[Joe_Momma]

A tad late.





Hopefully JOHN HOPKINS will still have a ride after he finished a year as good as Yamaha's other boys (Nakano, Jaque) and better than McCoy. Seems like Red Bull is backing out and the Moriwaki/Honda deal fell through. But of course since he doesn't have the passport all the sponsors are looking for, he won't get a good ride next year. Poor guy. If he had a competitive machine, he would probably be close to the front.



I wonder what Nicky/Edwards will do next year in the mix.



I hope all the old SBK boys put a whoopin' on the GP crew since everyone thinks they are the creme when it ain't nuthin but second rate Spanish, Italian, French, and Japanese riders with a few REAL riders mixed in.



The Ducati GP bike is running times on par with the Superbike from 2002 so maybe they can get that extra second out to be competitive next year. I sure would like to see Bayliss, Rossi, Edwards, Hayden, Biaggi, Barros, Capirossi and Roberts (maybe) slugging it out next year.

 

[motoCG]

Like it or not, the Moto GP series is considered the most talented bunch of riders. You can't claim to be the best until you beat those "second rate Spanish, Italian, French, and Japanese riders."



Give some credit where credit is due. There are backmarkers in every racing series, but they aren't afraid to put their egos aside and finish last against the best.



Better last against the best, than first against the worst.

 

[TheFox]

"Better last against the best, than first against the worst."



...and that is why I think Mladin sucks.



--Foxy

 

[badsac]

You think he's a better rider than McCoy??? (NT)

 

[jmeyn]

Eurocentric bigotry

Kato, Ukawa and Abe seem to have deserved some consideration.

I wouldn't discount any of the pretenders next year, including Proton.

 

[jmeyn]

Another great year is nearly over

Rossi made his point on Sunday; he's the best rider on the Honda RC211V. That doesn't mean he's the best on any other bike nor does it mean the RC211V is the best bike. The fact that the first 3 riders were on 211s does mean it's the best bike.

At Phillips Island.

Last Sunday.

 

[SB8RC]

Re: Another great year is nearly over

make that the fist 4 bikes, and the 5th was also a honda

 

[SB8RC]

Re: Another great year is nearly over

make that the first 4 bikes and the 5th was a honda

 

[jmeyn]

The Effect of Wind

Nobody commented much on the wind; the flags were flying straight out the whole time. Each new rider of the RC211V has mentioned how "easy" it is to ride.

I'll bet the reason the other makes couldn't keep up was just plain overall comfort, wind or no wind, rain or shine, tight or open, rough or smooth...

Balance!

 

[badsac]

Dunlop = Crap tires

I wish McCoy could have had a good Dunlop in right from the start. I know he had half the laps on his rear tire than the front two had but the way he was just riding around behind them so easily having fun suggests he would have been a real chance in that race. Would have been a nice way for the two strokes to go out.

Which brings me to why does anyone ride on Dunlop tires when they have another choice. It only seems to be Dunlop who have their riders complaining about getting dodgy tires quite regularly. They really need to get their quality control sorted. The way Bridgestone is starting to come on Dunlop could find themselves under presure in all the international classes soon.

 

[jmeyn]

Re: Another great year is nearly over

Right. I thought just the podium was enough. Insane, wasn't it?

 

[jmeyn]

Re: Dunlop = Crap tires

Can you imagine the fun he had running with the two masters, with nothing at all to lose? Luckiest man on earth!

 

[jmeyn]

Re: Dunlop = Crap tires

That's a little hard on Dunlop. Michelin did it to Rossi a few races back. Nobody's perfect.

 

[badsac]

Re: Dunlop = Crap tires

Yeah, it did look like he was having a ball. Got a bit close to them a couple of times though which I'm sure had his heart in his mouth. I don't know if anyone would have been impressed if he had of taken out one of the leaders.

I guess one potential reason for him even being there (apart from having fun and getting exposure for the sponsors) was to remind everyone he's fast enough to deserve a ride next year. I hope someone picks him up cause McCoy on song makes for a very exciting race.

 

[badsac]

Ah yes...

I forgot about that disintegrating rear episode. Never mind my anti-dunlop rantings then (never had a good dunlop personally) . Seems nobodies perfect.

 

[DucButt]

Re: Ah yes...

All time best tires I've ever run on the street to date were Dunlop D204's!! Currently on Pirelli Dragon, but anxious to try the Sportec or Pilot - slightly off the thread... sorry

 

[Joe_Momma]

BS and YOU KNOW IT!!!

You can't base a riders skill on his marketability in a politically controlled environment. The majority of those riders are signed based off of sponsorship. Why is Sete Gibernau still in the series? Why did Louis Cardoso and Pere Riba get rides? Pere Riba came from WSBK 600SS for god sakes!

The series was the best of the best in the eighties to mid nineties, and since then it has declined into who can get what ride via sponsor. Marco Melandri has a factory ride and he has been struggling against 2nd rate teams but I almost guareentee you he will get signed to Yamaha! Only now are Americans getting back in because of talent. Mladin, Edwards, Gobert, Fogarty all say this same thing: You get into GP based on your Passport.

And don't say Kenny Roberts Jr hasn't done much. He won in 2000, came in second in 1999 on what was the crappiest bike in the field (minus the proton). He always outperforms his team mates.

NEXT YEAR GP will be the cream of the crop because of the new riders, Hayden, Edwards, Bayliss, E boz maybe. You put them togther with the GP top five and then you will have some real racing. And people have the nerve to think Capirossi will outperform Bayliss.

McCoy has been fairly beaten by Hopkins at quite a few races this year and he has finished more races than most of the GP regulars on lesser machinery (red bull is the bastard Yam team) and on lesser tires (everyone knows Dunlop make ****ty tires this year).

Rossi will have competition next year.

 

[badsac]

Re: Ah yes...

Tried a set of D204's and I got a separated shoulder as a result of the rear not working properly. Not even half the grip of the Bridgestones I put on after. I guess I was just unlucky. [/OT tire discusion]

 

[rsheidler]

Re: Dunlop = Crap tires

Not to mention Biaggi's front tire, which tore up his front fender a couple of races back.

Dunlop has not been at the top in WSB or MotoGP in 2002 but they seem to do well on some of the 2-strokes (McCoy's performance, once he got a new tire, for example) and have been very competitive in 250GP.

Charactorizing them as "crap" is rather harsh -- however, it I were running a team in MotoGP, I would want Michelins if I could get em -- that is certainly a big part of the deal with Colin at Aprilia.

 

[Roadrider]

Please do not forget the Brazilian ( only Barros, for now ). With an "almost" factory Honda he is really showing now how good he is.... Rossi, take care!