Isle of Man TT

[Gloveberg]

Good point re: Rossi..IIRC Jorge is getting a pretty penny from Yamaha, just how much more Rossi is getting, I don't know. IMHO, I think it would be good, and bad for Jorge to jump ship. How many races has a Ducati won recently..? VS Yamaha..? And lest face it, Jorge is no Stoner..OTH, Jorge would get more attention, and likely more $$$, but he awfully competitive and doesn't like losing, how long can he go w/o a win..? Now if Yamaha, or any manufacture can get to the level of honda, I'd be happy, I would love to see Suzuki back in the hunt, I think they made a good choice in signing Maverick..I always liked him. Guess we will have to wait and see..BTW, nice having another Roadrace fan aboard..

That's why rider's contracts seem to be very secretive...lol

Ducati hasn't been truly competitive since the 800cc days with Stoner and we all saw the debacle Rossi had with his two lost years with Ducati. Supposedly Rossi has said that he knew with one or two practice laps that he'd made a mistake and would never win on a Ducati. However Ducati has come a long way and in the first two races have shown tremendous outright speed. Plus now with Stoner back in the Ducati camp as an, ahem, "advisor" it shows how serious they are to be competitive once again.

Yamaha isn't dumb and they know full well the selling power of Rossi which is probably a big reason they welcomed him back with open arms when he came crawling back from Ducati. Yes Jorge is the reigning champion but he's no Rossi in terms of moving merchandise and selling tickets. I know I paid $45 so I'd have an official Rossi shirt for this week's race

I'm like you in that I'd like to see more than two Honda's and two Yamaha's in front. Suzuki is making great strides and Maverick is a helluva rider. I'd love to see Kawasaki back but that doesn't seem to be in the cards and they are doing just fine in WSBK. Aprilia is giving it a go but seem to be struggling just like their last attempt in MotoGP.

 

[Worshipcaster]

you need balls of steel to drive the IOMTT...taking such corners at 170+mph

 

[Hammer 4]

Yup, your right about Rossi and Yamaha. And I agree re: the improvement Ducati has made. Aprillia had a run with Max in WSBK, I don't think they have the resources to do the same in MotoGP..And yep, it would be great to see Kawi get back in the mix..I'm a huge Rossi fan, but 45.00 for a t-shirt or cap, isn't in my future..lol

 

[Gloveberg]

Yup, your right about Rossi and Yamaha. And I agree re: the improvement Ducati has made. Aprillia had a run with Max in WSBK, I don't think they have the resources to do the same in MotoGP..And yep, it would be great to see Kawi get back in the mix..I'm a huge Rossi fan, but 45.00 for a t-shirt or cap, isn't in my future..lol

Aprilia really rolled the dice by pulling the factory WSBK team to concentrate on GP and if I've not mistaken KTM is supposedly trying to field a team. Great, more backmarkers

Ehh, $45 for a once a year race...lol. We went last year too and it was my first GP race AND my first motorcycle road race period. I was like a little kid, "Look, look here they come!!!!"

 

[Hammer 4]

Aprilia really rolled the dice by pulling the factory WSBK team to concentrate on GP and if I've not mistaken KTM is supposedly trying to field a team. Great, more backmarkers

Ehh, $45 for a once a year race...lol. We went last year too and it was my first GP race AND my first motorcycle road race period. I was like a little kid, "Look, look here they come!!!!"

KTM is doing a Bunch of testing with DePunite (sp) who can go fast on certain days..I think KTM may be putting more effort into their bikes, vs Aprillia..? But yeah, more backmarkers, but then someone has to be one..

Hey Flyer, you wanna jump in here soon..?

 

[Flyer91]

Well I would but my day was Fast Freddie Spencer, Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson, Randy Momola and soon to be retired King Kenny Roberts ... all on 500cc two stroke F1 machines.
When I left it in the late 80s to concentrate all my efforts on being able to retire at 47, and just travel about managing my investments, I totally left it ... so I'm not up to date at all.

 

[Hammer 4]

I would but my day was Fast Freddie Spencer, Randy Momola, Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lowson and thyen 'soon to be retired' King Kenny, all on 500CC TWO STEOKESso youse guys ar way above my gead.

Oh no..I was fan back then too, miss the 500cc smokers..In fact, I met King Kenny when he was a novice, and racing at Ascot on the 1/2 mile oval..I also raced against Eddie on dirt tracks, the kid was Fast even at 13 yrs old..And lets not forget Kevin S...one crazy racer..I'd love to talk old school racing any day..

 

[Flyer91]

I raced box stock on an FZR starting the first year they were available (IIRC that was 1987) at Laguna both before and after Kenny helped redesign the course there.
As you probably know it was really too fast/non technical up to the corkscrew, before they redid it, then it became a lot more fun.

I started AMA racing on a flat TT track for Dublin Motorcycles, on a 441 BSA Victor in the early 70's.
That was back when Honda bought the #1 plate, and consequently ... had Gary Scott on their team.
When I was in the Bay Area one of my band-mates cousins was Randy Mamola, and he was the one that got me into box stock before Suzuki pulled out mid season and left Randy without a ride.

In the '60s as a teen, I used to enter enduros on DT and CT1's before that, but never got very serious about it.
I'd do stuff like .... stop on a mountain top to enjoy the view (and a doobie) or pit and have a sandwich with my girlfriend.
Yeah ... I never even placed in any those enduros .....

 

[Hammer 4]

Very cool..I recall the redesign at Laguna. I think I mentioned that I was friends with Tommy Rockwood (RIP) and his brother, and his Dad Roxy use to announce the AMA pro races, it was through them I met Gary Scott, Mert L..Dave Aldana, and most of the factory sponsored guys..I always liked Randy, and a hella fast rider too..Dave Smith was another crazy fool, doing stand up wheelies down the 405 for a couple miles back in the day..lol One guy I got a kick out of was Dick Buggsy Mann..funny guy..and fast..Never raced Off road, to scary..lol Ahh, the good old days, when 2 stroke racers had No silencers..

 

[Flyer91]

Sounds like for a few years we moved in the same circles or pretty close to them.
Yeah, I remember people saying that Freddie's and Eddie's (et al) tactic to use well more than the entire track, and going off the dirt ... is what caused Kenny to get out of the saddle and into the management of teams.

Not sure if that was true, but I do remember reading some of the disapproving comments that Kenny made about them and their racing style.
He also "grounded" Randy (after Randy came to race for him and Yammy) for doing a celebratory stoppie as he won and crossed the finish line ... so I can see that he might have had a bit of a short fuse about them (then) young guns.

The last I was actually semi-into it, the Hayden bros (and new wave) were all the buzz, and were promptly going about making all the stuff that Freddie, Eddie, Wayne and Randy did ... total moot points.

And so it goes .......

 

[Hammer 4]

I remember Nicky's first year on a GSXR 750..was always pulling for him..and about that same time Rossi was making a name for himself on the GP circuit. It was nice back then when you knew that those races were televised, nowadays, except for motogp..you have to stream them, If you know where to go..Motorcycle racing really took a big hit in the last 4 years, just not enough folks watching it..When I was going to Laguna for MotoGp, and Auto Club for AMA races, they were packed..Now even at Daytona, the crowds are way down..Yet, MX, ect enjoy a great time money wise, heck even the first Supercross they had at the Coliseum was packed, luckily I got comp'd some tickets..I think too, that some of that old racer tough, I wanna win at almost all cost's seems to have gone away somewhat..with all the racers being celebs, ect..imho..Still, I love the sport.

 

[so1om]

I don't know if I'd ever do IOM, but I do miss racing motorcycles.

 

[Gloveberg]

Now even at Daytona, the crowds are way down...

You can pretty much thank Jim France and the Daytona Motorsports Group for that. They bought US road racing from AMA a few years ago and tried to run it like NASBORE and drove away all the factories except for Yamaha. With US racing now under Wayne Rainey and the MotoAmerica leadership I hope they can save it.

 

[duceditor]

kind'a odd that there are so many seriously into bike racing here. I'd not think that overall population statistics would have made that likely.

Maybe it's just where I worked (Harvard Med School), but almost no one I knew even understood my interest in it.

I never raced, but when I'd come home from watching one a Loudon or, even more, doing a track day, people would look at me as if I were crazy. (And then the lectures would start.)



-don

-don

 

[Flyer91]

I remember Nicky's first year on a GSXR 750..was always pulling for him..and about that same time Rossi was making a name for himself on the GP circuit. It was nice back then when you knew that those races were televised, nowadays, except for motogp..you have to stream them, If you know where to go..Motorcycle racing really took a big hit in the last 4 years, just not enough folks watching it..When I was going to Laguna for MotoGp, and Auto Club for AMA races, they were packed..Now even at Daytona, the crowds are way down..Yet, MX, ect enjoy a great time money wise, heck even the first Supercross they had at the Coliseum was packed, luckily I got comp'd some tickets..I think too, that some of that old racer tough, I wanna win at almost all cost's seems to have gone away somewhat..with all the racers being celebs, ect..imho..Still, I love the sport.

And that's another reason I am way behind the times.
If for some reason I do happen to come across anything being televised (on such rare occasions ... like maybe on one of the premium channels) I'm lost as to who's who, what's what, and I certainly don't know anything about the standings.
I still do enjoy watching them tho, but it's really not the same at all.

BTW: The IOMTT will evidently be on June 10 this year.
I'd like to see it ... albeit through squinted eyes!

And I see that in some areas they 'do' now have a few white bales of hay placed by some of the structures in town.

But ... I'm not entirely convinced that's not solely to protect peoples property.

 

[Flyer91]

WRT: The Haydens ... along with them just being totally amazing, they also brought "hair styling" to GP racing.

 

[Gloveberg]

WRT: The Haydens ... along with them just being totally amazing, they also brought "hair styling" to GP racing.

Tommy is out of racing, Roger has done some commentary (not sure if he has a ride this year or not) and Nicky is riding for Honda in WSBK which I am glad to see. It was painful watching a former GP champion run around in 13th place on the time on a lower level team just to stay in MotoGP.

This is me flying the Hayden colors at last years GP in Austin

 

[Hammer 4]

Tommy is out of racing, Roger has done some commentary (not sure if he has a ride this year or not) and Nicky is riding for Honda in WSBK which I am glad to see. It was painful watching a former GP champion run around in 13th place on the time on a lower level team just to stay in MotoGP.

This is me flying the Hayden colors at last years GP in Austin

Roger H is racing in the MotoAmerica series for Yosh Suzuki, and doing pretty well. Nicky is riding for Honda in WSBK..and is trying to get his bike sorted out. When Yosh was testing at COTA, Roger was at the top of the time sheets most all the time. Still, it's a far cry from when the lies of Mladin and Spies were racing AMA ...

 

[Flyer91]

Yeah, I'm certainly not surprised.
The last time I think I heard of them, was right about when INXS was topping the charts with their "Kick" album .... on vinyl!

Great pic ... love that number!
I graduated high school in 1969!
The whole freshman class got to wear the '69 pin for 4 years ... and we took every opportunity to drive the teachers mad with our pep rally cries.
Also ... my first 'real' car was a '69 Cameo SS convertible which I bought used after coming back from Vietnam, that had the license plate .... 69 S D VIN!

 

[Flyer91]

Just checked ... my time frame is way off on the Hayden Vs INXS window, they were just born about when that came out ......
Oh well .... just today's 'first' senior moment!

On the other hand .... I'm pleasantly surprised to see that I do have some rudimentary 'back brain' awareness of more recent times in motorcycle GP than I thought.