Biaggi

[lemondrop]

Honestly....would that old fart be any competition in WSBK if he wasnt on that freakin ape. He ran T1 wide so many times last weekend, I thought he was trying to make his way to new zealand. Then he just pushes the turbo button outta T12 and BOOM! back into 2nd. If he takes it again this year, I am switching my viewing time to curling.

 

[Bubba Zanetti]

LMAO!

Well lemon, at least when Spies showed up and took the WSBK season Biaggi seemed to laugh at it all. That was not the reaction I thought he'd have; he has matured a tiny, tiny bit which I never thought he would do. I figured he would stay such an extreme tool his career would go nowhere.

BZ

 

[trickyricky]

I think that you are seeing too much into it, you don't get to ride into that "advanced" age by being dumb. Well, you shouldn't.....
Running wide in that turn is relative, look at how he could adjust his line to protect from a Melandri pass. Not to mention that he just came from catching his hair on fire on the short straight.

Granted, every once in a while those two have some colossal mental farts, but I think that Biaggi can get it done. It can't hurt that the Aprillia seems to be running a V-8 under the fairings.....

 

[betarace]

As much as I hate to say it, I dislike Biaggi less this year. his post race interviews were gentlemanly and he didn't blame the bike and team for coming in second as usual.

My disdain for Lorenzo and Pedrosa grows by the minute however

 

[trickyricky]

Biaggi is almost likeable, maybe since he became a father, he decided to go with a different approach.

Lorenzo comes across like a punk, Pedrosa is my boy though, a lot of folks don't care for his riding, and it frustrates me how easily he seems to give up, but is his ass not mine....

 

[Motofun352]

I actually don't mind that those guys are head cases. I kinda enjoy when Max would pop off. Sometimes you even got the truth! I really hate the meally mouthed "I'd like to thank my team and sponsors" interviews that you usually get. Come-on, throw a punch once in a while...you know you want to!

 

[speedfree]

He wouldn't be World Champion, no matter what bike, if he didn't have a serious skillset. Don't hate, Jon, just because you'll never ride at that level...none of us are likely to

 

[warregl]

lemondrop;174878 wrote: ...He ran T1 wide so many times last weekend, I thought he was trying to make his way to new zealand...
:haha: I laughed out loud at that one!

I have to admit I'm with you on this one Lemondrop. It looks like Aprilia pulled a Steinbrenner, spent the money, and came home with a championship.

speedfree;174904 wrote: He wouldn't be World Champion, no matter what bike, if he didn't have a serious skillset...

And I would never argue with you on this either but that said, every sport needs a Black Hat and Biaggi's been mine since his MotoGP days so this year I get to pull for anyone who has a chance of taking away that #1 plate!

No hard feeling Max.

 

[Saltman]

I'm hoping Rea can pull it out this year. I'm glad Biaggi finally got his championship. Too bad he couldn't do it in MotoGP. A little guy named Rossi was just too good to let him have it. But after several manufacturers, he now has a WSBK title. Ok, now it's time for someone else to have it. It's eluded Haga for many years. Spies took it away from him and now it just seems like he hasn't been able to ride the same dominate front-runner pace since.

If Rea can keep the shiny side up and not run off or go wide on turns like he has the tendency to do, he should be a front-runner... Especially at the next race - Donington Park.

 

[jcrich]

lemondrop;174878 wrote: Honestly....would that old fart be any competition in WSBK if he wasnt on that freakin ape. He ran T1 wide so many times last weekend, I thought he was trying to make his way to new zealand. Then he just pushes the turbo button outta T12 and BOOM! back into 2nd. If he takes it again this year, I am switching my viewing time to curling.

Turn 1 isn't they only turn there.
He seemed to be rolling through the remaining turns pretty well.

 

[daddyfriedrich]

Um, hope not to piss off too many people, but I've worked with folks from "the big boot". It is in their nature, it seems, to flaunt what they got and not apologize for speaking their minds. Max fought his way back from 5th over guys who are no "B" group riders. As for equipment, aren't they all running under the same rules?

 

[vinny337]

Biaggi is just getting warmed up. I sure hope Haga can win atleast one championship before he retires...

 

[Lean.In.]

It was stated multiple times throughout the race that there was more than one line through T1. One goes quick inside and hugs the rumble strip, the other goes out wider. He made the wide line work. He got passed at Honda almost as much as he did at T1 by Melandri, but M couldnt hold on after T12.

 

[mattf]

I wasn't a Biaggi fan when he was in GP's....they made him out to be the villain, and it seemed to me like that made sense.

Ya know, since he's been in WSBk, I've come to like him more and more. I still think that he can be a little fussy and prissy at times, but to be honest he's seemed to mellow (he comes off much differently in interviews anymore) and he seems to be enjoying it more. No doubt he can ride a bike....and I think that the Priller just seems to suit his riding style.

Whatever the case, WSBK is way more entertaining to me than MotoGP. Take Edwards, Hayden, Spies (and maybe Rossi too, just for good measure) and toss them into WSBK? MotoGP could close up shop altogether as far as I was concerned.

 

[lemondrop]

OK...though i was using the T1 as a general aspect, Melandri was on his ace by T2, passed midway through the circuit, and by T12, Biaggi was hitting the boosters.

I did notice a more gentleman likeness from the press conference. Maybe bangin' a hot wife and having a child has settled him down a bit.


And lets face, Fred, no where was I comparing him to me. just pointing out what seems obvious, that in WSBK, it is the bike that matters. Granted Biaggi has a good defense, but I still think Haslem and Melandri would have been able to pass him if it werent for that rocket ship he rides on.

 

[tiggen]

lemondrop;175091 wrote:
just pointing out what seems obvious, that in WSBK, it is the bike that matters.

In what racing does the equipment not matter? And how does having a good bike make you a less good rider?

Is this a slight on Biaggi and WSBK?:notsure:

 

[sharky nrk]

I don't have anything against Biaggi or his riding. I would like to see Rea make it happen and take it away from him though.

 

[tiggen]

sharky nrk;175154 wrote: I don't have anything against Biaggi or his riding. I would like to see Rea make it happen and take it away from him though.

Agreed! HONDA FTW!!

 

[hank]

warregl;174905 wrote: It looks like Aprilia pulled a Steinbrenner, spent the money, and came home with a championship.

Aprilia's total racing budget is probably a rounding error to the budgets for Honda or Yamaha.... They do however, have outstanding experience building championship winning bikes as evidenced in the 125 and 250 GP and now the WSBK classes.

Why is it so hard for people (who have never owned one) to understand that Aprilia simply makes an outstanding machine?

 

[mattf]

hank;175202 wrote: Aprilia's total racing budget is probably a rounding error to the budgets for Honda or Yamaha.... They do however, have outstanding experience building championship winning bikes as evidenced in the 125 and 250 GP and now the WSBK classes.

Why is it so hard for people (who have never owned one) to understand that Aprilia simply makes an outstanding machine?

^ This

Honda could probably shake the equivalent of Aprilia's racing budget out of their corporate couch cushions.

And I think that in WSBK it's actually LESS about the bike and MORE about the rider than most of the racing series out there. See how many different brands of bikes are fighting at the front on any given day?