First SBK test this weekend

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (xx CURVE xx @ Jan 23 2009, 05:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>World Superbikes » Portimao test – Friday PM times.
Friday, 23rd January 2009

Times from the first World Superbike Championship test at Portimao, Portugal – Friday PM 23rd January 2009.


1. Shane Byrne GBR Sterilgarda Ducati 1098R 1min 44.265secs
2. Michel Fabrizio ITA Ducati Xerox 1098R 1min 44.468secs
3. Ben Spies USA Yamaha Italia YZF R1 1min 44.652secs
4. Max Neukirchner GER Alstare Suzuki GSX-R 1000K9 1min 44.931secs
5. Noriyuki Haga JPN Ducati Xerox 1098R 1min 44.976secs
6. Jakub Smrz CZE Guandalini Racing Ducati 1098R 1min 45.266secs
7. Leon Haslam GBR Stiggy Motorsport Honda CBR1000RR 1min 45.323secs
8. Jonathan Rea GBR HANNspree Ten Kate Honda CBR10000RR 1min 45.329secs
9. Carlos Checa ESP HANNspree Ten Kate Honda CBR10000RR 1min 45.373secs
10. Yukio Kagayama JPN Alstare Suzuki GSX-R 1000K9 1min 45.448secs
11. Tom Sykes GBR Yamaha Italia YZF R1 1min 45.558secs
12. Regis Laconi FRA DFX Corse Ducati 1098R 1min 45.914secs
13. Alessandro Polita ITA Sterilgarda Ducati 1098R 1min 46.110secs
14. Broc Parkes AUS Kawasaki SRT ZX-0R 1min 46.121secs
15. Troy Corser AUS BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1min 46.261secs
16. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Racing RSV-4 1min 46.440secs
17. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR 1min 46.586secs
18. Gregorio Lavilla ESP Pro Ride Honda CBR10000RR 1min 46.948secs
19. Makoto Tamada JPN Kawasaki SRT ZX-10R 1min 46.957secs
20. Ruben Xaus ESP BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1min 47.340secs
21. Tommy Hill GBR HANNspree Althea Honda CBR1000RR 1min 47.639secs
22. Brendan Roberts AUS Guandalini Racing Ducati 1098R 1min 47.699secs
23. Shinya Nakano JPN Aprilia Racing RSV-4 1min 48.274secs
24. David Salom ESP Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1min 48.800secs
25. Luca Scassa ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1min 49.800secs
26. Vittorio Iannuzzo ITA Squadra Corse Italia Honda CBR1000RR 1mins 50.187secs
27. Roberto Rolfo ITA Stiggy Motorsport Honda CBR1000RR 1min 53.550secs

That's a superb showing from Shakey on a customer bike. Good to see Leon in break into the top ten...diabolical performance from his team mate Roby though wtf?. I think the raw talent and consistency of Spies will see off the impetuous erratic nature of Haga. Used to be an enthusiastic fan of Nori until his stupidity and foolishness last year at Donington. Where's that Haga 41 geezer gone...he'll probably disagree. Anyhow..Championship Spies, but if he had the reliability an the package then Shakey would be a definite protagonist. Rea will only get faster as the season progresses, but will ultimately try too hard in his debut year. I hope Fabrizio falls flat on his face, and Tardozzi gets the egg on his face that he deserves - pair of arrogant .......s. Go Sykesy!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (xx CURVE xx @ Jan 23 2009, 02:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Sorry brotha..its coming to Texas

Yam hasn't tasted championship victory in WSBK.

Spies looks menacing but Yam can't seem to get the job done. If Spies helps Yamaha pop their cherry, he will be the greatest SBK rider of all time.

I only care that the champion speaks English as his native tongue. We have a racing territory to protect.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mylexicon @ Jan 24 2009, 12:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Yam hasn't tasted championship victory in WSBK.
It has, courtesy of Nori..but it was taken away from them of course, by a very stupid points penalty. You gotta love the R7..I want one.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Arrabbiata1 @ Jan 24 2009, 06:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>It has, courtesy of Nori..but it was taken away from them of course, by a very stupid points penalty. You gotta love the R7..I want one.
Maybe it's that they were so limited production or that they were so sharp looking, but I'm obsessed with R7's. What a great bike.

i think it was taken away from haga because something was found in his blood(?) i'm not sure, that's what i've heard. i'd like to know the full story though. for 2009 i want spies to take the championship even if he is a rookie now i believe he can do it!

saturday pm times

1. S. Byrne (Ducati) 1’43”294
2. B. Spies (Yamaha) 1’43”484
3. N. Haga (Ducati) 1’43”487
4. T. Sykes (Yamaha) 1’43”546
5. C. Checa (Honda) 1’43”657
6. M. Neukirchner (Suzuki) 1’43”674
6. J. Smrz (Ducati) 1’43”767
8. M. Fabrizio (Ducati) 1’43”951
9. J. Rea (Honda) 1’44”115
10. R. Haslam (Honda) 1’44”170
11. Y. Kagayama (Suzuki) 1’44”425
12. T. Corser (BMW) 1’44”479
13. R. Laconi (Ducati) 1’44”546
14. R. Kiyonari (Honda) 1’44”610
15. B. Parkes (Kawasaki) 1’44”704
16. A. Polita (Ducati) 1’45”108
17. S. Nakano (Aprilia) 1’45”179
18. M. Biaggi (Aprilia) 1’45”260
19. B. Roberts (Ducati) 1’45”278
20. D. Salom (Kawasaki) 1’45”393
21. M. Tamada (Kawasaki) 1’45”446
22. G. Lavilla (Honda) 1’45”672
23. T. Hill (Honda) 1’45”679
24. L. Scassa (Kawasaki) 1’45”820
25. R. Xaus (BMW) 1’46”128
26. R. Rolfo (Honda) 1’46”916
27. V. Iannuzzo (Honda) 1’46”971

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bill88 @ Jan 25 2009, 09:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>i think it was taken away from haga because something was found in his blood(?) i'm not sure, that's what i've heard. i'd like to know the full story though. for 2009 i want spies to take the championship even if he is a rookie now i believe he can do it!
Yeah it was ephradine Bill, a weight loss drug because he was a right chubby ....... at the time. They disqualified him from one of the five races he won that year, thus handing the title to Colin.

Rolfo's gone up one place then...Shakey still top of the pile ....go Sykesy!!!!

Saturdays results:
1 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'43.294
2 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.484
3 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'43.487
4 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.546
5 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'43.657
6 76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'43.674
7 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'43.767
8 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'43.951
9 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.115
10 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.170
11 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'44.425
12 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'44.479
13 55 Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'44.546
14 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.610
15 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'44.704
16 53 Polita A. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'45.108
17 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 1'45.179
18 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1'45.260
19 24 Roberts B. (AUS) Ducati 1098R 1'45.278
20 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'45.393
21 100 Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'45.446
22 36 Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.672
23 33 Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.679
24 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'45.820
25 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'46.128
26 44 Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'46.916
27 77 Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'46.971

yeah, I just saw this on crash. It's gonna be a bang of a season, no doubt.

Surprisingly, BMW/Corser are about 1 sec off the pace...impressive.

Biaggi/NakanoAprilia...about 2 seconds off pace.....impressive? Uh, not so much. Personally, I thought that all of the race experience in 125/250/motogp/sbk would have produced a much better-sorted machine than BMW's first attempt at a full-on racebike. Damn, German Engineering...don't sleep on these guys.

Lastly, can someone please get the media to STOP TRYING TO PREDICT THE '09 WSBK CHAMPION??

Argh, it's gonna drive me crazy...first, it's Haga on a Factory Ducati that willl slaughter the field.
No, wait...BenSpies has never been on this track, this bike, these tires...he's going to win every damn race, hands down.
Uh-oh, look at Shakey....man, he is flying...gotta be a F09 machine he's on, so much faster than the Xerox Boys...looks like he is gonna be the champion.

I can say this: I am waiting with much more anticipation for the superbike season to begin than I have for the motogp boys...

Yeah, Corser is quite impressive and so are the new guys from US and UK.

Top 8 or so guys are within .5 sec of eachother, its going to be an awesome season of WSBK. Just over a month to go before the first race, at Phillip Island of all places, one of the best tracks around.

I also cna't wait for the season opener. Love watching the starts, to see 32 bikes stuffing themselves into the first corner. Twice as many bikes as Motogp. Twice the fun to watch IMO.

Good show from Nakano there, & Shakey continues to prove me wrong & derserves all the praise he can get.

http://www.powerslide.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=9632

1. Byrne S. GBR Ducati 1098R 1'43.874
2. Neukirchner M. GER Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'43.965
3. Rea J. GBR Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.144
4. Haga N. JPN Ducati 1098R 1'44.157
5. Haslam L. GBR Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.217
6. Corser T. AUS BMW S1000 RR 1'44.261
7. Kagayama Y. JPN Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'44.586
8. Laconi R. FRA Ducati 1098R 1'47.057
9. Checa C. ESP Honda CBR1000RR 1'49.387
10. Fabrizio M. ITA Ducati 1098R 1'52.340
11. Nakano S. JPN Aprilia RSV4 1'56.553
12. Biaggi M. ITA Aprilia RSV4 1'56.643
13. Spies B. USA Yamaha YZF R1 1'44.119
14. Smrz J. CZE Ducati 1098R 1'45.182
15. Sykes T. GBR Yamaha YZF R1 1'45.624
16. Kiyonari R. JPN Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.931
17. Parkes B. AUS Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'46.181
18. Salom D. ESP Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'46.260
19. Polita A. ITA Ducati 1098R 1'46.849
20. Roberts B. AUS Ducati 1098R 1'46.897


Very impressive by Corser.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Son of Doohan @ Jan 26 2009, 06:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Very impressive by Corser.
I am not sure if he is up to hand to hand combat for the top step of the podium for a whole season any more, but there is still no-one who develops/sets up a superbike better than troy corser.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Marijke @ Jan 25 2009, 10:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>http://www.powerslide.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=9632



Ah, not forgotten the event, just forgotten what group to put the topic.
How about a move/merge marijke?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Babelfish @ Jan 26 2009, 08:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Ah, not forgotten the event, just forgotten what group to put the topic.
How about a move/merge marijke?
Thank you.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Austin @ Jan 24 2009, 02:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Maybe it's that they were so limited production or that they were so sharp looking, but I'm obsessed with R7's. What a great bike.

Yes, the R7, in my opinion, is/was one of the best-looking superbikes of all time, right up there with the 916 and RC30. It's dimensions and styling were just so clean and charasmatic. Haga/Yam should have won the title that year, he rode the .... off that bike trying to keep up with them damn v-twin cheater bikes

Speaking of which, sure do hope Haga does not flop on the Duc this year. We know he can win rraces on one (Koji?), let's just hope the factory's quality is better than what that Renegade team was given back then (I think it had something to do with lack of funding toward proper rebuild intervals...)

Dang, I sure wish the new R1 looked more like the R7. They would sell bucket loads of 'em...


Uh...how come this superbike thread is in the MotoGP Forum???

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (tlrwinder @ Jan 26 2009, 03:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Yes, the R7, in my opinion, is/was one of the best-looking superbikes of all time, right up there with the 916 and RC30. It's dimensions and styling were just so clean and charasmatic. Haga/Yam should have won the title that year, he rode the .... off that bike trying to keep up with them damn v-twin cheater bikes

Speaking of which, sure do hope Haga does not flop on the Duc this year. We know he can win rraces on one (Koji?), let's just hope the factory's quality is better than what that Renegade team was given back then (I think it had something to do with lack of funding toward proper rebuild intervals...)

Dang, I sure wish the new R1 looked more like the R7. They would sell bucket loads of 'em...
Mark Griffiths was a clown, and would have difficulty running a bath, let alone a WSB team. He once took one of his own bikes out around Oulton I think after practise, and binned it. Look at all the ..... that B Boz endured when he rode the blade for that team.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (michaelm @ Jan 26 2009, 11:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I am not sure if he is up to hand to hand combat for the top step of the podium for a whole season any more, but there is still no-one who develops/sets up a superbike better than troy corser.

Corser showed himself to be much more of a fighter last year then say 2007. That said, Corser and Xaus both know what they signed up for, a new program. There are a lot of unknowns with the BMW right now, but so far Troy has been pushing it well. If they pick up a few podiums I think they would be more then happy, knowing it is a development year. Same goes for Aprilia, but I think they have a big jump start on the game, so everyone expects more from them.