New here

Hi all!
I just got signed up, because I was looking for a MotoGP / SBK forum with more updated people with better knowledge about the sports than me.

I´ve been following MotoGP and SBK for almost 10 years, being no expert at all.
But the races are superior in intensity and entertaining level, compared to F1...
That was something that hit me immediately while watching my first MotoGP race back then.
WTCC also is very fun to watch. Close racing is what I enjoy to watch, not 60 laps of isolated car racing with pit stop strategies setting much of the outcome, and what not.

I cheer for Nakano and Haga above all, being of Asian heritage and they were the most successful japanese riders along with Ui, when I first got interested. Then I got stuck with cheering for them, regardless of teams.

However, I think that Rossi is the greatest, and I hope that Takahashi, Kallio and Gibernau will be successful to in the MotoGP class, although I´m not so sure they will be.

I don´t like Biaggi at all. I can´t forgive a rider after deliberately (in my opinion) elbowing another rider (Rossi) in a very dangerous way, although his riding style is entertaining. Also, Pedrosa seem to be a bit dull.

It´s a shame I won´t have time to be here as much as I would want to. Too much buried with work. (I´m a music teacher)
So appologies in advance if I´d be slow some times to reply. Ok, I´m off for now. Peace!

Thanks alot. Appreciate it! I read the Nakano SBK news just now. Very interesting...

hey folks! Thanks for the welcome greeting!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dazza @ Nov 2 2008, 08:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Good to have you here Redfreak. Did you follow Kato at all during his short lived career?
Thanks again guys, for the welcome!

Yes, I followed Kato a bit, and remember his last 250 season, and his death, along with Gibernau´s tribute after his races. Very classy and emotional of him, regardless of the level of emotions that he related to.
That, along with that Gibernau was almost the only one to be able to challenge Rossi for a while makes me gonna cheer for him when he returns to MotoGP. I´m delighted.
I also remember Kato for still being a championship contender prior to the last race of the season, the year Jacque snatched the 250 title from Nakano over the last meters back in 2000. Thanks for asking.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SackWack @ Nov 3 2008, 07:22 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Welcome

I am guessing that you are more a WSBK fan than MOTOGP fan? Specially now considering that your fan list is there. MOTOGP has become a straight line session with setup becoming the number one thing that gets the wins, podiums, and the championship. Its getting harder to ride around problems these days and when guys like Pedrosa, Rossi and Stoner have a perfect setup its really hard to beat them. I have high hopes for next year for MOTOGP but I will be into WSBK hardcore because the racing is far superior IMO. I have the same doubts about the noobs in MOTOGP. I think that Giberneau will get to speed the quickest and the other guys will be backmarkers for most races. I really think that Nakano got a raw deal especially considering where he stood in the championship over some other guys and what he has shown he could do on the Kawasaki (cough Melandri cough).

Hey man, and thanks for the welcome!
Well, I agree with you, maybe apart from the aspect of level of competitiveness in MotoGP being harder in MotoGP, IMO.
That means, I´d be even more pumped up over a great result in MotoGP than in SBK, for my favourite riders.
But I do agree that the SBK races generally are more close racing, more even and therefore even more fun to watch. I enjoy MotoGP to, and the lower cc classes.

And like you say, I hope for a successful 09 for first and foremost Haga, Nakano, (also Kiyonari now), but every hero needs a villan. So I picture Biaggi as that one, although [edit:] I doesn´t recall that he has done anything wrong lately... (not he recall, sorry)
Right or wrong of me, but it adds flavor to the race result excitement. ^^

One more thing is that it´s easier to follow the coverage on Eurosport regarding MotoGP than SBK here.
MotoGP coverage on Eurosport has been truly great, and with about the best Swedish sport commentators around, all sports inluded.
However, I think I might not be able to watch MotoGP on TV next season, since it seems MotoGP coverage will move to a channel that I currently don´t have. That would suck a huge amount of cc!
I still would have SBK on Eurosport in 09, I think.

Oh, one other thing about myself.
Unless most of you guys (I guess), I have never tried a motorcycle in my life, and only tried a moped just once, with all my moped-riding friends looking.
(couldn´t find the brakes despite the owner´s attempts to teach me, and I went into the deep grass-covered ditch and up again.
Not bad to be able to stay on the wheels, but instead of getting some boost in balance talent confidence, I of course decided to stay away from scary experiences like that.
I could laugh with my friends about it, but it apparantly did some mild confidence damage when it comes to anything tech.
I hate everything that makes me lose control over my feet. Something anal about that, I guess.
Skateboard, rollerblades, swimming, skiing, surfing, even clay court tennis - you name it. (I´m playing tennis on a decent level)
I can´t say that I have a bad phobia, but I feel very uncomfortable with those things, so just staying away from it works for me.

However, watching sliding riders makes me stunned with admiration, maybe even more because it.
That´s why I started to get really amazed by Haga´s riding style. Also Gary McCoy, I forgot to add.

Later on, I won´t have time to write as much here as recently.
I had most of last week off, from work, since school was out.
Today, I´m home from job as well. I´ve got a cold and a bad stomach. Gonna get some sleep soon, and hopefully be able to go to work tomorrow.

Thanks man! By the way, who is the dude in your avatar?

Thanks guys!
And yeah, sometimes it´s fun and fulfilling to be a music teacher. Sometimes it´s just plain exhausting and frustrating. It takes alot of energy either way, and the worst days I feel like a Harley.
The best days, I can actually enjoy everything about it, pretty much like getting payed for doing what I like the most.