Losail final pre-season MotoGP Test

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mylexicon @ Mar 19 2010, 11:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Wow. Maybe Honda should have kept Emperor Puig in the driver's seat. The combined times make them look really awful. Dovi is the bright spot in 3rd. RDP is 8th. The other 4 bikes are languishing at the bottom of the sheets.

Simoncelli should have signed the Aprilia contract for WSBK.

You can say that again. I shudder to thing what kind of mad tactics
he may employ trying to overcome the shortcomings of an uncompetitive
bike. He's not the type to be satisfied with cruising around at the back.
He wants to be noticed.

Just for reference sake:http://www.online-stopwatch.com/large-stopwatch/
Has anyone really played around with a stop watch to get real feel for just how precise each rider has to be?

Take a quick look to get a feel of what 2 tenths or a 1/2 second feels like.

All of the riders within a second of the each other are pretty damn fast.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Austin @ Mar 20 2010, 01:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Look at the overall times, folks:

1 Casey Stoner 1:55.717 1:55.353 - -
2 Valentino Rossi 1:55.402 1:55.860 +0.049 +0.049
3 Andrea Dovizioso 1:56.811 1:55.879 +0.477 +0.526
4 Ben Spies 1:55.954 1:56.779 +0.075 +0.601
5 Nicky Hayden 1:56.855 1:56.115 +0.161 +0.762

Let's not get our panties in a bunch. Two Ducs and two Yams. And Dovi, making me look even better.

with Casey back on the first place, we can be sure that Qatar gp will be a fight between him and Vale.

nice to see that Lorenzo also isn't in a bad form and shape.

It seems that the Hondas are having problems making the Bridgestones and Ohlins work. For the Bridgestones to work the rear has to be loaded properly, with Showa they never managed to have decent traction on a majority of tracks, with Ohlins they are struggling with pumping. Only Dovi seems to have found a decent setup, but probably Pedrosa cannot use it, he's too light.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (J4rn0 @ Mar 20 2010, 10:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>It seems that the Hondas are having problems making the Bridgestones and Ohlins work. For the Bridgestones to work the rear has to be loaded properly, with Showa they never managed to have decent traction on a majority of tracks, with Ohlins they are struggling with pumping. Only Dovi seems to have found a decent setup, but probably Pedrosa cannot use it, he's too light.
This makes sense to me. Hasn't dovi been riding on the ohlins for a lot longer as well?

Yes Dovi started riding ohlins in the races last year.

Stoner is only 15lbs heavier than Pedrosa. I'd say the new electronic package is to blame.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (J4rn0 @ Mar 20 2010, 02:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>It seems that the Hondas are having problems making the Bridgestones and Ohlins work. For the Bridgestones to work the rear has to be loaded properly, with Showa they never managed to have decent traction on a majority of tracks, with Ohlins they are struggling with pumping. Only Dovi seems to have found a decent setup, but probably Pedrosa cannot use it, he's too light.

I think you and GS have probably got it covered between the two of you. Honda hired away some Yamaha electronic technicians. Besides having experience with programming Magnetti Marelli ECU's, they must have vital Yamaha information. If they had anything to do with programming TC they would certainly know information about the offset, weight distribution, swing arm pivots, wheelbase, spring rates, rebound, etc.

Everything is new at Honda so there is a good chance they are having some serious teething issues with the new bike. It's got to be very difficult to build an all new bike for the 3rd time in 3 seasons. The difficulties are only compounded by the lack of testing.

more pics from my man Saut

More

You are getting better at it!

oh and got any gossip from being trackside?

the suzook looks heaps better in the darker blue!

I personally think Pedro is just trying to get thru testing with a healthy body.

WTF Pov... u think he's gonna pull a second and a half outta his ... 'cause he's been doggin' it to prevent injury? You 'n Lex r like peas in a pod mofo!!!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Mick D @ Mar 21 2010, 10:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>WTF Pov... u think he's gonna pull a second and a half outta his ... 'cause he's been doggin' it to prevent injury? You 'n Lex r like peas in a pod mofo!!!!

I said that quite some time ago. I'm not convinced he would sandbag this much at the final test. I do think that Pedro's problems are made worse by the cold, dark conditions. Temperature sensors are banned right.

Cold tires are most likely to be found on Pedro's bike.

He's definately not sandbagging.

Way too deep to be doing that.

Melandri is also struggling, he has compared the Honda he is riding to the 2008 Ducati.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rootsman @ Mar 22 2010, 10:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Melandri is also struggling, he has compared the Honda he is riding to the 2008 Ducati.

Maybe Melandri is just not that good ????
Maybe the 2009 Kawasaki wasn't actually that bad.

Bet Gresini are pleased at the money they have forked out to get the two Marco's.
Dovi has turned some pretty reasonable times, so obviously the bike has the capacity.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Nuts @ Mar 22 2010, 12:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Maybe Melandri is just not that good ????
Maybe the 2009 Kawasaki wasn't actually that bad.

Bet Gresini are pleased at the money they have forked out to get the two Marco's.
Dovi has turned some pretty reasonable times, so obviously the bike has the capacity.
As has been said by others it looks like setting the bike up for ohlins or adjusting to ride on ohlins is the problem since de puniet and dovi who were riding ohlins last year don't look so bad. Ironically being pedrosa's test mule may be working in favour of an hrc number 2 rider again, although I expect dani will get there.

I take your point that the 2 riders gresini had last year are now not looking so bad, and the presumed extra expense for the new riders is looking hard to justify. Melandri is undoubtedly talented, but does not seem to be able to either ride around set-up problems or set up bikes for himself, and again shows some signs of dropping his bundle as he did with both yamaha and ducati. Basically there does have to be a problem with the bike though; I am not necessarily a leading simoncelli admirer but his one -off performance in wsbk was impressive. Will they get any help from honda since dovi at least appears to have worked out a set-up even if only quite late in the testing program?.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (michaelm @ Mar 22 2010, 11:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>As has been said by others it looks like setting the bike up for ohlins or adjusting to ride on ohlins is the problem since de puniet and dovi who were riding ohlins last year don't look so bad. Ironically being pedrosa's test mule may be working in favour of an hrc number 2 rider again, although I expect dani will get there.

I take your point that the 2 riders gresini had last year are now not looking so bad, and the presumed extra expense for the new riders is looking hard to justify. Melandri is undoubtedly talented, but does not seem to be able to either ride around set-up problems or set up bikes for himself, and again shows some signs of dropping his bundle as he did with with both yamaha and ducati. Basically there does have to be a problem with the bike though; I am not necessarily a leading simoncelli admirer but his one -off performance in wsbk was impressive. Will they get any help from honda since dovi at least appears to have worked out a set-up even if only quite late in the testing program?.
Dovi is certainly looking good, however Qatar is one of his stronger circuits, maybe the big h is just getting used to being beaten nowadays.......

They'll sort it better for the opener

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Nuts @ Mar 22 2010, 02:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Maybe Melandri is just not that good ????
Maybe the 2009 Kawasaki wasn't actually that bad.

Bet Gresini are pleased at the money they have forked out to get the two Marco's.
Dovi has turned some pretty reasonable times, so obviously the bike has the capacity.

I don't think the value of Melandri can be in doubt... Apart from a certain psychological fragility, Marco is a top rider. I think he's an "old style" rider that has trouble adjusting to the 800cc and electronics era.

Speaking of which, I think the satellite Hondas are still using the old electronics, that could not tame such a powerful and peaky engine. Repsols do have the hew "Yamaha" software but they are still sorting it out together with Ohlins and Bridgestones.

As soon as this process is successfully completed, I think these Hondas will be competitive, including the Gresinis, and the Repsol ones will be consistently at the front.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Geonerd @ Mar 19 2010, 02:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'> It's a little known fact that Dani Pedrosa is actually Frida Kahlo's great-granddaughter.   

9153:Frida.jpg]

9154:dani_pedrosa.jpg]

Funniest .... ever.

I haven't been able to get on here until this morning, a lot of good stuff to take in on here. Thanks guys! And the same blah blah, he wasn't the fastest but blah blah bllaaaaahhhhhhh from the rock-heads.

J7 Your pics are great. That team america pic will be my background for a long time! .... yeah! Oh, and hahahahahahahahahahahahahhaha Dani.