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Moto GP 2017

Bill Talbot

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Stefan Pierer has amazing vision and puts the right people behind the programs. He also listens carefully to 'his' racers.
I say THREE years before real results!
 
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Tom K.

Tom K.

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Stefan Pierer has amazing vision and puts the right people behind the programs. He also listens carefully to 'his' racers.
I say THREE years before real results!

I couldn't agree more, which "veers" me slightly away from MotoGP for a moment:

Who will replace the irreplaceable Roger DeCoster as KTM USA SX/MX Team Manager?

I wouldn't bet against a two or three year transition to Ryan Dungey, now that he has retired from active racing. He has always kind of been Roger's hand-picked protege.
 

Bill Talbot

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I couldn't agree more, which "veers" me slightly away from MotoGP for a moment:

Who will replace the irreplaceable Roger DeCoster as KTM USA SX/MX Team Manager?

I wouldn't bet against a two or three year transition to Ryan Dungey, now that he has retired from active racing. He has always kind of been Roger's hand-picked protege.

When you think of the decades of WINNING experience and development work behind DeCoster's career, those are some big HiPoints to fill...
 
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Tom K.

Tom K.

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So Mugello is in the books:

1. Ducatis on the first and third steps at the Italian race. Hard to beat, unless Rossi could have filled out the box. No more dirt biking in-season!

2. Fairly early in the season, Wonder Boy Vinales now has more than a full race lead in the championship chase. I like things closer. We need a wet race.

3. Not sure what happened to Rossi. Leftover fatigue from his injury, or tires? Either way, I was sure we were going to see a late lap move by him for third, but nope.

4. Those with long memories will realize that Pedrosas takeout of Crutchlow was a near-exact reprise of his move on the (late, great) Nicky Hayden. At least Crutchlow isn't in the hunt for any titles. The move came oh so close to costing Nicky his championship.

5. Again, we need a wet race to shake things up, or the season title is going to turn into a snoozer.
 
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Tom K.

Tom K.

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Assen:

Details later, but if you have any interest in any kind of motorsports racing whatsoever, DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO WATCH THIS RACE!
 

Mikey

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Austria. Holy cow. Race of the season so far. Great outcome. The right guy won. I'll leave it at that in case someone hasn't seen it :)

You know...these guys make the whole hand-wringing about the halo on f1 cars seem pretty ridiculous. Fix your racing product and stop worrying about a freak accident. Your motogp riders are hanging it completely out there race after race.
 
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Tom K.

Tom K.

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^^^ Yes, amazing race. Reduced only by my (probably) irrational hope for Rossi to win one more title.......

The fact that Marquez can compete with Ducatis on an "engine" track like that speaks worlds to his talent.

But his final move was dicey, and so far off the racing line, that it could have turned an amazing race into a disaster.

@Mikey, what is this F1 of which you speak?!
 

Mikey

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@Tom K. Yes, my hopes for Rossi dropped as well, but...there is still plenty of season left. It's not looking good from a bike/tire performance perspective, but you never know, with Marquez apparently ready to throw away a race and take someone else out with him, I'm sure we'll see him come away with 0 points at some point.

*If* there were not tire issues I wonder what the difference would have been between to two front-runners. Both were saving tires. If Marc didn't have to Davisioso would have screwed and vice-versa.

It's amazing how time slows down for these guys. Just to hear Dovi's thoughts through those last few turns, him hearing Marquez get on the gas early so that made him leave the inside open since he knew Marc would hit him...just hoping he could get a better exit.

That move was very Verstappenesque x 2. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Very entertaining, but as you said, very dicey. I'd call it dangerous and Dovi wasn't happy one bit. I (in the words of Nick Harris) AB SO LUTELY love the aggressive racing. I don't have a problem with the banging, but Marc would have hit Dovi hard. No telling what would have come out of that.

Here is the problem now. Dovi pretty much admitted that Marquez intimidated him into leaving the inside open, so Marc will be ready if the situation comes again. Where does a fan stand? Hope Dovi holds his ground and possiblly gets hit and injured, or hand the race to Marquez? I fear that Marc is going to hurt someone and then, like always, rules will start interfering with the racing.

Having said all that, man that super slow motion looking up the straight at the final turn with Marc completely out of shape, full on the gas and pulling a wheelie was something to see.

What a great season though.

F1? A once great racing series that is having a serious late mid-life crisis.
 
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Tom K.

Tom K.

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^^^ Yes, Marquez's casual, humorous response about that last corner in the post-race presser makes me think you are right. Too cocky.

Icarus, anybody?!
 
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Tom K.

Tom K.

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OUCH!

Just after an amazing race at Silverstone, Rossi apparently breaks (pretty badly) his tib and fib while enduro "training" on Thursday.

Damn! Could this spell retirement?!
 

scott43

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I don't think retirement. He's still fast. I suppose the problem is will he keep getting a tier one ride. Is he's on also ran equipment I don't think he'll continue.
 

Mikey

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I awoke the other morning and was checking out the latest racing news. DAMN! No, actually DOUBLE DAMN. Nat and I are both Rossi fans and I had recently surprised her with a trip to Japan to see the race. He *might* be good to go by then, but I doubt he'll be racing at 100% and he's definitely out of the running. Our tickets were going to be for a trip with the Yamaha travel group. For whatever reason, they were very slow in charging my credit card so I was able to cancel before the charge. I also purchased non-refundable rooms at the Hilton, but since I'm a member and stay with Hilton as much as possible, they were kind enough to give me a full refund. Just a 60 dollar change fee on the plane tickets, so I'll use that money to fly back to the US in January. We'll just go see the race in Austin...or Thailand if we are still here.

Crap. It's one thing to be a racer and not being competitive enough to win, but it must be a much different thing being a racer near the end of his career on a competitive bike and just not being able to put it all together to finish the season as champion. After a while, I think that would get to a person mentally.

He's obviously still fast enough. Hopefully the 2018 bike will solve their rear tire issues and he can put it together next year.
 

Bill Talbot

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I think he'll be 'on to other things' next season. Betting he'll run a moto GP team, logical extension of the lower tier teams already going.
Personally like to see him in a WRC car next year!

valentino-rossi-ford-fiesta-wrc-ford-fiesta-rs-wrc.jpg
 
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Tom K.

Tom K.

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Hopefully the 2018 bike will solve their rear tire issues and he can put it together next year.

Agree, but tire management has played the demon for more than just Rossi this season.

So educate me. I'm a fan, but not a detail fan. I thought everybody had to use the same ECU now, so how does one team moderate the obliteration of rear tires more effectively than others? I thought that one of the reasons for Dovi's ascension this season is that he is Mr. Smooth with all his inputs, so has more tire left to play with in the latter stages of the race.

And, @Bill Talbot, I agree. If not MotoGP, a WRC car would be a hoot with Rossi inside it!
 

scott43

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So educate me. I'm a fan, but not a detail fan. I thought everybody had to use the same ECU now, so how does one team moderate the obliteration of rear tires more effectively than others? I thought that one of the reasons for Dovi's ascension this season is that he is Mr. Smooth with all his inputs, so has more tire left to play with in the latter stages of the race.

Kinda.. The ECU is standard, the code is standard..but there were differences and are possible differences. Some teams use different/more sensors. Which other teams can use if they choose..but some don't. They use a different model for throttle control than the old MAF/Throttle position with fuel map. They use a system which looks at what the rider EXPECTS from the throttle and uses a model in memory of the engine power curve (it's more complicated than just a curve..it's a 3-d map of the engine behaviour) to produce that power level. It's actually somewhat proactive. And the teams have to model that engine map very carefully..each track has its own map I imagine. So while the code is the same..the behvaiour of the engine can be different.

And at the end of the day, the chassis still has to put the power to the ground..so if the suspension or weight layout isn't conducive to putting maximum traction down you can end up spinning and sliding more which wears the tire faster.
 
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Tom K.

Tom K.

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Thanks, @scott43.

So is Vinales having the same late race tire problems as Rossi?
 

scott43

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Thanks, @scott43.

So is Vinales having the same late race tire problems as Rossi?
Yeah he's been complaining as well. They're trying to balance power, wheelspin and speed. I think the Yamaha is generally slower and they're chasing. They're using up more tire in the beginning and paying for it later.
 
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Tom K.

Tom K.

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Wow, Motegi might have been the best last half of a last lap race I've ever seen.

I think they traded the lead 4 times?!

But Rossi crashes. Damn!
 

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