Another Fantasy MotoGP season

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(muzzy57 @ Sep 8 2007, 10:06 AM) [snapback]89683[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
This just occurred to me when posting a reply into another thread...

How would the season go if you could take all the greats of motorcycle gp racing, at their respective peaks & with equal machinery?

I know as well as everyone else that's it's difficult, maybe even nigh impossible to compare the era's accurately... but for the sake of fun I'd like to try.

If you think back through the years & all the outstanding champions that we've had, who would rise to the top?

There's the obvious choices of multiple champs in Agostini, Doohan & Rossi but no doubt strong arguments can be made for Lawson, Roberts Snr, Rainey and many others that I probably can't think of at this moment...

I'll give it some more thought myself but was curious as to the general consensus?


Stoner!

Couldn't resist that one!

The Podium

1. Ago
2. Doohan
3. Rossi

Podium of Greatness

1. Schwantz
2. Rainey
3. Roberts Snr


No doubt at all!

Both Schwantz and Roberts killed on ...., ...., bikes, if they could ride "equal" machinery, they would be lights-out on all the competition. Rainey has a lion’s heart, and this made the difference.

Doohan, Ago, and Rossi always had the top machine and would be difficult to compare their championships to the rest of the legends. I don't think Ago would make the top 5 in a legends race at their "peak" with "equal" machinery.

It depends, if you got all these guys at their peak, and took them back to the 60's they'd probably all be too scared to ride the Isle of Man at race pace at Ago would just laugh at them. If we were talking modern 4 stroke motogp, guys as recent as the 90's wouldn't be able to hack it, my moneys on Rossi, the greatest of all time. Or, if its 500 beasts we are talking about, with riders at their peak, then Freddie Spencer is my man.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(muzzy57 @ Sep 8 2007, 09:33 AM) [snapback]89744[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
Yes it really is hard to say isn't it?

So many variables to consider as well...

Just a comment & putting personal bias aside, I wouldn't necessarily write Doohan off too quicky if you put him on a 990 MotoGP bike. He loved Superbikes and was damn good at riding them, plus ( I can stand corrected on this of course ) I believe that he hand no small hand in the development of the RC211V in his position at HRC.

Didn't he take one for a few "practice" laps at some stage & actually set competitive times? Or have I been smoking too many drugs!


I would only put Doohan ahead of Rossi if they were riding older, rear wheel steering, crappy front tyre beasts and i already have Spencer down to win in that scenario. If it was modern equipment i would be confident in a Rossi win.

this is fun

It's hard to say because even though I'm an old ......., I never saw a lot of the "great" riders actually compete, but hey, I'll give it a go!

1) Rossi ... I think he is the best I've ever seen ...
2) (a very close second) Doohan ... get's the should have/would have/could have award ... had he not had the crash at Assen there is no doubt in my mind he would have won 7 premier class titles in a row ...
3) Lawson ... titles with Yamaha and Honda!

Honourable mentions;

Spencer ... 250 and 500 titles in one year ... amazing! Didn't hang around long enough to be included with the above 3!

Rainey ... total professional ... great talent!

Schwantz ... just loved to watch him ring the .... out of the suzuki ... a "true" star!

Gardner ... to win a premier class title after nearly killing Franco Uncini says he had lots of mental ticker! Had the worst of the NSR's and tamed them!

Sheene ... paved the way for today's riders! Along with Doohan gets the "I don't know what pain is award"!

Hailwood ... probably belongs in top 3 but I don't know enough about him ... anyone called "Mike the bike" has to be something special!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(krusty @ Sep 8 2007, 12:35 PM) [snapback]89776[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
It's hard to say because even though I'm an old ......., I never saw a lot of the "great" riders actually compete, but hey, I'll give it a go!

1) Rossi ... I think he is the best I've ever seen ...
2) (a very close second) Doohan ... get's the should have/would have/could have award ... had he not had the crash at Assen there is no doubt in my mind he would have won 7 premier class titles in a row ...
3) Lawson ... titles with Yamaha and Honda!

Honourable mentions;

Spencer ... 250 and 500 titles in one year ... amazing! Didn't hang around long enough to be included with the above 3!

Rainey ... total professional ... great talent!

Schwantz ... just loved to watch him ring the .... out of the suzuki ... a "true" star!

Gardner ... to win a premier class title after nearly killing Franco Uncini says he had lots of mental ticker! Had the worst of the NSR's and tamed them!

Sheene ... paved the way for today's riders! Along with Doohan gets the "I don't know what pain is award"!

Hailwood ... probably belongs in top 3 but I don't know enough about him ... anyone called "Mike the bike" has to be something special!


This is pretty much how I would rate the riders I have seen, as I also only know hailwood, agostini and kenny roberts senior by repute, and fast freddy had physical ailments by the time I saw him race(on tv).

I agree rossi has to be rated as many others have said because of his yamaha wins, especially the first, but doohan even allowing for patriotic bias was pretty close. Also as others have said, what further might rainey have achieved without his accident?
.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Racejumkie @ Sep 7 2007, 11:15 PM) [snapback]89713[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
Podium of Greatness

1. Schwantz
2. Rainey
3. Roberts Snr
No doubt at all!

Both Schwantz and Roberts killed on ...., ...., bikes, if they could ride "equal" machinery, they would be lights-out on all the competition. Rainey has a lion’s heart, and this made the difference.

Doohan, Ago, and Rossi always had the top machine and would be difficult to compare their championships to the rest of the legends. I don't think Ago would make the top 5 in a legends race at their "peak" with "equal" machinery.


Oh crap, I need to amend my Podium of Greatness. The question is where I would put Mike Hailwood? Damn! Now that is hard, because he was so versatile and won on multiple brands, multiple displacements, on Euro smooth tracks, and super dangerous Isle of Mann. Damn. I don't know, maybe I'd put him as a close number 2 and add one more step in the podium.

So, revised Podium of Greatness:

1. Schwantz
2. Hailwood
3. Rainey
4. Roberts Snr.

Notes: Tom makes a great point, where in the history of GP would we make the comparisons. In my mind I was making the comparisons in the 80-90s because I think this was the height of machine-rider combination. Where as before this, especial pre 60s era, all the bikes were .... except the MV. Past 2000, all the bikes are glorified superbikes with to many rider aids. Also, Tom and Krusty make a great point about Spencer. The story is, on day after winning on the lower class, he only had time to take a .... and promptly went out and won on the 500, all on the same ....... hot day! Now that's talent. He's definitely in the top 5. Keep in mind though, Mike Hailwood did this too, yes, in 61, and he did it on two different brands (250 Honda/ 500MV) in the same year! As far as Rossi and Doohan, I'd give the edge to Doohan.