Motorcycle Forums

Hi Cameron..

..I guess we're about to find out. Rossi has never gone well at Aragon but does have some of his best tracks coming up.

Did you know?..that Stoner amassed a total of 95pts during the last six races of 2010 and then went on to declare he'd left Rossi a competitive bike that didn't need changing..just riding properly. Rossi has 20pts with five more to go, needing to avearge 15pts a race to match him and therefore be able to make similar claims next year.

Now IF he managed that AND was on the pace straight out the gate on the M1..there'd be a lot of very sick knockers struggling with credibilty, perhaps searching for a new place to spout their ignorant opinions other than the cathederal.

DH46..read the post again son. You're preaching to the converted.

back to 2010...

As you will recall Wosi, Stoner ended that season at a fast and competitive pace including a dominant victory at Phillip Island and two other victories (Ducati always won easily at PI with Stoner riding; must have been the bike!).  By any measure, that was leaving a race-winning machine. 

However, it was amazing how the pace of it fell away so dramatically during 24 hours left in the garage at Valencia before Rossi got on it.

As you allude to, while Rossi was mugging it up for the cameras further down the pitlane, at the same test Stoner hopped onto the Honda and blew them away.

I'll answer your questions now:

Rossi won't be fast and competitive between now and Valencia; and

He will not see Lorenzo for dust when he gets back on the M1.

4.6 Seconds

The podium was a bonus for them but I am more interested in the 4.6 secs to Lorenzo which would have been around 5 if Lorenzo didn't take it easy last lap. If they can reproduce that performance then that will be progress in my eyes then podiums may be available/possible

H5..

Yes..it was a race winning bike when he left but it wasn't a competitive title contender. It went well at some tracks and bummed out at others.

We all know what was at stake 2011 and how much Honda threw at their bike to win a previously missing 800 title..a class that was their idea. They saved face at the last bell and their bike was head and shoulders..illustrated by Lorenzo's results, which he's turned back around this year.

Against 4 works Honda's and 2 works Yamaha's, Stoner would probably have struggled to mount a more effective title challenge than in 2009 and 2010. He may have won races at certain tracks, but a championship? Casey crashed his brains out at the end of 2010..what makes you think that the over riding would not have been neccesseary for him to achieve more wins in a far stronger field, hypothetically speaking of course. It doesn't make sense all partisan opinion aside?

As for a 1000cc CF Ducati being competitive this year, against opposition that has moved on yet again..I think you're dreaming.

Rossi has sacrificed 2 years towards the end of his career in an effort to get that bike turned around. Ducati have not been as open to change as they suggested they would be and have been slow in kicking on with the project this year, after 2011 proved they needed to make change.

IF the results improve from here on in..with the only upgrades that the riders have had available all year, who will look the mug?

In the old days before Audi it wouldn't have surprised me if Preziosi, knowing the situation and how it would look, kept the upgrades back to make himself look better. But after his cap in hand pleadings to Furusawa were made public and with new German ownership..he's under pressure to get his finger out. 

jus waiting for 2013

Your mouth will be shut Wosi..better start thinking for sumthing new to write up