Deja Vu For Marco?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <div class='quotemain'>For Melandri, Wednesday marked his second dry day on a ZX-RR, after rain on day two of the previous Valencia test.
The 26-year-old Italian completed 93 laps, during which he matched his best race lap on a factory Ducati at last month's grand prix. Melandri continues to tailor the machine to his riding style, but was hampered on day one by a lack of feeling from the front end of the bike.

Melandri will work with his crew and suspension engineers overnight to improve front end feel, and is confident that if they can make steps forward in this area then lap times in the low 1'31s bracket are achievable tomorrow.

http://www.crash.net/motorsport/motogp/new...uki_silent.html

seems marco is having front end problems still. wonder if any colour blind spectators will think they are still watching 2008 next year?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BigAl @ Nov 26 2008, 08:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>seems marco is having front end problems still. wonder if any colour blind spectators will think they are still watching 2008 next year?
On the flip side, he did match his time from this year on his second day on the bike. In the end I wouldn't doubt that the Kwak has all of the problems of the Duc without the ability to hit the big payoff for getting it right. Also, how troubling is this quote? "Olivier was the fastest of our three riders today, which is very positive given that he's testing the chassis that may well form the basis of our 2009 Ninja ZX-RR,"

"May well form" the basis of their 2009 bike? Are they just randomly throwing ideas against the wall to see what sticks? Also, all three Kwak riders were at least half of a second off of West's race pace. Dunno how conditions were relative to raceday and how much the new tires may or may not be taking off of times at this point, though.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mattsteg @ Nov 26 2008, 03:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>On the flip side, he did match his time from this year on his second day on the bike. In the end I wouldn't doubt that the Kwak has all of the problems of the Duc without the ability to hit the big payoff for getting it right. Also, how troubling is this quote? "Olivier was the fastest of our three riders today, which is very positive given that he's testing the chassis that may well form the basis of our 2009 Ninja ZX-RR,"
Not troubling at all.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <div class='quotemain'>"May well form" the basis of their 2009 bike? Are they just randomly throwing ideas against the wall to see what sticks?
Of course it's not random, from where did you get that idea?
They gather information from riders and based on that try to improve the chassi design, but this is not an exact sience and test must confirm improvments if they indeed are there at all.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Babelfish @ Nov 26 2008, 09:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Not troubling at all.

Of course it's not random, from where did you get that idea?
They gather information from riders and based on that try to improve the chassi design, but this is not an exact sience and test must confirm improvments if they indeed are there at all.
The quote just reinforces the feeling of a comprehensive lack of direction at Kawasaki. Of course it's not an exact science and lots can and will change, but the feeling I get (which could certainly be a translation issue) is that 1) they're trying stuff without much confidence that they have any idea whether it'll work or not and 2) the team isn't as closely involved with development as they maybe should. I'd have preferred a quote a bit more decisive rather than one that boils down to "Jacque was fastest, maybe we'll use/develop the chassis he's on, maybe not". Given team green's recent history of indecisiveness and of pursuing lines of development that seem to go nowhere, it's just not what I'd like to hear from them.

the Kaw is a piece of ....

Remember mattsteg, this is Kawasaki we're talking about. They haven't shown us anything in the past which would make us believe that they are capable of competently developing a MotoGP bike, why would you think that that would change without a MAJOR shake-up within the team?

When you finally give up and admit that the conspiracy is true, everything will start making sense.

A new front tire was introduced for the 2008 season and Marco hated it. The end.

It doesn't matter what bike he's on, Marco will feel like he's riding in the wet even when it is totally dry (paraphrase of his words). The new front tire is a spongy piece of [insert expletive of your choice] designed to limit corner entry speeds.

Like I've said a million times, the conspiracy explains damn near everything. But most importantly it explains how full prototype tires could be turned into a control tire (with 1 carcass construction and a maximum of 7 compounds) in just 24 hours with no field testing (or at least that's what they want us to believe)

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BigAl @ Nov 26 2008, 03:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>http://www.crash.net/motorsport/motogp/new...uki_silent.html

seems marco is having front end problems still. wonder if any colour blind spectators will think they are still watching 2008 next year?



Ahy ahy, deja vu

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mylexicon @ Nov 26 2008, 08:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>When you finally give up and admit that the conspiracy is true, everything will start making sense.

A new front tire was introduced for the 2008 season and Marco hated it. The end.

It doesn't matter what bike he's on, Marco will feel like he's riding in the wet even when it is totally dry (paraphrase of his words). The new front tire is a spongy piece of [insert expletive of your choice] designed to limit corner entry speeds.

Like I've said a million times, the conspiracy explains damn near everything. But most importantly it explains how full prototype tires could be turned into a control tire (with 1 carcass construction and a maximum of 7 compounds) in just 24 hours with no field testing (or at least that's what they want us to believe)

'Nearly' everything.
The 'conspiracy' spongy front tyre does not seem to limit Pedrosa's and Rossi's corner entry speed much, in fact, does it...

Maybe the spongy tyre is a smart weapon--a specific anti-Melandri tyre developed by the conspirators to prevent an imminent and otherwise inevitable defeat of VR46 and CS27 at the hands of MM33............!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (J4rn0 @ Nov 26 2008, 10:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>'Nearly' everything.
The 'conspiracy' spongy front tyre does not seem to limit Pedrosa's and Rossi's corner entry speed much, in fact, does it...

Maybe the spongy tyre is a smart weapon--a specific anti-Melandri tyre developed by the conspirators to prevent an imminent and otherwise inevitable defeat of VR46 and CS27 at the hands of MM33............!


No it doesn't affect them as much because Honda/Ducati/Yamaha made the necessary adjustments to make the bike work with the tires.

Remember at the beginning of the season when Ducati and Yamaha were both developing feverishly to make the tires work (even though Casey won the first race by a country mile)?

Both manufacturers were trying to get weight off of the front end so they could use the sturdier construction of the rear tire to support the cornering g-forces. It took Pedrosa less time to adjust because HRC lifted data from Gresini.

Jarno, you have pointed out the great hilarity in this whole control tire debacle. They made another serious change to the sport, and it still didn't slow things down. The manufacturers just went on a spending binge to learn how to redesign the bike for the new tires. Deep pocketed companies are now even farther ahead of the back markers.

The control tire was already instituted this season and the racing still sucked. Hence all of the predictions by the riders that the sport will still be boring, hence Jean Phillipe Weber's exacerbation with the control tire at the Valencia race interview, hence Ezy's sudden fixation on the old fetish of limiting the electronics (I thought the control tire was going to fix everything).

The major players are relatively pessimistic about this season and about the future of the sport in general. The control tire didn't work and their is little evidence to suggest racing will be substantially better this season. Perhaps the racing will be much better, but as of right now, no one on the inside seems to be particularly optimistic.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (xx CURVE xx @ Nov 26 2008, 05:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>the Kaw is a piece of ....
Well just think of it this way. Kawi has always had a piece of .... bike in MOTO Gp. SO why would anyone think that they finally got it right? Especially at a test where they are trying new things for the upcoming year. It makes me think about Kawi's involvement. I think they are just there really to have a showing and that is about it. They clearly do not desire to win or they would have results that look to be promising or with some sort of progress. The bikes are really that crappy, cause their riders are actually pretty decent. Mind you no where near the caliber of Rossi, or Stoner but they can and should be able to hang in there if the bike was decent. Kawi should really stop ...... around cause they are the laughing stock of MOTO GP since WCM has been gone.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ROCKGOD01 @ Nov 26 2008, 07:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Well just think of it this way. Kawi has always had a piece of .... bike in MOTO Gp. SO why would anyone think that they finally got it right? Especially at a test where they are trying new things for the upcoming year. It makes me think about Kawi's involvement. I think they are just there really to have a showing and that is about it. They clearly do not desire to win or they would have results that look to be promising or with some sort of progress. The bikes are really that crappy, cause their riders are actually pretty decent. Mind you no where near the caliber of Rossi, or Stoner but they can and should be able to hang in there if the bike was decent. Kawi should really stop ...... around cause they are the laughing stock of MOTO GP since WCM has been gone.
I agree. I stand to be corrected, but my recollection of the statistics is premier class gp bike racing race wins - kawasaki/killawasaki 0.

New rider, new bike, same ..... Marco, like everyone else won't get on with the kwaka because it's a piece of ..... A team with no direction from anyone, with a small budget (for a company of that size), equals another ......... year.
Fans of kawasaki, Hopkins or Melandri are in for another year to forget about.

Gonna be the YaHonDuc Show® next year!!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (michaelm @ Nov 28 2008, 12:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I agree. I stand to be corrected, but my recollection of the statistics is premier class gp bike racing race wins - kawasaki/killawasaki 0.
Right so here is the messed up logic by Marco. GO from a GP WC bike that needs to be ridden like a beast, ( professional riders anyone). THen go to a team with a bike that has YET to win even a RACE. WTF? I always liked Marco and thought well of him, but with his performaceless season last year and this decision this year does not make him look well. I will say this is really team greens BEST chance at winning a race if they really put forth the effort cause Marco can at least do that at some point in the season.

Someone tell me what Kawa won by dumping West? I mean... Atleast they had a guy who could do well on wet. what do they have now?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Wander @ Nov 28 2008, 10:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Someone tell me what Kawa won by dumping West? I mean... Atleast they had a guy who could do well on wet. what do they have now?
A guy who's ok in the wet and not dire in the dry?

Hey, atleast he got one top5 position in the dry... Let's see if Marco can do better... And if Kawasaki can.

The most pressing among many pressing needs for kawasaki would seem to me to be a rider capable of developing a bike. Neither west nor hopper to my knowledge have ever demonstrated any talent for this, and melandri is reputedly poor in this area also.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (michaelm @ Nov 29 2008, 10:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>The most pressing among many pressing needs for kawasaki would seem to me to be a rider capable of developing a bike. Neither west nor hopper to my knowledge have ever demonstrated any talent for this, and melandri is reputedly poor in ths area also.

I totally agree with this assessment...

Kwak should have push to get Nakano back to develop the bike....