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Post by René on Nov 25, 2023 15:49:55 GMT
Valencia Grand Prix - Circuit Ricardo Tormo The last and decisive race of the year. Who will be champion, Bagnaia or Martin?  In any case, Jorge Martin has kept his title aspirations alive by just winning the sprint race in which Francesco Bagnaia finished 5th. Only 14 points remain for Martin to win his first world title. We'll find out tomorrow.
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Post by René on Nov 30, 2023 17:34:14 GMT
Francesco Bagnaia World Champion 2023!
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Post by mikael on Dec 1, 2023 15:52:19 GMT
Francesco Bagnaia World Champion 2023!
I have, to be honest, not followed MotoGP closely for years. So I have been quite astonished to realize how dramatically the once all-dominating Japanese manufacturers have dropped down through the ranks. In the teams' final standings, the factory Yamaha team ended up as No. 7, after several "privateer" (non-factory) teams; and the factory Honda team ended up as No. 9! And this is after HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) dropped being an official F1 engine supplier and "concentrated" on MotoGP. Wauw! (And, as to standings, I can understand that 2022 was actually not that different from 2023 ...)
After basically half a century of complete (Japanese) domination, it's kind of hard to understand. But of course, anything eventually comes to an end ...
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Post by mikael on Dec 2, 2023 9:33:02 GMT
As to the resurgence of European motorcycles, and the prominent role played by Spain in motorcycle racing in general, it's remarkable, also, that the motocross World Championship in the premier class (now called MXGP) was won by a Spanish rider (Jorge Prado) on a Spanish motorcycle (Gas Gas). At least here, the Japanese manufacturers remain in close contention (#2: Kawasaki; #3: Yamaha).
Probably, generous support by Red Bull makes a real difference.
Also, as indicated in an earlier post by Chris, a Gas Gas may, for all practical purposes, be a KTM ...
2023 World Champion Jorge Prado (# 61) on a Gas Gas
Interesting to notice here those who were lucky (or good) enough to find space on the ideal line. Like pearls on a string, just like in racing on asphalt.
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Post by chrisb on Dec 3, 2023 10:57:35 GMT
The sprint race heightened the anxiety, the main race did the opposite, Jorge was trying to play mind games with someone who knows him, and is 'cool' so that didn't really work, and when Jorge overshot Pecco we knew it was over and then that crash with Marquez, ambition vs immovable? it was a move I had seen Marquez make but I guess one isn't allowed to do the same to him.
It was a race of 'lasts' - Marc Marque's last race for Honda, or is it? on a Ducati he is already ultra quick, and in the top three in testing, what was really pleasing about his performance in the qualifying was that he didn't follow anyone and achieved his grid position all on his own, that was good to see, Frankie left Yamaha for Ducati, Rins left Honda for Yamaha, and Marini went from Ducati to Honda and Digi went the other way after another good ride,
So Pecco did it, world champion for the second time, some skullduggery suspected but no one could deny him.
And so on to 2024, Marc M is favourite to win his 9th, the Honda's are looking very quick, the Yamaha's aren't, KTM is trying out the carbon chassis and Aprilla win the testing times as usual, personally I think Marc is in for a shock, the Italians aren't going to roll over and let him win, and Bezza is not a happy bunny with Marquez's crashing him out , oh and Rossi's team will be with Yamaha in 2025 - watch this space
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Post by René on Dec 4, 2023 18:40:18 GMT
Francesco Bagnaia World Champion 2023!
My brother had a poster exactly like this photo on his bedroom wall!  |
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Post by mikael on Dec 5, 2023 18:25:13 GMT
My brother had a poster exactly like this photo on his bedroom wall!
I loved those 2-stroke racing motorcycles of that period, the late 70's - early 80's! Impressive that the 500cc Yamaha of Kenny Roberts developed approx. 130HP (around 1980) - that is 260 HP per litre. If one just "multiplies up", that is 780 HP per 3 litre - significantly more than the 3 litre Formula One engines developed at the time.
However, thinking back, my own (off-the-shelf) Yamaha YZ 125 cc motocross bike of 1981 actually developed 30 HP. That is 240 HP per litre, so it was no far from the "factory motorcycle" road racing level! (Actually, the road racing engine was 4-cylindered, so in a sense it was four 125 cc engines put together.)
(As to the "factory bikes" for the professionals, rather than having a high power-peak, it was more important to have a wider usable powerband, I'm sure. But for bikes for sale to the "average amateur", a claim of high power sold!)
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