WSBK Silly Season 2009 - Page 4

2000yellow360 · 24 Sep 2008, 14:33 (Ref:2297004)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyFiama

Ah, so he's at Yamaha Motor Italia for a year, that'll be interesting up against Tom Sykes. If Sykes beats him does Tom get the Tech 3 ride for 2010?

I don't think so. That's not very likely, Ben is probably the best from the US since Wayne Rainey, so I don't think that Sykes is going to do better. There is no guarantee that Ben will get that ride. Yamaha does have an option to sign him for 2010, but Ben can reject that by August 31st, if he wishes. Suzuki released him from their 1st right of refusal, but will have openings in their motogp team in 2010, and just might be in play to sign him for that year.

Art

Pete_58 · 24 Sep 2008, 15:30 (Ref:2297035)

Leon Haslam to WSBK with stiggy motorsports?

http://www.crash.net/motorsport/wsbk...gy_honda?.html

Pete_58 · 25 Sep 2008, 09:26 (Ref:2297513)

Troy Corser to BMW and Jonathon Rea to WSB with Ten Kate.

Paul Bird has had an offer to run Ducatis in BSB. Will he return with Chris "stalker" Walker??!! And maybe Lavillia?

JohnnyFiama · 25 Sep 2008, 11:02 (Ref:2297557)

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2000yellow360

Ben is probably the best from the US since Wayne Rainey

Slightly OT but why didn't he get a MotoGP ride? I have to be honest, I don't know a lot about him but he was impressive at Indy and has a good reputation. If he really is the next Rainey why weren't the MotoGP teams knocking his door down to sign him?

chunder · 26 Sep 2008, 09:11 (Ref:2298201)

I do think Spies is good but from his lawyer what do you expect really!!

Not a patch on Hayden when it comes to tv and hasn't won anything outside USA yet so can hardly even compare the guy to Edwards who won nothing in US and loads in Europe!

I do rate Ben but just think he was in a tricky situation with Suzuki. Always looked a second bet for the ride, and only then if they had a third bike.

Managers have long memories, look at Bostrom! Both of them were useless pretty much over here.

**gomick** · 26 Sep 2008, 12:36 (Ref:2298352)

Bostrom was OK in atleast 1 season... Dont think you can say Ben is the best since Rainey (Hayden did win a Moto GP title) - Spies has been on a dominant bike in the US, but, time will tell, i wish Ben the best of luck & it is exciting that new faces have factory rides

JohnnyFiama · 26 Sep 2008, 13:52 (Ref:2298396)

How "works" are the "works" teams? i.e. they're entered as Yamaha Motor Italia, Suzuki Alstare etc. Do they have full factory backing and development? What's the difference between the Ten Kate Hondas and the Vent Axia Hondas (except the obvious performance gap!).

chunder · 26 Sep 2008, 14:36 (Ref:2298422)

Only team in WSBK that is works is Ducati

The rest are all importer teams. Yamaha is pretty much the old Belgarda team, Suzuki is teh Alstre team, theyahev in house development aswell as input from Suzuki.

Same as Ten Kate, they use HRC stuff but a lot of the gear on the bike is bespoke stuff that Ten Kate use.

Even the HM plant bikes this year in BSB are not full factory as they were from 04 to 07.

Looking at next year though, obviously Aprilia and BMW will be factory.

I would imagine that despite this though the likes of Nori will get some cool stuff.

But Neukirchner is on an 07 bike, its been quicker all year

PSG are really not that high up in teh order at Kawasaki, I think Kawa sent some guys oer mid year to help but it didnt seem to go anywhere and they left it alone

I think maybe the Monster team in AMA is more factory.

2000yellow360 · 26 Sep 2008, 23:33 (Ref:2298712)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chunder

I do think Spies is good but from his lawyer what do you expect really!!

Ben will do well in WSB. There were offers in MotoGP. JiR went public with their offer to him.... If I had to forecast, I suspect he'll be in MotoGP next year, on a Yamaha, but that's just my guess.

Art

racer69 · 27 Sep 2008, 03:41 (Ref:2298757)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chunder

Only team in WSBK that is works is Ducati

The rest are all importer teams. Yamaha is pretty much the old Belgarda team, Suzuki is teh Alstre team, theyahev in house development aswell as input from Suzuki.

Same as Ten Kate, they use HRC stuff but a lot of the gear on the bike is bespoke stuff that Ten Kate use.

Even the HM plant bikes this year in BSB are not full factory as they were from 04 to 07.

Looking at next year though, obviously Aprilia and BMW will be factory.

I would imagine that despite this though the likes of Nori will get some cool stuff.

But Neukirchner is on an 07 bike, its been quicker all year

PSG are really not that high up in teh order at Kawasaki, I think Kawa sent some guys oer mid year to help but it didnt seem to go anywhere and they left it alone

I think maybe the Monster team in AMA is more factory.

To be fair though even in the 'glory days' of the 90s most of the Japanese-manufacturer teams were setup the same as now, with Belgarda running the Yamaha's (Haga, Russell, Edwards...), the Harris Suzuki's & later the Alstare Suzuki's, the Eckl Kawasaki's

Interesting if Haslam goes to Stiggy....surely his current ride is a better bet? (in terms of winning races, rather than running mid-pack, which really is all you can expect from what would be a new WSB team)

Would Lavilla go back to BSB, he seemed to lose abit of interest towards the end of 2007

chunder · 27 Sep 2008, 10:56 (Ref:2298907)

I think that from what Randy was saying on air yesterday, Edwards and Spies may well shuffle.

It seems as though Colin was quite keenon racing in the US for a afew years as a retirement plan! Swapping with Spies for a no dount large little wallet filler is a good plane for me

Under rate Stuggy at your peril, they ahve good funding and Leon would not have signed without knowing the likely backing etc, they jhave been one of the better WSS teams this year with riders who though quick are more erratic than the likes of Rea and Pitt. I think they will be fine.

As for Lavilla, he seems to have done what he did before he came to BSB and started piddling about for 10ths instead of pushing on. For me its all about Colin Wright, he wouild have bullied him up to speed, some riders need this, some don't.

Eckl Kawasaki was a factory team, and even Belgarda were for a bit with Haga.

Okay they were not factory as you imagine it in GP in that they were allowed to build things themselves.

But this is nothing new. in 1988 Gallina knoew that the geometry of teh Rothmans NSR of Gardner was wrong and adapted it himself. He wasnt allowed to fit the mod until HRC said so, and then they did the same.

That would be "factory". I think only Ducati, Aprilia and BMW will be that "factory". But Yam, Suzuki, Kawasakia nd Honda all use factory kit parts and will be in consatnt talk with their factories, the difference is that now, the teams have the flexibility to do what they want.

BootsOntheSide · 27 Sep 2008, 11:38 (Ref:2298925)

Walker's attitude in the linked Haslam article is amusing. He obviously recognises that nobody would sign him over Kiyonari/Rea/Lavilla/Haslam/Sykes/Byrne/Crutchlow, so he has a chance of a ride now that they are all on the world stage. Does someone who so consistantly put the Kawasaki near the front in BSB reallly need to have such a negative self-image?

Haslam has probably taken a similar attitude to Byrne - at this stage in his career, any World Championship ride is better than potentially cruising to the British title against what could be quite a weak grid. Leon may be much younger than Shaky, but his earlier international riders are long-forgotten now. If he struggles, it may simply be down to the team having to make the step up. Josh Brookes on a second bike would be good though.

The Japanese factories haven't had a big interest in WSBK since the four-strokes entered MotoGP. They all scaled down their factory involvement in WSBK around that time, and have largely returned through European importers and customers. Successful entries from Aprillia and BMW could tempt them to analyse the situation again - maybe increasing their involvement, or maybe concentrating more on MotoGP?

chunder · 28 Sep 2008, 10:07 (Ref:2299379)

It's funny, people think that the factories were involved in WSBK but they really werent

Rigt form the start with Merkel, Pirovano etc theyw ere using importer bikes with factory bits in them, not run from the factory.

Suzuki have never had a factory team in WSBK, Alstare are less factory than Harris!, Harris used the factory kit in 96.

Honda were factory with Castrol and Kawasaki were a little with Muzzy and a lot with Eckl

Ducati and Aprilia were always, as were Benelli, Bimota and Foggy Petronas I guess.

Pete_58 · 1 Oct 2008, 10:00 (Ref:2301857)

Probably old news now, but Spies has signed for Yamaha for next season. Byrne has signed for Sterilgarda Ducati. Good luck to him!

Subaru_WRX_STi · 2 Oct 2008, 08:33 (Ref:2302561)

Tom Sykes and Ben Spies at Yamaha Motor Italia, is Nitro Haga out ?

Pete_58 · 2 Oct 2008, 10:05 (Ref:2302635)

Haga to Xerox Ducati. Although, and i may be wrong here, its not a signed deal yet.

bestfit · 2 Oct 2008, 10:10 (Ref:2302641)

Haga has signed with Ducati and will take over Bayliss' ride next year.

JohnnyFiama · 2 Oct 2008, 15:45 (Ref:2302855)

Of the top teams, the following are currently confirmed:

Aprilia - Max Biaggi / ??
BMW - Ruben Xaus / Troy Corser
Ducati Xerox - Noriyuki Haga / Michel Fabrizio
Ducati Sterilgarda - Alex Polita / Shane Byrne
Honda Ten Kate - Carlos Checa / Ryuichi Kiyonari / Jonathan Rea
Honda Hannspree Stiggy Motorsport - Leon Haslam / ??
Honda Althea - Tommy Hill
Suzuki Alstare - Max Neukirchner / ?? / ??
Yamaha Motor Italia - Ben Spies / Tom Sykes

cg7aa · 2 Oct 2008, 15:47 (Ref:2302856)

Perhaps Nori feels time is running out to win a title and its now or never. Maybe 2009 really will be his year. Consistency from bike, tyre and rider will be the key of course. Talk about stating the blindingly obvious.

While Nori has been inconsistent on occasion, you can't help feeling the pace of his bike and how the bike uses its tyres in race trim hasn't been consistent either. Double win one weekend, average the next.

Tazz · 2 Oct 2008, 16:42 (Ref:2302894)

I'm glad to see Shakey staying with Ducati, good choise. Hope to see him battle for wins, and why not for the title. With Sterilgarda he sure can...

Pete_58 · 2 Oct 2008, 17:01 (Ref:2302901)

I'm also pleased to see Shakey on Ducatis in WSB. Hopefully he can carry over his form from this year and have a good season. Is Nieto and/or is it, his name escapes me, not staying with Suzuki for '09?

JohnnyFiama · 3 Oct 2008, 07:20 (Ref:2303232)

As far as I know Nieto and Kagayama haven't been confirmed at Suzuki. Some talk of Nieto going to MotoGP on the third Kawasaki....

chunder · 3 Oct 2008, 09:04 (Ref:2303299)

Aspar HAS to ahve a Spaniard on the biek as it will be the only way he has got the money!

Seems to me that maybe he hasnt got the money yet if the rider hasnt been announced, coz it will be WITH the rider who brings the money that he can finish the deal off.

Unless of course its who it should be, Bautista! Who he already sponsors heavily.

**gomick** · 4 Oct 2008, 08:31 (Ref:2303862)

great to see spies sign with yamaha along with sykes - always good when new blood comes into the series on competitive bikes

BootsOntheSide · 4 Oct 2008, 21:06 (Ref:2304287)

British Eurosport commentary for Superpole today implied that Nieto is the only rider leaving Alstare Suzuki.

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