Quote from: duccarlos on January 22, 2016, 08:32:30 AM
I remember that Rossi had stopped selling MM stuff last year.

The article disputes up that rumor...

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/sport/motogp/2016/january/fim-confirm-sepang-data-will-not-be-released/

Dorna does not want to continue down this road. Rossi is still a cash cow and it's evident that Dorna has tagged MM as his successor. If this would have happened with Jorghey or Pedrosa it would have been a different story. Both have the personality of a chair. I'm sure that before the season both will be forced to sit in a room and read the riot act. They can't afford to have their 2 most likable riders at each other's throats.

Quote from: duccarlos on January 25, 2016, 07:05:12 AM
Dorna does not want to continue down this road. Rossi is still a cash cow and it's evident that Dorna has tagged MM as his successor. If this would have happened with Jorghey or Pedrosa it would have been a different story. Both have the personality of a chair. I'm sure that before the season both will be forced to sit in a room and read the riot act. They can't afford to have their 2 most likable riders at each other's throats.

I don't see that working with Rossi, not after the screwing he took this year.  They need Rossi; he doesn't need them.

I still wonder (to myself) how much influence Dorna/FIM may have had in Rossi going to Ducati, after the JL blowup at Yamaha and in the wake of Stoner leaving Ducati, and how much of a grudge Rossi may hold about that.  Everyone has their good and bad days but, overall, Rossi has been a great ambassador for MotoGP...he could have walked away years ago and no one would have blamed him.

Quote from: OT on January 25, 2016, 09:58:54 PM
I don't see that working with Rossi, not after the screwing he took this year.  They need Rossi; he doesn't need them.

I still wonder (to myself) how much influence Dorna/FIM may have had in Rossi going to Ducati, after the JL blowup at Yamaha and in the wake of Stoner leaving Ducati, and how much of a grudge Rossi may hold about that.  Everyone has their good and bad days but, overall, Rossi has been a great ambassador for MotoGP...he could have walked away years ago and no one would have blamed him.

Rossi has already said he will retire at Yamaha. Even though I do agree that MotoGP needs Rossi more than the other way, Dorna realizes that they can't milk that cow forever. They simply can't depend on Rossi racing for the next 10 years. For that reason alone, they have to protect their own interest in finding a few successor. Also remember that MotoGP existed before Rossi, arguably not at the same level of interest, but it will survive after him. Keeping him around as an ambassador will be very high on their list, but not forsaking a rider that will be around for a long time.

Business is business and the world does not revolve around Rossi regardless what the fan boys think.

Has Stoner started his testing on the Duc? I know he was going to Sepang, but I understood he was going to start testing prior to the official testing. The last update I found was a Tweet of him sitting on his old bike.

That was the plan, Stoner and Pirro to run the GP16 prior to the official test at Sepang Feb 1-3.

Haven't heard anything.

I wish they would publish those times. Unfortunately they won't. If Stoner manages better times in Sepang than Iannone and Dovi, Ducati will be putting on the full court press to try to lure him out of retirement if they're not doing that now.

Some pics of the GP16, and some speculation.
http://manziananews.blogspot.com/

Apparently Yamaha has adopted the external plug-in starter like Ducati uses.

Quote from: Speeddog on January 28, 2016, 09:21:45 AM
Some pics of the GP16, and some speculation.
http://manziananews.blogspot.com/

Apparently Yamaha has adopted the external plug-in starter like Ducati uses.

I'll start by saying I'm not old.

But I remember when bikes were beautiful.  That thing is ugly.  I hope it can compete. 

Quote from: The Architect on January 29, 2016, 09:35:08 AM
I'll start by saying I'm not old.

But I remember when bikes were beautiful.  That thing is ugly.  I hope it can compete. 

I'll start by saying I'm old, and that make the beast with two backser is beautiful. 

They do look nicer with an appropriate color of paint on them.

Flattish black carbon burlap is not so appealing.

Quote from: Speeddog on January 27, 2016, 09:44:26 AM
That was the plan, Stoner and Pirro to run the GP16 prior to the official test at Sepang Feb 1-3.

Haven't heard anything.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/122638

Reports are Stoner did some good laptimes on a GP15.

Also that he will ride during the official test Monday-Wednesday.

https://motomatters.com/news/2016/01/30/casey_stoner_makes_motogp_return_at_priv.html

http://m.crash.net/motogp/news/226339/1/casey-stoner-ill-do-whatever-i-can-for-ducati.html