Pedrosa's starts & acceleration

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Sep 6 2009, 12:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>...why has this incredible launch by Pedrosa never discussed? I suspect its because he's never been in real contention for the title, so he's given a pass.
I suspect you've answered your own question - it is an unrealized potential advantage. No harm no foul!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Sep 6 2009, 03:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Its been said that smaller riders may have some disadvantages, but are these negated by the advantages? Can this or should this be regulated? ...Ben Spies had some comment on this recently. He said that surely there were some disadvantages to Dani, but that they were overshadowed by the advantages. And for this he hesitated in joining MotoGP. Perhaps waiting for this to be addressed?
I,personally, do not see the weight of the rider being an issue. Competitive racers have always been of a somewhat smaller stature than the average person in general. The smallest guys do not dominate so WTF?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (chopperman @ Sep 6 2009, 06:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Everybody has an ideal weight and BMI. Now if these guys are dieting and exercising to get below there ideal it will be detrimental to there health. You need a % of fat to stay healthy regardless of being an athlete or not.
Yeah, elite level athletes have never been known to do anything detrimental to their health if they thought it would give them a competitive advantage.

on the fence about this... good arguments on both sides.

Rider weigh minimums.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pinky @ Sep 6 2009, 02:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>huh?

Smartest thing you've ever said.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Frizzle @ Sep 6 2009, 01:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Power to weight ratio my arse.
Elias & Kallio aren't flying off the line every race?
They have a weight advantage too. Not as big admittedly but it's there.
Besides he doesn't just get away a little bit quicker.
He has started eighth and had a 5 bike length lead at the first turn @ Qatar.
He has a wicked launch control system for sure. ( I thought it was banned?)
I wonder if his team mate has it.

As usual it's not one single simple factor that make up a phnomen like Pedros starts.
He is lighter than any one else on the grid
Since Bruno the HRC bikes has become a lot more powerful compared to the others.
Pedrosa has a fantastic start
He has a special clutch great for starts

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Sep 6 2009, 02:46 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Are you for real? Hahaha. Try extricating your ... from Dani for a moment and discuss the issue. I’m singling out Dani because this launch is most defined with him. Ok fine, I'll send a letter to Dorna once we have a body of opinions.

My point is, how is this an issue if Pedrosa isn't doing anything against the rules? There are no rules on how big or small the riders should be. Every rider in the field has things that could give them a advantage or a disadvantage that they have to compensate for. Rossi and the other contenders know how Pedrosa rides and they know they can't let him get away, and frankly Pedrosa's hasn't been able to take advantage of his fast starts most of the time or else we'd see more wins in his track record.

Are you pointing this out because you see it unfair and want something done? What are your proposals?

The way i think about Dani's starts and acceleration is like a rocket launching or speeding up and him holding on...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tom @ Sep 6 2009, 12:35 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I'm not convinced about that at all. I doubt the riders (who are athletes remember) are starving themselves, so much as losing weight through a controlled diet and exercise. Secondly I don't think many of the guys out there envy Dani's physical stature, it doesn't take a genius to see bigger riders advantages riding the bike and surviving crashes un-injured. The optimum stature of a motogp rider might be a little on the petit side compared to what it used to be, but lets not forget that the 990's were getting pretty dangerous for the little guys to ride.

That's all well and good, except you are forgetting that this is a motorsport and that MotoGP is part of a very large for-profit manufacturing operation. In non-motorsports, it is very important to place emphasis on a person's stature and physique because traditional sports are meant to test the human body and to explore the different ways a game can be played given human physical traits. In motorsports we only care that someone is strong enough to turn a wheel or push a handlebar or keep their head attached to their shoulders while flying through a 4 g turn. A person's physique is not supposed to fundamentally alter the vehicles performance, only their skills as a pilot are meant to affect the vehicles ability to make it around a circuit. Motorcycle racing is between the ears. It always has been and it should always be between the ears (as much as reasonably possible; obviously Shaq isn't ever going to be a MotoGP rider regardless of how pure the sport is).

I'm not saying that physique should count for nothing b/c the forces involved in racing are intense and these riders will always push to reduce their weight and increase their strength, but physique should not alter the machines performance, only the performance of the human being in the saddle.

Furthermore, a sport that claims to be the pinnacle of motorcycle racing can't exclude 80% of the population when WSBK uses production bikes that are designed around the average human being, not diminuitive GP riders. Furtermore, how much can the manufacturers learn about weight distribution and chassis characteristics when the bike is 20% smaller than the production bikes they build for us normal-sized people.

No harm will be done by imposing a combined bike rider weight limit. If anything, it will make sure the sport has a larger talent pool.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mylexicon @ Sep 6 2009, 03:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Furthermore, a sport that claims to be the pinnacle of motorcycle racing can't exclude 80% of the population when WSBK uses production bikes that are designed around the average human being, not diminuitive GP riders. Furtermore, how much can the manufacturers learn about weight distribution and chassis characteristics when the bike is 20% smaller than the production bikes they build for us normal-sized people.

No harm will be done by imposing a combined bike rider weight limit. If anything, it will make sure the sport has a larger talent pool.

Aren't sports in general pretty much comprised of individuals who have genetics that have given them physical advantages?

If you are going to make that statement above, you have no problem with basketball pretty much only being the domain of tall people? Do you not think there are short people who aspire to be pro basketball players only to realize later on that they pretty much have zero chance?

While you are arguing that there is size discrimination in MotoGP, there is plenty of it around in other sports. There is nothing wrong with smaller riders in MotoGP.