MotoGP

[javadog]

Those of you that follow motorcycle racing probably know that the MotoGP teams just wrapped up a multi-day test at the Sepang circuit, the first time most riders have thrown a leg over a bike since last season. I've included a couple photos pulled from the 'net of Ben Spies, on a factory Yamaha. The first one shows him sliding both ends of the bike on the way into a corner. You'll notice he's on the gas and spinning the rear tire. The second one shows how much load he's putting on the front tire, in mid-corner. Note the amount of steering lock he is using. From what I hear, the hardest thing he's had to get used to is how hard you can push the front tire. They need a lot higher load on them to work well, compared to a superbike tire.

These boys have talent. If you haven't ever seen them in person, you should.

JR

[dlockhart]

this year
stoner & honda

i hate honda

a lot

[exc911ence]

If qualifying times mean anything, Honda looks like the horse to bet on:

Day 1 Results:

Pos Rider Team Fastest lap
1 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team 2:01.574
2 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.977
3 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 2:02.024
4 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:02.295
5 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 2:02.332
6 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2:02.422
7 Hiroshi Aoyama San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:02.483
8 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 2:02.507
9 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:02.514
10 Randy De Puniet Pramac Racing Team 2:03.152
11 Kousuke Akiyoshi HRC Test Team 2:03.224
12 Valentino Rossi Ducati Marlboro Team 2:03.365
13 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 2:03.508
14 Loris Capirossi Pramac Racing Team 2:03.695
15 Hector Barbera Aspar Team 2:03.767
16 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:04.009
17 Toni Elias LCR Honda MotoGP 2:04.238
18 Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing 2:04.470
19 T1 Yamaha Test Team 2:04.717
20 T2 Yamaha Test Team 2:05.235

Day 2 Results:

Pos Rider Team Fastest lap
1 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 2:00.770
2 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team 2:01.434
3 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.508
4 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 2:01.512
5 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:01.522
6 Hiroshi Aoyama San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:01.534
7 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.563
8 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2:01.687
9 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.722
10 Hector Barbera Aspar Team 2:02.093
11 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 2:02.379
12 Randy De Puniet Pramac Racing Team 2:02.426
13 Valentino Rossi Ducati Marlboro Team 2:02.597
14 Kousuke Akiyoshi HRC Test Team 2:02.619
15 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:03.032
16 Loris Capirossi Pramac Racing Team 2:03.047
17 Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing 2:03.466
18 T2 Yamaha Test Team 2:03.910
19 Toni Elias LCR Honda MotoGP 2:04.026
20 T1 Yamaha Test Team 2:04.142

Day 3 Results:

Pos Rider Team Fastest lap
1 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:00.757
2 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team 2:00.811
3 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing 2:00.845
4 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 2:00.945
5 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.002
6 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 2:01.241
7 Hiroshi Aoyama San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:01.353
8 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 2:01.534
9 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.651
10 Valentino Rossi Ducati Marlboro Team 2:01.842
11 Hector Barbera Mapfre Aspar Team 2:02.030
12 Loris Capirossi Pramac Racing Team 2:02.057
13 Randy De Puniet Pramac Racing Team 2:02.159
14 Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing 2:02.645
15 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:02.717
16 Toni Elias LCR Honda MotoGP 2:02.916
17 T1 Yamaha Test Team 2:02.965
18 Kousuke Akiyoshi HRC Test Team 2:03.452
19 T2 Yamaha Test Team 2:03.621
20 Noburu Aoki Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2:04.700

However, the Ducati boys improved over 2 seconds over the three days whereas the best Hondas only improved ~1 second. I think there's plenty of learning and improvement left for Rossi and Hayden.

And Spies is a monster on a bike. I bet he has a wicked year!

[arcsine]

My crystal ball says Lorenzo and Spies will be quick and win a few but in the end, Stoner is going to run away with it. Pedrosa will challenge here and there and Rossi/Hayden will be second tier

[deanp]

My only hope is that pedrosa and alberto puig suffer an intolerable year with stoner, dovi and even simoncelli besting pedrosa on a regular basis. Other than that, hoping for a solid year for Spies on the factory team. Time will tell how rossi adjusts to the duc. Reports were they had a different fuel tank so he could work around his still recovering shoulder. Maybe we'll have some racing this year at the front! A few good battles last year, but not enough.

[Scott Watkins]

autosport.com - MotoGP News: Rossi: Shoulder costs me half a second

Should be a great season!

[porsche4life]

I'll have to find a way to watch them this year, watched several races on SPEED when I still had cable.

[herr_oberst]

I'm hoping for good things for Elbows this year. I mean, lets face it, he took the Tech3 bike way beyond it's potential last season, and hopefully, in spite of how impressive the Hondas are looking, he can show them his exhaust on a regular basis.

Shaping up to be a good season. . . .

[deanp]

Sid, you can buy a video package at motogp.com, watch races, practice sessions, qualifying- everything.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by deanp

Sid, you can buy a video package at motogp.com, watch races, practice sessions, qualifying- everything.

+1, and not expensive

[javadog]

Originally Posted by dlockhart

this year
stoner & honda

i hate honda

a lot

I think you may be right. Although, I hate Stoner more than Honda. If the Honda doesn't have any bad habits like the front-end problem that put Stoner on his ass so often last year, he'll be hard to beat. Honda is going to put a vast amount of effort into winning the title. They want at least one 800cc-era title.

I think Yamaha wasn't showing their full speed at the test, so I expect Lorenzo to give Stoner quite a battle. Rossi won't be a factor until he gets well but I expect he'll do something in the last half of the season.

I hope Ben can make another step up and be a contender for wins. I also hope that Rossi's developmental skills can sort out the Ducati, to the point that Nicky can ride like he is capable of. The front end problems and all of the electronics that mask the throttle-to-tire relationship have really hurt his results.

It should be a good year.

JR

[dlockhart]

I am more excited about the upcoming wsb season.

a great clip for Max/ Aprilia fans