something amiss

does anybody else here find it odd that honda are "supposedly"struggling mightly at the test's? i have a suspicion that honda may be doing a bit of sand bagging. it seem's a bit strange to see all the honda's seemingly floundering at every test. maybe it's nothing. maybe they truly are in trouble...... but something is telling me otherwise

I think they are in big trouble. They don't even know which bike to use this year, 2 weeks away from the first race. They've got Hayden unhappy with the new bike, Pedrosa unable to try a race distance due to bad weather, Melandri on a standard bike ...

Meanwhile Yamaha are very fast in every track with all their riders !

It looks very good for Yamaha, I think this year will be a stroll down the park for Rossi.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (teomolca @ Mar 5 2006, 12:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I think they are in big trouble. They don't even know which bike to use this year, 2 weeks away from the first race. They've got Hayden unhappy with the new bike, Pedrosa unable to try a race distance due to bad weather, Melandri on a standard bike ...

Meanwhile Yamaha are very fast in every track with all their riders !

It looks very good for Yamaha, I think this year will be a stroll down the park for Rossi.
i don't know teo. i think this may be a new head game trick. can u imagine what a psychological blow it would be to the other team's underperforming on purpose. in all the years i've been following gp's, i've never seen honda struggle this badly. i don't buy it. we'll find out in 3 week's!

That's pretty heavy Frosty. Maybe you're right. But it does seem a bit far fetched. I can belive an individual rider doing that, but a whole manufacturer?
That said, I can't understand why they're doing so bad. It's very un-Honda

It won't last all year though. Give 'em a few months and they'll be at the front again.

It is very strange that all the Hondas have been struggling throughout the first IRTA test. I can't believe Honda would tell all their riders to intentionally slow down to break the competition at the first round. Honda are in trouble right now but it won't last. Every Honda is slow, not just Hayden's 06 spec machine. That leads me to believe it's not the bike itself, it's the package. The Hondas don't appear to mesh well with the 06 Michelins as everyone aboard an RCV chasis is struggling for rear grip. When the IRTA test moves to Jerez I expect Hayden to continue heavy testing on the 06 RC211V as well as a large amount of tire testing from Michelin and I would be surprised if Melandri didn't have a full days worth of Michelins to test as well.

Michelin gotta stop giving so much attention to Rossi and realise that Honda have more bikes and more top riders than any other manufacturer. If the Doctor leaves then Honda's their best bet.

This is a very interesting thread. I would have thought that the idea that HRC would or even could, issue orders to four different teams to 'slow down' during preseason testing, is insane. Honda are in massive trouble and everyone in the paddock knows it, it's no secret. They haven't had a development rider since Rossi left. Nicki is under huge pressure, a lot of his testing input went into the 06 bike and it ain't working. Marco is their best hope there until Dani really finds his feet but it's too late this year.
In the meantime everyone who isn't on a Honda will make the most of it. Rossi arrives half way through the day and hits the top after 5 laps, he knows Honda are in trouble, and is rubing it in. Colin Looks ....-hot. John Hopkins is pure class. Sete..mmmm, not sure yet. This is going to be a great season.

i don't know. i doubt honda is telling all the riders to slow down, but i think that repsol, in particular, with the 06 machine, are up to something. nobody here give's hayden much credit as a bike developer either, let alone a credible challenger to make life tough for rossi. i think that's a mistake. after all what is developing a bike but to get it where it feels good to the racer. rossi's the best at it but he's also the best at riding around problem's. he's also the best at comunicating to his crew, if not the best then surly one of the best crew's ever. so maybe, just maybe, this is a pscho ploy on honda's part to shock everyone. to gain the psycological advantage that rossi alway's seem's to have. just a conspirisy theory tho. we shall see! i think this is going to be one of the most unbelievable season's ever. rossi's gonna struggle to maintain the title or he's going to storm away & win every race.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (frosty58 @ Mar 6 2006, 01:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>i don't know. i doubt honda is telling all the riders to slow down, but i think that repsol, in particular, with the 06 machine, are up to something. nobody here give's hayden much credit as a bike developer either, let alone a credible challenger to make life tough for rossi. i think that's a mistake. after all what is developing a bike but to get it where it feels good to the racer. rossi's the best at it but he's also the best at riding around problem's. he's also the best at comunicating to his crew, if not the best then surly one of the best crew's ever. so maybe, just maybe, this is a pscho ploy on honda's part to shock everyone. to gain the psycological advantage that rossi alway's seem's to have. just a conspirisy theory tho. we shall see! i think this is going to be one of the most unbelievable season's ever. rossi's gonna struggle to maintain the title or he's going to storm away & win every race.

I love conspiracy theories

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (frosty58 @ Mar 6 2006, 11:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>i don't know. i doubt honda is telling all the riders to slow down, but i think that repsol, in particular, with the 06 machine, are up to something.

If you think about it, they don't have to tell any of their riders to slow down. Maybe not even the riders know. A little bit of preload here, some tyre pressure there, sprinkle in some engine timing "errors" and you've got yourself one slow RCV. But if the rierds don't know, it could be effecting their confidence.

My little addition to yer conspiracy, Frosty


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (frosty58 @ Mar 6 2006, 11:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>if not the best then surly one of the best crew's ever.

Yep, an Aussie leading a team of mainly Aussies with a few Italians there to change tyres, clean farings, talk to Rossi and make Pizza

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (richo @ Mar 7 2006, 07:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>If you think about it, they don't have to tell any of their riders to slow down. Maybe not even the riders know. A little bit of preload here, some tyre pressure there, sprinkle in some engine timing "errors" and you've got yourself one slow RCV
Any national level rider is going to notice stuff like that richo and know exactly what it is, so a GP racer is never gonna be fooled by it.
I think frosty may be onto something as far as HRC/Repsol Honda go. There is something odd about the whole thing. For Honda to appear to have got it so wrong at such a late stage, and still seem to have no focus on exactly what direction to go, is the odd bit. You would think that HRC's pride would force them to do a better job of concealing their mistakes, never mind letting things get this bad in the first place? There's a lot of speculation as to what they're up to if anything at all.
I still reckon Nicki is under huge pressure. I don't believe he has the smarts as far as development goes and that's what is really starting to show now. There's a bit more to developing a bike than just getting it to feel good to the rider. I'd love to see Nicki challenge at the front consistently but the ability of the guys who are always at the front to identify and ride around problems is what keeps them at the front. I hope he does find the right way to go with the new bike, I really like Nicki. That said, if I'm totally honest, I think he is going to find things very difficult for the first part of the season at least.
And yes I agree frosty, this is going to be one of the most unbeleievable seasons ever

I think Rossi will take it sooo easily, the guy usually wins when he ain't got the best bike, now he's got it .

But hopefully the fight for 2nd will be a tough one.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (skidmark @ Mar 7 2006, 09:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Any national level rider is going to notice stuff like that richo and know exactly what it is, so a GP racer is never gonna be fooled by it.

So NH could tell if his timing was retarded by 1 degree? Or if his bike put on a kilo over winter? or if the piston rings werent sealing efficiently? Or if the bike's ECU is a few years old? A slightly different fuel map? Sete didn't notice his mapping was screwed up at Brno until it really started to matter, as in a few laps before his tank went dry. I was only talking about sublte differences. I'm not saying set the srings up so it's like a trmpoline, or screw with the timing so it's backfiring 11 times a minute. If there's anyone in the paddock more talented than the riders, it's their mechanics. I'm sure the cream of HRC's spannermen could disguise a good bike with a ....... if they needed to.
Besides, aren't conspiracy theories supposed to be far fetched?

You tell me, what's more likely to happen? Nicky noticing that his exhaust note is slightly off due to tampering, or aliens landing in ur backyard and giving you a baby chicken?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (teomolca @ Mar 7 2006, 10:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I think Rossi will take it sooo easily, the guy usually wins when he ain't got the best bike, now he's got it .

But hopefully the fight for 2nd will be a tough one.

Yamaha really struck gold haven't they. With Edwards new style working out great, Rossi being Rossi, the new bike being so perfect and Checa riiping it up on the 'lops. Watch out Honda, Yamaha might do a clean sweep this year, with constructor's championship, team championship, rider's champoinship and vice championship. I know that's a long shot for edwards, but he's got the bike, the style, the edge on his Honda rivals, the confidence, the BMW and the determination. (Yeah, that's right Foggy, determination, as in the will to win, cars and races. Guess which mulitple WSBK champion who manages the shittest SBKs on the grid has his foot in his mouth now )

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (richo @ Mar 7 2006, 12:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>You tell me, what's more likely to happen? Nicky noticing that his exhaust note is slightly off due to tampering, or aliens landing in ur backyard and giving you a baby chicken?

OK you got me there
I'll go with the aliens