[neoyetif2]

Is Val getting a little to "Hollywood" to ride in the rain? IMO I would think it would be good to test some in the rain considering how many races had rain in them last year. For the sake of the series I really hope Val gets spanked big time. Nicky, Colin and Troy will hopefully be doing the spanking!

 

[mn0024]

For someone to "spank" Valentino, they will have to be at least an equally talented or better rider than him. That leaves out Nicky and Troy. Maybe Colin might have something for Rossi but I think it is doubtful.

 

[jmeyn]

He's earned it, Kato hasn't

Rossi is marvelous in the rain; Kato is the one who should be spanked.

 

[mconlon]

Wow. 3 posts. For a serious article/Honda press release about racing. Gee. And to think that by this time, some non-moto rant by Johnny B would have chalked up at least 50. What do you think MO is going to publish more of?

 

[mconlon]

Wow. 3 posts. For a serious article/Honda press release about racing. Gee. And to think that by this time, some non-moto rant by Johnny B would have chalked up at least 50. What do you think MO is going to publish more of?

 

[rsheidler]

I agree with the main thrust of your post, but would pick different riders as having the possibility to "spank" Rossi.



My picks are Barros, who has already done so -- Rossi himself said that "every time Barros fights with me, he f#cks me" -- pretty good praise.



Capirossi, who was damn close last year on the 2 stroke, and has already been faster at Jarez on the new Ducati than Rossi qualified last year,



Biaggi -- one of the few to have beaten Rossi.



Maybe Colin, if the Cube continues with the current rate of progress.



Maybe Troy.

 

[rsheidler]

Re: He's earned it, Kato hasn't

To Kato's credit, he put in one hell of a lot of wet laps at Jarez because, as he admits, he did have problems in the rain on the gp bikes (both 2-stroke and 4-stroke).

If he deals with that one weakness, he could be among the real greats.

Bob

 

[rsheidler]

Too bad, isn,t it?



There seems to be a lot more response to what kinda bike Jesus would ride (and whether he was opposed to naked bikes) than on anything to do with racing.



Give you any clue why SpeedTV delays coverage of motorcycle races in favor of NASCAR? If there is no more interest than this among apparent hard-core motorcyclists, how many other motorcycle racing fans are there out there?

 

[neoyetif2]

I do agree that Barros has a much better chance than the others to take Rossi. I would also really like to see Biaggi smoke him also. I just want this group of superbike riders to do better than the others that came before -- Haga, Russell and Gobert.



Either way I want to see riders other than Rossi on the top step of the podium.

 

[banda]

While many race fans point out that Barros beat Rossi after getting on the four stroke, let me be the first to point this out:



Barros beat Rossi at a time when Rossi had almost nothing to gain from a win. He had the championship sewed up. Rossi's only concrete motivation to win was a run at the record books for most wins in a season.

 

[banda]

Is Val getting a little to "Hollywood" to ride in the rain?

Val rides great in the rain. Witness the season that just ended.

It would be pretty silly for Val to get hurt or for valuable equipment to get damaged while he rode around on a wet track. He and his team have next to nothing to learn from wet testing.

Unlike Nicky who is completely unfamiliar with the bike, and maybe completely unfamiliar with racing in the rain. Or Daijiro who struggled in the rain on the 2 stroke and the 4 stroke.