Joined Feb 2007
11K Posts | 2K+
Tennessee
I cant say i care one way or another. The series is saturated with with interchangeable riders at the back of the grid, and its not like we have a shortage of Brits. Im starting to miss having a US rider in the series, but unless we find a cant miss phenom that everyone wants, i better get used to it. The US rider is not going to uproot his life, move to the other side of the world to ride a mid pack machine for meal money. The European riders are their own worst enemy as they have been programmed to ride for a pittance and have zero bargaining power because there is always another one willing to ride for nothing. Laverty wanted equal machinery, thats it, and they told him to .... off. Why, no leverage, as a group they have no bargaining power because they sold themselves out to get in the game.
Joined Jul 2015
812 Posts | 336+
Hurricane, WV
Povol, just curious.. What is pittance? I know the top drivers are making 7 figures, some 8. Are you saying there is that much of a drop off from the 6 factory team riders to a seat on a sat team bike? Is the 12th best rider in MotoGP making 6 figures?
Then, how does that pittance compare to MotoAmerica? You believe Beaubier is making more than Scott Redding or just that the difference isn't enough to "uproot their life"? Or that it is better to be the big fish in a small pond, than just another fish in a big pond?
I totally feel your longing for an American rider back in MotoGP, But, I think the fall off in interest over the years in the US has hurt the skill level, which has kept Yankees out of GP much more than the amount on the pay checks.
I feel any yank would go in a heart beat if asked.
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Joined Feb 2007
11K Posts | 2K+
Tennessee
Once you get past the top 8, used to be 6, these guys dont get paid anywhere near what they should for what they do, or what other major racing series pay. When i say a pittance, im comparing it to what other pro athletes make. Some of these guys are racing for less than 200k which might sound like a lot to the guy who makes 30 -40 k, but thats not worth risking being a cripple or dead. Cameron Beaubier is every bit as good as the last half of the field, may the last 2/3rds but cant get a sniff because they know he will demand more than the greedy .......s are willing to pay. The top satellite guys are making 7-900k, that would be the least i would expect any rider to uproot his life and make a move to the other side of the world. I have heard Beaubier will make around 600k if he wins the title, which will go further here than 7-800k as far as lifestyle in Europe, and he is on a winning bike. These riders that drop their pants and bend over for a ride .... it up for everybody, well everybody not on a factory bike.
Joined Nov 2015
2K Posts | 582+
A caravan on an island
Moto GP should adopt a relegation system in all classes, say the bottom three riders lose their seats and get replaced by a national championship winner from varying countries . That would intensify competition towards the back of the grid and ensure more countries are represented and new talents discovered #pipedream.
Joined Oct 2008
6K Posts | 5K+
In Cider
I'm a bit puzzled by this statement. Are you saying MotoGP would be better with only alien riders? "interchangeable riders" make up 90% of the grid of most motorsport racing series in the world.
This series had best up their game and start delivering some quality product if they want people to keep watching. Sure, Marquez is probably the greatest talent to come along in a long time, but watching 6 bikes with a chance to win with breaks totaling 7 weeks in the middle of summer, come on!
I quit watching Formula 1, as ecclestone singlehandedly ruined it. I am sitting out this season in MotoGP, could be another season as well. I won't support a series that is crappily run by a tiny number of people with no governance and no oversight who endorse cheating and tolerate track conditions with a big potential for injuring riders. If they aren't paying riders it is even worse.
I quite like watching American flat track racing, pit pass is included in the ticket price and you actually talk to people in the pits.
A breath of fresh air.
I quit watching Formula 1, as ecclestone singlehandedly ruined it. I am sitting out this season in MotoGP, could be another season as well. I won't support a series that is crappily run by a tiny number of people with no governance and no oversight who endorse cheating and tolerate track conditions with a big potential for injuring riders. If they aren't paying riders it is even worse.
I quite like watching American flat track racing, pit pass is included in the ticket price and you actually talk to people in the pits.
A breath of fresh air.
Joined Feb 2007
11K Posts | 2K+
Tennessee
Any series would benefit from having superstars 1-23 or 1- whatever, but thats not realistic. The bottom half of any race grid is interchangeable and very few people outside family and friends get upset when they leave or are relieved. Hence my statement "I cant say i care one way or the other"
Joined Jun 2016
642 Posts | 244+
Santa Cruz, Cal
I don't know why he thinks the Aprilia with less support will be a winner. I luvs the bike, but how much time and money do they have left to support the WSBK team, again? And no offense Mr. L., but I think Scott R. should get a newer Duc, before you. Best of luck, mate. You are lucky to have a paying ride, in the real world.
Why they chose Hernandez to take the second seat is beyond me. Waste of money, in my opinion. But maybe he has a following.
Why they chose Hernandez to take the second seat is beyond me. Waste of money, in my opinion. But maybe he has a following.
Joined Feb 2007
11K Posts | 2K+
Tennessee
These back marker teams are there to fill out the grid, not to win, and the team owners are paid a handsome fee to do so. Throw in a little money from SA sponsors and a man can make a nice living jet setting around the world, all the while putting a non competitive bike on the grid. The less he spends on rider and bike, the more he can stick in his pocket. They chose Hernandez because he would race for peanuts and not ..... about how ...... the bike is. Again, riders like him .... it up for the next generation.
So let me get this straight, Gramps. If you were rider with not so much talent and were offer a ride in mid pack or back of pack team in the top Motorsport series for bike in the world you would refuse because of not so much money?
I personally happen to think Yonny has a lot of talent. Laverty has shown a few good performances this year. Only way to see is to put these riders on an M1 or factory Honda and give them a fair chance instead of machines that are at least a year old. I'm sure the back of the grid riders make a good living. Saying these guys ruin it for the next generation is a a bit much.
Joined Nov 2015
872 Posts | 420+
Stratosphere
I bet a lot of American riders are not thrilled about the prospect of being the next Ben Spies, or for that matter, the next Nicky Hayden, given the results they had over the last years in the sport. We've lost an important advantage we once had in the golden era; ie, balls-out guys with serious flat-tracker skills being able to tame bucking two-strokes, while the Euro riders were riding the 500s like they were 250s. The introduction of all the overcompensating electronics really changed all that.
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Joined Feb 2007
11K Posts | 2K+
Tennessee
Depends, if i have a ride in the AMA/ that allows me to compete for championships making lets say 300k a year, im not moving across the world to ride a grid filler in any series for 2-300k a year. If you are unemployed, sure you would take it but you are missing the point. This is the third highest watched sport in the world with undoubtedly the lowest paid participants of any sport in the top 10 and by far the most dangerous. I hate to put it this way, but these kids are ....... stupid to play along in the con game known as Moto GP. This is not AMA/WSBK where no one watches, again, its THE THIRD MOST WATCHED SPORT IN THE WORLD which means huge TV revenue. With only 23 participants, there is no reason whatsoever that the lowest paid rider on the grid should be paid 1 million dollars if not more. The 23rd place driver in Nascar made close to 5 million last year. These mother fuckers cry wolf all the time about not having money while they literally sneak trash bags full of cash out the back door. This is one of the longest and most successful cons in the history of sport.
Joined Jan 2011
3K Posts | 152+
The North!
Do you have stats to prove it is the third most watched sport in the world?
I know far more: football golf rugby tennis and snooker watchers than the entire motogp followers in my own private circle of friends, and jeez i have met so know a lot of gp folk, but much more of the sports above are followed and watched.
Most young riders are willing to ride for peanut at the back of the grid in the hope of show a few good results and maybe bag a factory ride with millions dollars contract. Let`s face it, MotoGP is the dream of most young riders and the ones with not so much talent would probably ride free, or as in F1 come with big sponer packages and pay for ride. Hey, if i was 20 years old and someone offer me job to collect marbles and clean the toilet of Mick Doohan with a toothbrush and shine his boots, I would take it just to be there. Probably do it for very cheap too. Point is large audience or not there are 50 riders in Moto2/3 who do not want to go to AMA/WSBK where 23 people are watching...
Joined Jan 2011
3K Posts | 152+
The North!
Sometimes.
But BSB is fantastic for close racing, by far the best spectator series available at this time, or course this does change from series to series over time, I think motogp has got better recently but yeah atm for the spectator IMO it's
BSB
WSBK
Motogp
Joined Feb 2007
11K Posts | 2K+
Tennessee
Probably not just you, but not a trend. The numbers show GP is alive and well and WSBK is struggling.
Joined Feb 2007
11K Posts | 2K+
Tennessee
There were articles posted here back during the crisis years on how little revenue was generated per viewer compared to F1. It showed that GP was the 3rd most watched sport behind Soccer and F1 with over 300 million viewers worldwide per event, [im guessing that has grown] compared to F1 drawing 600 million viewers per event, [that has dropped considerably]. Anyhow, those figures were from 5 =6 years ago but GP has grown in popularity since so im assuming those figures are still close.
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