2019 - MotoGP, Moto2-3, WSBK, MotoE, WSS, BSB, MotoAmerica, etc.

I know its early but Suzuki may have delivered a bike that can fight for victories regularly.  Hoping Rins can continue the success he ended the season with.  

If Rins can slightly improve his qualifying, he'll be a real force. I'm looking forward to seeing it. 

New number for Viñales?

Yes, he announced it last year.

https://www.autospor...number-for-2019

Not being fully fit after his op sure hasn't slowed Marquez down much.

Not being fully fit after his op sure hasn't slowed Marquez down much.

True but he has said long runs are impossible in his current condition.  While I want to see someone else win the title, I want whoever it is to win against a 100% MM93.

True but he has said long runs are impossible in his current condition.  While I want to see someone else win the title, I want whoever it is to win against a 100% MM93.

Agreed, that is a serious operation he's had and one he may never fully recover from, although I really hope he does !! It maybe a battle for the rest of his time in MotoGP, he's a young man, time is on his side. 

Just have to watch and enjoy how good this kid is for as long as it lasts because this is an extremely abrasive sport and the very best can and will get dropped quickly

Fingers crossed recovery puts him back to 100%   

Marquez bounces better than any rider I have ever known, and it seems he was winning last year with half a shoulder, it popped out so often.

But, what we all think is him bouncing well, is actually him just smiling through it, he has this I cant be hurt aura.

Hopefully this slows hi down a bit, but I doubt it

Well, that's some Ducati Domination on the final day of testing. P1 to P4 locked out.

Well, that's some Ducati Domination on the final day of testing. P1 to P4 locked out.

Bear in mind both Honda riders are injured, Yamaha is getting to grips with their new bike and I'm hopeful that Rins focused on long runs with used tires  

Still a month until the lights go out in Qatar.  Really excited to get this season started!

A fit Marquez will disappear as usual.

If Vinales can get the bike right every week, he could be there, Ducati will have their good times as will Suzuki, but if you think anyone but a now fully fit Marquez can win, then you ain't been watching this series for the past few years.

A fit Marquez will disappear as usual.

 

If Vinales can get the bike right every week, he could be there, Ducati will have their good times as will Suzuki, but if you think anyone but a now fully fit Marquez can win, then you ain't been watching this series for the past few years.

A healthy MM93 is the benchmark and will undoubtedly be the favorite.  However, everyone's run comes to an end at some point or another and based on the number of times he dislocated his shoulder last year, I wouldn't be surprised if this injury is worse than he is letting on.  This is a golden era for MotoGP, super happy for it.

I am not so sure about that, the bike has been developed largely around Marquez, I would say Cal is highly valued by Honda, he pushes them and has won races on a sort of private bike, so I think Cal is probably more lose to the setups and things, what he can't do is lead the philosophy, that is all down to MM, and if you don't ride like him,  well.

Dani had his chance to be that man, was that man but injury and early 990 era poor overtaking cost him.

I know I'm late to this, but I don't think that Yamaha livery works at all. It looks like the bike has been crashed and they'd had to rummage in the spare parts bin, and ended up using bits from last year's Tech 3 machine. Too much black and not enough blue. 

But if it's a lot more competitive than last year's bike than I can forgive the livery. I know it's easy to read too much into testing, but hopefully everyone can step up and give Marquez a much harder time of it this year.

[...] Marc is the favorite no doubt.

He is playing the mind game, he will be fine for the season start, he was riding with almost with a dislocated shoulder of a kind most of last year

If this injury does peg Marquez back longer term (not that I think it will), then that would be massively sad for MotoGP. Yes he wins all the time, but seeing him go about his business you know you're watching something special.

22 crashes or so last year?

If he keeps this up, he will be done riding in 2-3 years.

As he gets older, I think he'll start crashing less anyway. He already crashes out of far fewer races than he used to.

As he gets older, I think he'll start crashing less anyway. He already crashes out of far fewer races than he used to.

I stopped watching for most of last year, but WSBK kicks off next weekend for anyone who is suffering from the lack of two wheeled action recently. Phillip Island is always good to watch regardless.

Recently, riders stepping over from Moto GP haven't done well, but that has often been down to the bike, and there is a real chance that Bautista could do very well on the Ducati and shake this series up. It needs it.

If this injury does peg Marquez back longer term (not that I think it will), then that would be massively sad for MotoGP. Yes he wins all the time, but seeing him go about his business you know you're watching something special.

Hate watching Honda linger around 10 place in WSBK, best rider 12 last year, don't expect it to change much even with their new team. The bike is not good enough.

https://www.crash.ne...inally-unveiled

Let's face it sticking a man who was not good enough for BSB even 2 years ago is hardly a step into the future.

They managed to lose Red Bull within 2 years and Ten Kate, it might work this new team, but I doubt it.

I feel most sorry for Camier, he never seems to be in the right place at the right time, Aprilia with Biaggi, Suzuki when it was awful, MV when it broke down all the time, such a shame

Spies was on pole in his first WSBK race. Finished 16th. He won Race 2.

He did win both races of the 2nd round in Losail. 2009.

I dig Philip Island. 

BMW in seccond, Honda 11th. For ..... sake Honda. Go all in or pull out.

Bautista looks like he could do a lot of winning at the weekend and the rest of the year for that matter. There's a chance he could realign some thoughts around the talent gap between GP and WSBK and just how good Rea is. Rea's records are great, but who has he beat? His teammate Sykes, and Chaz on the Ducati. Chaz has had his backside handed to him on a plate so far in testing by Bautista, routinely being a second and a half off him (granted he is always stronger in the races, but that's a big gap). It could turn out that if Bautista had been on the Ducati for the last few years then Rea's record would not be anywhere near as impressive.

I guess we need to bear in mind that Bautista generally goes well around PI. Wasn't he running near the front there last year in GP? He ultimately DNF'd I think, but seem to remember him being strong there.

Bautista for a debut triple at PI this weekend? Has anyone before had a debut double in WSBK?

John Kocinski did it in 1996 when Anthony Gobert was stripped of his race 2 win, and Max Biaggi missed out by less than a second in 2007.

The point being missed is that perhaps this new bike is staggeringly good!  It just be to be this quick already, plus I would think Dorna have not yet worked out how to effectively penalise the thing, that will come if they dominate.

Philip Island is usually highly misleading in terms of competitive hierarchies.  It's why it's also the best weekend on the calendar every year.  

Certainly wouldn't go by anything just from the results here, much less just testing/practice before the actual race weekend. 

I'm a bit surprised to see Haslam so close to Rea.

I'm a bit surprised to see Haslam so close to Rea.

For anyone who plans on watching, don't forget WSBK is now 3 races per weekend; 1 on Saturday and two on Sunday.

What a ride from Bautista. He opened such a big gap early on in the race that I was expecting a bit of a tire drop-off, but no, the gap continued to increase lap after lap.

A shame that Haslam dropped it when running second, after trading overtakes with Rea in the first few laps. Would have been interesting to see if he could keep up with Rea until the end of the race.

To note also the positive result for Yamaha with 3 bikes in the top 5.

A bit like Melbourne for F1, Philip Island is usually not the most representative track in terms of bike/rider hierarchies, so I am hoping to see closer racing between Bautista, Rea, Haslam and Davies (if he manages to overcome whatever problems  he is facing right now). I don't mind Rea winning (talent should be rewarded), but it is good for the series, and makes for more entertaining racing, if the championship battle lasts till the end of the season.

Nobody?

Rea pole time - 1:29:413 - would be a P2 in the 2018 GP race (MM was on pole with 1:29.199).

Haslam's P2 time would worth a P3.

Bau's time (1:29.729)  was P3 here and would a P5 there. Bau time in GP Q1 (1:29:851) was a bit slower so Miller's time in Q2 (1.30.140)

Sykes (P4) could land in P5 in GP.

Lowes P5 time was only 0,4sec slower then the fastest GP Yamaha time (Vignales) and 0,3 sec faster than rossis time. He also could finis in P5 in the GP.

Camier was 1,5 sec slower than MM.

15 seconds, isn't SBK racing supposed to be close and isn't racing always close at PI.  Nice on Dorna

Edited by thegamer23, 23 February 2019 - 15:07.

Does the MotoGP test get streamed live anywhere? Paid or not

As far as I know, there is no live feed for this test session. There is only an After the Flag special on the MotoGP website at around 7.30pm CET.

Lorenzo with the HRC colors

Two possibilities after today's race: Bautista is a class apart compared to the current SBK riders or Ducati V4 is one hell of a bike!

(Or both)

Two possibilities after today's race: Bautista is a class apart compared to the current SBK riders or Ducati V4 is one hell of a bike!

(Or both)

More than two factors I think:

• The Ducati is a monster
• Bautista was a good Moto GP rider and will be a class apart, other than Rea
• Bautista likes PI
• Rea doesn't really like PI

Lets hope Bautista doesn't dominate all year to this extent - it could make the Rea years seem close.

I would guess the bike will get pegged back if this happens all weekend, Dorna can do this.

Rea would also be mid grid in GP, but anyone who thinks back when he shunned GP he was worse than Abraham, Petrucci, even Crutchlow, ave a word!  Fair play to Haslam, looking good when I never thought he would, but always good at PI.

GP testing, Rins yet again showing speed, seems like Yam have built a Vinales bike like they did 2 years ago, Rossi is going to ahve to adapt.  Honda nowhere as are KTM.

Impressed with Rabat again and Quattro (easier to type) and Petrucci, really showing well.

less so Miller and Bagnaia this time so far.

Edited by thegamer23, 24 February 2019 - 01:24.

• The Ducati is a monster

Edited by NixxxoN, 24 February 2019 - 09:50.