Toseland's reward from Honda - A MotoGP test

[FourWheelDrift]

For staying with Honda for the 2007 WSBK season James Toseland was given a test on Dani Pedrosa's RC211V at Valencia. On race tyres he ended up just 1sec off Nicky Haydon race best on Sunday. Impressive.

Crash.net said:

2006 World Superbike championship runner-up, James Toseland, has been rewarded for staying with Honda next season with a ride on Dani Pedrosa's factory Honda MotoGP machine.

The Briton completed a brief test on the Repsol liveried machine at Valencia, watched by Ten Kate Honda boss Ronald Ten Kate, where he set an impressive best lap time of 1min 34.0secs. The fastest RCV lap in Sunday's season ending Valencian Grand Prix was a 1min 32.976secs set by Nicky Hayden, on his way to winning the world championship.

Toseland turned down the chance to race in MotoGP next season, by declining an offer from the Pramac d'Antin team to ride a Ducati GP7 on Bridgestone tyres. The Briton now aims to win his second WSBK crown in 2007 and then switch to MotoGP, with Honda, the following season.

[F.M]

Now that was an impressive time IMO...Tosland is definitly in the top 5 british riders ATM and his work ethic is second to none...I loved the final round in France this year..a stonking battle...

Edited by F.M on Thursday 2nd November 10:23

[pvapour]

he stands no chance in Moto GP IMO, Baylis was and is twice the rider and he could'nt cut it, but I guess the Ducati is an inferrior machine, well, until this Sunday that is

I like Toseland but he seems distracted and a bit of a spoilt rich kid.....

[shot2bits]

This is great, should make for some entertaining watching when he finally joins... I like Toseland, he likes his women, music and bikes and he's British - excellent combination!

Anybody know what James Ellison's problem is - feel sorry for him, his performance has been really bad this year...

[robbo1]

Ellison has been complaining all year that the equipment isn't up to scratch. Apparently his bike is inferior to team mate Checa's, never mind the works bikes.
Strange how only Rossi has been able to make the Yamaha competitive this year. Colin Edwards hasn't exactly set the world alight on his.....

[butchgti]

Wasn't Ellison riding the old Yamaha that nobody, not even Rossi could get on with? Lots of vibrations if i remember correctly. It doesn't sound like he was given much of a break.

[FourWheelDrift]

butchgti said:

Wasn't Ellison riding the old Yamaha that nobody, not even Rossi could get on with? Lots of vibrations if i remember correctly. It doesn't sound like he was given much of a break.

Yes he was riding the old chassis, team mate Checa was on the same chassis Edwards and Rossi had.

As for Bayliss the first development year was good, 2nd year the Ducati went off the boil and wasn't very good and he injured himself in the Pons Honda so he never gave a good account of himself. The performance last Sunday is the performance he could have given previously if he had the bike to do so. On that basis I think Toseland would do very well on a Honda.

[Andy Oh]

Didn't Edwards finally get the same spec M1 as Rossi for Estoril & Valencia and that's why he was suddenly further up the grid

I think Toseland has shown us what he can do this year. He's ridden very well and inpressed the Ten Kate squad this year and looks like he could be right up there for 2007.

Edited by Andy Oh on Thursday 2nd November 12:26

[FourWheelDrift]

Andy Oh said:

Didn't Edwards finally get the same spec M1 as Rossi for Estoril & Valencia and that's why he was suddenly further up the grid

Edwards didn't get on with the new chassis when Rossi first got it and used it, but changed to the new one after Mugello.