MotoGP Off-Season (pre 2012) Thread

[DogBoy]

End of Day 1 super-earthshaking data that absolutely determines the outcome of each race and the entire 2012 season.

[veefer800canuck]

My gut feeling is that Spies will achieve alien status this year.

He needs to spend a week with Rickey Gadson first.  

[satxbonneville]

End of Day 1 super-earthshaking data that absolutely determines the outcome of each race and the entire 2012 season.

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So...nine guys and then the pack of rolling obstacle course cones.

[Kneescrubber]

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So...nine guys and then the pack of rolling obstacle course cones.

Don't worry, they'll whittle it down to 4 or 5 quickly.

[tomek]

End of Day 1 super-earthshaking data that absolutely determines the outcome of each race and the entire 2012 season.

 

Tire wear will the thing this  season .

It seems Bridgestone followed my advice and came up with softer , potentially higher performing , but less durable rear tire .

BTW , CRT riders should require to wear this http://www.drivingessentials.com/product_popup.php?ID=51555

[DogBoy]

I believe these are the final times from the entire test. Saturday was mostly a washout with rain on and off



The more things change...

Pos   Rider   Team   Fastest lap   Prev. Gap   Lead. Gap   Laps
1   Casey STONER   Repsol Honda Team   1:38.780   -   -   61
2   Jorge LORENZO   Yamaha Factory Racing   1:38.953   +0.173   +0.173   84
3   Dani PEDROSA   Repsol Honda Team   1:39.157   +0.204   +0.377   73
4   Ben SPIES   Yamaha Factory Racing   1:39.495   +0.338   +0.715   61
5   Cal CRUTCHLOW   Monster Yamaha Tech 3   1:39.585   +0.090   +0.805   83
6   Valentino ROSSI   Ducati Team   1:39.733   +0.148   +0.953   90
7   Andrea DOVIZIOSO   Monster Yamaha Tech 3   1:39.860   +0.127   +1.080   72
8   Nicky HAYDEN   Ducati Team   1:39.919   +0.059   +1.139   91
9   Alvaro BAUTISTA   San Carlo Honda Gresini   1:40.017   +0.098   +1.237   86
10   Stefan BRADL   LCR Honda   1:40.098   +0.081   +1.318   85
11   Hector BARBERA   Pramac Racing Team   1:40.287   +0.189   +1.507   91
12   Karel ABRAHAM   Cardion AB Motoracing   1:40.579   +0.292   +1.799   88
13   Randy DE PUNIET   Power Electronics Aspar   1:40.601   +0.022   +1.821   71
14   Aleix ESPARGARO   Power Electronics Aspar   1:41.645   +1.044   +2.865   69
15   Danilo PETRUCCI   Came Iodaracing Project   1:41.926   +0.281   +3.146   87
16   Franco BATTAINI   Ducati Team   1:42.057   +0.131   +3.277   85
17   Colin EDWARDS   NGM Mobile Forward Racing   1:42.073   +0.016   +3.293   58
18   Mattia PASINI   Speed Master   1:42.184   +0.111   +3.404   59
19   Michele PIRRO   San Carlo Honda Gresini   1:42.212   +0.028   +3.432   52
20   James ELLISON   Paul Bird Motorsport   1:42.437   +0.225   +3.657   83
21   Ivan SILVA   Avintia Racing MotoGP   1:42.446   +0.009   +3.666   84
22   Yonny HERNANDEZ   Avintia Racing MotoGP   1:42.906   +0.460   +4.126   59
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[veefer800canuck]

Edwards Is a good indicator for the CRT bikes, as he is a known quantity.

He dropped about 10 spots from an "average" day last year to 17th.

Been awhile since we've seen 22 bikes on the grid though.

[motodog650]

One week from now this thread will be obsolete... Can I have a HELL YEAH !!

[DogBoy]

Attak Performance granted wild card entries for both US MotoGP rounds listing Steve Rapp as the rider. US CRT? Awesome.  

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=47774

[veefer800canuck]

Attak Performance granted wild card entries for both US MotoGP rounds listing Steve Rapp as the rider. US CRT? Awesome.  

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=47774

Nice to see the participation, but a reality check:

Put Rapp on a factory Repsol Honda for a weekend, 100% identical to Stoner's bike, with all the support he needs, and I think he'd still be right at the back of the pack.

It takes quite awhile for a talented rider to come to terms with a new GP machine, even one that is completely developed and has the backing of a VERY large factory, like Honda or Yamaha.
The bikes are wildly complex, and the electronics are so advanced, setup is everything, as is trust in the electronics, and being an Alien of course.

Witness Duhamel at Laguna on the Honda GP bike. Experienced rider with lots of wins to his credit, top shelf bike, awful results.

There are always exceptions, R Hayden did well.


Despite Kawasaki showing well in WSB last weekend, a tarted-up ZX-10R motor in a custom chassis with unlimited mods isn't going to be a top-10 machine.

Though I do wish him well, and Mr. Rapp IS a very good rider. Not knocking anyone here.

[DogBoy]

DuHamel pulled in halfway through the race. His American Honda team wanted him concentrating on their Superbike program that weekend not the GP bike. I'd look at Hayes performance at Valencia as a better yard stick.

Anyway, I doubt Attack are under any illusions so no reality check is needed. Straight talking Richard Stanboli of Attack comes across as the complete opposite of a hype-loving dreamer like Michael Czysz. The effort is cool and I look forward to following the developments.

[R Doug]

I don't believe it's fair to comparing riders who get the occasional ride in a race to the seasoned GP racer.  I have read that transitioning to a GP bike from any other takes a lot of seat time.  The fact that a top AMA racer can even qualify within 107% of the pole is pretty impressive given their limited amount of time on the bike.  

I read an interview with Ben Bostrom about his effort last year at Laguna.  He said the hardest thing to adapt to on a GP bike was getting accustomed to the carbon brakes.  They require a new mindset that you must brake harder and deeper or the darn things won't get any temps built up in them.

I don't take any of your comments as being derogatory on the AMA riders. But, I do disagree with the thought a top AMA rider would run in the back if placed on a top bike.  I believe that a top AMA rider can run a strong mid pack on a top bike.  But, as you know, if you're not ruining near the front when you're on a top bike, you're not going to be with that team next season.  

[loadedmind]

But, as you know, if you're not ruining near the front when you're on a top bike, you're not going to be with that team next season.  

Freudian slip?  lol

My personal opinion is that the bike and the track should be factored into this comparison between top AMA riders and MotoGP.  I believe the only way we would be able to know for sure is to take someone like Bostrom or Roger Hayden and give them at least 3 months worth of experience testing on the new MotoGP bikes and the tracks, THEN do a race where they were able to get plenty of seat time on a MotoGP track.

[motodog650]

I read an interview with Ben Bostrom about his effort last year at Laguna.  He said the hardest thing to adapt to on a GP bike was getting accustomed to the carbon brakes.  They require a new mindset that you must brake harder and deeper or the darn things won't get any temps built up in them.
 

Bboz bit off more that he could chew by trying and run both classes and ended up sick as dog by that Sunday. He admitted after the race he wouldn't try doing it again and would just focus on one or the other.

Hayes did us proud at Valencia last Novenver though !!

[miles]

As I posted above, nobody is going to get lapped (unless they have mechanicals, or run off the track).  The shortest track that MotoGP races on is the Sachsenring, and lap times of 1.22 are typical front-runner race pace.  At 30 laps, the fastest rider would have to lap 2.73 seconds faster than the slowest to ever lap anybody even once.  Three seconds a lap is huge, especially on such a short circuit.

QFT.

[tomek]

Well , one guy did get lapped at Estoril and the fastest of other three finishing CRTs was on average 2.85 sec / per lap slower then Stoner . Also number of CRTs suffered mechanical DNFs , presumably engine troubles , or maybe gearbox .

I`ve read somewhere Biaggi goes thru 2 engines per race weekend , in MotoGP the essentially same powerplant has to last , on average , 1.5 weekends ( 12 per year ) , although mileage in WSB per event is little higher  .

Whether they got lapped or finish 80 seconds behind winner is really meaningless in grande scale  of things , they are just cannon fodder designed to make the field look full .      

[DogBoy]

All true. However, the many predictions of rolling chicanes, CRT bikes being lapped multiple times per race and the OMG! Extreme Danger of the difference in closing speeds were a load of BS.

The Claiming Rule Teams may be cannon fodder for this season but they are likely the future of MotoGP. We are already down to just two OEMs* willing to spend ridiculous money on a huge factory effort and that could change at any time.









*Honda and Yamaha. Its obvious Ducati doesn't have the same type of budget.