I'm Obsessed with MotoGP

sand_man · 05:27 AM

As the thread title suggests. That's all...carry on!
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I have never even ridden a motorcycle, but I'm completely captivated by MotoGP!!!! I've always watched it, whenever I accidentally stumbled onto a race, thumbing through the channels, now I'm a crazed fan. But with Rossi at age 36 on the verge of his 10th Championship, I suspect that we'll look back at this season as a "golden age watershed" moment in racing history!!!!

I'm still a fan, but F1 has completely left me cold over the past few years. MotoGP has a certain pureness that I seldom see any more. REAL RACING! I was thrilled to see Rossi finish 3rd at a race/track he typically is not known to thrive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjfE169h7jY&feature=player_embedded

herr_oberst · 08-10-2015, 11:41 AM

I like how with six laps to go someone in 4th place a long way back can conceivably come back and challenge for the lead because of two different tire management strategies. The riders know that, and the aliens ride at 100 percent the entire race, hoping for a result. Great stuff for a fan.

F1 sucks these days; let's hope the Ecclestone style of event management never catches on with the FIM.

sand_man · 08-10-2015, 11:54 AM

I find that I'm very emotional about it all (MotoGP)! Standing on my feet, shaking my fist, and cursing in languages that only Beelzebub could understand!!!! I have never seen anything like it!!! These races seemingly aren't sealed until the first man crosses the finish line!!!!

TheMentat · TheMentat's Garage

True Dat!

MotoGP has all but completely eclipsed F1 for my motorsports attention.

cheeze · 08-10-2015, 12:50 PM

There is just something insanely melodramatic and wonderful about the old man sitting atop the points table right now.

David · David's Garage

How about that Moto3 race! Sometime it's better to be lucky than good.

javadog · 08-11-2015, 04:53 AM

I think it's going to be very hard for Rossi to win the title. Lorenzo is faster and seems to have gotten his season sorted out. I wouldn't even rule out Marquez, as he's not that far behind. If Lorenzo and Rossi have a mechanical problem, get a little unlucky or throw one down the road, Marquez will be right there. They haven't got his 2015 bike totally sorted out but it's close enough to allow him to run with the others.

It's been said that Schwantz called Rossi before Assen qualifying and told him to pull his head out of his ass. Rossi always did do well at Assen in the race but it seems his qualifying performance there was hugely better, which allowed him to be in a position to win. He's going to have to repeat that a bunch, if he's going to beat Lorenzo.

JR

sand_man · 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by javadog

I think it's going to be very hard for Rossi to win the title. Lorenzo is faster and seems to have gotten his season sorted out. I wouldn't even rule out Marquez, as he's not that far behind. If Lorenzo and Rossi have a mechanical problem, get a little unlucky or throw one down the road, Marquez will be right there. They haven't got his 2015 bike totally sorted out but it's close enough to allow him to run with the others.

As much as I hate to agree with you, JR (I'm really pulling for Rossi), he has a loooooong way to go!!!! Marc is obviously back on his game and I have not ruled out the possibility that he could still take the championship!!!! Is Marc still on last years bike/chassis/setup? I know that his 2015 setup did not inspire confidence for him, possibly explaining the inconsistency he's experienced. And Lorenzo is both fast and consistent!

Anyones championship at this point!

javadog · 08-11-2015, 05:43 AM

Honda's main problem this year has been related to the 2015 engine spec. They know what it is and it won't be until 2016 that they have an opportunity to fix it for good. All of the other changes have been band-aid solutions. I don't know which chassis he is running, it's not something they talk about much. They did some testing during the summer break and it seems whatever solutions they tried helped a little. Marquez can now string together a bunch of fast laps, which he had a hard time doing before. He's always been able to put in one fast lap; it's doing it repeatedly that was a problem this year.

Many of the upcoming tracks favor the Yamaha chassis, so look for Lorenzo to go on a tear, if he can get his confidence where it needs to be. After Indy, it was dented a little. He didn't have the physical conditioning at the end of the race to take the fight to Marquez, and he knows that. Brno will be tough, as it can get hot there and Honda has won the last four years there. It's not a favorite track for Marquez, he was only fourth there last year and it killed his long winning streak that he had going. It should be interesting, especially if Rossi gets another wake-up call.

JR

sand_man · 08-11-2015, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

How about that Moto3 race! Sometime it's better to be lucky than good.

Do you mean that decision to run slicks instead of rain tires?

David · David's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by sand_man

Do you mean that decision to run slicks instead of rain tires?

Yep. Obviously he was a backmarker and had nothing to lose by starting on slicks since he usually crashed out, but hey, a win's a win especially on the international stage.

Flieger · Flieger's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by javadog

Honda's main problem this year has been related to the 2015 engine spec. They know what it is and it won't be until 2016 that they have an opportunity to fix it for good. All of the other changes have been band-aid solutions. I don't know which chassis he is running, it's not something they talk about much. They did some testing during the summer break and it seems whatever solutions they tried helped a little. Marquez can now string together a bunch of fast laps, which he had a hard time doing before. He's always been able to put in one fast lap; it's doing it repeatedly that was a problem this year.

Many of the upcoming tracks favor the Yamaha chassis, so look for Lorenzo to go on a tear, if he can get his confidence where it needs to be. After Indy, it was dented a little. He didn't have the physical conditioning at the end of the race to take the fight to Marquez, and he knows that. Brno will be tough, as it can get hot there and Honda has won the last four years there. It's not a favorite track for Marquez, he was only fourth there last year and it killed his long winning streak that he had going. It should be interesting, especially if Rossi gets another wake-up call.

JR

Geez, the 3 hours of mountain biking and 3 hours of gym per day over the "break" (according to the commentators he stayed with a trainer in So Cal) wasn't enough?

LakeCleElum · 08-11-2015, 07:07 AM

Sand-Man - I agree 100%. Make plans to attend in person someday. There is nothing like it anywhere. I did the MotoGP at Phillip Island, AU in 2012......Last race for local boy Casey Stoner.

Nothing like seeing him pass the start/finish at 209 mph and never let off as he goes into a right curve. As he dropped elevation, it look like he was heading right into the water of the Bass Strait. Happy times......

On a 1,500 mile mc ride to get there, it seemed like everyone with a motorcycle in the whole country was heading that way.

sand_man · 08-11-2015, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

Sand-Man - I agree 100%. Make plans to attend in person someday. There is nothing like it anywhere. I did the MotoGP at Phillip Island, AU in 2012......Last race for local boy Casey Stoner.

Nothing like seeing him pass the start/finish at 209 mph and never let off as he goes into a right curve. As he dropped elevation, it look like he was heading right into the water of the Bass Strait. Happy times......

On a 1,500 mile mc ride to get there, it seemed like everyone with a motorcycle in the whole country was heading that way.

In 2016, I'm planning to attend COTA (TX). And If I can't catch that, then Indy. But I've gotta see it for myself.

javadog · 08-11-2015, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flieger

Geez, the 3 hours of mountain biking and 3 hours of gym per day over the "break" (according to the commentators he stayed with a trainer in So Cal) wasn't enough?

Sadly, no. I didn't say he wasn't fit but he did run out of steam. He put his energy into several attempts to pull away from Marquez, as he often does when he's running well, but he couldn't pull a decent gap. When Marquez went by at the end of the race, he knew he couldn't do anything about it. Had he had anything left, you would have seen him attack immediately. Maybe it's his age, Marquez is much younger. Or, maybe Marquez had a little more pace than he showed, so he didn't have to push as hard the first 24 laps.

It's going to get interesting. Marquez has gained 9 points on Rossi in each of the last two races. He needs an average of 7 per race for the last 8 rounds, to pass him. My money is on Lorenzo, but I'm not betting much.

JR

javadog · 08-11-2015, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sand_man

In 2016, I'm planning to attend COTA (TX). And If I can't catch that, then Indy. But I've gotta see it for myself.

COTA is a lot better than Indy. Not sure Indy will even host a round next year, if the rumours are true.

Back to your earlier question, I think Marquez is running a 2014 frame with a 2015 swingarm.

JR

sand_man · 08-11-2015, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by javadog

Back to your earlier question, I think Marquez is running a 2014 frame with a 2015 swingarm.

JR

Thank you! You hear various things from the talking heads, and I wondered to what extent he was using 2014 parts.

MrAlien · 08-11-2015, 07:38 AM

I have followed MotoGP for many years, and attended several races. this season is shaping up to be a really good season, the title is up for grabs. My only gripe is the rule structure, a couple seasons ago it was CRT bikes, now its open and factory (ducati has their own rules), and Honda's "production racer" has been a joke. hopefully the rules changes that are expected for 2017 might sort some of the mess out.

javadog · 08-11-2015, 08:04 AM

Well, the electronics are going to be standardized for next year, and everybody gets 22 liters of fuel. The open bikes will essentially go away, as there's going to be a limit on how many bikes a manufacturer can supply. Right now, Honda has two too many, so hope CWM pulls out, otherwise Nicky's ride likely goes away.

I was surprised to see Honda not imitate Yamaha this year with their open bike. After the spanking they got in 2014, they should have upped the power a lot more than they did. Nicky desrved much better than what he got stuck with. When they lost their title sponsor the week before the season began, I didn't know if he'd even do the whole season.

JR

motion · 08-11-2015, 08:12 AM

Nicky is widely rumored to be in WSBK next year.

The issue with Honda this year is chassis related.

No way MM can win the championship.

I think Rossi has the pace on JLo. He certainly has the mental edge on him. These bikes are mostly psychological at this point. The difference between winning and losing is a couple tenths a lap, and that comes down to how close to crashing the rider is willing to ride and what kind of overtaking maneuvers he thinks he can get away with.

I think Rossi has this one.