Nicky Hayden

[nsu max]

^^^^^ I couldn't agree more,My wife and daughters and I used to watch them at the Elkhart Co. Fair race here in northern Indiana and you knew you were watching greatness!

[stk0308]

Originally Posted by Nails

I became a Nicky fan when he was riding the Harley 883 class. We went to Laguna Seca and it rained all weekend. He took his steel dirt track shoes and put them on his boots and slid through all the corners and won the race. That was genius and awesome.

What year was that? I don't remember Nicky ever doing an 883 race.

[JNRobert]

Originally Posted by Josephvman

I wasn't a big Nicky Hayden fan, but I have a lot of respect for the way he has hung in there at Ducati and scratched out the most he can from what is obviously a very difficult motorcycle to race on.

I'm sure he's a fine man n'all, but you know, that hangin' in there has probably been to the tune of $2M a year. He wasn't ever going to consistently beat the Aliens whichever bike you gave him so like Edwards, he's been collecting a big paycheck for little actual results (in MotoGP).

I have no doubt he could clean-up in any national series and would be a potential champion in WSC on the right bike.

And he still doesn't speak a word of Italian that I'm aware of. That's a shame, he might have developed a winning bike if he'd learned the language.

[mdubya]

Originally Posted by JNRobert

And he still doesn't speak a word of Italian that I'm aware of. That's a shame, he might have developed a winning bike if he'd learned the language.

He doesn't speak English all that well either.

I think he might surprise you with the Italian he can speak, though. They sure love him.

[JNRobert]

Originally Posted by mdubya

He doesn't speak English all that well either.

.

I wanted to mention that too, it seemed a little cruel.

[brents347]

Originally Posted by JNRobert

I'm sure he's a fine man n'all, but you know, that hangin' in there has probably been to the tune of $2M a year. He wasn't ever going to consistently beat the Aliens whichever bike you gave him so like Edwards, he's been collecting a big paycheck for little actual results (in MotoGP).

I have no doubt he could clean-up in any national series and would be a potential champion in WSC on the right bike.

And he still doesn't speak a word of Italian that I'm aware of. That's a shame, he might have developed a winning bike if he'd learned the language.

For little actual results?

I think if you made a list of all the riders that ever had more than one win (like Dovi's one win in the rain) Nicky is probably one of the biggest bargains in MotoGP. And he did win a TITLE against what was then the only Alien. And wasn't Gibbernau in that title chase as well? And Pedrosa?

[Valker]

Originally Posted by brents347

For little actual results?
And he did win a TITLE against what was then the only Alien. And wasn't Gibbernau in that title chase as well? And Pedrosa?

And that in spite of Pedrosa (Italian for low side?) taking him out in the penultimate race that year!

[spezjag]

Originally Posted by Valker

And that in spite of Pedrosa (Italian for low side?) taking him out in the penultimate race that year!

And Honda's all but trying to sabotage his run by constantly changing the bike to test parts for the next year's 800 - even when he was leading in the points, he was never the lead rider on that team.

[JNRobert]

Originally Posted by spezjag

And Honda's all but trying to sabotage his run by constantly changing the bike to test parts for the next year's 800 - even when he was leading in the points, he was never the lead rider on that team.

You think Mick Doohan would put up with that?

[Valker]

Originally Posted by JNRobert

You think Mick Doohan would put up with that?

...but Nicky is considered by many to be the shining example of humility and manners on the GP circuit.

[roadracer]

Nicky never rode the 883 twins class as far as I know. He was too young.

Ben and Eric Bostrom were the last two of the modern class to race them, I think.

Aaron Yates' 883 is sitting in my garage in pieces. I don't have the original motor, but I'm told the front cyl was an 883 and the rear was a 1200.

[woods wizard]

Great guy , we met him @ V.I.R. his last year in SBK on the RC51. His hotel room was next to ours & didnt mind talking to us @ length. When we asked him where the partys were ? he said "Partys Hell? Wheres the Pussy ?" Got some good pics with him as well . He was / is the master of backing it in , a style of riding that really no longer exists in the top tier of racing. I know its not the fastest way around a racetrack but its sure fun to watch.

[Bigger Al]

Originally Posted by Nails

I became a Nicky fan when he was riding the Harley 883 class. We went to Laguna Seca and it rained all weekend. He took his steel dirt track shoes and put them on his boots and slid through all the corners and won the race. That was genius and awesome.

That was Ben Bostrom. He and his brother Eric spent the whole weekend sliding around in several inches of water. Whatta show!!


I saw Nicky's first AMA 600 Supersport win at Sears Point. At victory circle he rode in and did a 180-degree burnout to park the bike. His mother waited until he got his helmet off, then went up and gave him hell for showing up DuHamel and Yates. Made him apologize, too. How can you not like a family like that?

[BigEasy]

^^Miss Rose is a treat

She is in the Hayden Bros. General Store at the Indy Moto GP almost full time during race weekend. She takes time to make sure everyone who wants to visit gets some of her time. Earl is in there every once in a while and he is quite the character. Nick is lucky to have such a great family to keep him grounded. I've never met him but from what you can see in the media he seems genuine enough.

[RedlegDaddy]

Nicky and the whole Hayden family are a class act! I can remember hanging out with my family at Mid-Ohio for the AMA races when we lived in Kentucky and Nicky and the whole family made us feel like an extended part of the family and always took the time to talk and sign autographs for the kids regardless of what was going on at the time. Here is a pic of my daughter getting an autograph from Nicky, time sure flies she is in her second year of college now!