Moto Gp

[Bluetongue]

Been down for a week, but saw the racing at Brno, luckily I switched the TV on, I thought they usually had a longer summer break. I would have liked to see Bradley Smith or one of the other frontrunners pit for a slick in the 125 race, I know they all like to do the same thing, but?

I am also worried about the qualiity of racing in the future, I think Dorna should try and help out riders from outside Europe a bit more. But I see Wayne Gardners boy is getting a go in Spain this September? so maybe Dorna are doing a few things

And I hope Rossi rides the season right out.

[soihok]

Just read this on Crash.net, hinting that Norton ( in fact Aprilia and BMW also) may be interested in joining MotoGP from 2012.

I'll believe it when I see it though.

I have seen the 588cc Nortons race in the late 80,s. They were awesome.

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/162550/1/iconic_norton_brand_considering_motogp_entry.html

Edited August 22, 2010 by soihok

[Miiyai46]

Just read this on Crash.net, hinting that Norton ( in fact Aprilia and BMW also) may be interested in joining MotoGP from 2012.

I'll believe it when I see it though.

I have seen the 588cc Nortons race in the late 80,s. They were awesome.

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/162550/1/iconic_norton_brand_considering_motogp_entry.html

That would be great for the MotoGP, we would finally have a championship with a decent number of bikes.

As expected a 1000cc championship is more attractive for the manufacturers. Have you heard anything of Kawasaki? Are they coming back in 2012?

[soihok]

No news coming out about Kawasaki re-entering MotoGP ......yet.

After the rules change the engine capacity to 1000cc I think we will see more interest from manufacturers, as you say , the grid needs more bikes on it.

Just like moto2, totally mental.

[Miiyai46]

Is this season so boring that we are already talking about the 2011 and 2012 season??? Yes, as this championship has been in Lorenzo's hand since Rossi broke his leg in Mugello.

Let's talk a bit about the present first as this weekend we have the Indy round.

Aoyama will be back after a long recovery.

MOTOGP: 1. Lorenzo, 2. Rossi, 3. Stoner. Pole: Lorenzo

MOTO2: 1. Iannone, 2. Elías, 3. Luthi. Pole: Iannone

125cc: 1. Pol Espargaró, 2. Márquez, 3. Terol. Pole: Terol

Cheers

[soihok]

Lorenzo - Pedrosa -Rossi/Stoner.

The race is on at silly times over here, hopefull to watch it but not certain.

Bens Peas has revealed he will take Rossi's ride, which is not a surprise ( Cal Crutchlow into the Tech 3 team).

Melandri looks set for a move to WSBK on a BMW......sorry its all next year talk again.

I would certainly like to see the Moto2 race...1 a.m. + off to work at 6 a.m. = :sleepy:

Edited August 26, 2010 by soihok

[Bluetongue]

Ok well you can probably outlay cash betting against me as I am a horrible tipster, But here goes. I am assuming that it wont be wet "because it dont rain in Indianapolis in the summertime". If it did I would plump for Anthony West in the Moto2.

125: Marquez/Terol/Smith

Moto2: Iannone/Simon/Elias. De Salvo to figure

MotoGP: Lorenzo/Stoner/Pedrosa

I want to tip against Lorenzo, think he's due for a mistake but I just cant.

Edited August 28, 2010 by Bluetongue

[Miiyai46]

It seems that this is Ducati's weekend.

In MotoGP they have dominated the the free parctice with Stoner in P1 and Hayden in P3.

However, the biggest news is that Ducati will not be racing as an official team ( they will continue to suport private teams ) in WSBK next year. They have been racing since the WSBK was created in 1988. Ducati has won 13 rider championships and 16 manufacturerss championships.

Altough Ducati claims that this decision is due to the new SBK regulations that have led to increased costs, I really think that the main reasosn is that they will fully focus on MotoGP and Valentino Rossi...........

[soihok]

That is news and quite a surprise.

So that will mean one team less then?

They do support MotoGP well and supply, off the top of head, two other teams other than their own factory team.

Lorenzo will sail to victory again, if it rains its anyones guess, Haydon will be giving it 110%

[soihok]

Well I didn't expect to see Spies on pole.

[Bluetongue]

Hopefully Peas can convert and with Hayden do the Chupa Chup kid over in a Yankee sandwich. I was also surprised to see Rossi nearly a second off the pace, I only woke up half way through so I couldn't say for sure I knew what was going on

[Lickey]

It has anoneyed me for years that some racers only go well at there home race, and i fully understand why that is, Id be very suprised if there is a yank in the top 3 tonight, look at the other racers, Rossi, lorenzo,pedrosa,dovitsoso,ect, they go well anywhere in the world, thats the differrence!thats why they are worth thier paychecks,

Ducati out of WSB next year, no suprise there, Nitro Noris performance this year isnt exactly a winner for Dukes,

And i thought i heard some voices in the background on Star Sports last night, was that the commentators? and perhaps i heard wrong, but is Bradley getting a moto2 lined up for next year?

[Miiyai46]

I did not watch last night races but it is good to know that Pedrosa won the race and closed a bit the gap with Lorenzo. This is Lorenzo's worst race of the year ( 3rd position!!! ) and I believe that from now on he will take it easy and think about the championship rather than keep winning races!

Well done for Spies, in the last races he has really shown a BIG improvement. I just wonder whether this improvement has anything to do with Valentino leaving Yamaha as all the updated parts are being given to him and not to Vale anymore.

Awful race for Ducati and especially for Stoner whom I believe is already thinking about next season with Honda. Will he ever be the same rider than won the championship in 2007?

Cheers

[soihok]

Yes well done Dani.

Didn't watch the races either until I saw the last few laps of the main race repeated last night.

Fair play Speas, good finish. I know what you mean about the home race thing Lickey, its a strange one isn't it?

[Lickey]

Hi Soihok and all,,

this home race thing goes back years as you know, Spies did well for a second place, and Dani ran away with it, Lorenzo was calm at the post-race interview, laid back and nonchalant, he really is growing up now, poor Rossi, 3 crashes in practice, but still managed 4th, perhaps also he was a bit un-nerved by stoners and a pramac duke crashing out too, he has to ride this thing next year!!

And Scott Redding 3rd in Moto2, perhaps he can now have the smell of the podium for the next few races,

Just something for you good people to think about,,,,

Agostini might have been the most successful racer, but Hailwood was the best!!

On the same MV Augusta, Hailwood won 6 races to Agos 3, and on the ill-handling Honda, it was equal,

Just my thought for today, anybody else got some??

Cheers, Lickey,

[Bluetongue]

GO DANI

Even though Dani likes to win like that, it is just a bit of a shame for the spectacle that Lorenzo doesn't really have to race him and knows it.

The 2 of them have come a fair way since their handbags at 10 paces antics a few years ago, I know that Dani would be really burning inside knowing that he cant do much about it except keep on winning I suppose.

yes when I was growing up, we were always fed the Mike the bike legend, its always difficult to compare different era's bikes etc, but I still agree with you.

By the way Lickey your injuries which I seem to remember were on here somewhere sound similar to mine. In 1981 riding to work on my 900 supersport I smacked into a 1956 Borgward sedan doing an unsignalled u-turn to get a car park. I had a comminuted (closed) fracture of the femur which they fixated with a K nail. (K stood for Knitcher or kneutcher something like that) an evil bit of stainless steel about 12 inches long pounded in through the hip down to the knee. It came out about a year later. But the really messy one was the tibia, a compound fracture which also pushed the knee joint back, they pinned it through the shin and put a little window in the plaster where the bone was crushed just below the knee. I also had a three inch gash on my neck and some other gashes and contusions I was in traction for three weeks, and off the bikes for about 6 months. Still walk with a limp and cant straighten the knee but considering they said I would have to have further surgery (which I haven't had) to permanently straighten the knee as I got older and suffered osteoarthritis I came out pretty well. I eventually settled for a bit less than I should have got, but I didn't want to go to court because at no stage did anyone find out I didn't have a license having already lost it multiple times due to speeding mainly.

The 900 supersport was a real demon, it took me a couple of years to painstakingly put it back together, new tank, wheels etc. In the meantime I bought a CB400N, people laughed and called it a baby Bol'd'or, but I put good tyres on it and it handled tight stuff sensationally, it was obviously outgunned on straight roads, but I didn't care it was a lot of fun. On my first day of work as a postie I was late and speeding on it the cops pulled me over and I did my license in one go, after that they seemed to stalk me so the next time I did a runner through the back streets and hid the bike in some long grass at the railway station and sneaked into work the back way, as they were cruising around the post office looking for me. I put it down under a taxi that turned in front of me a couple of years later but I'd learn't to crash a bit better by then and it only cost me a pair of gloves.

So there's my ramblings for the day. Sorry to go off topic a bit.

[Lickey]

Wow Blue tongue, thats a real painful story, ive broken a few bones, left femur, right tibia, right wrist, 2 knuckles in left hand, nose, but not all at once!!, thank Buddha, I was banned twice, totting up process,mainly speeding, You remember those raised humps they had on the side of motorways and dual carriage ways, little sign wouldsay, Police vehicles only, i went past one about 125mph on my ZZR1100, the bushes hid the police car, 2.8 granada i think it was, so im thinking, shit, this speed is a 3 month monkey house job, so down 2 cogs and gunned her, speeds upto 170mph and no more cop car in the mirrors, of at the next junction and poodles around a village, that was 1996, i dont think anybody could get away with that in UK now,

Last time i was stopped in the UK was about 2003, the copper said hello mr ....., you have your bike insured with ,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,, and MOTed at ........................, its taxed till ................ .... ......., all before i could open my mouth!!!! he went on to say, you have all classes of HGV,buses,cars,bikes on your license,

How things have changed in the UK, im a little glad i dont live there anymore, bit of a police state, but on the other hand, its a good thing, because if the roads wernt policed properly, like compulsory wearing of helmets, bike mots, strict drink driving laws, speed control ect, We live about 50ks from Laos, its a free for all here, when i do take my 1200XJR out, 80k is max speed, any more is asking for trouble,,

Bluetongue and i have posted a little of our history, More is welcome, is always a great read from other bikers,

You are soo right about Lorenzo, he doesnt have a real threat from anybody now, as long as he keeps mounting up the points,

If you go to Bradley Smiths website, you will see he has been training with Leon and Ron Haslam for a Moto2 slot next year,

And the next big race is WSB from Nurburgring this Sunday, i think starts at 4.45pm, [please check] Ive been there 2 times and it just pissed down the whole time, lets hope for better weather!!

[soihok]

You guys make me feel that I,ve had a relatively accident free life on bikes, which I suppose I have.

I'll not say anything else there, temp fate etc etc. The traffic in Singapore is a dangerous place to be on a bike and most of my riding time is spent riding down the centre of crawling traffic.

I have toured France, Spain and Portugal at different times on the only bike I have ever bought from new, which was a GSXR750J. I,m glad I wasn't on the back though, on one of the trips my brother came along.....poor bugger, he still can't sit down correctly.

I left the UK in the mid 90's. I got fed up with the place, packed a bag and went. Half the bikes I've owned there ended being stolen, it really pissed me off. I was to fund my last trip away from there by selling a GSXR1100G I owned, advertised it in the trader, met the buyer who gave me a cock and bull story about his bike breaking and he was going away at the weekend so needed a bike quick. Let him have a go on it, leaving me with his van as security,,, the chuff never came back and left me with a stolen van, which ran out of diesel on the way to the cop station. The aforementioned slingshot was nicked from the lock up I was using, it came back in about 10 boxes after it was crashed by some lowlife.

Anyway, I sound like a right miserable sod,,,,sorry ,,,I,m not usually.

I don't have a bike in Thailand, but will do when I return there. Trouble is, with two young kids to provide for I will probably be working outside for another 15 years.

I'm looking forward to this weekends races also, lets hope the Doctor can get a win in.

Cheers

[Kwasaki]

No news coming out about Kawasaki re-entering MotoGP ......yet.

After the rules change the engine capacity to 1000cc I think we will see more interest from manufacturers, as you say , the grid needs more bikes on it.

Just like moto2, totally mental.

A bit of info case you miss it.

Northern Irish former MotoGP rider Jeremy McWilliams will manage a team in the CEV Buckler Moto2 category.

Jeremy has always admired Rossi's talent and once said Rossi could win MotoGP on a Kawasaki.

Personally I would of like to of seen Rossi go to Kawasaki but Italian on Italian is best I guess.

I think this is why they wanted Rossi.

Preziosi considering a 930cc bike for 2012 Thursday, 03 June 2010

As quoted the General Manager of Ducati Corse, Filippo Preziosi, is already giving serious consideration to the new engine for the 2012 version of the Italian manufacturer's bike, when the new technical regulations for MotoGP will be implemented.

Preziosi is searching for the perfect balance of fuel economy and horsepower, with the engine capacity limit being 1,000cc, and said: "It is not clear that 1,000cc is the best, there is a compromise. A 900cc is very possible, maybe even a 930."

A final decision will be made later this year, with a prototype of the new bike to be ready for testing in mid-2011.

Just incase you missed this intresting comment from Yams.

Executive Officer of Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd, Masao Furusawa, declared in Motorcycle News that the factory would like to continue with 800cc engines in 2012, when the new Technical Regulations will permit a maximum engine capacity of 1000cc. The reason is cost, but Furusawa also says: "It depends on the competition.

If our competitors make a better engine than us then we have to change."

Edited September 2, 2010 by Kwasaki

[soihok]

No more talk of accidents from me now.

After the post yesterday, bike and me very nearly became one with a Merc saloon last night.

Entirely my mistake.

[Miiyai46]

Nice to see that the thread is having more posters!!! - Thanks for the info Kwasaki, it is interesting to know that Yamaha would like to keep using a 800CC engine but I guess that this will not be possible as they will need to match the other manufacturers engine performance.

This weekend MotoGP will be racing at Rossi's home and therefore I'm expecting him to win the race....a home race does not help the american riders only .

MOTOGP: 1. Rossi, 2. Pedrosa, 3. Lorenzo. Pole: Rossi

MOTO2: 1. Iannone, 2. Elías, 3. Corsi. Pole: Iannone

125cc: 1. Terol, 2. Márquez, 3. Smith. Pole: Terol

Cheers and drive safely!!!

[soihok]

Looking forward to the races on Sunday.

As there is no football on TV this weekend, we get shown the qualifying as well as the Red Bull rookies race.

Not only that!

At the same time as the Moto GP races are shown on Star Sports we get WSBK from the Nurburgring live on ESPN.

Its going to be a bike racing festival at my place this weekend. YIPPEE!

Lorenzo and Pedrosa show, perhaps Dovi will surprise us and the Doctor should be giving it all.

Cheers

[Valdezugar]

Looking forward to the races on Sunday.

As there is no football on TV this weekend, we get shown the qualifying as well as the Red Bull rookies race.

Not only that!

At the same time as the Moto GP races are shown on Star Sports we get WSBK from the Nurburgring live on ESPN.

Its going to be a bike racing festival at my place this weekend. YIPPEE!

Lorenzo and Pedrosa show, perhaps Dovi will surprise us and the Doctor should be giving it all.

Cheers

Aren't there all kinds of soccer qualifying matches this weekend?

And I agree with the Miiya; Rossi will spark this weekend.

[soihok]

There are some internationals on, but lets face it, so close to the world cup I think most of us have had enough international football for now.

Well I have anyway.

[soihok]

Just seen the Friday practice times and Dani is on a roll now.

As long as he can stay on the bike and keep up his performance he has a strong chance of victory.

This is what is needed, having a one way ( Lorenzo ) show is a bit boring, if I can describe it as that, a real push now towards the close of the season from Dani will certainly liven things up. Jorge is so far away on points now its difficult seeing him not become world champ of 2010, he is without doubt the most outstanding rider of this year.

As expected Dovi is showing his worth.

[Bluetongue]

For me I think you should know

Pedrosa. Lorenzo. Rossi Dont think Lorenzo will want to give Dani another 9 points, but dont think he'll want to fight as hard either and he sure as anything wont want Rossi in the road.

Iannone, De Angelis, Simon

Marquez, Terol, Smith

Also with the benefit of QP1 and the TV Guide is indicating we should get qualifying here in T as well as Nurburgring

[soihok]

I enjoyed watching at least 30 minutes of qualifying practice of the MotoGP race last night, with the kids jumping all over me as well. Not possible to watch anything further.....kids, they,re not just for Christmas are they.

Dani is right on the button, Jorge is not far behind.

Hats off to Casey Stoner who rode on the edge and went over it, got back to the pits and got out again. He'll be very happy with third on the grid after falling.

Rossi, well, gave it a good go but only a fraction faster than Peas in fourth.

A welcome return to form from Randy D, after the broken leg its great to see him doing well. Thing is he seems to do well in practice and it kind of falls apart in the race. I hope to see him do well.

Hayden has all sorts of problems trying to find a set up.......look forward to the races

[soihok]

I just deleted my post after just learning that Shoya Tomizawa has died from the injuries he received during that dreadful crash in Moto2.

The crash was really shocking.

These guys offer us entertainment as they follow the dream of their lives. Sadly Shoya has paid the ultimate price in doing so.

The shock on the face of Rossi on the podium spoke for itself.

We all know this is a dangerous sport but following the death of Peter Lenz at Indiapolis recently, it marks a dark period in the history of the sport.

Didn't see the post race interviews as the programme was cut.

RIP Shoya Tomizawa.

Thoughts and condolences to his family, friends and team.

Edited September 5, 2010 by soihok

[Miiyai46]

RIP Shoya Tomizawa.

It might have not changed anything, but Moto2 race should have been stopped straight away. It was very clear that he was seriously injured as he was not moving at all!!! I really think that the race was not stopped as it would have delayed MotoGP race causing trouble to the broadcasting tv's.....MotoGP is following F1 and it is becoming a business more than a sport!!!

Today's Race 1 at WSBK was stopped for a very small accident.....

[Bluetongue]

Vale Shoya Tomizawa

I agree with you Milyai, the race should have been red flagged immediately. There were two riders prone and not moving on the track, it was clear from the live footage, without a replay that two riders had been run over what more do you need. The footage then showed Scott Redding being put onto a stretcher in a most hasty fashion, assuming that this was the case for Shoya Tomizawa as well. These people are only trained for first aid and a casualty should not be moved without a proper assessment unless there is danger, they are taught that. The danger was clear the race was not red flagged so you cant really blame them, whoever made the call not to stop the race is at fault. I thought they had sorted this after Daijiro Katoh was thrown onto a stretcher like a hay bale at Suzuka a few years back, obviously not.

The operator's PR people? were in Park firme? after MotoGP making sure the riders didn't celebrate, already putting their spin on it, as you say SBK was redflagged and ESPN went over time, nobody cared about that. I hope the Italian media go after the clerk of the course to find out what the the commercial operator's person who probably shadows him had to do with it. Also we were told I think either just before or during MotoGP that neither Redding or Tomizawa had life threatening injuries why was that necessary?

I cant comment about the races now.