MotoGP 2014 News & Chat

Max Headroom

frostie500 wrote: »

Great news for Eugene, really excited to see him into MotoGP next year and (hopefully) on a decent bike. Having a teammate like Hayden is great as well because it gives him a known yardstick to measure himself against

After his abismal weekend in WSBK...dont think he'll be bothering many at the sharp end....

CJhaughey

Max Headroom wrote: »

After his abismal weekend in WSBK...dont think he'll be bothering many at the sharp end....

Not many finishers in Magny Cours.
Weather was atrocious and the track needs resurfacing, it looked very slippery.
I don't think that he is that bad a rider, he goes well on the right machinery.
On that Aprilia he was very quick he had a good few mechanicals as well which cost him a lot of points as well.
If you were to start in MotoGP, a customer RCV is a good place to be starting from and a team like Aspar is a good outfit.
Both much better prospects than the PBM that his brother is pedaling around.

frostie500

CJhaughey wrote: »

Not many finishers in Magny Cours.
Weather was atrocious and the track needs resurfacing, it looked very slippery.
I don't think that he is that bad a rider, he goes well on the right machinery.
On that Aprilia he was very quick he had a good few mechanicals as well which cost him a lot of points as well.
If you were to start in MotoGP, a customer RCV is a good place to be starting from and a team like Aspar is a good outfit.
Both much better prospects than the PBM that his brother is pedaling around.

Definitely agree, last weekend isn't a fair indication of what Eugene's potential is just a snapshot of one of the few bad weekends out of 51 in WSBK. Armed with a good bike (Yamaha and Aprilia) he's been able to win races and challenge his teammates (Melandri and Biaggi) and show that he's one of the quickest riders in the paddock. Next year isn't going to be easy, it never is for a SBK rider adapting to MotoGP, but if he learns and makes progress for year two than thats the main thing.

CJhaughey

frostie500 wrote: »

Definitely agree, last weekend isn't a fair indication of what Eugene's potential is just a snapshot of one of the few bad weekends out of 51 in WSBK. Armed with a good bike (Yamaha and Aprilia) he's been able to win races and challenge his teammates (Melandri and Biaggi) and show that he's one of the quickest riders in the paddock. Next year isn't going to be easy, it never is for a SBK rider adapting to MotoGP, but if he learns and makes progress for year two than thats the main thing.

Agreed, come 2016 everyone will be on Michelin as well so it will be a learning curve for the whole field not just the new guys in the paddock.
Thats one of the biggest things in SBK vs GP that the riders consistently mention as a big difference.

CJhaughey

Randy De Puniet to Suzuki... Not MotoGP but Crescent Suzuki WSBK.

Grim.

one of the best moto3/125 races i've seen, incredible

h3000

Grim. wrote: »

one of the best moto3/125 races i've seen, incredible

What an awesome weekend of motorbike racing. I think my heart stopped a few times

Gremlinertia

Work meant i missed it all. Gutted..

h3000

If anyone has access to view MotoGP testing. Both the Marquez brothers are out on the #93 factory Honda's. Really is kind of cool.

Grim.

h3000 wrote: »

If anyone has access to view MotoGP testing. Both the Marquez brothers are out on the #93 factory Honda's. Really is kind of cool.

only the extra 200+ hp for alex to get used to, with a hangover

h3000

Grim. wrote: »

only the extra 200+ hp for alex to get used to, with a hangover

Probably a bit of a shock to the system alright. I taught it was excellent watching them both out on the bikes.

Hotblack Desiato

My videopass expires tonight

No possibility of 2015 MotoGP being on a free to air channel, is there?

h3000

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

My videopass expires tonight

No possibility of 2015 MotoGP being on a free to air channel, is there?

I think ITV have a highlight show but other than that your out of luck. BTSport have a 5 year deal iirc.

Btw I was very impressed with the BT coverage this season. It got off to a bit of a slow start but with some personnel change it picked up. MotoGP Tonight can be very good too. They could do with a few more feature slots in race buildup (rider or tech focussed) I think they might do a better job next year too.

Hotblack Desiato

I might as well renew the videopass then. The coverage is very good.

Scotty #

I went to Aragon this year and as bonus when you buy the tickets online you get 4 days videopass after the race. I was impressed with it and will be getting the full multiscreen subscription for next year.

I think it's a really bad move by sporting organisations to sell off TV rights to subscription only channels. It cuts the audience, and hence the fan base, way down and hurts the sport in the long run. What has the Irish or UK audience been for MotoGP this year in comparison to last year I wonder? Less than 20% I would think.

legrand

I'm one of the '80%' that has not subscribed (BTsport or v-pass).
Think I might though for next season - miss it much.

Scotty #

I don't subscribe myself. Either I watch it on one of the hundreds of dodgy streams or I download it a couple of hours after the race. Videopass for me next year though.

A very interesting article on the subject here. When BBC had the rights the avg. viewership (2013) for each race was 1 million. Guess what BT Sports average is? A paltry 115K!! That's a loss of almost 90% of the fan base. That has to hurt after a couple of seasons.

Hotblack Desiato

Imagine what figures the BBC could have had without Pox'n'Carrish!

CJhaughey

Money is the problem in MotoGP, its a great sport and very telegenic compared to the walking dead that is F1, its just that Dorna haven't a clue about how to run a profitable business.
Because at the end of the day thats what racing is, a business.
Sell off the TV rights to BT for a few million but the sponsors that are stuck with no viewing figures are going to get annoyed at the lack of visibility.
Promoted correctly, MotoGP should be a huge business, as it is its just limping along selling itself too cheaply.

Infoanon

CJhaughey wrote: »

Money is the problem in MotoGP, its a great sport and very telegenic compared to the walking dead that is F1, its just that Dorna haven't a clue about how to run a profitable business.
Because at the end of the day thats what racing is, a business.
Sell off the TV rights to BT for a few million but the sponsors that are stuck with no viewing figures are going to get annoyed at the lack of visibility.
Promoted correctly, MotoGP should be a huge business, as it is its just limping along selling itself too cheaply.

On the other hand Dorna have full grids for Moto GP, Moto 2 & 3, good attendance at races - sell out in Germany, something F1 can only dream about, and factory teams returning to the sport.

It tried the FTA route and has now decided to go down the pay tv route with their own pay option - there are positives and negatives to this but its certainly not a sport 'limping' around.

Hotblack Desiato

Most of the sponsors are Spanish or Italian and couldn't give a rat's ass about viewing figures in the UK.

CJhaughey

Infoanon wrote: »

On the other hand Dorna have full grids for Moto GP, Moto 2 & 3, good attendance at races - sell out in Germany, something F1 can only dream about, and factory teams returning to the sport.

It tried the FTA route and has now decided to go down the pay tv route with their own pay option - there are positives and negatives to this but its certainly not a sport 'limping' around.

It is most certainly limping around,Moto2 and Moto3 grids may be full but they are full of teams that require the riders to bring money to race.
Remember the Camel, Marlboro and Rothmans branded bikes?
Once Tobacco left the sport, the teams were left high and dry without any big money sponsorship.
All the talk in the last few years has been about cost cutting not generating money.
I remember an interview with Livio Suppo who claimed that the potential of the sport was being undermined by the continual cost cutting measures, his point was that the Sport should be growing itself not shrinking itself.

If you think the sport is being adequately publicised ask yourself this.
When was the last time you heard any result from MotoGP on a mainstream media source?
I hear F1 results all the time, MotoGP never, not even the Marquez brothers double WC.
This is the problem, if marketed correctly the series would get stronger and stronger instead its focused on making itself the pauper of motorsport.

F1 makes more profit than MotoGP's entire annual turnover.

Infoanon

CJhaughey wrote: »

It is most certainly limping around,Moto2 and Moto3 grids may be full but they are full of teams that require the riders to bring money to race.
All the talk in the last few years has been about cost cutting not generating money.
I remember an interview with Livio Suppo who claimed that the potential of the sport was being undermined by the continual cost cutting measures, his point was that the Sport should be growing itself not shrinking itself.

When was the last time you heard any result from MotoGP on a mainstream media source?
r.

Cost cutting has clearly been the way forward, Suzuki and Aprilla have returned to the fray and KTM shall enter in 2016, if you are in any doubt about the importance of cost cutting look at the mess F1 is in.

Media coverage - Moto GP is front page news in Italy, Spain, Germany - coverage is rare in Ireland but F1 doesn't get a lot of coverage in Ireland either, Nascar is front page in America but is never mentioned in Europe - what makes Moto GP different is that they try to place riders with different nationalities eg Harnadez and Baz.

Pay ridersin Moto 2 and 3, was it ever any different ?

Moto GP, like all sports, has room for improvement, but it is certainly in a better place then many other motor sports and has a clear long term plan, unlike F1.

Infoanon

CJhaughey wrote: »

It is most certainly limping around,Moto2 and Moto3 grids may be full but they are full of teams that require the riders to bring money to race.
All the talk in the last few years has been about cost cutting not generating money.
I remember an interview with Livio Suppo who claimed that the potential of the sport was being undermined by the continual cost cutting measures, his point was that the Sport should be growing itself not shrinking itself.

When was the last time you heard any result from MotoGP on a mainstream media source?
r.

Cost cutting has clearly been the way forward, Suzuki and Aprilla have returned to the fray and KTM shall enter in 2016, if you are in any doubt about the importance of cost cutting look at the mess F1 is in.

Media coverage - Moto GP is front page news in Italy, Spain, Germany - coverage is rare in Ireland but F1 doesn't get a lot of coverage in Ireland either, Nascar is front page in America but is never mentioned in Europe - what makes Moto GP different is that they try to place riders with different nationalities eg Harnadez and Baz.

Pay ridersin Moto 2 and 3, was it ever any different ?

Moto GP, like all sports, has room for improvement, but it is certainly in a better place then many other motor sports and has a clear long term plan, unlike F1.

h3000

Live CEV Moto3 Valencia now on ESPN

Hotblack Desiato

I started a 2015 thread here.

Last 2 hours of the 99cent off-season Videopass offer until midnight, on motogp.com...

frostie500

For anyone interested in something special for Christmas I have a few signed prints from the likes of Crutchlow, Bradl, Redding, Smith, Lowes, Michael and Eugene Laverty for sale. Just drop me a PM if you're interested.

RezwoK

RezwoK wrote: »

Good point, yet I still feel Ducati will struggle again this year. Bad moove by Cal Crutchlow

As I said; Bad move by Cal....

legrand

what happen to the post dates? Before today last post Dec 14?

pablo128

It's the 2014 thread, that's why.;)