WSBK silly season 2008 thread

[Gerben24]

Neukircher has been ill in PI. I know he didn't ride on Wednesday.

I think it will be the usual suspects at the front, Bayliss, Biaggi, Haga and maybe Corser. Kagayama might challenge for the occassional win, but I'd be very surprised if he is to challenge for the cup.

[jhansen]

Yeah, I think Bayliss and Haga are favorites. I'm hoping for a win or two from Corser. Biaggi should be dangerous. Then maybe Kagayama, Xaus and Fabrizio. No clue how the Honda boys will go.

[Tazz]

Sorry! When i said Kagayama i was thinking about Haga. Damn this japanese Those 2 will be the ones batteling for the championship.
I also expect good things from Fabrizio and Biaggi. Maybe Checa too... but I'm not that sure about him...

[gomick]

i hope ruben xaus gives max biaggi a hard time - wsbk needs fireworks

how come ten kate superbike didnt test, yet supersport team did?

[racer69]

new Fireblades aren't ready yet

[agosling]

I think Xaus could be a major darkhorse, he's faster than every but now stays on much more reliably. I pick him to be right up there and grab a win or two.

[chunder]

And crash out of more races than he gets on the podium!! Onlt thing that will keep him on is if the bike is built on the front end!!

I think its between Nori and Troy B, noone else will get a look in!

[BootsOntheSide]

Too early to write Ten Kate off, they've got 3 very good riders and lots of experience of building good bikes. They're the dark horses, beyond that it's probably about Bayliss and Haga.

I don't like this talk of 'standard' Pirellis - either there's a control tyre or there isn't. Let me guess that only Ducati have the specials?

[Gerben24]

No all the factory teams were allowed to test new Pirellis tyres. This way none of the manufacturers would gain an advantage because of one having more bikes with new tyres on track than the other. Initially Biaggi and Xaus wouldn't even test this week.

It is still a weird rule, cause now the manufacturers don't have an advantage, but the riders (Bayliss, Haga, Corser, etc) have...

[jhansen]

Yeah, the selected teams test the development tires. But everyone still races on the same tires come the race meetings. So yes, it is a leg up for the selected riders and the teams, but not the manufacturers. Makes little sense.

[jhansen]

PI test pics:

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/image...nd-test-jan/1/

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/image...nd-test-jan/2/

[Gerben24]

Here is the official FG sport entry list for World Superbike and World Supersport:

World Superbike:
3 Biaggi Max Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098R
7 Checa Carlos Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR
10 Nieto Fonsi Team Alstare Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8
11 Corser Troy Yamaha Motor Italia Yamaha YZF-R1
13 Iannuzzo Vittorio Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R
21 Bayliss Troy Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098R
22 Morelli Luca Alto Evolution Honda Honda CBR1000RR
23 Kiyonari Ryuichi Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR
31 Muggeridge Karl D.F. Racing Honda CBR1000RR
36 Lavilla Gregorio Paul Bird Motorsport Honda CBR1000RR
38 Nakatomi Shinichi YZF Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R1
41 Haga Noriyuki Yamaha Motor Italia Yamaha YZF-R1
44 Rolfo Roberto Hannspree Honda Altea Honda CBR1000RR
54 Sofuoglu Kenan Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR
55 Laconi Régis Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse Kawasaki ZX-10R
57 Lanzi Lorenzo R.G. Team Ducati 1098R
71 Kagayama Yukio Team Alstare Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8
76 Neukirchner Max Team Alstare Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8
77 Napoleone Loic Grillini Racing Team Yamaha YZF-R1
83 Holland Russel D.F. Racing Honda CBR1000RR
84 Fabrizio Michel Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098R
86 Badovini Ayrton Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R
88 Aoyama Shuhei Alto Evolution Honda Honda CBR1000RR
94 Checa David Yamaha - GMT 94 Yamaha YZF-R1
96 Smrz Jakub Guandalini Racing by Grifo's Ducati 1098R
100 Tamada Makoto Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse Kawasaki ZX-10R
111 Xaus Ruben Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098R
194 Gimbert Sébastien Yamaha - GMT 94 Yamaha YZF-R1

World Supersport:
4 Alfonsi Lorenzo PMS Kawasaki ZX-6R
6 Hill Tommy Hannspree Honda Altea Honda CBR600RR
8 Aitchison Mark Triumph Italia BE1 Racing Triumph 675
9 Walker Chris Gil Motor Sport Kawasaki ZX-6R
14 Lagrive Matthieu Intermoto Czech Honda CBR600RR
15 Talmacsi Gergo Factory Racing Suzuki GSX-R600
17 Praia Miguel Parkalgar Racing Team Honda CBR600RR
18 Jones Craig Parkalgar Racing Team Honda CBR600RR
21 Barragan Santiago Glaner Motocard.com Honda CBR600RR
23 Parkes Broc Yamaha World Supersport Yamaha YZF-R6
24 McCoy Garry Triumph - SC Triumph 675
25 Brookes Joshua Hannspree Stiggy Motors. Honda Honda CBR600RR
26 Lascorz Joan Glaner Motocard.com Honda CBR600RR
31 Kallio Vesa Benjan Racing Team Honda CBR600RR
32 Giansanti Mirko Berry Racing Honda CBR600RR
37 De Angelis William Intermoto Czech Honda CBR600RR
38 Leblanc Gregory CRS Grand Prix Honda CBR600RR
44 Salom David Yamaha Spain Yamaha YZF-R6
52 De Gea José David Yamaha Spain Yamaha YZF-R6
55 Roccoli Massimo Yamaha Lorenzini by Leoni Yamaha YZF-R6
65 Rea Jonathan Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR600RR
69 Nannelli Gianluca Hannspree Honda Altea Honda CBR600RR
72 Magda Attila Factory Racing Suzuki GSX-R600
75 Nedog Luka CRS Grand Prix Honda CBR600RR
77 Veneman Barry Ressoftware Hoegee Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R600
81 Gowland Graeme Benjan Racing Team Honda CBR600RR
83 Van Keymeulen Didier Ressoftware Hoegee Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R600
88 Pitt Andrew Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR600RR
99 Foret Fabien Yamaha World Supersport Yamaha YZF-R6
105 Vizziello Gianluca Berry Racing Honda CBR600RR
121 Vincent Arnaud Gil Motor Sport Kawasaki ZX-6R
127 Harms Robbin Hannspree Stiggy Motors. Honda Honda CBR600RR
200 Fujiwara Katsuaki Gil Motor Sport Kawasaki ZX-6R
675 Clementi Ivan Triumph Italia BE1 Racing Triumph 675

28 entries in the Superbike series, that's more than last year, which is good! Next year BMW will also be there and Aprilia will eventually show up, so it's just getting better.

I've noticed Gabor Talmasci's little brother Gerco, is starting on a Suzuki in WSS this year. Hope to see him in the top 3 (although I doubt that will happen) to wittness his communication skills. William de Angelis is also racing in the supersport series. I don't know if he is a relative to Alex.

Shuhei Aoyama has moved to WSBK. I wasn't aware of this move. He will race for Alto Evolution Honda. Good luck to him (he'll need it.)

[jhansen]

Tamada to run the number 100?

Thought there would be more 1098's, and can't believe there are that many CBR1000RR's...

[Tazz]

Shohei Aoyama in SBK? wow, that's nice... good for him, and good luck!
But what I would like to see is the Checa bros batteling a little bit. Although I don't think I they'll see much of each other in race..

[chunder]

Mirko Giansanti aswell in 600's, always liked him in 125, was unlucky never to win, bit like DeAngelis!

Just cant believe GMT persist with Gimbert and Checa, I know they are their endurance riders, but ahve they been tols they have to employ journeymen!

[Gerben24]

FGsport have also released the entry lists for the European Superstock 1000 and European Superstock 600, which I'm not going to post as it will be another ridiculous long post as my previous one.

However, it is good to see that René Mahr and Pauli Pekkanen (who ) also have been entered. They will be riding this:

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/upload...perstock-1.jpg

Unfortunately MV Agusta is not competing anymore.

[Dani Filth]

Originally Posted by chunder

Mirko Giansanti aswell in 600's, always liked him in 125, was unlucky never to win, bit like DeAngelis!

Just cant believe GMT persist with Gimbert and Checa, I know they are their endurance riders, but ahve they been tols they have to employ journeymen!

where was he in the last few years .. been a while since i've heard about him .. liked him too

[Hazza]

Originally Posted by jhansen

Tamada to run the number 100?

Thought there would be more 1098's, and can't believe there are that many CBR1000RR's...

Back to the good old days! Only, as you said with less Dukes.

Was 100 Tamada's old number?

[agosling]

Tamada has use the #100 in the past in the All Japan Road Racing Championship.

Ducati is only producing a very limited number of the 1098R F08, at one stage it was something like 10 or 12, that number may have changed but there aren't heaps of 2 or 3 year old bikes out there like there has been in the past.

[gomick]

hmm, what happens to last years 999 dukes?

shall be interesting to see the different paint jobs on the 2 hanspree honda teams...

i wonder what spaniard will get aoyama's repsol honda 250 ride

[Gerben24]

This will be one of your 'Doh'-moments. Nobody will get the Honda 250 ride, cause Repsol have moved to KTM...

[BootsOntheSide]

A few new team names this year - Guandalini, Bird, Altea, Grillini and R.G. Nice to see the 'Ayrton' name back in top-level racing as well. A shame so few of numbers 1-10 are used these days though.

[jhansen]

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

A shame so few of numbers 1-10 are used these days though.

Why, out of curiousity?

[gomick]

Originally Posted by Gerben24

This will be one of your 'Doh'-moments. Nobody will get the Honda 250 ride, cause Repsol have moved to KTM...

doh

[Gerben24]

Hannspree is pulling all the stops to conquer the Superbike world. They will be the main sponsor for WSBK, replacing the fizzy drink sponsor. They will also be sponsor of the Ten Kate Honda team, the Honda Althea team, the IDS Ten Kate Honda team and the Stiggy Motorsport team. Here is their liveries :