Yooperbikemike's 2013 MotoGP Thread

Oh crap! Wait until Rossi gets the bike sorted? Really dude, one could more realistically say wait until Marquez gets the Honda figured out.

At a certain point they all lose that edge that put them over the top. I like Rossi a lot, but I doubt he'll be in the championship hunt baring a run of bad luck by the three amigos.

Yeah, you probably need to nail the setup 100% to go with JLo & Dani. With little testing available, still plausible for me, that Rossi simply needs a few more races to make everything click.

VR spent two years driving the turnip truck while JLo and DP got smoother and FASTER. Plus MM (with his youth a huge asset) is fast and willing to put it all on the line.

Don't get me wrong- MotoGP needs Rossi type personalities to counteract Pedrobot automatons. But VR is starting to look like Schumacher did last year.

Yes, that 2nd place Rossi got at round 1 and the emotion and joy that he showed after the finish line was EXACTLY like Schumacher last year.

Savor it.

The 3 guys ahead of him will stay there.

I am a HUGE VR fan but I am seeing the Shumi/Richard Petty writing on the wall. The young HUNGRY guys will stay there.

Mark it (no pun intended)

tha actual top speeds do not reflect your assesment of the relative top speeds of cc and VR

26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 293.5 Free Practice Nr. 3
19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA GO&FUN Honda Gresini HONDA 293.1 Free Practice Nr. 3
93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 292.3 Race
4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team DUCATI 292.0 Race
6 Stefan BRADL GER LCR Honda MotoGP HONDA 291.6 Warm Up
35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA 290.9 Free Practice Nr. 1
38 Bradley SMITH GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA 290.7 Free Practice Nr. 4
99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Yamaha Factory Racing YAMAHA 290.0 Free Practice Nr. 1
46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Yamaha Factory Racing YAMAHA 289.6 Race
69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team DUCATI 288.6 Warm Up
29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Energy T.I. Pramac Racing DUCATI 288.0 Free Practice Nr. 3
51 Michele PIRRO ITA Ducati Test Team DUCATI 287.0 Race
8 Hector BARBERA SPA Avintia Blusens FTR 280.9 Warm Up
7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Avintia Blusens FTR 280.3 Race
14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA Power Electronics Aspar ART 279.5 Race
52 Lukas PESEK CZE Came IodaRacing Project IODA-SUTER 278.4 Race
5 Colin EDWARDS USA NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR KAWASAKI 277.9 Race
71 Claudio CORTI ITA NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR KAWASAKI 276.7 Race
70 Michael LAVERTY GBR Paul Bird Motorsport PBM 276.6 Warm Up
9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA Came IodaRacing Project IODA-SUTER 276.2 Race
41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Power Electronics Aspar ART 276.0 Free Practice Nr. 1
67 Bryan STARING AUS GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR HONDA 275.7 Race
68 Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Paul Bird Motorsport ART 274.5 Free Practice Nr. 2
17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing ART 273.5 Free Practice Nr

I was at turn one in Austin this year. During fp2 (?) Rossi and MM were riding around together and it was amazing watching the Honda just pull away from the Yam down that front straight. Rossi was losing plenty on that straight. As was every Yamaha.

I'm a Rossi fan. But yeah, over the hill, his best days are behind him. I'd love to see him on the top step at least once (Mugello) this year, but I'm not holding my breath. He is way behind his teammate every race. The young guns have upped their game.

In regards to 46:

Let's keep in mind that Jarvis decided that 99 was the future years ago, and they have been building a bike that suits him. A guy whose data shows that he runs higher lean angles than anyone else.

They are not about to spend much energy on going in a different direction for 46, he's there for optics, not wins.

Kinda sad, considering what Rossi did for the company. Not that they shouldn't brought on Jorge, but what we are seeing as a lack of "something" on the part of Rossi due to age, is really just a lack of something in the bike. He must be frustrated.

I can't help thinking that it's a little early to be writing Rossi off. Give him (and JB) a little longer and I think we'll see more of him at the sharp end.

Rossi is still the worldwide superstar, JLo outside of Spain not so much. Would it not make commercially more sense for Yamaha to actually have Rossi as champ, instead of JLo?

But of course Rossi will have to beat his teammate on track, and so far, that ain't happening. But long as they don't start taking each other out, I think Yamaha are pretty neutral as to which guy would keep the rider's title with them.

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I wonder if the new Yamaha race boss hasn't lost his way a bit since Furusawa left?

What are the chances of a Tech 3 CRT effort with Colin Edwards and Brad Smith on Yamaha lease engines/private chassis with Cal Crutchlow and Pol Espargaro on full prototypes?

There was a rumour about a three bike Tech 3 effort next season but as ever it would depend on finances I guess (plus if their Moto 2 chassis is anything to go by Tech 3 might not be the best partners for an M1 engined hybrid!)

They certainly have their hands full with Moto 2. :eek1 Yamaha might fund a Yamaha engined project though.

I know that CE II has wanted a Yamaha motor since the beginning of his CRT odyssey. And Yamaha US has been treating him like he is still a Yamaha rider, so I was just wondering.

I am not sure Tech 3 would be allowed to run 3 prototypes by the current rules, but anything is possible. Silly rule limiting the # of prototypes, IMHO.

I personally don't think Cal does himself any favors by his tactics of criticizing Yamaha at every opportunity.

Ducati got cold feet when he went around telling everyone they had a deal before it was done.

I want one too. Doesn't mean Yamaha would be best served giving me one . . .