike teams are now over unfortunately, and more of the top teams will have to build bikes themselves rather than just uncrate a new factory bike every season. When Colin Edwards won the WSB crown for them Honda UK were given a boat load of new stuff from the factory at the half way point of the season onwards, and that is what turned the season around and propelled Edwards to the title at the final round. | ||
| Liquorwhere |
Cool Trophy Sean, but could you warn someone before they gaze on that mug, I would do it for you bro! hehe I wish the racing in the states was as good as Europe, it should be, but for some reason we get DMG. I dunno.....on a side note, Colin Edwards and the Old racing days of the AMA when Nicky won his title on the RC51 have always drawn me to the bike and had my 1125R not been basically given to me at the price I paid, I had found a really clean low mileage Nicky Replica RC51 that was going to adorn my garage...might still get it if the two bikes on ebay do well.....fingers crossed! | ||
| Rocketman |
Thank you Matt. As always you're spot on with your observations. Rocket | ||
| Rocketman |
Aye Dale, but that pic's about 18 months old (of course, I won the trophy a few years earlier, lol) and the fat mug is now 3 stone, sorry, 40lbs or so lighter! And a little more handsome. Hey where is that RC51? Any chance of a high res pic? How much is one of those Stateside Dale? Rocket | ||
| Liquorwhere |
Hey where is that RC51? Any chance of a high res pic? How much is one of those Stateside Dale? The one I found was in Jacksonville Florida on Craigslist, it had an ask for $5000.00 US, but I have seen clean ones for as low as $3500.00 here in Florida. You dropped 40lbs eh? Good work, I think I found it for ya. hehe You in the market for an RC? I wanted one with bad fairings to make a streetfighter out of, I found one that was a bit trashed for $2000.00 and several in between that price and the Nicky Hayden replica, and one that was painted like a Ferrari with the emblems and all. He was down in Miami somewhere and I think he was asking like $7000.00 for it, nice paint and all but it was way above most of the asking prices I had found. I will dig around and see if it is still up on the list and grab the pic. | ||
| Rocketman |
I'm still wanting a ride on one. A friend has had three, and regrets painfully ever selling any and all of them. He recently chased a replica but I can't remember if it was Edwards Hayden or some other UK version. My curiosity stems from it being purpose built to compete against the Ducati's. I'd love to give a good one a good thrashing. Rocket | ||
| Liquorwhere |
I'd love to give a good one a good thrashing. I have ridden two of them and I can say the only thing I didn't like was the riding position being so a$$ high and hands low, now this could come from the fact I am a bit short, so for a taller guy it may be just fine, but for me it was a bit upside down feeling. The bike overall, power, handling and all was excellent, hence the idea to make it a streetfighter. | ||
| Manxboy |
Rocketman, this is the bike John Cronshaw and I raced at Goodwood, the photo is with the "previous owner" on board @ the BSB round at Brands Hatch, were he was doing parade laps on it.  | ||
| Manxboy |
http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show .cgi?tpc=158664&post=1663786#POST1663786 I did not no Graham Dyson ran Nova Transmissions! I raced a TZ 750 sidecar in the UK in '84 and remember a bloke running a Barton engine in a sidecar back then, I remember it being quick, but, temperamental. | ||
| Rocketman |
Gotta love them old MV's. Thanks for the pic. And the Manx? Rocket | ||
| Littlefield |
From a thread in advrider: wsb Feed One month after the agreement between Infront Motor Sports and ParkinGO, Oasi Handling Group, details are now being announced about one of the most fascinating Trophies on the international bike racing scene, which will allow 24 riders to challenge each other at the leading European circuits alongside the top racers of the SBK World Championship. The ParkinGO Series has come about with the official support of the historic English manufacturer Triumph, which has also been successfully involved in the Supersport Word Championship. The Series can also count on the support of the "King of Slide", Garry McCoy, who made history this year by scoring the first World Championship podium for Triumph in 40 years. The Australian, who was the official rider of BE1 Racing in the 2009 World Supersport Championship, will support and lend his image to the ParkinGO European Series with his technique and experience. Garry McCoy: "I think the ParkinGO Series is a brilliant idea and gives the opportunity to anybody that loves Motorsport to be part of it. I have heard a lot of people saying how much they would like to be us, well now they have the chance to be themselves in the same involvement of the top riders and have fun at the same time with the European Championship." BE1 Racing and Top Ride will directly manage this competition, sponsored by the UEM, which has enabled it to be turned into a European Championship. The bikes to be used are the Triumph Street Triple 675 R, which will be supplied by the organization before the races with the complete racing kit. The championship will be held at seven rounds of the Superbike World Championship on the following dates: 11/04/2010 Valencia (Spain); 25/04/2010 Assen (Holland); 09/05/2010 Monza (Italy); 27/06/2010 Misano (Italy); 11/07/2010 Brno (Czech Republic); 01/08/2010 Donington (England); 05/09/2010 Nurburgring (Germany) The race weekend program is based on two official sessions, one on Friday and another on Saturday, and the race on Sunday at 14.30, before the second race of the Superbike World Championship. The entry fee includes the bike, a test day, tires for both races and test day plus a set of rain tires. The organization will be in charge of the transport of the bikes, technical structure and hospitality at the different circuits. Inside the paddock there will be a Village with hospitality and participants will have available, for every two riders, a box/garage (4x4 meters) with all the necessary technical equipment. Each rider will be able to bring a mechanic of his own or eventually ask for technical assistance directly from the organizer at the moment of the inscription. The bikes will be managed throughout the season by the organization which will be in charge of servicing them between circuits/races, where specialized personnel will be present for any technical problems if necessary, suspension, spare parts. The entry fee also includes 1 rider pass + 3 companion passes to live all the excitement of the Superbike World Championship. This championship is a great opportunity to be part of the Superbike World Championship with a unique feeling of living the races in a special environment. The entry fee of the ParkinGO Series is 27.000 Euros + TAX for those confirmed before 22nd January, 2010 and 30.000 Euros + TAX for the inscriptions exceeding the date mentioned above. The ParkinGO Series is a championship where riders from all countries and age with a UEM license can participate, and the inscriptions are limited to 6 riders per country. The wild-card inscriptions must be made before 1st March, 2010. The winner of the ParkinGO Series will have the possibility to participate as a wild card in the last race of the Supersport World Championship at Magny-Cours with the official Triumph Daytona 675 bike of the BE1 Racing Team as Garry McCoy´s teammate..... | ||
| Trojan |
WSB testing started at Valencia yesterday, and although we can't read too much into testing times because nobody really knows who is testing what and which tyres are being used, it is obvious that the top guys are going to be REALLY closely matched next year Shane Byrne and Carlos Checa missed the test because their bikes are not yet ready. I'm pretty sure that the factory Ducatis weren't there either. 1 Leon Haslam Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1:34.5 2 Max Biaggi Aprilia Racing Aprilia RSV4 1:34.7 3 James Toseland Yamaha World Superbike Yamaha YZF R1 1:34.8 4 Jonathan Rea HANNspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR 1:34.9 5 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha World Superbike Yamaha YZF R1 1:35.1 6 Leon Camier Aprilia Racing Aprilia RSV4 1:35.8 7 Max Neukirchner HANNspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR 1:35.8 8 Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1:36.1 Testing continues today for WSB/WSS and Moto2 teams. | ||
| Vagelis46 |
Leon #1 !!! | ||
| Jaimec |
I'd seen an article somewhere earlier saying that none of the Ducati teams would be testing this round. | ||
| Liquorwhere |
You could throw a blanket over the top five and you are still missing at least three to four riders that are competitive at the top. I love WSBK for this reason, top level machines, top level talent getting after it!! | ||
| Trojan |
Final times from Valencia were lower than the first day and seem to indicate that everyone had access to the new and faster tyres on the second day (although Crutchlow saya he didn't use them). Times were also slightly more spread out, although apparently Camier concentrated on getting used to various settings rather than outright lap times and suffered a couple of minor crashes during the day. 1. Max Biaggi (Apr RSV4 Factory), 1:33.8; 2. Leon Haslam (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:34.0 3. Cal Crutchlow (Yam YZF-R1), 1.34.1; 4. Jonathan Rea (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:34.2; 5. James Toseland (Yam YZF-R1) 1:34.3; 6. Max Neukirchner (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:34.7; 7. Sylvain Guintoli (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:35.0; 8. Leon Camier (Apr RSV4 Factory), 1:35.2. (Message edited by trojan on December 11, 2009) | ||
| Jaimec |
King James has some awfully big boots to fill next year... how do you think he'll do, Matt? |
