Anyone else talking RACING?! <--- of the motorcycle type

Discussion in 'Racing & Track Days' started by drewl, Jan 13, 2011.

  1. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    My preference? Suzuki. Time will tell.
     
  2. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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  3. Gator

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    When Lithium batteries go..... it usually is very violent.
     
  4. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    That's why no lithium batteries in checked luggage on commercial aircraft.
     
  5. Gator

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    For sure, I have to carry a lot of video and still camera batteries in my carry on. Weighs a ton.
     
  6. scottbott

    scottbott Member

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    looks like there will some overtime in the factory to replace those bikes if they want to make their debut on time, it will an expensive insurance payout for someone
     
  7. duccmann

    duccmann Member

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    So what’s up with the WSBK Ducati’s with that swing arm air ram to cool off the rear tire?
    Batista to not get a podium in 10 years in motogp and come over to WSBK and win right off the bat, is it the bike?
    Davies isn’t doing well, or is it the higher caliber riding technique he’s learned?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  8. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    See posts 4030 and 4048, hahahahahahahaha. It really shouldn't be that big of a surprise, Alvaro is a top ten MotoGP rider TODAY, and the Ducati is basically the MotoGP engine from 4 years ago, with the later chassis information. Dorna will choke them down after this, don't worry.

    My take on the swingarm airfoil is that it helps press the tire into the tarmac and it could have some of the same effects as an F1 chassis undertray....I don't think they want the tire too cool.
     
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  9. scottbott

    scottbott Member

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    Bautista just looks 'so' right on that bike, as they were saying today on Eurosport that Ducati should not get penalised after three meetings for being 'too' good as it is only Buutista that is going well on the bike, no-one else is, it should be good when they get to other tracks that do not have too many long straights, I reckon a trip to Donnington this year is on the cards. What is going on at Honda?, I know the bike arrived late but all that money and quality of people working in that team, Kiyo did not look too happy when interviewed on the grid for the final race and poor old Camper getting injured, what shit luck he has
     
  10. Gator

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    I agree with Norca, Dorna will neuter the Duc. Probably do a rev limit like they did to Kawi. Rea was giving it his all but has no answer to the speed of the V4 Duc. Donnington has some long stretches and the Duc will probably haul the mail again.
     
  11. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    I don't know who "they" are, but Europsport isn't a sanctioning body, it's a media network. Rules is rules. As far as what is Honda up to? The answer is simple, nothing. Another case of maybe next year.
     
  12. Gator

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    They had a shot of Camier watching the race with ice on his knee. The other 2 Honda's were 12 & 13th.
     
  13. Gator

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    They would have been more like 16-17 if Chaz and Sykes had not had mechanical's and a few other crashes.
    Speaking of mechanical problems, interesting that a V4 Duc went down, their longevity is something I have been wondering about.
     
  14. scottbott

    scottbott Member

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    the 'they' in Eurosport were the commentators, James Whitam and Greg Haines and I think Jamie was talking about rules to even the racing up if one manufacturer or other was seemingly having too much much of an advantage or words to that effect
     
  15. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    According to a few internet postings of the most reliable motorcycles, all based on Consumer Reports surveys (so take it for what it's worth), the Ducati and BMW are not even in the top 5. Surprising, or maybe not surprising to some, Harley is actually listed 6th in the list.

    The list goes like this. Note: The number in parenthesis is the list order even though they list Honda and Suzuki a tie.
    Yamaha/Star (1) came in first, then Honda (2) & Suzuki (3) tied for second, then Kawasaki(4), Victory(5) , then Harley (6).

    Then it's...
    (7)Triumph,
    (8)Ducati,
    (9)BMW,
    (10)Can-Am

    I guess time will tell if the racing Ducati will be as reliable as the reports or be better. Considering the work and preparation that goes into a race bike the problems that consumers suffer, I wouldn't think to be the same as on the race bike. Not sure what problems the Ducati had so hard to say for sure. I don't recall them having many issues with the V-twin or even in MotoGP but I haven't really kept good track of that.
     
  16. OOTV

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  17. Echo3Niner

    Echo3Niner New Member

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    So, let's ensure we're all working with the same working set of data here...

    A) A year ago, a lot of people (on this forum and many others) were saying "How come Johnny Rae isn't in MotoGP? He should be, he's proven he's the best Superbike racer in the world 4 years in a row!"
    B) A year ago, Bautista was a perennial mid-pack rider in MotoGP, with a few flashes of better, but no consistency.
    C) The Ducati V4R is a BRAND NEW bike. It has not been developed on the track for years, with only small incremental changes that allow the use of prior year's data. Yes they raced the V4S in some stock classes, but that's not the same bike.
    D) A year ago, the other Ducati riders in WSBK; one was second the last two years, and the other was a perennial top 10 finisher on a bike that was long in the tooth, but HAD been developed on the track for years, and had a ton of data to support it.
    E) Now it's 2019, and Bautista jumps on this brand new bike, which is not close to the MotoGP bikes he has been riding, and on new tires let's not forget, which traditionally have been one of the largest hurdles for riders switching series, and he has dominated the first two series weekends.
    F) The other two Ducati riders have struggled on the new bike, even though they both rode in the same series, on the same tires.
    G) The last time a "mediocre", "over-the-hill" MotoGP rider moved down to WSBK, he won two championships - on a bike that hasn't been back on the top since he retired (won that year by Sylvain Guintoli) - Max Biaggi.

    My point here is to point out there is a HUGE gap between the skills of MotoGP riders and WSBK today. That was not always the case, and we have seen riders in years past move up from production based racing and been successful. But, that has not been the case for over a decade...

    I pointed out before, that several team-managers in the MotoGP paddock have stated clearly that they do not even pay attention to production racing and do not consider it a stepping-stone any longer to MotoGP (partially thanks to Ben Spies). Additionally, MotoGP has it's own feeder series in the various Moto2 & 3 based national classes in Europe and Asia.

    If Johnny Rae does not come back to challenge, and even dominate Bautista in a big enough way to raise eyebrows, it will simply confirm those MotoGP team-manager's point of view, and there will be no riders coming out of any production classes going to MotoGP for the foreseeable future.

    And finally; until America creates it's own FIM based Moto2 & 3 based national series, or American riders go overseas in their teens and move through those ranks, there will not be another American in MotoGP for a very long time...
     
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  18. Gator

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    Echo, I think the Ducati is way faster and that skews the results. Rea can brake harder and run a lot of the turns faster than Bautista but with the Ducati's Dorna allowed higher rev limit (total bullshit) they walk away on the straights and by the end of the race he is way ahead. Chaz is still struggling with coming back from injury. I think Bautista is a decent rider but I think Rea is better. He did ride in 2 races for Stoner and finished 6&7 and another race in Laguna where I think he was a mid packer and that was with no seat time on a GP bike. He had offers from GP for multiple years too. Rumored that kids and family helped him decide to stay in WSBK.
    Obviously the way into GP is through the grooming of the lower GP classes. As far as the US goes...... until something really changes its going to be a long time before an American stands on a podium in GP or WSBK.
     
  19. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    For what it's worth, Alvaro does know the Ducati engine quite well....he raced the GP16 engine, the base package for the current Pani V4, in 2017, for Aspar. This isn't a big jump for him at all and he's had plenty of time to come to grips with the tires. I would have to say that, all things being equal, Rea and Bautista are on the same level talentwise, the engine rule is the biggest advantage at this point. DORNA will step in soon enough, I'm sure it's already underway.
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2019
  20. scottbott

    scottbott Member

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    the Kawasaki is a limited run of 500 units with the extra 600 rpm I think, could be wrong though
     
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