MotoGP - The 2016 Season

sand_man · 09:33 AM

I was thinking that this thread (I'm Obsessed with MotoGP) might be getting a little long in the tooth. So I thought it might be a good idea to start a new one, more specific to the upcoming season. Here is the latest calendar:

flatbutt · 02-10-2016, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peteremsley

Anyone else heading to Austin? We just booked hotel and air last weekend.

I don't have the money this year.

varmint · 02-10-2016, 06:32 PM

i don't get speed network anymore. and i refuse to upgrade my package again.

what are the other options for seeing the season?

flatbutt · 02-10-2016, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by varmint

i don't get speed network anymore. and i refuse to upgrade my package again.

what are the other options for seeing the season?

MotoGP.com. I subscribe every year. Real time live races and archives. You can watch them on demand.

Flieger · Flieger's Garage

MotoGP web subscription is great- can watch all the races ever whenever you want and you don't have to listen to Bob Varsha every 5 minutes for a commercial break.

sand_man · 02-10-2016, 07:00 PM

Motogp.com is the best money I have spent on motorsports entertainment...hookers and blow not withstanding...or little people...or goats...or...

Craig T · 02-11-2016, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flieger

MotoGP web subscription is great- can watch all the races ever whenever you want and you don't have to listen to Bob Varsha every 5 minutes for a commercial break.

Good tip. I'm going to subscribe now. I rarely get a race on TV here.

javadog · 02-11-2016, 12:27 PM

I read today that MotoGP may be broadcast on BeIN Sports in the USA this year. If so, that would suck, as that's a much harder channel for most people to get and the idiots that introduced each program were beyond stupid. I don't recall who the actual commentators were but they weren't as good as the ones calling the MotoGP races. They've covered WSBK for a few years and I quit watching that last season, as I couldn't stand that channel.

JR

javadog · 02-11-2016, 01:00 PM

I hope your source is right and mine is wrong.

I can get beIN Sports, but it comes as a package with a whole host of **** I'll never watch.

JR

flatbutt · 02-11-2016, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by javadog

I read today that MotoGP may be broadcast on BeIN Sports in the USA this year. If so, that would suck, as that's a much harder channel for most people to get and the idiots that introduced each program were beyond stupid. I don't recall who the actual commentators were but they weren't as good as the ones calling the MotoGP races. They've covered WSBK for a few years and I quit watching that last season, as I couldn't stand that channel.

JR

MotoGP is online streaming.

javadog · 02-11-2016, 03:04 PM

Yeah, I know. I hate watching TV on a computer and my big screen is too old to accept video feeds from the internet, assuming I could figure out how to do it. There's probably a way, if I were to buy some different equipment and run some new wiring.

JR

sand_man · 02-13-2016, 05:40 AM

BMW Continues As MotoGP Safety Car With New M2 - Motorcycle.com News

Quote:

Millions of motorsport enthusiasts around the world are looking forward to the start of the 2016 MotoGP season. The best riders in the world and breath-taking race action – MotoGP is undoubtedly the pinnacle of motorcycle racing.

We are proud to have been a part of this captivating world championship for almost two decades. Since 1999 we have been a partner of MotoGP organiser Dorna Sports, and 2016 marks the 18th season of BMW M as “Official Car of MotoGP”. We are pleased with the deep trust that Dorna Sports has placed in us. BMW M Division uses technology taken from motorsport, together with innovative ideas, to ensure that race events run safely. In us, Dorna Sports knows that it has a strong partner on its side, for whom the safety of the riders on their high-performance racing prototypes has the utmost priority.

We dedicate all of our know-how to this role. The BMW M MotoGP Safety Cars are innovative high-performance models with thoroughbred racing genes. In the 2016 season, we are presenting another genuine highlight. The new BMW M2 Coupe? enjoyed its much-anticipated world debut in Detroit in January. In the BMW M2 MotoGP Safety Car, we are now taking the pure power and dynamics of this high-performance automobile to the racetrack. Like its predecessors, the BMW M2 MotoGP Safety Car uses technological innovation, performance, precision and agility to help guarantee safety.

The BMW M2 follows on from the concept and success story of the BMW 1 Series M Coupe?. It represents the entry-level model in the BMW M range. The new BMW M2 Coupe? will make BMW M accessible to new and younger target groups.

Dynamics, agility, precision – these are the stand-out attributes of our entire range of models and products, and have made M the “most powerful letter in the world”. MotoGP offers us the opportunity to present the strengths of BMW M to an international public of racing enthusiasts around the world.

We use this platform with an extensive involvement, which goes way beyond simply providing the latest BMW M models for the official fleet of MotoGP vehicles. Since 2003, the BMW M Award has been a highlight of every MotoGP season and is a coveted award among the best motorcycle racers in the world. Our many other activities include the BMW M MotoGP Experience, with which we are able to offer our visitors a unique glimpse behind the scenes of the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, and to convey the fascination of MotoGP at first hand.

flatbutt · 02-19-2016, 06:32 AM

The Philip Island tests are complete but with a lot of crashers including Marques, Vinales,Petrucci and of course Crutchlow. They said it was typical for PI due to the weather but they all seemed to lose the front end. Petrucci broke his hand and needs surgery and it remains to be seen if can make Qatar.

javadog · 02-19-2016, 06:43 AM

I think the crashes are going to be more numerous this year. Riders are having a hard time feeling the limit of the front tire, Michelin has announced that the tire they had at PI is the one they are going to use for the season and they do not have any plans to have an asymmetric front. That's going to be a big problem at several of the tracks. I think they are making a big mistake.

At least a low-side is usually better than a high-side...

JR

motion · 02-19-2016, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by javadog

I think the crashes are going to be more numerous this year. Riders are having a hard time feeling the limit of the front tire, Michelin has announced that the tire they had at PI is the one they are going to use for the season and they do not have any plans to have an asymmetric front. That's going to be a big problem at several of the tracks. I think they are making a big mistake.

At least a low-side is usually better than a high-side...

JR

The track had miserable conditions... windy and cold. I wouldn't read too much into it.

javadog · 02-19-2016, 08:05 AM

What worries me is that Michelin have opted not to develop an asymmetric front. Bridgestone found that there were certain tracks where it was unsafe to run a normal front (PI, Valencia, Sachsenring...) and given that Michelin's rear tire has so much more grip than the Bridgestone, that's going to really tax their front tire. We could have a season where rider injury plays a big part in the championship.

I remember some of the races in the past where Michelin had some significant tire issues, when they brought inadequate tires to an event. I was at Laguna one year where the Michelin riders felt it was unsafe to run in the first practice sessions of the day.

JR

javadog · 02-24-2016, 11:32 AM

Well,

That sucks.

JR

javadog · 02-26-2016, 02:59 PM

SO, after two days of screwing around with my cable company, I have beIN SPORTS back on my channel line-up. WSBK starts tonight, although they've already aired two preview shows that I missed because my cable company is staffed with morons.

They offer coverage of superpole through their beIN SPORTS CONNECT web-based "TV." Going to use it as a trial run, as it's possible they'll do something similar for the other two series.

The first race is listed in the cable program guides as 'to be determined" which means more than a few people will miss it, which is an awesome way for them to start their year.

Looking at alternatives, but this is what I have for tonight and tomorrow. Hoping that Nick does well. It's a track he likes.

JR

VFR750 · 02-26-2016, 03:27 PM

How quickly fans are gained and lost by cable companies and the sanctioning bodies. Both are to blame for me not watching this year....

javadog · 06:36 AM

Well, a report on beIN...

I quite watching WSBK after 2014. Back then, they had an idiot and a bimbo introducing the races, then they'd switch to people actually at the track for the play-by-play. This year, we have a new idiot. He was joined (at least for this weekend) by Greg White and Roger Hayden in a studio in Miami. They did a pre-race show and also some post-race analysis. Good thing they had Greg and Roger there, as this idiot is new to bikes and needed some help. Day one he was saying "drivers", day two he had changed to "riders." Where do they get these guys?

The mainplay-by-play is by the biggest motormouth I've ever heard call a race. It's hard for his sidekick (an ex-rider) to get a word in. Likely the MotoGP crew will be totally different...

I watched the Internet coverage of Superpole. Turned it on at the appropriate time, only to be greeted with a message that there was no scheduled program on that channel at the time. Stuck with it, just for grins, and 5 or 6 minutes later was rewarded with a picture of the pit complex at the track. Another 5 or 6 minutes, we got audio from motormouth, so I got to watch Superpole. Well, it's really just qualifying, as the old Superpole format is gone. There was no on-track audio, except for one microphone placed halfway down the front straight, so it was odd to watch with no motorcycle noise in the background. Hopefully that will get sorted.

Race one was not listed as a motorcycle race, so I just recorded a block of time at what I thought was the right time. More or less a normal broadcast... Plenty of pre-race time and post-race time and fewer commercials than on Fox, or whomever. That was nice. The post-race interviews need some help, as the pit reporter (commentator 2, from the race) forgets to speak into the microphone when asking a follow-up question. He also asked the Dutch rider to say a few words in his native tongue (why?) but not the Irish (!) or Italian riders. The Italian could have used the opportunity, as his English is like my Italian.

Race two was listed in the program schedule, but an hour off. I recorded what was listed and missed the first half. My recording started 5 seconds before the flag dropped, so I missed the SuperSport race altogether, the pre-race show, etc. Fucheads...

Not a disaster, but needs some work. Here's hoping they do a better job with MotoGP.

JR