Predictions ...
Discussion
Biaggi is riding a RCV for Sito Pons with Ukawa just confirmed as his team mate and still an official factory rider. They should therefor get top notch kit.
Rossi is without a doubt talented to the point of ridiculous, but he was shaken at the end of last year by the new 4 stroke riders. Barros first time out on the RCV beat him. Look how good Kato was early on. All h needed to do was to adapt to the bike.
The legend that is Hizzy (Total God in my book) is riding the R1 for Rob McElnea's Virgin squad. He knows what he's doing on a 4 and therefor will undoubtedly be a tital contender. The difficulty he faces is that Rutter and Byrnes 998's are full factory bikes, late decision made with Ducati to cope with the ex world champ winning SP2 that Plater will ride. Hizzy's team mate will be Gary Mason, who is going to be learning from the great man rather than contributing to development of the bike. IMHO of course ...
>> Edited by johno on Tuesday 3rd December 16:18
Rossi is without a doubt talented to the point of ridiculous, but he was shaken at the end of last year by the new 4 stroke riders. Barros first time out on the RCV beat him. Look how good Kato was early on. All h needed to do was to adapt to the bike.
The legend that is Hizzy (Total God in my book) is riding the R1 for Rob McElnea's Virgin squad. He knows what he's doing on a 4 and therefor will undoubtedly be a tital contender. The difficulty he faces is that Rutter and Byrnes 998's are full factory bikes, late decision made with Ducati to cope with the ex world champ winning SP2 that Plater will ride. Hizzy's team mate will be Gary Mason, who is going to be learning from the great man rather than contributing to development of the bike. IMHO of course ...
>> Edited by johno on Tuesday 3rd December 16:18
Walker is riding the ex-factory bikes for Daryl Healeys squad. Hadgson rode for him last year.
Walker should have tested this week and hasn't ridden a Ducati competitively since the Old SPice bike in '95 which was lucky to finish a race.
The big twins are a lot different to how they were then revving a lot harder and this should help Walker with getting used to it.
He was awesome last year on the Kawasaki and out performed Isutzu his team mate.
I do think you will see the Hodgson/Walker battle on the track again but not as regularly as we were treated to in BSB ...
As for Rossi's mate .... ? Melandri ? He is staying in 250's ... As for ex 250 riders now in MotoGP who are tiltle contenders the only one I would have an outside bet on is Kato ... he will be competitive !
Walker should have tested this week and hasn't ridden a Ducati competitively since the Old SPice bike in '95 which was lucky to finish a race.
The big twins are a lot different to how they were then revving a lot harder and this should help Walker with getting used to it.
He was awesome last year on the Kawasaki and out performed Isutzu his team mate.
I do think you will see the Hodgson/Walker battle on the track again but not as regularly as we were treated to in BSB ...
As for Rossi's mate .... ? Melandri ? He is staying in 250's ... As for ex 250 riders now in MotoGP who are tiltle contenders the only one I would have an outside bet on is Kato ... he will be competitive !
Ehh? I suspect you've never been to a circuit to watch the racing then. They are on the absolute limit of the bike all the time (far more than the Manx GP I saw this year)
Road racing can never be as "on the limit" as these guys, nor passing manovers back and forth as close simply because of the danger. I have a lot of respect for both types of racers but be under no doubt circuit riders are extremely skillful riders.
I suspect unless you actually are winning TT or the Manx GP then circuit riders will ride you off the road in any situation.
Road racing can never be as "on the limit" as these guys, nor passing manovers back and forth as close simply because of the danger. I have a lot of respect for both types of racers but be under no doubt circuit riders are extremely skillful riders.
I suspect unless you actually are winning TT or the Manx GP then circuit riders will ride you off the road in any situation.
steveblade_uk said: Dont much care, they would all waste me on a closed curcuit but out on the roads? Hmm id like to see if they got it or not, some riders surely have and others well! The guys that ride the TT have my respect!
Rutter not a TT winner then ???? Did he not just win the Macau GP on a 998 ????
The guys who ride at the TT, Ulster etc etc do have my total respect. Having last night re-watched th review of this years TT with DJ's 127mph lap.
Awesome. They do not however have the bike on the limit like the short circuit guys do. It is not the sam ekind of racing.
The risks for the roadracer are huge, street furniture etc means they do literally take their lives in their hands.
But watching Rossi and the likes drifting a bike sideways out of Coppice with the front wheel in the air at 120 mph also says to me that these boys are committed !
Watch the final WSB round at Imola this year. Watch Fogarty go round the outside of Edwards at the Parabolica at Monza and then tell me these boys are not putting it on the line !
Hislop undertaking Reynolds last year at Oulton Park going up the hill from Knickerbrook has to be one the most awesome racing sites I have ever seen. Reynolds was moving across to take the apex, Hislop was off line for the hill and subsequebt left hander over the crest. One of the bravest moves I saw executed by of the fastest men in the world on his day. 11 times a TT winner and lapped Donington on a BSB spec Superbike quicker than Rossi managed at the GP this year.
I could go on and on ....
johno said:
Watch the final WSB round at Imola this year. Watch Fogarty go round the outside of Edwards at the Parabolica at Monza.
Err diddnt Foggy last race a few yrs ago!! I saw the last WSB race this yr (bloody fantastic it was too) and although it was a red Doowk'ati racing Edwards on the Honda it was Baylis at the helm
Road racing can never be as "on the limit" as these guys, nor passing manovers back and forth as close simply because of the danger. I have a lot of respect for
Oh contraire, blackadder.
Road racing is infinately harder than circuit racing, even the pro's tend to agree on that.
Roads are unpredictable, and have much less safety features, hence my constant ravings about tracks being the easy option. Illegal road-racing may not be clever, but it is big, and if you've got the nerve... you win.
C
I think you have to have balls if you do either. Both demand a lot of respect. Track racers the difference in times are incredible so you have to take extra risks to get in front (eg first 7 places in less than a second is not uncommon), road racers the track itself poses a danger but you can be off the ragged edge. They are also racing against the clock and its more to do with the confidence of the rider. I think both is skillful just as trials riding is skillful but in a different way. I personally don't compare any of them as harder or better than another. I enjoy watching both, I enjoy going to a circuit to watch the racing and thoughly enjoyed the ManxGP but the racing was different.
Road racing passing manouvres can be as close as circuit stuff without a doubt. Just watch the rounds from Dundrodd etc etc .... We tend to forget that the there are passing manouvres in road racing as we watch the IOM TT's where they are sent off at timed intervals. Even there though the passing manouvres can be very very tricky due to massive differences in skill level and unpredictability of roads.
The idea though that the bikes are being used at their limit on the roads is not correct IMHO. I have watched guys sliding bikes in road races, but it is on occasion rather than the norm. Due to the unpredictability Carl decribes it is not possible to push the bikes as hard as you can on a circuit, you need to have a little in reserve.
Although having watched Jefferies and Lougher round the TT this year I do begin to wonder occasionally !
The idea though that the bikes are being used at their limit on the roads is not correct IMHO. I have watched guys sliding bikes in road races, but it is on occasion rather than the norm. Due to the unpredictability Carl decribes it is not possible to push the bikes as hard as you can on a circuit, you need to have a little in reserve.
Although having watched Jefferies and Lougher round the TT this year I do begin to wonder occasionally !
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