James Haydon: In his own words

Dazzie: James, Laguna Seca is the 5th from last race of the season. Is it worth rushing development for the sake of 5 races?

JamesHaydon: Well, there will not be any rush in development that’s why we are waiting till then. We could have rushed and come out sooner, but you have to remember it’s only just past halfway through the season, and if there was any thought that development would have to be rushed, or we wouldn’t be ready, then we simply wouldn’t be racing.

Gsxer400: Is it odd sitting around when everyone else has started racing?

JamesHaydon: It’s absolutely horrible. It’s like being out with an injury. I find it incredibly frustrating and my poor girlfriend probably gets it, but on the other hand I’m throwing myself into training. I’m going motocrossing 3 or 4 times a week, which is more than I’ve done in ages, and I’m going Supermotoing next week. I knew it would be like this but it doesn’t make it any easier

Mrsticky: What the current state of your race bike, is the engine running yet?

JamesHaydon: I haven’t seen an engine running yet, but I’m not part of the engine development team, so you’d really have to ask them. But I’ve seen a complete rolling chassis with bodywork and it looks terrific

Gsxer400: When will you get to ride the FP1 for real?

JamesHaydon: In about 5 weeks time…I can’t give you a location yet. Bring it On!!!

Cooey: Do you not think it’s a good idea to do some racing up to Laguna in order to keep you eye in, wild card BSB entries perhaps??

JamesHaydon: Yeah, I’d love to, but I’m not allowed. Don’t think I didn’t think of it myself! I’d have loved to have done it ,but I have signed for a manufacturer for two years, and basically I’m not allowed to ride another manufacturer’s bike. But then again Foggy’s sorted me out a factory CCM Supermoto bike. It’s quite surprising he’s letting me go after what happened to him!

Mrsticky: What’s Foggy like as a boss/manager and do you all get on? Especially Foggy and Corser?

JamesHaydon: Yeah…we seem to. I didn’t really know Fogarty that well and I’ve had a real good laugh with him and getting to know everyone and at the moment it’s quite relaxed, because we’re not at a race meeting so it’s been cool…no problems.

Gsxer400: How upset will Foggy be if the first time you take a working FP1 out, you crash it? And will this make you take it easy for the first race?

JamesHaydon: Well, he knows that bikes get crashed and no, I won’t take it easy. I hope that won’t happen and I’ll try to avoid it, but at the end of the day we have to go fast and sometimes these things happen, you cheeky monkey!

Glenwatt: Was it a tough choice to leave the Virgin Team, as you seemed happy there ?

JamesHaydon: Yeah, it was a really, really tough choice and I was happy there. But I discussed it with Rob Mac and told him about the position that had come up and, at the end of the day if he had said " no James, it’s not happening " then I wouldn’t have gone. But he knew about the opportunity and the fact that I wanted to race in WSB and I was lucky, because he was very good about it, and said to go for it.

Trick202: Are you a bit disappointed that you won’t get the chance to whup Reynolds on the new bike this year?

JamesHaydon: Hang on one second… Yeah man definitely but I don’t know, I’ve whupped him before. But yeah, it’d be nice, not just against Reynolds, but to be out and racing on a bike and to go out and kick some ass. But you have to look at it as I’ve moved into the world championship now and that’s a good thing in itself. But I’ll be watching the British Championship top see how it goes

Simmo: James, seeing the start of the BSB season this weekend, how will you feel and do you think if you’d stayed with Virgin you would have been in with a good chance of winning the championship?

JamesHaydon: Yeah, I mean, I do feel funny…I do wanna be out there and really don’t like the fact I’m not. And yes, I thought I’d be in with a good chance whoever I rode for. I think I proved that last year I’m as fast as anyone in the country, and as fast as anyone in the world, I just need to get that little bit of consistency!

JamesHaydon: I’m really sorry but I’ve got to take a quick break I’ve been driving in my car, and passing a load of garages to try and keep talking, but my car is under the empty mark now. So if I don’t fill up now I’ll be stuck on the hard shoulder and they don’t allow mobiles while you’re filling up I’m afraid… so I’ll be back in about 2 minutes after I’ve filled up. I’m really sorry, but at least you can tell that this is really me, and live, because no-one would have planned this!

Jameshaydon: Hello… I really apologise. I have to be in Oxford for 3…so I really had to stop.

Zx6man: Do you get recognised at Petrol Stations?

JamesHaydon: *Laughs* I get recognised sometimes, but very rarely. Luckily not today cos I was in a hurry and ran in and out. But I’m really sorry about that, I’m desperately trying to get home, and I’m sorry for making you wait around.

Bostromsbabe: Why are you going to Oxford?

JamesHaydon *laughs*…I’m going for a meeting with my manager about something

Dazzie: What do you think about the loss of the 250cc GP class in BSB and the subsequent collapse of the Ducati Monster class that was supposed to take it’s place?

JamesHaydon: I didn’t know that the Monster class had collapsed. I grew up on 250s and really loved them. I think they’re one of the very few true racing classes. They weren’t production bikes. They were true race bikes, running on slicks and were very fast. I think mine was the first name on the petition to keep them. I understand things should move on but I think we should be as close to WSB and GPs as possible. If GP’s remove them in four or five years, that’s when we should. You’ve now got no way anyone can move into Gps apart from 125s.

Dazzie: Where do you see WSB heading, and are the changes coming too slowly?

JamesHaydon: I do think the changes are coming too slowly, but I think that right now it’s at it’s weakest it’s been for a few years. There are teams missing and some teams with only one rider, but there are people to turn it around. I think our team will be a coup for the series with the addition of a couple of top riders, but I think it will survive and it’ll be interesting to see how it changes. But without a crystal ball it’s difficult to see how it will change in the future

BenJohnson28: What’s the best advice you could give a young rider?

JamesHaydon: Believe in yourself and like anything, I think if you really put your mind to it, you’ll succeed. It does take hard work, and you’ll have a lot of people knocking you, but if you work hard and train hard then if you’re any good, you’ll make it and if you think like that you probably are good.

Benjohnson28: How does Troy feel about the new bike?

JamesHaydon: It’s kind of hard for me to answer really because, yeah, I saw him yesterday and he feels good you know. Oh crap…hang on…police are in front of me Shouldn’t be on my mobile and driving really!

JamesHaydon: It’s ok now…

Gsxer400: Is it true that you’ve gone for a nice new haircut to keep a low profile?

JamesHaydon: *laughs* I have had a bit of a new haircut. I’m not actually that keen on it to be honest! I went somewhere different, but I think I’ll have to wait till it gets a bit longer before I can cut it off and it’s hardly low profile! It’s kind of a bit scruffier than my normal scruffy haircut and it’s a lot blonder. I was thinking blondes have more fun!!!!

Benjohnson28: Do you think WSB will make you a better rider?

JamesHaydon: Yeah. I mean I hope so. In one way I kind of feel BSB has made me a better rider and if …I feel I want to develop that further by going into WSB and racing those guys. But certainly I feel in the last few years that I have developed and I’m ready to race those guys now. I mean we’ve proved in England that we can race at their pace…Hodgson, Walker, Reynolds have all won races and done well. And I qualified 5th for WSB on the Duke in 2000 so I think we’re there, or there abouts. But when your racing with the best teams and riders I think you will learn something

BostromsBabe: If you could banish one thing from motorcycle racing what would it be and why?

JamesHaydon: Good question. Errr…hurting yourself? Cos then it would be pain free!!!!

JamesHaydon: Thanks to everyone for your questions and I’m really sorry it’s been so hectic and delayed. But I just had an incredibly busy day and the roads have been such a nightmare. But thanks to everyone for all your questions and support and thanks to mcn for doing this, and just in case anyone’s been trying to get on my website it’s been down for a few weeks. But it should be back up again in the next 3 or 4 weeks at www.jameshaydon.co.uk. And I’ll try to arrange to do this again at a time when I’m not running out of fuel or running into police cars. When the police car pulled out straight in front of me I had a phone in one hand and a sandwich in the other so I had to brake a bit quick! Thanks again to everyone.