Yooperbikemike's 2013 MotoGP Thread

Another thing to consider is Ben's dislike for travel and being vocal about some of his adaptations to living in Europe for periods of time.
The Europeans take a slightly jaded view of Americans in particular who do not take great measures to adapt.
( This is from personal experience living and working in several different countries over my work career) I personally like living in Europe and would go back in a heart beat, but my wife prefers to live here.

I think Ben got better at it after he started leaving Mom at home, but that's subjective.

Colin Edwards has adapted pretty well, but he is a strange breed of dude.

Nicky Hayden also has fit in pretty well, but he has a bigger support group and from what i read sort of stays away from women . He said one time when asked about that, he always looks at them and says to himself, is she going to help my career or make me a better rider ?, or something to that effect.

The one thing you shouldn't read into is their women. Southern men who are public figures tend to protect that part of their lives. Take Tommy for example. I mean suddenly he is married...Jeepers! ...Team mates knew, but not fans. Never a clue. His woman was never a part of his public persona.

Same for a lot of these guys. I mean the ONLY rider with a public trophy is Marco Melandri!

Great viewing, though.

Yes , she is a beauty, a real Amazon compared to him

Here's hoping that guy is no longer part of the racing program. If he still is, will he offend JL or VR the same way?

I just hope Ben told that guy's boss who said what.

RDP's is no barker!

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Nice video

In which Yamaha covers their ass just in case Vale really is the moto god a lot of us thinks he is, and wins the championship.

Jorge must have loved that video

Great article by Spies. He seems honest and pretty humble for being a moto GP rider.

Didn't seem to be too excited about what he'll get out of the Duc though. We'll have to wait and see.

Thanks for the video Mike.

Not to nitpick, but at 1:30 there is a pretty big typo for a large corporation: "Vale and the M1 where reunited.......

Huh. I read that and didn't see any new info. I think he's sticking with Ducati for now since that's his only option. There was no possible Honda ride for him (not spanish), no chance with Yamaha, so if you want to stay in MGP its second string Ducati or WSBK.

"...I think he's sticking with Ducati for now since that's his only option..."
As he said in the interview: Ducati left him no other choice (based on the amount of money they threw at him). Gresini was there, but Ducati had larger saddlebags.
Ben feels he has unfinished business in MGP. I think he feels the tour at Yamaha was a blemish on his reputation, and I don't think he feels the problem was all his. Yes, he admits he had some problems getting the corner speed that JL had, but I believe that he would have eventually gotten there if the bike had held up. He was awful fast at times, but cooked his tires and faded every time. That is just part of the learning curve with every series. In WSBK his bike was reliable, and familiar, and he only had to learn how the tires behaved. He adapted quickly and pummeled everyone into submission. If you can't get the laps in, you can't learn.

Read between the lines. He could've been on a Honda team if he paid. There was no money for him to be on the 3rd string Honda team. No sponsors would pick him up. His only option to stay in MotoGP and get PAID to ride was Ducati team 2.

He won't be anywhere near the podium this year. He'll be racing for 8th like all the other Ducatis. Ducati won't make any huge leaps forward, it just won't happen.

And there's a reason why Yamaha wanted him to set up the bike and ride like Lorenzo, because that's what works with the tires. Fast and smooth, not WSBK-like. He even says that. He wanted to ride it like a WSBK bike, but that just won't work unless you want to be fighting for 8th. Even Crutchlow has conceeded that fact and cleaned up his riding. It's all about loading the tires and being smooth, even with the new construction. That's why Rossi couldn't ride the Ducati. He couldn't load the tires like Stoner could on that thing. Neither could anyone else.

Sure, he's a nice guy and a great racer and all, but he's clinging to the edges of the series before being dropped off back at the WSBK paddock.

I think you are overstating the dynamics at work. In any event, Ben stated once he decided to leave Yamaha, his first choice was World Superbike with BMW or the Panigale. That rumor spread at the time. But something happened in the middle of all that clutter and he ended up on the Ducati Junior Bike. Maybe he rationalized it, but he might have had another option or two.

I think it went down just like he said in that article. 1. He quit because he was insulted. 2. He was planning on doing a BMW or Panigale Superbike deal. 3. Ducati convinced him to take the ride alongside Crazy Joe instead. End of the drama.

Besides, there have been reports from credible sources that Yamaha wasn't unanimous in having Rossi back. It's a small paddock. Everybody probably knows who's who. Ben didn't just forget how to race a motorcycle. And while he admitted he didn't get the corner speed down, that doesn't mean he'd never get it. Josh Hayes was a journeyman privateer rider for most of his career. Wouldn't you agree he learned something in the last three seasons?

This should be entertaining, if not pretty. Crazy Joe and Dovisioso will be at opposite ends if the style spectrum. Nick and Ben will be somewhere between. Nobody knows what will happen, but I think Crazy Joe might excel, since he doesn't know any better. Nick might as well, simply because he's got more experience trying to make the turnip truck work.

I've said it before, but I can't understand why some of these guys stay in GP other than to ride around and collect a check. I'm no Nicky or Ben, but if I had their talent I'd rather ride a competitive superbike and fight for wins/podiums than be mid-pack on a MotoGP bike. I don't think for a minute that those two are just collecting a paycheck, but I don't know why they would willingly subject themselves to mid-pack prison.

I think it's tough to go backwards; it's giving up. I think of being demoted at my job or having to back to one of my horrid ex-wives and I cringe
I can understand why they stay.

Look at Max for instance; yes he's made the best of it but I bet he burns thinking about Rossi et al. It's like Seinfeld said: "You're the 1st loser".

He quit before he was fired. At the end of 2011, Jarvis said Spies was on thin ice; when the bike was working and Spies was still frequently finishing behind one or both of the Tech 3s, the consequences were obvious.

Why do they stay when they are not going to get a podium finish ?

The answer is simple , they believe they can !

Why would an F-1 driver take a ride that is not one of the top tier , because they believe they can win.
Why do so many drivers in NAPCAR hang on and race ? They believe they can win.

If you were a racer you would understand this, it's not really about the money REALY !
Sure the money is nice and the perks , the chicks, and all , but it comes down to who you are, and what you are made of.
The race is never over until the fat lady sings, and in Ben's/Nicky's/Dovi's/Crazy Joe/Colin Edwards et al; case she ain't even warming up her vocal cords yet.
Yes GP is a silly circus, but it's their world and I am in awe of those aliens.

You are the classic; "what have you done last fan"... and of course you are not a fan of Ben Spies, so you go out of your way to pile on. I'd say you don't know shit, but you probably do. Maybe unreasonably intolerant to be a critic, though.

Fuck off.

Ben Fan

Rossi fan-boi detected.

Actually pretty sure he said the Yam was underpowered hunk of dung. Also it crapped out on him 2 or 3 races as well, twice I think it was fuel issues.