Will Gibernau get it together again?

[SALEEN S7R]

Yes but Rossi isnt the only Yamaha regularly at the front, Edwards has been putting in some very strong performances this year, 2 Yamaha's in the top 4 at the moment in the riders standings, and as we know Edwards gets the new parts a little later than Rossi. I would venture to say that the works Yamaha's are at least as good as the works Honda's, if not better at certain types of tracks.

Dont get me wrong, Rossi is a fantastic rider and deserves to be where he is but IMO he has also got the right machinery for the job, he isnt leading the points standings purley because his skill is so much better than everyone else's IMO, the bike has a lot to do with it too, and Edwards lying in 4th in the riders championship is testament to that. IMO.

[HDTVKSS]

JeremY Burgess would be a huge part of the Rossi success story, both at honda and at yamaha.

One has to think that the Honda boys were a little bit lost when Burges and crew left. IMHO his departure hurt them a lot more than Rossi's. His depature shows up at about the time that Sete's slide started.

coincidence?

[Dani Filth]

nobody says the Yamaha is pants .. is a very capable bike .. still not a Honda ..

[SALEEN S7R]

Its every bit as good as the Honda, if not better. No offence to Edwards but IMO he simply isnt as good as say Gibernau, Biaggi or Melandrdi. Put any one of those 3 riders on a works Yamaha and Id bet they would get better results than what Edwards is at the moment. Edwards is very competent, but hes not quite as good as the above riders. IMO.

[Alex K]

SALEEN S7R, you are talking about two-time SBK World Champ. He is better than Gibernau and Melandri. Surely.

AFAIK Edwards was treated by Honda as their last rider, don't you remember when (last season) he got new parts, and the deliver came to Gibernau?? He needs to be treated like his teammate and he'll be flying.

[Dani Filth]

well .. i'm not that sure about that surely

[Hazza]

Well the story goes (I belive) that he got given one of the old bikes and tested that, and iirc went swimmingly but Honda decided that they wanted a new tyre profile for the front of the bike. They did that and based the whole front end of the new bike around the new tyre.

Unfortunatly that didn't bode too well for the riders who where using the old bike.Edwards, I belive, then tried to get the right tyres for the bike but Michelin would have nothing to do with it as, why should they bring tyres just for the one rider.

At some point I belive he got given the new chassis and got stuck with the same problem that all the other riders had (Chatter or "Chadder" as Sete puts it). Obla-Dee Obla-Daa life goes on Ya and we rocked up to Qatar, Edwards topped most of the final practice sessions but his main (new) bike broke down and he had to qualify on his old bike (Down in 7th or so) he then chucked a fit and Honda said, here, okay have annother new chassis and Edwards said "Too little, too late" and signed with Yamaha. That was however after Gresini did not take up the option on Edwards, presumably to pick up Melandri, which back then seemed a little silly but not after how he has performed so far!

[Alex K]

Last year Colin had to stick with elder parts for much of the season, when Gibarneu had it just after HRC boys. AFAIR only in portugal CEII got a new chassis to his bike, it was the first deliver of the year.

This year might be much the same. Vale is #1 in Yamaha.

[Hazza]

Quite possibly (however this is just some facts and guess work) in 2004 it went like
Repsol - > Sete - > Biaggi - > Tamada - > Edwards. (Or something of the like)

Repsol have it stated in their contract that their bikes "get the bits".

Kato had a (Almost) factory bike, which was handed to Sete after the unfortunate incidents of Suzuka.

One would then asume that Biaggi would be fairly high on the food ladder, followed by Tamada, the Japenese rider on a Japenese bike with Japenese tyres. And then Edwards, who was a two time WSBK champion with Honda.

IIRC, Tamada said "Biggi started the year with bits on his bike that I never got.[/i]

Where as this year it is
Rossi -> Edwards.

I belive that Tech 3 are on last year's bikes. Melandri was a different case as he was still contracted as a factory rider, which meant he got factory bikes but wasn't within the team, this can be shown by how that all the Yamahas expired in Qatar apart from Abe who was on a year old bike.

And as an off-topic side note, Melandri stated that it was an absoloute dog of a bike that he was riding, nothin like the bike that Checa and Vale were on. Strange then that Xaus et al are having problems with the (Then) current bike now.

[N I Tram]

WSBK was never at the same standard as MotoGP, and it took Colin a long time to emerge from Fogarty's shadow and start winning. Then again, Gibernau was better by KrJr for a long time at Suzuki. I think this year we are seeing Colin at his best, but in real terms he's as far behind Rossi as the much-less-experienced Melandri was last year - it's just that the Yamaha is more competitive, meaning that less Hondas can get ahead of the 2nd Yamaha. Also, Marco has matured and seems to be revelling in the Gresini environment.

[Alex K]

WSBK was never at the same standart as MGP, correct, but than it was really great series with top flight factory teams, and bikes.

PS. Honda always treated Colin as their last man. If you remember his (great) last season in SBK, he was factory rider, but on the same contract as today is Ten Kate and PSG-1 Kawasaki, he never got help from HRC, he gained help from Honda of Europe. He wasn't even invited for Honda Champions supper (or something like that) for Honda's best riders.

[Gerben24]

After this weekends race Sete's selfconfidence must have sunk to an all time low. He was clearly the fastest in qualifying and warm-up. Still in the race it is Rossi that makes an aggresive overtaking action during the first lap and after that Sete never looked like he was going to win it. What happened in that last lap anyway? No fuel left in the tank?

What Sete needs to do is make those aggressive moves on Rossi. He is just to sweet. It is like he has to show himselve he can do it.

[Alex K]

I haven't read PR's yet, but AFAIK it was fuel pump system problem.

Sete needs to be #1 Honda rider, then he will have the top equipment, than he might fly on RCV. But is he has a talent to do it ? IMO, NO!

[HDTVKSS]

Originally Posted by Alex K

I haven't read PR's yet, but AFAIK it was fuel pump system problem.

Sete needs to be #1 Honda rider, then he will have the top equipment, than he might fly on RCV. But is he has a talent to do it ? IMO, NO!

yes it was a fuel system issue and according to reports, it started playing up from lap 3, so he did well to get it as far as he did in the place he did.

as for not having tallent, what are you smoking? cause you really need to share it around..... hes the only guy at the moment capable of taking it to rossi on a semi consistant level. its been a lean year, but then its been a lean year for everyone besides Burgess/Rossi....

[Alex K]

1. He is not the only rider.
2. If though what talent has to do with his ride? He is good on his RCV, but there better and much more talented in Honda camp. Don't you tell me he is second after Rossi.

[HDTVKSS]

Originally Posted by Alex K

1. He is not the only rider.
2. If though what talent has to do with his ride? He is good on his RCV, but there better and much more talented in Honda camp. Don't you tell me he is second after Rossi.

he certianly had little troubles keeping with Rossi when both were on Honda gear..... if you want to look at what they ride, Rossi has a clear advantage with Jeremy Burgess. How would he go without his input? not as well i bet. Would the yamaha be a contendrer without JB? maybee but i doubt it.

[Alex K]

I know, Jeremy, plus top parts, plus parts are deliver first to him not Edwards, etc. And from next season on priority of Michelin tyres.