I quite like the new qualies, what about you?

Even I have noticed this. This year besides Ben Spies and Tom Sykes, there are no more Yamaha bikes. This past weekend onwards we've had David Checa on a privateer Yamaha and the results have been quite disappointing.

I am not sure about past years and Yamaha's stand towards private bikes. Till last year Haga and Corser were on Yamaha bikes and I think that was a factory bike, I could be wrong though.

Cheers

^^ nah i have checked. Team Italia were a private team, but backed by Yamaha. that describes the huge Pay Checques to Haga and Corser. both Haga and Troy have years of experience in wining, riding and development. David Checa does not. nor did the other teams along with riders. its all about sponsorship in Wsbk too. if you can raise sponsorship then you can hire the best of the best.

too bad it does not work the same in MotoGP.

Yes souly , yamaha italia was a private team in which Santander had a share of more than 60 %, now Yamaha Italia has got all of it .. so literally they were already a factory backed team ..now it is a Factory team .
My only doubt was why don t the other private teams prefer to use a Yamaha , while there are more than 10 odd honda s in the whole grid ! which includes both good teams and not so good ones , leave alone the riders.This has been the case every year.

And i personally don t like the new qualifyin rules , its kinda confused ! there are totally three 12 min sessions and only 2 rear qualifiers to use !? whats the point ?...And i loved the single lap shootout, Sir Troy just sailing thru the corners eating the apexes..I miss it and i miss him too !

my guess would be as good as yours. not just with Yamaha but the suzuki's as well.

it may come down to the kind of deal and parts the private teams get. lets say we put up a team together. how do we downsize to what manufacture we want to go for.

1. Cost for a bike.
2. cost for FIM racing legal aftermarkets.
3. support from Factory.
4. Cost of support.
5. Cost of Spares.
6. Sponsor's preference(this in most cases comes before the season starts)
7. Head of Mech's motorcycle preference.
8. time of delivery from season opener.
9. tech staff experience on the machinery.
10. race performance capability out of the box.
11. preferred fluids and other accessories performance with motorcycle.
12. other things that i can't think off.

Yep, thats correct Yamaha Italia were a private team with factory support. Just like Ten Kate and Honda.

Did not quite get what you meant with MotoGP?? Best riders always seem to attract good sponsors, works everywhere I reckon.

Cheers

Ben Spies WSBk 2009 Valencia Superpole

YouTube - Ben Spies WSBK 2009 Superpole Valencia

@ soulstation

Hmm yeah pretty good reasons and i do remember when the 1098r prototype was released there was a huge no of bids placed by the private teams so that rules out point 1,4,5 !

btw which team n rider do you guys like ?
I m a Yamaha fan and a Troy Bayliss fanatic !
Now i like the way Ben rides but at the same time MCN n other forums say his winning form has a lot to do with the new yamaha ! i doubt it though ! but yeah in race 2 valencia he did show his inexperience at the higher level ! i thought he used up his tires a lot in the first few laps. but i still ll have my money on Spies for the championship.

yes Spies is the real deal. Tom Sykes is how the new yamaha is really doing. but if anybody that has watched Ben Spies and Mat Maldin in the AMA would know better.

about race 2.lets face it. Haga has done it in the past to the likes of Corser, Bayliss, forgaty, Hudson, Toseland and edwards. so this was expected from him. i am really impressed with Haga this season. Xerox Ducati has indeed kept its part of its promise thus far of bringing out the best of him and to get him a WSBK championship. the team management was what was missing in Haga's earlier teams, both Yamaha, Aprilia, and the Regnade Ducati from past seasons.

ok i did not discuss this one point that you mentioned earlier with regards to the qualifying.

just to out it simply. 30 riders. 1 hour of TV program. add to that with this new rule in place riders can plan their attack. thus the times that you are seeing (e.g valencia) are good enough to get you on a MOTO GP 4th row.

hmm ya ! i too agree it makes a good show ! but the essence of that single lap shootout is missing...During the single lap shootouts i remember having goosebumps when the lap is about to end..but ya and there is an upside in the prev format ! i see the laps of the top guys and thats it switch off the tv..now this format makes me watch it for the whole one hr !

thats the best part about it
Anything that gives more airtime for bike racing gets my thumbs up.

Ben Spies burning one of the fastest Tracks in the world !
MOnza Testing - New Track , New Bike but nothin seems to stop him, Fastest man and yamaha s tom sykes on fifth ! The BMW s are like a second slow frm top grid !!!

you conveniently forgot that Haga was on top for the first 2 days with Fabrizio in 2nd. Selective reading ha!

Cheers

For all 3 Supersport races my ass was on the edge of my chair.

link : Supersport VAL09 Highlights.

Yup But We Yamboys are back to top right ! Good to see Sykes moving up ! Did anyone read about BSB ! even there the new R1 s winning !

@Soul : Where can i get AMA vdos ? some from NIcky s time and Ben s...and why do only Suzuki s win in UNcle Sams land ?

Haha yeah. well the rockstar suzuki has been prepared by one of the most greatest minds in American Road Racing of the current time. its just not suzuki. but then again if you have guys like Mat Maldin and Ben Spies. you can expect Hell. of course they were team mates and most fearsome rivals. some of the stories you will find on the internet.

the motorcycle market in the US. is Big. but unfortunately as usual the wrong bunch of guys running it. i was lucky to see hayden in L.A the same time he had the accident back in Aug 08 on a supermoto in a Bike show. but Matt is the real deal. and speaking to the race fans in the U.S most of them complain about Speed TV and AMA of how awefull the races are organized.

this is the reason why i am so unhappy about MotoGP. yes indeed i have stoped watching it since the end of 990 just some races here and there. but it has become so confusing over the years. and rules just keep changing every time.

BSB: oh man. you will get some on youtube so will the AMA races. just the highlights. but BSB yes i think there is this guy called Leon Cramer i think his name is. he won the 2nd race of the opening round. and i hope you must have researched to find out who won the opening race' ex parmac ducati rider. number 50 himself.

that cramer guy was on the new R1 and someone mentioned somewhere that the team had just received the r1 a week back. so that explains a lot.