Anyone ready for 2005 MotoGP? I got something for you

[Monsoon X]

If you're a fan of MotoGP, namely Rossi's move from Honda to Yamaha, I have a very LONG article that I could post up. Great reading. Those things make about 240 crank HP.

NE1 interested?

[perezsteveo]

Yup!!!

[AnotherRedHead]

Its an M1, I already seen it, its ok, has a bunch of cool data aquistition shit on it though. Weighs 100 lbs less than a stock R1, and there is 30 lbs out of the motor itself. Probably all titanium internals with some fucking ultralight pistons. you gotta think about those as nascar, they are all about topend....and keeping some shit in the rpm range

[Monsoon X]

Ummmm no. Good try, Turbo Boy. ;)

[Monsoon X]

P1

The 2004 season was not only one of the most exciting we've seen in recent memory, but was also historic. Valentino Rossi accomplished something no one in the history of the sport had ever done, when he won the first race of the season in South Africa on his first outing on the Yamaha. And by winning the championship he became only the second rider in the history of the sport to do so on different machinery on his first try. We could go on and on about Rossi's accomplishments, but we'll leave those stories for another day.

Instead, let's focus on the events that conspired to allow Rossi in 2004 to cement his name as one of the greatest riders that have ever lived and how he went on to defeat the mighty Honda Racing Corporation.

In the first part, we'll take a look at their history. Where did Honda and Rossi come from and how was their relationship during their years together. Secondly, we'll look at Rossi's and Jerry Burgess's insight into HRC's lack of development leadership and arrogance and how the two exploited these weaknesses. Later we'll look at Michelin's new rear tires and their effects on the mighty V5. Lastly, we'll take a look at Yamaha's new-found commitment and how much of a difference it made. We'll conclude it with a prediction for the 2005 season.

History:
Honda Racing Corporation, a.k.a. HRC, is the racing arm of Honda Motors. Much like any of the contemporary successful racing outfits, Honda began life at a race track. However, unlike the Ferraris and Mercedes-Benz of the world, Honda began life at a motorcycle road course (a true road course on a public road).

In the mid fifties, Mr. Soichiro Honda decided he wanted to not only race, but beat the Nortons, MVs and Triumphs of the world. Initially, Mr. Honda, bought European motorcycles and tried to make them "better". This initial approach failed. But Mr. Honda was not a man that was simply going to quit, instead he decided to think outside the box and engineer motorcycles of his own. By the early sixties Honda was a household name in the Grand Prix paddock and soon thereafter it began to dominate the smaller classes. Though Honda did not win its first premier-class 500cc title until the early 80s, by the 90s it won more than half of that decade's championships.

As Mr. Honda became more and more successful racing and selling motorcycles, he decided he could take on automobiles too. In the 60s he began building small economy-boxes and by the 80s Honda was winning F1 championships. One could say Honda was becoming a sort of giant.

Today Mr. Honda is no longer with us, but anyone that knew him would tell you he was an engineer first and a businessman second.

Valentino Rossi also began life like Honda, at a race track, the son of 70s and early 80s GP rider, Graziano Rossi. V. Rossi grew up around race tracks following his father and stories say he learned to ride a motorcycle before he learned to ride a bicycle.

G. Rossi knew how difficult and dangerous motorcycle racing is and tried his best to steer V. Rossi away from motorcycles and onto karting. But karting (like any form of four-wheeled racing) proved too expensive for the duo. What to do? The answer came in the form of mini-motos (PocketBikes), the new craze sweeping Italy's youth in the late 80s and early 90s.

V. Rossi took to mini-motos like a fish to water and soon the two could be found at any mini-moto event under a tent, working on V. Rossi's bike. As V. Rossi became more comfortable and began to win on mini-motos, the natural succession was 125cc bikes. In 1993 he was third in the 125cc Italian Sport Production championship and the next year he won the title. In 1995 he won the 125cc Italian championship on his way to graduating to the 125cc World Championship the next year.

With the "forced" retirement of Mick Doohan after the 1999 GP season, Honda decided to field Rossi under the care of Jeremy Burgess, a long-time Honda crew chief that led Doohan to five premier-class titles, but without "full-factory" support.

By the time Honda and Rossi met, Rossi was already a two-time World Champion, having won the 125cc and 250cc championships. Though Honda did not win the 2000 500cc rider's championship, they focused their attention on the young and lanky Italian. Rossi's throttle control was legendary even then. Legend says that on his first try aboard the 500cc monster, the data acquisition computer recorded his throttle control to be on-par with that of many of the premier-class veterans.

During his first year at Honda, Rossi followed the same pattern he used on his way to victory on his previous world titles; learn the first year, dominate the second. HRC provided Rossi with a V4 500cc NSR and parts, as it waited patiently for the Italian to blossom. During the first few races of the 2000 season it looked like HRC had lost their mind, as Rossi crashed more bikes than one can count. But by the second third of the season Rossi was beginning to challenge at the front and by the British GP he had taken the very top of the podium and his first-ever premier-class victory. Rossi went on to claim one more victory during the Brazilian GP. But this was not enough; in 2000 Rossi finished second to American Kenny Roberts Jr.

HRC was no dummy and the next season Rossi became HRC's number one rider. As expected, Rossi's domination began early as he won the opening round of the season and gave HRC their 500th GP victory. On his way to his first premier-class crown, Rossi not only dominated, but also broke many of the long-standing lap records.

Honda has always prided themselves in engineering excellent products. The manufacturing giant never liked the idea of racing a glorified lawn-mower engine. No, Honda's forte is in engineering four-stroke engines. 2002 gave Honda that opportunity, the opportunity of building something new, something revolutionary; a 990cc four-stroke V5, the mighty RC211V. And who better to ride and develop it than their newly crowned 500cc World Champion.

But all was not well in the HRC garage and the 2001-2002 rumors were a window into what would happen at the end of 2003.

Rossi's contract with Honda was for two years, as contract negotiations got underway, it became clearer to Rossi that Honda did not appreciate their riders' abilities. This was nothing new of course. HRC has always felt riders are replaceable, hence their treatment. This sentiment is not only Rossi's, just ask Colin Edwards or Ricky Carmichael. Riders are considered mere controllers of their motorcycles, rather than "people that make the difference". To make things even more difficult, Rossi is not an easy person to work with. This is not because of his work ethics, but rather because of his "old habits". As many of the greats, he is eccentric. One of his eccentricities is his beloved race number, 46. The same number his dad used when he raced. Rossi has been racing with this number for as long as he can remember (or has been able to). So far, his race number had never become an issue. This was primarily due to his timing graduating between the GP classes. As Rossi climbed the world championship title ladder and became champion, he'd move up to another class where he was not expected to race the number 1 plate (indicating he was the champion of the class). However, there is nothing higher than the premier-class and after winning the 2001 500cc title, Honda expected him to ride with the number 1 plate on the mighty V5. After all, this is the reason it had spent millions of dollars developing the thumping four-stroke.

The tension was so high with uncertainty during the 2002 pre-season that Rossi was forced to miss one of the testing sessions in 2002 (due to contract negotiations). But 2002 is history now, and we know that HRC gave in and Rossi rode with his number-plate of choice. However, there were other "conflicts", and one of them was PR work. As much as Rossi and his management tried, his public appearance duties continued to increase and HRC did not make it easier on the young champion even after he clinched the 2002 title with ease.

By 2003 Rossi looked bored and tired. There was talk of how racing was getting to him and how you could see it in his eyes. And his performances showed it. He may have won the first race of the 2003 season, but his riding was getting sloppy. Twice he was beaten by that year's revelation, Sete Gibernau, after committing silly mistakes. At the Sachsenring in Germany, he was beaten to the line after he led the first half of the race and then chose to give the lead to Gibernau and follow him around. Rossi waited and passed him on the last lap, and on the last corner made a rookie mistake when he out-braked himself, opening the door to Gibernau and getting beaten by a wheel.

In 2003, the summer break began after the Sachsenring. When he came back he was the old Rossi his fans loved, colored hair and all. At Brno, one of the best GP races of all time, Rossi battled with Gibernau, Capirossi, and Bayliss for the entire race. Rossi lost the lead countless times and every time he fought back. On the last lap, he and Gibernau opened a small gap to Bayliss (Capirossi had a mechanical DNF late into the race) and the two went head-to-head. Rossi won the race by the smallest of margins, but he had done something more important, he had found his motivation; the fun of racing. Rossi won the rest of the remaining races with the exception of Motegi on his way to retaining his crown.

[Monsoon X]

P1 con't

Rossi's success lies in his approach to racing. Rossi appears to have the perfect combination of the "killing instinct, aggression and relaxation". When he's not racing he's very laid back (at least he appears to be), but as soon as he puts his helmet on, he's in full-hunt mode like a lion. The reason this is important is because of the impact racing-stress has on the mind. Outsiders think that racing happens on Sunday for 45 minutes and everything before and after the race is "celebrity" time. This could not be farther from the truth. Racing is a very stressful and draining activity. It requires 100% concentration and focus, which take a toll on the mind. If this is not enough, try man-handling a 240HP motorcycle at 200+mph for 45 minutes (not counting qualifying and practice) and I can assure you that muscle soreness will be the least of your worries. So when racers are not able to separate the two, racing and non-racing, they can go mad (just ask Doohan). At the same time, if you fail 100% focus during a race, the consequences are deadly.

Knowing that without having fun racing he'd kill himself (see lack of 100% focus), Rossi decided that a challenge, as difficult as it seemed, was more important when accompanied with "fun", than a stroll through the park without "fun" (as he would have enjoyed at HRC if he'd stayed).

But Rossi is not a dumb person. Though he wanted a challenge, he was not about to commit suicide. He understood that if he left HRC, they'd become his enemy, and who better to be your enemy than someone you've worked with for four years. Remember, know thy enemy.

[Monsoon X]

P2

In part one of our story, we looked at Honda's and Valentino Rossi's history. Where did the two come from and what type of a relationship did they enjoy together. In part two, we will explore the weaknesses Rossi and Jerry Burgess saw when they worked at Honda, and how the two exploited them in early 2004.

One of such weaknesses was arrogance. Arrogance is the byproduct of pride. And Honda has lots of things to be proud of. For example, since the inception of MotoGP, HRC had won 29 out of 32 GPs. For many, being on a Honda, short of winning the world championship, is the ultimate goal. And being a works, or HRC rider, almost came with a championship guarantee (until Rossi moved to Yamaha). In the history of the sport, no one had ever left HRC and won the championship on a different bike. Leaving HRC on your own terms just didn't happen.

However, of the 29 GP victories, 20 were at the hands of one man piloting the RC211V. So was it the bike or the rider? On one hand, while Rossi may have been credited with two thirds of the V5's victories, it could also win while piloted by somewhat mediocre riders, with the exception of Max Biaggi. Tohru Ukawa's first and only premier-class victory happened in South Africa in 2002. Alex Barros, the veteran of the paddock, may have won twice on the V5, but this summed up his tally to six GP victories in 200 GP starts. Sete Gibernau, the revelation of 2003, had four GP victories on the mighty four-stroke. But this only tallied up to five victories in his career, even though he's been riding in the premier class since 1997.

Perhaps it is unfair to paint HRC as the entity that wanted Rossi out. The reality is that both needed to prove to the world that it was them (the bike for HRC and the rider for Rossi) that made the difference. However, few can deny it was HRC that appeared to want it most.

Before we continue, it is important to make the distinction between Honda and HRC. In the first part of our story we talked about HRC being the racing arm of Honda. Honda, the parent company, may be full of pride, but ultimately, they need to answer to investors; HRC does not. In the middle of 2003, Rossi made a Honda Civic commercial in Italy and sales skyrocketed. Honda understood Rossi's marketing value and according to reports tried much to keep the Italian from leaving. However, this was not Honda's decision, it was HRC's. HRC wanted to prove not only to Honda, but to the world, that it made the best motorcycles period. So good were their bikes, that anyone could take them to victory.

When Rossi announced he'd be leaving the motorcycle manufacturing giant, many thought he was committing suicide, myself included. Sure he'd win races here and there, but the championship? I don't think so.

One must remember the firepower HRC held for 2004. They had three SuperBike champions in the form of Colin Edwards, Makoto Tamada and Nicky Hayden. And if this was not enough, they had proven GP veterans; Max Biaggi, Sete Gibernau and Alex Barros. Not only did they know the tracks, they could win races.

To HRC's credit, they knew Rossi would be difficult to beat, they just didn't know how much. In order to limit Rossi's time on the Yamaha, HRC decided to stick to their contract with Rossi, which expired on 12-31-2003 and not allow him to ride for Yamaha until then. This was an odd, but expected move, since it was common practice for riders to be allowed to ride for a different manufacturer before their contract expired. Yamaha went as far as officially asking HRC to allow Rossi to ride the M1 before the 2003-2004 testing ban commenced, but HRC refused. HRC's refusal meant that while the Honda boys were out testing and gaining valuable data in November and early December, he was sitting at home. And because the testing ban imposed by Dorna was between mid December and mid January (although this year's testing ban is longer and began 12-01-2004), Rossi was not going to be riding the M1 until late January (Yamaha's first scheduled test was 1-24-2004). So in this sense, HRC looked after its interests; retaining the world title without Rossi.

HRC's sense of confidence was as high as could be during these tests. All of the Honda riders (with the exception of Barros who was recuperating from shoulder surgery) were breaking lap records. Edwards and Gibernau were both running race simulations and going faster than Rossi had gone on the HRC-spec 2003 V5. Everything was rosy in HRC's world.

But HRC's overconfidence in these early stages proved to be one of its biggest mistakes (apart from losing Rossi and Burgess's services).

Just about every time Honda has won the MotoGP (or GP as it was known prior to 2002) title, there has been a clear number one rider at Honda; from Spencer to Lawson to Gardner to Doohan to Creville to Rossi. The number one rider determines the direction of the development of the bike. He decides whether the bike needs more power, less power, more agility, stability, etc, etc.

During the late stages of the 2003 season, before Rossi revealed he'd be departing Honda, Honda's tactic was to scare Rossi from leaving. Two of the most famous statements HRC made about the possibility of Rossi's desertion were truly scare-tactics. The first statement came in the middle of the season when the waters were just beginning to get muddy, when HRC said that if Rossi left they would do ?anything to destroy him?. Clearly, this did not work as the negotiations continued to lead nowhere. Towards the end, HRC made another statement, which I believe caused them to lose Burgess, when they said they would provide ?HRC-Spec bikes to ALL of their 2004 riders and that development of the bike would be determined based on which rider proved to be fastest during the first tests?.

Rossi and Burgess felt this was an insult. Whether at Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, Proton, etc, the champion (or rider who finished with the most points in the team) always leads the development effort. That Rossi had always been fastest in all the previous pre-season tests was not the point. The point was that HRC felt so confident about their machinery, that ?any? rider would surely be able to take to the top of the podium, development was unnecessary.

As the scare-tactic it was, one would have thought that after it failed and Rossi walked out after the Valencia GP, HRC would have recognized they needed a new plan. At this point, Burgess had not left, nor did anyone think he would leave. But without his rider, who would Burgess work with? Hayden? Who? It appears HRC was so arrogant it had not planned for Rossi?s departure. Working with Hayden would not have been a problem for the veteran Aussie; after all, he had already praised him as a future World Champion and liked what he saw in the young American. But the decision was not up to him, and when he pushed for one he was given the cold shoulder.

Burgess has been around for a long time and all that know him know he's a straight-shooter. In return he also likes the same, and until now HRC had done just that. At the time there were talks of Barros joining, but Burgess and Barros do not get along (Burgess feels Barros has seen better days) so this match was far from being made in heaven.

HRC's continued indecisiveness was the last drop for Burgess; which played perfectly into Rossi's plan. Even Rossi knew he could not take the fight to HRC all by himself; he needed someone on his corner. Someone he could talk to. Someone that would be able to translate his "feelings" of the bike to the engineers and do it effectively. He needed his crew chief of four year, Burgess.

How bad did Rossi need Burgess and his crew? Enough to give each crew member a $50,000 bonus out of his own pocket if they moved with him. When Burgess officially announced his departure from Honda, it shocked the world just about as much as Rossi?s own announcement.

Burgess, like Rossi, is a bit of a rebel and genius. And when HRC refused to provide him with concrete plans for 2004 the Australian decided to write history with the lanky Italian.

When Rossi finally had a chance to ride the M1 for the first time, he proved his worthiness (of a reported $9mm per year, the most a motorcycle racer has ever been paid) when he lapped the Sepang circuit faster than the fastest Yamaha had ever done it, on his first day. But this was not enough. Biaggi had already broken Rossi's own lap record and the Yamaha was about a second behind the Honda pace. Rossi had five more tests in which to catch up to the Hondas and by the Official Catalunya IRTA test, Rossi was already quickest.

A Yamaha quicker than a Honda? Last year, the highest placing for a Yamaha was third, and it only happened once at the French GP in wet-dry conditions. The highest placing in the championship was seventh. How could this be?

But this was only testing and the Yamaha was still about 10km to 20km slower than the Hondas. And until then, Rossi had not shown his race-pace; could he and the Yamaha maintain this pace for an entire race? How quickly would the Yamaha use up its tires? How would it react after the tires were gone? Would it be predictable and linear?

The logical next step would be further development of the RC211V. But simply extracting more HP out of the V5 was not the answer. Unlike cars, motorcycles have a very narrow (when compared to cars) tire patch and even the first-generation four-strokes were already spinning up the tires.

[Monsoon X]

P2 con't

The answer came in the form of Michelin's new tires, which bring us to the Honda's second weakness; adjustability. When we hear MotoGP bikes, we hear prototypes, bikes that have no (or very few) limits in terms of setup. Unlike SuperBikes where the final product must derive from a publicly available motorcycle, MotoGP bikes only need to meet a very small set of requirements such as weight and engine size, all else is up for grabs. This means that as long as it has two wheels, an engine size of less than 990cc and meets the weight requirements for its chosen engine configuration, you can race just about anything. Because racing is a very dynamic activity, the engineers that design these works of art must try to think ahead as much as possible. How will their bike behave in warm/cool temperatures, bumpy and/or slippery race tracks, under braking and/or acceleration, etc?

One solution is to put the bike through as much R&D as possible, as Honda did. The result is a bike that requires minimal adjustments, yet performs excellently at any race track. Since minimal changes are required, the behavior of the bike under a race becomes very predictable, which translates into better choices for a race (tires, fuel, etc). But this costs lots of money and engineering time (which also costs money).

Another solution is to add adjustability into your bike. Of course this does not mean no time is spent in R&D, just not as much. This is a tricky solution. On one hand, because of the reduced R&D, costs are reduced. Also, if there are some radical changes during a season, one can compensate by adjusting the geometry of the bike. On the other hand, if you don't know what you are doing, you could end up with the front wheel in the back and vice versa.

As different as the two approaches above are, were the Honda and the Yamaha. Adjustability on the RC211V was limited to suspension settings. Hayden, one of the Repsol-Honda riders, was quoted as saying ?basically Honda gives you the bike as is and you ride it?. Contrary to the belief that MotoGP bikes offer limitless adjustability, HRC's master piece did not. Did it need it need adjustability? Could Honda have gone wrong? Few could argue with its record so far. The Yamaha was the complete opposite. You could literally end up with a scooter if you were not careful. Carlos Checa, Rossi's teammate at Yamaha and perhaps the most experienced M1 rider in the team, would often go backwards during a race weekend; blaming setup issues. If you thought it, it was adjustable on the Yamaha.

Rossi and Burgess were aware of the adjustability problem/benefit of the M1. There is nothing wrong with a bike which geometry you can radically change, so long as you know what you are doing; Rossi and Burgess knew what they were doing.

But so what the Honda was basically a very good street-bike (uncrate it and race it) on steroids? Its record preceded it. The bike was a championship-winning work of art. The problem was two-fold. HRC lacked a development rider (a clear leader) and faced contractual conflicts if it looked outside of the Repsol-Honda team; Rossi and Burgess knew this.

Even as late as the Catalunya IRTA tests, HRC had not decided on who its number one rider would be. Which rider would drive the development of the bike? Would it be Barros even though he was still recovering from his shoulder surgery (he was riding, but he was surely not setting the world ablaze)? How about Hayden? But wait, he's too young and inexperienced (he and Hopkins may be our best hope of an American champion, but few would argue he's reached a development rider status). Fellow American Colin Edwards, was (and still is) considered by many the second-best (next to Rossi) development rider in the world. After all, all the RC-51 development and success could be attributed to him. How about championship runner-up, Sete Gibernau? The answer was neither. Edwards and Gibernau both rode for Telefonica-MovieStar and contractual obligations to Repsol prohibited HRC from providing parts to non-Repsol riders first. What of Max Biaggi and Makoto Tamada? See above (although in reality Tamada was never in line as a developer since he rode a Bridgestone-shod V5).

HRC may have all the resources and the engineering prowess in the world, but ultimately, it needs to be told, by the rider, what it is he needs. Once HRC knew this, it could fire up the factories and have the pieces built. But even with all of its resources it would take time. And even if it could turn a new frame, swing-arm, forks (HRC uses and owns Showa), etc, around in a week, Rossi and Burgess could adjust the M1 in one session.

The V5's Achilles heal was no secret, but until now, it had proven its strength. Remember, minimal changes equal predictability. However, when Michelin released its solution to side grip, a wider rear tire and a 16.5 front tire, the V5's strength became its weakness.

In part three, we'll examine how the new Michelin tires allowed some of the big four-strokes to go faster and how they affected the V5.

[AnotherRedHead]

Ummmm, that was WAY gayyyyer than the article I read. It was on Rossi's bike and had pics and bad ass stuff about it. Wasnt some history report you fag! LOL

[Monsoon X]

With the increased power of the latest generation four-stroke MotoGPs, Michelin, the dominant tire manufacturer of the championship, was faced with the challenge of harnessing the extra power and transforming it into forward motion. This is what we'll examine in part three of our story.

The first generation four-stroke engines were said to produce 220hp, enough to light up the best race tires available. By the end of 2003, the bikes were making in excess of 240hp; and a five percent increase was in the horizon for 2004. Michelin's solution came in the form of a wider rear tire and a 16.5 inch front tire.

Better tires?
In 2001, the MotoGP paddock switched from 17 inch rear tires to 16.5. The overall diameter of the tires remains relatively unchanged. However, because there is a decrease in the wheel's diameter the tire gains a half an inch. This increase provides two things. The added surface allows for better heat dissipation. And because tires are lighter than wheels, changing direction is easier because of the reduced un-sprung mass. The first rider to experiment with the new tire size was Mr. Sideways himself, Garry McCoy. McCoy's success in 2000 was all the proof the rest of the teams needed, and by the end of the season most everyone was using the same tire combination.

The overall dimensions of the rear tire remained relatively unchanged until early 2004 when Michelin increased the width of their rear tires. The new wider rear tire meant a wider footprint. It allowed riders to be leaned over and begin rolling on the throttle much earlier than before. Right away, the times began to fall as the riders made better use of the immense power available to them.

In most cases, the MotoGP boys always get to test the newest and greatest. That was not the case with the new-for-2004 16.5 inch front tire. The WSBK riders had been using this tire since 2000, when WSBK champion Colin Edwards gave Michelin the thumbs up on the new tire size. Like the rear tire, the new front tire provided the rider with more side grip.

The new tires introduced geometry alterations (as slight as they may have been) to the bike. As long as you rode at the same pace as 2003, one would find no problems with the tires. But this is MotoGP, riding at the same pace just does not happen. Riders and manufacturers always aim to go faster than before. For the Honda boys, the problems with the new rubber showed its face in the form chatter.

Chatter is the feeling of the tire, whether front or rear, or a combination of the two, skipping over the ground or vibrating. Because the tire is not able to maintain constant adhesion with the surface of the racetrack, the bike will tend to drift wide out of a corner. This effect not only affects the rider?s confidence, but also increases lap times because the rider must focus on recovering the drifting bike, rather than going as fast as possible.

In racing nothing is free. Everything comes at a cost. The reduction in wheel size also has some unwanted effects on the handling of the bike. Due to the reduction in un-sprung mass, the bike can feel less stable, which is last thing you?d want if you are riding an already unstable bike. This was one of the complaints Bayliss had during his initial run on the smaller tires.

Another effect of geometry changes is unforeseen tire wear. The geometry of the bike can have an effect on tire wear. As a rider, you can compensate for this by opting for a harder tire, but you pay for it in lost grip.

Michelin introduced the new rubber options until the latter part of the 2004 pre-season. As riders began to accrue miles on the new tires, most teams realized chassis/frame changes would be required to squeeze the most out of them. Ducati was the first to complain about the tires. Surprisingly, their complaint came from the extra grip of the rear tire. There was so much grip that when the Ducati Corse riders tried to power-slide the big V4, they were twisting the swingarm like a noodle. And the response to the new front tire was no different. Even Bayliss, who?d used the 16.5 inch front tire in his WSBK days, struggled to get it to work on the GP bike.

[Monsoon X]

Ducati responded by making the necessary changes, but all throughout the season they struggled. What surprised many was the fashion in which Honda responded. Unlike Ducati, which quickly addressed (or tried to address) the problems with the new Michelins, Honda waited until the very last minute.

Perhaps the reason to the delayed response is not so simple. As we discussed in part two, Honda had not yet decided on a development leader. Now is clear their choice was limited to Hayden and Barros, but at the time it was not so. Secondly, changes or updates to the mighty V5 required new parts. Unlike the rest of the MotoGP bikes, geometry changes to the RC211V meant that new frames, swingarms, etc needed to be manufactured. As we had already discussed, without a clear leader, Honda was in a bit of a bind.

Another of Honda?s mistakes in 2004 was the introduction of new parts during race-weekends. Possibly its biggest mistake was the introduction of a new swingarm as late as the first practice session of the opening round in South Africa. Though its first incarnation had previously been tested by the Repsol-HRC team earlier in pre-season, the weather hampered much of their testing. And when Honda introduced it to their satellite teams in South Africa, all criticized its timing. Edwards tried it, but the rebellious Texan decided to stick with what he knew, the 2003 setup.

The world of MotoGP is very costly. It may be backed up by what may seem as a bottomless pot of money from sponsors and giant manufacturers. But all of this is simply an illusion. The pots have a bottom, and before you can take a cookie, you must ask for permission in the form of budgeting. In order to budget you must first decide the direction of development. Though there were the aforementioned complaints, overall, teams and riders understood this was the right direction for tires. The added grip simply needed to be worked out by the teams, and was ultimately necessary if the bikes were to continue on their ever-increasing horsepower trend. As a result, further development of the narrower rear tire and the 17 inch front tire seized. So even if some riders were faster on the previous generation set of tires, such as Edwards who was breaking lap records in early pre-season, they were forced to use the new rubber.

As the season progressed, Honda sorted out their chassis to work with the new tires, but many observers felt it was too little too late.

Perhaps the turning point for Honda was their defeat in the Catalunya GP. Rossi may have won at Mugello, but few would have considered that a normal race. Catalunya on the other hand, played to every one of Honda?s strengths. To many, Catalunya was a Honda track. Qualifying showed it. But by the end of the race there were three Yamahas in the top five. Gibernau blamed tires for his defeat. The Catalan explained that Yamaha was able to use a softer rear tire than the Honda, which would have given Rossi a tire choice advantage.

In retrospect, it would come as no surprise if Rossi and Burgess had calculated the introduction of the new tires into their strategy. Let us not forget Doohan learned all of his tricks from Burgess. As discussed in part two, Yamaha?s biggest strength/weakness was its adjustability. This would have allowed Rossi and Burgess to adapt the M1 to use the new Michelins much quicker than any Honda rider could. The effect would have been amplified by the lack of leadership at Honda.

Also, the development of the new rear tire would have commenced sometime in 2003. It is conceivable the request would have originated from the Repsol-HRC tent, which at the time would have been run by Rossi and Burgess. Following this logic, it would not be too far fetched to say that Rossi?s and Burgess?s decision to go to Yamaha was partly based on the knowledge that the new Michelins were on the way. Not because the two would have struggled to get the new rubber to work had they stayed at Honda, but because the new rubber would have required clear leadership, something they knew Honda would lack without them.

In part four, we?ll discuss Yamaha?s commitment to their MotoGP race effort and its effects on the 2004 season.

[Monsoon X]

part4

Part three looked at how the new Michelins played a role in Rossi?s historic 2004 season. Now, let us look at the importance of Yamaha?s factory support.

Why is getting factory support so important in racing? The easy answer would be that it depends on what type of factory support you receive. Simply getting factory support does not mean much, specially, if you don't get what you ask for. In other words, the correct question should be how does one get ?real? factory support?

The answer to this question is not so easy. There are countless cases in the current MotoGP grid that would indicate factory support may not be the best solution to the problem of simply filling the grid; nor is hiring the best engineers and fabricators in the field. Examples you ask; Outside of Honda, the Proton KR team has some of the most brilliant people behind them. Yet, they struggle to even finish a race. Sure, perhaps they lack they backing HRC enjoys, but ultimately they have the brain power and very little to show for it. The Suzuki team is an example of factory support, without results. So simply obtaining factory support, and/or hiring the brightest in the field will not guarantee you success in the tough world of MotoGP.

Perhaps we should examine the part factories play into a successful outfit from the ?people? side of things. After all, people are the ones that pay the bills. People are the ones that man the engineering positions. People are the ones that translate rider's needs to the engineers. And people are the ones that ride those beautiful works of art we call MotoGP bikes. Without them, there would not be much. People are also very complex. They have needs that must be addressed. And people also need to be directed towards a common goal; otherwise, you'd never get anywhere.

It is this aspect of racing we need to address before we can understand the impact the Yamaha factory had on the historic results of 2004.

In the late eighties and early nineties, Yamaha was on the top of the GP world. In fact, when Eddie Lawson switched to Honda and wrote history by becoming the first-ever rider to win back-to-back championships on different machinery, the NSR500 was not the bike to be on; it was the underdog. So what happened to Yamaha after Wayne Rainey's horrendous accident in 1993? Where did all the talent at Yamaha go?

The fact is that all the brilliant people at Yamaha were still there, they just needed to be regrouped and their priorities reassessed. The first step was assessing Yamaha's racing priorities. They needed to focus all of their engineering power towards the goal of taking back the MotoGP crown. The initial step consisted in dissolving their WSBK efforts. Secondly, they needed someone to guide them through their quest. This is where Mr. Masao Furusawa came in. Mr. Furusawa took over the MotoGP racing division in mid-2003. He understood the problems with the M1 and by the last round of the 2003 season he had addressed the lateral rigidity issue in the form of a new inverted swingarm. Their next step was to get someone in the front-line that could help engineers further develop the M1. That person was Valentino Rossi, who very intelligently brought along his crew chief Jerry Burgess and four other crew members.

One should note the importance of bringing someone like Rossi over to an underachieving team. Engineers are like mothers. They are very easily offended with the mere mention that their babies (chassis, engine, fuel injection, electronics, frame, swingarm, rotor mount, etc) may not the best. Their only goal in life is to make the very best; all else is failure. Before constructive criticism can be voiced, a certain amount of respect must be earned. This is what Mr. Furusawa achieved by bringing in Rossi and Burgess. Even before their legendary 2004 season, there was very little doubt the duo were not the best in the industry. Perhaps they had the luxury of working with the best bike in the world, but their peculiar and successful approach to racing could not be questioned. So if Rossi/Burgess told you your rotor mount was no good, you didn't dismiss their suggestions as fluff, you got it fixed.

[Monsoon X]

P4 con't

I remember during the 2002 season, when Yamaha first debuted its four-stroke, Carlos Checa complained of Yamaha's lack of response to his requests. I would dare say; I could understand if engineers at the tuning fork factory felt their efforts came unrewarded (in the form of podium finishes) from the Catalan, and as a result perhaps they didn?t go the extra mile for him.

Mr. Furusawa recognized he needed these types of personalities in order to jump-start his engineering team. Recently, I read an article in Road Racing World about the impact this season had at Yamaha. ?They (Rossi and Burgess) have changed the way we think? said Mr. Ichiro Yoda, technical director of the Gauloises Yamaha team.

It is unfair to say Rossi/Burgess were the key to Yamaha's success. Based on the changes Mr. Furusawa was already implementing prior to acquiring Rossi's and Burgess's services, it is clear Yamaha was tired of losing. However, Rossi and Burgess were key in terms of how long it took Yamaha to taste victory. By bringing in the right people, Mr. Furusawa inspired the engineers, who now, more than ever, gave him everything he asked for.

With the right people in place, the next piece to the puzzle was support from Yamaha. Yamaha has become famous in the past for getting a top rider, giving him enough to dominate, and then stopping. This was one of the reasons Mick Doohan claims he never made the switch. During an interview at the Catalunya GP, Doohan said that at the time, Yamaha's commitment was not where it needed to be. Perhaps, like an alcoholic, Yamaha needed to hit rock-bottom and during the late nineties they had not. One could argue Yamaha hit rock-bottom in 2003, when its highest podium placing was third and its highest championship placing was seventh.

Yamaha's commitment to winning was apparent the very first time Rossi and the M1 met. At the first Sepang test, "we started with four types of engines and four types of chassis to try. I had already decided for myself which combination I thought would be the best choice for our new bike, but I kept this to myself and waited to see what Valentino's thoughts were. I'm very happy to say that we think alike." said Mr. Furusawa.

Taking the entire season into account, Yamaha still has much to achieve if they are to truly take the fight to the mighty HRC. While Rossi may have taken the title (actually retained it for third consecutive time), the rest of the Yamaha riders did not accomplish much more than one second place (Checa) and two third places (Melandri). Oddly, aside from Rossi, the highest championship placing Yamaha was Checa in seventh. Which would indicate things would not have changed much without Rossi and Burgess. Yamaha would have had a better year than the nightmarish 2003 season, but not by much.

Clearly, Yamaha's commitment remains strong; with the recent inking of Colin Edwards, the tuning fork factory now posses the two best motorcycle development riders in the world. Edwards's 2004 title challenge left a sour taste in the mouths of many Americans (myself included) who thought his return to Honda was the ingredient the Texan lacked. Maybe we were too naïve and forgot his controversial WSBK days with the motorcycle manufacturing giant.

Edwards blamed his performances, or lack thereof, to not getting the support he needed. At Yamaha, he will be number two, only below Rossi. Excuses due to lack of factory support should be no more.

Next year will be Yamaha's 50th anniversary and they intend to come out swinging. Their goal will not only be for Rossi to retain his crown, but for Yamaha to win the manufacturer's championship, something Honda has controlled for the last few years.

Yamaha may have won the 2004 battle, but the war is not over yet. If 2004 was a tough fight against Honda, 2005 will be even tougher.

In our fifth and last installment, we'll take a look at what lies ahead for Yamaha, Rossi, Edwards and the rest of the MotoGP paddock. We'll take a look at the new rain rules and what we can expect from the Honda/Biaggi team.

[Monsoon X]

part 5

The season will be different this year. HRC has recognized it cannot take the fight to their lost Sons, Valentino Rossi and Jerry Burgess, without hard work. Perhaps like Yamaha, this is what HRC needed in order to get their priorities straight. In part one we discussed their history. The second part focused on how HRC's reaction to the switch, in the form of arrogance, influenced the outcome of the historic season. Later, we talked about the part tires played and we connected that with the RC211V's lack of adjustability. In part four, we took a look at the impact of Yamaha's commitment, and how Rossi and Burgess's KISS approach changed the way Yamaha thinks about racing. Now we'll wrap it up with a preview of what will be the most memorable MotoGP season for all U.S. fans.

Rules
First things first, let us discuss the new MotoGP rain rule. This year, races will no longer be stopped due to climatic changes. In other words, if it rains, it is up to you (the rider) to make the decision of pitting for a rain tire, or continue on with a slick. In the past, race direction or the front runner, would determine whether or not the race should be stopped. If stopped, riders would have the opportunity to pit for rain tires and rain settings for their bike. However, now riders will be faced with a tough decision, pit for rain tires in the name of safety, or go for the position but face potential danger. To complicate things, carbon brakes and rain do not mix. If a rider pits for a rain tire, he must also swap his carbon brake rotors for iron rotors, which in turn use a different type of brake pad. It will be interesting how team engineers tackle this.

New venues
U.S. GP: After a ten year GP drought, America will finally enjoy the thunder of MotoGP. The last GP round (then called 500GP) was held in 1994 in Laguna Seca and it is only fitting MotoGP will return to the same historic track. Yamaha of America, paid the $2m bill to have the track modified to make it safe for the low-flying objects. If you have something, other than going to the GP, planned for July 10 2005, cancel it and join 100,000+ Americans as they cheer for our U.S. riders and the MotoGP champion, Valentino Rossi.

China GP: MotoGP?s popularity has never been higher and an example of this was last year?s first-ever Middle-East GP and this year?s Chinese GP. The F1 boys christened the track for auto use in 2004 and our MotoGP boys will christen it for motorcycle use in 2005.

Riders and teams
Gauloises Yamaha: The arrival of Rossi in 2004 not only gave them their first MotoGP championship since 1992, but also boosted their morale to forgotten levels. The Factory Yamaha team will look to retain its crown for 2005. As if Rossi's services were not enough, Yamaha has also hired American Colin Edwards.
Valentino Rossi: The young King of MotoGP returns with the fork tuning factory to represent them in their 50th anniversary. Unless you already have a favorite this year, Rossi will likely be it. The Italian's popularity has only gotten bigger since his courageous move to the blue outfit last year. During pre-season testing, Rossi tested the 2005 prototype and was quickly faster on the prototype than on the championship-winning 2004 M1.
Colin Edwards: The two-time WSBK champion returns to the factory that got his road racing career started. In 2004 Edwards disappointed many of his fans with his bullish talk and bearish results. The Texan will ride for the factory Yamaha team and should receive all of Rossi's parts as soon as they are made available. Edwards is considered to be the second best motorcycle development rider in the world. With his and Rossi's help, don?t be surprised to see a Yamaha 1-2 finish at a couple of races.

Telefonica-MovieStar Honda: It may not have had the backing of HRC, but it certainly had more desire. Spanish reports suggest the team will be provided with a pair of HRC-Spec V5s for vice-champion, Sete Gibernau. While the team lost Edwards to Yamaha, it gained a young-gun in the form of Marco Melandri.
Sete Gibernau: Like in 2003, Gibernau mounted a strong challenge for the MotoGP crown. One could argue that without Rossi, he or Max Biaggi would be MotoGP world champions. This year, he will return aboard a customer-spec V5 (unless you read Spanish newspapers, in which case he'll return on an HRC-spec V5) under the Telefonica-MovieStar tent.
Marco Melandri: The 2002 250cc World Champion again had some truly brilliant moments. Few would question his talent, but the young Italian needs to work on his concentration. In 2005 he will ride for Honda and based on the recent pre-season tests, he should be hitting the ground running at the season opener.

Camel Honda: In 2004 the Camel-Pons team may have appeared to be a two-rider garage, but in reality it was two one-rider teams under the Camel umbrella. Max Biaggi rode for Camel, while Makoto Tamada rode for Pramac (with Camel livery). In 2005 things will return to a two-rider team.
Alex Barros: The Brazilian had a nightmarish 2004 season. Though he had everything any rider could ask for to challenge Rossi for the title, perhaps his age finally got to him (he's not Australian after all). Barros will return to the team where he enjoyed most of his recent success, the Pons-managed, Camel Honda team.
Troy Bayliss: The 2001 WSBK champion had a magnificent 2003 season. 2004 was not as many had expected, but one cannot blame 100% of his performances on him; Ducati as whole, struggled most of the season. Bayliss may be old, but everyone knows, Aussies like fine wine, only get better with age. In 2005 he will mount his attack on the best motorcycle in the paddock, the RC211V. It may not be a works machine, but you can rest assured Bayliss will do his part to make up the difference; at least he'll crash trying

[Monsoon X]

part 5 cont.

Repsol Honda: The mighty giant not only was defeated by Rossi and Yamaha, but also by its very own Honda-supported privateer teams. Though they have yet to officially announce it, Max Biaggi will switch garages and become the number one man at Honda. Nicky Hayden will remain for at least two more years.
Max Biaggi: The Roman Emperor has finally gotten what he's been asking for all of his life, HRC factory support. The Roman will partner with American Nicky Hayden and ride for the prestigious Repsol-HRC team. Biaggi has a peculiar riding style, often referred to as a 250cc or inline riding style. Since development direction will be determined by Biaggi, it will be interesting to see how it fits the rest of the Honda riders
Nicky Hayden: One of America's hopes for the next American MotoGP champion will continue as the number two man at HRC. Hayden had an excellent debut season in 2003, which saw him become rookie of the year and finish fifth in the championship. Expectations were high for the young American in 2004 and though he finished on the podium a couple of times, he never threatened for the win.

Ducati Marlboro: In 2003 Ducati had a fairytale season. On their very first race, Ducati riders were fighting for podium finishes. And within six races, Ducati had secured its first-ever MotoGP victory. 2004 was a nightmare for the Italian factory. Perhaps their most controversial decision (apart from their switch from Michelin to Bridgestone tires) at the end of 2004 was their firing of Troy Bayliss in favor of Carlos Checa. Time will tell whether or not this was the right decision.
Loris Capirossi: After a disappointing 2004 season, the diminutive Italian will return in 2005 aboard a gloriously sounding, Desmosedici V4 Italian music machine. This time however, he will do it on not Michelin tires, but Bridgestones. During pre-season testing, the Italian impressed many with his quick adaptation to the new rubber. If the Japanese rubber company continues on its ever-improving path, don't be surprised to see the V4 fighting for the top of the podium throughout the season
Carlos Checa: The ?Chucker?, as he's kindly referred to by his mechanics for his prominence to ?chuck? (crash) it away, will pair with Capirossi on perhaps his last chance to prove to the world he still has it. Many thought his last chance was in 2004, but it seems we forgot he carried a Spanish passport which guarantees you more than one final chance. Checa was faster than Capirossi on his first time out on the Ducati; perhaps it was the Yamaha that was holding him back.

Fortuna Gauloises Yamaha: The Yamaha satellite team lost both of its riders in the season-end shuffle. However, in the process it gained two of the most explosive riders available; Ruben Xaus and Tony Elias.
Ruben Xaus: Spider-Man, as he's known in WSBK circles for his arms-and-legs-out style of riding, will ride an ex-Rossi M1 in 2005. The Spaniard lacks maturity, but has plenty of heart to make up for it. He may be not be Rossi, but he's definitely someone to watch for in 2005.
Tony Elias: Elias may have only finished fourth in the 250cc World Championship, but few could argue it was because of a lack of fearless riding. The young Spaniard complained much about his archrival's, Dani Pedrosa, weight advantage in the quarter-liter class. Aboard a 240HP+ MotoGP machine this should be the least of his worries. Not only does the young-gun graduate to the premier class, but he'll have a year-up on Pedrosa's expected arrival (expected to be 2005 for HRC).

Kawasaki Racing: Kawasaki may have suffered a few DNFs, but the rate of their progress between 2003 and 2004 cannot be overlooked. Let us hope this continues, as this will only make the championship that much more interesting.
Shinya Nakano: Rossi's achievements often eclipse notable achievements from other riders. A perfect example is Nakano's performance on the ?Green Machine?. The Japanese rider took the ZX-RR from hardly finishing races, to a third place and several top ten finishes. His Catalunya ride a week after his 200mph crash at Mugello was nothing short of heroic. Ducati and Honda have better be prepared to tango with Kawasaki in 2005
Alex Hoffman: Hoffman had an on-off season. At times he rode very well considering his lack of experience, but a series of mechanical DNFs simply proved too much for the German. In 2005 he will continue to ride alongside Nakano.

D'Antin Ducati: Last year, it possessed the services of the top two men in WSBK. However, too often it failed to provide them with a reliable machine. Luis D'Antin blamed Ducati Corse's lack of support for their reliability woes. But the reality was the team lacked sponsorship (which translates to money). And without it, it is very difficult to buy the necessary parts to run a successful outfit. As of yet, D'Antin has not announced a team sponsor. Rumors suggest the possibility of Luis D'Antin (owner of the team) leasing his second slot to Pramac, who would campaign Aprilia triples.
Roberto Rolfo: The Italian recently confirmed his signing for the Spanish-based team. It is expected D'Antin will field a 2004 version of the Desmosedici V4 shod with Dunlop rubber.

Suzuki Racing: The manufacturer that makes some of the best and most powerful street bikes in the planet could hardly make a MotoGP prototype much more powerful than a SuperBike. Considering the almost limitless budgets of a MotoGP race team (when compared to an SBK team) one is left to wonder what went wrong. On the other hand, we cannot ignore their improvement towards the end of the season. Perhaps they will continue on this trend.
Kenny Roberts Jr.: Roberts Jr. will continue his quest of giving the Japanese manufacturer their second championship title of the new millennium. In 2004 there were episodes of that reminded us of his real speed, but they were too few in between. According to its riders, Suzuki has the handling to battle with the top, minus the engine. Let us hope Suzuki addresses this problem in 2005, if not, they should call the Yoshimura Suzuki team and ask them for a few pointers.
John Hopkins: If Hayden is one of America's hopes for an American MotoGP champion, Hopkins is the other. Hopkins's championship results may not show it, but if Suzuki fixes their engine-power problem, Hayden better watch out.

WCM: The little-team-that-could will be sport a Blata V6 in place of its four cylinder prototype. Current reports have the V6 in a prototype stage at the moment, which indicate its debut will be no earlier than the first race of the season in Jerez.
James Ellison: Ellison will return with WCM for 2005.
Franco Battaini: The Italian may have graduated to the premier class, but if he thought it was tough in the 250cc class, riding with the top guys in MotoGP, on a non-factory machine, with a completely untested engine layout, will be even tougher.

KR: Perhaps one of the cruelest blows yet to the vision of Kenny Roberts Senior. The Proton KR is known for having one of the best handling chassis in the paddock, but it has always lacked an engine. In the last stages of the 2004 season, KTM finally came through and gave them a working prototype of their V4 MotoGP engine. Nobuatsu Aoki praised the chassis/engine marriage and backed it up with competitive lap times. Former rider, Jeremy McWilliams, said the same at a recent test in Jerez. However, without a sponsor, it will be tough, even for Roberts Sr., to race next season. Moreover, Roberts Sr. said part of the KR/KTM deal involved a swap of one of his chassis. This would mean KTM would be in possession of one complete motorcycle. Late last year, there were rumors that KTM would go at it alone, perhaps leasing a slot from D'Antin. As of now, there are no confirmed riders for 2005. McWilliams has expressed interest, but we'll have to wait until KR's financial woes settle.

Konica-Honda: With the backing of Italian millionaire, Luca Montiron, Honda will field a seventh V5. At the moment, there is very little information about the type of machinery Konica will be provided. We do know the Honda will not use Bridgestone, but Michelin tires.
Makoto Tamada: The Japanese SBK ace turned heads in 2004 when Tamada secured two victories; one in Brazil and one in Japan. Many speculated his performances were partly credited to the strength of the Japanese rubber at these tracks. To respond to his critics, Tamada will use Michelin tires in 2005.

Prediction
Last year was one of the most difficult to predict. No one, including myself, really believed it was possible for Rossi to retain the MotoGP world championship on his maiden year on the Yamaha M1. As usual, the Doctor proved everyone wrong and wrote history; not only by retaining his crown, but by winning the very first race of the season. This time around I won't be so foolish and leave Rossi out.

[Monsoon X]

Top Five Riders for 2005 and THE END

Top Five
Number 46: One of Rossi's biggest strength over the rest of the MotoGP field, is not his talent (though few would question it), but rather his psychological edge. In a recent interview by MCN, Rossi said he was not cruel or vengeful, but determined. When Rossi decides he has to push harder, there are very few in the world that can stop him. If Rossi has decided he'll retain his crown, you'd be a fool to bet against the Doctor. If that was not enough, the M1 will be even faster in 2005.

Number 3: Biaggi's new lease on life in the form of HRC backing could not have come at a better time. Most thought 2004 was Biaggi's best chance to mount his title challenge, but few took into account the determination of his archrival. Biaggi will certainly fight with the top men, but he'll need a miracle in order to beat Rossi on a consistent basis.

Number 15: For the past couple of years, Gibernau has mounted the most consistent challenge against Rossi. So why not place him second you ask? Simple, because until 2004 Gibernau had not been beaten toe-to-toe by Rossi and this was his biggest strength. He lacked the sheer talent of Biaggi, but deep inside he believed he could beat Rossi; if you watched Assen 2004 you know the answer. Gibernau will likely have another consistent season, but without the full HRC support Biaggi will enjoy, it will be hard to finish higher than third.

Number 5: Formally known as number 45 or the Texan Tornado, Edwards will team up with Rossi on the factory Yamaha team and will likely be one of the top five riders at any given event. Edwards has two years of experience racing the GP circuits and as a professional rider this should be enough. However, this will be his first year on the M1 and though he?s got the talent to quickly come up to speed, based on his performance last year one cannot place him higher than fourth for the title.

Number 69: The Kid from Kentucky had an amazing rookie year. The next season was not so. Many of his critics felt he should not have been given an extension on his Repsol-HRC contract. With two years of GP experience under his belt, Hayden better begin visiting the podium more often, otherwise up and coming young stars such as Toni Elias may end up taking his place at Repsol.

Notable efforts:
Number 65: Capirex has the heart of a lion and in a recent interview, Rossi said his toughest-ever competitor had been not Gibernau or Biaggi, but Capirossi. If there is a remote chance of getting a podium/win, you?d be a fool to count the diminutive Italian out. On the other hand, 2005 will be a learning year for Capirossi and Ducati as the two will need to sort out the mighty V4 to work with the Japanese rubber.

Number 6: The Japanese ace will finally get his chance to prove to the world that he?s a true title contender. His wins on the Bridgestone-shod V5 were questioned by many, but his response to them is a switch to Michelin tires, the same tires Rossi and the rest of the top MotoGP riders use. In his first year on the French rubber, the expectation will be for Tamada to fight for the podium, but consistency should be expected next year.

Number 33: Will this be the year of Melandri? No one knows. His talent cannot be denied, but so can?t his lack of focus. Perhaps what he needed was an easy-to-setup ride such as the Honda. For the sake of the young Italian, let us hope that was the case.

Number 11: Xaus will be on a bike as close to Rossi as it can get. His skills may not be as polished as they need to be to properly handle a MotoGP monster, but he makes it up with courage. Xaus will certainly be a rider to watch out for.

Number 21: Hopkins is perhaps the luckiest/unluckiest rider in the world. At the tender age of 18 the young American was given the opportunity of a lifetime at RedBull Yamaha. However, by the time Hopkins got up to speed with the world of MotoGP, his only option was a ride on a non-competitive machine. To many, Hopkins deserved Checa?s ride at Ducati, but in the world of MotoGP, talent only lets you open the door, your passport allows you to walk through it.

Number 12: Bayliss?s move to Honda came as unexpected as his firing from Ducati. His times were not too impressive on the Camel-V5, but few can wrestle a bike into submission as the Australian can. Don?t be surprised to see Bayliss fighting with the top ten on any given Sunday.

Testing will commence later this month and the first race is not slated until early April. If you missed last year?s historic season, give MotoGP one race, and I promise you?ll be hooked for life.

[Monsoon X]

Ummmm, that was WAY gayyyyer than the article I read. It was on Rossi's bike and had pics and bad ass stuff about it. Wasnt some history report you fag! LOL


Sir, can you please stick to your sport. Chrome Ladders with wheels and turbos. ;)

[AnotherRedHead]

chrome ladders???

fuck road racing, it gets too much coverage and fucks drag racing. That is all.....

[Monsoon X]

chrome ladders???

fuck road racing, it gets too much coverage and fucks drag racing. That is all.....

Actually, I'd like to see some Bike Drags on TV. Aside from Angel and Antone (whatever his name is)

[MattB]

Someone learned how to copy and paste today! TWO gold stars on the fridge for ya!

[Monsoon X]

Someone learned how to copy and paste today! TWO gold stars on the fridge for ya!


:confused:

[NayNay]

:confused:

LoL its like...DUhhh, you aint about to type all that shit out.

[Monsoon X]

LoL its like...DUhhh, you aint about to type all that shit out.

I know. Of course I pasted. I don't see the point but, MattB isn't known for his intelligence. :) hahahahahaha :p @ Matt

[perezsteveo]

Damn that was long...but very interesting

[DFWminis]

fuck road racing, it gets too much coverage and fucks drag racing. That is all.....

cause it takes skill to do ;p ..jk man!

[Xcountry80]

long ass read, but definitely worth it.

Thanks!

[Monsoon X]

I just find what MotoGP riders do very interesting. I like the part about how they were saying what kind of focus it takes to race for 45minutes. Heck, I went practicing Sat. morning on a stretch of twisty road and I was concentrating my butt off. Especially when the R1 shook it's head at me mid curve. :) But my baby handled it nicely. I was talking to myself the whole ride.

[AnotherRedHead]

shook its head?? just ride some more, tank slap is common, you'll have plenty more stories that are way more violent than that....I couldnt tell you how many times I thought I lost it.

[ThreeFingerPete]

*JC* dat's right mudda fugga, you gon' be muh bitch, i'm whoop this curve, this my town, aint nobody roll 'dis town like me up on deez skreets *JC*


:D

[MattB]

I know. Of course I pasted. I don't see the point but, MattB isn't known for his intelligence. :) hahahahahaha :p @ Matt

:confused:

[Monsoon X]

shook its head?? just ride some more, tank slap is common, you'll have plenty more stories that are way more violent than that....I couldnt tell you how many times I thought I lost it.

I was riding Camp Wisdom between Clark and Mt Creek PKWY kinda fast and hard. (Fast and Hard for a Newbie like me: It's all relative) it gets kinda bumpy up in derr. (It's nice going down it. Up it is kinda cool too)

In the curve near the Power Site, there are some pretty good bumps. It just shook at me, didn't get near to slapping the tank. I was loose on the bars so it didn't upset me. I can't wait to get my sag set and get some good suspension settings.

[AnotherRedHead]

steering dampner. R1 is a tank slap machine. I promise....I only had one wreck, an R1 LOL

[Monsoon X]

:confused:

^ See what I mean? :D

[Monsoon X]

steering dampner. R1 is a tank slap machine. I promise....I only had one wreck, an R1 LOL

Oh yeah. I know, they are notorious for it. I just haven't needed one yet because I was riding "new". Now I'm practicing harder, so it's starting to rear it's ugly head.

[MattB]

^ See what I mean? :D


We've never met before, how would you know how intelligent I am?

[Monsoon X]

We've never met before, how would you know how intelligent I am?


Har, you did it again!

[ThreeFingerPete]

you sold a pimp GSX-R, how smart can you be? :confused:

[MattB]

Har, you did it again!


LOL @ you.:) Those damn silly negros.

[Monsoon X]

LOL @ you.:) Those damn silly negros.

hahahahahaha

[MattB]

J.C. is cool! So is Jesus! I think I'll burn a bible and think about you tonight as I piss the ashes cool...

[evil jose]

Will contrary to popular opionion here, I liked the article and it was good reading albiet a little long winded.

[Monsoon X]

J.C. is cool! So is Jesus! I think I'll burn a bible and think about you tonight as I piss the ashes cool...

I am cool. Jesus is cooler. We don't care how many Bibles you burn and piss all you want. hahahahahaha I got some old ones you can have. LOL

[hedkutter18]

I always wanted to know the specific reasons that Rossi left Honda. I knew they had pretty much let him go, but I had no idea that he wasn't getting any credit from them. Thanks for the post Monsoon!

[Monsoon X]

I always wanted to know the specific reasons that Rossi left Honda. I knew they had pretty much let him go, but I had no idea that he wasn't getting any credit from them. Thanks for the post Monsoon!

I would love to hang out at the paddocks for the Laguna Seca race.

[Marisa]

I'm about to go insane with anticipation. I can't wait for this damn season to start! Someone make it hurry up and get here. On a side note : I'm trying to weasel my way in to Laguna Seca on a vendor's pass. We'll see how that goes. LOL

[Monsoon X]

Just wear some hot pants, sling your work ID badge around your neck and take an umbrella. They'll let you in.

[Marisa]

heh ~ that's not such a bad idea! Whatever it takes, man. ;)

[MattB]

I am cool. Jesus is cooler. We don't care how many Bibles you burn and piss all you want. hahahahahaha I got some old ones you can have. LOL

When can I come pick them up from your ignorant black ass?

[NayNay]

Oh yeah. I know, they are notorious for it. I just haven't needed one yet because I was riding "new". Now I'm practicing harder, so it's starting to rear it's ugly head.
Get a Scott's damper on that bike, and you'll swear it's the best bike ever made.

[perezsteveo]

I'm about to go insane with anticipation. I can't wait for this damn season to start! Someone make it hurry up and get here. On a side note : I'm trying to weasel my way in to Laguna Seca on a vendor's pass. We'll see how that goes. LOL

Ya Im going to try and see if Colin can send me some tickets :D

[Marisa]

Ya Im going to try and see if Colin can send me some tickets :D

Colin who? Edwards?

[perezsteveo]

Yes Colin "going to kick Rossi's ass" Edwards :p

[Marisa]

LOL - I guess he's not a rookie anymore... ;)

[perezsteveo]

LOL - I guess he's not a rookie anymore... ;)

He hasnt been a rookie for a long time...He has just been waiting for a good Team ;)