'Soup linking Hayden with Tech 3 Yamaha

So Yamaha is king of the mountain now for equipment. But how long will this last? It wasn't too long ago that HRC was the machinery to be on. Nothing lasts forever. What are the chances of Ducati coming up with a new design for 2010? Something more user friendly. What about HRC? Or, a long shot Suzook gets there ..... together and makes a new buggy for next year. These are questions Hayden must be asking himself. Just how far is Ducati willing to go to get him in the top 4.

With wild rumours of a return to the 990's, or some sort of spec engine, the manufacturers probably aren't crazy about designing anything new that could be ruled obselete....

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Austin @ Aug 12 2009, 08:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>My guess is that Ducati use Brno and Indy as open competition for the second factory seat. If Kallio can compete with Hayden or finish ahead of him, I don't think Ducati will re-up with Nicky. At that point it would make a lot of sense for Yamaha to sign Hayden up as a potential long term replacement for Edwards.

Agree. Hayden must see that he's in danger of being the next Edwards/Hopkins/Vermulen has-been. Work ethic aside, he'd be crazy not to take a spot with Tech 3. Got to say - it would be bitchin' to have Hayden and Spies teamed together. The idea another season in WSBK with an inefective wing-man can't be all that appealing. Spies' current team-mate is useless as .... on a monkey.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (frosty58 @ Aug 13 2009, 09:46 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>rossi is 5' 11''. i think everyone is overstating the size issue here.

Like they say: It's not the meat - it's the motion.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Keshav @ Aug 13 2009, 04:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Like they say: It's not the meat - it's the motion.
Is that what ya misses tells ya ?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (frosty58 @ Aug 13 2009, 09:46 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>rossi is 5' 11''. i think everyone is overstating the size issue here.
I don't know Frost.... Rossi is 5'11" but doesn't weigh that much. Spies is about the same height but weighs considerably more, I dare say the power to weight ratio for those two vary quit a bit.

I've never seen a published weight for Rossi, but I believe I've seen where Spies is around 160+ pounds.

I think Nicky would stay with Ducati simply out of loyalty. He seems like the guy that will stick out through the bad times and try to work it through together.

The question is whether Ducati wants him. If they give his seat to Kallio and push him down to Pramac, he might as well go to Yamaha.

Good Point on Kallio being moved up. If Casey is truly gone for the season Nicky will stay. He will be the development guy and He should stick around to see the fruits of his work.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (VTtwinner @ Aug 14 2009, 12:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>So Yamaha is king of the mountain now for equipment. But how long will this last? It wasn't too long ago that HRC was the machinery to be on. Nothing lasts forever. What are the chances of Ducati coming up with a new design for 2010? Something more user friendly. What about HRC? Or, a long shot Suzook gets there ..... together and makes a new buggy for next year. These are questions Hayden must be asking himself. Just how far is Ducati willing to go to get him in the top 4.

Ok guys.... here's a question for you.....

What is the common demoniator about the 2 highlighted sentences above??????


Jeremy Burgess (and his crew) & Vale.

As much as I am a Rossi fan, lets remember life before Rossi.
Ok there was Doohan & Gardner before that. All of who were very good riders.

But exactly how good is JB?
Is he the man for teams to be chasing?
What could he accomplish at Ducati or Suzuki?

What is the landscape going to look like when Vale finally hangs up his helmet?
Will JB hang up his spanner?

Behind every great rider is an equally great engineer.
I believe it is what the engineer can get from the equipment the are handed from the factory.
But the engineer needs to understand what the rider wants & the rider needs to be able to tell the engineer what he is feeling or experiencing out on the track.
A great relationship between the rider and crew/engineer is worth alot more than some think (or don't think!)

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Corr @ Aug 14 2009, 04:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Ok guys.... here's a question for you.....

What is the common demoniator about the 2 highlighted sentences above??????


Jeremy Burgess (and his crew) & Vale.

As much as I am a Rossi fan, lets remember life before Rossi.
Ok there was Doohan & Gardner before that. All of who were very good riders.

But exactly how good is JB?
Is he the man for teams to be chasing?
What could he accomplish at Ducati or Suzuki?

What is the landscape going to look like when Vale finally hangs up his helmet?
Will JB hang up his spanner?


Don't forget Kanemoto. Honda dominated before Burgess.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (VTtwinner @ Aug 13 2009, 07:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>So Yamaha is king of the mountain now for equipment. But how long will this last? It wasn't too long ago that HRC was the machinery to be on. Nothing lasts forever. What are the chances of Ducati coming up with a new design for 2010? Something more user friendly. What about HRC? Or, a long shot Suzook gets there ..... together and makes a new buggy for next year. These are questions Hayden must be asking himself. Just how far is Ducati willing to go to get him in the top 4.

Check your GP history, its always been about Yamaha & Honda. Everybody else ONLY took a championship with an EXTRAORDINARY rider--Stoner, Roberts, Schwantz. Every other manufacture sucks, yes including Ducati. Ducati sucked in 07 too, just too many stupid people didn't see it, and frankly, still don't. Yamaha=Honda for the last 30 years. Nothing has changed.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Corr @ Aug 13 2009, 08:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Jeremy Burgess (and his crew) & Vale.



What is the landscape going to look like when Vale finally hangs up his helmet?
Will JB hang up his spanner?

As you well know, I can NOT stand the Rossi Mindless, which has always compelled me to debate the contrary to the point of being perceived as a hater; HOWEVER, remind me how many laps has Mr. Burgess ridden on Rossi's bike?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Aug 14 2009, 05:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>As you well know, I can NOT stand the Rossi Mindless, which has always compelled me to debate the contrary to the point of being perceived as a hater; HOWEVER, remind me how many laps has Mr. Burgess ridden on Rossi's bike?

WTF Jumkie???
I'll take a stab and say JB has ridden (in "anger") ZERO laps on Rossi's bike, and Doohan's & Gardner's.
But what has that got to do with it? Just because he may not be able to circulate within 107% of Rossi's time doesn't deminish his skill as an Engineer.
Look what JB (along with Rossi & JB's other crew) did when they went to Yamaha. They brought that bike from a competitor to a title winner.
I would like to see JB & his crew's talent in another manufacturer's team, with another rider.
I was just eluding to the fact that it is not only the rider that "developes" the bike. It is a good relationship between rider & crew chief/engineer that can develope a bike into a title contender/winner.
If the factory deliver '....', the engineer & rider get their fingers 'stinky'.
JB & Rossi got the factory to deliver 'roses' and they smelled o so sweet.
A rider on his own can't turn .... to roses, neither can an engineer. They both need to work together to create a bike capable of winning let alone a world title.
I think JB maybe the "fertilizer" to get those "Roses" growing.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Corr @ Aug 15 2009, 09:02 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I think JB maybe the "fertilizer" to get those "Roses" growing.


Are you calling JB ....? LOL! j/k

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (L8Braker @ Aug 13 2009, 11:35 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I don't know Frost.... Rossi is 5'11" but doesn't weigh that much. Spies is about the same height but weighs considerably more, I dare say the power to weight ratio for those two vary quit a bit.

but I believe I've seen where Spies is around 160+ pounds.
http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Valentino+Rossi

rossi about 148lbs = spies + 12lbs

Yeah, weight is Spies problem, he's already lost a lot of weight for world supers, but he'd need to lose another 5kg to be on par with the other heaviest riders.

I'm not sure this article is credible, mainly b/c of the John Hopkins information. Hopper's agent already said that Herve didn't even entertain the idea of negotiations for Hopper. I know things can change, but it still seems like Hopper at Tech 3 was an open and shut case nearly 1 month ago.

I can't imagine Nicky would take a ride at Yamaha. What's the point? If he rode for Tech3, he'd have less chance of winning than he does now.

If Ducati make anymore revolutionary design changes, I think they will move to pneumatic valves. I know it sounds impossible, but they've already ditched the steel trellis, and the twin, and a handful of other Ducati signature technology.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Austin @ Aug 15 2009, 08:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I'm starting to wonder if Ducati will exercise the option to keep Hayden in 2010. Kallio has looked better than Hayden thus far this weekend (I know, small sample size but it just reaffirms his strong rides this season) and Kropotkin has a rumor that Ducati and Marlboro will go all out to sign Lorenzo. Assuming Stoner comes back, the Lorenzo rumor and Kallio's speed on the factory bike have to be worrying for Hayden.

No doubt. Hayden's performance has been pretty weak this season. If Ducati go after Kallio for the #2 seat, Hayden may have no choice but to ride for a satellite team.

Imo, if Hayden stays in GP to ride on a satellite bike, he's wasting his time. He could go to ride the Ducati in WSBK with a handful of other GP riders. He can have fun and wait until after the 2011 season to see if the 990s return. If the 990s come back, Hayden will be a hot property.

Lorenzo, that's not gonna happen, period. Ducati, the machines, are on par with Suzuki. But yes, Hayden is fighting for his "factory" seat. If they think Kalio is equal to Hayden, they will keep Nicky, if they think Kalio is better than Hayden, then all bets are off it seems. Which makes the results in the remaining races before contract time very interesting indeed.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mylexicon @ Aug 15 2009, 08:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Imo, if Hayden stays in GP to ride on a satellite bike, he's wasting his time.
Not all satellite bikes are created equal. Ducati is like riding a 2nd tear satellite. Regularly beat by satellite Yamaha and Honda. Ducati=Suzuki. Only the extraordinary effort put in by hungry Hayden & hungry Kalio are making the Duc seem 'midpack' otherwise they'd be Kawa/Suzuki ATM.