Estoril MotoGP

 1. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Yamaha), Michelin, 28 laps, 117 km, 45 minutes,
53.089 seconds
2. Dani Pedrosa, Spain (Honda), Michelin, -1.817 seconds
3. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), Bridgestone, -12.723
4. Colin Edwards, USA (Yamaha), Michelin, -17.223
5. John Hopkins, USA (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, -23.752
6. Casey Stoner, Australia (Ducati), Bridgestone, -26.688
7. James Toseland, Great Britain (Yamaha), Michelin, -32.631
8. Chris Vermeulen, Australia (Suzuki), Bridgestone, -36.382
9. Lori Capirossi, Italy (Suzuki), Bridgestone, -38.268
10. Shinya Nakano, Japan (Honda), Bridgestone, -39.476
11. Alex de Angelis, San Marino (Honda), Bridgestone, -61.306
12. Toni Elias, Spain (Ducati), Bridgestone, -63.867
13. Marco Melandri, Italy (Ducati), Bridgestone, -69.525
14. Sylvain Guintoli, France (Ducati), Bridgestone, -69.634
15. Randy de Puniet, France (Honda), Michelin, -71.542
16. Anthony West, Australia (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, -83.629
17. Nicky Hayden, USA (Honda), Michelin, -12 laps, DNF, crash
18. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Honda), Michelin, -13 laps, DNF, crash

Lorenzo seems to have gotten over his tension problem and delivered on
practice race pace. Start was timed with the arrival of very light rain,
but that wasn't enough to have much obvious impact. Lap times were slow
ealy one, the fast guys in the 38s after the first couple laps until
Hayden did a 37 on lap 8; Lorenzo did his first one on lap 12 but had 15
37s in the last 17 laps, his 2nd-fastest on the last lap (he was not
under real fire then). Rossi took the lead early but lost it to Lorenzo
when he wicked it up on lap 12, then faded almost immediately after
being passed by Pedrosa three laps later. The Rat pulled out on Dani by
a tenth or two each lap until it reached about 2 seconds, then managed
the lead at 1.5 to 2.

Hopkins got a great start and hung just behind the four leaders
(including Dovizioso) until he started his fade and was passed by
Edwards and Hayden, who quickly also got by Colin. Nicky crashed pushing
to reel in the leaders, after apparently getting caught out by the rain
at the start and not pushing hard enough in the first couple laps. Oddly
his crash happened the lap after seeing Dovizioso go out in front of him
for the same reason. By the end of the race Hopkins was 24 seconds back,
having never gotten below a 38.2 he did early in the race. But definite
progress. Edwards finished 4.5 seconds behind Rossi but 17 back of
Lorenzo, and Toseland was 33 seconds back in 7th, the last of the
best-so-far Yamahas.

So which is worse, finishing 6th but 27 seconds back, or 11th after
going off the track twice? Stoner's was never any factor at all,
although his best lap was a 37.972 late in the race, which was best
Bridgestone by a margin of .003 over Rossi's. Suzuki's best was Chris
V's 38.75, and Melandri's best was a dog-slow 39.4. The Spanish Flies
both did 37.4s, then it was back to Hayden's 37.8 and Stoner; Dovi on
Michelins also got into the 37s but by the smallest of margins, a
37.985, while Colin topped out at 38.083. In any case, Casey ultimately
had the speed to hang at the front for half the race, but didn't turn
even a 38 until lap 11 and by then was in 11th and 14 seconds down.
Too-hard tire choice? No confidence in the front in somewhat dodgy
conditions? Something else? He needs at least a podium in China in the
worst way.

And on the rider weight front, this year's winners hold steady at 120
pounds, 12 pounds below last year's record low, while podium finishers
slip ever so slightly to 125 pounds (I really need to calculate what
that was last year, so we can track that as well!). Too bad Dovi crashed
out, because had he beaten Rossi for 3rd we would have had a new record
podium low, beating Qatar's and as low as it can get, given those are
the three lightest riders on the grid. And the numbers will go up once
we hit some Bridgestone tracks - a Stoner-Rossi-Hopkins podium like last
year in China, very possible, would weigh in at an average of 145 pounds...

 the '08 RC211 still looks like a frickin pocket-bike when ridden by a
non-lilliputian!

http://pix.crash.net/motorsport/view/427975.jpg

 On Apr 14, 6:44 am, wamann...@email.com wrote:

Have you gone to a showroom to check out Honda's latest Fireblade in
the flesh? Being 6'1, there is no way on the planet I could go for
one. More comfy than an R1, but still. They're making them tiny for
the road as well, that weight and mass centralization leads to it.

And I don't think it's a misguided. The 1000cc sportsbikes are
supposed to be an extreme expression. People don't buy Lotus Elises as
daily drivers.

Interstingly, they were showing a lot of MX and Supermoto in ESPN over
the weekend, and the commentators were mentioning that all the younger
guys getting into the sport in the US seem to average 140lbs these
days. So it is a global trend. Fair? No. But it happens in sports as
they mature and become more and more competitive. It's not like people
that are 5ft can dream about playing in the NBA, no matter how gifted
they are with the ball.

Motorcycling has never, ever been a sport that favored rider size
anyhow.

 
Mass centralization does not have to affect the relationship between
the seat, bars and foot pegs.  It can be done by moving the engine,
radiator, battery and other components closer too the center of mass.
If they want to limit the market for their bikes by making them too
small for the average person I guess that's their business.  I know
that at 6' 3" I'm not going to buy a bike built for someone 5' 3".

 
You are woefully wrong in that, and I speak as an engineer rather than
a passionate motorcycle rider for nearly 30 years. As a motorcycle
engineer, if I was designing the bike that was to get the baddest
reviews around, I would design it to be a light, compact package. In
which case light, compact riders would have a natural advantage. And I
know because I raced 125cc two strokes as a teenager.

Note I am not saying at all you *have* to be wrong, commercially
speaking. I just think we're going through a pendulum swing that goes
that way. The corporate world isn't that smart all in all: it keeps
catering to teenager audiences even though baby boomer have the
disposable incomes, and in motorcycling it goes towards an ever less
rideable top performance value proposition.

I am not saying I enjoy smaller rider holding an advantage, just that
is hypocritical to try to swing the pendulum now without looking at
the history that brought us here. Roberts Sr was a midget in the late
80s 500 rooster, and no one complained or claimed an unfair advantage.
Nor did anyone when Mamola (who I still regard as the most brilliant
rider to never win the world championship) came along.

I just think that given motorcycle natural physics it is natural that
eventually small guys win out, provided they bring equal riding skills
to the table.

...pablo