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[koko64]

I don't think he's ever been the same since the Ducati. It changed the trajectory of his career. Crusty got out just in time.

[Triple J]

I disagree. Stoner wouldn't be able to continue winning on that bike.

Agreed. The bike just wasn't capable of winning. Stoner would have done better than anyone else, but not well enough to make himself or Marlboro happy.

I don't think he's ever been the same since the Ducati. It changed the trajectory of his career. Crusty got out just in time.

Nah...Melandri is just a crybaby, and needs a perfect bike. Even in WSBK, if the bike wasn't perfect, then he was somewhere in the back. Meanwhile, his teammates won the championship.

I guarantee Cal regrets his move away from Ducati. With the GP15 showing signs of serious life, he would have had a shot at a championship. It's why he went to Ducati in the 1st place...in hopes they could fix it. He just couldn't wait. Now, he has exactly zero shot at a championship.

[ducpainter]

They're all excitable boys with little patience.

[koko64]

Yeah, all about timing ay? He would have regretted going and leaving.

[duccarlos]

Cal handled that whole situation really badly. IMHO he has just about the same level of talent as Dovi. I think he decided on the devil he knew. Now he's stuck in satellite limbo unless the Turd retires at the end of the year. Then HRC will need to debate who will be blocking for MM.

BTW, Stoner would not have won the championship, but he always had the potential to win. I'm sure that he would have won at least a couple of races on the POS. Now he's too much of a wildcard for HRC to consider and he will never go back to Ducati. He scorched pretty much all bridges as he closed the door.

[ducpainter]

Cal won't get the Factory Honda ride for more than a year at a time.

Alex Marquez or Jack Miller will get that sooner than later.

[duccarlos]

Cal won't get the Factory Honda ride for more than a year at a time.

Alex Marquez or Jack Miller will get that sooner than later.

+1

As soon as Miller starts living up to his potential he will leapfrog any other satellite rider. HRC is really investing on the young guys. Yamaha on the other hand still has the issue of trying to replace Rossi when he decides to retire.

[koko64]

Those two should be the factory riders one day. Depends how long MM can stay interested. Shit he's young. (I keep having to remind myself).

Maybe Miller and AM could end up with Yamaha and Ducati or Suzuki as factory riders. I'd like to see Miller on a Ducati. Aussies and Ducatis go well together. He's a lot harder than Stoner mentally and will punch someone out rather than whine. He'll be the bad boy of Moto GP. Imagine Miller and Crazy Joe on the same team! Honda own him though ay?

The next generation.

[duccarlos]

Yep, HRC jumped on him before any other factory could. They have always been able to identify talent. The jumped on Rossi, the Turd has always been fast and MM has been untouchable.

Given time these other riders will end up racing on the Suk or the Ape as well. Depending on the level of interest they could be competitive in a few years. All it takes is a young talent to comes along to knows how to make your POS go fast (like Stoner on the Duc).

[ducpainter]

Suzuki and Aprilia still have to make the fast bike.

Don't forget the Duc was the fastest bike on the grid in '07, and was miles ahead of the Hondas and Yammies not taking anything away from Casey.

I think Casey believed in the Ducati electronics, and was able to ignore what no one else could ignore about the way the thing handled. That allowed him to win.

[koko64]

True but it was only fastest in a straight line. It was still struggling to get the power down and flexed under braking. The grip riders found it unstable on the gas, but Stoner solved that by letting the rear tyre break free. I really thought Nicky was going to be good on it with his dirt background (similar to Stoner). Shows how much I know.

Yeah the young'uns seem to trust and understand how to work with the electronics. Stoner must have been good at Xbox.

[ducpainter]

I think Nicky wanted too much control.

Casey believed the electronics would control it so he pinned it and pointed it.

[koko64]

Yeah the faith of the young in technology. I 'spose Nicky was from the Gameboy generation, not Xbox.
We're from the pinball generation.

[Triple J]

Nicky is my favorite rider...but Stoner is just a better rider than him. It's that simple. They both have dirt backgrounds, and they both can handle a bike moving and bucking...Stoner can just do it a bit better. Everyone says Stoner relied on the electronics...but they all do now. Stoner rode at a very low TC level, and was super smooth on the throttle (that's out of Nicky's mouth in an interview a few years ago). He's just a special rider, as is MM.

Put them in a dirt track race, and I'm not sure. I still think Stoner might take him though. Hayden has had wrist problems for a few years now too, so that is limiting his current potential. Still, I think Stoner is just a bit better.

Take away the electronics, and I think the fast guys would still be the fast guys. I suspect Pedro and JLo wouldn't be quite as quick, but still up there. Cal would kill himself. Rossi, MM, and Stoner would look the same in relation to every one else IMO.

[ducpainter]

When I say Stoner believed in the electronics it isn't saying he relied on them.

It was his talent, which included his mindset regarding the bike and it's package, that made Casey fast.