Tires forcing riding styles

[duccarlos]

This is not the best written article, but it shows just how the spec tire continues to be a bad idea.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2012/11/11/randy-mamola-speaks-about-motogp-riding-styles/

[Speeddog]

And yet.... Stoner and Pedrosa won 5 and 7 races respectively this year, both employing styles radically different from JLo's.

I'm tempted to lump Mamola's commentary onto Schwantz's steaming pile.

[Triple J]

This makes sense though:

Mamola’s view is, if MotoGP requires a single tire manufacturer, let Bridgestone build a tire for Ducati, a tire for Yamaha and so on. Don’t force all the makers to adapt their machines to a single tire.

[Goat_Herder]

even though Stoner and Pedrosa won races, Whoregay won the championship. 

This makes sense though:

Mamola’s view is, if MotoGP requires a single tire manufacturer, let Bridgestone build a tire for Ducati, a tire for Yamaha and so on. Don’t force all the makers to adapt their machines to a single tire.

I agree.  Why let the tire be the determining factor in a motorcycle race?  It seems that manufacturer and rider that can best adapt to the tire wins. 

[duccarlos]

And you also have to remember that they won despite fighting with constant frontend shatter, which Honda had to provide basically next year's bike to fix. 

[derby]

I agree.  Why let the tire be the determining factor in a motorcycle race? 

you do realize that's why they went to a single tire manufacturer, right? the other guys (michelin) were doing such a shit job, nobody wanted to ride on 'em.

[zooom]

I have 1 question relative to Mamola and his opinion...what tires are shod onto the 2-up 'Sedici he rides???

[derby]

I have 1 question relative to Mamola and his opinion...what tires are shod onto the 2-up 'Sedici he rides???

'stones.

[ducpainter]

'stones.

Same one's the kids are using or some SBK type softs?

[gm2]

it's a stupid article.

tires force riding style, period.  in any configuration.

and we have spec tires out of necessity, not desire.

[MadDuck]

it's a stupid article.

tires force riding style, period.  in any configuration.

and we have spec tires out of necessity, not desire.

What necessity is that?

Also remember that even though it was a short article it went onto discuss suspension set ups even more so than tires as demanding a certain riding style. The same stuff we rehash over and over here.

[gm2]

yeah, i just meant the mamola comment about tires per OEM.  of course that would be a great thing to do, but it's a dumb comment because they can't do it for the same reason spec tires are a necessity in the first place: financial reality.

there used to be (gresini) 'honda' bridgestones, 'suzuki' bridgestones, and 'ducati' bridgestones.  even down to different fronts per rider; there was an 'elias' front, etc..  but it cost a fortune.  then, before the real financial collapse, they created the thursday allocation rule in 2007 to basically stop Michelin from using 300 tires per weekend and making the race tires on saturday night.  which is the year that Michelin ruined the whole GP season.  then 2008 happened, costs needed to get under control, and taking tire competition off the table made sense.  but plenty of riders were unhappy in 2009 when the spec bridgestones that were chosen were the 'stoner'/'rossi' (really stiff) bridgestones.

my first point was that at this level, bikes get tuned to tires and tires inform riding styles.  you can't change that.
 

[duccarlos]

I think the manufacturers should be allowed to select to which tire their bikes should be designed around.

[Drunken Monkey]

you do realize that's why they went to a single tire manufacturer, right? the other guys (michelin) were doing such a shit job, nobody wanted to ride on 'em.

This approach was really all about reduced choice so that if the tires are all shitty, at least they are equally shitty.

I realize they want close racing, but I'd prefer more vendors offering tires so teams can pick as they want from a selection of tires from all manufacturers.

Or barring that, stick with one manufacturer, but let them build a broader selection of 'spec' tires. This way the tires can be built to suit different teams' machines better. Not just hard, soft and medium but "hard with a softer sidewall' etc.

But seriously, WSBK offers choice. What's isn't working in WSBK?

[Speeddog]

AFAIK, only difference is WSBK is a spec Pirelli instead of a spec Bridgestone.