BSB / WSB grids 2023
Discussion
But only the factory bikes are that quick, probably wind tunnel work and using the right tools, showing riders how to position themselves tog et max speed.
Smart is a big miss, I would love to know if he walked of his own accord, I would imagine so as he is quite a feisty character and does not take any prisoners, I would hope it was not a (slow them down or else as t looks daft) move from from him that was met with stern oppo from Dorna as their golden boy is winning.
Smart is a big miss, I would love to know if he walked of his own accord, I would imagine so as he is quite a feisty character and does not take any prisoners, I would hope it was not a (slow them down or else as t looks daft) move from from him that was met with stern oppo from Dorna as their golden boy is winning.
Zarco said:
Interesting to see Scott Smart has been replaced in WSBK. His role setting the technical regs, and deciding how to balance the performance of the bikes, has been seen as pivotal to the great racing we have seen the last few years.
Yeah, agreed. He's made racing really good for the last few years, and was instrumental in ensuring the V2's and now 765's can race in WSS and BSB SS600 tooThere was no word on why he left, but I'd assume it was to do more with his own thing (Solo Engineering)
Domi Aegerter is super impressive. He was dominant in WSS, but to get straight on the big bike and be right up there is no mean feat. Be good to see if does well, and could well be a replacement on the factory Yamaha if Toprak ends up in GP in 24 (Which I'd love to see)
Did anyone see the social media exchanges between Bautista and Anna Carrasco, where he said there's basically no places for Amateurs in WSBK testing after he blamed her for him crashing yesterday ?
In fairness, she was circa 11seconds a lap off his times
McPhee didn't really get much up to full front runner pace either considering how many laps he did, which is a shame, as I thought he'd at least be semi decent on a 600
Did anyone see the social media exchanges between Bautista and Anna Carrasco, where he said there's basically no places for Amateurs in WSBK testing after he blamed her for him crashing yesterday ?
In fairness, she was circa 11seconds a lap off his times
McPhee didn't really get much up to full front runner pace either considering how many laps he did, which is a shame, as I thought he'd at least be semi decent on a 600
graeme4130 said:
McPhee didn't really get much up to full front runner pace either considering how many laps he did, which is a shame, as I thought he'd at least be semi decent on a 600
Didn’t he finish up 2 seconds off the fastest SSP? I’m a self professed McPhan-boy but I don’t think that’s too bad? Brand new team, brand new to the bike, not to mention it’s a Kwak. It’s not even like he can fall back on his training settings he used to use cause I think he used to train on an R1 didn’t he? He won’t be challenging for wins I don’t think, which I guess many will assume he would be. Consistent points/pushing to top 10 would be excellent IMO.
Tam_Mullen said:
graeme4130 said:
McPhee didn't really get much up to full front runner pace either considering how many laps he did, which is a shame, as I thought he'd at least be semi decent on a 600
Didn’t he finish up 2 seconds off the fastest SSP? I’m a self professed McPhan-boy but I don’t think that’s too bad? Brand new team, brand new to the bike, not to mention it’s a Kwak. It’s not even like he can fall back on his training settings he used to use cause I think he used to train on an R1 didn’t he? He won’t be challenging for wins I don’t think, which I guess many will assume he would be. Consistent points/pushing to top 10 would be excellent IMO.
snowy slopes said:
On top of which, he's going to have to learn a different style of racing, Moto3 is allabout slipstreaming and being with the pack, SSP is a whole different ball game. He'll do alright i reckon and given time, might turn out to be a good SSP/SBK rider.
Plus presumably a production-based bike will be softer and much heavier than a MOTO3 one, and the tyres might also have differences in the same direction?Tam_Mullen said:
graeme4130 said:
McPhee didn't really get much up to full front runner pace either considering how many laps he did, which is a shame, as I thought he'd at least be semi decent on a 600
Didn’t he finish up 2 seconds off the fastest SSP? I’m a self professed McPhan-boy but I don’t think that’s too bad? Brand new team, brand new to the bike, not to mention it’s a Kwak. It’s not even like he can fall back on his training settings he used to use cause I think he used to train on an R1 didn’t he? He won’t be challenging for wins I don’t think, which I guess many will assume he would be. Consistent points/pushing to top 10 would be excellent IMO.
WSS is very different to Moto3, I get that, but I was perhaps expecting him to be faster than he was.
It was just a test though, and we'll see in a few weeks at round one.
He has spent about 10 years on one type of bike, a very light underpowered machine with very specific demands.
There was a long history in the 2 stroke era of riders who could not really ride bigger bikes, Sito ons, Agel Nieto et al.
Some riderw only ever did anything on 125's Kazuto Sakata, Nobbby Ueda, Dirk Raudies.
A lot of Supersport riders hvae been nowhere near as good on Superbikes, CHarpentier, Sofuoglo, Chambon, Muggeridge, Casoli and loads more. Even in BSB Seeley, Kennedy Ben Wilson were nowhere near as good on big bikes as Supersport.
I think McPhee will fall into this category sadly. Too long on one type of bike
There was a long history in the 2 stroke era of riders who could not really ride bigger bikes, Sito ons, Agel Nieto et al.
Some riderw only ever did anything on 125's Kazuto Sakata, Nobbby Ueda, Dirk Raudies.
A lot of Supersport riders hvae been nowhere near as good on Superbikes, CHarpentier, Sofuoglo, Chambon, Muggeridge, Casoli and loads more. Even in BSB Seeley, Kennedy Ben Wilson were nowhere near as good on big bikes as Supersport.
I think McPhee will fall into this category sadly. Too long on one type of bike
graeme4130 said:
Tam_Mullen said:
graeme4130 said:
McPhee didn't really get much up to full front runner pace either considering how many laps he did, which is a shame, as I thought he'd at least be semi decent on a 600
Didn’t he finish up 2 seconds off the fastest SSP? I’m a self professed McPhan-boy but I don’t think that’s too bad? Brand new team, brand new to the bike, not to mention it’s a Kwak. It’s not even like he can fall back on his training settings he used to use cause I think he used to train on an R1 didn’t he? He won’t be challenging for wins I don’t think, which I guess many will assume he would be. Consistent points/pushing to top 10 would be excellent IMO.
WSS is very different to Moto3, I get that, but I was perhaps expecting him to be faster than he was.
It was just a test though, and we'll see in a few weeks at round one.
As I say, I’m a massive John fan, I’ve even got a rep helmet (LS2s are s
te as if anyone needed the heads up) I don’t think he will be winning races, but he should be happy with points. graeme4130 said:
Domi Aegerter is super impressive. He was dominant in WSS, but to get straight on the big bike and be right up there is no mean feat. Be good to see if does well, and could well be a replacement on the factory Yamaha if Toprak ends up in GP in 24 (Which I'd love to see)
Did anyone see the social media exchanges between Bautista and Anna Carrasco, where he said there's basically no places for Amateurs in WSBK testing after he blamed her for him crashing yesterday ?
In fairness, she was circa 11seconds a lap off his times
McPhee didn't really get much up to full front runner pace either considering how many laps he did, which is a shame, as I thought he'd at least be semi decent on a 600
I don't get what has happened to Ana - she was miles off the pace last year in Moto3 and now miles off the pace when she has been very competitive in the past. Did anyone see the social media exchanges between Bautista and Anna Carrasco, where he said there's basically no places for Amateurs in WSBK testing after he blamed her for him crashing yesterday ?
In fairness, she was circa 11seconds a lap off his times
McPhee didn't really get much up to full front runner pace either considering how many laps he did, which is a shame, as I thought he'd at least be semi decent on a 600
McPhee needs a big season imo. Spent too long in Moto3
FourGears said:
graeme4130 said:
Domi Aegerter is super impressive. He was dominant in WSS, but to get straight on the big bike and be right up there is no mean feat. Be good to see if does well, and could well be a replacement on the factory Yamaha if Toprak ends up in GP in 24 (Which I'd love to see)
Did anyone see the social media exchanges between Bautista and Anna Carrasco, where he said there's basically no places for Amateurs in WSBK testing after he blamed her for him crashing yesterday ?
In fairness, she was circa 11seconds a lap off his times
McPhee didn't really get much up to full front runner pace either considering how many laps he did, which is a shame, as I thought he'd at least be semi decent on a 600
I don't get what has happened to Ana - she was miles off the pace last year in Moto3 and now miles off the pace when she has been very competitive in the past. Did anyone see the social media exchanges between Bautista and Anna Carrasco, where he said there's basically no places for Amateurs in WSBK testing after he blamed her for him crashing yesterday ?
In fairness, she was circa 11seconds a lap off his times
McPhee didn't really get much up to full front runner pace either considering how many laps he did, which is a shame, as I thought he'd at least be semi decent on a 600
McPhee needs a big season imo. Spent too long in Moto3
In moto3, she's been quite a bit off the pace and running around outside the points. Why she was at a WSBK test on a 600 I have no idea, but Bautista obviously took objection, and it escalated pretty quickly when Ana basically accused him of being sexist, even though he post made no reference to her gender. Redding and Sykes ended up having a social media spat about it yesterday too, for some unknown reason
As much as she's not as quick as the others, she has a mass of sponsor cash behind her, and Dorna try and get her racing as having girls involved in the sport is good for TV numbers (And, subsequently, advertising revenue for them)
She's probably the best of the all the girl racers right not, but unfortunately, just not competitive at a world level in anything other than WSS300, where she admittedly, had some good runs in her last season there but was a long way off challenging for another world championship
Mr Dendrite said:
Sadly, I don’t think Ana has been the same rider since she had that crash at Estoril causing spine damage in 2020. Before that I think she was certainly good wnough to have been in SS600. Never thought moto 3 was the right move for her.
You’re probably right about the post injury form and she’s had a massive crash, which would put anyone back a few steps However, if remember rightly, she tested the wss600 quite a lot in 2019 with Kawasaki factory backing, and was miles off the pace then too
I appreciate there’s a demographic and competitor numbers ratio of men to women in the larger classes, but females just don’t seem to be able to cut it once it gets to the sort of bike that requires some muscling around
The only girl who’s ever made a real impact on bigger bikes is Jenny Tinmouth, who although didn’t do amazing with Honda in the superbike, was competitive (Ie made the quali cut) in stock 1000’s and would still be podium or winning at club level with her times
That’s me not trying to sound like a sexist, as it’s not intended like that, but facts speak for themselves and women haven’t previously been competitive at national or world level in bigger bikes than a moto3 or WSS300
A lot of your remember Taru Rinne, she was a waif like Finnish initial kart racer and damn quick too but then 125 GP rider who was very quick indeed. Her career was cut short for reasons I cannot recall.
A girl also won a 125 race a few years in BSB, Cat something was her name, but again her career fizzled out, Tinmouth for me never was a success, she got a lot of chances and never did much on big bikes, should have perhaps stayed in 600 where she was top 10 material, the jump was too much.
I can recall seeing Katja Poensgen winning Supremono races in the 90's and she was decent on a 600 and 1000, but never did anything on a GP bike sadly.
And let's be fair the two Spanish girls despite lots of chances never even looked like getting points in GP racing, but maybe they should nbot have been pushed there in the first place.
A girl also won a 125 race a few years in BSB, Cat something was her name, but again her career fizzled out, Tinmouth for me never was a success, she got a lot of chances and never did much on big bikes, should have perhaps stayed in 600 where she was top 10 material, the jump was too much.
I can recall seeing Katja Poensgen winning Supremono races in the 90's and she was decent on a 600 and 1000, but never did anything on a GP bike sadly.
And let's be fair the two Spanish girls despite lots of chances never even looked like getting points in GP racing, but maybe they should nbot have been pushed there in the first place.
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