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errol
By: errol
Posts: 693
Joined: 05/01/11

World Superbikes (and other bike races)

Posted: Feb 19 2012 Views: 756
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One week to go & the circus starts again.

Will John Hopkins ever be fit enough to race again? He's now sidelined, due to another hand injury, until Imola on April 1st. Since his crash in MotoGP last year he has had 29 operations on his hand, it doesn't bode well for this exceptionally talented bike racer.

On the bright side, Sykes,& Haslam are doing well in testing. Of course, Mad Max is still going well, I've supported Max since his 250 days but it's hard to keep faith with him now after  his strange antics last season.

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  1. /My-Page/?userId=13871

    RE: World Superbikes (and other bike races)

    I remember Casey as a rather shy schoolboy racing in British 125s. He was head & shoulders above the opposition & just missed taking the championship because he missed several rounds racing in Spain. He has become a bit of a whinger though.

    "No news is good news". Very little mention of the TT in the news media this year. Can't think why. No fatalities this year either, thank goodness. Wink

    Just about to settle down to watch Misano. Come on Max you can do it.

    Matt, I hope you get full recompense for the damage to your bike, clothing & yourself. It's a real bummer when you have the "sorry mate, didn't see you " comment, which I guess you did get. I always rode with my dipped headlight on but still had a few near misses. One was my own fault for not cancelling my LH indicator. I fitted an audio alarm to the indicator after that. It had to be so loud for me to hear it under my helmet that I'm sure other road users could hear it & got out of my way.

    Posted: Jun 10 2012 By: errol   Posts: 693
  2. /My-Page/?userId=11130

    RE: World Superbikes (and other bike races)

    Thanks Errol. I should be ok. The police were there and I've got all of the details and everything. There's a slight irony that when I look at all of the filtering that I do and questionable overtakes, I was just minding my own business in light traffic, not in a hurry or anything - perhaps there's a lesson in there somewhere! In terms of my gear it's only really my boots that don't need replacing. Everything else did their job but look second hand now. Not sure if I somersaulted or what really. My helmet has scrapes down the front (thank God I wear full face), the right shoulder of my jacket is shredded and my lower left leg/ankle definitely took a good hit too. The hard armour on my right glove is bashed in also. All in all I was seriously lucky.

    I actually have some sympathy for the driver of the Disco as it goes. I'm sure she did check and just had an obscured view of me, in much the same way that I completed failed to see her pull out - I'm normally so much better at anticipating incidents like that before they ever happen. The fact is though that she came to a stop barely two-thirds of the way across my lane so it's not like I was doing a wide overtake of the car that was turning into the side road she was leaving because I'd have missed her I had done so. I hate the typical biker view that it's alway everyone elses fault but theirs - in this case I'm sure it wasn't my fault but it's not to say that I can't learn from it.


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    Posted: Jun 10 2012 By: MattSwain   Posts: 830
  3. /My-Page/?userId=13871

    RE: World Superbikes (and other bike races)

    Glad to hear you are not too badly injured. As you say, we can all learn from our own & others mistakes. I have had one serious accident (2 months in dock) when I was 21 & bear the scars still. Totally my fault. You know the scenario, a daft young man, a few beers & a Tiger 100. As Ken Dodd would say "It was a very educational moment, well, it certainly taught me a lesson". To give you a clue how long ago it was the great Bob McIntyre sustained fatal injuries at Oulton Park on the same day.

    Back to the thread. I told you Max could do it. I'm not sure what the real reason for the dummy was post race 2. Maybe someone accused him of throwing his dummy out of the pram in recent weeks so he was showing us he still has it. A lot of wallies on the crashnet site are trying to make out it's the bike that is giving him the advantage but as a 5 times world champion he must have some racing talent surely?

    Good to see Haslam getting a few points ahead of his team mate, long may it last.

     

    Posted: Jun 10 2012 By: errol   Posts: 693
  4. /My-Page/?userId=11130

    RE: World Superbikes (and other bike races)

    Yes it was a bit of a demonstation from Max in exactly how it's done. Bike sites to tend to attract a lot of numpties who feel the need to share their opinions with the world. While there's no doubt the Aprillia is a quick bike, firstly Misano isn't a power circuit compared to somewhere like Monza, and Eugene Laverty, a WSB race winner on a Yamaha isn't getting close to Max. He's one of those guys, you don't have to like him as a person, but it's a fool that thinks his winning is mostly to do with the bike (Mr Stoner would be another example). 

    Next stop Moto GP at Silverstone. I'll be off there on Friday morning, may be a challenge pitching a tent with one hand (my left one at that) if the swelling in my knuckles hasn't eased by then! Go Cal!!!


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    Posted: Jun 11 2012 By: MattSwain   Posts: 830
  5. /My-Page/?userId=2868

    RE: World Superbikes (and other bike races)

    Hi Matt, just read about your 'prang', glad to hear you're OK, so easy for something like that to happen in the blink of an eye.

    I think the big problem Stoner has is that he just doesn't have the media personallity of Rossi or one or two of the others so when he's asked about the race (or practice/qualfying) he talks about what happened as he probably thinks viewers are interested in that stuff and then gets branded as a whinger, I don't think I'd be any better.  I think the other thing is that he's been opposition for Rossi and a lot of people don't seem to like that (Lorenzo got a lot of the same treatment), now that Rossi's on the back foot generally a lot of that has gone away.  Personally I think he's a stunning rider and very underrated by a lot of people, I think it's a sad situation that he's leaving I hope he gets talked round but it's not looking good.  Hope he goes out on a high.

    Also I guess a race season must be harder for for an Aussie that a mainland European (particularly Spaniards as that's where most of the races are).

    Posted: Jun 11 2012 By: GDCobra   Posts: 2908
  6. /My-Page/?userId=13871

    RE: World Superbikes (and other bike races)

    Casey is a whinger because he whinges. Even when he wins he finds something to complain about but undoubtedly he is a brilliant rider of MotoGP bikes, I don't know why he made a pig,s ear of his 125 & 250 seasons as he was an ace on the smaller machines before he went to GPs.

    Despite all Rossi's hype & media adulation, Casey has done something The Doctor will never do, that is win a championship on a Ducati. If my memory is correct, the only other riders to win a MotoGP race on a Duke are Capirossi & Bayliss. Perhaps the answer for Ducati MotoGP hopes is to allow them to run under different rules as they do in WSBK but I doubt that even a 1200cc Duke would corner any better than the 1000.

    I see Mad Max is getting the usual slating on Crashnet. Apperently he's leading the championship because he has a better bike than anyone else not because, with the possible exception of Checa, he's the best rider out there. I suppose at 41 years of age he's has time to learn how to do it properly. Now here's a thought, Max on a Duke in next season's MotoGP.Foot in mouth

    Posted: Jun 12 2012 By: errol   Posts: 693
  7. /My-Page/?userId=11130

    RE: World Superbikes (and other bike races)

    The first part of the 2013 season jigsaw is now in place - Jorge has signed a 2 year extension with Yamaha. Let the scramble begin for the remaining prime rides and star riders!

    I do kind of wonder with Ducati if any of the top riders would say no for fear of ruining their own reputation on a bike that clearly doesn't work. Or would be like the long line of England football managers, each blinded by their own ego and the love of money that makes each believe that they can succeed where all the previous schmucks failed?


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    Posted: Jun 12 2012 By: MattSwain   Posts: 830
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    RE: World Superbikes (and other bike races)

    I wonder if they'll keep Spies at Yam? Maybe they will to appease the US bike buying public. Cal for Casey's Honda?

    Enjoy Doni*, Matt. I hope they've improved the sanitation arrangements for the campers.

    *Edited on 13/6. Wot a plonker,  I should know by now that the GP is at Silverstone. Must be old age.

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    Posted: Jun 12 2012 By: errol   Posts: 693
  9. /My-Page/?userId=11130

    RE: World Superbikes (and other bike races)

    Ha ha ha Grinner the crowds would at least be less if we went to Doni!

    I think Silverstone is altogether better than Doni of old and they do keep working to make it better. They've put wet weather arrangements in place in the camp site which means we won't be parked with our tents but hopefully we'll be able to get out on Sunday as they've made that decision in advance. There's some right whingers on the Facebook campsite website as you'd expect, but it's hardly Silverstone's fault it's the wettest June since lord knows when. Have got my wellies, and covered grandstand tickets so whatever will be, will be.

    Don't know about Spies. It's a fair point about the American market, but if he's not winning, and not close to winning at the moment, will he be selling many Yams? Back to WSB perhaps?

    Got to see the estimate for my broken bike today. Over 3 grand in parts and the estimate says they won't be able to accurately assess the forks until that repair work has been carried out. Must be 50 things on the list! Labour isn't included in the estimate. I was originally hoping it could be repaired but I'm now thinking it will be a write-off and even though I'll need some finance to get a new bike, I'm hoping write-off too. A brand new Street Triple is under £7k and I spoke to the salesman at my dealership today and his guess based on his books would be for a pay out to be £4500-£4800 for a 2 year old one as mine is/was. There's no doubt at all if it is a write-off, I'll buy another Triumph, almost certainly exactly the same again.

     


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    Posted: Jun 13 2012 By: MattSwain   Posts: 830
  10. /My-Page/?userId=13871

    RE: World Superbikes (and other bike races)

    Hope you get sorted with a new/replacement bike. I'm pleased that you are happy with the Triumph, friends who have them are equally pleased but it seems that Beemers are also well thought of. You see a lot on the roads these day.

    Hope Cal does well on Sunday, even a podium (ahead of Dovi) would be great to see.

     

    Posted: Jun 14 2012 By: errol   Posts: 693