@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

EvilTw1n

@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social

Gaming, tunes, motorcycle racing. Occasionally wrong about the big issues of our time.

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motomatters, to MotoGP
@motomatters@masto.ai avatar

Where are we with the MotoGP rider market? Absolutely all over the place. Martin to Ducati? KTM? Aprilia? Marquez to Pramac? KTM? Bastianini to Yamaha or Aprilia? Pramac to stick with Ducati? Luca Marini and Joan Mir to Trackhouse Aprilia?

MotoGP is off on one

#MotoGP

https://motomatters.com/analysis/2024/05/19/motogp_rider_market_round_up_that_s_why.html

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters Is there ink already on paper for VR46 and Ducati? I keep reading they've turned down Yamaha, but...if Borsoi's latest is accurate and Pramac isn't going anywhere, it doesn't sound like there will be enough 2025-spec rides to go around. Yamaha's money might sound a little more enticing if you're always the Ducati bridesmaid.

motomatters, to MotoGP
@motomatters@masto.ai avatar

Pedro Acosta is 6th in practice, through to Q2, and the fastest KTM. The rookie Pedro Acosta. I cannot overstate how exceptional that is.

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters We already knew he was special. Perhaps even the next generational talent. But the massive jump from Moto2 to a bike making more than twice the horsepower, covered in wings, and frought with ride height devices, against this insanely strong field...

edvans, to motorcycles German
@edvans@metalhead.club avatar

Any opinions about a triumph sprint st 1050?
I'm close to buy One.

@motorradfahrer

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@edvans @motorradfahrer I had a Sprint ST earmarked as a bike I really, really wanted. Seemed to have it all for the budget I had. Then I went to see one in person and it was as big as a jet-ski. Heavy as heck (might've been the older 955, to be fair). Got to ride a VFR-750 soon after and even though a bit lighter, there was no hiding its girth and lack of handlebar leverage at slow speeds. Test ride if at all possible. If you know that going in, and weight is no deal breaker? You're good to go.

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@edvans @motorradfahrer Good on ya. I'm glad they let you get the ride in. You never can tell what unexpected gremlins will creep into an older bike.

badastro, to random
@badastro@mastodon.social avatar

One day, the Sun will expand into a red giant and vaporize Mercury, Venus, and Earth.

But astronomers have found what may be planets orbiting dead stars, showing that some planets can survive that fate. Words by me:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/planets-orbiting-dead-stars-foretell-the-solar-systems-far-future-fate/

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@badastro Hmm. Feasible that a gas giant's moons (possibly harboring conditions for life) could survive, as well?

motomatters, to motorcycles
@motomatters@masto.ai avatar

There are things that you do that bring you inordinate joy, far more joy than is reasonable. For me, that is riding my motorcycle. Riding a motorcycle melts away all my cares and makes me feel alive. I think I would die if I couldn't ride a motorcycle any longer

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters It was a low of 7 fahrenheit here last week, with 6 inches of snow and heavily salted roads. The wait for clear roads and reasonable temperatures ruins a mood. I'll feel lighter as soon as spring rolls around, just because I can reliably ride my motorcycle.

motomatters, to MotoGP
@motomatters@masto.ai avatar

Did the addition of sprint races to the MotoGP schedule make the MotoGP class more dangerous? With the publication of the final crash report for 2023 by Dorna, we can finally answer that question a little more definitively.

https://motomatters.com/analysis/2024/01/10/crunching_the_numbers_do_crash.html

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters
"And the danger is not necessarily coming from the sprint races themselves, but from the increased pressure on qualifying, especially in the Friday afternoon session of timed practice that decides passage to Q2."

Which can't be divorced from aero and front tire pressure, can it? If overtaking in a race were easier, less stress about qualifying in the front two rows...

motomatters, to MotoGP
@motomatters@masto.ai avatar

Outstanding video by Taylor Mackenzie on why he stopped as a professional motorcycle racer. The life of a professional athlete is mostly miserable, their ambition drives them on to punish themselves, and suck the joy out of life. Quitting is often a better option.

https://youtu.be/pfWDRGCRdYo?si=nyana-4Hg_aaQsMZ

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters Many thanks for posting, a truly penetrating dive into the cost of racing.

Do you love injuries? Rehabbing your maladies? Being sick all of the time? Not knowing what time zone you're in? Alienation from friends and loved ones? Motorbike racing might just be for you.

motomatters, to MotoGP
@motomatters@masto.ai avatar

Worst possible result. Red flag for weather conditions, 2/3rds distance not completed so you have to hang around forever until they scrap it.

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters Aaaaay, no MotoGP sprint. We've had two races today. But a sprint? Far too dangerous.

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters I was surprised they even considered racing after Moto2.

motomatters, to MotoGP
@motomatters@masto.ai avatar

Marc Marquez' move to Gresini is a really big deal. Not just because he will be on a satellite bike, but because of what it tells you about Marc Marquez, what motivates him, his current mental state, and what matters to a racer. He bared his soul, much more than expected. But you have to pay close attention to exactly what he said.

#MotoGP #Mandalika #MM93 #Ducati #Honda

https://motomatters.com/analysis/2023/10/12/mandalika_motogp_thursday_round_up_a.html

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters Intriguing analysis, as always. I do think there is some recency bias here on the switch, though. Rossi moving to a lost Yamaha team (and upsetting what could've been a full decade of Honda dominance) was a far bigger deal than Marquez going to Ducati. This is a rich getting richer scenario that will only further bolster Ducati's dominance.

And contra MM93, him staying would have been more radical. We have a long list of champions moving to greener pastures.

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters I'd agree with MM's switch being a bigger deal in the abstract if it weren't for the particulars. VR went from the mighty HRC to a 4-stroke floundering Yam (who apparently couldn't diagnose simple problems like engine braking). MM goes to a small team, but one that is a year removed from finishing third overall with Beast, running the best bike on the grid, with the telemetry available from the fastest riders. Put this way: MM is easily the title favorite. VR only was in retrospect.

motomatters, to MotoGP
@motomatters@masto.ai avatar

New on MotoMatters.com:
MotoGP Friday Link Dump: A New Feature, Dall'Igna Speaks, Fernandez Stays, Replacing Marquez
https://motomatters.com/blog_entry/2023/10/06/motogp_friday_link_dump_a_new_feature.html

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters How on Earth is Viñales disillusioned with Aprilia? He hopped to one of the only bikes that could compete with Ducati after revving himself out of Iwata.

motomatters, to MotoGP
@motomatters@masto.ai avatar

To the surprise of no one, Luca Marini is back for another year with VR46

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@Ben @motomatters @motogp
Well, the smoke signals are rising from camp Marquez.

https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1035254/1/marc-marquez-has-made-his-mind-and-will-join-gresini-ducati-2024

motomatters, to random
@motomatters@masto.ai avatar

Excellent look at the Marc Marquez situation by Oriol Puigdemont. Marquez wants to see change and signs of progress. What will matter at the Misano test is not the bike, but the progress towards hiring more engineering talent.

https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/the-signs-suggesting-marquez-is-considering-a-honda-motogp-contract-break/10516564/

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters @Ben @motogp After hearing Dixon's post-race interview, I'd kinda like to see a character like him in the top class.

(...although I imagine talking tough to Acosta is not a long-term strategy worth pursuing.)

motomatters, to MotoGP
@motomatters@masto.ai avatar

So where are we at with all this speculation and rumour surrounding who goes where for 2024 and beyond? I've tried to summarise the feverish mood of MotoGP Silly Season here:

https://motomatters.com/news_item/2023/08/22/austria_kicks_motogp_silly_season_up_a.html

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters Maaaaaan to be a decision maker at Ducati. You've got the best bike on the grid with a rider who knows how to exploit it (being a kind of halfway point between Dovi's and Lorenzo's styles). Do you roll with that combination until the technical regs change, or try to bag MM93 to tie/surpass VR46's title total? I get the feeling they want the former.

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters I was going to reply "when would Marc beg for anything?", but he'd probably agree to subtracting years off his life for another championship.

helenczerski, to random
@helenczerski@fediscience.org avatar

The evidence that cars don’t work as primary mass transport in cities is everywhere: traffic jams, air pollution, accident rates, the shocking fraction of city space taken up by parking spaces, safety barriers/bollards etc. This 100 year experiment should be declared over, and we should put proper effort into the systems that HAVE been shown to work and scale: walking, cycling, e-cargo bikes, cheap/accessible/reliable public transport. This “argument” about LTNs is just lazy delay.

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@helenczerski
From across the pond, I'll watch this debate with interest, as the mass transit view from here is far from bright (granted, this example is between cities, but it quietly underscores the ecological, social, engineering, and political angles here).
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2023/jul/26/america-roadtrip-greyhound-bus

SmudgeTheInsultCat, to random
@SmudgeTheInsultCat@mas.to avatar
EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@SmudgeTheInsultCat I was thinking "hah, internet" but...it's real, folks.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Prepuce

"Well hon, what do you wanna do this weekend?"
"Oi, I heard they got that Christ fellow's unmentionable hood at the church. Let's make a day of it."

motomatters, to MotoGP
@motomatters@masto.ai avatar

New on MotoMatters.com:
Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 341: Bologna Rules The Sachsenring, Honda's Misery, And Ayumu Sasaki Interview
https://motomatters.com/podcast/2023/06/21/paddock_pass_podcast_episode_341_bologna.html

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters (1/3) This is excellent, as always, but it's fascinating to listen to this a few days later on, after further public comments from Jack Miller and Gigi Dall'Igna. Jack may be overly colorful, but Gigi pointed to the opposite of the perils detailed here. It isn't necessarily about ignoring rider input, it's following one rider's input over a cliff.

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters (2/3) Yamaha and Honda obviously didn't listen to Pol last year or Franco this year. But Yam gave Fabio what he asked for this year (a heavily revised engine and geometry changes to alter the bike's lines). Honda engineers wouldn't have made an angier, twitchier bike in the abstract; Marquez's style pushes them there (and I seriously doubt anyone really believes MM93 asked for a mellower package).

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters (3/3) Yes, it is the manufacturer's logo on the bike and their responsibility for what they put on the grid, but the riders* and team leads aren't exactly absolving Fabio or Marc. Their input helped changed the character of these bikes for the worse.

(And changing it back is going to be a hell of a long road with clashing cultures.)

[*Granted, some of this is paddock mind games.]

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters Of that I have no doubt. And there was obviously little communication in the Rossi/Mav-era of Yamaha. But when you have Gubellini on the record saying they were changing the M1's engine and cornering geometry, just as Fabio asked for, and Gigi (who knows a thing or two on bike development) saying that about Honda on the record...that suggests failure not being an orphan here. It has quite a few parents from laptop to track.
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/motorcycles/motogp/yamahas-2023-yzr-m1-last-chance-for-the-inline-four/

motomatters, to random
@motomatters@masto.ai avatar

New on MotoMatters.com:
Marc Marquez Withdraws From Sunday Grand Prix At The Sachsenring
https://motomatters.com/news_item/2023/06/18/marc_marquez_withdraws_from_sunday_grand.html

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters If I'm MM93, I withdraw, too.

From Honda.

EvilTw1n, to random
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

(1/2) Via BirdSite. On one hand, this is the agony and ecstasy of Bagnaia; the DNFs detract from his form on the Duc.

OTOH, this is a murderously pointless stat. Through the Italian GP in 09, Rossi's average place would have been 5th. "A low average." It's almost like riders make mistakes, even great ones, and those mistakes come much more easily with less setup time on temperamental Michelins while adding in a more reckless sprint on bikes with aero that easily overloads the front.

EvilTw1n,
@EvilTw1n@mastodon.social avatar

@motomatters (2/2) Trends get much cleaner minus those seasons. But '22 itself was an anomaly with such a huge comeback. If Pecco stays on the bike just a skosh more, his points average is pretty normal. If he has two 4th places and a 10th mixed into his five DNFs, his average haul is 14.9 a race (not prime VR/MM stuff, but in line with 92, 00, 06 winners).

The picture is less dominance up top (17 points a race gets you 3rd overall in 2012, but wins titles in 2016), but only minus apex MM.

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