Originally Posted by swheels

Yep! of all people,LOL I do think Cal has some motogp experience?????

On that note, poor Roger Hayden he's always so far in the back of the pack in FIM superbikes.That i constantly forget he's even racing.... J Desalvo the samething man it must suck for those guys.To go from once known heroes to zeroes.

Add to the list.... Chris Vermeulin, these guys must be chompen at the bit for a go on the new ZX10..... and for the reports I've read, it's supposed to be a good thing.... then again I guess Kawasaki aren't going to come out and say their highly anticipated "new superbike" is a lemon... are they..??

Any more news on the switch to Ducati for Rossi? I hear them talking about this during the last race and I havent followed up on it since. I read an interview that Rossi plans to race until 2013 so imagine the next few years with him on a Ducati! What a combo!

Stoner to go to Honda and will Spies to go Factory Yamaha next year? That would be awesome for Spies.

Wow... Casey Stoner... all signed up to HRC for 2011...

I would've loved to see him stay at Ducati there's something special about the Italian bikes... something sort of "exclusive"..."unique"... but then again, there is five of the suckers on track, same as honda, more than yamaha or suzuki... so maybe not so unique... but it is still by far the best looking bike...

Where will Rossi go....???

The way I see it... He has no real choice... Ducati stated they made him a decent offer, this is where he will be I'm sure...

Rossi made the threat to Yamaha.... Lorenzo or me...!!! and now yamaha have raised the pay of Jorge, and told Valentino he has to take a pay cut if he wants to stay... (I would leave simply out of pride) so unless Rossi is prepared to swallow his pride I don't see him riding for factory yamaha team.... maybe a single bike team... for yamaha... ???

Honda have the king pin to it's line up signed... and have also stated they want to keep both Dovi and Pedrosa... so sorry Vale no room here my friend.... unless maybe Dovi moves to yamaha or ducati, but I don't see that happening, like Dani these guys have both been Honda riders their whole careers,.... and both are extremely loyal and firmly tucked under the big Honda wing....

I know.... lets Rossi go to Suzuki... now there's a challenge for Jeremy Burgess and co. to see if they can deliver a bike Valentino could win on... and I have no doubt they would... but hey... that's not going to happen eigther...

Where ever Rossi goes he will be fast and dangerous for the title again... that there is no question...


wow... that's a long winded pile of dribble there hey...??? sorry guys....

I see Spies having to go to the factory ride if Rossi leaves it open. Spies is already proving worthy of the mount.
Rossi just has to go to Ducati, an Italian on an Italian bike and then win a champ and end it, retire on top, thats the way the story has to go, just makes sense. What a life!

Anyway if he goes to Ducati the real benefit there is that he can clearly communicate with the team and develop the bike with them. While Hayden is in good form this year they really need a proven winner to take them to the next level and hopefully dominate as Rossi tends to do when its all right.
Ducati have pulled out some interesting Patents on chassis design which I feel is a brilliant move as MotoGP develops in to the next incarnation by 2012. The future is chassis-less and they have the most advanced designs for this to date. The next gen of bikes will be more like hyper super bikes than one off GP machines if the press is correct. Ducati stand to have the GP chassis designs locked down for the near future so this will get interesting. Their road bike will start to reflect this advance in design and the homologation rules will be met so full on race bikes will have a more direct link to the street bikes Ducati makes I think, so thats cool, MotoGP for the street I hope and for about $15K perhaps? lol

Lorenzo will have to deliver and he is maturing that is for sure, this year is going his way. Lets see if he can make it to the end. I hope Rossi sticks it to him for the rest of the year just to keep him honest, the other guys cant seem to do it.

Stoner at Honda, I heard that one too, weird combo IMO, but if he can do it and they field a 3 factory bike team like they did long ago then great. I love the look of the Repsol graphics, always have, reminds me of Doohan. Speaking of which another Aussie on a Honda?? Could be magic you never know.

Well 2011 will be something to look forward to.LOL Man i hope they get that Duc sorted out! Especially in FIM man they are just doing HORRIBLE this year!

Spies on a factory ride,this will be the spoiler this i promise ya. Randy on that LCR honda is doing the business!

If Spies stays healthy I see him as potenially being the next American world champ but that will depend also on what kind of gear he has to work with, Factoy Yamaha, maybe but not on anything less than that. I really want to see him come from AMA to WSBK to MPG and win a championship, that would just be cool.

Spies has every potential to do that, I have been impressed by his performances this year. He seems a dead cert for Rossi's old seat and fully deserves it (because you just KNOW Rossi is signed up for Ducati, they just don't want to confirm it yet).
In other news, Rossi IS trying to get into sundays race in Germany, he just needs the doctors all clear to take part. Even battered and bruised he is still going to turn in a good race, even if he can only go at the speed of the mid pack. I'm sure he can show Espargaro et al just what he is about.

The last great white hope was injured and plaqued with problems but showed so much promise... John Hopkins

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ho...torcycle_racer)

Ben Spies is a step above Hopkins in my opinion.... and as good as Ben is, and even on a factory Yamaha, if he gets one... I don't think he will dominate motogp as he did WSBK... the depth of talent is far greater.... but he will give it a real shake up, and posably win a title...

On the subject of Ben getting Rossi's seat.... I just read an article from Jeremy Burgess, Valentino has made no mention of going to Ducati, nor has he asked Burgess or any of the other mechanics to change teams with him.... which is what he did when moving to Yamaha... and when asked if he would go with Rossi... Jerremy said, "Valentino may have to go it alone..... But I still believe he will finish his riding career with Yamaha..."

time will tell.....

Where did you read that article from Burgess?

I'd like a gander at that article as well! However, here is Speedtv's article about the ''Rossi signed for Ducati and J Burgess isn't'' rumour.

Originally Posted by Lukey B

Ben Spies is a step above Hopkins in my opinion.... and as good as Ben is, and even on a factory Yamaha, if he gets one... I don't think he will dominate motogp as he did WSBK... the depth of talent is far greater.... but he will give it a real shake up, and posably win a title...

On the subject of Ben getting Rossi's seat.... I just read an article from Jeremy Burgess, Valentino has made no mention of going to Ducati, nor has he asked Burgess or any of the other mechanics to change teams with him.... which is what he did when moving to Yamaha... and when asked if he would go with Rossi... Jerremy said, "Valentino may have to go it alone..... But I still believe he will finish his riding career with Yamaha..."

time will tell.....

NOOoooo way will he dominate, but i believe he will put a good scare into everybody.LOL

Jerry Burgess interview is in "Australian Motorcycle News" maybe able to veiw it on their web site.... dunno...

He also had a cameo appearence on the motogp broadcast here on fox.... and when asked if he would be wearing red next year.... his answer was... " no.... it's extremely un-likely"....

but that doesn't meen Rossi won't....

Maybe it's my Aussie bias coming out in me... but I sort of think it's a little funny... Rossi seems to have burnt most of his bridges... If he is to make good on his ultimatem(?) to Yamaha.... he simply has no other option than to go to Ducati...

as I've said... don't matter where he goes... give the guy a penny fathing and he'll still break lap records... and legs...!!!

I got to go to the Red Bull MototGP at Laguna yesterday. A last minute chance got me a ticket and a ride.
All I can say is, Wow that is exciting!
Those bikes are so loud and so fast it is incredible.
It was devastating watching Pedrosa go down, but there two other riders went down in the same turn. I noticed before the race that there were quite a few skid marks thru that turn leading to the gravel pit. That turn must have been giving them trouble all weekend.
I have to say that the biggest surprise for me was seeing all the Ducatis there. I mean I didn't even know there were that many Ducatis in california let alone in one place. There were literally thousands of Ducatis, just amazing.
One other thing, I really want to get a motorcycle now.

The Ducatisti are huge fans of GP racing so they all come out of the wood works when they can. Ducati reserve the "island" for Ducati only bikes every time there is a big race there. Ive been there 3 times and they have been doing that for years.

Did you do the Laguna Shuffle?