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MOKE1K · 07-06-2010, 02:02 AM

A Developing Situation
by dean adams
Monday, July 05, 2010

For Mr. Masao Furusawa-san, Executive officer, Senior general manager of Engineering Operations, and the father of the Yamaha M1, these are interesting times.
image by marteen skywalker
For Yamaha, their MotoGP effort is an interesting mix of success coupled with, well, situations.

Jorge Lorenzo, to the surprise of almost no one, has won three races on the trot and calling he and Yamaha a favorite to win the title this season is a glaringly obvious prediction. Lorenzo seems to have conquered his crash-prone ways and exhibited riding at Barcelona that two years ago would have seen him making regular visits to the medical center.

Yamaha's star rider and MotoGP's main protagonist, Valentino Rossi, is still on crutches and won't be able to return to racing for some time. His double-broken leg is reportedly healing well, with Rossi already able to put small amounts of weight on it. That's the good news. The bad news is that Rossi is closely linked to a Ducati ride for 2010, potentially meaning that whichever races he returns for in 2010 may be his last on a Yamaha.

If Rossi does leave the factory squad, shaking the MotoGP pan reveals some interesting nuggets for Yamaha. What, then, happens to their major MotoGP sponsor, Fiat? Will Fiat follow Rossi? Stay with the team? Or does Yamaha even need a primary sponsor if they don't have to pay Rossi?

Yamaha currently has Wataru Yoshikawa substituting for Rossi, which at Barcelona served up the interesting vision of having their bikes bookend the results table—Lorenzo on top winning the race and Yoshikawa in dead last. MotoGP racing for a 41-year old test rider is a mountain of high expectations, thusly Yamaha has been quick to focus on this aspect in his substitution for Rossi. Fiat Yamaha is contractually obligated to run two riders and Yoshikawa is a safe choice in this regard, one who can do laps without the threat of breaking any of the limited number of engines they have available. But how many engines will he use—again, interesting question.

Anyone who feels that Lorenzo is winning races because of the absence of Valentino Rossi wasn't paying attention at the start of the season. Lorenzo was the man to beat even before Rossi's brutal crash and Yamaha will make an all-out effort to re-sign him. But there is every chance that the 2011 Yamaha team will look drastically different than it did at the start of the 2010 season.

acecycleins · 07-06-2010, 09:07 AM

Fiat wouldn't have to leave. Fiat owns Ferrari and Malboro is willing to pay the salary of Rossi for Ducati- all the while banking on the fact that F1 will change the rules in 2 seasons to allow for the 3rd car. It'd be a clever marketing ploy for Fiat to stay at Yamaha and have Ferrari as the secondary sponsor on the Ducati with Malboro. Making it the Malboro/Ferrari Ducati Corse team. The Primary logo of Malboro with the prancing horse overlayed with Alice at the bottom. Tell the photoshop guy to rangle that.

The_AirHawk · 07-06-2010, 09:10 AM

The Wreck is Goin' DOWN!
Get Out, before you Drown!

The Wreck is Goin' DOWN!
Get Out, before you Drown........

MOKE1K · 07-06-2010, 02:22 PM

Rossi in a car! What a waste! Roll cages are for people who have a hard time with commitment.....3, 2, 1,.....

seruzawa · 07-06-2010, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MOKE1K

Rossi in a car! What a waste! Roll cages are for people who have a hard time with commitment.....3, 2, 1,.....

.... and one foot in the grave.

MOKE1K · 07-06-2010, 03:33 PM

How many motorcycle racers do you know that are successful making the switch? It ain't to many I'll tell ya that!

MOKE1K · 07-06-2010, 06:37 PM

I can think of maybe five.

acecycleins · 07-06-2010, 06:45 PM

That's the point. Everyone knows his ability on a gp bike. His test on two yr old F1s yield results that are making Ferarri wonder. If he crosses over and wins a champoinship (or 2) before he turns 40 he will go down in history as a "real" GOAT. Just sayin......

MOKE1K · 07-06-2010, 08:36 PM

Oh don't get me wrong, if anyone could do it Vale could, but that's still a waste of talent if you ask me. Motorcycles take much more ability in my opinion. Sure F1 cars are faster but drifting a F1 car and a GP bike require different skill sets(did I just say that? Oh LR) the later requiring a bit more spontaneous reactions and a much better sence of balance. This is just my feeble opinion. I am sure some car guy will come along and disagree. Still the facts remain, knowing you'll not get hurt makes you a lot more challenging and thus brave,... in a cage.

07-06-2010, 02:02 AM	#1
MOKE1K Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Kalapana, Big Island Posts: 3,956	Yamaha's dilema,... A Developing Situation by dean adams Monday, July 05, 2010 For Mr. Masao Furusawa-san, Executive officer, Senior general manager of Engineering Operations, and the father of the Yamaha M1, these are interesting times. image by marteen skywalker For Yamaha, their MotoGP effort is an interesting mix of success coupled with, well, situations. Jorge Lorenzo, to the surprise of almost no one, has won three races on the trot and calling he and Yamaha a favorite to win the title this season is a glaringly obvious prediction. Lorenzo seems to have conquered his crash-prone ways and exhibited riding at Barcelona that two years ago would have seen him making regular visits to the medical center. Yamaha's star rider and MotoGP's main protagonist, Valentino Rossi, is still on crutches and won't be able to return to racing for some time. His double-broken leg is reportedly healing well, with Rossi already able to put small amounts of weight on it. That's the good news. The bad news is that Rossi is closely linked to a Ducati ride for 2010, potentially meaning that whichever races he returns for in 2010 may be his last on a Yamaha. If Rossi does leave the factory squad, shaking the MotoGP pan reveals some interesting nuggets for Yamaha. What, then, happens to their major MotoGP sponsor, Fiat? Will Fiat follow Rossi? Stay with the team? Or does Yamaha even need a primary sponsor if they don't have to pay Rossi? Yamaha currently has Wataru Yoshikawa substituting for Rossi, which at Barcelona served up the interesting vision of having their bikes bookend the results table—Lorenzo on top winning the race and Yoshikawa in dead last. MotoGP racing for a 41-year old test rider is a mountain of high expectations, thusly Yamaha has been quick to focus on this aspect in his substitution for Rossi. Fiat Yamaha is contractually obligated to run two riders and Yoshikawa is a safe choice in this regard, one who can do laps without the threat of breaking any of the limited number of engines they have available. But how many engines will he use—again, interesting question. Anyone who feels that Lorenzo is winning races because of the absence of Valentino Rossi wasn't paying attention at the start of the season. Lorenzo was the man to beat even before Rossi's brutal crash and Yamaha will make an all-out effort to re-sign him. But there is every chance that the 2011 Yamaha team will look drastically different than it did at the start of the 2010 season. __________________ "YOU CAN'T BOLT ON SKILL" "The only thing limiting your bike, is you" We survived Bush you'll survive Obama! "the most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive." --thomas sowell

07-06-2010, 09:07 AM	#2
acecycleins Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: North Georgia Posts: 4,125	Fiat wouldn't have to leave. Fiat owns Ferrari and Malboro is willing to pay the salary of Rossi for Ducati- all the while banking on the fact that F1 will change the rules in 2 seasons to allow for the 3rd car. It'd be a clever marketing ploy for Fiat to stay at Yamaha and have Ferrari as the secondary sponsor on the Ducati with Malboro. Making it the Malboro/Ferrari Ducati Corse team. The Primary logo of Malboro with the prancing horse overlayed with Alice at the bottom. Tell the photoshop guy to rangle that. __________________ "Slack" - a state of being in which everything flows smoothly.....a frame of mind so at ease that the universe naturally cooperates.

07-06-2010, 09:10 AM	#3
The_AirHawk Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Livin' in a Van: down by the Mariana Trench Posts: 10,891	The Wreck is Goin' DOWN! Get Out, before you Drown! The Wreck is Goin' DOWN! Get Out, before you Drown........ __________________ *Parfois, on fait pas semblant* Sometimes, it's not pretend Oderint Dum Metuant Let them hate so long as they fear политики предпочитают безоружных крестьян Politicians Prefer Unarmed Peasants Nothing to see here, Citizen. Move along now...

07-06-2010, 02:22 PM	#4
MOKE1K Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Kalapana, Big Island Posts: 3,956	Rossi in a car! What a waste! Roll cages are for people who have a hard time with commitment.....3, 2, 1,..... __________________ "YOU CAN'T BOLT ON SKILL" "The only thing limiting your bike, is you" We survived Bush you'll survive Obama! "the most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive." --thomas sowell

07-06-2010, 03:33 PM	#6
MOKE1K Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Kalapana, Big Island Posts: 3,956	How many motorcycle racers do you know that are successful making the switch? It ain't to many I'll tell ya that! __________________ "YOU CAN'T BOLT ON SKILL" "The only thing limiting your bike, is you" We survived Bush you'll survive Obama! "the most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive." --thomas sowell

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07-06-2010, 06:37 PM	#7
MOKE1K Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Kalapana, Big Island Posts: 3,956	I can think of maybe five. __________________ "YOU CAN'T BOLT ON SKILL" "The only thing limiting your bike, is you" We survived Bush you'll survive Obama! "the most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive." --thomas sowell

07-06-2010, 06:45 PM	#8
acecycleins Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: North Georgia Posts: 4,125	That's the point. Everyone knows his ability on a gp bike. His test on two yr old F1s yield results that are making Ferarri wonder. If he crosses over and wins a champoinship (or 2) before he turns 40 he will go down in history as a "real" GOAT. Just sayin...... __________________ "Slack" - a state of being in which everything flows smoothly.....a frame of mind so at ease that the universe naturally cooperates.

07-06-2010, 08:36 PM	#9
MOKE1K Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Kalapana, Big Island Posts: 3,956	Oh don't get me wrong, if anyone could do it Vale could, but that's still a waste of talent if you ask me. Motorcycles take much more ability in my opinion. Sure F1 cars are faster but drifting a F1 car and a GP bike require different skill sets(did I just say that? Oh LR) the later requiring a bit more spontaneous reactions and a much better sence of balance. This is just my feeble opinion. I am sure some car guy will come along and disagree. Still the facts remain, knowing you'll not get hurt makes you a lot more challenging and thus brave,... in a cage. __________________ "YOU CAN'T BOLT ON SKILL" "The only thing limiting your bike, is you" We survived Bush you'll survive Obama! "the most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive." --thomas sowell