Ducati Monster Forum

I'll bet Pedrobot and Dovi have got their contracts under the magnifying glass to see if the rug can get pulled out from under them...

Honda USA Roadracing announcement:
http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=35171 (http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=35171)

that's a bummer.  really too bad we won't get to see bboz ride against hodgson.  guess this is one way to make duhamel retire tho..  ;)

i'm sure that honda knows that if they pulled the plug on repsol a few hundred thousand spaniards would burn them down.

wonder when the suzi announcement will come.

Several teams are done in F1 - there is a thread a couple down talking about it.  Spec engines and gearboxes for 2010.

mitt

Ironic, dated 12/4/08:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72343 (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72343)

"The decision to pull out of F1 does not affect the other forms of motorsport Honda are involved in," Ormond told autosport.com.

there's american honda and then there's honda...


also looks like Ducati is out of BSB
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/mcn/2008/December/15-21/dec1608-no-ducati-in-bsb-2009/?&R=EPI-104902 (http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/mcn/2008/December/15-21/dec1608-no-ducati-in-bsb-2009/?&R=EPI-104902)

More speculation here:

 http://www.motogpmatters.com/news/2008/12/16/honda_could_announce_motogp_withdrawal_o.html

 :'( :'(

for them to kill 1/3 of the GP grid seems... highly unlikely.  esp considering this just came out: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72493

but who knows.  we shall see.  :(

Mebbe the global economic crisis will cause them to reconsider all their options, including whether that f'n midget should be allowed to grace my television screen. 

bravo nicky!!   ;)

 [laugh]  If the midget loses his ride and Nicky's safe n' sound on a Duc, I'm gonna laugh my ass off. 

it made sense for them to pull out of AMA and F1.  motogp is another matter.  but then again, with major things a'shift across the globe...

wouldn't it be effin crazy next year then?  gp would be like pre-DMG AMA: 2 series happening at once on the track.  yamaha vs. ducati and... everyone else (kawi vs. suzi).  man that would suck.

lol more like Rossi/Lorenzo v. Stoner and then everyone else.  I don't care what Hayden's style is... until I see anyone do anything on that Ducati other than place at the back of the grid, Stoner is still the only one that can ride it.  How much of a snoozer would that season be.

What's the speculation on Jorge taking number 99 next year?  Only "1" away from the championship plate?  Pedrobot has relegated himself from 2 to 3!  Go back to 26 imo.

Wasn't there a vote as to what number he should run?  Did I read that on the DMF or somewhere else?

Edit:  I guess it was here.  http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=15901.msg288541#msg288541

+1 [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [clap] [clap] [laugh] [laugh]

So if there aren't enouhg teams/bikes on the grid it is not "MotoGP" world championship racing?  Kinda like the Suzuki Cup Championship at Road Atlanta?

EXACTLY....

"....If Honda did pull out of MotoGP, it would have a devastating effect on the series. Honda currently provides 6 of the 19 bikes on the grid, and with FIM rules requiring a minimum of 15 entries for a world championship series, the prospects of the 2009 MotoGP season being run as a cup, with no world title at stake...."

I also think that if this happened...Rossi would be bored and seriously think about pulling up stakes and going to another more stable type of racing or product for 2010, as would a few other riders making WSBK field of riders even more interesting looking!

so...if Honda pulls up stakes in MotoGP....do I get to say I told ya so?

will it make you feel good?   ;D

maybe....

problem is, many other series are suffering also.  honda is out of F1, toyota is rumored to be next.  in rossi's most likely next profession, WRC, suzuki and subaru are already out.  Ford cup?

besides, then fiat/yamaha would be paying him millions of dollars to sit or do something else.

sure.. .but i'm pretty sure you just ruined the moment.  ;)

nahhh...just the level of impact...LOL

Honda profit forcast
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/18/business/worldbusiness/18honda.html?_r=1&ref=automobiles (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/18/business/worldbusiness/18honda.html?_r=1&ref=automobiles)

Moto GP safe

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/mcn/2008/December/8-14/dec1108-motogp-bosses-get-honda-assurance/?&R=EPI-104712 (http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/mcn/2008/December/8-14/dec1108-motogp-bosses-get-honda-assurance/?&R=EPI-104712)

certainly good encouragement.. but until we see it somewhere other than the enquirer, there's still reason to be concerened

No news is good news:
http://www.motogpmatters.com/news/2008/12/17/no_mention_of_motogp_in_honda_ceo_s_year.html (http://www.motogpmatters.com/news/2008/12/17/no_mention_of_motogp_in_honda_ceo_s_year.html)

Still, there's lots of time yet before the start of the season.

MotoGP just became a Cup series...

http://www.motogpmatters.com/news/2008/12/30/confirmed_kawasaki_out_of_motogp.html (http://www.motogpmatters.com/news/2008/12/30/confirmed_kawasaki_out_of_motogp.html)

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Dec/081230a.htm (http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Dec/081230a.htm)


Team Green pulls up stakes....

actually...correction...it isn't a cup yet...but if this keeps up it soon will be!

Looks like Hopper may never get that elusive MotoGP victory. 

Spies' move to WSBK looks a lot safer/smarter with all this news.

So the competition will be between Honda, Yamaha, Ducati and on a rare occasion Suzuki?  How is that any different than what we have already? 

less bikes on the grid and a less populated track...less excitement....I mean..sometimes it is fun to watch the tail end of the grid fight for 14th place afterall.

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=35264 (http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=35264)
http://superbikeplanet.com/2008/Dec/081230b.htm (http://superbikeplanet.com/2008/Dec/081230b.htm)

more definitively, if there aren't enough bikes (or cars, in formula 1) on the track for an "official" world championship, the season would be run as a "cup".

please be esplainin' to me

http://www.motogpmatters.com/news/2008/12/16/honda_could_announce_motogp_withdrawal_o.html (http://www.motogpmatters.com/news/2008/12/16/honda_could_announce_motogp_withdrawal_o.html)

If Honda did pull out of MotoGP, it would have a devastating effect on the series. Honda currently provides 6 of the 19 bikes on the grid, and with FIM rules requiring a minimum of 15 entries for a world championship series, the prospects of the 2009 MotoGP season being run as a cup, with no world title at stake, do not bode well.

FIM/FIA world championships require a minimum number of participants on the grid.

That sucks.  It was 19, right?  Now it's down to 17.

What's the real effect of it being a Cup as opposed to a World Championship?  Other than the competitors--who want to be crowned World Champ--who cares?  It shouldn't affect sponsors or viewership or factory involvement, especially if it's for only one year. Right?


P.S.  That would definitely throw a wrench in Vale's run at Ago's record.  'course, Vale can brag that he won some races that Ago didn't -->  MotoGP Cup races.   ;D

http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=16386.msg299519#msg299519 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=16386.msg299519#msg299519)

Shouldn't there be another topic for Kawasaki pulling out since the title of this thread is limited to Honda?

There is in the General Monster Forum

http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=17063.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=17063.0)

well...generally speaking yes...but since we went off tangent to dwindling numbers...I think we are on topic despite the Honda title...

That shocks the shit out of me... ;D

how many amps did we use in that charge again?....    ;D :P [cheeky] [laugh] ;)

http://www.motogpmatters.com/news/2008/12/31/canepa_to_be_shifted_sideways_off_to_joi.html (http://www.motogpmatters.com/news/2008/12/31/canepa_to_be_shifted_sideways_off_to_joi.html)

more bad news, but then not.  pramac drops 1 rider due to loss of Alice sponsorship, but then Gibernau's should-have-been-a-Bond-villain new boss picks him up.

To my mind the writing was on the wall when honda got rid of David Richards who had pulled that team up from the back of the grid to 2nd behind those bloody red cars and as for MGP honda still want to sell motorcycles so hopefully the bike side of the business will be OK

Honda remains committed to MotoGP (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72952)