[rvfrules]

Dear BMW,

Spend a $3 million to hire Rossi, $2 million on a GP bike and another couple million on the development of your first Supersport bike. Then reap many times that value in increased motorcycle sales.

 

[cybris]

It is going to cost alot more than that for BMW to enter and be competive.

 

[ducatirdr]

3. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, -5.254 seconds

4. Sete Gibernau, Honda, -5.269 seconds



That last lap was like a 125 race for these two. Excellent racing and great to see Ducati so competative in their first year. Aprilia I had high hopes with Edwards at the helm but they still have a long way to go. Suzuki... Remember when KRjr was World champ? Now the guy can't make top 15 (yet Hopper is beating him on the same bike ;-)



Thank You SPEED Channel.



If only they would bring a GP race to Barber.

 

[RickZ]

The Suzuki and the Aprilia need more development time. The Ducati is looking good. The guy to watch is Nicky. He's got a great bike and team under him, but he's still learning and I don't think he's comfortable yet with all the changes. When Nicky settles in and gets used to being away from home and all the other distractions, he should start giving the top 5 a run for their money.



I am really diggin' MotoGP this year. The talent level of riders on the track from the top of the field to the bottom is just fantastic.

 

[SeanAlexander]

I think the Suzuki needs a re-design, development isn't going to cut it.

 

[KPaulCook]

If it wasn't for Ducati, MotoGP would be the Honda Cup

Yamaha is doing so, so. But I argee with you Sean Suzuki needs to start brand new, Kawaski as well.

 

[sarnali]

I think Nicky Haydens doing fantastic for his first year at moto gp

If he had a Ducati he might break into the top 5

 

[39003]

I dunno about that. The Ducati seems to be a little bit of a beast in terms of stability. There is no doubt it's fast as hell, but there is also no doubt that the Honda is consistently the quickest bike out there. Also remember that Nicky is racing for the "official" HRC team being at Repsol, so he is getting all the latest and greatest. Either way, Nicky did a great job yesterday by finishing six places higher than he started. That's no easy feat, especially with a grid as talented as the MotoGP field this year. I have high hopes that he's going to become a real contenda by next season. In the meantime, he's racking up a lot of points finishes, which is exactly what he needs to be doing. He's going to finish a lot higher in the standings in his first year than Hopkins last year (and this year...) or Edwards this year. Hell, he's even gonna beat Kenny...of course the bike is definitely somewhat to blame for that, as with the other two aforementioned American speed demons. We'll see how it pans out...still a few more races to go.

 

[detansinn]

Absolutely. To be a player, it takes about $25 million to step in the MotoGP ring. As for Rossi, rumor has it that Ducati offered Rossi $10 million to jump the Honda ship. This MotoGP stuff is expensive. haha.

 

[detansinn]

Doubtful. Nicky is super talented, but he's not in the top 5 for lack of motorcycle. Outside of Rossi, he's the only one with a full-HRC ride. That Honda isn't a slouch.



Nicky's weak spot is learning new tracks. Hopefully, he'll be more productive next year and that Honda will give him the chance to grow. To say that he's under pressure to do so is a slight understatement. They're not hisorical patient at HRC. haha

 

[detansinn]

Re: If it wasn't for Ducati, MotoGP would be the Honda Cup

I have an extended rant on the subject at my weblog: www.buzzwordenabled.com

 

[aknopak]

Re: If it wasn't for Ducati, MotoGP would be the Honda Cup

There's an interview with the Dutch mechanic of the Suzuki team printed on a Dutch forum. In the interview he explains why the Suzuki fails in very explicit terms: they simply cannot get enough power out of the current V4 configuration within the restrictions imposed by the frame.

Apparently the problem is that Suzuki management chose a frame, and decided to build an engine to fit it. It doesn't work, and now they can't develop the engine any further within the current frame. And still they are sticking to the frame...

He also notes that he would rather have done like Ducati: build several engine configurations, and see which one works best. Basically Suzuki put all their money on one horse, and it is not fast enough.

Finally he notes that by now the team is severely demotivated, with only Hopkins putting in an effort, and KRjr hardly bothering anymore.

All in all he paints a picture of a dysfunctional organisation, the Suzuki management won't admit that they need to change their approach, and instead they are sticking to a concept which will never work.

Mmm, sounds a lot like the things KRjr has been complaining about for years.

 

[34763]

Motorcycle Daily argues that BMW needs to join MotoGP because it is the only other motorcycle mfr that can match Honda's experience in F1 engine development. I don't necessarily agree, since Ducati doesn't seem to need such resources to be competitive from the ground floor, but it's an interesting thought.

 

[nokneedragin]

The Aprilla 3 cyl was designed with F1 features (I do not remember who designed it) and its still not there yet. So I am not sure that F1 experience would give any inherent advantage.

 

[john]

i believe the priller has cosworth input.......





true enough, F1 tech does not a GP bike make.

 

[Black_Adder]

Re: Hayden needs a Ducati?

A recent post on this topic claimed Hayden would finish in the top five if he was on a Ducati. Is that person delirious? What a joke. Nicky's a great rider but the riders ahead of him in points are better...and that's why he's not finishing in the top five. Geez, some folks need to take off their Ducati-fogged glasses and realize that the Big Red D is not the ultimate answer to everyone's problems.