| Author | Message | ||
     Simond |
It's difficult to argue the Tony Elias case........ I'm just hoping that it is an exception. Marquez looks like a class act. .........and there are no Hondas in Moto2  . If there are Hondas in Moto2 then I ride a Harley and I'm not having that  !! | ||
| Jaimec |
Simond: I took care of that already. I guess I ride a BRP/CanAm/Rotax/Buell. | ||
| Blake |
Didn't Elias once win a MotoGP race? | ||
| Blake |
Beat Rossi heads up to do it too.
| ||
| Simond |
An eventful race all round! They showed it recently on Eurosport. Most remember the Pedrosa/Hayden crash but the rest of the race was a cracker. | ||
| Trojan |
Based on Tony Elias, I'd say Moto2 is also a LOUSY feeder class for MotoGP... so exactly what purpose DOES it serve?? Elias really isn't a good example, but is so far the only rider to garduate from Moto2 to MotoGP. His riding style does not suit the high grip Bridgestone tyres and he has failed to adapt even though he has had all season to do so. Remeber he was dropped from MotoGP once already. He really shouldn't have been given another GP ride but the organisers had their hands tied because he unfortunately won the inaugaral Moto2 series (much against their expectations I'm sure). The problem they faced was that, as winner he needed to be given a GP ride to justify the Moto2 series, yet there were no places for him and no teams that wanted him. In the end political pressure was applied to LCR who dropped their favoured rider (De Puniet) in favour of Elias against their beter judgement. Elias did beat Rossi once, but that was in the days of 'made to measure' Michelin tyres for every rider. His tyres were made specifically to suit his riding style and shipped in on Sunday morning from the Michelin factory. Once he got onto the 'spec' Bridgestones he was never in contention and was quickly dropped. I am pretty sure that Elias is an anomaly and that future graduates from Moto2 will be up to the task of running well in MotoGP. Certainly Marc Marquez looks capable of winning on anything once he has a few test sessions and gets to grips with the extra power. It will be interesting to see how he gets on when Honda give him a test on their GP bike at Jerez. Bradley Smith and Stefan Bradl are also very experienced and will go well in MotoGP when their chance comes (Smith is a definite for 2013 MotoGP with Tech 3). It may be too early to say if Moto2 really is the ideal feeder class for MotoGP, but it is very entertaining as a stand alone series and is certainly more competitive and has more potential wwinners than the old 250 class ever did. You also have to remember that not all graduates from the old 250 class went on to cover themselves in glory racing MotoGP bikes. There are plenty that never made the grade despite being 250 champions. | ||
| Jaimec |
As an aside: Stoner NEVER won a championship in the feeder classes. | ||
| Trojan |
Stoner NEVER won a championship in the feeder classes. Stoner never won anything before MotoGP! As a carrot to US fans who are not too taken with Moto2......... Melissa Perris will be testing Bradley Smith's Tech 3 Moto2 bike at Valencia at the end of season tests. Maybe if she got a full time Moto2 ride there may be more interest over the pond Her husband Josh Hayes is riding Colin Edwards' MotoGP Tech3 bike at the valencia test, not with any real prospect of a contract but because he shares sponsorship with the team and as a thank you for the AMA title. | ||
| Jaimec |
Is there a woman competing now in either 125GP (Moto3) or Moto2? If not, then Melissa on the grid would be huge ALL over, not just here in the States. (Message edited by jaimec on October 04, 2011) | ||
| Blake |
She's not that good. Elena Myers could be. I might watch if Elena were competing for the championship, meaning actually running competitively. | ||
| Bads1 |
She's not that good. Blake you better go look at there Bio's on there web pages. Perris has achieved more on a two stroke then Myers. Although in the current racing status Myers looks to be better. Thing is 2 stroke is alot harder to ride. Gotta keep the R's up if your gonna be fast.lol | ||
| Blake |
She's way faster than me! I meant that she's not that good to be competitive in Moto2 ride. Elena may be. She's won a Supersport race. First ever female to win any AMA professional road race. | ||
| Trojan |
Elena may be. She's won a Supersport race. First ever female to win any AMA professional road race. She won that race against some comparitively poor opposition though due to the AMA restrictions on Supersports riders. Moto2 would be a different kettle of fish altogether and she has yet to prove herself against Internationally succesful opposition. She may be good, she may not....who knows. She wouldn't be the first female GP rider though. That honour goes to German Katje Pontzen (I think that is how it was spelled!) a few years in 250GP. (Message edited by trojan on October 05, 2011) | ||
| Jaimec |
I remember hearing about Katje... but she just dropped off the planet. Paris may be better on two-strokes than Myers but guess what? Two-strokes are DEAD. Myers is also a lot younger with room to grow. I remember my friend getting her autograph in Indy this year, and walking away muttering "I can't believe I just asked a High School student for her autograph..." | ||
| Bads1 |
Paris may be better on two-strokes than Myers but guess what? Two-strokes are DEAD. Guess what??LOL I knew that. Thing is the 4 stroke that will proceed will still be a very high revving motorcycle if its going to be fast. Hence are 4 stroke Moto-X bike are as well. So they are different but in some ways will be the same. | ||
| Blake |
http://results.amaproracing.com/live/results/pdfre sults/rr/2010/04-infineon/default.aspx Infineon Raceway 2010 Elena Myers best Supersport Lap: 1:41.5 Melissa Paris best Daytona Sport Bike Lap: 1:45.3 There just isn't any comparison between the two. Myers is serious fast on a motorcycle. Paris is in back-marker territory. | ||
| Saxon59 |
Melissa raced in a WSS race at Miller a couple of years ago,she was running mid pack as I recall,when she crashed out.I don't think I've ever seen her run better than mid pack in any AMA race,not to take anything away from her,she's a damn sight faster than me! | ||
| Blake |
>>> She won that race against some comparatively poor opposition Nice to know. I had no idea. We'll have to remember that when one of the competitors is giving lessons to the Brit riders in WSBK or MotoGP. | ||
| Trojan |
Nice to know. I had no idea. We'll have to remember that when one of the competitors is giving lessons to the Brit riders in WSBK or MotoGP. I wasn't comparing AMA Supersport to BSB Superprot or British riders. What I meant was that the AMA Supersport class is restricted by age and experience, so none of the competitors have actually raced in an international or even 'full fat' AMA race in most cases. Some of tem may turn out to be good racers and make it to MotoGP or WSB, but the majority won't. However, it is certainly a different kettle of fish to WSS or even British Sueprsport where there are people who have made a career of racing 600's for years and who specialise in these bikes above all else. I would like to see how ELena Myers fared in a WSS race becaue at tehmoment we don't have anything to judge her against on an international scale. | ||
| Jaimec |
SHOCKER! Dovi to Tech3! http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresul ts/MotoGP/2011/October/oct0811-dovizioso-signs-for -tech-3/ Guess he finally got tired of being dissed by Honda. Good for him! | ||
| Trojan |
News today that Aspar will no longer run Ducatis in MotoGP from next year as his deal has fallen through (He initially wanted two bikes but sponsors were not forthcoming, so tried to re-negotiate for just one - that obviously failed). he is now talking about running CRT bikes for his team next year (although has no specific bike/engine/chassis in mind yet apparently). With Honda cutting back by 30%+ next year, Suzuki probably pulling out completely and neither Yamaha nor Ducati increasing their involvement it seems there may be a very thin grid for the start of the 2013 season. Some of the CRT teams already signed have decided not to take part in 2012 (Kieffer racing, MarcVDS & Norton amongst them) so the plan to bolster the grid with CRT bikes is also looking a bit sick at the moment. Forward racing (with Colin Edwards) has comitted for next year but don't have a chassis or an engine yet, despite all the rumours flying around about who will build and power their bikes. Paul Bird has submitted an entry proposal for one CRT bike next year, but again has no engines and no chassis yet  With the CRT teams that do decide to take part faced with a lack of testing and very little time to design/build/test a bike, it must be apparent that any CRT team making the grid at all will be very lucky and long way off the pace of even the poorest of the satellite teams. MotoGP could be in the final throws of eating itself to death by the end of next season, when ALL of the top rider contracts are up for grabs but with the liklihood of even less rides available I'd love to see Rossi jump ship to WSB for 2013, although that would probably finish off MotoGP for good. | ||
| Jaimec |
I was wondering about those CRT teams. So far, only Suter/BMW has done any kind of testing. Nobody else even has an engine/chassis to my knowledge. With the factories already testing their prototypes, how the heck are the CRT teams going to be even remotely ready for 2012?? | ||
| Simond |
Sounds pretty bad. While we are dreaming I'd love to see a Rossi/Hopkins Suzuki team. I'm sure Bradley Smith is wondering precisely what he has signed up for in 2013! In all seriousness, if there are three or four factory Hondas and two factory Yamahas.......how is it much different to this year? | ||
| Trojan |
In all seriousness, if there are three or four factory Hondas and two factory Yamahas.......how is it much different to this year? Because that is pretty much all there will be (less in fact, as there are only 3 factory Hondas next year). You then have the '2nd division' satellite teams such as Tech 3 and..........maybe,maybe LCR Honda with one bike. After that it is very difficult to say that anyone else will be there for certain at round one next year. Luckily we will still have the two factory Ducatis and one AB Ducati for Karel Abraham. Pramac are unsure if they will continue with Ducati or not and Aspar have already jumped ship. If the new Ducati isn't significantly better than than this years bike I can't see them in MotoGP after 2012 and believe they will take Rossi to WSB with the new 1199 in 2013. Of the 6 CRT teams who entered for next year only one (Forwad racing) has a rider although they don't have a bike. looking pretty dire so far | ||
| Blake |
>>> MotoGP could be in the final throws of eating itself to death by the end of next season The economy matters. Socialist type rules trying to force parity upon all is a really bad idea for the world's top moto road racing series. Let the free market of ideas play out. No rules except two wheels, a spec ECM, spec tires, and a generous fuel limit. Let anyone race whatever they like, no holds barred. If someone wants to race a street bike with a turbo kit, let them. If they can qualify, let them race. | ||
| Jaimec |
Formula USA tried that Blake. Where are they now? Those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it. | ||
| Trojan |
The economy matters. Socialist type rules trying to force parity upon all is a really bad idea for the world's top moto road racing series. Let the free market of ideas play out. Doesn't work in practice though because you would end up with Honda being the only factory that could afford to go racing, and even they are struggling to run more than 3 factory bikes now. Free market doesn't work in racing, where you need rules to make sure you are running on a level playing field. Without rules you would have anarchy, and before long no racing at all. If you look back at the history of GP racing you'll see that the 'unlimited' approach has been tried before, with superchargers, V8 motors, dustbin streamlining etc all being allowed and then banned at one point or another. What willhappen if you get rid of all rules is that only those with almost unlimited budgets will race. There are no longer many companies around with that kind of money unfortunately. I would rather see a set of rules that brings costs right down and encourages CRT teams to actually compate rather than just make up the numbers. However this would need to restrict the factory teams and encourage them to supply engines at realistic prices to privateer teams and chassis builders. Honda have increased the lease price of the new RC213V to something like 4.5 million Euros per year per bike, which is frankly ridiculous. Yamaha and Ducatio are slightly less but not very much in real world terms. Even with the current CRT rules teams are being baulked by the price that Aprilia/BMW etc want for CRT engines. Dorna needs to back up its plans for more CRT involvement by subsidising this class and by allowing a lot more testing for CRT teams over this winter at least. Unless something pretty drastic is done we may not have a MotoGP class at all in 2 yeas time (Message edited by trojan on October 14, 2011) | ||
| Trojan |
There is a very good article on this same subject (amongst others) here today.. http://www.motomatters.com/analysis/2011/10/13/201 1_phillip_island_motogp_thursday_roun.html | ||
| Jaimec |
When Formula USA was first formed, there was one simple rule: "Motorcycles have two wheels." That was it. I remember watching a race at Pocono. Nitrous-burning, supercharged, over-bored Suzuki GSXRs competing against Yamaha YZR500 GP bikes with everything in between. The Yamahas lapped the field. It wasn't even CLOSE. As a Yamaha fan, of course, I was delighted... but if it's close racing you're looking for... not so much. | ||
| Bads1 |
We'll see if Honda picks up there marbles and goe's home by 2014 just like they did here in the US. |
