2017 MotoGP/WSBK/Road Racing ThreadMotorbikes 

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MotoGP...

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Also, question? Who told Zarco it was OK to do this at Doohan Corner?! :eek:

 
Aegeter and MacKenzie have had to pull out of this weekend after their team manager, Stefan Kiefer, died suddenly last night. He led Danny Kent and Stefan Bradl to their world championships in 2015 and 2011 respectively. RIP
 
Aegeter and MacKenzie have had to pull out of this weekend after their team manager, Stefan Kiefer, died suddenly last night. He led Danny Kent and Stefan Bradl to their world championships in 2015 and 2011 respectively. RIP

No doubt like the team, I was knocked a bit sideways by the news. All condolences to his family and friends.



Unreal this guy...

Spy.


Just like Brno 2016.

Seeing it in slow-mo up close just adds that extra dimension of disbelief. That front tyre was folded for ages. :eek:
 
1. D. Pedrosa Repsol Honda 01:59.212
2. J. Zarco Tech 3 01:59.229
3. A. Dovizioso Ducati 01:59.236

Those times :crazy:

Performance of Zarco and that Tech 3 Yamaha is insane! You would expect Rossi/Vin there..
 
Performance of Zarco and that Tech 3 Yamaha is insane! You would expect Rossi/Vin there..

It's probably not that surprising that the combination of a year-old Yamaha that is somewhat kinder to its tyres than this year's bike, in the hands of a Frenchman who's shown time and time again that the form book means nothing, is doing what it's doing.

Well deserving of the Rookie of the Year mantra.
 
Last race of the season. Who will come out on top?

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For Dovizioso, the win is all that matters. He'll also need Marquez to finish 12th or lower.

For Marquez, no doubt victory is on his mind, but a points score higher than 12th will do no matter where Dovi finishes.
 
Marquez and Dovi have won the last 9 races between them and Marquez has crashed 26 times this season. So even though it's very unlikely, Dovi still has a chance. I'd like to know what Lorenzo would do if he's winning with Dovi 2nd and Marquez further down but still in the top 10. Do you let him through on the off chance Marc crashes or runs out of fuel?
I'm hoping Dovi wins it but it's a win/win for me.
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The first 80% of that race felt like it was going to be an anti climax but 2017 delivers again!

Secondly, while not his most visually spectacular, Marquez' save on the final lap was the best of his career.
Only took 3 races for him to beat it. It didn't matter in the end but he proved once again that he is something else.
I've no idea what Lorenzo was playing at but, once again, irrelevant in the bigger picture as nobody was beating Marquez this season. Incredible stuff from Dovi to get so close and from Pedrosa and Zarco today. 👍
 
A shame Dovi couldn't pull it out of the bag. I bet he never imagined at the start of the season that he would ever be this close though.

I don't think anyone did, not even Ducati. They pretty much admitted to putting their chances for the championship on Lorenzo's shoulders before pre-season testing, and look what happened. If anyone betted on Dovizioso doing what he did this year, the odds would've been way more than generous.

Hats off to him though for a revelation of a season. To come within 5 laps of a potential title against someone like Marquez is nothing short of admirable. :cheers:

Hats off to Zarco as well for a remarkable rookie season. It'll be intriguing to see how Yamaha go forward from here, not just with the factory team...

And people were curious as to why Honda retained Pedrosa?

Congrats to Marquez and to Honda for the clean sweep of ride, manufacturer and team titles. Save of the year? Check lap 23 for that. #BIG6
 
During the commentary for the final race Keith Heuwen announced that Julian Ryder was hanging up his microphone - that was his last MotoGP commentary and Keith let Julian do the last lap. I just wanted to express my appreciation for the many happy hours I've spent listening to Julian Ryder since first getting a satellite TV system back in 1993. It has been particularly enjoyable to have Julian and Keith reunited as a team for the last few years.

I am not sure who is replacing Ryder, but they are big shoes to fill. Also thanks to all the riders in MotoGP, WSB and BSB for some cracking racing this year. For me, MotoGP has been the most entertaining, but hopefully the rule changes in WSB will improve that series for 2018. BSB I felt would have been much better this year without the showdown, but I suppose that artificial format is here to stay.
 
During the commentary for the final race Keith Heuwen announced that Julian Ryder was hanging up his microphone - that was his last MotoGP commentary and Keith let Julian do the last lap. I just wanted to express my appreciation for the many happy hours I've spent listening to Julian Ryder since first getting a satellite TV system back in 1993. It has been particularly enjoyable to have Julian and Keith reunited as a team for the last few years.

It's going to be weird for the first few races in 2018 without him. All the best to Julian though in his future endeavours.

I never got to experience Ryder and Huewen's first stint together: I've been watching MotoGP since 2004 when it was on Eurosport, with Ryder alongside Toby Moody, Randy Mamola sometimes in the pitlane, and in the last couple of years of their coverage, with Neil Spalding providing the technical dimension to proceedings. That combination to me has been the best there has ever been in the time I've watched 2 or 4 wheel motorsport in its many guises, with Estoril 2006 and USA 2008 ranking among some of the best of their coverage quality. I've come to really appreciate the Ryder/Huewen combination since BT Sport took over the coverage, and it was clear to see (or hear in this case) in Valencia that both were sad to have reached the end of their partnership in the commentary box.

Nice touch, as you say, in letting Ryder cover the final lap of MotoGP in 2017. 👍

Also thanks to all the riders in MotoGP, WSB and BSB for some cracking racing this year. For me, MotoGP has been the most entertaining, but hopefully the rule changes in WSB will improve that series for 2018. BSB I felt would have been much better this year without the showdown, but I suppose that artificial format is here to stay.

MotoGP has been phenomenal this year, like 2016 but in a different way. The calibre of some of the rides, particularly in Japan, have been an absolute pleasure to watch. The series seems to be on an upward trajectory with no sign of stopping, not just in MotoGP, but Moto2 and Moto3 as well. Can't wait for the new season(s). :D

WSB was naive in thinking that the reverse grid idea would do anything to "improve the show". Just because you can stick a factory Ducati or Kawasaki on the 3rd row of the grid for race 2 doesn't mean it won't win. Every race this year was won by either bike (Ducati - 8, Kawasaki - 18), with at least one other bike that wasn't a factory Ducati/Kawasaki appearing on the podium only 5 times during the year (interestingly, every time it was a Yamaha ridden by either Lowes or van der Mark.) With Jonny Rea being utterly dominant in 2017, somehow I don't think the 2018 rules will change the status quo, but we'll see.

I was so gutted for Leon Haslam come the end of the BSB season: 4 times now the chance to become champion has alluded him. Amazing scenes though after the last race at Brands Hatch, when him and Shane Byrne got together amidst the celebrations of the latter's 6th title win. As for the showdown format, it's not what I'd call an improvement for the "show", but it is what it is.
 
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I've liked, Julian Ryder and Keith Heuwen too Sick. Was really good when it was on Eurosport, a very informative team, Randy Mamola and the couple of others.

WSB would be better if we didn't follow the leader go round, WSS has been better.

BSB I don't mind the showdown format, but if you a been battling all year for points, can be a little unfair.:)
 
The m1 looks amazing with the 1996 livery on it
Imagine if Rossi did a mugello special with that bike livery with his redone helmet recently released by agv
If anyone knows where more of these classic on modern designs have been done can they show me cos I think they are insane
 

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The m1 looks amazing with the 1996 livery on it
Imagine if Rossi did a mugello special with that bike livery with his redone helmet recently released by agv
If anyone knows where more of these classic on modern designs have been done can they show me cos I think they are insane
Cal Crutchlow raced his LCR Honda GP bike with a classic Castrol themed livery at Silverstone earlier this year, thought it looked pretty good

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For the 2018 season, Jorge Martinez's Aspar MotoGP and Moto3 teams are renaming themselves as Angel Nieto Team in honour of the late great 13 times (or 12+1 as he preferred) World Champion, who was a close compatriot to Martinez.

His eldest son Gelete is coming onboard as team principal, returning to a team he competed with between 1993-1997, clinching a European Championship victory in Barcelona and another in the Spanish Championship at Jerez, as well as making 28 Grand Prix appearances.
 
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