MotoGP Field 2012?

hawkdriver said:

When SBK gets the guys who can't ride in GP anymore and GP is picking up guys like Spies who won their championship, I would say it's a bit more than perception. When the WSBK champ comes to GP and he makes it to the edge of alien status it tells us all we need to know about WSBK, and remember what you said about Checa. RDP's case is different though and more than enough reason to show why we need more bikes in GP, he has the talent but there wasn't enough money out there to lease anymore of the expensive satellite bikes, dude deserves to be on the grid.

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Good points Hawk. However...



Read the highlighted part you just wrote. Then take another look at the part I put in italics. One might say the fact there are no seats in GP because the current grid is untenable, is, in your words, "all we need to know about GP.



Checa yes, but that still leaves Biaggi, Melandri, Aoyama, and probables, DePuniet, Hopkins, not to mention GP interchangeables Crutchlow/Halsam, Rea, Laverty, and I'd add, Abraham, Barbara, Buatista, are no better or worse than a few Wsbk riders.



I disagree with your suggestion, either series has great talent. The only thing I see as the main difference between talent pools between both series is that GP has the number one rider in the world. But beyond that, yes, perception.

I wonder what Depuniet's crash ratio is for this past season? I remember a few years ago it was like 1.5 times a race weekend. Sure the dude can run fast laps but when will he do that in a race. How many years has he tried and failed. What is he still doing on a GP bike if this is what he is?

Jumkie said:

Good points Hawk. However...



Read the highlighted part you just wrote. Then take another look at the part I put in italics. One might say the fact there are no seats in GP because the current grid is untenable, is, in your words, "all we need to know about GP.



Checa yes, but that still leaves Biaggi, Melandri, Aoyama, and probables, DePuniet, Hopkins, not to mention GP interchangeables Crutchlow/Halsam, Rea, Laverty, and I'd add, Abraham, Barbara, Buatista, are no better or worse than a few Wsbk riders.



I disagree with your suggestion, either series has great talent. The only thing I see as the main difference between talent pools between both series is that GP has the number one rider in the world. But beyond that, yes, perception.

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I agree that some of them are interchangeable but Aoyama? Really, we'll have to see how he gets along with the 1000rr but I think he was sent to WSBK for a lack of potential. Hopkins made his own bed and normally these WSBK riders have a few years to prove themselves before getting sent back to the minors. I think in GP a rider only has so long to show his potential before he gets sent to another series. I can't blame any of them for not wanting a WSBK ride, how many have made a come back after being sent there? A lot of the guys you named would probably be good on a GP bike but I'd rather watch the next generation of talent get a chance than watching guys who could just stick around. GP will become much more interesting for me when they're all on more equal equipment, for me it's always been about the riders, the bikes will always be the best, because of the rules.

Jums I know you are a huge Hopper fan and supporter but he has made a dire mistake in wanting to stay with Suzuki, I feel bad for him knowing how bad things are looking for Suzuki. You should go read here http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20111115#pg73 that bike is going to go backwards.

cliché guevara said:

are there even any good bikes in wsbk left?correct me if i'm wrong but i can only think of a private pata aprilia,bmw italia or factory kawasaki



(what about tommy hill?bsb,wsbk or maybe even crt?

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I believe there is a seat left at Pata Aprilia and ParkinGO Aprilia. I thought both seats at BMW Italia were full, but I can't think of anyone other than Badovini. Kawasakis are taken, Sykes and Lascorsz. Sounds like Hill is staying with Swan Yamaha.

ROCKGOD01 said:

I wonder what Depuniet's crash ratio is for this past season? I remember a few years ago it was like 1.5 times a race weekend. Sure the dude can run fast laps but when will he do that in a race. How many years has he tried and failed. What is he still doing on a GP bike if this is what he is?

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He had a pretty impressive 2010 right up until he broke his leg at Sachsenring (if I remember correctly). Put him on a bike that he doesn't have to ride at 110 percent to get a reasonable lap out of (2006 and 2007 ZX-RR and 2011 GP11) and he's not a bad rider. He's always been a crasher, and he crashed quite a bit on his Honda, but it wasn't anything like we saw when he was at Kawasaki and Pramac Ducati. I've said on numerous occasions that I believe he's the most underrated rider in grand prix. If he goes to WSBK on a relatively competitive ride, something like Pata Aprilia, he'll win races.

hawkdriver said:

Jums I know you are a huge Hopper fan and supporter but he has made a dire mistake in wanting to stay with Suzuki, I feel bad for him knowing how bad things are looking for Suzuki. You should go read here http://cyclenews.cov...s/20111115#pg73 that bike is going to go backwards.

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With the announcement of Yoshimura Japan backing the Crescent team, I'd have to believe what Batta is saying. My understanding is there was a feeling as though Suzuki owed Crescent a favor for pulling out of MotoGP and they'd repay that by supporting Crescent's efforts in WSBK. The Yoshimura announcement would indicate otherwise.



Last season the bike was developed in-house and Hopkins was absolutely eaten alive on the straights of Silverstone. He cooked his tires in both races trying to make up all the time he would lose on the straights on the brakes and in the corners. With any luck, Yosh can improve on what Crescent already have.

anybody know what vermeulens up to?

cliché guevara said:

anybody know what vermeulens up to?

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In Motorcycle News last week, he said he was considering a CRT bike or even British Superbikes.

as long as he stays away from a suzki/kawaski thats okay....



so no full facotry effort once again from suzuki in wsbk then...i wonder if hopkins is a drunk or has masochistic tendencies, how can a normal sober man put up with so much .... year after year after year...

I just finnished reading all the Spanish twitter motogp tweets.

RDP has been the fastest CRT rider yet on the Aprilia CRT bike and he may be on the Aspar team alongside Espargaro. They are going over a contract.

Man I hope this works out for him. It sounds like Elias is going back to moto2 but that wasn't to clear.

hawkdriver said:

Man I hope this works out for him. It sounds like Elias is going back to moto2 but that wasn't to clear.

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yep elias to aspar teaming up with terol in moto2... and Suzuki have announced they will not run in motogp in 2012 & 2013, hoping to re-join in 2014 (link: http://www.motogp.co...pends+gp+racing) and link to elias new ride http://www.motogp.co...erol+Moto2+2012

RdP on an Aprillia ? Could be good,very good !

hawkdriver said:

I just finnished reading all the Spanish twitter motogp tweets.

RDP has been the fastest CRT rider yet on the Aprilia CRT bike and he may be on the Aspar team alongside Espargaro. They are going over a contract.

Man I hope this works out for him. It sounds like Elias is going back to moto2 but that wasn't to clear.

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Dont think it was an Aprilia CRT, but a WSBK Spec RSv4 running GP rubber

So Aprilia are planning to build their own CRT chassis based on their road bike. How long will that last before the MSMA say that they are a factory team?

Tom said:

So Aprilia are planning to build their own CRT chassis based on their road bike. How long will that last before the MSMA say that they are a factory team?

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Who is CRT seems so subjective that it really all depends on whether they view the entry a positive for the sport.

Tom said:

So Aprilia are planning to build their own CRT chassis based on their road bike. How long will that last before the MSMA say that they are a factory team?

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Aprilia aren't entering. Aspar and other teams will be using the bikes, and they will be judged as to whether they are a CRT entry. Most of the teams going to use the full Aprilia package have already been accepted as CRTs (which requires a unanimous decision by the Grand Prix Commission). To have their status taken away requires a simple majority of the GPC, which is composed of the MSMA, Dorna, IRTA and the FIM. Even if the FIM sides with the MSMA, Dorna still has the casting vote, as chair of the GPC. Guess which way Ezpeleta is going cast his deciding vote?

Kropotkin said:

Aprilia aren't entering. Aspar and other teams will be using the bikes, and they will be judged as to whether they are a CRT entry. Most of the teams going to use the full Aprilia package have already been accepted as CRTs (which requires a unanimous decision by the Grand Prix Commission). To have their status taken away requires a simple majority of the GPC, which is composed of the MSMA, Dorna, IRTA and the FIM. Even if the FIM sides with the MSMA, Dorna still has the casting vote, as chair of the GPC. Guess which way Ezpeleta is going cast his deciding vote?

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I take it Ezpeleta would go to ends of the earth to make sure a competitive CRT teams status would remain unchanged?

Pander said:

I take it Ezpeleta would go to ends of the earth to make sure a competitive CRT teams status would remain unchanged?

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If a good team with a good bike and a reputable rider (e.g. Edwards with Forward, De Puniet with Aspar) can run with, say, Dovizioso and Spies, Ezpeleta would be delighted. If Yonny Hernandez or Ivan Silva started beating Stoner, then he'd start looking at CRT status and the rules.

Kropotkin said:

If a good team with a good bike and a reputable rider (e.g. Edwards with Forward, De Puniet with Aspar) can run with, say, Dovizioso and Spies, Ezpeleta would be delighted. If Yonny Hernandez or Ivan Silva started beating Stoner, then he'd start looking at CRT status and the rules.

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Ah, so GP & Wsbk will be more akin than we'd like to admit.

PASSI said:

De Puniet is a very fast driver im my opinion. At the end of the 2010 season he was VERY strong on the LCR. The reason for his many crashes this year was the reason why all ducati riders struggled: A lack of feedback from the front tyre. Think it would be too much to call him a bad rider because of that. that guy should be in GP. IMO.

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Whaaat? Depuniet sucked BEFORE he ever got on a DUC. Every team he has been on in GP....crash.....randy, randy eats gravel candy. So by trying to pawn off the problems on the Ducati is way out of line. If he was so great and strong etc, etc, why isn't he on any of the factory machines? He in my opinion is fast at times but has zero consistency. At this point I think he should make the switch to SBK. He would most likely crash there to but who knows. Randy hasn't done anything really to speak about in GP other than his notorious behavior in the kitty litter. I hope he goes somewhere else just because the sport needs riders who consistently finish races, not just a lap or two.