Talkback: Valentino Rossi returns to Yamaha

The Rossi haters here make me laugh. Some have the odd point, but for the most part, it shows people who have watched GP for the past few years and think he's 'over rated'.

The Michelin thing is a load of balls. So he's at Yamaha, and he gets the tyres he wants? What about the Honda riders? Do you think HRC just sat back and didn't bother getting tyres shipped in after Quali to make sure they had the best shot at the race? Do you think, for one minute, that HRC didn't want an 800cc title? They spent a truckload of money trying to beat Vale and Yamaha and it didn't happen until they hired Casey, and they essentially hedged everything that year - 3 Repsol Factory bikes and a fourth factory bike with Marco aboard. Don't underestimate the resources of HRC.

The fact of the matter is, from 04-10, Yamaha simply done a better job than Honda.

I simply can't count Rossi out for next year, without doubt, I think this will be the biggest challenge he'll have. Lets face it, he's hungry, really hungry, and you've got to ask, has he learned anything new since riding that Ducati? Does anything he's learned allow him to push a Yamaha further? I'll be looking forward to seeing how well/badly Dovi does on it, and I'll be looking forward to seeing Vale smiling and riding like Vale again. I thought the last off season was difficult, but this ones going to be a long one.

Since when has the superbike family been family cars? Mick Doohan called them tractors, so family cars isnt too bad a rating. We're talking in relative terms here, and the GP bikes are the thoroughbreds, the ones made only to race, thats it. The others arent basically, they're bred from it and are based on it, but they arent pure race bikes Im sorry to say. Thats why GP is always the pinnacle, and lets hope it stays that way.

Ever since '94 its been hip for the motorcycle world to say superbikes is better than GP. It was then, true, it was just better competition, but its not now, and hasnt been for a long time.

Totally agree with pyndman. As much as a roadbike 'looks' like a racer, it's still a long way off.

Honda were stated as saying on their roadbikes (CBRs) that they base 60% of the bike for roaduse and 40% for track. They water them down, make them pass emissions and noise tests, make the engines go without a rebuild for.. well, pretty much life short of valve clearances, they allow oil changes to slip to 4000 miles, they have lights, wingmirrors, comfier seats, road based fairings, road friendly chassis... Essentially, their designed to put up with a large amount of variables - road conditions, rider ability, bad maintenance, poor weather - and still keep working.

When that base is turned into a race machine, certain parts of that engineering cannot be taken out by setup and switching parts allowed by the regulations.

GP bikes are a machine built with only the compromises deemed in the rules, and the compromise of making a bike as suitable as possible for all the tracks on the calendar. i.e. they need something that can be setup to work at a Laguna and they need something that'll work well at a Brno. The bikes only intention is going around a track with the best of the best riders, with excellent mechanics dedicated to setting up the bike to the best of it's potential.

the analysis of what makes a bike a true race bike from comment's is hilarious. Clearly comments from people that have never raced a motorcycle in their life's.

for example, Philip island - the laptop record in GP is just over a 1.30 thats on a full blown GP machine....the RCV.

The laptop resord in superbikes 1.31 on an Aprilia RSV4.

one second you are talking about when you say a homologated super bikes are like 'family cars'

ridiculous.

Vale!!! What are you doing on here??? Nice to have you along, please enlighten us oh great sage of racing!!!

:)

LMAO! Lin Jarvis welcomes his return!! Yamaha didn't even consult Jarvis - which is what you get for turning traitor and slagging off the rider who put you where you are.

Who cares if Rossi doesn't win, it just makes me feel better seeing him there. I've missed the Rossi roadshow.

As for Stoner - if just 2 titles in 6 years makes him a genius then there's hope even for me yet...! Good riddance

Pagik, you are a sad little cum gargler aren't you!