2006 Silly Season Thread.

[asha]

Rumor has it that Team Roberts is going to use 800cc engines next year in preperation for 2007 rule change.

Could be the only real way that TEAM-KR will ever be catch the big factories.

[Alex K]

IMO Hofmann will sign with Suzuki, Vermeulen will be on Honda.

About Mladin. He is great, the greatest right after Rossi... but in Henderson is his home, he has dealerships in Australia and USA, Suzuki, Yoshimura, etc. dealerships. This means the team he is competing with should sign a corporate and technical deals with Mladins delaership clients. That is also why he is in the States and not running Suzook's in WorldSBK. One another factor is money, no one in Europe will pay him as much as American Suzuki and Yoshimura are paying him. Another factor, he is a man to beat in US, a truly Mladinator :!:
One last factor, he has three year deal with Yoshimura Suzuki.

[Hazza]

Yeah, you're right Alex, Mladin as simply put it: "Why should I accept a pay-cut to spend half my time on an aeroplane"

Mladinator - I like it!

And I must admit I really like this quote from Tob Moody:

What would he [Checa] bring Suzuki? He would start the season full of drive, taper off, crash a lot and then go well at contract time. Just like normal really. He told me in a hire car many moons ago that he would struggle to get back with Pons, but he may have to bite his lip there if the Spanish Camel element kicks in.

http://www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view...d=121360&apn=2

oh, and this:

What is true is the entire paddock is at its whit's end trying to decipher the decision of Kawasaki to sign De Puniet. Someone, somewhere high up the food chain at Kawasaki Japan, got one hell of a sweet talking from the De Puniet management, that's for sure.

Ahh just read the whole thing.

[Alex K]

I was wrong. Chris Vermeulen signed with Suzuki MotoGP, I really don't understand his decision. Even if HRC show him a finger, IMHO another season with ten Kate racing would be better than riding undeveloped GSV-R.

[Hazza]

We are very grateful to the Ten Kate team for releasing him [Chris V] early from his contract, a move which will enable him to get to know his new crew and ride the GSV-R at Valencia."

http://www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view...d=6&nid=121395

[BootsOntheSide]

Firstly, we're all assuming that Camel Honda would have offered Chris a ride for next year, and that the team would be well-backed and competitive. Chris may feel that Suzuki offer a bette rlong-term route than a semi-works Honda, and taht he and Hopkins may be in on the ground floor of something big. I disagree that staying in WSBK would be the right move - the Honda may not be the best bike next year, he would still lack works support, and he would ahve more to lose form his reputation by not winnign the title than he would gain by winning it, especially as other young riders will emerge in the next year.

[racer69]

As far as i've read Chris wasn't offered a ride on any MotoGP Honda next year, they wanted him to chase the WSB title again next year with a view to a 2007 move.

At the end of the day he's got to ask himself what he wants, mucking around mid-pack on a likely dog of a Suzuki (unless miracles happen), in MotoGP though, or challenge for a championship in World Superbikes and enter MotoGP at the start of the 800cc rule phase.

[Hazza]

There is also the risk of "Doing a Colin Edwards".

Promises don't mean a whole lot to Honda

[Alex K]

Boots... Sito Pons, well HRC game him proposal... but it was RCV from Honda Pons, and not the factory one. Wich was the biggest factor for Vermeulen not signing with HRC. I don't know if it wasn't a mistake made by him But looking at it in future terms... he would be much better next year than the likes of Biaggi, Melandri, Hayden, to get fatory bike in 2007.

The fact is that Honda wanted him to fight for World Championship in Superbike... but when he was talking to Denning, Honda made that Pons' offer.

What would be better. A factory Suzuki MotoGP, Ten Kate Honda... or semi-factory Honda Pons is anybodies guess. I think he wanted to do Moto Grand Prix as fast as possible. But IMHO he did mistake.

[asha]

Apparently, Mick Doohan said to him "get into motogp as soon as possible", and that "you can only win a championship on a factory bike"

Can anyone name the last non-factory motogp champ?

[Hazza]

1989 - E.Lawson.

http://www.crash.net/uk/en/driver_vi...cid=6&did=1904

Perhaps Lawson had been convinced by the NSR’s ever increasing performance, or maybe he simply wanted a change of scenery. Whatever the reason, and regardless of HRC’s pedigree, the move to a semi-works team looked risky – but legendary Honda tuner Erv Kanemoto would join him.

Few rider’s in the modern era have won World Championship’s in their first year with a new team and manufacturer, let alone a semi-works outfit, and the triumph – on a machine that factory riders Gardner and Doohan struggled to control – was arguably Eddie’s finest hour.

If not Rossi's 2001 title was on the Whazzamacallit Honda, as opposed to the factory bikes ridden by Criville and Ukawa.

Bearing in mind that with both of thoose titles they had absoloute geniuses in the garage to keep 'em going.

[asha]

Nice one Hazza, I was hoping someone could answer a question I had no clue about. Lawson was the man!

I agree about the geniuses in the garage thing! But, Rossi did have a full factory supported honda from his first year (2000) and his 2001 bike was apparently very much more advanced then even the Respol bikes of Ukawa and Criville. I've got a Motorcycle Racer magazine around here somewhere that does a bike review, talks about the dozens of changes between the bikes.

[chunder]

No way was LAwson on a private bike, it was in Rothmans colours wasnt it! Do you really think he would leave factory Yams to ride a private or semi works Honda!
Uncini and Lucchinelli were the last two privateers to win on Gallina RG500's I reckon in the eigthies
And ash you are right about Rossi, the HRC bike debuted by Vale at Phillip Island in 2000 was built aorund him, HRC knew where their future lay!

[asha]

I wish i could find that issue of Motorcycle Racer, it had this whole list of the differences , basically it mentioned every conponate of the bike

[asha]

Wild rumour I heard today was that Kenny Jr is hunting money to fund a Honda ride. Interesting if true, but its more likely just a mix-up with TeamKR who want honda engines next year.

But still.. Kenny to TeamKR?

[racer69]

Originally Posted by chunder

No way was LAwson on a private bike, it was in Rothmans colours wasnt it! Do you really think he would leave factory Yams to ride a private or semi works Honda!
Uncini and Lucchinelli were the last two privateers to win on Gallina RG500's I reckon in the eigthies
And ash you are right about Rossi, the HRC bike debuted by Vale at Phillip Island in 2000 was built aorund him, HRC knew where their future lay!

Lawson was riding for Kanemoto Honda in 1989. He was in Rothmans colours, but the official HRC factory team (which was also Rothmans sponsored) was for Gardner and Doohan.

Rossi basically took Doohan's place in the factory Honda team, it was just that Repsol only backed 3 bikes rather than 4 in 2000, and all the Doohan HRC crew went to Rossi. His team name was 'Honda Team Rossi' or something wasn't it?

[chunder]

It was funded through Honda Italy but all the development work on the bike centred on Vale after Alex and the rest proved they could not do anything with the 2000 bike. Vale got in there and did what he has done at Yamaha, demanded changes and got them, and his results speak for themselves.
Think Erv was still getting the best bits for Eddie's bike, in the same way as Vale's team did with Honda on the NSR, He tried about five different frames during the year I remember, dont quite think Erv can stretch to building frames!

[BOY BLUNDER]

Just wondering is there any body in the bike racing world that might
know any moto gp dates for next year please.

[Hazza]

Originally Posted by Superbikeplanet

Adams: How long does it take you to get parts from HRC?

Kanemoto: In 1989 we were the leading Honda squad so we got new parts pretty quick. I would request a new style cylinder for the 500cc and in about two weeks I'd have them. Wayne Gardner getting hurt at Laguna Seca helped us, although I never like to see anyone hurt. Normally it would take longer, but because they were focusing on one person we got our equipment quite quickly. In the past with Freddie and Niall it took much longer.

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2002-Sep/ervkane1990.htm

2006 Calendar

[asha]

Well, if not Lawson in 89, who was the last non-factory 500cc World Champ?

[chunder]

I am trying to think back to the early nineties.
I think Gallina tuned the RG500's that Franco Uncini and Marco Lucchinelli won the title on. What I cant remember is who won it between them and Eddi's reign.
They won in 81 and 82, but have no idea who won it between the them and Gardner in 87. Wayne won 90,91 and 92. Lawson must have won 88,89 and then praps 85 and 86, so who won in 83 and 84. Or have I got my sums wrong!!

[Dani Filth]

83 - Spencer
84 - Lawson
85 - Spencer again
86 - Lawson . again

thanks to motogp.com

[Hazza]

I think spencer was on annother "Kanemoto" Honda, so I don't think he counts if Fast Eddie doesn't count, neither should Fast Freddie.

However,

A new engine for 1981 offered the potential of a more level technical playing field, but - despite two wins from the first three rounds - Roberts and Yamaha were soon forced to watch factory Suzuki riders Marco Lucchinelli and Mamola battle it out for the world crown.

http://www.crash.net/uk/en/driver_vi...cid=6&did=2338

[Hazza]

Max Biaggi's future still looks uncertain--there are rumors that Honda have offered Casey Stoner a long-term contract starting next year with a ride on a Pons Honda.

Link

[Alex K]

Yeah but I heard an hour ago, that Max will have a press conference, and he is in Pons Racing :!