So 2012 has begun, testing at Sepang is underway. Day 1 is a bit damp Latest times here no real Honda action as yet.

So, what do you think the season holds in store for us?

Untill they do away with traction control it will remain less entertaining, oh, and the one make tyre rule, and the small grids…meanwhile casey will run riot.

BSB’s looking good for this year.

Honda vs Yamaha (read Stoner vs Lorenzo), Ducati best of the rest (unless they pull a giant, talking, albino bunny out of the hat), satellite teams after that trying not to be outdone by the CRT bikes (assuming they develop at a reasonable pace and their riders are good/mad enough to have a go). Transition year.

It’s got the potential to be an interesting season but whether or not it is remains to be seen.

Hopefully Rossi will be back up there at the sharp end but in all honestly I can’t see him challenging for the title. He’ll no doubt get a few podiums but that’ll be about it.

I reckon it’s got to be Stoner for the title again this season as Lorenzo just doesn’t seem to be at quite the same level. Hopefully him and Spies can put up some kind of challenge to Stoner’s dominance as it’ll make for a pretty uninteresting season otherwise.

Looking forward to it but I fear the same as you re Stoner. He’s head and shoulders above everyone else and it could very quickly become a fight for second.

Lorenzo Fastest Day 1

Casey Stoner did not test after aggravating and old back injury while stretching in the morning.

😆 WTF????? 😯

Wonder if Mrs Stoner was responsible? Lucky boy…… 😆

BSB’s looking good for this year.

Oh yes- i cant wait 😀

Hard to see how Hopkins V Hill’s drag race over the line in the final round can be topped!! That was most impressive.

If he can put his back out stretching, maybe the rest of the grid will have a chance against him after all 😆

He must be gettig too old for these here sportsbikes, time for him to get something more comfortable like a Pan European!

I reckon it’s got to be Stoner for the title again this season as Lorenzo just doesn’t seem to be at quite the same level.

I reckon they’re pretty equal, so much so that even the slightest advantage is enough to ruin the season.

And rather than get rid of traction control what they need is more teams, a bit more chaos.

Stoner to run away with it if you ask me… the boy is just astounding.

And rather than get rid of traction control what they need is more teams

take away the traction control and it becomes more about the rider and less about the guy with the laptop, it will encourage more teams…..that, and more tyre choice.

Traction control ruins the racing. Nothing better than seeing a rider using his skill and feel to manually steer the bike through corners using throttle control alone.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Bs0Kg-niVk8[/video]

and you still don’t think Stoner would run away with it ?

and you still don’t think Stoner would run away with it ?

Stoner’s a great rider, but there’s no way he can ride like that without traction control, take away the TC, let them choose thier own tyres and Rossi wins…..

Yes, get rid of the traction control and bring back rat boy – old Gary Macoy and marshmallo tyres

I remember seeing an article in MCN with photos of the riders lean angles pre and post traction control, pre-Tc rossi was streets ahead of everyone else, post-Tc they were all more or less the same…

Times from Speang today – Cal Crutchlow looking good! CRT bikes not even close to Superbike times 😯

1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2’01.657 (giri 19/30)
2. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 2’02.003 (giri 44/49)
3. Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) 2’02.221 (giri 33/26)
4. Ben Spies (Yamaha) 2’02.234 (giri 28/28)
5. Valentino Rossi (Ducati) 2’02.392 (giri 43/37)
6. Andrea Dovizioso (Yamaha) 2’02.751 (giri 16/20)
7. Hector Barbera (Ducati) 2’02.773 (giri 24/41)
8. Katsuyuki Nakasuga (Yamaha) 2’02.829 (giri 29/32)
9. Alvaro Baustista (Honda) 2’02.869 (giri 44/45)
10. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) 2’03.151 (giri 25/30)
11. Stefan Bradl (Honda) 2’03.668 (giri 28/44)
12. Karel Abraham (Ducati) 2’03.781 (giri 36/39)
13. Franco Battaini (Ducati) 2’04.869 (20/35)
14. Casey Stoner (Honda) 2’07.163 (giri 1/4)
15. Colin Edwards (Suter-BMW) 2’08.240 (giri 12/20)
16. Jordi Torres (BQR-Kawasaki) 2’10.671 (giri 38/42)
17. Ivan Silva (BQR-Kawasaki) 2’11.267 (giri 12/12)

take away the TC, let them choose thier own tyres and Rossi wins…..

Rossi isn’t the rider he was 2 years ago and frankly Stoner is leagues ahead of everyone on a bike that is leagues ahead of all the others.

Take away TC (which I think they should do) and Stoner would still walk it, with Lorenzo close behind. Rossi used to have sets of tyres made for race day from data gathered in practise and qualifying. He also had free reign to do what he wanted on a bike with a similar configuration to the best bike on the grid.

Until Ducati move away from the L-twin (I think there’s talk of it) and change the position of it in the frame, the Duke won’t be a winning bike. There’s a good article on motogpmatters about it, worth reading if you have a spare 15 minutes.

Moto GP as it stands is a bore-fest. I didn’t watch a single race to conclusion last year as you already knew the result before the lights went green. Moto2 on the other hand….

If there’s any rider who can control a bike on the knife’s edge it’s Stoner. Rossi is brilliant, but it took putting him on the Ducati for everyone to realise just how good Stoner really is.

Yeah, bring back Gary McCoy – never boring!

Watch human traction control in action

I was reading about Stoners qually laps and the technician saying

“According to the datalogging software, Casey actually crashed 3 times in the lap”…

now THAT is riding a bike to it’s limits.

If there’s any rider who can control a bike on the knife’s edge it’s Stoner.

knifes edge control is done with the throttle, TC makes it less knife edge, Stoners great, the way he gets off the brakes, turns, and hammers the throttle whilst keeping the bike on its side is breathtaking, he is a new class of rider…but

take away the TC, let them choose thier own tyres and Rossi wins…..

… 🙂

“According to the datalogging software, Casey actually crashed 3 times in the lap”.

the reason he didn’t is due to computer software, motorsport is all about the ability to control the power,lap times are faster with TC, but the racing and the spectacle are devalued.

I’m not knocking the fact that TC makes it easier to get on the power earlier. Stoner at Donny in the wet was a prime example, he was on full gas about halfway through a corner and all you could hear was the bike stuttering as the TC kicked in – it didn’t shut off until halfway along the straight.

But right now, Stoner is the fastest rider by far. Has been for quite a while but lacked consistency. Rossi 5 years ago was untouchable, but that was 5 years ago. IMO Stoner and Lorenzo would both beat him on a regular basis, Lorenzo has already proved this point.

Personally I can’t stand Stoner and much prefer Rossi’s style of riding and him being a complete legend. But its naive to think that if all variables were the same he’d come out on top.

knifes edge control is done with the throttle

I would disagree with that as it is only one component in a multitude of different factors. Look at braking and getting the most out of tyres (Spies got it quick, Toseland never did) and the setting up and balancing the bike for corners. Sure, traction control evens things up a bit and I remember Rossi used to drag the back brake for balance and traction a few years ago but Stoner rings the neck of bike better than anyone at the moment.

Supposedly Casey uses a lot less traction control than most. The data logging chap was also saying that on consecutive laps Casey’s throttle position was exactly the same, not just close, but exactly the same. Best right hand out there apparently.

As for sliding out of corners, can’t remember the race but which was that corner last year that had all the commentators wetting themselves when watching Casey come round it sideways? There were some pretty good ones.

And pass of the season I reckon also goes to Casey, the one around the outside over the blind crest at Laguna Seca. The balls! Amazing stuff.

Edit: As for lean angles, I think that’s probably got more to do with necessity on the 800’s rather than TC. Similar lean angles to the 250s and they don’t have TC. Be interesting to see what happens when we go back to 1000s.

Like I said, Stoner is a new class of rider, TC is here to stay and can only get better…..I do miss the old 990 days though.

Lazy,

If you think Stoner being cranked over at 30deg, sliding the rear and up on a 45deg kerbing at Indianapolis is not a spectacle then you’re watching with too many Rossi coloured glasses on.

I have no doubt Rossi is still the same rider he was… still just as quick… but …Stoner is now as quick or IMO quicker.

If you think Stoner being cranked over at 30deg, sliding the rear and up on a 45deg kerbing at Indianapolis is not a spectacle then you’re watching with too many Rossi coloured glasses on.

fair point, it is great to watch, but not as much as the pre TC days….at least not for me.

Stoner grew up as a kid racing dirt track ovals and its all about sliding and getting the power on.

.I do miss the old 990 days though.

Well they’re back this year with 10cc more!

Will be a fascinating year, can’t wait for it to get going. Stoner is undoubtedly the best rider out there at the moment. And one of Rossi’s great strengths has always been in developing the bike, and Ducati’s 2012 is meant to be a proper back to the drawing board effort. Also expect Lorenzo to be as consistent and as ever, be interesting to see how his buttery smooth style translates to the 1000’s.

Should be a cracking one in Moto2 too. Expect Marquez to run away with it though.

Stoner grew up as a kid racing dirt track ovals and its all about sliding and getting the power on.

I’m not saying he can’t ride without TC, he clearly can, his style has developed with TC, and he does it brilliantly.

without more competative bikes none of this matters. waht makes for good racing is lots of comnpetative teams

Should be a cracking one in Moto2 too

TBH, I much preferred most of the Moto2 races last year to MotoGP – 30+ loons with apparently fresh air between their ears prepared to have a go anytime, anywhere, anyhow…..

Moto2 is definitely an improvement over GP. More flamboyant riding, riders concerned with just winning on the day rather than looking towards a championship win. Just all round more exciting.

As TJ says, GP needs more competitive bikes. This year, the CRT’s will be bottom of the field. They’re at least 3 seconds of the 800 pace and it’ll be a couple of years and the move of some decent riders to make them a winning machine.

GP needs more competitive bikes.

the only competitive bike is a factory bike, and they don’t seem that keen on playing anymore…

Which is why they need to scrap GP’s and homologate it with WSB into a master class.

Factories can’t afford to run big teams in both…. simple as that…

CRT bikes not even close to Superbike times

But then in the first year of Moto2 they were slower than WSS.

I didn’t use to rate Stoner particularly, but he has matured this last couple of years and is pretty much number one now.

Rossi will never be slow, but he’s in his twilight now. Reminds me a bit of Barry Sheene after Roberts’ 3rd championship, you wanted him to win, but he just didn’t have it anymore (wasn’t helped by his 1982 crash).

King Kenny on a bike [that sounded like a race bike] would have creamed the lot of ’em 😉

Even with nobblys on it 🙂

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k8hJWKIVNs&feature=related[/video]

That vid still gives me goosebumps every time I watch it.

To be able to do that having not ridden a bike for a year is just astonishing.

Indeed and at 58