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Old 16 Sep 2004, 20:08 (Ref:1098681)   #1
f1manoz
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f1manoz should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridf1manoz should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridf1manoz should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
2005 MotoGP Line-up

Silly season should be in full swing by now but frankly I haven't read much on rider movements for the coming season, so I think it's time to start some speculation on this board:

Repsol Honda

Alex Barros - possible
Nicky Hayden - probable
Sete Gibernau - outsider
Max Biaggi - outsider
Makoto Tamada - possible
Colin Edwards - possible
Ryuichi Kiyonari - outsider
Chris Vermeulen - outsider
...and who knows who else

Anything could happen here. Both riders could be shown the door, and both could stay. And there is a line-up of riders who could replace them.

Telefonica Movistar Honda

Sete Gibernau - definite
Colin Edwards - possible
Daniel Pedrosa - outsider

Sete probably won't be going anywhere, unless Repsol come knocking with a big fat cheque. Colin Edwards has been very consistent without setting the world alight. He could make way for someone else...

Camel Honda Pons

Max Biaggi - probable
Makoto Tamada - probable

Can't see much changing in this team, unless Tamada 'gets the call' from Repsol Honda. It could all hinge on tyre deals concerning Tamada.

Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha

Valentino Rossi - definite
Carlos Checa - probable

Rossi won't be going anywhere. Abe has struggled in qualifying all season but his racing has been quite good. If anyone ends up on a Yamaha, it will be inter-team shuffle.

Gauloises Fortuna Tech 3 Yamaha

Marco Melandri - probable
Norick Abe - outsider
Toni Elias - outsider

Checa is comfortable in the team and it's hard to see him changing, and the team do seem happy with him (hard to understand why sometimes). Melandri still seems to be developing, but there's no doubting his pace. I would have said Elias could have made the jump up, due to sponsors, but going Honda to Yamaha, after Rossi, doesn't seem possible at the moment. Honda will keep their hands on him...

Marlboro Ducati

Loris Capirossi - probable
Troy Bayliss - possible
Ruben Xaus - possible

Capirossi seems set for a third season at Ducati in 2005. Bayliss seems to be 50/50 at the moment and Xaus has certainly been pushing his case for a works seat for next year.

Team Suzuki

Kenny Roberts - probable
John Hopkins - probable

Despite all of Roberts whinging, is there anywhere else for him to go? Hopkins would seem to be a better bet if I was looking for a rider. If a new rider were to join, they could come from a domestic Superbike rank, such as USA or Britain (paging Matt Mladin!)

D'Antin Ducati

I put this under 'unknown' for 2005. Who knows if they can put together a team for next year?!?!

Proton KR

Appear dedicated to continuing in MotoGP, but another lets wait and see programme.

Kawasaki Racing

Shinya Nakano - probable
Alex Hoffman - possible

Kawasaki have certainly come on in 2004 after struggling badly last year. Nakano has certainly helped the team lift so if they keep putting in the cash with limited resources, there should be small steps of improvement.

MS Aprilia Racing

Will shut down at the end of 2004. MotoGP has proved far too expensive for the little Italian team.

WCM

Appear committed to 2005 with the development of a new engine and commissioning of a new chassis.

Anyone see any new teams on the horizon for 2005?
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Old 17 Sep 2004, 09:06 (Ref:1099042)   #2
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You could add Ukawa for an outside shot at any Honda seat, most likely a Repsol Honda or Camel Honda Pons seat.

If he performs well enough in Motegi.
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Old 17 Sep 2004, 09:09 (Ref:1099043)   #3
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OK, here are my predictions:

Rossi - Yamaha - single bike, no cigarette sponsors, golden bike (golden boy!)
Checa - retire - not good enough this season
Gibbers - Honda - maybe Repsol
Edwards - stay put
Melandri - stay with Yamaha, and learn not to CRASH
Abe - out
Biaggi - Suzuki
Tamada - Honda
Bayliss - out of Ducati - maybe Suzuki
Capirex - stay put
Barros - retire - same as Checa
Hayden - Yamaha with Vale, but not the same livery - see above
Hodgson - difficult this one - D'antin/Yamaha
Xaus - Ducati factory team
Byrne - dunno
Jezza - retire
Hopper - Honda?
Vermeulen - Honda (probably not next year, though)
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Old 17 Sep 2004, 15:58 (Ref:1099478)   #4
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Hodgson or Byrne to replace Junior at Suzuki, Fabrizio to Aprilia if they have any cash......
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Old 17 Sep 2004, 16:06 (Ref:1099488)   #5
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Why would they hire Hodgson, considering his poor form this year? Actually, I doubt they'd choose to repalce Kenny, and he's got nowhere else obvious to go. It'd be the wrong time to leave them anyway, with the Bridgestones improving and the bike looking fairly useful.

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Old 17 Sep 2004, 18:36 (Ref:1099614)   #6
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Yamaha has 50th anniversary next year, so the bikes could end up being on old Yamaha Racing colours, white-red-black.
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Old 20 Sep 2004, 16:08 (Ref:1102131)   #7
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JohnnyFiama should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
If we lost Proton, D'Antin and Aprilia it would look a pretty thin field.... time to loosen the rules and let some privateers in with some "off the shelf" parts? Custom chassis and some up to 1000cc superbike engines....
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Old 20 Sep 2004, 17:09 (Ref:1102179)   #8
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Boots, would Hodgson do any worse than Jnr? I'm no real fan of Hodgson but he has been on the same pace as Xaus for the most part.
Did you hear Randy Mamola's on air comments regarding Jnr.....? No punches pulled!!!
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Old 21 Sep 2004, 13:00 (Ref:1102855)   #9
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I think he would - Kenny's showed flashes of form this season, and his CV is certainly more impressive than Hodgson's. When the bike's competitive Kenny's perfectly good.

I doubt D'Antin will drop out - Ducati will probably want to run a second pair of bikes again. My guess would be Capirossi and Xaus on the main bikes, and Hodgson and Fabrizio on the second-string machines.
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Old 21 Sep 2004, 13:38 (Ref:1102883)   #10
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Originally posted by JohnnyFiama
If we lost Proton, D'Antin and Aprilia it would look a pretty thin field.... time to loosen the rules and let some privateers in with some "off the shelf" parts? Custom chassis and some up to 1000cc superbike engines....
If they did this they would be encroaching into Superbike regulations, something which the FIM decreed as not allowed when they rubberstamped the MotoGP regulations (hence the 990cc limit, as opposed to 1000)

On Sunday's telecast in Australia, Kevin Magee alluded to the following;

- Hayden staying
- Edwards to Yamaha alongside Rossi
- Melandri to Telefonica Honda
- Xaus to Repsol Honda, due to his Repsol connections.

These aren't done deals, but going by the way they were talking, there is talk of these riders heading in that dirction.
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Old 21 Sep 2004, 13:58 (Ref:1102900)   #11
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What's Kevin's record like on predicting rider moves? I'd forgotten about Xaus' Repsol backing - once you combine that with his impressive performances and his popularity among fans, he seems like an ideal choice.
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Old 21 Sep 2004, 15:10 (Ref:1102952)   #12
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What about Pedrosa? If he stays in 250 will risk becoming a Poggialli and fade away.
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Old 23 Sep 2004, 23:22 (Ref:1105515)   #13
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Quote:
Originally posted by racer69


- Hayden staying
- Edwards to Yamaha alongside Rossi
- Melandri to Telefonica Honda
- Xaus to Repsol Honda, due to his Repsol connections.

These aren't done deals, but going by the way they were talking, there is talk of these riders heading in that dirction.
Yup, with both Suzuki guys "wanting out" with maybe Bailus to Suzuki? Or if all fails back to kick arse in the Ducati World Series.

Mladin said that he's to big and fat for Motogp j/king, But he's not going to Motogp.

Pedrosa is having annother learning year in the 250s.

I also read something cryptic about Honda choosing 4 riders from the current lineup - don't know what that is all about.

And finally, Depuniet may get a Yamaha ride? Replacing Abe ("If you are a carpenter on Jesus' team, on your best day you still look like poop")

edit: Re: Xaus - Didn't he get whooped by his Championship and almost championship winning teamates the last 2 years in SBK?

Last edited by Hazza; 23 Sep 2004 at 23:24.
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Old 24 Sep 2004, 10:48 (Ref:1105814)   #14
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The 'Ducati World Series' will certianly have Hondas at the front next year, and probably Kawasakis, Foggies and Suzukis as well.

Xaus may have lost out to Bayliss and Hodgson in WSBK, but he hasn't lost out to them in MotoGP, where their experience levels are more equal - this being despite the naysayers predicting that Ruben would struggle to stay on this year.

I think you've portrayed some pretty ill-founded and ignorant views there to be honest.
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Old 26 Sep 2004, 23:53 (Ref:1107826)   #15
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Old 27 Sep 2004, 00:06 (Ref:1107829)   #16
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Quote:
Matt Mladin:
I have to answer one more question that I get asked a lot: Why don't I go to GP? Firstly, there have been no offers. Do I expect an offer? No. I don't have a management group chasing that kind of thing up for me. Why don't I want to go to GP? Because I am a realist who knows I wouldn't be competitive. My reason: I am to big. I am just over six feet tall (181cm) and at present weigh 183lbs (83kg). These statistics tell me that if I was on the right bike with the right team and had to race Rossi, I couldn't do it. These statistics also tell me that if I was on the wrong bike with the wrong team and had to race Rossi, it would be more fun sticking a screw driver in my eye. With these statistics and the right bike and team I may be able to be competitive at a track like Barber, where it is tight and twisty and being physical with the bike can help. Unfortunately, European tracks are a lot different than Barber.
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2004/Jul/040729mm66.htm
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Old 27 Sep 2004, 00:27 (Ref:1107832)   #17
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More interesting stuff...

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Colin Edwards The 2nd
So everyone wants to know what I'm doing next year........WCM here I come!!! Just Kidding!!!! Don't want to get anymore rumors started. As most of you could appreciate I can't tell you much. This situation can be delicate to some extent so it's better not to give you any false impressions. What I can say is I'm talking with everyone. Weigh it all up and go with the best option. Some of you might be saying what about Gresini? That's still an option but Honda need to straighten a few things out if that is going to happen. I'll give that a 20-25% chance. So I should know something more definate by Malaysia, possibly Qatar.
http://www.colinedwardsii.com/phpBB2...bd4b3cdecd4d14

And of course (if you missed it) the silly (or maybe) Soup article...

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2004/Sep/040901z.htm
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Old 6 Oct 2004, 14:57 (Ref:1117034)   #18
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Here some rumours about lower classes

Poggiali to ride KTM's 250 bike next year.

Rolfo to lose factory seat.

Lorenzo, Dovizioso, Stoner and Jenkner rising to 250.

Kallio continuing at KTM 125, joined by Julian Simon.
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Old 6 Oct 2004, 18:10 (Ref:1117220)   #19
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Originally posted by Bleu
Lorenzo, Dovizioso, Stoner and Jenkner rising to 250.
Casey Stoner has been linked to the KTM 250 project (team-mate to Poggiali???). Any suggestion as to who any of the others may join?

Worth noting that only one of the above named current 125cc riders is affected by the age limit being introduced to the 125s next year...
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Old 8 Oct 2004, 17:46 (Ref:1119125)   #20
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Quote:
Originally posted by Bleu
Poggiali to ride KTM's 250 bike next year.
Interesting, although considering he's going nowhere on the factory Aprilia this year, a move could revitalise the guy.

Quote:
Rolfo to lose factory seat.
I'll be sad to see this as I'm a fan, but I'm also objective enough to realise that out of all the factory Honda riders, he has done the worst. I wonder where he'd go...

Quote:
Lorenzo, Dovizioso, Stoner and Jenkner rising to 250.
If Dovizioso takes the title, it'd be the natural step. Stoner has already had one crack at 250s and I think should do far better this time. Jenkner has no choice. Lorenzo... well, he'll just continue being who he is...

Next years 125 season will have quite a different look to it with many riders being forced to move either into the 250s or perhaps sideways into something like Supersport/Superbike...
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Old 8 Oct 2004, 18:41 (Ref:1119157)   #21
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Some rumours:

Chris Vermeulen to Telefonica Honda, Gibby to Repsol HRC
John Hopkins to replace Troy Bayliss on Marlboro Ducati.
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Old 12 Oct 2004, 19:09 (Ref:1122507)   #22
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santori should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Biaggi is almost certainly moving to HRC. It would either be Max or Sete or Tamada by current form - but Sete is happy where he is (where he has a factory Honda in all but name) and Tamada uses Bridgestones.
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Old 12 Oct 2004, 19:12 (Ref:1122510)   #23
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Rolfo to Motogp, perhaps? His size may have been his biggest problem this year.
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Old 13 Oct 2004, 04:04 (Ref:1122846)   #24
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Annother Rumour:
Sete signed to Gresini again, with a full factory support (It only took honda a year to work that out ) with help in developing the bike.

Annother Rumour pt 2:

Colin Edwards 100% signed with Yamaha? I'd put my money on him getting Abe's bike, not because I h ave anything against the two of them, but that would be his luck But chances are he'll be on the other factory bike with Checa going to Ducati? (Just speculation, but thats half the fun)

Some of the stuff I've read around on other forums:
Bayliss to head Yamaha WSBK team?
Kanemoto as Hayden's crew chief?

Last edited by Hazza; 13 Oct 2004 at 04:11.
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Old 13 Oct 2004, 09:24 (Ref:1122989)   #25
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Edwards appears set for Yamaha. He rode for Yamaha a number of years ago in WSBK (IIRC) so it would almost be going full circle in his career.

There were rumours of Sete going to HRC, but I'd agree that all Honda will do is give Telefonica Gresini far more backing. Biaggi to Repsol HRC alongisde Hayden, or... how about Xaus figuring in there somewhere???
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