Hayden: MotoGP a big step for Spies

Former world champion Nicky Hayden says Ben Spies should not underestimate the level of MotoGP when he joins the series from World Superbikes in 2010.

Spies made an immediate impact on WSB in his rookie season this year, winning 13 races to date and going into the final two rounds just 10 points behind championship leader Noriyuki Haga. He therefore decided to move straight into MotoGP with Tech 3 Yamaha next season rather than waiting until 2011 as originally planned.

Hayden expects Spies to be a big success in MotoGP, but believes the level of riding ability is significantly higher than in Superbikes.

"Is he going to make the same impact he made in World Superbikes? I don't think a guy shows up and starts dominating," said Hayden.

"It's a different level. I've got a lot of respect for the Superbike series, and I've ridden with a lot of those riders, but still there's a difference here. It's deeper water.

"[Neil] Hodgson, [Ruben] Xaus, many guys [found it hard]... I think the transition was easier from Superbike to 990cc than to 800cc.

"It's a big step. I raced in World Superbikes as a wildcard and felt pretty good about myself, but I showed up here and I saw the level."

But Hayden believes his compatriot's arrival is great news for MotoGP.

"I think it's good he's coming - he belongs in MotoGP," he said. "MotoGP keeps its status of being the premier sport. He needs to be here.

"It will be exciting to see how he does. He'll make it, he's got talent, he's got determination, he's got a good Yamaha ride. He can cut it here."

Hayden also backed Spies' decision to move straight into MotoGP rather than spending a second year in Superbikes - even if he misses out on the title to Haga this year.

"I know he wants to be a World Superbike champion, and AMA and World Superbikes together will look cool on the resume, but if you want to be in MotoGP, I think he had to come now," said Hayden.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (#22 @ Oct 7 2009, 12:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Former world champion Nicky Hayden says Ben Spies should not underestimate the level of MotoGP when he joins the series from World Superbikes in 2010.



Hayden expects Spies to be a big success in MotoGP, but believes the level of riding ability is significantly higher than in Superbikes.

I was a little worried about the title of the thread, but nicky's comments are generous and exhibit his usual class.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (michaelm @ Oct 7 2009, 11:41 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I was a little worried about the title of the thread, but nicky's comments are generous and exhibit his usual class.

Ofc, he's a classy guy. Just though I'd share

Nicky Hayden raced one weekend in WSBK on the Honda RC.

RESULTS SBK 2002 - Laguna Seca - Race 1
Troy Bayliss 40'18.9432
Ruben Xaus 40'19.2823
Colin Edwards 40'20.9944
Nicky Hayden 40'21.5315
Neil Hodgson 40'23.0476
Eric Bostrom 40'30.6777
Aaron Yates 40'36.6048
Ben Bostrom 40'42.6959
James Toseland 40'45.38010
Mat Mladin 40'49.142

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (michaelm @ Oct 7 2009, 04:41 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I was a little worried about the title of the thread, but nicky's comments are generous and exhibit his usual class.

I admit, me too, then I read it and found Nicky to be very positive on Spies. I like the part that says if MotoGP is to keep its top class status then Spies needs to be here. Wow, what a compliment.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <div class='quotemain'>"I think it's good he's [Spies] coming - he belongs in MotoGP," he said. "MotoGP keeps its status of being the premier sport. He needs to be here." Nicky Hayden on Ben Spies

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Oct 7 2009, 09:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'> I admit, me too, then I read it and found Nicky to be very positive on Spies. I like the part that says if MotoGP is to keep its top class status then Spies needs to be here. Wow, what a compliment.


WTF. What Hayden said was that MotoGP is the premier class, and that Ben Spies needs to be here. Stop twisting words.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Oct 7 2009, 05:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'> I admit, me too, then I read it and found Nicky to be very positive on Spies. I like the part that says if MotoGP is to keep its top class status then Spies needs to be here. Wow, what a compliment.
Title should be 'in true tabloid style'

<span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%Hayboy complement countryman but slags off wsb

it will be good to see Ben in motogp, i just hope the fans give him the learning curve he will need despite all the hype.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SuperShinya56 @ Oct 7 2009, 09:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>WTF. What Hayden said was that MotoGP is the premier class, and that Ben Spies needs to be here. Stop twisting words.
You are a worthless ...... Go .... yourself.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Oct 7 2009, 10:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>You are a worthless ...... Go .... yourself.

Your boy the Kentucky Fried Chicken will soon be out of a ride in MotoGP. I know you're angry cuz he performed poorly(as usual) in Estoril, but can you please keep the foul mouth language at a minumum..... kids frequent this board too you know.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SuperShinya56 @ Oct 7 2009, 06:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Your boy the Kentucky Fried Chicken will soon be out of a ride in MotoGP. I know you're angry cuz he performed poorly(as usual) in Estoril, but can you please keep the foul mouth language at a minumum..... kids frequent this board too you know.
yeah, we noticed

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Oct 7 2009, 01:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>You are a worthless ...... Go .... yourself.
Jum,you are better than that,have you ever heard the old saying

Never wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it !

Or , never argue with an .....,they pull you down to their level and kill you with experience.

Maybe i will buy you the new Glenn Beck book [How to argue with idiots]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (povol @ Oct 7 2009, 11:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Jum,you are better than that,have you ever heard the old saying

Never wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it !

Or , never argue with an .....,they pull you down to their level and kill you with experience.

You're right Pov. My bad.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (povol @ Oct 7 2009, 07:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Jum,you are better than that,have you ever heard the old saying

Never wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it !

Or , never argue with an .....,they pull you down to their level and kill you with experience.

Maybe i will buy you the new Glenn Beck book [How to argue with idiots]
....... QUALITY POVOL

Hasn't Ben already raced in GP on 3 occasions?

I think he knows what he's getting himself into.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mylexicon @ Oct 7 2009, 07:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Hasn't Ben already raced in GP on 3 occasions?

I think he knows what he's getting himself into.
not on a competitive bike and expected to set the world on fire by some he aint.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (chopperman @ Oct 7 2009, 12:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>not on a competitive bike and expected to set the world on fire by some he aint.

Even my wife knows that satelite riders don't have a shot in hell. Top 10's would be good first season. I'm hoping for more, but if not, its totally justifiable.

I've always liked Hayden's attitude and work ethic, but I can see Spies beating him next year.

What worries me about Spies will be the intense pressure to bring great results from the start. We all see it from the postings on this board alone, at how many people expect strong finishes from him in his rookie year. But once again I feel the limited testing is going to greatly impact Ben on how well he'll be able to dial in his M1 for 2010.

Pulled this from SuperbikePlanet.com. An interview with Filippo

SuperBikePlanet.com Interview: Ducati's Racing Director Filippo Preziosi
by dean adams & susan haas
Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Ducati Racing Manager Filippo Preziosi--the most humbling interview in racing.
image by dean adams
Filippo Preziosi is undoubtedly both the most humbling and at the same time inspiring man in racing today. Left a severe parapalegic after a motorcycle crash years ago (Preziosi has very little use of even his hands), he has returned in triumph to his position as the technical point man for Ducati racing. Ducati's MotoGP results alone, where the tiny Italian factory is in close combat with both Honda and Yamaha, speak to Preziosi's prowess as a designer and a manager. At one point in the Ducati garage at Imola there was a line of people waiting to talk to or consult with Preziosi--many of them Ducati engineers.

I was granted a few minutes to interview him between consulting sessions and asked hm about both Nick Hayden and the new carbon fiber Ducati MotoGP chassis.

Q. In MotoGP it's been an interesting season for Ducati from a technical standpoint. Especially on Hayden's bike.

A. So there were a lot of problems entering, exiting, acceleration and so on. So that was difficult to find a solution, because usually setup is a compromise between different needs. But working very hard, and I have to say thank you a lot to Nicky, because we experienced this kind of problem even different riders without finding any solution. But Nicky attitude is to never give up, and we start thinking and speaking, and after Mugello race we have a good meeting, and maybe we understand that there are a point exiting from the corner in which the bike was not giving the right feedback to the rider, so the rider cannot push, because he don't know where the limit is. So we concentrate on that, because we think that when we solve this problem, the rider could push, and if the rider push, the tires start working, and the temperature becomes the right temperature, so the tire are working all around the lap.

And the other problems are solved. So we did a good three-day test with Vittoriano Guareschi in Mugello, and we found a reasonable solution for Barcelona race, and in fact, the first practice Friday in Barcelona, Nicky was sixth in dry condition. That was really surprising, and that shows that as soon you deliver a bike that is easier to be useful, the rider is there, waiting for riding as he can. Of course, it needs some time to find enough experience to manage this new setup. But starting from Barcelona, we experienced good results every session, apart Donington in which we did a mistake with electronic setup.

Of course, we are not able at the moment to put Nicky in the condition to fight with the first four riders. But Nicky's really hard, and I'm very worried, because - very disappointed, because Misano race was the best ever condition he was. So - but the race are race, and he experienced the accident with DeAngelis.

Q The carbon fiber frame is new technology in MotoGP. What has been your experience with it, versus what you experienced with the previous trellis-style chassis?

A All right, that is very nice, (that) all the people are very concentrated about the material we are using with the new frame. But to be honest, the difference is in the shape and not the material. And in fact, we did the same frame with aluminum to understand the difference between the two materials, and we found something, but we think that the main idea is the shape of the frame. And we experience the better behavior entering in the corner, a more precise bike. Is better in entering in the corner, and braking stability.

Q Have you ever experienced, in Ducati MotoGP, a riding style like Nicky's? How difficult was it for you to acclimate a set-up to his riding style?

A No difficulties. Maybe the main problem was that he was using a lot of the rear brake, and so we have some reliability problems. But now, setting the right electronics, is not more necessary to push so hard where he is full throttle.

Q They say when you saw Nicky's data for the first time, you thought, "Okay, now we have a rider because he stays on the gas. There is no fear. No giving up".

A Yeah, that's for sure. Even at the beginning of the season, when the bike was difficult to ride, he was very brave. It was amazing ... But is anyway, is not possible to have the lap time, because you have to believe in the bike. But for sure, his courage is more than enough.

Q With Nicky, you changed the electronic system. What did the new system do that the old one did not?

A Giving the rider better feeling about the bike is what we need to do. If you know where the limit is, you can push beyond the limit. If you don't know, you have to keep a safety margin that is too big. This was not possible with the old system.

Q When you first debuted the carbon fiber chassis, you said it was "an experiment". Is it still an experiment, or is this the direction?

A Now it is quite defined. We are working on the swingarm, and now the swingarm is ... I want to test it again, because I'm not sure.

Q So carbon fiber chassis will be used in Ducati MotoGP? You will use that style chassis next year and forever?

A Forever, not for sure. But for sure next year.

Q What have you learned from the other riders like Pasini and Espargaro?

A From Pasini, how strong he is, especially mentally. But both the rider, Espargaro and Pasini, give us good feedback from chassis point of view. They are very open-minded guys. Coming from completely different bike, their judgment are very interesting.

Q When Troy Bayliss rode the bike, what did you learn, and did it help in understanding Nicky?

A We found different setup, because Troy likes a completely different trail, and I think this could be useful when you meet riders that have similar needs.

ENDS

As stated, they had to do an intense amount of testing, adjusting, and even fabricating (think new handle bars) to allow Nicky to ride the bike competitively. Stoner's riding style was so completely different, it looks like all his data was basically useless in getting Hayden set up from the start of 09.

Granted the GP9 and the M1 are two completely different beasts, but the question still remains at how fast Ben will be able to adapt and adjust the bike to his riding style. Along with all the outside pressure of being the new "golden" round for Yamaha in years to come.

So I deffinently agree to Nicky saying "It's a different level. I've got a lot of respect for the Superbike series, and I've ridden with a lot of those riders, but still there's a difference here. It's deeper water."

2011 is going to be Bens year. In 2010 if he can put on a good show and come away with some decent points he will have Lorenzo's bike mabey even Rossi's if he decides to go to another team or leave motogp. Would'nt it be sweet if Ben got Rossi's M1 and Yamaha would sign Nicky or Casey to take Lorenzo's M1, but I'll dream on.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SackWack @ Oct 7 2009, 03:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Even my wife knows that satelite riders don't have a shot in hell. Top 10's would be good first season. I'm hoping for more, but if not, its totally justifiable.


True, that is one of the biggest flaws of the series. It is a shame that a top level rider, Rossi for example, could be put on a satellite bike and not be competitive. (I truly believe that)

I wish this were a series where the best man wins, but that just isn't the case.

Spies has talent, no one questions that. On a factory ride he would be top five next season, I guarantee you. However until he is on a good machine, he will not be at the front.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mjpartyboy @ Oct 7 2009, 04:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I've always liked Hayden's attitude and work ethic, but I can see Spies beating him next year.

He has everything but wild eyed aggression. Did you see the move that Elias put on him in Estoril? Unreal. Hayden just rode hard as he could. Elias raced. Big difference and that is what is holding up the Kentucky Kid. As much as I like him as the saying goes nice guys finish last. Especially in MotoGP.