Casey Stoner back in action this weekend

[vmx42]

Piaggo Group CEO gave a big fat NO WAY to that. Aprilia still have a bad taste in their mouths from the 'murder in the night' of the 250 and 125cc classes.

…and don't forget the CUBE!!!

$25,000,000.00 down the toilet for that little exercise.






In some ways Aprilia had a hand in the demise of the 125/250. A million bucks a year to lease a single 250cc two stroke GP bike is WAY over the top. Good money if you can get it, but it flies in the face of comparatively cheap two-stroke racing.

I know the Japanese spent mega-bucks when it suited them, bit if Aprillia et al, had acted more responsibly when the Japs pulled out it might have worked out differently. But then again Honda always seems to get its own way…

[Lozza]

 The cool 1m Euro quoted to lease an Aprilia was for the RSA 250LE spec which is whatever the defending 250 world champion or runner up would be riding. Highly unlikely you would find a better deal to have full factory backing at the highest level. However at least anyone with the dosh could lease one the unobtainium Honda RSW A kit was given out on avery very selective basis(Dani Pedrosa being the last to get it, Ayoyama got some very special bits for last year), meaning if you were not a big H favourite you don't get the good bits. Also the KTM FRR 250 was a match for the Aprilia RSA and to buy or lease the KTM was a phone call and a bank transfer away.
Yeah too right the CUBE was a complete shitter serves you right for going to the car blokes for engine development.Dorna just got shitty because Aprilia pulled the pin and continued to make a profit through Aprilia Corse, that the real reason they got shafted.

Anyway THIS is what $48k will get you (07/08) 100hp more than enough for a privateer wanting to make a name for themselves on the world stage.


I just posted that because I love that thing to death

[Mick22]

Hey Lozza, any of those KTM's popped up on Jp Ebay yet

[Lozza]

Would be in my garage if they had, a nice NXA last time I looked.

MICK22's NEW BIKE

I see Mr 'merrilyn enterprises' is back in business, plenty still want to meet him in person

[vmx42]

The cool 1m Euro quoted to lease an Aprilia was for the RSA 250LE spec which is whatever the defending 250 world champion or runner up would be riding. Highly unlikely you would find a better deal to have full factory backing at the highest level.

Hey Lozza,
I know what you are saying is correct, but you can do a SH%T load of 2-stroke engine development  for $1M. Bartol could build you an engine from scatch for that kind of money - and you would get to keep it at the end of the season.

They only charged that crazy figure because that is what they could get [nothing wrong with that in a free market economy] but it certainly did contribute to the death of the class.

I could never figure out why they [all the factories] played such favourites in the smaller classes. Sure they wanted their team riders to win, but if they really wanted to find the best guy to promote to the 500s [or MotoGP] then surely it would have been better not to tilt the playing field so far… It was the same when Michelin would have special tires for the factory guys - who if they actually deserved the title [of Factory guy] shouldn't have needed the unfair advantage in the first place.

Just shows that the racing is always secondary… and that I still live in a fantasy world. 
VMX42





And yes… the KTM is a sweet thing

[Lozza]

At GP level a for development costs, million doesn't go far at all. How much do think a KTM FRR piston costs? Just the piston not the ring gudgeon or circlips. Then well talk about the cost of the conrod.

[vmx42]

At GP level a for development costs, million doesn't go far at all. How much do think a KTM FRR piston costs? Just the piston not the ring gudgeon or circlips. Then well talk about the cost of the conrod.

Yeah, but they are not reinventing the wheel each season. It has been much more evolution, than revolution for a long time, and then you amortise  the cost over all the bikes produced and $1M is still a SH$TLOAD - and that is just the lease cost.

Good money if you can get it, all for small portions of a second a lap… and it doesn't improve the racing one iota.

But that is all history now - $3500.00 for a Honda 600 instead.

[Lozza]

The problem is the further up the development pyramid the harder and the more costly the gains are(cubic dollars is the phrase).Tom O'Kane (Rizla Suzuki) that to go 1mph faster costs $1million.
With respect to the Aprilia in 2003 when Poggiali won they 250 made peak power at 14,200rpm in 09 they make 10more HP at 12600rpm.That didn't come for free.

Yes we're reduced to Motocrappy 2 now:'(

[vmx42]

Yes we're reduced to Motocrappy 2 now:'(

And I know how much you love it…

Just wait till the 125s have been replaced as well. Single cylinder 4-strokes.  UUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!

I am just waiting for the claims that it is being done for purely environmental reasons…    Honda have a lot to answer for.

[tony27]

Seeing the photo of the KTM makes Moto2 even harder to accept, they all look the same-fat, fat , fat & the paint jobs all look very similar as well

I think 1million euro to lease the Aprilia is chicken feed compared to the cost of leasing a MotoGP bike which pretty much guarantees you'll be making up the numbers with Suzuki

[GD66]

Oi ! Young bloke drops into town, whacks it on pole and in a faultless ride, gives a clinic to the newly-crowned world champ, and yet it can't crack a mention on here ! Tough crowd...

[TT]

Honda have a lot to answer for.

There goes the advertising dollar for the next few issues! 

I've been lucky enough to spend a little time chatting to F1 champ, Alan Jones, and the numbers he was quoting from 30 years ago was amazing!!  Even by today's standards! 

[monaro308]

Ok....Well done to Stoner,faultless weekend.
GP2 sucks eggs.
When Rusty mentioned the 500cc 2strokes as animals and beasts to my hero Schwantzy,i fell to my knees and cried  :'(

But Stoner did a hella job in slidin' the Duck!

[Lozza]

............and how to mono at 200+k's.

I said after the race what part of PI are they going to name after Casey Stoner? After 4 wins on the trot . Not only winning 4 on the trot he has led all bar 1 lap of all 4 GP's .Casey deserves it espeicaly as Wayne Gardner(2 wins 89/90) has Gardner Straight and Mick Doohan (1 win 98???) has Doohan Corner.
 

[GD66]

Gotta be turn 3 ! After the drifting demo through there last year, and a few this time as well. Yeah, plus that was QUITE a mono, Loz !