Who would you sign?

Kevin Schwantz....

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ooost @ Dec 2 2006, 01:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>As far as factory backing for BSB and AMA go, I'm not 100% sure except I can tell you that the American Honda team is all in house where as the HM Plant Honda team in BSB is an HRC factory team. As I understand it, the only HRC SBK team on earth.

I thought it was the other way around. What about Yoshimura Suzuki? I don't understand why HRC only support one Major SBK team in the world. I mean, I can understand the diffrences in riding styles and tracks and the like, but if you built a go-fast part for a BSB CBR, chances are it won't hurt the lap time on a WSBK or AMA CBR. It just seems better "Bang per buck", they can put their names on a lot more silverware for money that is pittance compared to the GP project, and will probably help them sell more race-rep style sportsbikes like CBRs. Then again, I don't wanna see RCV-style dominance coming from HRC in SBK series. And the introduction of Factory teams blows privateers back to the stone age, which means only works bike riders get a chance at wins. What the hell am I complaning for? There's nothing wrong with SBK racing now, is there?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (frosty58 @ Dec 2 2006, 12:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>richo they'll probably never come back now that ducati are going to be allowed to bump up thier engine size. they'er still dominating on the 990. now they get 1200.

Yeah, they are dominating on the 999, but what happens if you take Bayliss out of the equation? Theyre losing thier advantage, and we can't have that! SUZUKI won the constructor's championship last year. I mean, how dare they?

Seriously though, If the rules have been bumbep up to 1200, why did Duc come out with a 1098 not a 1198?

Honda teams seem to be a strange exception. The guys at HRC think that their poopie dose not stink. Teams run by HRC Japan get all the trick parts and such, but they get their all their parts and engines with a big DO NOT DISTURB sign on them. The teams put the parts together and all they can change is the suspension. That is why the American Honda team went from Japan HRC to "in house" development. That is why you dont see more HRC factory teams. HRC will however help if the championships come down to the wire. Hence the trick carbon fiber body work and works parts on Josh Hayes' FX bike for the last 2 rounds.


The Yosh team gets all the help they need from Suzuki factory. What ever they want whenever they want it, as long as they have it and it is developed.

Yeah, sounds like typical HRC arrogance to me. I mean, how would Mick Duhamel and his team know what he needs to go faster? They're just the guys who build the bikes, race the tracks, get the data, know the riding style and all that useless crap. I'm sure Sakata Fukamato who's never stepped outside the factory, let alone ridden a bike, can use a Honda-Built 2 gazillion giga-mega-watt thingamajig design system to precisely build the most mathematically, politically and economically correct parts for the CBR. Great way of thinking, ain't it?
Props to AmHonda for sticking it to them.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (richo @ Dec 6 2006, 08:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Yeah, sounds like typical HRC arrogance to me. I mean, how would Mick Duhamel and his team know what he needs to go faster? They're just the guys who build the bikes, race the tracks, get the data, know the riding style and all that useless crap. I'm sure Sakata Fukamato who's never stepped outside the factory, let alone ridden a bike, can use a Honda-Built 2 gazillion giga-mega-watt thingamajig design system to precisely build the most mathematically, politically and economically correct parts for the CBR. Great way of thinking, ain't it?
Props to AmHonda for sticking it to them.


You nailed Honda on the head. I think the way Rossi has handed them their ... the last few years may have taken a few steps to realize there is a rider element that they are missing. I feel sorry for the young guys that are getting in to this factory like Ryan Elleby.

I have to disagree with you guys for totally bashing honda. Although you have a point that they should listen to the riders more and such. But maybe rossi has handed them their ..., but thats the point. Rossi did it, not yamaha. The honda 990 was easily the most successful moto gp bike. And go further back and look what the nsr 500 did. Hona is the best factory and will almost always prduce the best bike. If you look at their main competition in recent years, yamaha, yoiu will find them only really winning titles when a truly gifted rider is forcing it (Rossi, Rainey, Lawson, Roberts).

As for the superbike world, they can argue with the RC30, that more than did its job. Then when it seemed twins were what was needed the RC51 won some titles, and now its 4 cylinders again, the fireblade is doing well also. I am expecting James Toesland to be champ next year. BSB this year has shown HRC to be superior as well. I will admit that i have no idea what goes on in the AMA scene, but the best riders all seem to be riding suzukis. and ducati have underperformed compared to what i would expect.

I'd be looking forward to signing any of the below if I were the Honda owner:
<ul>[]Leon Haslam[]Jeremy McWilliams[]Neil Hodgson[]Michael Schumacher[/list]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Alex @ Dec 7 2006, 07:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I'd be looking forward to signing any of the below if I were the Honda owner:
<ul>[]Leon Haslam
[]Jeremy McWilliams
[]Neil Hodgson
[]Michael Schumacher[/list]
Schumi was 20 seconds off the pace when he tested Ducati's GP bike.. something tells me he wouldn't be very competetive

I would have to agree. I would like to see Leon back in Moto Gp.




<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (IsraeliRacer @ Nov 27 2006, 02:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I'm sure Dorna would appreciate me signing a British rider, so I'd go for Leon Haslam.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tom @ Dec 7 2006, 02:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I will admit that i have no idea what goes on in the AMA scene
struggling mostly

i'd sign, Dion and RaceJunkie...cause they're the best.

Only one I can think of that could be competitive right from the get-go and doesn't have a contract is Sete. It would take alot of cash and a team of doctors to get him out of retirement though.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Orrmate @ Nov 27 2006, 11:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Cardoso

I'm not too sure actually.. Maybe Ben Spies.. but there are so many factors involved in choosing the right rider that we dont even realise

Ben Spies all the way. He, if you have seen him, is fast. Won the AMA SB title pretty easy over Mat Mladin of all people. There's another person to race my Moto GP bike. Mattew Mladin. I think Honda would like to have one of the Hayden Brothers on a bike also. Probably RL Hayden over Tommy.

Me.
I'd sign myself.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CaptainSnow @ Dec 7 2006, 10:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Me.
I'd sign myself.

If i ran HRC I'd sign Vale, then run myself through with a sword after admitting that I'd been a .... to let him go in the first place. I might even admit it does matter who is sitting on the bike.

But then, if I didnt do the ceremonial sword/stomach interface, I'd be shot by the other staff at HRC for thinking for one minute, that the mighty H made a mistake.

Pete

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tom @ Dec 8 2006, 05:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I have to disagree with you guys for totally bashing honda. Although you have a point that they should listen to the riders more and such. But maybe rossi has handed them their ..., but thats the point. Rossi did it, not yamaha. The honda 990 was easily the most successful moto gp bike. And go further back and look what the nsr 500 did. Hona is the best factory and will almost always prduce the best bike. If you look at their main competition in recent years, yamaha, yoiu will find them only really winning titles when a truly gifted rider is forcing it (Rossi, Rainey, Lawson, Roberts).

As for the superbike world, they can argue with the RC30, that more than did its job. Then when it seemed twins were what was needed the RC51 won some titles, and now its 4 cylinders again, the fireblade is doing well also. I am expecting James Toesland to be champ next year. BSB this year has shown HRC to be superior as well. I will admit that i have no idea what goes on in the AMA scene, but the best riders all seem to be riding suzukis. and ducati have underperformed compared to what i would expect.

We're not totally bashing Honda, not even thier bikes. I'm sure eagle will agree that they make some of the fastest race bikes on the planet. The RCV is a prime example. I don't know off the top of my head but I'd wager most of the 990 MotoGP wins were scored by riders on Honda machinery.
The problem is arrogance. It's coming outta HRC's ... like fast racebikes. If your a Honda factory rider, when it comes to development, it's their way, or the highway. Rossi chose the highway. Whether he was successful or not is somewhat irrelevant in this respect. He chose to leave the best factory team in MotoGP because, amoung other reasons, he didn't like the way they think. That was a brave move, but for Rossi, it paid off.
You're completely right when you say Honda has, overall been THE factory to beat for over two decades, but that's not what we're talking about. The attitude of "There's nothing wrong with the bike, you're riding it wrong" is very prevalent at HRC. It might work for them, but I belive they could be even better if they dropped the attitude. It could be the thing that cost them titles over the past two years.
You say that Yamaha only won 500 titles with talented riders, I belive the same could be said for Honda. They dominated in the late 90s, but I belive that was due to Mick Doohan's skill as a racer and developer. Not to say that HRC weren't building fast bikes, but to win titles you need both a talented rider and a decent bike.
As for Superbikes, well, World SBK at least, I can tell you that if JT wins the vice-championship (sorry, you're talking to a Bayliss fan here ) It won't be thanks much to HRC. Like Eagle pointed out before, Ten Kate are an in-house team like AmHonda. They'll only get help from HRC if JT is in a close battle for the championship. Overall, Japanese factories ignore WSB, partly because they want to concentrate on the more prestigious GP crown, and partly because whoever writes the rules over at WSB is a Ducati arse-kisser. The top teams running Japanese bikes in WSB have very little help from the factory, and the only official factory team in WSB is Ducati.

Very good points there dude, and i agree, Honda could be even better than they are with a little bit more time spent listening to the riders. I reckon the new 800 bike looks like it was found in one of dani pedrosas dreams. I just hope it is as good as he hopes (for nicky Haydens sake though).

As for the superbikes, i have no doubt that Bayliss was better than everyone this year, it was obvious. But i am hoping that JT can step it up a level over the winter, he looked strong at the end of the year, and i would love to see him do well and make it to GP's. I also majorly hope the WSb bosses stop licking Ducati arse and get the japanease manufacturers involved more seriously.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (richo @ Dec 7 2006, 07:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>We're not totally bashing Honda, not even thier bikes. I'm sure eagle will agree that they make some of the fastest race bikes on the planet. The RCV is a prime example. I don't know off the top of my head but I'd wager most of the 990 MotoGP wins were scored by riders on Honda machinery.
The problem is arrogance. It's coming outta HRC's ... like fast racebikes. If your a Honda factory rider, when it comes to development, it's their way, or the highway. Rossi chose the highway. Whether he was successful or not is somewhat irrelevant in this respect. He chose to leave the best factory team in MotoGP because, amoung other reasons, he didn't like the way they think. That was a brave move, but for Rossi, it paid off.
You're completely right when you say Honda has, overall been THE factory to beat for over two decades, but that's not what we're talking about. The attitude of "There's nothing wrong with the bike, you're riding it wrong" is very prevalent at HRC. It might work for them, but I belive they could be even better if they dropped the attitude. It could be the thing that cost them titles over the past two years.
You say that Yamaha only won 500 titles with talented riders, I belive the same could be said for Honda. They dominated in the late 90s, but I belive that was due to Mick Doohan's skill as a racer and developer. Not to say that HRC weren't building fast bikes, but to win titles you need both a talented rider and a decent bike.
As for Superbikes, well, World SBK at least, I can tell you that if JT wins the vice-championship (sorry, you're talking to a Bayliss fan here ) It won't be thanks much to HRC. Like Eagle pointed out before, Ten Kate are an in-house team like AmHonda. They'll only get help from HRC if JT is in a close battle for the championship. Overall, Japanese factories ignore WSB, partly because they want to concentrate on the more prestigious GP crown, and partly because whoever writes the rules over at WSB is a Ducati arse-kisser. The top teams running Japanese bikes in WSB have very little help from the factory, and the only official factory team in WSB is Ducati.


Couldnt have put it better myself.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tom @ Dec 9 2006, 01:46 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>As for the superbikes, i have no doubt that Bayliss was better than everyone this year, it was obvious. But i am hoping that JT can step it up a level over the winter, he looked strong at the end of the year, and i would love to see him do well and make it to GP's. I also majorly hope the WSb bosses stop licking Ducati arse and get the japanease manufacturers involved more seriously.

JT took to a four cylinder like a duck to water. I'd definately say he's a contender, along with Bayliss, Haga and Kagayama. Judging Barros' performance, I'm not too keen on thinking that talented GP riders will automatically be fast on GP bikes, which is why, I belive Biaggi won't be a title threat this year. I mean, his riding style won't suit a Superbike as much as Barros' did, so I won't expect him to do any better than Barros did. A win or two wouldn't surprise me, but I don't think Max will be in there, week-in, week-out fighting for the title.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (richo @ Dec 11 2006, 05:37 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>JT took to a four cylinder like a duck to water. I'd definately say he's a contender, along with Bayliss, Haga and Kagayama. Judging Barros' performance, I'm not too keen on thinking that talented GP riders will automatically be fast on GP bikes, which is why, I belive Biaggi won't be a title threat this year. I mean, his riding style won't suit a Superbike as much as Barros' did, so I won't expect him to do any better than Barros did. A win or two wouldn't surprise me, but I don't think Max will be in there, week-in, week-out fighting for the title.
"run wide biaggi" will let his own mind defete him if he doesnt start winning straight away. then he will have a tantrum and blame something or other.
wonder where he will go after he as pissed everybody off in wsb. bsb ama or back to motogp.