Ducati Monster Forum

Rossi's in at Yamaha. George hasn't signed yet and is rumored to have an offer from Ducati.

Should be a crazy season with so many contracts expiring this year.

Wonder who'll go where?

I'd rather not have Jorge on a Duc.

I just can't imagine him doing it.

He is holding off on signing with Yamaha, so must be considering Ducati's offer very carefully (or playing brinkmanship to drive up the Jorgey Dollar).

The way Jarvis was talking You'reghey had the very best offer Yamaha was prepared to make.

I wonder if thats Jarvis or Yamaha speak for " thats our best offer, take it or make the beast with two backs off"? Jorge knows Rossi is the favorite son and might be looking for a company that unequivocally has him as top dog.
Also, Ducaudi has probably offered squillions.

He's tired of playing second fiddle. He's gonna leave Yamaha.

Why not HRC then . ..  he's good friend with MM . . .

Who says he's second fiddle? Rossi is more popular but Jorge has the most recent world titles and more recent wins. If he goes to Ducati then my enthusiasm for Ducati will diminish greatly. Not that that counts for anything in Bologna.  ;D

He'll be second fiddle to Rossi no matter where he goes or how many championships he wins.

He should stay right where he is.

When Rossi came back to Yamaha, they shouted off the rooftops that Jorghey was the #1 rider. Last year they did not do that at all and even when he won the championship they probably offered them both contracts at the same time. it might not be second fiddle, but you would expect Yamaha to give signing the reigning world champion a priority.

I need to find the article where I read where they quote Jarvis saying that it's the best deal Yamaha is willing to offer. I also read that Ducati/Audi made a mega-offer. If it's about the money, we'll see Jorghey in red next year. I have no doubt that he will wait until he sees what the GP16 can truly do. He probably knows that he can ride better than Iannone and Dovi. He knows that the Duc is better than the Honda right now. The only question is, can the bike consistently beat the Yamaha. Or a better way to put it, he knows that he can beat Rossi on the same bike, but can he beat Rossi while riding a Duc.

According to Jarvis there is a time limit on Yammies offer. he didn't specify what it was.

I don't think You'reghey has as much time as he'd like to wait and see what the Duc can do.

Of course he is best to stay with Yamaha at present as far as winning is concerned. Thats contingent on him tolerating being there with Rossi a couple of more years, but it appears he is finding that very difficult.

Interesting to see what happens if the deadline expires whether Yamaha wait for JLo or enforce the deadline. It will say alot about the relationship. I get the impression that JLo despite his success, is embraced reluctantly by Yamaha compared to the Rossi icon. Maybe thats what JLo is testing so he knows whether to leap into Ducatis arms.

Maybe if he wasn't such a douche they'd hug him tighter.

Is he difficult for teams to work with?

No clue.

I just go by his demeanor. The fact he doesn't seem to talk to anyone but Forcada and his personal assistant. The fact he always has earbuds in and seems so detached.

He should use some of his money to buy some charisma and a better personality. ;D

Rossi sells bikes. That is the bottom line. Jorghey can earn 10 more championships and he would still sell less, even if Rossi decided tomorrow to ride over a box of golden retriever puppies (it's a fact that golden retrievers are the cutest puppies).

So, from what I am reading, championship should be decided this weekend in Argentina . . . ;D

Ducati 2017 Rider lineup announced.

JLo and Stoner both accept mega offers.

Http://motogp.com/Ducati-update-April1.html (http://Http://motogp.com/Ducati-update-April1.html)

Should be an interesting season.

It's called focus. He could care less what a bunch of people say or think about him on social media. Dani was/is the same way. None of us actually know him personally, so what 'we' perceive during the minutes before or after a race is subjective at best.  ;)

I wonder if Rossis contract stipulates that Yamaha cannot sign MM.

I had to take a quick look to see which side of the international date line that one was written on...

I know he doesn't care what I think, nor should he. Doesn't mean I can't...and don't think it. Focus is one thing. A complete lack of on stage personality is another. He's a public figure. He should play to the public.

Dani went and got a personality after he ditched Puig.

I never liked Stoner's lack of exuberance either.

 [laugh]  :-*

I dunno - the times he's tried to play to the public left me feeling a bit like watching a dancing bear wearing a tutu - all a bit creepy and unnatural for my taste. Exhibit A:

(http://static2.stuff.co.nz/1280102936/082/3958082.jpg)

That wasn't the act I was thinking of either. I didn't think him giving his rear tire tongue after the Qatar race was quite the ticket either. ;D

Smile once in a while in the box for make the beast with two backss sake.

I recall you saying something along the lines of 'First world problems'  :D

With his puss he must have lots of them. ;D

 :D

We dream of his first world problems. :P
When asked if it was hard work racing, Doohan once said, "Beats digging ditches for a living" (which he had done).

Don't think Lorenzo has ever had a real job though...

I made it a little easier to spot by having April1 in the URL however.....  ;D Assumed a few may not get hat over ere it was already April 1

That's my prediction...wearing red next season, and cashing huge checks. Rossi's new 2 year deal sealed it.

Yep, just as VR is celebrating 20 years international racing with hoopla. JL wont be able to stand it. At least we will get another alien after CS.

I just wish that Alien was MM though (or Vinales once he joins that group this year)

I reckon he would love to tick off anything Rossi did not acheive.

Honda have to get the bike into a better package or there is the possibility of him at another factory.

Wonder how the KTM will fare in its wildcards this year.

Shortly after Jorge announces he's going to Ducati, Yamaha will announce that Maverick is taking his seat.

I suspect you could be right, but if Jorge stays put (which is what I expect), I'm guessing Vinales' agent might be making a visit to the Ducati garage to find out how big that number was...

Good point. More so from an agent's point of view [evil].

One of the big 3 will sign Viñales or better said, either Yamaha or Ducati will sign him. Depends on Lorenzo.

I love the first line in Paolo Ciabatti's quote in what amounts to a "just chill, everybody" statement out of Ducati:

“We make no secret about knowing that both Marquez and Lorenzo have contracts that expire at the end of this season,” Ciabatti stated. “We have been looking into the possibilities and talking to our riders. Other teams are also talking to our riders. It's quite normal at the moment. Obviously we wouldn't be doing our job properly if we didn't look into the possibilities.

Read more at http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/229143/1/ducati-no-secret-marquez-lorenzo-out-of-contract.html#sTVtR2DrKkcxdZdK.99 (http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/229143/1/ducati-no-secret-marquez-lorenzo-out-of-contract.html#sTVtR2DrKkcxdZdK.99)

I would be really pleased if Ducati sign MM or Mav. I like Mav and have grown to really like the other little bugger.

That would be handy to pry MM and Repsol away from Honda.

But I expect that would be such a titanic event, just not likely....

I wonder if more races like the last will make Jlo less likely to go to Ducati.  For the reason that he is the most affected by any change to the bike and while the Duc is now a contender... he would also have to give up a bike which is perfectly suited to his riding style.

According to paddock rumors and the Spanish media, Lorenzo is very close to signing for Ducati. A source very close to the Italian manufacturer has commented that “the agreement between the five-time world champion and Ducati is 99-percent done.” A deal that should grant the Spaniard around 12 million Euro per season.


http://www.cycleworld.com/motogp-riders-will-change-teams-2017-jorge-lorenzo-domino-effect/?src=SOC&dom=tw#page-2 (http://www.cycleworld.com/motogp-riders-will-change-teams-2017-jorge-lorenzo-domino-effect/?src=SOC&dom=tw#page-2)



Please no I will have to sell my bike  ( Say No to jaylow )

It would be dumb to sell your bike because of a douchebag starts riding it. It would be dumber if the douchebag actually wins on it.

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/sport/motogp/2016/april/lorenzo-to-make-ducati-switch/#.VwU2t_U6qB4.facebook

Plenty of dbags ride Ducatis anyway!  [laugh]

I'll believe it when I see something not sourced to an Italian newspaper or preceded with "Rumors indicate..."

How dare you question the integrity of the Italian media!




Crazy Joe is buggered.

Not Italian...

http://www.motogp.com/en/in+the+media/2016/04/06/lorenzo-on-edge-of-ducati-move/197750 (http://www.motogp.com/en/in+the+media/2016/04/06/lorenzo-on-edge-of-ducati-move/197750)

Not Italian either.

Or the integrity of Fleet Street! ;D

Rossi is playing Jorghey perfectly. He just needed to say "he doesn't have the balls to move to Ducati". Miiiiiiiiiiiiiind games.

J-Lo and Ducati is  not a good fit.

So how much love and effort will Yamaha show J-Lo now?  Forget a wall between the two riders, it won't be necessary, Yamaha and Rossi feel that J-Lo doesn't really need a garage. 

They're going to give him a popup tent by his trailer. 

Do you think it will be Crazy Joe gone ? why not Dovi ?  Ianonie  is a young buck with talent that needs to grow ( I know jlo won't nurture him along )

Dovi is great but his day has come and gone ( like P bot )

So why not keep the potential talent ( and if were lucky he will take out jlow a few times ...lol )

WTF . . .

http://www.macaumotors.com/# (http://www.macaumotors.com/#)!LORENZO-WITH-DUCATI-VIÑALES-TO-TAKE-HIS-PLACE-IN-YAMAHA/c1wxa/57045dd10cf2efb3747d0419

Sourcing on the MCN Piece (and I quote): "Rumours in Argentina last weekend claim..." Where I come from, that's not a credible journalistic cite. It's ESPECIALLY dubious, given the spelling of Rumors with a second "U" - I mean, who trusts somebody who does that?


Sourcing on this piece? The MCN piece above. The schoolteacher in me wants to knock a couple of points of your grade for nesting sources.

FWIW, the sources in DarkMonster's post are listed as Italian & Spanish papers.

Look, I'm not saying they're not talking, nor am I saying it's unlikely. I am saying I don't think it's a done deal, and still a lot more up in the air than the chatter on the internet seems to think. A move to Ducati is a huge risk for a rider like Lorenzo, and he's remarkably averse to risk. (You know, once you factor out the whole riding a motorcycle in excess of 300 kph and at lean angles that defy physics risk part.)

Maybe I should put it this way: I'll believe it when David Emmett writes it.

I spell:

 rumours
colours
tomtatoes
aluminium
tyres and tires
and few others in the UK/AUS English spelling for some weird reason I do not know . . . I saw the news, that's why I wrote WTF . . . hard for me to get to MCN or other publications that wont allow me access due to location

So, are we saying 2017 sees Yourghey and Stoner in Red, and Rossi all alone pn the Yamaha....

http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=73121.msg1347355#msg1347355 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=73121.msg1347355#msg1347355)

IF Jorghey does go to Ducati, he would be dumb not to want to keep Dovi as his teammate. Dovi is a great #2 rider, not so much a #1. If there's one thing that he does well is block other riders. Imagine the scenario where Dovi qualifies in the front row and Rossi on the second row. If Jorghey gets poll and Dovi is right behind, he is practically assured a clear track for the first few laps while the rest of the Aliens find their way around the human speed bump. Ducati would love it because they don't really care to have their riders first and second, the manufacturers' points only come from the top finisher. Iannone is more of a loose canon and I can already see the wall coming up the first time Crazy Joe makes an aggressive move on the douchebag.

Yep.  That's spot on. 

Ok, so using this article as our base, let's look at what we have:

Ducati - Jorghey and Dovi
Yamaha - Rossi and Vinales
HRC - MM and X
Suzuki - Pedrosa and A. Espargaro
KTM - Smith and X
Ape - Bautista and Bradl

These are all the factory rides. If assuming Iannone is gone, then I can see him either on the KTM or pushing Espargaro off the Suzuki.

I have issues thinking that HRC will not offer Pedrosa another contract. He is still one of the best riders in the field. If anything, they might low ball him a bit by included bonuses for actually winning races, but I can't fathom them at least not trying to keep him. If he stays put, then a Iannone/Espargaro team at Suzuki would be nice and clean. KTM can then go after one of the satellite guys, like Petrux or Barbera.

This will be exciting as it unfolds. I had no idea Malboro was the major backer of Ducati, hence the major deal they're offering to JLo.

http://www.cyclenews.com/2016/04/article/motogp-jorge-lorenzo-set-to-join-ducati/ (http://www.cyclenews.com/2016/04/article/motogp-jorge-lorenzo-set-to-join-ducati/)

Good points , that does make sense

Apparently the rumor mill is going bonkers. Obviously this one is coming from an Italian source that spoke to Rossi. It's pretty much speculation, but if there's a signed deal, I doubt Ducati will be able to keep it under raps until Jerez

http://www.morebikes.co.uk/rossi-confirms-lorenzo-ducati-deal-is-done-he-had-the-balls-he-will-do-well/


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I imagine you're right - and if Rossi knows one way or the other, the number of folks who'd need to keep the secret would have to be in the dozens, not the handful of principal players and lawyers you'd conceivably be able to manage.

It's plausible that Jorghey told Yamaha that the deal was signed and Yamaha told Rossi. The fact that no one is denying it is more telling.

If the secondary rumor of Iannone being out at the end of the season is true imagine what that does for one's morale & motivation...........

Not to mention your willingness to take an overly ambitious move up the inside on your own teammate...

(For the record, Iannone's explanation of the incident is that he didn't expect to make a pass, but was instead blocking an expected pass by Rossi & thereby protecting the team's spots on the podium. I guess only he knows for sure what was in his head at that moment.)

Dean & co over at Soup say it's a done deal (for what that's worth), as well: http://superbikeplanet.com/2016/Apr/160410mnx.htm (http://superbikeplanet.com/2016/Apr/160410mnx.htm)

Not happy about Boy George riding for Ducati, but such is life. I hope they ditch Dovi, just to keep things interesting. I don't think Dovi has it in him to win. Iannone does, if he can calm it down a bit. And, if worse comes to worst, at least he'll be torpedoing Whorehey.

OK, I'll officially turn in my skeptics badge; that sounds pretty definitive.

Personally, I'm looking forward to Lorenzo on the red bike, and the fact that he's willing to take a risk & make a change counts for me on the plus side of my opinion of him.

I like Crazy Joe, too, but this year Dovi has shown better race pace. I can picture him fighting his way to the top step, while when I try to imagine Iannone trying a last-turn bid for the lead I keep seeing him taking out the entire podium...

I don't necessarily believe that Soup article. You'reghey didn't ride in a separate car. He ditched the whole circus after his warmup crash.

I'll believe it when...

a) Yamaha announces they've signed someone besides You'reghey

b) I see him in red leathers.

I still think it's a bad move for Ducati. He's too rigid to ride a bike that's still in development. I'd much rather see kopf's boy in red.

+1 but that's a personal choice. Lorenzo is still 1 of 4 people with the skills to consistently win. Unfortunately Vinales is still a gamble.

Again, no one has even attempted to deny it. We will know in less than 2 weeks.

Part of the reason I don't like Boy George. He's not as mentally tough as he thinks he is. Shirking his PR responsibilities because he had a get off during warmup? Get over yourself. Same thing with getting booed last year. Either work on your image, or stop getting butthurt because people don't like you.

On the other hand, I'd love to see Mav in red...

When this goes down, there's gonna be limited seating on the 'bandwagon' so you guys better reserve your seats early.  :D

Seat Reserved.  [wine] I wanna see Ducati win again.

It'll take him two seasons.

Don't be holding your breath.

I said it before, I'll say it again, I will love to see Ducati win another championship. I will never root for Jorghey, just the bike he's riding.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Let me be the first to say it. We're all very excited that you sent that from your iPhone using tapatalk.

that and [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]

Tapatalk just started to charge forum owners to be able to turn off the signature feature.

I won't pay for tapatalk...I will probably uninstall it if members that use it don't turn off signatures in their device.

That's bullshit

Easy enough to turn off, although sometimes I still get texts from people that haven't turned that shit off.  [bang]

I just found it and turned it off, but I only use it on the rare occasions that I'm not in front of my PC

Thanks.

It used to be a forum admin choice so it was a non issue as I had sigs turned off. They recently started to charge both the user and the forum owner and made that a 'pay' feature. I don't use it so I have no idea if it gives a better forum experience on mobile devices, but if they keep messing with the options I won't care. I'll just ditch them.

So now my David Emmet standard has been met, with MotoMatters reporting the deal done with Lorenzo.

However, there may be a hurdle to the smooth transition of Vinales to the M1 seat he's vacating - namely, that the kid's so fast he might just podium himself into another year's contract with Suzuki.  From the same MotoMatters story (which is mostly about the private Suzuki test at COTA):

"According to Speedweek – a German-language website with close ties to Aki Ajo (triangleforge note: the agent Vinales just fired) – the contract Viñales has with Suzuki has a stipulation that Suzuki can extend the contract for another year if Viñales gets on the podium in 2016. Given Viñales' strong form so far this year, that seems increasingly likely."

Read the whole thing at https://motomatters.com/news/2016/04/14/suzuki_private_test_on_progress_with_the.html (https://motomatters.com/news/2016/04/14/suzuki_private_test_on_progress_with_the.html)

More on announcement of JLo's departure to Ducati:

https://twitter.com/motomatters/status/720994373740015618

Wow these shake ups are making me tingle  [shot]

Since it's official now, does Lorenzo fight to keep Maverick off the podium this year so he can make the move, or does he want to keep him on the Zuk for another season.?

I can honestly say JLo will fight to keep MV off the podium, but only if JLo isn't already there.

I think he's focused on the known devil at the moment.

Tactically, hmm...Vinales on Zuk and ? on other M1, vs. Vinales on M1 and ? on Zuk.
_EDIT_

Depends where Pedrosa goes.
Pedrosa on the M1 or Zuk may be an unpleasant surprise for a Ducati-mounted JLo.
And MM currently has no offers on the table, yes?

I cannot possibly fathom Honda not trying to retain MM

In an annoyed way, I'm kind of glad to see JLo going to Ducati

I feel like I will have to watch the race and cheer on Ducati without looking directly at JLo riding it

I'm gonna root for Marquez.

Shame! ;)

MM would ride the Ducati well I think.

I agree.  What are the chances MM leaves Honda?  That would be some payroll for Ducati.

If Iannone is still around with J-Lo, I hope Iannone leaves him in the dust.


Wow, that's some hate'n, there. 
I just won't root for him. 

You'reghey is the wrong guy for Ducati.

He needs to be on the best bike that's all sorted out, not on a bike still being developed. He doesn't like change...he couldn't even handle the situation at COTA. He won't like the bike...Ducati will try to appease him by making changes because they won't be able to stand the whining and they'll end up without him in 2 years with a bike that still isn't sorted.

He'll do much better with Ducati than the 'golden boy' did.  ;)

That may well be.

Keep in mind Preziosi has been gone for over two years and the bike is a shit ton better.

'Golden Boy' would wipe You'reghey's ass with the bike as it is now.

I'll bet you airfence fund donations that he won't win a championship on it...ever.

I stopped rooting for Rossi 'when' he went to Ducati. Day late and a dollar short for me. I couldn't have been happier he was unsuccessful on it.

Lorenzo will beat Rossi in the first race next year.  ;)

$50 to the airfence fund if he doesn't?

You're on.

 [thumbsup]

Bet the ranch -- Rossi back on the Duc in 2 years...he'll be itching to show up JLo, will never go to WSBK, and since Audi can't resist spending money they'll quickly realize JLo has no personality and that won't sell bikes, or cars. [coffee]

Rossi will never leave Yamaha again.

 [laugh] [laugh]  [laugh]

Considering that the Duc does perform very well in Qatar, I can definitely see this happening.

At this point I really can't get behind any of the current "aliens'.  I'd still cheer for Rossi the most except he disappointed me greatly with how he handled the end of last season. Juvenile would be kind.  He could have had the championship except he decided to dick around with Marquez instead of just racing for points and leaving it at that.  I respect Lorenzo but have no love, or anything less, for him.  Marquez is good,no doubt, but a bit of a whiny boy and worse, a liar, in my book. I've renewed respect and admiration for Pedrosa but I don't see him winning. Crutchlow will never get there so that pretty much leaves Iannone, Dovi (maybe), and Vinales.  Those are the guys I cheer for now.  Rossi too, on the off chance.

Dovi has never been in the league with the Aliens. Ducati saw possible greatness in Iannone, and he has shown some flashes of it like in PI last year. Unfortunately he has no race craft. He will need to learn in the same way that Jorghey learned on his rookie season.

Pedrosa has obviously grown on me, but he's on his last leg.

Rossi showed zero class last year and worse became a whinny baby blaming everyone else for his inability to keep the lead down the stretch. I expected that from MM, but Rossi simply went off the deep end.

I don;t have to say anything about Jorghey that I haven't said previously.

Vinales is truly my last great hope for this batch. He seems to have the likability MM showed the year he dominated, with less arrogance. I hope that it is truly the bike that is holding him back. I will love to see him throw his leg over the M1!

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/sport/motogp/2016/may/pedrosa-to-join-rossi-at-yamaha-viales-to-remain-at-suzuki/ (http://www.motorcyclenews.com/sport/motogp/2016/may/pedrosa-to-join-rossi-at-yamaha-viales-to-remain-at-suzuki/)

If this is true...

 :o [popcorn]

Pedrosa a good replacement for Lorenzo due to similar riding style?

Therefore a good chance of Cal on the factory bike?

That all sounded pderbyerous.

I have to agree. Pedrosa has always been a point and shoot guy while in GP because that is the way the Honda must be ridden.

I doubt Cal will ever ride for a factory again.

It is a British mag, so they can dream.

I can see Yamaha going after Pedrosa. Ever since Puig got the boot and Dani became the #2 (both during the Stoner and MM years) things probably stopped looking so rosy. He has much less to prove, so he can focus on a big check. We don't know what HRC has offered either. They might be low balling him. I can think of a few worse situations than being Rossi's teammate on the best bike on the grid.

Brings up something that's being bandied about, how 'good' it's going to be for a rider as Rossi's teammate.

Unless I'm mistaken, it's only been 'good' to have Rossi as a teammate if you're not a threat to beat him.

The minute you become a threat, party's over.

(http://www.todocircuito.com/ckfinder/userfiles/images/pedrosa-rossi-motogp.jpg)

Mmmm..... that RedBull hat is a bit of a problem.

Ding ding ding

MOTOGP: DUCATI MANDATES PASSING RULES FOR IANNONE AND DOVIZIOSO

http://www.sportrider.com/motogp-ducati-mandates-passing-rules-for-iannone-and-dovizioso (http://www.sportrider.com/motogp-ducati-mandates-passing-rules-for-iannone-and-dovizioso)

That'll be interesting to see what comes of this rumor.

Not sure what to think about Pedro to Yam but MCN is normally pretty good about rumors... Cal to a factory team is pure hopes and dreams though.

And rumor seems to be solid enough that Emmet has written up about it...

https://motomatters.com/analysis/2016/05/04/silly_season_madness_pedrosa_or_vi_ales.html

I'll be interested to see which one they keep.

The one that didn't crash his teammate out and lose Ducati manufacturer points.   ;)

That would be my choice.

Let's not forget that Dani also has "make dumb pass, take out teammate" cred.... [bang]

Maybe it's a phase the boys have to grow out of  [coffee]

Or, could be an ongoing Spanish plot to neutralize Rossi, in case he gets too close to the championship next year

Let it go already. Pedrosa probably has had to deal with the worst teammate situation of his career with less whining than the 2 douches on the blue bike.

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2016/05/05/tech-3-to-join-forces-with-german-star-jonas-folger/200083 (http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2016/05/05/tech-3-to-join-forces-with-german-star-jonas-folger/200083)

I know that Herve is a big "Moto2 feeding into MotoGP" fan, but I would have waited another near for the next batch of excellent riders from Moto3 to get to Moto2 before pulling the trigger.

But Bradley's gone to KTM, and with Pol's feeling that Yamaha isn't providing adequate support.... Herve may have been looking at empty pit boxes for '17.

I know that he needed to replace Smith, but I'm sure there will be some people left out that would have gone well, like Laverty. I'm not convinced Folger should go to arguably the best satellite team.

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/sport/motogp/le-mans-motogp-2016/rossi-concurs-with-pedrosa-switch-rumours/ (http://www.motorcyclenews.com/sport/motogp/le-mans-motogp-2016/rossi-concurs-with-pedrosa-switch-rumours/)

I agree...

Zarco will be available unless he's already signed and it hasn't been announced.

Suzuki has some sort of 'option' on Zarco:
http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/230056/1/brivio-confirms-zarco-suzuki-option-for-2017.html (http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/230056/1/brivio-confirms-zarco-suzuki-option-for-2017.html)

Dunno how real that is, to me Brivio just blew a bunch of smoke.

In David Emmett's article on Folger going to Tech3, he has several posts in the comments section about riders other than Folger.
Herve had several riders he wanted to sign, but Folger was the one who was available and wanted the seat.
Here, and several posts prior: https://motomatters.com/comment/75141#comment-75141

Like I mention earlier, I want to see Laverty on a decent bike. He's been riding the wheels off the old 14.2

http://www.gpone.com/it/2016050625192/motogp/dani-pedrosa-torna-in-azzurro-con-yamaha.html (http://www.gpone.com/it/2016050625192/motogp/dani-pedrosa-torna-in-azzurro-con-yamaha.html)

(http://www.gpone.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_big/public/images/2016/article/foto/05/MotoGP/05_LEMANS/pedrosa_telefonica.jpg?itok=UzmqYWn8)

Looking more and more like Vinales has thought about it for too long, and left the Yamaha seat vacant for so long that Pedrosa sat down.

Perhaps they don't have that game in Spain.

If he dicks around much more, he'll end up on the Aprilia or a satellite Honda.

They were talking on motgp.com today about the reason Vinales is having such a tough time with the decision.

Supposedly Yamaha made him an incredible offer...and Suzuki bettered it.

So...does he take the Yammie for less money, but a fully developed bike...or the Zook for all the money, but a bike that might never get there.

Tough choice.

Yep I think the decision is being made for him and he will stay at Suzuki. Better to not be Rossi's team mate and be a trusted number one rider.

He's a class act, and I'm sure he's struggling with it, but he's 'gonna' leave so might as well rip the band-aid off and get over there next year vs golden boys retirement parade season.

Not all Silly Season content, but a big part of it:
https://motomatters.com/analysis/2016/05/07/2016_le_mans_friday_round_up_on_tires.html

I'd say from that, the box next to Rossi for the next two years will have a #26 on it.

And there was a bit of discussion about Jonathan Rea.  [beer]

Was reading this, now, this is all getting waaay too confusing,

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/230101/1/suppo-meregalli-respond-to-pedrosayamaha-rumours.html (http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/230101/1/suppo-meregalli-respond-to-pedrosayamaha-rumours.html)

https://motorlands.eu/2016/05/07/3700/ (https://motorlands.eu/2016/05/07/3700/)

Not confusing to me.

The rags are saying he's signed, Suppo is saying Dani and his lawyer say no, and Meregali isn't saying.

All it means is someone is lying.

Or that rumor & hyperbole is near out of control at this point in the season and is reflective of the current "sound bite" news that the press is trying to pass off as real news.  Everyone wants to be first to report whatever folks want to perceive as "truth".  None of it really means squat at this point. Now... it may mean something substantive in the near future but it's only "fun grist" at this point.

This year we've gone from silly to idiotic. It started with the Yamaha boys and it's gone down hill from there. It's obvious that the teams were not ready to start negotiating. Ducati were lucky when they jumped on Jorghey when they guessed that he would not be happy that Rossi accepted his deal for another 2 years. Things have gone nutty ever since.

I'm thinking my boy might go to Ducati.

That would be a good succession plan for Georgie boy.

Will he assassinate George? ;D

 [laugh] [laugh] No I say the clear house.  ;)

Aaaaand, he stays on the Kwaken for 2 more seasons.

http://www.motogp.com/en/in%20the%20media/2016/05/11/where-to-for-pedrosa/200947 (http://www.motogp.com/en/in%20the%20media/2016/05/11/where-to-for-pedrosa/200947)

Good on him though... always liked Rea and while I would have loved to see him in MotoGP, I'd rather see him competing at the pointy end in WSBK.

Indeed.
I think he used up all of his good luck in the process of getting off the donkey.  :-\

+1 Why consider moving to a satellite bike in MotoGP when you're leading the championship on arguably the best bike in WSBK?

So now this is truly silly. Both guys that everyone thought would jump into Yamaha seem to be staying put. First, is the prospect of being Rossi's teammate so bad that no one wants to ride the best bike on the grid? Second, who is the third choice? I presume that whomever is dropped from Ducati would have the inside line. Yamaha would become an all Italian team!

I think Yamaha would consider Iannone but not Dovi.  (By Yamaha I mean Rossi.)  Dovi is too old and lacks that drive that the aliens have. 

Sadly, Iannone has the drive but tends to drive it right off the track.

I cant think of who would be #2 on the Yam though if they dont take Duc's leftovers. It's just weird that the arguably best bike on the grid might be the one that cant find a good replacement.

That being said... I'd have a hard time sticking with Honda if I was Pedro. The bike doesnt seem to work with him and he's never won a championship with it... if I were him and the chance to jump ship was there I'd take the gamble.

I have to agree with thought...Iannone may have the drive, but lacks the talent and racecraft of an Alien.

One has to remember that a quite a few good riders crashed a lot in their early GP days. Iannone might eventually settle down and become a very good racer.

Alex Rins to yamaha.
He has natural talent
Would not be a threat to Rossi and is Spanish which the movistar sponsor wants. He has been offered satellite rides but is holding out for a factory rides.... maybe one in Blue?

Possible. Rins does have talent. He seems a little inconsistent. Maybe lack of experience, or maybe the bike. It would be interesting to see him on a factory GP bike...

just like it would be interesting to see kopf's boy on a fully developed bike.

Latest word is Kopf's boy signed on the line with Yamaha today.

Good for him, I think..

Smart move I'd say. Open spots on the Yam don't come around too often.

Nothing on motogp.com about it yet.

This, is all I'm seeing so far.  [popcorn] 'Sign ze papers young man'

Something better start happening here soon  [coffee]

Vinales at Yamaha, Pedro stays at Honda.

What about Binder for Yamaha?

so says Motorsport,

http://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/ducati-chooses-dovizioso-to-partner-lorenzo-in-2017-737347/ (http://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/ducati-chooses-dovizioso-to-partner-lorenzo-in-2017-737347/)

Yeah I saw the recap of the French GP and they showed a clip off the Ducati garage and they didn't seem to pleased with AI.

https://motomatters.com/analysis/2016/05/16/silly_season_updates_pedrosa_to_honda_vi.html

More than Ducati, I bet "La Lorenza" chose Dovi  ;D

Today's the 30th anniversary, so I thought for sure my boy was gonna make his announcement.


(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa91/chiflado/895EB27D-E965-4B11-BAF7-9AB7B279A5D4.jpg) (http://s201.photobucket.com/user/chiflado/media/895EB27D-E965-4B11-BAF7-9AB7B279A5D4.jpg.html)

Officially official http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2016/05/17/andrea-dovizioso-confirmed-with-ducati-for-2017-and-2018/201065 (http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2016/05/17/andrea-dovizioso-confirmed-with-ducati-for-2017-and-2018/201065)

Like I said previously, Dovi is the perfect teammate for any Alien. He's competitive enough to be consistently in the top 6, but not good enough to be a threat. He's also the human speed bump!

Is that a winglet?

And to think that most of us were expecting Dovi to be tossed to the side for Ianonne at the start of this season.

Instead, he was tossed to the side by Ianonne.   :D




Try the veal. I'll be here all week.

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2016/05/19/andrea-iannone-joins-suzuki-for-2017-and-2018/201136 (http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2016/05/19/andrea-iannone-joins-suzuki-for-2017-and-2018/201136)

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2016/05/19/yamaha-confirm-maverick-vinales-for-2017-and-2018-season/201135 (http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2016/05/19/yamaha-confirm-maverick-vinales-for-2017-and-2018-season/201135)

Its all happenin' now.

So that pretty much covers the top guys.

Who's left?

Crutchlow...the Espargaro's...anyone else?

I don't see crashlow going to any new manufacturers as he does not look to be able to make bikes work, they need to be developed before he can ride them or he just falls off trying to over ride the bike.

Espargaro could go to KTM as he has been doing well with Suzuki , he is just not an alien. his Brother as well Tech 3 wants to keep him but I do not see him ever moving forward, his time is almost up.

I would be interested in seeing what happens to Barbara as he has been overachieving on a old bike.

Miller? does he improve?
Tito   back to moto 2?
Hernandez   WSB?
Baz             WSB?

time to clear out some dead wood and bring up some new talent to see what they can do. There must be some more aliens out there just not from the US :'(

AFAIK, these are the guys still on the loose:


Gresini Aprilia
Alvaro Bautista
Stefan Bradl

Aspar Team MotoGP
Yonny Hernandez
Eugene Laverty

Avintia Racing
Loris Baz
Hector Barbera

Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS
Tito Rabat
Jack Miller

LCR Honda
Cal Crutchlow

Monster Tech 3 Yamaha
Pol Espargaro


OCTO Pramac Yakhnich
Scott Redding
Danilo Petrucci

Repsol Honda Team
Marc Marquez

ECSTAR Suzuki
Aleix Espargaro

Then there's Rins wanting into the mix, but he's holding out for a factory seat.

Zarco has some sort of unspecified deal with Suzuki, perhaps that'll turn into Aleix's seat, or a satellite Suzuki.

It took longer to announce, but I was all over it like a fat kid on a Ho-Ho.  :D

http://www.bikesportnews.com/news/news-detail/iannone-replaces-vinales-in-works-ecstar-suzuki-motogp-team (http://www.bikesportnews.com/news/news-detail/iannone-replaces-vinales-in-works-ecstar-suzuki-motogp-team)

I wonder if anyone at Suzuki has been assigned to design frame sliders for their MotoGP bike.

http://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/rossi-quite-worried-about-vinales-potential-738498/ (http://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/rossi-quite-worried-about-vinales-potential-738498/)

Be good to see Miller get the other Suzuki ride.

He will need to keep it upright a few races in a row before he gets considered for another ride. His 3 year honda deal ends also when there will not be any decent rides available.

Too bad the link doesn't work without having you pick a car racing preference..........

I didn't have to?   ???

+1 has he finished any race this year?

I doubt he will keep his ride.  :P

Wasn't his fault today.

Bautista took the three of them out.

Yeah I know, he's cursed and over riding. Always thought he should have first gone to Moto2.

I think Kopf's boy should have stayed at Suzuki, he would have been Suzuki's saviour.
Being VR's team mate is the kiss of death. Like him or not, it shows how all the more remarkable Boy George's achievements have been while under VR's shadow.

MM to Suzuki for giant $$$$? He and Nutty Andrew ride similar rough.

I don't know where Miller will end up. I think teams will be spooked off taking him.

I don't see Marquez leaving Honda for Suzuki...

no way.

I'll second that!

 I forgot about that Repsol thing..

Appears to me the Suzuki is as good a bike as the Honda at present.

Probably better at this point. MM is riding the wheels off of it to keep it in the front.

I can't believe MM finished the race. I mean, he has always been a chaotic rider buts it's been controlled chaos.

Sunday he looked to bin it at any moment.

http://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/pol-espargaro-closes-on-ktm-motogp-deal-740308/ (http://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/pol-espargaro-closes-on-ktm-motogp-deal-740308/)

Interesting....

I thought it was likely he would not have a ride after this season.....

Well... Tech 3 has been the best satellite team, not only in terms of results, but also management, for the past how many years? It helps when you're basically running the most consistent bike on the grid. This fact makes the riders the most prepared to move to a factory team.

I thought Pol was good 1st half last season. Then faded and on the best sattelite bike has not been good enough. At least some good new talent should get the 2 x tech 3 seats. Smith who i thought was pretty average seems to at least continue to improve.

Exactly what good new talent is out there? The only young talent that anyone has spoken about has been Alex Rins and he's running second in the Moto2 standings. Between all the factory rides expiring this year and KTM jumping into the mix, there is precious few riders with enough experience to get a factory seat.

None for factories.

Maybe a roughie or to for tech 3.

But I agree it appears to be slim pickings.

https://motomatters.com/analysis/2016/05/31/motogp_silly_season_update_filling.html

Pol sent packing:
https://motomatters.com/news/2016/06/02/yamaha_announce_pol_espargaro_to_leave.html (https://motomatters.com/news/2016/06/02/yamaha_announce_pol_espargaro_to_leave.html)

And holy cow, a real shocker:
http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/230945/1/official-marc-marquez-leaves-honda-for-KTM.html (http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/230945/1/official-marc-marquez-resigns-for-honda.html)

Interesting article, although, they say both have the same equipment . . .

http://www.sportal.it/articoli/moto/motogp/lorenzo-ha-regalato-il-titolo-a-rossi/1081609/ (http://www.sportal.it/articoli/moto/motogp/lorenzo-ha-regalato-il-titolo-a-rossi/1081609/)

in case translation doesn't work:

"Lorenzo gave the title to Rossi"
They are doing discuss the words of a pilot (anonymous) in a private conversation.

june 8, 2016 moto  motogp  valentino rossi
AddThis Sharing Buttons
"Lorenzo gave the title to Rossi"
@ Getty Images
"Jorge Lorenzo gave the World Valentino Rossi when he chose the Ducati".
 
Quesre words were spoken by a pilot (anonymous) in a private conversation with colleagues from GOL.
 
"Rossi is receiving favorable treatment from the team - he added -. It has the best bike and Yamaha will do everything and more to make him win the World Cup. Many even prefer to win Marquez rather than Lorenzo. Just see as they are celebrated the victories of Valentino and those of Jorge ... ".

Rins in, EsA out, and Zarco limboed:
https://motomatters.com/news/2016/06/20/alex_rins_confirmed_at_suzuki_aleix.html

Crusty stays put:
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/sport/motogp/dutch-motogp-2016/motogp-crutchlow/ (http://www.motorcyclenews.com/sport/motogp/dutch-motogp-2016/motogp-crutchlow/)

I really don't understand this move. You simply can't say that Crashy Joe is going to be your "experienced rider" after the year he's having.

I think they signed the best riders available at the time....not much compadre strategy on these so called "teams", anyway.

Yeah, that's stretching reality a good bit.

If I were Brivio, I'd consider having a couple of tough guys twist Joe's arm a bit.
He was a way sharper weapon when his shoulder was dodgy.

Bruno, Vito, this is Andrew.. :D

Have you sent your money in yet?

The funny part is that Rossi and Lorenzo were probably to 2 worst riders for Ducati. The M1 was and continues to be the best packaged bike on the grid. Any other bike is a step down. The ironic twist is that the GP15 seems to be the second best bike out there. Go figure.

I'm on it.

Reading through this thread proves that last year was the silliest of all seasons.