WSB 09 The Island, BMW, Corser and Xaus
 

Hey dudes, very exciting times in WSBK this year, as we know.

The Island is going to host the very first event. It's gonna be pretty cool! Just thought it'd be good to have a thread going for this occasion.

I am interested in Corsers history at the Island - he has or had the lap record in 07 - so he is V quick there.

Xaus has said he is still coming to terms with the bike and doesn't feel he is in sync with it yet...don't quote me but I thought that's what I read K.

What say you?

Can we get a top 10 at the Island?

Thoughts, banter etc welcomed in this thread, let it all hang out!


WSBK » Qualifying times (1) – Phillip Island 2008

1. Troy Corser AUS Yamaha Motor Italia YZF-R1 1min 32.336 secs
2. Troy Bayliss AUS Ducati 1098 F08 1min 32.374 secs
3. Michel Fabrizio ITA Ducati 1098 F08 1min 32.570 secs
4 Max Neukirchner GER Team Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8 1min 32.808 secs
5. Jakub Smrz CZE Guandalini Racing by Grifo's Ducati 1098 RS 08 1min 32.827 secs
6. Max Biaggi ITA Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08 1min 32.827 secs
7. Ruben Xaus ESP Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08 1min 32.827 secs
8. Regis Laconi FRA PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse ZX-10R 1min 33.188 secs
9. Fonsi Nieto ESP Team Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8 1min 33.269 secs
10. Carlos Checa ESP Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR 1min 33.283 secs
11. Russel Holland AUS DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR 1min 33.340 secs
12. Karl Muggeridge AUS DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR 1min 33.489 secs
13. Noriyuki Haga JPN Yamaha Motor Italia YZF-R1 1min 33.588 secs
14. Gregorio Lavilla ESP Ventaxia VK Honda CBR1000RR 1min 33.718 secs
15. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR 1min 33.995 secs
16. David Checa ESP Yamaha Motor France-Ipone YZF-R1 1min 34.050 secs
17. Roberto Rolfo ITA Hannspree Honda Althea CBR1000RR 1min 34.082 secs
18. Kenan Sofuoglu TUR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Jr. CBR1000RR 1min 34.171 secs
19. Lorenzo Lanzi ITA RG Team Ducati 1098 RS 08 1min 34.419 secs
20. Shinichi Nakatomi JPN YZF Yamaha YZF-R1 1min 34.446 secs
21. Makoto Tamada JPN Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse Kawasaki ZX-10R 1min 34.491 secs
22. Sebastien Gimbert FRA Yamaha Motor France-Ipone YZF-R1 1min 34.659 secs
23. Vittorio Iannuzzo ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1min 34.765 secs
24. Shuhei Aoyama JPN Alto Evolution Honda Superbike Honda CBR1000RR 1min 35.123 secs
25. Luca Morelli ITA Alto Evolution Honda Superbike Honda CBR1000RR 1min 35.498 secs
26 Ayrton Badovini ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1min 35.946 secs

Dnq Loic Napoleone FRA Grillini PBR Team Yamaha YZF-R1 1min 39.400 secs

Phillip Island official WSBK lap records:
Best lap: Troy Corser AUS Yamaha 1min 31.826secs (2007)
Superpole: Troy Bayliss AUS Ducati 1min 32.145secs (2007)
Fastest lap: Troy Corser AUS Yamaha 1min 31.826secs (2007)

Gotta say that the Ducs are the form bikes at the moment, as Shaky and Nori topped the most recent test. The Yams will be quick, but Spies and Sykes are Island rookies, and the Aprilia duo have form but the bikes are too new.
The BMs will improve leaps and bounds and Corser is v good at PI. So here is my Top 10:
Haga (Duc), Checa (Hon), Spies (Yam), Neukirchner (Suz), Byrne (Duc), Fabrizio (Duc), Kiyo (Honda), Corser (BMW), Nakano (Aprilia), Haslam (Honda). Probably wrong, but what would I know?
Great track and a ripper series in prospect.

I think that Corser will hit the top 5 which is unbeliveable concidering the newness of the program. I also think that we will see more than one BMW podium during the season.

It'll be interesting!!,i think BMW are barking up the same tree as all the other 4 cylinder bikes,Yamaha have already worked out it'll take something better than that to topple the 1198 and hence their big bang.

Best judge the bike on Xaus,Corser is the best R+D rider in the world,he'll do a good job of covering over the cracks,if he can do top 7 he'll be going some,podium?? only on the basis they all fall off or break down.

Spies will be interesting,being fast and being able to travel the world doing it ain't easy,the Aprilia'a haven't shown any form,but the privateer Dukes will also be fast,Byrne knows the bike inside out,i hear Haslam's bike was loosing .4 of a second on the straights Portimao,but if Hopkins takesthe Monster money i'm sure they'll sort that out.

Unless something happens to the bike...........and that is not going to be likely...........BMW will be in those top ten for sure.........and with any luck at all, in the top 5 just like Dean suggest. BMW takes it seriously when they make a move to let it be known that this is not a touring bike put on a track. Rumors of 175 plus.......at the rear wheel..........on Corser's bike. Thats 1 HP for every two pounds of bike weight people...........they are well in the hunt. The new VCT system is the most advanced one out there and should offer a torque advantage over the other bikes, especially in "out of corner" situations.

...it takes MUCH more than just raw power... if you think that power is the fix all for any kind of race, you obviously are not very close to reality.

It'll take some time to develop a true track weapon and then it'll take some more time for the riders to get comfortable on that bike... BMW is in it's first year with this bike, not having any data for any of the race tracks they are going to be on...

Will they become successful?... probably, as they do with most everything they put their collective minds to... will it be instantly? With such a refined field of competition... keep dreaming.

Top fives will be surprising... it may happen on a track that really suit one or the other rider, but not likely, initially... the fun will be to watch them learn and make progress...

Next year will be completely different, though... the field might thin out (Campaigns being pulled and all...) and new developments and rules will be in play.

Love this sport...

When's the first race?

It's all about tyre preservation,Ducati have a big twin with the best traction control by some margin,if Yamaha had still had Corser and Hagi,you could bet the house,but they went for the cheap option or Corser went for the bucks depending on who you talk to,BMW have one chance,Monza

Jim- are you getting one of these chain saws? Or too conventional?

Yes, it looks as if I am. Not really my choice of tea.......but I just can't resist the cup. Late (Oct) this year, first 100 will be here. As of now I plan to pre-pay as with the HP2. Perhaps earlier........unknown for now.

Bring it to the GMR, Jim.

Good for you, Jim. Lemme know if you find yourself in CA again.

here's the calendar Bob

March 1 Phillip Island Australia
March 14 Losail Qatar
April 5 Valencia Spain
April 26 Assen Netherlands
May 10 Monza Italy
May 17 Kyalami South Africa
May 31 Salt Lake City USA
June 21 Misano Republic of San Marino
June 28 Donington Park Europe
July 26 Brno Czech Republic
September 6 Nurburgring Germany
September 27 Imola Italy
October 4 Magny Cours France
October 25 Portimao Portugal

www.worldsbk.com
www.troycorser.com
www.rubenxaus.net is there another site? I'll edit this URL if there is...

hey Corser is 22 days younger than me and he likes golf too...that's pretty much where the similarities end though, 30kg lighter, has Lamborghini etc etc :)

Thanks Chewie. Gotta print that out. This will be an interesting season for WSB. I'm rootin' for da BMW's and Ducati's....bet ch'all knew that.
PS. Hard to believe Bayliss won't be competing.

Looks like I'll need to start recording WSB. Luckily, AMA Superbike turned to poop.

Well at the mo,we've got Valenica,Monza and the Nurburgring to go to.

Should be interesting. Hope BMW does well.
But talking about 175hp shows you're out of it as far as modern racing goes.
That's not even national level power. That's club racing numbers. Not even necessarily top tier club kit. They're probably making a good deal more. 175 is just a marketing thing.

Corser is a killer developer by all counts, but he hasn't won a race, even on a bike clearly capable of winning (reference point: Haga) so I'm not sure.

I don't think Yamaha cheaped out. I think Ducati threw crazy money at the rider they thought had the best chance of winning it: Haga.

Still, as was said earlier in the thread, Corser is good at extracting about 98% of what a bike can do, so in places where other guys struggle and the BMW is particularly well suited, some top 5s seem doable. Xaus has flashes of brilliance too.

This should be good.

Strange how folks that whine about chains and telescopics all the sudden want one and talk about how good it will do as soon as there's a roundel involved though. Just shows it's always been fan=bois stuff rather than rational input.

I'm really torn between rooting for Haga/Ducati, or BMW, or my CMRA homie and fellow yank, Mr. Spies. There's a top=tier rider or bike from every country that is a major motorcycle player this year. It's wide open.

OK, which rider or riders do we think will win in the first round?
I have no darn idea this time.

There's lots of guys to root for, I am hoping the Roundel boys do well, but I will be pulling for Spies. That dude will be world champ at some point!

I'm going out on a....
 

Risking being called a variety of names, I'll still believe that Corser and the S1000RR is better than most people think, and predict a victory or atleast a top three at PI.
The reason for this is simply how good the results of the testing has been, even though the Ducatis are kicking butt.
I know, the tests haven't been what some would have wanted... no laps faster then the opposition, no track records, and so on.
But maybe BMW is more ready than they want the opposition to know, and they still have a few days to test and improve.
Remember, none of the tests has been about showing how fast they can go!

Now, be gentle with me! ;-)

Also, I have to give a little cheer for the Swedish entry:
44) Roberto Rolfo (Honda CBR1000RR) - Stiggy Motorsport AB
91) Leon Haslam (Honda CBR1000RR) - Stiggy Motorsport AB

/J

175 HP plus at the rear wheel is very strong not matter what level you are talking about. We are talking 195 plus at the crank on a one liter machine. So what are you getting at Roger?