Moto GP 2008

[Guzzirider]

Eurosport are showing live Moto GP testing at 1pm today (2pm in Europe). First chance to see the new riders and bikes.

[grossohc]

Cheers Guy, my wife aint happy though, car cleaning cancelled.

[Pierre]

Eurosport are showing live Moto GP testing at 1pm today (2pm in Europe). First chance to see the new riders and bikes.

Lucky devils! Nothing over here. Not even iive timing on the Moto GP web site. Gonna' go for a ride. You guys enjoy!

[Guzzirider]

If you want to enjoy the live timing on the Moto GP site for free just input quest as your password.

[wheelsucker]

Is it time for 2008 predictions yet???

 

I think the top 5 will remain largely unchanged with the exception of Hopkins. Don't think he'll do that well w/ the Kawi and will drop out of the top 5 but probably remain in the top 10.

 

Is there a way you can tell who the rookies are on the motogp website? I know there was some talk about some good guys moving up to motogp from the lower 250cc class. Dovisioso and Lorenzo are the two standouts from last year's 250cc class, anyone else worth mentioning?

[jihem]

Dovisioso and Lorenzo are the two standouts from last year's 250cc class, anyone else worth mentioning?

 

Sylvain Guintoli, on the Ducati Alice satellite team could be one rookie to watch if he beats the infamous Capirossi syndrome.

And, yes, Toseland. Definitively.

[Pierre]

Sylvain Guintoli, on the Ducati Alice satellite team could be one rookie to watch if he beats the infamous Capirossi syndrome.

And, yes, Toseland. Definitively.

Does Guintoli qualify as a rookie this year? Partial season last year ... so maybe he still qualifies?

[wheelsucker]

Sylvain Guintoli, on the Ducati Alice satellite team could be one rookie to watch if he beats the infamous Capirossi syndrome.

And, yes, Toseland. Definitively.

 

What is the "Capirossi Syndrome?"

[jihem]

Does Guintoli qualify as a rookie this year? Partial season last year ... so maybe he still qualifies?

 

 

Let's be generous

[jihem]

What is the "Capirossi Syndrome?"

 

There seems to be very few people who can ride to maximum effect that heavily-charged-in-electronic-controls Ducati around. Stoner definitively can but, last year, Capirossi had a real hard time get to grip with the traction control on the 800cc, and so do Elias and Melandri: they just don't 'trust' the system enough to let go. All these devices do filter the way informations go back to the rider and not everyone can read the bikes now.

 

Apparently, as an example, with the Ducati TC, you can open full throttle in the middle of the corner, then you pray for the Marelli to do its job... That doesn't diminish the talent of the rider, it's just that something additional is being asked from them and some handle the new situation better than others.

[ferguzzi]

sounds scary to me!

[Pierre]

...That doesn't diminish the talent of the rider, it's just that something additional is being asked from them and some handle the new situation better than others.

... or, (and you know this debate is raging even within the GP riders circle) there's been a great leveling. Where formerly riders who couldn't carry Rossi's jock strap now look down on him from the podium. It all depends on who you talk to.

 

I do know Stoner was "crash" Stoner before TC ... and a non-factor. I also know F1 has banned it. I really have mixed feelings about TC in racing. It's kinda' like a "restrictor plate" for the rider. Normally I'm all in with all the technology that can be brought to bear in GP racing. TC however gives me pause.

 

[jihem]

... or, (and you know this debate is raging even within the GP riders circle) there's been a great leveling.

 

I just see it as an evolution, and there were lots of steps where you can look back and wonder 'had this to do with motorbikes ?'

What about the arrival of two strokes ? Eight cylinders ? 6 cylinders ? big bang engines ? injection ? disc brakes ? slick tyres, Q tyres ? Everytime a new technological advance was made available to the riders, some of them didn't adjust too well to the new parameters and just faded away. Here, no one would notice if the fading rider in question wasn't a history maker like Rossi. Everyone loves him and it's a shame to see him on bad machinery, and not winnng as he used to. But we shouldn't ban TC just because it alters the way bikes behave. There's still a man on top of that bike, in a curve, at 280 kph...

 

Stoner was a crasher, yes, and he was in a spanish team where competition is known to be really harsh and merciless and personal pressure was intense. Then he got sign to Ducati, where the atmosphere (while merciless at the top managment floor) is better and far more family like, he got to evolve more, they "embraced" him and his girlfriend and he just felt at home and liberated. The Ducati has always been fast, from the first GP model in 2003, and he just melted with it and comprehend the new formula better than other riders.

 

I see no problems with electronics, the ballet of bikes is just as magical as it always was, new riders come in and older ones go out...And i'm extremely excited it's a Ducati on top of the bill

[g.forrest]

Spot on jihem, casey is the man that can make it all work at the moment, he has the feel that the others can't match, and barring accidents of a serious nature, i can't see stoner loosing the title this season.

[GuzziMoto]

What is the "Capirossi Syndrome?"

 

 

There seems to be very few people who can ride to maximum effect that heavily-charged-in-electronic-controls Ducati around. Stoner definitively can but, last year, Capirossi had a real hard time get to grip with the traction control on the 800cc, and so do Elias and Melandri: they just don't 'trust' the system enough to let go. All these devices do filter the way informations go back to the rider and not everyone can read the bikes now.

 

Apparently, as an example, with the Ducati TC, you can open full throttle in the middle of the corner, then you pray for the Marelli to do its job... That doesn't diminish the talent of the rider, it's just that something additional is being asked from them and some handle the new situation better than others.

I thought it was t-boning another rider(your title rival and/or team mate) to win the title.

 

Stoner is the right man on the right bike at the right time. He is immensely talented but known to right checks for talent he could not cash(causing crashes). Now he is on a bike with overdraft protection.

Do I think he's the best rider out there? No. But winning a title is not just a matter of being the best rider. If it was KRJR would never have won a title. It is being the right rider on the right bike at the right time and Stoner is that.

On a different note, who if anybody is going to MotoGP at Indy?