The Ghost of Mick Doohan......

[Shaun G]

There is no doubting Rossi's talent as both a development rider and a racer. In addition having JB in your corner is not a bad thing 

But...

In my opinion Stoner is the most talented GP rider Australia has produced to date. The results he was able to achieve on the evil falling down Ducati (when it didn't fall down) were never able to be repeated by any of his team mates and putting him on a competitive bike will, I hope, see him blitz all comers.

Go Casey!!!

[mx250]

The Doctor should change his nickname to "The Patient"

As a development rider Rossi is considered one of if not the best. Plus he arrived with some of the old team who know how to win the odd race.

Maybe, but he now needs to put his talent where his mouths was - he was bad mouthing Casey last year saying his problems were he couldn't develop the Duke. Casey was saying the Duke was at the end of it's development and they needed a redesign or replacement.

At this stage it looks like Casey was right and Rossi was trying to psych out Casey. To get competitively Rossi will have to put his balls and reputation on the line, dig deep each week end and ride the wheels off the thing - what Casey been doing for the last two years.

What are ya Rossi, champ or chump. My bet is he is a 'has been' Champ and now 'milking it for everything it's worth before I retire' chump  .

(But where's the Yamaha - missing Rossi and Burgess are they? ).

[Lozza]

The Doctor should change his nickname to "The Patient"

As a development rider Rossi is considered one of if not the best. Plus he arrived with some of the old team who know how to win the odd race.

Last year proved that to be fairly over rated when Ramon Forcada made Lorenzo's M1 drive better off corners and conserve it's tyres better. Then there is JB famous '80 second fix' for the Ducati, well again proven as PR fodder for the fanboi's.

Word is HRC have a very tricky clutch, stemming from the double clutch system on the VFR or whatever it's on. A back torque sensor appeared on the countershaft last year and seems to be intergrated into the cases this year. ALL the HRC riders are 'very happy' with the clutch and Shuei Nakamoto doesn't even know how it works

[Marc.com]

ALL the HRC riders are 'very happy' with the clutch and Shuei Nakamoto doesn't even know how it works

I was reading that the 'black boxes' on the Ducati that control ECU, clutch, etc cost upwards of $600,000 for the year and come with two technicians. So  not that surprised if any rider knows how it all works. Hell the bike even blips the throttle on the downshifts.

Coming is intelligent gear selection ala VFR.

[Lozza]

The entire field universaly usea Magneti Marelli Marvel 4 ECU except Suzuki that for some strange reason have stuck with Mitsubishi. 2010 HRC switched  to Marel 4 and poached a few ex-Yamaha personel data blokes.

Nakamoto-san is the head engineer at HRC 

[500Fool]

Didn't the hair lord have the quickest time?

[vmx42]

Didn't the hair lord have the quickest time?

Yes on one day of testing. Good progress on the factory bike, 2nd year in the class. Dovizioso had better watch his back [or start winning regularly].

Could be a good year for Honda

[ChrisACT]

ALL the HRC riders are 'very happy' with the clutch and Shuei Nakamoto doesn't even know how it works

I was reading that the 'black boxes' on the Ducati that control ECU, clutch, etc cost upwards of $600,000 for the year and come with two technicians. So  not that surprised if any rider knows how it all works. Hell the bike even blips the throttle on the downshifts.

Coming is intelligent gear selection ala VFR.

Then even change the traction control settings depending on which corner they're riding through via GPS location data.  The bike actually knows where it is on the track and adjusts accordingly.

[vmx42]

Then even change the traction control settings depending on which corner they're riding through via GPS location data.  The bike actually knows where it is on the track and adjusts accordingly.

I think the GPS feature in the traction control has been banned from this season.

Lozza will know, but I did read it somewhere. The TC is complicated enough without it anyway.

[Lozza]

Think it's next year Jeff , according to the Kevin Cameron book the data now is condensed down into a "traction map" of the circuit, where for instance turn 2 can have 87% of torque applied(it's coming to mx too). 

[colmoody]

It would be nice to see Casey win. It would be much nicer to see a contest with half a dozen or so riders slogging it out for the Championship.

[mx250]

It would be much nicer to see a contest with half a dozen or so riders slogging it out for the Championship.

There will be, just that it's gonna be half a dozen Honda's  .

I think at a few circuits a certain Yamaha will be on the top of the podium and another will get to the lower steps of the podium occasionally through the season. But a Honda 1-2-3 for the season looks highly probable (barring injury).

And Honda has more in the locker which might come out if Yamaha finds a few ponies.

[GD66]

  The bike actually knows where it is on the track and adjusts accordingly.
[/quote]




Scary but true ! This technology dates back to when Walkinshaw first took over HRT, the cars then were sending circuit data in real time back to the UK : if, for example, there was too much bumpsteer on the right front at turn 1 at Oran Park, the computer/seven-post chassis dyno in the UK would analyse it, and send the correction. At the end of the lap, the car would pass the reader, go beep, receive the updated spec, and the car would handle as required through turn 1, etc.

Jeez, Wayne...

[Lozza]

Everyone has predictive algorithims now, so much data has been archived, no need to monitor real time, Simulators can predict tyre wear and adjust accordingly. The list of excuses for riders gets shorter each year

[ba-02-xr]

Think it's next year Jeff , according to the Kevin Cameron book the data now is condensed down into a "traction map" of the circuit, where for instance turn 2 can have 87% of torque applied(it's coming to mx too). 

rider aids eg launch control should be banned from mx now before it takes of to much.