Rd 5 WSBK Monza

SackWack said:

Spies said the new Yamaha is better than his from last year, but he was taking .... for not developing the bike at all

Haga, man, I really wanted him to do well. I wonder if Ducati pulled the pin on him. I still have faith for him come race day.



I also really want to see Corser rewarded for all the hard work they put in. That would be awesome.



Rodger Lee needs a 600



Fabrizio, Rea, Haslem look really strong



Im not sold on Crutchlow, it seems he can throw down the quick lap, but has a problem with putting a race together.



I love Monza. What a great track.

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My take to the point. Except RL just needs a bike not that pos kawasutra. Still won't win but at least could be competitive.



My friends and a I bet on every race($1.00) I took Rea in race 1 and Fab in R2. I'd also put $1.00 on Cructhlow throwing it away at least twice.

povol said:

Just looked up the speeds since Monza has that long ... straight. Biaggi's little Aprilia hit 203 mph to top thr speed chart

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Biaggi sets new WSBK speed record

Max Biaggi proves the Aprilia RSV-4 is the fastest World Superbike around by breaking the all-time speed record at Monza

Max Biaggi has broken the circuit speed record for a World Superbike after almost touching 327kph during free practice at Monza.



With the RSV-4's strength in a straight line being the envy of many rival teams, Biaggi and team-mate Leon Camier are expected to flourish at Monza courtesy of its high-speed nature and lengthy straights.



Biaggi would go on to prove as much by producing a 326.9kph top speed towards the end of the session, although the Italian would lose time through the bends as he was forced to settle for sixth fastest.



It follows Biaggi's efforts at the Phillip Island season opener when he touched 318.9kph, a record for the Australian circuit.



However, while Biaggi's feat is good enough to stand atop the World Superbike pile, it isn't quicker than the best-ever Superbike speed of 327.3kph recorded at Monza – that was achieved just last week by Fabrizio Pellizzon on another Aprilia RSV-4 during the CIV Superbike event.



Pellizzon and his Gabrielli Racing team-mate Federico Sandi were originally intending to swell the WSBK ranks this weekend before withdrawing for technical reasons.

Monza = amazing



I think it provides the best visuals of the entire season, and the speed is obscene.



I have a feeling the days of 1000cc SBKs might be limited. I think all stock internals like WSS will be implemented which will cause the bikes to be slower (even though WSS rules would not actually cut power). Catch my drift?



Either that or the MSMA are going to push for 800cc machines. Time will tell.

i just saw the superstock 600 race..... amazing!! shows what motorcycle racing is all about

povol said:

I love obscene speed, separates the men from the boys.It IS racing. I have come the conclusion i might have to kill you if you keep advocating slowing bikes down

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It has to do with relative speed. WSBK is just as fast if not faster than MotoGP b/c of the fuel rules in GP. The two series already rob resources from one another b/c they are not differentiated. One is production-based prototype motorcycles, the other is open prototypes.



If the bikes were staying the same size (or increasing slightly) and the riders were getting bigger and stronger and the leathers were completely impact resistant to cope with the force and the speed; I'd have no issues. But the horsepower is going up, the motorcycles are becoming little pocketbikes, the engines are becoming less durable and more expensive, and the riders are shrinking (therefore the talent pool is as well).



It's entertaining to watch, but it's ruining motorcycling. The only things trickling down to consumers are less durable bikes that require a 34" inseam to sit on but require a rider of 5'8" or less to tuck behind the bubble. I don't know why in hell people continue to buy them. They don't provide any magical sensation in the corners unless you are used to riding a donkey of a bike. You don't look cool tiptoeing around at a red light, and you don't look cool when you hit your helmet on the bubble when you try to tuck in. Doesn't matter how cool they say sportsbikes are in the mags, these bikes aren't cool anywhere but on the track in the hands of the brave midgets who ride them.



The sportsbike industry is killing itself and drawing the ire of governments around the world. I'm riding nakeds only, until the MSMA pull their heads out.



That said WSBK is amazing racing entertainment and I'm supportive of everything they do to make motorcycle racing fun. I couldn't care less if they want to race 300hp SBKs. I just wish it didn't ruin otherwise decent road bikes.

Monza is epic



For a while I've read in various places that Superbike could switch to a more superstock engine spec. I won't mind as long as it doesn't result in a motogp corner-speed-is-king situation where the racing suffers.

bill88 said:

i just saw the superstock 600 race..... amazing!! shows what motorcycle racing is all about

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Sucks for Mercado. He showed a lot of merit in AMA last year. I thought he had it sewn up. Bad break.

mylexicon said:

It has to do with relative speed. WSBK is just as fast if not faster than MotoGP b/c of the fuel rules in GP. The two series already rob resources from one another b/c they are not differentiated. One is production-based prototype motorcycles, the other is open prototypes.



If the bikes were staying the same size (or increasing slightly) and the riders were getting bigger and stronger and the leathers were completely impact resistant to cope with the force and the speed; I'd have no issues. But the horsepower is going up, the motorcycles are becoming little pocketbikes, the engines are becoming less durable and more expensive, and the riders are shrinking (therefore the talent pool is as well).



It's entertaining to watch, but it's ruining motorcycling. The only things trickling down to consumers are less durable bikes that require a 34" inseam to sit on but require a rider of 5'8" or less to tuck behind the bubble. I don't know why in hell people continue to buy them. They don't provide any magical sensation in the corners unless you are used to riding a donkey of a bike. You don't look cool tiptoeing around at a red light, and you don't look cool when you hit your helmet on the bubble when you try to tuck in. Doesn't matter how cool they say sportsbikes are in the mags, these bikes aren't cool anywhere but on the track in the hands of the brave midgets who ride them.



The sportsbike industry is killing itself and drawing the ire of governments around the world. I'm riding nakeds only, until the MSMA pull their heads out.



That said WSBK is amazing racing entertainment and I'm supportive of everything they do to make motorcycle racing fun. I couldn't care less if they want to race 300hp SBKs. I just wish it didn't ruin otherwise decent road bikes.

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HHmm............I suspect that if a poll was taken few on here would agree with your assertion regarding the end of the sportbike. They're indeed getting smaller, lighter and more powerfull. The ergo's leave a bit to be desired but other than that, I think the industry will continue to remain strong. When the economy returns, so to will the sales. I don't think anyone here would recommend any of the leading sportbikes for daily riders but for those who have more than one bike in the paddock, sportbikes are exactly what we've come to expect them to be. Great fun for a few hours. I'd like to have several and perhaps I will. But an end to the industry because of the products are becoming poorer?? That's a stretch unless I'm interpreting you incorrectly.

povol said:

Monza 7-8-9 May 2010 Superbike Superpole 3 Session Complete



16 41 Haga N JPN Ducati 1098R

1

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If Haga doesn't pull off a miracle, stick in a fork in'em. For whatever reason, he seems to have lost some spirit from my distant vantage point.



BTW, agree Levi; the superbike is here to stay.

Jumkie said:

If Haga doesn't pull off a miracle, stick in a fork in'em. For whatever reason, he seems to have lost some spirit from my distant vantage point.



BTW, agree Levi; the superbike is here to stay.

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Haga is done! He's riding out the season, we'll all cheer for him as he strolls off into history but he's done being competitive at this level. I think last year took a great deal out of him and this year's systemic issues at Corse have hastened his demise. He should be proud of his career and we should honor him for it but I think it's time to look for new leadership and new riders at Ducati Corse.



The big Q is who? Who to ride and who to lead. Leadership will come from within no doubt but I don't think the Althea boys have enough left in either of their tanks to take Corse into the future. If that means a few seasons in the mid pack molding the future I say lets get on with it! Byrne could possibly prosper on a factory ride. I'm not familiar enough with his BSB career to predict? He's a talent but who else? Smrz? NO! Could a current factory rider from another team be led to Ducati for increased pay? I don't know



BTW, bunch of my coworkers had their flights CX'd tonight to Italy and a few others......vulcano is again making trouble. We could see some additional issues with travel and racing should this thing really get moving again. Perhaps an additional few weeks off could help Haga find his mojo if you will....

levigarrett said:

HHmm............I suspect that if a poll was taken few on here would agree with your assertion regarding the end of the sportbike. They're indeed getting smaller, lighter and more powerfull. The ergo's leave a bit to be desired but other than that, I think the industry will continue to remain strong. When the economy returns, so to will the sales. I don't think anyone here would recommend any of the leading sportbikes for daily riders but for those who have more than one bike in the paddock, sportbikes are exactly what we've come to expect them to be. Great fun for a few hours. I'd like to have several and perhaps I will. But an end to the industry because of the products are becoming poorer?? That's a stretch unless I'm interpreting you incorrectly.

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I know people wouldn't agree with me b/c they've been trained not to. Everywhere we look we're told that fully-faired sportsbikes are the epitome of cool. They are cool on the race track; therefore, we need them. The technology from the race track is transferred into the production model.



The truly worthwhile parts of racing bike tech that gets transferred into the road bike are chassis tuning, geometry data, weight reduction, packaging (looks, fairings, etc). All of those technologies, have really made a huge difference in the last 20 years, especially weight reduction and chassis tuning.



But everything else? As we both agree the ergos are not good. 6'3" to sit on it flat footed, 5'8" to tuck behind the bubble comfortably. The pegs have to be high and the bars low so no harm no foul, but how bout industry-wide adjustables as standard kit? The engines are the real problem. The manufacturers know straight up that you can't run the engine at peak performance for more than 1500 miles. The valves have to be adjusted every 6,000 miles as well b/c the engines operate at high speeds. Why should I ride a 67mm x 42.5mm 600cc 4-cylinder engine when I could get better all around power (same peak) and more durability from a 67mm x 53mm 750cc 4-cylinder engine? Why would I pay as much as a midsized sedan to purchase and maintain a recreational vehicle that has a 3 year planned obsolescense and a plummeting resale value?



Yet, this is the disaster the Japanese have created b/c production sportsbike racing has been out of control. It was out of control b/c it was the only place to do 4-stroke racing development b/c GPs were 2-strokes. People aren't buying a usable motorcycle they are buying a brand image and its wins. Sportsbikes should cost 25% less and they should go 20,000 miles between valve intervals and major engine adjustments. These things can be accomplished easily if the manufacturers wanted them to be.



I don't care that much about the ergos, that's more of a gripe. The engine is the most expensive component, but it is the most ill-conceived part of the entire motorcycle from the standpoint of the production market.



The Japanese tried to straighten things out with the 1000cc WSBK class. They were originally supposed to be bigger, inexpensive long-stroke 750s that were cheaper to operate and more durable. Didn't last long did it? They are as over square, as high revving, and as short-lived as the 750s that came before them. Somebody needs to get things straightened out.

Classic track Classic slip streaming Classic race here come the Brit's and the Yam's too

bloody boring race. rea's crash was my highlight.