World Superbikes 2016

frostie500 · 21-01-2016 5:32pm #1

Thought I'd start up a thread for WSBK for this season. Last year was really special for all Irish fans with JR winning the title but this year could be very interesting! JR is back to defend his crown buy it could be a very exciting season with a grid filled with a lot of top riders.

First race of the year is in Phillip Island at the end of Feb so at least racing will be starting soon for us all!

Max Headroom · 25-02-2016 10:16am

Its a bit sad that theres so little interest in WSBK and BSB here...if it aint GP no one seems to care....i know which one i prefer...;)

Looks like a good season ahead..

Max Headroom · 27-02-2016 11:19am

Good first race of the season..pity the group spread out after 10 laps, would have been nice to see Hayden up there till the end....

Magown3 · 28-02-2016 1:13am

Max Headroom wrote: »

Good first race of the season..pity the group spread out after 10 laps, would have been nice to see Hayden up there till the end....

Hayden dropped back kind of dramatically, suspect tyre perhaps? Or some other problem with the bike? He was going well up to a few laps to go.

Great to see Rea start off his title defence with a win. The pack stayed together more than I had expected. Could be tight racing this year. Looking forward to it.

CJhaughey · 28-02-2016 8:39am

Ominous signs for the rest of the field with Rea kicking off like that!
Brookes impressive enough with a pair of top 10 finishes on a new bike.
The racing seems good enough with a lot of quality in the pack, Giugliano did very well considering he was in a neck brace recently enough.
I was expecting better from the Yamaha's TBH But maybe PI is a bit of an outlier in terms of tracks and they could do a lot better on other tracks.
VDM is very impressive and the old 'blade seems to be quick enough, maybe the new noise regs and smaller mufflers have allowed them to get more out of the engine?

Max Headroom · 28-02-2016 2:47pm

Great 2nd race...gutted for Hayden again..!!...good finish for the Yam this time..whats Lowes at..

....
Good 600 race too..nice to see Sofugly on the deck again..:P

frostie500 · 02-03-2016 11:43am

Just got back from PI and it was a mega couple of weeks down there! Great races in both classes and plenty of reasons for being excited for the new year. It was a shame that Davies crashed in Race 2 but great to see him willing to push that hard and give it a go for the win but it's very difficult if you spot JR points early in the season. I was hugely impressed by Rea, he looked so relaxed and comfortable and that Kawasaki is still the best bike on the grid.

Just to let everyone know as well that the highlights package for the year has been confirmed and starts tonight on ITV4 at 8pm. First time trying commentating for me so any and all feedback would be great!

funkey_monkey · 04-03-2016 9:59pm

Just been watching it - you done well!

Who are you modelling your style on? Is there much technical guff to chat about like Spalding used to provide on the MotoGP coverage? I always found that more interesting than some guy telling me something that I could already see on the screen.

frostie500 · 05-03-2016 10:11am

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Just been watching it - you done well!

Who are you modelling your style on? Is there much technical guff to chat about like Spalding used to provide on the MotoGP coverage? I always found that more interesting than some guy telling me something that I could already see on the screen.

Thanks mate, it seemed to go well and has been well received but it's a lot easier with three great races! We've got some stuff planned that will be more technical but I'm quite wary of giving information on air that might be incorrect and coming into a new paddock there's an awful lot for me to learn about the bikes and regulations so I need to wait until I'm fully up to speed before going into detail on the technicalities of the bikes.

Coming from a software engineering background the electronics are very interesting for me and something that I can comment on and hopefully over the course of the year the mechanical side will get easier to understand and explain!

h3000 · 11-03-2016 8:55am

British Superbikes team Team WD40 have had a break in and have had their bikes stolen. Let's hope they get them back.

https://twitter.com/GRMotoSport/status/708165450102747137

Max Headroom · 12-03-2016 12:21am

h3000 wrote: »

British Superbikes team Team WD40 have had a break in and have had their bikes stolen. Let's hope they get them back.

https://twitter.com/GRMotoSport/status/708165450102747137

Thats just fcuking awful...probably stripped and in europe already...:mad:

Don't forget Thailand tomorrow early...

h3000 · 12-03-2016 8:42am

Max Headroom wrote: »

Thats just fcuking awful...probably stripped and in europe already...:mad:

Don't forget Thailand tomorrow early...

One bike has been found but the other two are still missing. Looks like they got Jack's back.

https://twitter.com/GRMotoSport/status/708348100906192898

Magown3 · 13-03-2016 5:16pm

Great second race. Love to see a good scrap. Chaz will be with them on circuits that the Ducati isn't hampered by longs straights.

CJhaughey · 14-03-2016 4:52pm

Magown3 wrote: »

Great second race. Love to see a good scrap. Chaz will be with them on circuits that the Ducati isn't hampered by longs straights.

He will be destroyed in Aragon on the Panigale.
I expect the two Yamaha's to be a lot faster in the next rounds, not sure about Lowes but Guintoli has the pace and experience to bring them some podiums for sure.
The Kawasaki bikes look very sorted for new machines they are very quick compared to the rest at present.

frostie500 · 14-03-2016 5:38pm

CJhaughey wrote: »

He will be destroyed in Aragon on the Panigale.
I expect the two Yamaha's to be a lot faster in the next rounds, not sure about Lowes but Guintoli has the pace and experience to bring them some podiums for sure.
The Kawasaki bikes look very sorted for new machines they are very quick compared to the rest at present.

Chaz has done the double at aragon on the BMW, won last year on the Ducati and was Eva yesterday so I'd not be quick to discount him next time out.
For the Yamaha's Lowes has had great speed but been held back by tech issues and not been able to get the results. Irs a results based game and there's no asterisk on the scoreboard Tho so he needs to bounce back in Europe.
Kawasaki is super strong and has the best bike on the grid and also the most adaptable bike. It works in a big operating window which helps massively.
Honda is better tho and this week showed their progress and potential

CJhaughey · 14-03-2016 10:07pm

Frostie, maybe you can ask this question when you chat to Ten Kate next time?

I am very curious about how Honda managed to get another 8-9 hp out of the 'blade.
Given its suffered for so long with a power deficit how did they find it this year?

Chaz was on the limit with the Ducati in Chang, saying that there was no easy win for Sykes Race 2 either, Rea pushed him all the way.
I just can't see Chaz being able to get close enough on the back straight at Aragon, its a long old bit of road and he will find it very hard to keep up with the IL 4 bikes.

Max Headroom · 14-03-2016 11:46pm

Yeah,great second race..nice to see Sykes giving it to Rea on his ZX10 ahhh...:)..

Good 600 race too

frostie500 · 16-03-2016 4:29pm

CJhaughey wrote: »

Frostie, maybe you can ask this question when you chat to Ten Kate next time?

I am very curious about how Honda managed to get another 8-9 hp out of the 'blade.
Given its suffered for so long with a power deficit how did they find it this year

In the WorldSBK episode of the paddock pass podcast David talked with Ronald about the new season so have a listen to that. Basically they found some power but the biggest thing has been the changes within the team and having a wider like Nicky join has really forced everyone to up their game

CJhaughey · 03-04-2016 8:09am

frostie500 wrote: »

Chaz has done the double at aragon on the BMW, won last year on the Ducati and was Eva yesterday so I'd not be quick to discount him next time out.

I eat my words. Pass the hot sauce please!
Great racing Chaz is in another league around here and the Ducati is showing a good top end as well surprisingly enough.
Its going to be a lot tougher for JR to retain the title this year, he can do it but it won't be the same as last year.
Once they get the ZX10R's sorted then they might just be a bit better as well. What happened to Guintoli's bike? he was doing so well in the first few laps then just fell back through the field.

Max Headroom · 03-04-2016 10:57am

CJhaughey wrote: »

I l. What happened to Guintoli's bike? he was doing so well in the first few laps then just fell back through the field.

it's a yamaha..:)

What was PJJacobsen playing at....he could have at least taken Sof with him...

CJhaughey · 10-04-2016 10:28pm

I'll post in this thread not much point in starting a BSB one.
Season opener, great racing at Silverstone and a couple of cracking races in the Superbike class. I really think they have got a good formula for close racing, all bikes roughly similar in power/speed and no electronics!
The last race finish was mega, sideways smoking it up over the line!
Compared to the snooze/crash version that we got from the MGP in Texas this was much better.

Max Headroom · 11-04-2016 9:25am

CJhaughey wrote: »

I'll post in this thread not much point in starting a BSB one.
Season opener, great racing at Silverstone and a couple of cracking races in the Superbike class. I really think they have got a good formula for close racing, all bikes roughly similar in power/speed and no electronics!
The last race finish was mega, sideways smoking it up over the line!
Compared to the snooze/crash version that we got from the MGP in Texas this was much better.

Proper competitive racing. ..thought it might have been a bit of a Shaky demonstration but I was sooo wrong.....,.I,m glad I don't pay to watch the gp....

Max Headroom · 16-04-2016 3:31pm

Assen WSBK race 1.....What a great race....

CJhaughey · 17-04-2016 5:50pm

Both races were very good in fairness, nice to see a bit of a mix up with the wet race for WSS, and the drying track made for interesting viewing.
Superbike is getting a lot better to watch so far this season, compared to the snoozefest that MotoGP is starting to revert to.

Max Headroom · 18-04-2016 9:03am

I find it a bit sad/worrying that it seems rider safety comes after tv timetables....I think a 15 minute delay for the SS and race 2 would have been better for riders and the racing....funny that a snooker or tennis match can demand extra tv time....

funkey_monkey · 19-04-2016 5:54pm

Aer people impressed out disappointed with Nicky Haydens performances so far?
I'm a bit disappointed considering how well van der Mark is going.

Looks like a battle again between the kawasaki pair, Rea with the edge. MotoGP beckoning for him?

Max Headroom · 19-04-2016 9:28pm

I think Nickys doing ok considering...

frostie500 · 19-04-2016 9:40pm

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Aer people impressed out disappointed with Nicky Haydens performances so far?
I'm a bit disappointed considering how well van der Mark is going.

Looks like a battle again between the kawasaki pair, Rea with the edge. MotoGP beckoning for him?

No chance of JR moving to MotoGP unless he's offered a factory Ducati, Honda or Yamaha. He will only move if he's got a chance of winning races and won't move for just any bike. He's had his fill of making up the numbers and understands that winning races and titles on the Kawasaki is a lot better than being a grid filler.

Nicky is doing OK but hasn't been able to show his full potential. In Australia he had a tyre problem in Race 1, could have podiumed in Race 2. Thailand he had a sensor problem in Race 1 and he had no data before Race 2. Aragon was a solid Race 1 but Race 2 had a mechanical. Assen was competitive in both races

funkey_monkey · 20-04-2016 3:12pm

frostie500 wrote: »

No chance of JR moving to MotoGP unless he's offered a factory Ducati, Honda or Yamaha. He will only move if he's got a chance of winning races and won't move for just any bike. He's had his fill of making up the numbers and understands that winning races and titles on the Kawasaki is a lot better than being a grid filler.

What are the chances of walking into a factory ride with no previous with that manufacturer?
Are there any rumblings of him going or teams sniffing around for him?

CJhaughey · 20-04-2016 7:18pm

funkey_monkey wrote: »

What are the chances of walking into a factory ride with no previous with that manufacturer?
Are there any rumblings of him going or teams sniffing around for him?

He had a wildcard a couple of years ago, I think it was Pedrosa that was out injured or another Honda rider.
He did OK, for a wildcard on Bridgestones but the chances of him getting a proper Factory ride are pretty slim, I think he's much better off winning on the Kawasaki than having to be a midpack rider on satellite machinery in MotoGP.

I think JR figured out that the old Fireblade wasn't due an update any time soon and he just jumped on to a competitive bike and title was within his grasp.
All the years of making do with an old nail sharpened him up I think.

funkey_monkey · 20-04-2016 7:41pm

Yeah, but are the days of WSB riders walking into top MGP rides not gone now? If he wants to make the switch surely he would have to go next year. Would you want to be in MGP when with the best will in the world he is not at the level of MM, JL, etc? Is fighting for 4th - 6th a better position than winning WSB races and challenging for the title there?
Better to have tried and failed

CJhaughey · 21-04-2016 7:03am

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Yeah, but are the days of WSB riders walking into top MGP rides not gone now? If he wants to make the switch surely he would have to go next year. Would you want to be in MGP when with the best will in the world he is not at the level of MM, JL, etc? Is fighting for 4th - 6th a better position than winning WSB races and challenging for the title there?
Better to have tried and failed

The point is that if you are not on a factory Yamaha, Honda or Ducati in GP then you will find it hard to podium, maybe in an odd race where there is rain or unforeseen events but generally if you are not on one of the Factory machines you haven't got much hope.
Look at Suzuki, they are much closer than they were last season but they still haven't got any Podium points.
So who would JR go to? Kawasaki don't have a GP team any longer, Honda, Yamaha and Ducati all have enough talent and they will be looking at younger riders.
Possibly Suzuki would be the only factory team looking for a rider next season if Vinales goes to Yamaha with Rossi.

Max Headroom · 30-04-2016 8:19pm

Very boring race today...i can remember years ago when Imola brought some cracking close races.....

Race 2....meh!!!

Donne · 01-05-2016 1:30pm

What channel is MotoGP & Superbikes on?

CJhaughey · 01-05-2016 7:58pm

Donne wrote: »

What channel is MotoGP & Superbikes on?

WSBK is on Eurosport, MotoGP is on BT Sport

Max Headroom · 01-05-2016 8:44pm

You can catchup on motogp on itv4 on Monday night after the races..

frostie500 · 02-05-2016 3:41pm

Donne wrote: »

What channel is MotoGP & Superbikes on?

Eurosport shows the races live, ITV4 has highlights on a Tuesday night or you can get the video pass from WorldSBK.com....I'm slightly biased but get the videopass

frostie500 · 02-05-2016 3:43pm

Just back home now but it was actually an interesting weekend in Imola. Definitely wasn't classic racing but it was an important weekend and showed how strong Davies and Ducati can be. In Aragon we saw similar dominance from them but the weather in Assen masked their potential. Imola again showed how good that package is and I think that Chaz can go to Sepang and win both races again. The title gap is 35 points but the gap between Davies and Rea is much closer than this year. The Kawasaki isn't faultless like 12 months ago so the next four meetings (Sepang, Donington, Misano and Laguna) are going to be where the championship is won or lost

funkey_monkey · 02-05-2016 6:24pm

As this is a new kawasaki when are they due their first upgrade or is it continuous evolution?

frostie500 · 02-05-2016 7:16pm

funkey_monkey wrote: »

As this is a new kawasaki when are they due their first upgrade or is it continuous evolution?

They've had a few upgrades already. The problem for JR at the moment is that the bike is very different to last years machine. The biggest change is the crankshafts and the engine internals which have reduced mass considerably and changed the inertia. Over the winter we heard a lot of talk about "low inertia engines" and this basically changed how the engine worked and the feedback it offered. Now the engine inertia is tuneable like the rest of the machine but Rea and Pere Riba (his crew chief) have had some issues getting the most from it. The engine braking has been the biggest issue for Rea but there's been other problems too. The bike is fast, it's won six races, but it's not got as wide an operating window as what the 2015 spec bike had. That window will get bigger with time and experience but for now it's proving a challenge.
Most of the upgrades have centred on the electronics and it was interesting that Rea was testing them and Sykes wasn't. When I asked Jonathan about this he said "It's normal for me to do the test and then Tom will take them once they've been proven as being better." When I asked Rea if doing the grunt work only for Sykes to take advantage of it annoyed him he said "Not really...I just want the package as good as I can make it."

CJhaughey · 03-05-2016 9:33am

frostie500 wrote: »

Most of the upgrades have centred on the electronics and it was interesting that Rea was testing them and Sykes wasn't. When I asked Jonathan about this he said "It's normal for me to do the test and then Tom will take them once they've been proven as being better." When I asked Rea if doing the grunt work only for Sykes to take advantage of it annoyed him he said "Not really...I just want the package as good as I can make it."

Its funny that the current ZX10R was largely developed around feedback from Sykes, now JR is lead rider and having to develop the bike to suit himself.
I suspect the new testing regime with Scott Smart has forced the manufacturers to make machines that conform to the regulations a lot more than previously and this might have affected Sykes more than Rea.
Nice to see the Panigale doing so well with Chaz, its good to see more than one bike capable of winning consistently.
The Yamaha is a source of mystery to me, how can a Suzuka winning, BSB winning machine suddenly become a wheel spinning mediocre machine in the hands of Lowes and Guintoli? Guintoli's highside must affect his confidence in that machine.
Is it just that Crescent doesn't have the knowledge with Yamaha or something else?
I know they are very different specs but SMR did a great development job in BSB with the same bike and Brookes went very well on it.

Max Headroom · 03-05-2016 6:08pm

Brilliant days racing yesterday...some incredible riding in the crappy conditions...decent results for Jack Kennedy....bring on the rain..:)

funkey_monkey · 16-05-2016 10:53pm

NW200 on BBC1 NI now

Max Headroom · 22-05-2016 9:27pm

funkey_monkey wrote: »

NW200 on BBC1 NI now

Poor Malachi...very sad face...:(

Max Headroom · 30-05-2016 1:02pm

Yawnfest at donnington yesterday...:(

CJhaughey · 18-09-2016 10:30pm

Great to see the season kicking off again after a 2 mth break. Far too long in my opinion not just for riders but also sponsors.
Laustzring was the track this time and over the weekend there was plenty of crashes and spills.
Race one on the Saturday saw Rea with a very strange crash where he claimed he had a false neutral but the engine appeared to cut from the onboard video.
he kicked it down a gear or two and the bike locked the rear wheel pitching him down the track and into the gravel. He remounted and tried to continue but the next corner saw him run on again and he pulled out.
Davies gave a masterclass on the Ducati winning with a very margin of 10.5 seconds to Sykes
Sykes went on to take 2nd and close the gap to 26 points to Rea.
Third went to Hayden a second behind Sykes.

Race two started with a heavy shower and as the grid formed the start was delayed and the race was dropped to twenty laps.
The quick start procedure was called and the riders formed up again for the warm up lap, when this was completed a number of riders held their hands up and the start was delayed while the riders met Race direction.
There followed a track assessment and the decision was made to reopen pitlane at 1340 following the quick start procedure again and the race was further reduced to 16 laps.
1345 the race started again and Sykes took the holeshot with Davies following closely, Rea was third and managed to quickly pass Davies for second
Then Sykes managed to crash at the same place that Rea crashed yesterday and remounted his not too badly damaged machine but lost a lot of places and time.
There was then a crashfest with a large number of riders falling, Savadori, Giugliano, West, Lowes, Szkopek and Torres all fell victim to the slippery and bumpy track. The most spectacular crash and remount award went to Van de Mark with his bike doing a full barrel roll and landing on its tank and losing the screen in the process incredibly he remounted what looked like a mobile scrapheap and went on to finish an incredible eighth place.
Rea finished over nine seconds ahead of De Angelis who seems to have made a great recovery after his injury and thirteen seconds ahead of third place finisher Forés on a Ducati.

Wet races are usually interesting and this was no exception.
The Lausitzring was unusually poor for a WSBK track and the varying track conditions in the different sectors seemed to hamper setup for most teams with no recent data to rely on.

legrand · 19-09-2016 8:53am

^^^
Michael van der Mark's bike ... says something about all that high tech and aerodynamics when this can be brought home in 8th position :pac:

https://www.racesport.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_8480-1024x768.jpg

World Superbikes 2016

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