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Rossi's bad starts

4

#46

Joined Jan 2008
1K Posts | 0+
It is self-evident that Rossi is (often) a poor starter. I believe it cost him the WC in 2006, and has often made his races harder than they should have been (In Assen last week it happened again)
In the past it wasn't so much of a problem as he had little trouble getting back through the field in a few laps. The competition is a lot closer now from the likes of Stoner and Pedrosa, so surely Rossi can no longer afford to be giving these places up off the line if he wants to win races. Stoner and Pedrosa tend to check out pretty fast when they have no one ahead of them. Obviously he leaves himself a lot of work to do when he starts poorly. I don't think it is reaction time as he always looks to start moving at the same time as everyone else but seems to lose out in the first few yards and as a consequence drops a few places by turn one. I am very damn baffled how a rider of his obvious talent been a poor starter over the years (even on a Honda).
Can he make up his weakness ? I'm sorry guys, I'm no racer, Rossi is way beyond my reach...so forgive me
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for this : I think Rossi lets the clutch out too fast at mid-to-high-revs and the engine gets bogged down for a second. If he slipped the clutch more for that instant, whilst powering on slightly slower, then he would start better. I say this purely from my own experimentation with traffic light GP's!
<


But look at the bright side : The level of competition has increased....
<
 
im suprised the letter TC has not been mentioned. starts are down to anticipating the lights. to get a real good reactiontime, you dont wait for the lights to turn green...
 
It is self-evident that Rossi is (often) a poor starter. I believe it cost him the WC in 2006, and has often made his races harder than they should have been (In Assen last week it happened again)
In the past it wasn't so much of a problem as he had little trouble getting back through the field in a few laps. The competition is a lot closer now from the likes of Stoner and Pedrosa, so surely Rossi can no longer afford to be giving these places up off the line if he wants to win races. Stoner and Pedrosa tend to check out pretty fast when they have no one ahead of them. Obviously he leaves himself a lot of work to do when he starts poorly. I don't think it is reaction time as he always looks to start moving at the same time as everyone else but seems to lose out in the first few yards and as a consequence drops a few places by turn one. I am very damn baffled how a rider of his obvious talent been a poor starter over the years (even on a Honda).
Can he make up his weakness ? I'm sorry guys, I'm no racer, Rossi is way beyond my reach...so forgive me
<
for this : I think Rossi lets the clutch out too fast at mid-to-high-revs and the engine gets bogged down for a second. If he slipped the clutch more for that instant, whilst powering on slightly slower, then he would start better. I say this purely from my own experimentation with traffic light GP's!
<


But look at the bright side : The level of competition has increased....
<
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pinky @ Jul 3 2008, 02:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>im suprised the letter TC has not been mentioned. starts are down to anticipating the lights. to get a real good reactiontime, you dont wait for the lights to turn green...
thats because it's launch control (LC) for getting off the line.

anybody who done drag racing or run wot you brung on the strip will tell you thats its easy to loose half a sec off the line and as we know half a sec is an eternity in motogp. i have also wondered why rossi's starts are not to good. mabe he has his bike geared high for the top end and looses out on the start because of it.
 
Ummm....Ben,I also had a "bad start" here while posting this thread (Double thread).Would you please help me ? Thanks
<
 
Some riders just aren't great at starts, and some are. On top of that there is the ikes launch control software to consider, as well as all the usual setup characteristics. Also be prepared to hear lots of ranting about 250 riders not weighing enough blah blah blah
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (roger-m @ Jul 3 2008, 04:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>thats because it's launch control (LC) for getting off the line.

anybody who done drag racing or run wot you brung on the strip will tell you thats its easy to loose half a sec off the line and as we know half a sec is an eternity in motogp. i have also wondered why rossi's starts are not to good. mabe he has his bike geared high for the top end and looses out on the start because of it.

Rossi is a bad starter but what's kind of interesting is who are good starters this year.
Hayden with his "giant" body and even with the underpowered springvalve engine has had good to fantastic starts all this year.
Pedrosa never fail at a start and are usually first or second into first turn.
Dovi does good starts even with his old bike.
Stoner and the rest og the Ducati's, good starts and so on but
Yamaha's in general have bad to ok starts.

To me it looks obvious that LC is the key here or the lack of LC in regards to the Yamahas. Most of the others have near perfect starts every time now, the Yamahas don't.
As for manual starting technique I doubt Rossi let the clutch out too fast too early rather the oposite. A mid to high reving motoGP engine is not something you bogg down easily. It might be the electronics that limits the output but but that should give him a near perfect drive unless the revs go down near the bottom. More likely his problem is that he doesn't engage the clutch enough in the first fractions of a second.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (#46 @ Jul 3 2008, 09:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>It is self-evident that Rossi is (often) a poor starter. I believe it cost him the WC in 2006.....
Rossi has always kinda sucked at starting yes...but he lost the 06 championship because he duffed it in Valencia.....if he were a perfect starter, we would miss out on some exciting overtaking .....
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Doc 79 @ Jul 3 2008, 04:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>..if he were a perfect starter, we would miss out on some exciting overtaking .....

Good point, it is sometimes riders weaknesses that make them extra spectacular. Like Hayden's tail out braking style.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Babelfish @ Jul 3 2008, 09:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Rossi is a bad starter but what's kind of interesting is who are good starters this year.
Hayden with his "giant" body and even with the underpowered springvalve engine has had good to fantastic starts all this year.
Pedrosa never fail at a start and are usually first or second into first turn.
Dovi does good starts even with his old bike.
Stoner and the rest og the Ducati's, good starts and so on but
Yamaha's in general have bad to ok starts.

To me it looks obvious that LC is the key here or the lack of LC in regards to the Yamahas. Most of the others have near perfect starts every time now, the Yamahas don't.

All good points. I dont think CE has had real great starts this year either. He sure didnt get out in front from pole. Lorenzo hasnt started near the front the past few races, cant really remember what he was doing at the start of the season.
I guess no rider is perfect, Rossi gets his wins and podiums in spite of his starts, Casey and the little man are helped by theirs.
 
From this article:

"Unfortunately we have this chronic problem at the start when I never manage to have a good getaway, after which I made a mistake."

Which says a lot while saying nothing. They're aware there's a problem, and that's all the detail we get. I agree with Babelfish re: LC.
 
i believe yamaha are aware of it and have been for a while, the new parts/electronics yam riders are waiting on are to improve acceleration and i also think this will help them get out of the corners quicker.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jazkat @ Jul 3 2008, 11:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>i believe yamaha are aware of it and have been for a while, the new parts/electronics yam riders are waiting on are to improve acceleration and i also think this will help them get out of the corners quicker.
Yeah hopefully this will help the japs close the gap so the GP8 won't get away and embarrass the crap out of them...
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (#46 @ Jul 3 2008, 02:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I think Rossi lets the clutch out too fast at mid-to-high-revs and the engine gets bogged down for a second. If he slipped the clutch more for that instant, whilst powering on slightly slower, then he would start better. I say this purely from my own experimentation with traffic light GP's!
The bikes have launch control so they essentially hold the throttle completely wide open and then dump the clutch. Watch them when they do their practice starts, they all seem to do this. Is there a way to have a technique with such a system or is it down to who dumps the clutch those fractions of a second first and who has the better launch control electronics.
 
Deja vu.
<


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (#46 @ Jul 3 2008, 02:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I think Rossi lets the clutch out too fast at mid-to-high-revs and the engine gets bogged down for a second. If he slipped the clutch more for that instant, whilst powering on slightly slower, then he would start better. I say this purely from my own experimentation with traffic light GP's!
The bikes have launch control so they essentially hold the throttle completely wide open and then dump the clutch. Watch them when they do their practice starts, they all seem to do this. Is there a way to have a technique with such a system or is it down to who dumps the clutch those fractions of a second first and who has the better launch control electronics.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Jul 4 2008, 12:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Rossi doesn't care about the start, he just wants the happy ending.

Why the hell are there two ....... identical threads?


MERGE
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Jul 4 2008, 08:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Rossi doesn't care about the start, he just wants the happy ending.
Looking at the 'Vales new 'pole' position' thread, he always gets one.
<
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mjpartyboy @ Jul 4 2008, 10:07 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Deja vu.
<



The bikes have launch control so they essentially hold the throttle completely wide open and then dump the clutch. Watch them when they do their practice starts, they all seem to do this. Is there a way to have a technique with such a system or is it down to who dumps the clutch those fractions of a second first and who has the better launch control electronics.

That's they way I would have thought it worked, and if so it's obviously little the rider can do except latting the clutch go in the right moment. Rossi's reaction isn't too bad, as the original post says he moves at the same time as the others, just so much slower for the first metres. To me this looks like 100% lC related and it looks like it doesn't allow enough power down at the start.
 
topics merged.


if ever this situation happens to you guys when posting thread, please inform any moderator or admin by sending them a PM. we, sometimes, don't have the capacity to go over every post from all thread so we might miss a call for attention. hence, a PM is the sure way to inform us of any problem.

thanks.
 

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