Yooperbikemike's 2013 MotoGP Thread

[Kropotkin]

Originally Posted by Lurky-Loo

But also:


Dude, he got more points on "the bike that was not superior in any way" than he did on the '11 Honda. C'mon.

2007 was an 18-race season. 2011 was an 18-race season which saw only 17 races contested, after Simoncelli was killed at Sepang and the race was canceled.

In 2007, Stoner scored 367 points from 18 races, an average of 20.4 points per race. In 2011, Stoner scored 350 points from 17 races, an average of 20.6 points per race.

I won't bother mentioning the other factors, like the fact that Stoner's only real competition in 2007 was Rossi, whereas he was up against Lorenzo and Pedrosa in 2011.

[spezjag]

Cabin fever is setting in. I'm thinking this thread easily goes to 100 pages before the first race weekend.

[PeteN95]

Top end may be over rated, but I don't ever remember seeing a disparity of speeds like I saw at Qatar in '07. I remember Rossi chasing down Stoner lap after lap and passing him near the end of the lap, only to have Stoner motor by him down the straight, no drafting required, and lead by 8 bike lengths into T1!?! Lap after lap! It looked like Rossi "dropped a cylinder", as they would say in NASCAR.

[Kropotkin]

Originally Posted by PeteN95

Top end may be over rated, but I don't ever remember seeing a disparity of speeds like I saw at Qatar in '07. I remember Rossi chasing down Stoner lap after lap and passing him near the end of the lap, only to have Stoner motor by him down the straight, no drafting required, and lead by 8 bike lengths into T1!?! Lap after lap! It looked like Rossi "dropped a cylinder", as they would say in NASCAR.

By Barcelona, that speed differential was almost gone.

It is worth checking the MotoGP.com website's results page, which has full stats on all races. The speed differential was not as large as it looked after Qatar:

http://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics

[brents347]

I actually remember the Ducati being faster than it was. At Qatar it was 7kmh faster than the Honda but 15kmh faster than the Yamaha.

By round 12 (Brno) the Honda had a faster top speed.

[bikerfish]

Stoner quit, fuck him, he's gone. it's looking like a great season ahead of us, with 4 and possibly more guys fighting for it.

[Old fart]

Originally Posted by bikerfish

Stoner quit, fuck him, he's gone. it's looking like a great season ahead of us, with 4 and possibly more guys fighting for it.

Interesting that in an interview just lately his comment was something like he hasn't ruled out a comeback to MotoGP. Mebe he's watching how Rossi goes? If he see's Rossi winning then maybe he thinks he can be in the top five?

[Kropotkin]

Originally Posted by bikerfish

Stoner quit, fuck him, he's gone. it's looking like a great season ahead of us, with 4 and possibly more guys fighting for it.

This. Stoner has left the sport, he's racing cars. He has no relevance to MotoGP any longer. There are two established favorites, a returning champion, and one of the most exciting youngsters to join the class for many years. Let's talk about them.

[RedRocket]

Originally Posted by Kropotkin

Rossi should have won on the '11 bike because Stoner won on the '10 bike. They weren't that different. Instead, he was on average 10 or more seconds slower than Stoner's times from the year before.

Can't really compare 2012, as the bike was significantly different then. The only comparison that you can make is to say that Ducati weren't prepared to listen to Rossi, just as they had not been prepared to listen to Stoner before him.

So with new frames having been tried, in what way did Ducati ignore Rossi, other than maybe dragging their feet on it?

[Mr Head]

From last season Pedrosa came good at the last half. Lorenzo was stead throughout. One bobble, if I remember.

Marques is looking very good early on. I like the quote in Soup from Lawson in reference to Wayne's debute. Yes, Marquez has slid off into the kitty litter. Let's see how things go as we begin racing and Q-times need to be set. and maybe there's one of those moments.
Remember Rossi's rookie season? That massive tankslapper flick from video quoted in "Faster".

I'm thinking this is going to be a good racing season. As has been stated Lorenzo returns healthy and fast. The Yamaha is working. (hope that slick-shifter shows up soon), Rossi is back so we've got that.

That makes four guys on top stuff already on their game.

Cal will likely be close to pick up when/if anybody bumps and slides. He won't have all the go fast bits but he has bags of determination and grit.

And for some of us we'll never give up on the red bikes.
Go Nicky!
Go Ben!
Go Crazy Joe!

... and who else?

Oh, the other Italian,
Go Dovi!

For my subscription dollar four guys potentially fighting for the front is way better than one clearing off into the distance. Lots of fighting at the front might not bode so well for the CRT's airtime, or Ducati for that matter. 2 seconds back from the front is going to suck if it stays that way.
I don't see Audi solving anything other than firehosing the garage with money and I don't see the Germans doing that. All those single year contracts in those garages might be the key. Though you never know.


Now, if I can get a hotel with reasonable WiFi.

[Pecha72]

On paper, this really looks to be a very interesting season. Jorge & Dani are the men to beat, but does Rossi still have the outright speed to hang on with them until the closing laps, or does MM already have the maturity to keep rubberside down the whole race distance, week in week out? Add at least Crutchlow and Bradl into that mix occasionally, and yeah, there should be some edge-of-your-seat stuff coming up.

[DC2wheels]

Originally Posted by spezjag

Cabin fever is setting in. I'm thinking this thread easily goes to 100 pages before the first race weekend.

Even watching motocross is becoming interesting compared to this Rossi/Stoner/Ducati/Yamaha/Honda/GOAT bickering


BUT WAIT! WSBK in less than 2 weeks, right?

[Pecha72]

Originally Posted by DC2wheels

Rossi/Stoner/Ducati/Yamaha/Honda/GOAT bickering

[advNZer?]

Originally Posted by Pecha72

On paper, this really looks to be a very interesting season. Jorge & Dani are the men to beat, but does Rossi still have the outright speed to hang on with them until the closing laps, or does MM already have the maturity to keep rubberside down the whole race distance, week in week out? Add at least Crutchlow and Bradl into that mix occasionally, and yeah, there should be some edge-of-your-seat stuff coming up.

bautista will have a few chances too hopefully

[BOOTLACE]

This bloke could go OK....