348 replies to this topic

[Chubby_Deuce]

I have no reason to doubt what Alberto Puig told me. Perhaps he lied to me, who knows? 

 

What did the lovely Mr. Puig tell you?

[Gilles4Ever]

Gyro Cam at Macau - How close are those barriers 

[Melbourne Park]

Casey would beat MM at Philip Island.

 

Otherwise I think MM has a similar technique, and has less mental issues. We'll see if he gets bad injuries, but if MM doesn't, and his professional life is well managed, he could re-write all the records. So far, he's doing that. But, one of those is the fastest crash - at over 208 MPH. I hope he stays injury free, and stays faster than his little brother.

[chunder27]

Tough life in racing terms is what I meant, not in any other way.

 

Plenty of Aussies have done the same, Digger being the first, come over to the UK with very little and try and make a fist of it. A few have been successful Bayliss, Richards. Some haven't like Craggill Nowland and Gobert.

 

What I meant was his early career. He was not flavour of the month on any bike even Ducati until they realised what they had and what he could do, we saw glimpses of it on the LCR Honda, and clearly his ability on the LCR Aprilia in 250, but no real evidence of this amazing speed until the Ducati days and after when he honed his talent. I think a lot of riders out there could do the same if they had the backing, you wonder what someone like Simon, Diu Meglio, Elias, Iannone could do if someone really understood them and could give them exactly what they need.  I think Stoner was a bit like this, we all knew he was good, but maybe not that good. If you look at the small bike careers of Melandri, Capirossi, Harada, Kato, they all had largely more successful careers in small bikes without necessarily having the same success on big bikes. Stoner was the opposite.

 

Marquez has led a gilt edged life since the very start of his GP career, always well sponsored, he has been Dorna's love child since way back then.  OK he clearly warrants the backing, as Pedrosa did back then too, but I do feel a lot of doors have already been opened for him, he has not had to open any.

[Gilles4Ever]

As expected

 

Alex Rins and Alex Marquez will ditch KTM power in 2014 and battle for next year’s Moto3 world championship on a brand new official Honda machine.

 

HRC boss Shuhei Nakamoto was remaining tight-lipped about Honda’s plans for Moto3 in Valencia last week.

He told MCN: “We will do something.”

And would there be a new engine? Nakamoto added: "Something different.”

 

http://www.motorcycl...e-honda-switch/

[Tonka]

HRC boss Shuhei Nakamoto was remaining tight-lipped about Honda’s plans for Moto3 in Valencia last week.

He told MCN: “We will do something.”

And would there be a new engine? Nakamoto added: "Something different.”

 

 

Let me guess - Honda have 'persuaded' Dorna and the FIM to change the rules just for their benefit.

 

Should Honda win all 3 championships next year and beyond - that'll kill MotoGP.  The remaining manufacturers might as well pack up and go home.

[Gilles4Ever]

Not at all, read back for the background of the Moto3 engine/package saga. It was KTM that went against the spirit of the rules and make a giant killer engine for their customers and supplied engines at the price limit as long as they paid a fortune for frames, Honda just giving them a taste of their own medicine.

[Cesc]

Gyro Cam at Macau - How close are those barriers 

Wow, great stuff.

I can hardly imagine Marquez with the elbow to the tarmac in such a place!

[Tonka]

Not at all, read back for the background of the Moto3 engine/package saga. It was KTM that went against the spirit of the rules and make a giant killer engine for their customers and supplied engines at the price limit as long as they paid a fortune for frames, Honda just giving them a taste of their own medicine.

 

KTM had to operate as they did, they don't have a massive factory that can turn out engines as cheaply as Honda.  Good luck to them getting one over on Honda.  It's pretty obvious the rules were set up to benefit Honda, not KTM.

[Gilles4Ever]

The rules were there to create an affordable series and level playing field without benefit to anyone. KTM were the dick's in this instance not Honda. They will have got their 2 years of glory but ultimately making Moto3 like the old 125 series, if you are not on a factory bike and can afford astonomical costs running a team you don't have a hope in hell of winning. Next year when they are hammered at their own game they will whine again about the big factory (Honda now, Aprilia then) and take their toys and go home.

 

Why do you think that last year we had guys like Fenati winning in a tiny team and this year in the same team with the same package he is lucky to score points?

[TimRTC]

Good new Smrz will be back in BSB next year on a Ducati.

https://twitter.com/...770417120997377

[Gilles4Ever]

Great video

Behind the scenes at the Moto3 final

 

[MuZzer]

Maybe no Micky D in 2014.....................

 

statement issued by Michael Dunlop:-
Just a quick message to let everyone know the situation regarding the 2014 racing season. There has been much speculation about my plans for next year and I have decided to let all my loyal sponsors, team members and fans know exactly where I am at currently. I have not signed any contracts for 2014 mainly due to various complications attached to each offer put to me. I am disappointed to be in th...is situation, especially after the tremendous season I enjoyed in 2013 and the success I achieved. However, I am as keen as ever to go race motorbikes but sadly at this moment in time I will not be racing in 2014. If something materialises I might consider to come back if am ready and it's the right package but till that i hope to be back in 2015 or if not 2016. I have worked extremely hard to get to this level in road racing and unless I feel I have the right equipment and structure under me I won’t race at all. Thanks to everyone who has supported me through thick and thin there is to many to name but I will see them to express my thanks and I hope we’ll be back on the top step as soon as am back.Many thanks Michael DunlopMD Racing

 

[chunder27]

I have little sympathy for KTM, they have promised a lot to people over the years, they made promises to Flammini about running in WSB until they realised they would be utterly hopeless, they ran a 250 at a decent pace until Bartol got the hump and took his tech with him and their GP engine made Roberts look like a joke and was little more powerful than a road bike engine, a total joke.

 

They have had their piece of pie, and it is not as if everyone on a KTM has been good, plenty haven't had a look in, Iwema et al. So it is not just the engine.

 

I would like to see a better spread in Moto2 rather than 3, 3 engines are not really commercially available, they are unique. They shouldn't be at all, they should basically be allowed to drop a crosser engine into a GP frame, that would allow all the Japanese and folk like TM, Husaberg and Husqvarna in aswell, but that is being idealistic.

 

Bit Moto2 is a 600cc market, one of the biggest and most impoerant classes in road bike sales, and quite how Honda have managed to make that a unique place for them beats me. I can understand the all is fair deal, but that period is over now, 2 is an established class, 600 engines are readily available. And with common ECU and spec parts it would not be hard to governa nd equalise.

[TimRTC]

Donington Park just confirmed that they are hosting the only British SBK round in 2014, so no Silverstone. No word yet on the rest of the calendar or if the Donington Round will be the 'British' round or the 'European' round as it has been in the past few years.

 

http://www.crash.net...ne_dropped.html

[ForeverF1]

Donington Park just confirmed that they are hosting the only British SBK round in 2014, so no Silverstone. No word yet on the rest of the calendar or if the Donington Round will be the 'British' round or the 'European' round as it has been in the past few years.

 

http://www.crash.net...ne_dropped.html

[TimRTC]

The BSB calendar was announced a while ago - http://www.britishsu...-announced.aspx

[ForeverF1]

The BSB calendar was announced a while ago - http://www.britishsu...-announced.aspx

Appreciate that, but I wonder if 'Crash' have got things wrong in stating that the Park will host the "only" round of the BSB and they meant the WSB.

[Gilles4Ever]

These are the riders provisionally entered for participation in the 2014 MotoGP™ World Championship season:

4 ANDREA DOVIZIOSO - ITALIAN - DUCATI TEAM - DUCATI *

5 COLIN EDWARDS - USA - NGM MOBILE FORWARD RACING - FTR YAMAHA         

6 STEFAN BRADL - GERMAN - LCR HONDA MotoGP - HONDA *

7 HIROSHI AOYAMA - JAPANESE - POWER ELECTRONICS ASPAR - HONDA   

8 HECTOR BARBERA - SPANISH - AVINTIA BLUSENS - FTR          

9 DANILO PETRUCCI - ITALIAN - IODARACING PROJECT - TBA

17 KAREL ABRAHAM - CZECH - CARDION AB MOTORACING - HONDA         

19 ALVARO BAUTISTA - SPANISH - GO&FUN HONDA GRESINI - HONDA *

26 DANI PEDROSA - SPANISH - REPSOL HONDA TEAM - HONDA *

29 ANDREA IANNONE - ITALIAN - PRAMAC RACING - DUCATI *

35 CAL CRUTCHLOW - BRITISH - DUCATI TEAM - DUCATI *

38 BRADLEY SMITH - BRITISH - MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3 - YAMAHA *

41 ALEIX ESPARGARO - SPANISH - NGM MOBILE FORWARD RACING - FTR YAMAHA    

44 POL ESPARGARO - SPANISH - MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3 - YAMAHA *

45 SCOTT REDDING - BRITISH - GO&FUN HONDA GRESINI - HONDA   

46 VALENTINO ROSSI - ITALIAN - YAMAHA FACTORY RACING - YAMAHA *

59 NICCOLÒ CANEPA - ITALIAN - IODARACING PROJECT - TBA           

63 MIKE DI MEGLIO - FRENCH - AVINTIA BLUSENS - FTR

68 YONNY HERNANDEZ - COLOMBIAN - PRAMAC RACING - DUCATI 

69 NICKY HAYDEN - USA - POWER ELECTRONICS ASPAR - HONDA      

70 MICHAEL LAVERTY - BRITISH - PAUL BIRD MOTORSPORT - PBM/ART      

93 MARC MARQUEZ         - SPANISH - REPSOL HONDA TEAM - HONDA *

99 JORGE LORENZO - SPANISH - YAMAHA FACTORY RACING - YAMAHA *

TO BE CONFIRMED - PAUL BIRD MOTORSPORT - PBM/ART                                                

* = Factory option                                                                                                          

 

TOTAL 24 ENTRIES

 

http://www.motogp.co...onal entry list

[Gilles4Ever]

These are the riders provisionally entered for participation in the 2014 Moto2™ World Championship season:

2 JOSH HERRIN - USA - CATERHAM MOTO RACING - CATERHAM

3 SIMONE CORSI - ITALIAN - NGM MOBILE FORWARD RACING - FTR

4 RANDY KRUMMENACHER - SWISS - IODARACING PROJECT - SUTER

5 JOHANN ZARCO - FRENCH - CATERHAM MOTO RACING - CATERHAM

7 LORENZO BALDASSARRI – ITALIAN - GRESINI Moto2 - SUTER

8 GINO REA - BRITISH - AGT-REA RACING - FTR

10 THITIPONG WAROKORN - THAI STOP AND GO RACING TEAM - KALEX

11 SANDRO CORTESE - GERMAN - DYNAVOLT INTACT GP - KALEX

12 THOMAS LUTHI - SWISS - INTERWETTEN PADDOCK Moto2 - SUTER

15 ALEX DE ANGELIS - SAN MARINO - LA FONTE TASCA RACING - SUTER

18 NICOLAS TEROL - SPANISH - MAPFRE ASPAR TEAM Moto2 - SUTER

19 XAVIER SIMEON - BELGIAN - FEDERAL OIL GRESINI Moto2 - SUTER

22 SAM LOWES - BRITISH - SPEED UP - SPEED UP

23 MARCEL SCHROTTER - GERMAN - TECH 3 - TECH 3

25 AZLAN SHAH - MALAYSIAN - IDEMITSU HONDA TEAM ASIA - TBA

30 TAKAAKI NAKAGAMI - JAPANESE - IDEMITSU HONDA TEAM ASIA - KALEX

31 KOHTA NOZANE          - JAPANESE - JIR Moto2 - MOTOBI

36 MIKA KALLIO - FINNISH - MARC VDS RACING TEAM  - KALEX

40 MAVERICK VINALES - SPANISH - TUENTI HP 40 PONS - KALEX

49 AXEL PONS - SPANISH - ARGIÑANO & GINÉS RACING - KALEX

53 ESTEVE RABAT  - SPANISH - MARC VDS RACING TEAM - KALEX

54 MATTIA PASINI - ITALIAN - NGM MOBILE FORWARD RACING - FTR

55 HAFIZH SYAHRIN - MALAYSIAN - PETRONAS RACELINE MALAYSIA - KALEX

60 JULIAN SIMON  - SPANISH - ITALTRANS RACING TEAM - KALEX

70 ROBIN MULHAUSER - SWISS - TECHNOMAG carXpert - SUTER

77 DOMINIQUE AEGERTER - SWISS - TECHNOMAG carXpert - SUTER

80 LUIS SALOM – SPANISH - TUENTI HP 40 PONS – KALEX

81 JORDI TORRES - SPANISH - MAPFRE ASPAR TEAM Moto2 - SUTER

88 ALESSANDRO NOCCO - ITALIAN - SPEED UP - SPEED UP

92 ALEX MARINELARENA - SPANISH - TECH 3 - TECH 3

94 JONAS FOLGER - GERMAN - ARGIÑANO & GINÉS RACING - KALEX

95 ANTHONY WEST - AUSTRALIAN - QMMF RACING TEAM - SPEED UP

96 LOUIS ROSSI - FRENCH - STOP AND GO RACING TEAM - KALEX

TO BE CONFIRMED - QMMF RACING TEAM - SPEED UP

TO BE CONFIRMED - ITALTRANS RACING TEAM - KALEX                       

 

TOTAL 35 ENTRIES

 

[Gilles4Ever]

These are the riders provisionally entered for participation in the 2014 Moto3™ World Championship season:

3 MATTEO FERRARI - ITALIAN - SAN CARLO TEAM ITALIA - MAHINDRA

4 GABRIEL RAMOS - VENEZUELAN - KIEFER RACING - KALEX KTM

5 ROMANO FENATI - ITALIAN - TEAM SKY-VR46 - KTM

7 EFREN VAZQUEZ - SPANISH - CARETTA TECHNOLOGY - RTG - HONDA

8 JACK MILLER - AUSTRALIAN - RED BULL KTM AJO - KTM

10 ALEXIS MASBOU - FRENCH - ONGETTA-RIVACOLD - HONDA

11 LIVIO LOI - BELGIAN - MARC VDS RACING TEAM - KALEX KTM

12 ALEX MARQUEZ - SPANISH - ESTRELLA GALICIA 0,0 - HONDA

14 FRANCESCO BAGNAIA - ITALIAN - TEAM SKY-VR46 - KTM

15 BRYAN SCHOUTEN - DUTCH - CIP Moto3 - MAHINDRA

17 JOHN McPHEE - BRITISH - CARETTA TECHNOLOGY - RTG - HONDA

19 ALESSANDRO TONUCCI – ITALIAN - CIP Moto3 - MAHINDRA

23 NICCOLO ANTONELLI - ITALIAN - GO&FUN GRESINI Moto3 - KTM

31 NIKLAS AJO - FINNISH            AVANT TECNO - KTM

41 BRAD BINDER - SOUTH AFRICAN - AMBROGIO RACING - MAHINDRA

42 ALEX RINS - SPANISH - ESTRELLA GALICIA 0,0 - HONDA

43 LUCA GRUNWALD - GERMAN - KIEFER RACING - KALEX KTM

44 MIGUEL OLIVEIRA – PORTUGUESE - MAHINDRA RACING - MAHINDRA

52 DANNY KENT - BRITISH - RED BULL KTM AJO - KTM

55 ANDREA LOCATELLI - ITALIAN - SAN CARLO TEAM ITALIA - MAHINDRA

57 ERIC GRANADO - BRAZILIAN - MAPFRE ASPAR TEAM Moto3 - KALEX KTM

58 JUANFRAN GUEVARA - SPANISH - MAPFRE ASPAR TEAM Moto3 - KALEX KTM

61 ARTHUR SISSIS - AUSTRALIAN - MAHINDRA RACING - MAHINDRA

63 ZULFAHMI KHAIRUDDIN - MALAYSIAN - ONGETTA-AIRASIA - HONDA

65 PHILIPP OETTL - GERMAN - INTERWETTEN PADDOCK Moto3 - KALEX KTM

80 HAFIQ AZMI - MALAYSIAN - AVANT TECNO      - KTM

84 JAKUB KORNFEIL - CZECH - TEAM CALVO - KTM

95 JULES DANILO - FRENCH - AMBROGIO RACING - MAHINDRA

98 KAREL HANIKA - CZECH - RED BULL KTM AJO - KTM

TO BE CONFIRMED - GO&FUN GRESINI Moto3 - KTM

TO BE CONFIRMED - RW RACING GP - KALEX KTM

TO BE CONFIRMED - RW RACING GP - KALEX KTM

TO BE CONFIRMED - TEAM CALVO - KTM

 

http://www.motogp.co...onal entry list

[DS27]

Appreciate that, but I wonder if 'Crash' have got things wrong in stating that the Park will host the "only" round of the BSB and they meant the WSB.

 

Donington to hold the only round of BSB - now that's funny 

[DS27]

Shame Rins isn't making the step up to Moto 2.

[ViMaMo]

What would be the difference between bikes 'YAMAHA FACTORY RACING', 'MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3' and 'FTR YAMAHA ' ? 

[Gilles4Ever]

Full factory bike prototype factory option own ecu own software 20 litres of fuel

Tech 3 - Customer version of above, probably 1 step behind on development

FTR - AFAIK it's basically this years Tech 3 bike with a FTR frame with Dorna ECU (Yamaha's production racer), 24 litres of fuel

[GSiebert]

Well Tech3 gets more or less the same bike than the Yamaha factory team.

FTR built a frame around the Yamaha engine for Forward Racing, but they're using Dorna's electronic software, so it's not in the same class than the teams mentioned above.

 

edit : too slow

Edited by GSiebert, 20 November 2013 - 13:28.

[ViMaMo]

Thanks. 

[Atreiu]

It seems Marquez is keeping 93. Meh.

[jrg19]

Yeah, thought he was going to go for the 1 at least once like Lorenzo did to celebrate the first time achieving it. 

[Disgrace]

Wouldn't look right without Doohan riding anyway.

Edited by Disgrace, 20 November 2013 - 15:20.

[Rob]

Full factory bike prototype factory option own ecu own software 20 litres of fuel

Tech 3 - Customer version of above, probably 1 step behind on development

FTR - AFAIK it's basically this years Tech 3 bike with a FTR frame with Dorna ECU (Yamaha's production racer), 24 litres of fuel

 

AFAIK, Tech 3 will be running 2013 spec M1s for both Smith and Espargaro. If one of them starts showing some speed, it's possible that Yamaha will reevaluate things and give them an upgrade, as they did with Crutchlow.

[ehagar]

Donington Park just confirmed that they are hosting the only British SBK round in 2014, so no Silverstone. No word yet on the rest of the calendar or if the Donington Round will be the 'British' round or the 'European' round as it has been in the past few years.

 

http://www.crash.net...ne_dropped.html

 

Not surprising that there would be no Silverstone WSBK race. Attendance was horrific and BSB is a better draw.

[Chubby_Deuce]

Unless something has changed and I missed it the Forward bikes are on Yamaha frames this year, FTR next year. The deal is for the core components of the M1 and then Forward builds or purchases the suspension, brakes, fuel tank, bodywork etc and uses the "Open" spec ECU.

 

http://www.motogp.co...me and swingarm

[Gilles4Ever]

Matthew Birt @birtymotogp

Danny Kent will ride factory Husqvarna in Moto3 in '14. Effectively means he will be on a KTM. Bit like Simoncelli & Gilera/Aprilia 250

[Tonka]

 

Matthew Birt @birtymotogp

Danny Kent will ride factory Husqvarna in Moto3 in '14. Effectively means he will be on a KTM. Bit like Simoncelli & Gilera/Aprilia 250

 

 

He'll be okay on the bumpy circuits...

[Risil]

Bit Moto2 is a 600cc market, one of the biggest and most impoerant classes in road bike sales, and quite how Honda have managed to make that a unique place for them beats me. I can understand the all is fair deal, but that period is over now, 2 is an established class, 600 engines are readily available. And with common ECU and spec parts it would not be hard to governa nd equalise.

 

[Gilles4Ever]

David Emmett @motomatters

KTM have been accused of doing the same in Moto3 as Aprilia did in 125s/250. They are not helping their case by rebadging a KTM as Husqvarna

[Risil]

What are they being accused of? Pursuing different marketing objectives to Honda and Yamaha? Not being able to afford to run a MotoGP team?

 

Aprilia's dominance in 125s and 250s began when the Japanese manufacturers lost interest in racing two-strokes. Competition was pretty good until then.

Edited by Risil, 21 November 2013 - 15:32.

[RosannaG]

What did the lovely Mr. Puig tell you?

 

Lovely and Puig in the same sentence? That's a good one...     

[Gilles4Ever]

What are they being accused of? Pursuing different marketing objectives to Honda and Yamaha? Not being able to afford to run a MotoGP team?

 

Aprilia's dominance in 125s and 250s began when the Japanese manufacturers lost interest in racing two-strokes. Competition was pretty good until then.

In the 125 and 250 days if you weren't in a "factory" team you didn't really have a chance, whether it was Japanese or Aprillia is inconsequential. KTM took their toys and went home when they couldn't compete with the might of Aprillia. When they introduced Moto3 their was a cap on the cost of the engine set at $12000. It all went great until midway through last year when if you weren't on one of the "factory" KTMs you didn't have a chance. Hence Vinales tossing his toys at the end of last year, being on a Honda meant he had no chance. This year, the only bike to get on the podium that was not a KTM was Mahindra's 3rd in Malaysia.

 

KTM sold teams their engines at $12000 as long as they bought frames and stuff at greatly inflated prices, thereby keeping to the letter of the law but going against what the intention of the rules were.

[chunder27]

Aprilia really weren't that great

 

AS I recall guys like Jay VCincent and Jamie Robinson and Eugene Laverty were usung really ol tech on their bikes in the late 90's and early 00's.

 

I remember one of them saying that his frame was one of Harada's from about 1996!  and this was 6 or 7 years later.

 

They were a very greedy firm, charging the same for a 6 year old frame as anyone else who leased a new one is a bit pathetic. But that is why their bikes hardly changed the whole time they were in 250 and 125, coz they could just recycle them and charge teams a bomb to LEASE, not buy them, hence increasing their stock every year!  It's why you hardly saw any Aprilia's in national series, unless they were years old.

 

It is good business I suppose, supply and demand, and once Honda and Yamaha decided two strokes were not anything interesting (apart from Aoyama late on) Aprilia were able to clean up in more ways than one.

 

Honda just got it wrong with Moto3, they made an everyman bike, and KTM made a factory one.

 

If anyone can recall back when the RS125 was popular, HRC sold A kits for the bike, the supposed best kit. Dirk Raudies won the 93 title on a B kit bike, can you imagine the likes of Sakata, Ueda, Gresini and how much that A Kit cost, I think Hodgson had one aswell in 94, cost them a fortune!

 

And Aprilia showed up and beat them all in 92, hence their order book went through the roof

[Gilles4Ever]

Honda didn't get it wrong, the idea of the class was that you could get a decent engine and frame together and go racing competitively on a reasonable budget and win if you did a good job as happened at the beginning of last season. KTM have gone and sucker punched the biggest guy in the playground and as soon as he fights back they are, once again, going to take their toys and leave.

[Rob]

Honda didn't get it wrong, the idea of the class was that you could get a decent engine and frame together and go racing competitively on a reasonable budget and win if you did a good job as happened at the beginning of last season. KTM have gone and sucker punched the biggest guy in the playground and as soon as he fights back they are, once again, going to take their toys and leave.

 

When Honda hit back, Dorna will change the rules again so that the wording matches the intent.

 

When the rev limit comes down in 2015, that'll help Honda anyway because KTM's advantage is right at the top end.

[Rob]

Ant West Loses In Doping Appeal Case, Last 18 Months' Results Scrapped

[GSiebert]

MV Augusta riders for 2014

WSBK (Yakhnich) : Claudio Corti

WSS (ParkinGO) : Cluzel & Leonov

[Risil]

Ant West Loses In Doping Appeal Case, Last 18 Months' Results Scrapped

 

Did Hafizh Syahrin get a podium at Malaysia last year, then?

[Bleu]

Might just be West removed. Otherwise in those kind of changes could be possible for some shake-up in the main championship positions. Not in this case though, but in general it's a possibility.

Edited by Bleu, 23 November 2013 - 14:41.

[RosannaG]

A little off-topic but I think it's worth it 

 

http://instagram.com/p/hEuN8bODab/

[Tarzaan]

2014 - MotoGP, WSB, Moto2, WSS, AMA, BSB

 

http://forums.autosp...o2-wss-ama-bsb/