West where to from here?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (djm @ Jul 23 2008, 11:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>i agree matt. good reply, and definitely a lot to consider.

the reason i questioned hopper matt and tom, was didn't he have the opportunity to ride / test the bike in the offseason? giving ample time to give input where needed? the reason he has been in the hospital bed, instead of on the bike ... well, is the bike! it keeps spitting him off.
He had the groin tear at Philip Island (second test of the offseason) so he didn't get much seat time at all in the offseason.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (lad @ Jul 23 2008, 09:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>West isn't as bad as that green shitbox makes him look. Sure he's no champion but what has hoppers done on it this year and no one is baying for his blood?

Westy has the problem all Australian riders have - no sponsors.

Hopper is married to Monster (the drink) and Westy is probably going to be married to a debt collection agency.

European and U.S riders of lesser skills are given greater forbearance and the basis is that they can be marketed. Casey and Chris get results and the team’s cops these guys on the chin but it costs the teams more money to have them around.

If you’re an Aussie and not performing the sad truth is you’ll be out of there quicker than a dog shot in the freckle.

Australia has only 20 million people and is basically in the middle of nowhere important to any particular big dollar sponsor. Hopper is a flashy toothed toe in the door to the worlds most voluminous market.

It accounts for Australians success in WSS & SBK - big dollars not required.

Also, I made the point in a previous post about him asking Hacking how to set the bike up, when it was Hackings first ride on a motogp bike. This is poor form and an indication that he is not a complete package; a rider must be able to understand and direct setup as well as ride at this level.

Westy is good on a production bike so off to WSS and winning races he should go.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (djm @ Jul 24 2008, 02:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>i agree matt. good reply, and definitely a lot to consider.

the reason i questioned hopper matt and tom, was didn't he have the opportunity to ride / test the bike in the offseason? giving ample time to give input where needed? the reason he has been in the hospital bed, instead of on the bike ... well, is the bike! it keeps spitting him off.

djm i fully agree with ur statement, hopper is like that how long did it take him to even get on the podium with the Suzuki? I think that the kawasaki is as bad or if not worst in its development then the suzuki was 3 years ago but in saying this i would have thought that hopper was employed at kawasaki to improve the breed with his expertise that he gained from suzuki and the extensive development that he was involved with them? that is why i say that its a management problem and things have to change at Kawasaki if they want or have any chance of being successful!!!

Well, Hopkins did outperform his teammate on the Suzuki on a yearly basis. He's never finished beneath his teammate in the championship, and his first podium was their first dry podium. When he went to Suzuki his teammate was only a couple of (long) years from being world champion. He's made a career of beating his teammate on a crap bike.

I just feel like West isn't a developmental rider, and in GP you really need to be. There also seems to be a mental component missing, almost like the guy that's afraid to fully commit to something. just my thoughts.

I genuinely believe West is a very talented rider. As soon as he jumped on the R6 in WSS, he dominated. As soon as he jumped on the ZX-RR last year, he got very impressive results. He probably was never destined to be a WC in MotoGP, but he is certainly capable of replicating his previous results aboard a bike which he feels comfortable with.

However, after the chassis modifications to the ZX-RR that basically ruined the Kawasaki, he's in a similar position to Melandri; the bike just feels horrible to him. He has no confidence in the bike. Like Melandri, he has the talent to do much better(as the results show), but the bike does not suit what he needs from a machine.