Abe to WSBK

[chunder]

Been confirmed that Norick will be riding alongside Gimbert in teh Yamaha Motor France team for the season, not a bad plan but you get the feeling they are just giving him somewhere to go don't you!
Also Haga is a cert for the Italia team with Andrew Pitt,hope the R1 can get quicker aswell, think if anyone can go it it will be Nori in his old team

[Hazza]

Looks to me fellas that we have a season long PART-AY next year! Woooo!

Chunder
not a bad plan but you get the feeling they are just giving him somewhere to go don't you!

Well, yeah it does look like that doesn't it

But It shows that they mean buisness in WSBK and hopefully they'll clean up (Thats if FP1 can't [/biased aussie] it'll provoke Honda into overdrive and we'll realy be swinging!

Does Christian Sarron still run Yamaha France?

[N I Tram]

Just because Norick struggled to adjust to MotoGP bikes doesn't mean he's a poor rider, and I think he's got a lot to offer the Yamaha team. I suspect the Italy team will get slightly more focus over the course of the season, as thy've got the two better Superbike riders on paper, but I'm sure Abe will produce plenty of excitement and surprise, not to mention a few good results.

The 2005 grid looks great now - all the main 2004 stars other than Haslam, plus Abe, Bostrom, Muggeridge, Gimbert, Pitt, Kagayama and more.

[ATF]

Yup, indeed 2005 looks like being a cracking year. Who would have thought after 2003, it would get so good again so quickly?

[BootsOntheSide]

Yamaha have got a really good line-up for next year, with plenty of potential for entertainment as well as pace. While it's true that the Italian team has the stronger riders at first, I'm sure Abe can adjust really well. And I'm not sure he's only here out of loyalty or contractual responsibility as well - he's a gifted rider who's more suited to current WSBK bikes than current MotoGP ones.

[chunder]

I didnt say he was a bad rider but you have to admit he been getting rides on past reputation in the past few years and been comletely outshone by Shinya Nakano first year on the M1.
ALl I know is I remember when he came on the scene in GP's and no one had made such an impression for years, but once he settled in he was distinctly avaerage, another Barros really.
But as you say on a superbike he might show some class, like Taddy Okada did haha!

[BootsOntheSide]

He was great on 500cc bikes, often riding the Yamahas beyond their potential and being unlucky not to win more races (although it's fair to say that he was something of a crasher for a long time). MotoGP just didn't seem to suit him though. it's definitely make-or-break for Norick now, if he fails to succeed here I doubt he'll get anythign beyond factory test rides in future.

[chunder]

He was one of thos riders that would have maybe three good ride a year, and when you consider he was on factory bikes for nearly ten years, was it three wins is not good enough to be honest!
And sorry to be pedantic but he was suited to 500's coz he was riding them from the age of 17! That was why he caused such a stir in 95, he had already been riding the NSR for a year or so when he beat up Doohan and Schwantz in the Japanese GP.
I dont think he was suited to the four strokes at all though, he never did anythiong on the M1, the R1 might suit him being a bit less adjustable, he mightget on better with it.
I always remember him a bit like Barros, looks very good and tough but at some tracks year after year he would be amazing like Rio,Donington,Le Mans. And at some he would be no better than a privateer. Shame

[alesi95]

Norick was awesome in Jap Superbikes and i hope he'll get a good crack in WSB, but ive never really had much confidence in the Yamaha france team.

[Kicking-back]

Good luck to him - I remember some of his good drives back in the day