Joined Apr 2012
150 Posts | 26+
United States
I'd like it if Pov was back. I generally agreed with him on bikes. Everything else was rubbish but I liked his take on racing.
Joined Oct 2007
4K Posts | 744+
Tuscany, Italy
This gag of Motochick (alias Jumkie) replying to Jumkie is really hilarious... bravo! brava!
Joined Aug 2007
11K Posts | 3K+
Pomona NY
In what way is the Ducati "handicapped"? It's got a top speed advantage and the riders have had nothing but good stuff to say about the handling. Yes - Dovi had some issue with the rear - but that was an anomaly as far as I know.
Joined Oct 2006
25K Posts | 4K+
Your Mom's House
Lets start with the fact that the GP formula and all its iterations has always been decidedly oblique to Ducati designs. Their work with Bridestone to match their chassisless design which had started to reap hard earned rewards on the track was summarily firebombed during what was dubbed "the Bridgestone Debacle" which eventually led to a 'single tire supplier'. When their lead rider (CS) indicated the tire had developed away from Ducati's particular needs (even asking to use the 07 tires), the 'spec tire' worked wonders for the Japanese manufactures, particularly Valentino's Yamaha. For the next few years causing Ducati to wonder in the wilderness of increasing career ending performance for its talented riders (Melandri, GP runner up, Hayden, WC, Stoner, WC). They (Ducati) hired 'thee Alien Standard' in Rossi and the machine was as bad as ever. Even when they wanted to work with Michelin to continue matching tires to their unique, I dare say, prototype desgin, this was denied by Dorna, and the League went so far as to tell Michelin not to bother tendering a bid.
This above was only the starting point of Ducati's long lived handicap, putting Ducati on the back foot, and its never really recovered since. The engine limits allowed everyone EXCEPT Ducati to develop their chassis, until they were forced to make a twin-spar, a Japanese design which has been refined by the Japanese since Jesus Christ. Ducati have had to move heaven and earth to try and acquiesce to the Japanese design which they have been developing since dirt (though you couldn't convince J4rno of this during 2011-2012). When Ducati have made radical changes to their designs and then took steps WITHIN the 'then rules' (so as to continue their development) the League saw fit to 'move the goal post' with eleventh hour rules rigging (oh I know Kropo hates this word, but what else would you call it). Lets shelve the fact in one of those (plural) last minute rules changes (pin pointed in scope) the "new rule" brokered the top Moto2 prospect to go to a factory HRC RCV. And the other eleventh hour rules change (again, tiny in scope) created the "Factory 2" designation for exactly ONE manufacture (Ducati if you're wondering). Ducati has been playing catch up, all the while its competitors have not only been writing the rules, they get them re-written when their rivals make some advances. Ducati gets more fuel, which translates to 'more power' but as you have been hearing MurderMac and others reason, this isn't exactly the silver bullet. And what about tires? They get a qualifier tire, and its only been used once in a race, by Iannone, who then promptly torpedoed Nicky Hayden and then crashed himself. Honda get a hard tire option. And where that works, it works. And last I checked, Ducati haven't won a race in the dry since Factory2 was a short lived glimmer in Carmelo's eye.
Edit to add: Regarding "top speed advantage", Hector Barbara was recorded as the fastest machine ever in the history of the GP motorcycle Universe, precisely this weekend. Look how it turned out for him. (sorry Wankski)
So, lets recap:
hand·i·cap/ˈhandēˌkap/
noun
a circumstance that makes progress or success difficult.
Ducati have been decidedly having to catch up in the development cycle of competition for years. Handicap: CHECK
Ducati have been detrimentally effected by formula and rules changes. Handicap: CHECK
Ducati have operated within the rules decidedly written by and for its rivals. Handicap: CHECK
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Not to belabor an old point, but his take on bikes:
If prototype rules lead to the dominance of one manufacturer, it's okay for one manufacturer to change the rules until they always win.
I love Tennessee, but that was Appalachian hillbilly logic at its finest.
Joined Oct 2006
25K Posts | 4K+
Your Mom's House
Hi Lexi, saw you lurking the other day. Hope all is well with you.
Hilarious take BTW. Hahaha.
Yep. I'm alright. Working on more certifications for career stuff, which is killing me. It would be less difficult, if MotoGP provided a respite, but it's a bit stale. Much better than last year, though.
Hope you're doing well, Jum. I didn't realize you and Krop were still feuding :dirol:
Joined Oct 2006
25K Posts | 4K+
Your Mom's House
I hear you.
I wouldn't call it a feud, more like a friendly game of "I'm right and he is wrong".
Btw, I haven't been too active on Powi, but FIFA's recent entry into headline news compelled me to give this old forum a visit. Its still a bit of a wasteland here, but having Kropo back from his hiatus has kept me around a few days.
I was thinking the same thing. Lex is back. There's a genuine revival taking place here.
This place has seen quite a few transitions over the years. It has had its share of "controversies" that changed its trajectory. The first I recall was nazigate which left a few people scurrying for the doors. After it regrouped circa 08-09 this place was humming along like a welshmen at a sheepherders convention. Then there was chopper gate part 1 and finally chopper gate 2 which was instigated by Ducgate. It didn't look like it was ever going to recover from Duc's attempt to Chernobyl the site. Slowly all the miscreants, myopics and purists are making a comeback, and that is great to see.
Its always been my opinion that without Jumkie this place would fall flat on its face. He is the catalyst for most of what is good and bad here. Seeing him back (albiet in somewhat pussified and neutered form. ) has reinforced my theory.
Nice to see you too Lex. You possess most complex mind natural selection has ever created. You subscribe to the backwards child rearing practices of Adrian Petersen yet sit on the Bilderbergers high dias. Hard to believe you and Povol check the same boxes on election day.
If only we could get Roo,Mdub, Arabb, Cliche, JKD, Lil Red, Steifel, mental,curve and many others back as well.
I suspect that many of these and more have been banned from the site. This I have heard from pm's floating around.
Duc would you like to address who you have banned or throttled on the site and why?
Its always been my opinion that without Jumkie this place would fall flat on its face. He is the catalyst for most of what is good and bad here. Seeing him back (albiet in somewhat pussified and neutered form. ) has reinforced my theory.
Nice to see you too Lex. You possess most complex mind natural selection has ever created. You subscribe to the backwards child rearing practices of Adrian Petersen yet sit on the Bilderbergers high dias. Hard to believe you and Povol check the same boxes on election day.
If only we could get Roo,Mdub, Arabb, Cliche, JKD, Lil Red, Steifel, mental,curve and many others back as well.
I suspect that many of these and more have been banned from the site. This I have heard from pm's floating around.
Duc would you like to address who you have banned or throttled on the site and why?
Joined Oct 2008
6K Posts | 5K+
In Cider
Roo has posted once or twice, JKD still posts occasionally though haven't heard from him either on here or personally lately so they haven't been banned for sure. Plus if any of them have they could just get new user ID's surely?
Hope the revival continues!
Hope the revival continues!
Joined Oct 2008
6K Posts | 5K+
In Cider
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Joined Apr 2015
1K Posts | 731+
neptune
Joined Oct 2006
25K Posts | 4K+
Your Mom's House
I haven't seen a JohnnyKnockdown (JKD) post for a while. And despite my periodic absence from posting I have lurked from time to time. So I would be aware of a JKD post.
Its an interesting question StuperMansfree poses. There are other forms of banning a member, via the more cowardly way of 'throttling' an account. My I borrow the words of Kropo here? "There is an article I need to write."
Joined Oct 2008
6K Posts | 5K+
In Cider
Damn right, the Welsh don't .... around. Let that be a warning to ya supermanitee!
