Life after Rossi

[Graz]

When Vale retires, there will be a huge void in MotoGP. Who will fill this?

I'm talking real superstar both in terms of consistent talent and personality. Lorenzo looks like the real deal. Simoncelli perhaps? In some ways, he's very like Rossi but maybe hasn't shown the consistent talent. I don't think Pedrosa will be the man, nor Dovi either.

I am VERY interested to see Ben Spies on a decent MotoGP bike. The guy is pure class in Superbikes right now, far and away THE star and out and out quickest. I guess he'll end up on a Tech 3 next year? He needs to ditch his Mom to be regarded as cool though...

[MGDavid]

quite likely to be a period of 5 or 10 years or even longer before somebody the equal of Rossi turns up IMO.

[jhansen]

Well, F1 has been without a good strong personality for a while now, but still manages to continue on just fine.

But for sure, Moto GP has something special in Rossi. Not only is a he a brilliant rider, but he is a powerful personality. The racing will become more of a focus after his departure. Not all bad in some ways. But we'll lose out on some of the notoriety that he brings along with him.

In terms of personality, I think he will not be replaced.

[Gerben24]

Originally Posted by jhansen

But for sure, Moto GP has something special in Rossi. Not only is a he a brilliant rider, but he is a powerful personality. The racing will become more of a focus after his departure. Not all bad in some ways.

If you take away the personality, he is also the one that usually makes the racing interesting. Think about it, when was the last time we had a good race with a good battle (at the front) without Rossi? The only person I see that dares making those ruthless overtaking moves is Lorenzo at the moment.

[MarkkuAlen86]

Lorenzo seems to have matured alot this year, and I much prefer him as he is now than previous years, where I didn't really appreciate his cockiness.

This is good for the racing, but as he is now, I don't think he could take Rossi's place as the big personality on the grid. I always find Colin Edwards to be a cool guy, but he won't be around for long.

Randy De Puniet is a laugh on the track, we don't see too much of him off it. But he's probably too inconsistant to be a top rider, although he's probably one of the fastest over a lap.

[Graz]

Originally Posted by MarkkuAlen86

Randy De Puniet is a laugh on the track, we don't see too much of him off it.

Up until this year, we hadn't seen much of him on it either...

[GORDON STREETER]

I personally can't think of anyone in bike racing that matches Rossi for being a showman and brilliant to boot ! Yes there has been some brilliant riders in the years that I have followed it from the Hailwood/Agostini era up to Rossi.
Maybe Barry Sheene was the closest ?
But for sheer effrontery Rossi will take some beating !

[Luke Kinsella]

In Italy, 50% of casual fans/fanboys will disappear.

The ones left will be the true fans.

However, in terms of class, unpredictability and spectacular driving noone will equal him I think

[BootsOntheSide]

Rossi really has been the complete package. Not only by far the best rider of his era, but also charismatic and exciting enough to catch the attention of a wide audience. He was bold enough to move from the best bike, which has helped keep the racing close and unpredictable, and he makes a lot of big, dramatic overtaking moves - certainly more than any other frontrunner.

Inevitably, we will lose viewers when he retires, just as lots of people watch golf just for Tiger Woods or watched tennis just for Pete Sampras. Lorenzo is about the closest to superstar status and quality, but Ben Spies should attract fans as well. He's got the marketability of Edwards, the pace of Hopkins and the temprament and racing patience of Hayden.

[Martin Haven]

Think back to the great riders of more recent times... Roberts, Mamola, Rainey, Schwanz, Doohan etc... all extremely quick, great riders, great RACERS and very individual... but no-one managed to conjure up the sheer crowd-pleasing clowning that Vale manages to combine with his undoubted genius on the machine...

I agree that MotoGP will lose an incredible draw when he retires but is it really fair to expect Spies, Lorenzo or indeed anyone else to 'replace' him??

No-one is doing the stuff that The Doctor does now - outside NASCAR, perhaps - and if they do, it'll be forced, not the result of pub-related exuberance among a tight-knit bunch of friends.

I believe that MotoGP will carry on happily as long as we get bikes that excite the riders and the fans... so let's ban electronic traction control and see the riders wrestling raw horsepower again... riders powersliding out of every corner for the whole race, tyres smoking, racing handlebar to handlebar is what we want - even Vale's best showmanship doesn't make a dull race exciting...

That said, let's savour every last second of Vale while we have him...

[2000yellow360]

Originally Posted by Martin Haven

... so let's ban electronic traction control and see the riders wrestling raw horsepower again... riders powersliding out of every corner for the whole race, tyres smoking, racing handlebar to handlebar is what we want - even Vale's best showmanship doesn't make a dull race exciting...

That said, let's savour every last second of Vale while we have him...

Have you ever ridden a motogp bike? I've had that good fortune. While I'm nowhere near as good as any of the current competitors, and never was, I can say this: without the electronics, they aren't rideable. Period. The electronics is the only thing that keeps the field on the track. Those bikes make waay too much power. There is a story that McCoy turned off the electronics, and didn't make an entire lap before it spit him off.

Unless they are prepared to drastically reduce the power, eliminating the electronics isn't the solution. Remember, even the USA superbikes have had traction control for the last 3, 4 years (I know they weren't legal all that time, but they had it, nontheless.

Art

[Graz]

Originally Posted by 2000yellow360

Have you ever ridden a motogp bike? I've had that good fortune. While I'm nowhere near as good as any of the current competitors, and never was, I can say this: without the electronics, they aren't rideable. Period. The electronics is the only thing that keeps the field on the track. Those bikes make waay too much power. There is a story that McCoy turned off the electronics, and didn't make an entire lap before it spit him off.

Unless they are prepared to drastically reduce the power, eliminating the electronics isn't the solution. Remember, even the USA superbikes have had traction control for the last 3, 4 years (I know they weren't legal all that time, but they had it, nontheless.

Art

I'm not disputing you Art but TC is relatively new. The 500's wouldn't have had it and they would have been more brutal than today's machines. Perhaps the riders get used to TC? I'd personally like to see no electronics and if this meant taming the power delivery (not necessarily the power) of the bikes a bit, so be it.

[chunder]

I think that is total rubbish ART to be honest.

Plenty of riders could ride the 990 bikes without falling off at every turn. McCoy can oly ride one way, that is his fault not the bikes!! It worked for a few races and then he got swamped, fair play tog et the 16.5 to work, but trying to ride the Kawasaki like that was never on really. I dont think he knew where to start in developing that bike.

And even more riders pre 990 could ride peaky, aggressive power delivery 2 strokes before that.

That is what (used to) separate the men from the boys in the mid 80's when tyres and power started to push tyre life beyond the limits

That is what forced Honda to come up with big bang to help the tyres

And that is why Mick went back to screamer to give HIM the advantage back!!

Remember that 2 strokes were pushing 200 bhp towards the end with no bottom end power, tricky power delivery and much less electronic interference.

I think the electronics now are allowing riders like Lorenzo, Stoner and Pedrosa to push to the limits and over them, without crashing as much as the likes of Rainey or Lawson had to to find the limits? They ahd no safety net and had to really push carefullly to find the edge!

I imagine the modern 800's would no doubt be very hard to ride without the elec coz they have been desigend to use it from the outset, the 990's werent really. It was incorprated into them after tyres became a wild issue.

Rainey, Schwantz and the rest had to push the front and rear to get speed, this developed the bikes in such a way no one who rode another way could ride them (Criville initially, Cadalora, Beattie on Yam and otehrs)

I dont doubt today's bikes are hard to ride, but I am very doubt ful theya re anything like a 1989 NSR or 95 RGV or 1993 YZR!

[2000yellow360]

Originally Posted by chunder

I think that is total rubbish ART to be honest.

Plenty of riders could ride the 990 bikes without falling off at every turn. McCoy can oly ride one way, that is his fault not the bikes!! It worked for a few races and then he got swamped, fair play tog et the 16.5 to work, but trying to ride the Kawasaki like that was never on really. I dont think he knew where to start in developing that bike.

And even more riders pre 990 could ride peaky, aggressive power delivery 2 strokes before that.

That is what (used to) separate the men from the boys in the mid 80's when tyres and power started to push tyre life beyond the limits

That is what forced Honda to come up with big bang to help the tyres

And that is why Mick went back to screamer to give HIM the advantage back!!

Remember that 2 strokes were pushing 200 bhp towards the end with no bottom end power, tricky power delivery and much less electronic interference.

I think the electronics now are allowing riders like Lorenzo, Stoner and Pedrosa to push to the limits and over them, without crashing as much as the likes of Rainey or Lawson had to to find the limits? They ahd no safety net and had to really push carefullly to find the edge!

I imagine the modern 800's would no doubt be very hard to ride without the elec coz they have been desigend to use it from the outset, the 990's werent really. It was incorprated into them after tyres became a wild issue.

Rainey, Schwantz and the rest had to push the front and rear to get speed, this developed the bikes in such a way no one who rode another way could ride them (Criville initially, Cadalora, Beattie on Yam and otehrs)

I dont doubt today's bikes are hard to ride, but I am very doubt ful theya re anything like a 1989 NSR or 95 RGV or 1993 YZR!

I don't think so. I've ridden the Honda three, and a Yamaha 990, and frankly the Honda was much easier to ride, at least for me. The Yamaha had quite a bit more power, and would have been unrideable for me without the traction control. The Honda (ridden in the 80s) was another matter, the power was realitively smooth, and of course I was 20 years younger, so that may have made a difference.

The Yamaha would have been unrideable for me without the traction control, which was set at essentially the highest setting. I rodeit in 2007 at Las Vegas, and it was a very big handful.

BTW: Roberts was the first to start sliding the front tire. Learned it from his dirt mile experience. He was indeed a game changer.

Art

[GORDON STREETER]

After the poor showing of Ducati at Donington and also the few that finished , if Rossi pulled out at the end of the year IMHO the fans would vote with their feet and go to watch WSB given the choice.
It will also be interesting to see how big the crowds are at Silverstone next year compared with Donington this year.

[Graz]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

After the poor showing of Ducati at Donington and also the few that finished , if Rossi pulled out at the end of the year IMHO the fans would vote with their feet and go to watch WSB given the choice.
It will also be interesting to see how big the crowds are at Silverstone next year compared with Donington this year.

Agreed and if it wasn't for Stoner the Duck would be nowhere. If Rossi was to leave at the end of this season, MotoGp would be in real trouble. I wonder if Rossi would really go to WSBK though. I've heard it said that he'd like to do it at some point but I don't know. I reckon he'll go to cars.

Just back to MotoGp, Dorna seem to be doing a really bad job.