theJrod

The 800s are around 230ish from what I've gathered.... (not that actual HP #s are ever revealed).

coder

CLAIM:

225 PS (222 hp/165 kW) @ 18,000rpm

http://www.rizla-suzuki-motogp.co.uk...ent.aspx?pg=99

E36M3K6GSXR

Ben Spies did pretty good, I like the guy I hope he does well in the race!

late apex

So you mean you then?

theJrod

Pretty good first showing, IMO.

His quickest lap was the second to last lap of the race, and at those times he was actually faster than the 5 guys in front of him.

Damn good for someone who's never ridden the bike or the track.

tokin

I would like to see him ride Leguna.

Buick_65

Leguna? Is that anywhere near Laguna??

I was hoping for a top ten out of him honestly. I would have expected Miladin to be top 15, but I expected a little more from big Ben. Not too shabby though....

tokin

It's the lego race track. Duh.

Buick_65

That might be the only track bumpier than PR...

gixer_racer

Nelson Ledges.... PR is smooth as glass in comparison!

Haus

i was kinda wondering how much the race coverage would pay attention to him. was quite a bit. pre race, several mid race shots and a post race recap. with the qualifying lap he had plus the lap time improvements during the race i'd say he has the potential to do very well at laguna. Indy even more so since none of them have laps there. well hayden has a few.....

they mentioned on the race coverage that he might race assen, anyone see any confirmation either way on that yet?


and WTF is hayden's deal? He actually fuckin passed someone finally then all the sudden he's back in like 7th. i dont get it.....i hate fuckin pedro. hayden needs to get his shit together.

E36M3K6GSXR

No, Honda needs to get their shit together and stop treating their employees like numbers.

Amorget

Watching the British telecast of the race the announcers said that there is a chance the bike started cutting fuel. The new engine SUCKS fuel, so after ~lap 7 the computer calculates if it can make the whole race in current configuration and cuts fuel accordingly.

The British telecast was kinda funny about Spies. At the end the announcers where really impressed with Spies they said they should just take the 3rd bike Suzuki has "lying around" and give it to Spies for Assen, damn the rules. I think he showed well for both Suzuki and himself.

watskooo

He will not be racing Assen, Capirossi has been confirmed.

All in all, I'd say it was a pretty successful weekend for Spies. First time on the 2008 Suzuki, first time at Donington, limited setup time b/c of the rain. I think the time on the bike will definitely benefit him for the US races. I was most impressed by his pace in the rain, as the AMA doesn't always race in the rain, so it was cool to see him adapting so well. I'd love to see him in MotoGP next year, on a decent ride.

Haus

so your with the theory that he's getting crapped on cuz pedro is their #1 thus nicky gets no attention, crap parts, and a bike thats only designed to fit pedro?

Also heard the theory that he just can't adapt well to the 800's blah blah.

I don't necessarily buy into either scenario. In my opinion he had a great setup with honda for many years in the us and gp, pedro's just being a bitch and causing problems. I wish he'd just pay him back for that take out last year and move on.

Haus

shit. well another month till....

theJrod

It's no secret that Hayden is treated like a second-rate rider by Honda.

He has had trouble adapting to the 800s, but Honda hasn't exactly been accomodating either. They developed the bike for Pedrosa, and the majority of Nicky's requests go unanswered. He finally got the engine/chassis combo he wanted, and was able to run in the top 4 for a good while before who knows what happened. If he/the bike can hold on for an entire race, things are looking up.

The best thing for Nicky would be to switch teams. Get on a bike better suited to his style, and get a team dedicated to treating him like the top-5 rider that he is.

manicmike

beat me to it. Nicky's said this engine and chassis suite his style better and are much more aggressive than the spring valve engine.

Rumor has it he's been talking to the factory Ducati team...

PeteN95

Haydon said he got an engine warning light at about lap 7, so he backed off a bit for a while, until he was reasonably sure it wasn't going to sieze. He was also happy they made the end on fuel, as the pnuematic engine burns more.

Ben would have been faster in the wet, since that is what he was most used to in practice after learning the track, the dry took a while to gauge the limit.

fastfoodfred

A couple of quick things-

1) Nicky is a second rate rider. So they treat him like that.

2) Switching teams would be the best thing Nicky could do for Honda.

GixxerPete

It's not a theory, it's a fact. Pedrobot is their #1 guy and has been since he came on board. Nicky gets whatever leftovers are laying around after Dani gets the goods. Or Nicky gets to test stuff for Dani to use later. Stuff that may or may not be an improvement. During races.

GixxerPete

Motophotog

You must have watched speed. I watched the eurosport television version of the race, which covers about 45 minutes of pre-race and they did talk to spies pre-race, and post race, they stated that he was the star of the day, if not Lorenzo, they stated he'd never actually even been on bridgestone race tires. So yeah, that was impressive. But I will say eurosport to my recollection, didnt show him at all during the race. They'd talk about him, but I dont think i saw him at all during the race. They just joked and kinda made fun of how he spells "elbows"......"ELBOWZ".

Woulda been nice to see him get a better jump and play around with the guys in the top 10. Still i think he did damn well for his first time. And listening to him he sounded quite content with his performance

Buckwheat

14th out of 17... He did way better than I expected.

manicmike

he was putting down times almost identical to the guys at the front during the last couple laps. too bad it took that long to get comfortable.

Amorget

Remember, they ALL get the same feed. Speed/ITV/Eurosport all show the exact same race, just different commentators. Same as F1.