Racing for 3rd
 

.... seems that's all that happens in AMA Superbike these days.

Mladin and Spies appear to own the field with their Yosh GSXR 1000s.

I own Hondas and love them, but I like all motorcycles.
Seems nothing can touch the GSXR 1000.

And not to take anything away - Mladin and Spies are two great riders.

I think it's a combination of team, riders and machine, with the motorcycle being perhaps the least important part of the equation. Mladin and Spies are on another level with their riding right now, although Eric Bostrom is doing well for Yamaha in their first year back in Superbike, but, yeah, at least for the near future, he's racing for third.
Honda and James Toseland are doing well in WSB; the Suzukis don't seem to have any advantage over the other Japanese makes there, so the Yamaha, Honda and Kawasaki appear to have the potential of the Suzuki.

One of the biggest problems that I see with the Hondas in the AMA field is that American Honda told HRC that they wanted to develop the bikes themselves. Toseland if I am not mistaken has support from HRC. While there are always going to be some riders that are at the top of their game compared to others, and Matt and Ben are two of them, I really feel that the Yosh team is head and shoulders above the other teams in the paddock. They have had this GSXR 1000 dialed for the past 6 years and really know what they are doing to that bike.

Good points.
I think Duhamel, and maybe Zemke, are capable of winning.
I just don't think the CBR 1000RR is quite the machine that is the GSXR 1000.

But, then I wonder....
given time to set-up and familiarize, who'd win if Mladin/Spies swapped with Duhamel/Zemke.

Thanks.

edit to add: I agree with the above. For whatever reason the Yosh team has got it going on.
I think it is all the right people, with the right bike, at the right time.
They are going to be tough to beat any time soon.

There was an interesting article in Cycle World last month about how the Suzuki's had traction control, which gave them better grip out of the turns and thus the better lap times. And with Honda's issues, it doesn't look like that gap will be narrowed anytime soon. Too bad for Jake - he really rides the wheels off any bike.

Ama
 

I find the AMA Superbike class to be boring. I love watching Spies and Malidin ring the neck of their GSX-R1000's, but man, it would be so nice to see somthing keep up with them. How great would it be to see Maladin go to another team next year? Pull his own Rossi in the AMA? I would love that.. In fact, I find myself fast forwarding through at least half of the AMA races . Its all just so ho-hum. WSB is way more fun to watch this year.... Moto GP is also a blast to watch, but how about some better coverage? I would love to see the free practice 3 and the qualifiying on my 1080i HDTV.... Guess I'll just watch on my teenny tiny lcd computer monitor ( motograndprix.com) and shut up. stupidspeedtv

You have Speed broadcasted in HD? It's not offered here. I just upgraded to a 50" plasma so it's like going to the movies in my living room now. :mrgreen:

+1 for WSB for excitement. Great tracks & Haga, Toseland, Bayliss, Corser, etc., etc. have got it going' on. Those guys all hang it out.... the only downer is there's no one from the US running there.

I always root for JT. He's riding extremely well this year, taking 5 wins and 9 podiums in 12 races. Not quite the same battle as Spies and Mladin but not completely different either. At least it's interesting watching Biaggi learn a new bike. I've always liked him even though some think he's a total ass.

Racing for 3rd
 

It's interesting to watch the CBR pull away from people in the World Superbike Racing, and yet not get close to Mladin here..hmmm. Matt is so smooth though..mentally tough..Duhamel is getting old.. still got some fire.. I can see Nicky coming back to America... I'm guessing he's riding hurt again, as well I think he is too big physically for the new 800..Pedrosa is like a jockey in size..raced the tracks for years on 250's..Nicky seems to have nothing going on...but with HRC tuning a CBR here..look out Matt... Close competition makes it magic...otherwise I'm riding or doing yard work...Come on Honda make us proud...Wonder why Mladin never tried Moto Gp??

Dave:D

I like Biaggi too. Watching "Faster" was pretty interesting, learning more about the personality differences between Biaggi and Rossi.

When I make it a point to watch it, WSB is really some great racing.

I still gotta believe that as long as Mladin and Spies straddle a Gixxer, everyone else is, well, like I said earlier, "racing for third".

I think the whole AMA thing (soon to be revamped) is a major mess. All these goofy classes, and the liter bikes not being the ones to run the premier race.

Kinda' silly in a way......

Yeah, sucks about Nicky. I watched the race tonight and......

SPOILER BELOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

















...he went down at LeMans with 2 laps to go. It was a wet race. Colin Edwards got pole and ended up almost last in the actual race. Americans don't know how to race in the rain because AMA cancels races when it rains. It'd be better for the riders (as a learning experience) if they raced in the rain here.

..for 3rd.
 

I tried to check the Motogp site last night..no info on Nicky..That looked like a nasty crash...Wondered if he hurt the same shoulder..Anyone here anything??? He's sure ignored by European media...I wonder if they shouldn't go to weight of bike and rider..not just bike...Dwarf like Pedrosa...then someone like Nick..Mind you Rossi is six foot and Biaggi was tiny... Be interesting to have the old Match Races thing...Any and all riders on a spec. bike..see who came out on top...two races in USA..two in Europe..two in Australia and two in Japan...bring it..

Dave

I think Nicky was fine. Crash looked bad because the bike flipped about 4 or 5 times when it caught the edge of the track and went into the gravel trap. He lowsided on braking.

He ran a 500cc Cagiva in GP early in his career. He said he wouldn't go back unless it was a top notch effort. Those offers never came, so he decided to stay in the AMA and make a healthy living. Unfortunately, now, his age and physical size will pretty much keep him out of GP's. Spies has the best chance to move "up" but will also have his size work against him. Right now, Nicky Hayden is the heaviest rider in MotoGP I believe, at around 155 lbs. or so, and I think Spies is around 165.

I think I read he did not break any bones but may have damaged some cartilage in his rib cage area. Too bad, he was looking better until then.

I was totally digging the race up until he crashed.... was hoping he could get a podium while Rossi was moving backwards.

I had also read somewhere that HRC built the bike around Dani and that is why Nicky is having a hard time with aero as he is so much bigger than Dani.

Kind of odd for a company to build a bike around your no. 2 rider (assuming of course that the current World champ is your no. 1, as he rightfully should be). Imagine if Ferrari had built their F1 cars for Barrichello instead of Schumacher.....

I had my doubts about nicky coming into this season, and unfortunately, they were realized. I've been rooting for rossi, but it seams like this year every race has been like a greek tragedy for him. and while I generally like ducati, their bike is really starting to piss me off. its so much faster than anyone else. almost seems unfair. I never really liked mladin. he always came off like an arogant ass to me. so I've been rooting for spies. I would love it if spies got into motogp. as far as american suzuki is concerned, I never liked suzuki. I like to watch them break down. seems strange that the american suzuki riders are the only ones that can do anything on it. I don't think you can really trust the ama results until we see either spies or mladin in wsb or motogp. then we will have a reference. we'll know if it's the bike or not. right now, they don't belong in ama, its just the matt and ben show. they are either too good, and are just cruising through to rack up the wins, or they are very lucky to have the "super" superbike that they are riding. either way at the end of the season I'd love to see someone put a big frown on mladin's smug face.

Seems to me Spies did that last season.....

Makes you wonder why Suzuki can't for the life of them build a good MotoGP bike. Was this their first win in what, ten years?

". . . they make the most spectacular road bikes, but can't seem to figure out MotoGP."

And Honda has the best bike in MotoGP but can't get it to translate into the CBR for AMA. Sure Suzuki has created some good traction control, but what Hopkins has need for the last three years is POWER!

Actually the new 800 Zook seems to b a definite step up from the boat anchors of years past. While they have improved, Honda has slid back and no longer have the best bike in MotoGP (not sure if they did the past two years either as Yamaha had its s**t together).

I'm almost 100% sure that American Honda also have (some) HRC support, however jus like american Honda, also the Ten Kate team in WSB develop their own bikes. They made their name form tuning SS600s and has been winning there for years before they started in SB.

Suzuki's last win in GP's was in 2000 when Kenny Roberts rode for Factory Suzuki. The 8hundskie Suzuki put out for motogp is a very competitive bike.

With Bridgestone's, we have seen Hopkins keep up with the front runners and Vermulin take his maden win. Michielin has been swept off the podium for the past two races(how amazing is that?).

I Always pull for Nicky Hayden, as he is my favorite rider. I saw in the forums on nickyhayden.com a while back that he is working on as MTV series covering the end of last season and the first year of the 8hundskie.... I hope this is true, it would bring lots of attention to the sport!

"it would bring lots of attention to the sport!", in the US for it is already big outside of North America. I remember reading how in many European countries MotoGP attracts more spectators than F1. I never really understood why bike racing receives so little coverage in North America. I guess they can't fit it in what with all the Nascar coverage......

I have read/heard that Suzuki uses Moto GP as a test arena for developing technology that they plan to work into their real world sport bike models.
Read: GSXR line.

I know one could argue that manufacturers do that, but apparently Suzuki puts the focus on developing technology for the express purpose of applying it to the Gixxer, where maybe the other Big 3 focus on developing technology that will help them win Moto GP and then apply some of that to their street bikes.

that could very well be, but curiously the GSX-R's are all I-4's and the GSV-R is a V-4. I realize there is more toa bike than just the engine but it its heart and such a difference in layout has a great deal of impact on everything else (chassis geometry,...)

Check out last month's issue of Cycle World, they have a really neat article on Suzuki in AMA and Moto GP. It talks about traction control in the AMA and how they were able to use it and get around the rule book two years ahead of Honda and Ducati- It's a very good read. The Moto Gp article revolves around thier use of pheumatic (sp?) valves and how they kind of sacraficed the 06' season in an effort to build the 800cc competitive from the start. The sason is still early, but so far so good for Suzuki in 07'.