Hayden announcement expected

Seems like I read somewhere that Stoner and Hayden actually pal around during race weekends, any truth to that?
Ducati knows signing Hadyen will get them a work horse, I mean hell Nick's gotta be better at developing a bike and figuring out what it needs by now after all the HRC .... he's dealt with? Bridgestones tires on the other hand will take some time IMO.

Hayden has the advantage of jumping on a machine that is well set up for the Bridgestones. Rossi adapted fairly well and within 2 practice sessions was very fast on a bike that never ran them before.

Ducati will have pulled off a world wide marketing masterstroke with this one and gotten a decent rider away from Honda as well. And if he is losing on the Ducati to his team mate he also won't be winning against him on the competitions bike. Double bonus.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Aug 21 2008, 09:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>LINKY TO PINKY








Well its not official yet. But when the announcement is made, does this mean no more Pinky?

(Actually, I think Stoner crashing out was the end of his appearances on the forum.)

Ah, I'm actually gonna miss him.




well if you check out pinky and berrymachine's profiles you will see that they have visited the forum with the last few days but had nothing to say im sure they will start new profiles with different fav riders next season but like alphabet man we will know who they are regardless.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (howard @ Aug 21 2008, 08:05 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Seems there is something of a split in the MotoGP paddock between the riders who know how to present themselves off the track - nice guys with time for the fans and good words for the sponsors, and those who either can't be arsed or simply lack the charisma.

Nicky & Colin definitely belong in the first group and they're a credit to their country and to the sport.
I'd put JT in that group too were it not for the ridiculous self-promotion - that I suspect is more down to his management than himself - he seems pretty self-effacing for a world champ - but it's there, nonetheless. It winds me up.

Rossi can do no wrong because he's a winner and he knows how to smile for the cameras even when things don't go entirely his way - and don't correct me - I know it wasn't always like this.

The likes of Stoner and Pedro need to be winners because charismatic, they aint.





Dude your nuts to put pedro and stoner in the same sentence regarding personality. Soner Smiles for the camera all the time. Look at his wife, that would keep a smile on anyones face. Pedro smiles when Pig tells him. Stoner talks fine and I have never seen an attitude that is like Pedro from him really ever. I am not even a big fan of Stoner but he is also a champ and Pedro isn't and probably never will be.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (L8Braker @ Aug 21 2008, 01:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Seems like I read somewhere that Stoner and Hayden actually pal around during race weekends, any truth to that?
Ducati knows signing Hadyen will get them a work horse, I mean hell Nick's gotta be better at developing a bike and figuring out what it needs by now after all the HRC .... he's dealt with? Bridgestones tires on the other hand will take some time IMO.
I'll bet the tire thing isn't as huge as you think it will be to get up to speed. These guys are pros in the biggest sence and when you give them something that works better than what they had it will inspire confidence.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ROCKGOD01 @ Aug 21 2008, 09:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Dude your nuts to put pedro and stoner in the same sentence regarding personality. Soner Smiles for the camera all the time. Look at his wife, that would keep a smile on anyones face. Pedro smiles when Pig tells him. Stoner talks fine and I have never seen an attitude that is like Pedro from him really ever. I am not even a big fan of Stoner but he is also a champ and Pedro isn't and probably never will be.

They're both anti-social, Pedrosa more so than Stoner. To me i don't care much for the riders, i'm more into the Manufacturers.... and Yeah, i can't stand Ducatis.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SuperShinya56 @ Aug 21 2008, 06:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>They're both anti-social, Pedrosa more so than Stoner. To me i don't care much for the riders, i'm more into the Manufacturers.... and Yeah, i can't stand Ducatis.
I guess you don't like winners. LOL

Best thing Nick could have ever done...normal size bike to

Worst worst case sterio....he'll be SBK Champion on the Duc at some point

GO NICK!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (xx CURVE xx @ Aug 21 2008, 06:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Best thing Nick could have ever done...normal size bike to

Worst worst case sterio....he'll be SBK Champion on the Duc at some point

GO NICK!!
+1

Initially when we first started hearing rumors of Nick riding the Duck I was worried (I still am to a certian degree) but I can't get past the fact that Nick and Casey both are former dirt-trackers with bias on the rear wheel rather than the front, hopefully that will work to their advantage in set-up. Question is though can Nick blitz into the corner and whack the throttle wide open letting the bike do the work....stay tuned.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (L8Braker @ Aug 21 2008, 10:37 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Initially when we first started hearing rumors of Nick riding the Duck I was worried (I still am to a certian degree) but I can't get past the fact that Nick and Casey both are former dirt-trackers with bias on the rear wheel rather than the front, hopefully that will work to their advantage in set-up. Question is though can Nick blitz into the corner and whack the throttle wide open letting the bike do the work....stay tuned.

Regardless you Hayden fan's will still have an excuse if he performs poorly on the Ducati.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SuperShinya56 @ Aug 21 2008, 05:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Regardless you Hayden fan's will still have an excuse if he performs poorly on the Ducati.
What's shinya excuse then cause he has NEVER done .... in gp's.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MigsAngel @ Aug 20 2008, 11:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>It will take at least the first third of next year for Nicky to get to grips with the Bridgestones, and a whole half to get used to the Ducati's traction control system....at least in my view....and keep in mind that it took Nicky 3 years to get really on top of the 990 Honda, so it is likely to take him another year to get fully up to speed on the Ducati...so I would think Nicky should aim at being top 10 next year and not worry about his performances too much until 2010....having said that if he gets a contract with Ducati it is probably going to be a 1 year deal.....but good luck to him....

And always keep in mind Marco in 2008 and Capirossi in 2007 and Bayliss in 2004 on the Ducati's...all good to great riders which struggled badly on the big red beast!

On the cynical side of the street....It will turn out that Nicky gets a 2 year deal to replace Bayliss in WSBK

I dunno. Stoner adapted pretty quickly. Stoner used to complain he had no feeling in the front, Stoner seems to like to use the rear wheel to adjust the attitude of the bike mid-turn. Stoner's and Nicky's complaints have been very similar.

Furthermore, I expect a control tire measure to pass in which case the tires will be significantly harder and capable of sustaining more abuse. I think Nicky might start getting the bike a little sideways again!

The only 2 things worry me. 1) Nicky's preference for controls. It is widely known he likes the controls ultra sensitive so the slightest manipulation changes the bikes performance. We all know Stoner cranks the throttle on the Duc, will Nicky be able to grip it and rip it? 2) I'm going to predict it in another topic (stay tuned).

i'm really glad to hear this. i was gonna have to beat nicky senseless if he went back to any honda related machinery for next year. i think the duc was / is his best choice, and i hope the best for him.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (djm @ Aug 21 2008, 06:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>i'm really glad to hear this. i was gonna have to beat nicky senseless if he went back to any honda related machinery for next year. i think the duc was / is his best choice, and i hope the best for him.
He really should be able to win some races now.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SuperShinya56 @ Aug 21 2008, 01:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Regardless you Hayden fan's will still have an excuse if he performs poorly on the Ducati.

...that's right, I'm a proud Hayden fan have been since singing up here, but where I'm from "you" in front of describing anyone is an insult!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (L8Braker @ Aug 21 2008, 10:37 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Initially when we first started hearing rumors of Nick riding the Duck I was worried (I still am to a certian degree) but I can't get past the fact that Nick and Casey both are former dirt-trackers with bias on the rear wheel rather than the front, hopefully that will work to their advantage in set-up. Question is though can Nick blitz into the corner and whack the throttle wide open letting the bike do the work....stay tuned.

Will Nicky have to blitz the corners if they make the tires harder to bring corner speeds down?

IS A HARD CONTROL TIRE PEDROSA'S SWAN SONG?!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SuperShinya56 @ Aug 21 2008, 12:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>They're both anti-social, Pedrosa more so than Stoner. To me i don't care much for the riders, i'm more into the Manufacturers.... and Yeah, i can't stand Ducatis.


Thats the biggest BS ever!!!!! Does the bike ride themselves????





.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (gsfan @ Aug 21 2008, 05:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Hayden has the advantage of jumping on a machine that is well set up for the Bridgestones. Rossi adapted fairly well and within 2 practice sessions was very fast on a bike that never ran them before.

Ducati will have pulled off a world wide marketing masterstroke with this one and gotten a decent rider away from Honda as well. And if he is losing on the Ducati to his team mate he also won't be winning against him on the competitions bike. Double bonus.

100% spot on
And he would have had to learn the Bridgestones anyway next year, wouldn't he

You know, when watching that interview with mladin, he claimed that at times he would ride the yosh suzuki without traction control because he could be faster. I think nicky may be able to ride that thing. Basically its like an ultralight 990 i presume but with nearly the same amount of power. If Ducati cooperates with Nicky and make the bike possible to ride without the on or off throttle style that Stoner uses, Nicky could be very competitive. Its the only bike on the paddock that he can use since he is too big to ride any of the other bikes.