2011 Silly Season

[derby]

No one has won more 800cc races than Stoner on the Duc (Derby will correct me if it's Rossi...but its close even if it is).

they're tied with 20 races each.

[Jester]

Yamaha should have their suspension sorted . Afterall, they have had many years to perfect it like Honda from GP to MotoGP.

From what I understand, although the Yamaha has a fantastic chassis, the setup is on a razors edge and quite a lot of work to get perfect.

[DoubleEagle]

It's fast, but not the fastest since the first year. Stoner is just fast...especially from the start.

I'm pretty sure Casey knows how to ride the D16, and when he can crack the throttle open. No one has won more 800cc races than Stoner on the Duc (Derby will correct me if it's Rossi...but its close even if it is). The problem used to be other riders knowing how...but that seems to have changed this year with Hayden being fast as well.

Stoner's crashes from the front seem to be because he pushes it too hard when he's at the front trying to gap everyone...especially Rossi.

Why do you suppose Troy once he got the hole shot ( which was most of the time ) and was then able to open up a gap where as if Casey gets the hole shot he has a hard time opening up any kind of a gap ?

Dolph     

[Triple J]

Why do you suppose Troy once he got the hole shot ( which was most of the time ) and was then able to open up a gap where as if Casey gets the hole shot he has a hard time opening up any kind of a gap ?

Dolph     

Stoner doesn't have a hard time opening a gap. Recently he has just had a hard time not wadding it after he opened the gap. Also, completey different bike, completely different rider, and completely different level of competition.

[DoubleEagle]

Stoner doesn't have a hard time opening a gap. Recently he has just had a hard time not wadding it after he opened the gap. Also, completey different bike, completely different rider, and completely different level of competition.

I'm not sure that should give Casey a pass .

I think if Troy had learned to ride the Desmo he'd have dominated MOTOGP as he did WSBK.

Dolph   

[derby]

I'm not sure that should give Casey a pass .

I think if Troy had learned to ride the Desmo he'd have dominated MOTOGP as he did WSBK.

Dolph   

ok, now you're just being silly...

let's just use the 2001-2002 superbike seasons as a "control" and say that bayliss and edwards are pretty much equally talented.

edwards vs rossi on the exact same bike? yeah, rossi pretty much won that battle.

i suppose if ducati hadn't fired bayliss at the end of the 2004 season we might have gotten an answer to your assumption. in retrospect, having a superbike rider and a 500gp rider developing a new race platform from scratch might not have been the brightest course of action.

but then there was valencia '06...

[DoubleEagle]

ok, now you're just being silly...

let's just use the 2001-2002 superbike seasons as a "control" and say that bayliss and edwards are pretty much equally talented.

edwards vs rossi on the exact same bike? yeah, rossi pretty much won that battle.

i suppose if ducati hadn't fired bayliss at the end of the 2004 season we might have gotten an answer to your assumption. in retrospect, having a superbike rider and a 500gp rider developing a new race platform from scratch might not have been the brightest course of action.

but then there was valencia '06...

I should have qualified my statement about Troy dominating MOTOGP.

Had he gone to MOTOGP in '07 and learned to ride the Desmo ...I feel he would have dominated MOTOGP in '08 and '09 ...unless you don't think he could have mastered the "big Duc."

Dolph     

[ducpainter]

<snip>

but then there was valencia '06...

'splain that one away....

[zooom]

'splain that one away....

Davide Tardozzi !!!

[gm2]

alll this cross-comparison of the 1198 and GP bike is like listening to spies say "good" all the time.

I should have qualified my statement about Troy dominating MOTOGP.

Had he gone to MOTOGP in '07 and learned to ride the Desmo ...I feel he would have dominated MOTOGP in '08 and '09 ...unless you don't think he could have mastered the "big Duc."

Dolph     

completely different riding style, different tires (MAJOR issue), drastically different bikes.. you really can't take troy's ass whupping of wsbk and extrapolate GP success.  at all.  especially in the 800s.

and like derby mentioned again earlier, it was after they got bayliss to test the GP9 (and all the rookies that said 'no thanks') that they realized it really wasn't rideable by anyone other than casey. 

[EvilSteve]

It's funny how people view Lorenzo and Stoner. Both have crashed a fair bit (Lorenzo has less time on the bike to be fair), both are really fast, both give Rossi a run for his money. Lorenzo is definitely a more Rossi-like rider, enjoys a scrap and can win from there. Stoner's more of a clear off and win type rider. Credit where it's due, same number of 800cc wins as Rossi, doesn't that say something? Him falling at the front gives me the shits but he's still stupid fast and *can* clear off on Rossi. On their day (Laguna is a good example) Rossi needs to be there with Stoner to win, when the track works in his favor, Stoner will probably lose. If Stoner can get a gap, he's gone (unless he bins it ).

I rate Lorenzo a little higher than Stoner right now because he can fight better with Rossi but outright speed I think Stoner has the both beat.

[zooom]

that is a hard conclusion to come to with different machinery and set-up's and the only true way to settle it would be to put them on the exact same machine and see head to head what they do....

[gm2]

or, you have them race exactly as they have been.  since that's the series, and set of rules, they're in.

EvilSteve, i think rossi agrees with you.  and no doubt casey is stupid fast, but valentino has been right there with him since '10 testing kicked off.

[Spidey]

but then there was valencia '06...

I get all execited at the mere mention of that race.  Nicky even tweeted about it the other day:  

Shared the podium with this guy on the best day of my life!!!! http://yfrog.com/j5ejsgj
10:52 AM May 8th via Twitterrific

[duccarlos]

Rossi has been in Stoner's head since that fatefl day in Laguna. Whenever Casey gets the wholeshot, he feels he needs to open a huge gap so that Rossi can't catch him.

Anyway, I predict that Casey, Lorenzo and Pedrosa will all move on. I think Ducati goes after Lorenzo HARD. Honda dumps Pedrosa and grabs Casey. The Spanish Turd ends up in Suzuki. Ducati actually likes Nicky because the sponsors like him. The Ben moves up to to be Rossi's teammate. Dovi continues in HRC.