*Liam's Wild Ride*

[MotoLiam]

I think Alexey put it nicely for now. The distinction to make here is that one brand/one make is not the same as one tire (i.e. control tire, ala WSBK).

Also, there is nothing cooler than eating your gf's peanut butter rice krispie treat marshmello snacks at every race since indy, haha. And I've still got enough to hold me through Sepang

 

[weasel]

Damn dude,

Do you even have riders for next season.

Sorry about the bad luck so far.

All the best man

 

[DaveT319]

Thought bubble time for Liam

"He may be taller, but I'm MUCH cooler!"

Dave

 

[Raider]

Try the trip back from Japan. It is pretty disorienting landing several hours before you left.

I've done that a couple times...
land at the airport, get home, talk to some friends and they ask me "so when did you leave?" and i look at my watch, reply back with "my flight leaves in a couple of hours"...

 

[MotoLiam]

I'm in Singapore for a few days . . . WOOT!

So I took some time off after Phillip Island (which was a race to forget for me), and I'm the only one of my team who decided to stay in Singapore for a few days. It's been great catching up on massive amounts of sleep and walking the hot, humid city by day. It's a giant shopping mall here, separated by four distinct cultures and languages. The national tongues are Chinese, English, Malay, and Indian, and they all smell different. On the plus side, the food has been delectable and straight out of my earliest memories. But much has changed here in the Lion City, and it's no longer as clean as it once was.

I've kept busy exploring the side streets and finding street food of one kind and another, and it's true, there is a 24 hour shopping mall here, Mustafa Plaza. It's predominantly Indian based, but you can still get everything a person needs from deoderants and shampoo to high end electronics. I'll take some more time to write and post a couple more photos, but for now I'm off to go get a super dinner with a distant uncle that I haven't seen in 15+ years.

 

[MotoLiam]

Strange, my photos didn't go through on that one. Anyway, here's some good street eats, a cop bike, and some mysterious machines I came across on my side street rambles today.

 

[Lonster]

Hey Liam!
I didn't know that Flava was in China too!?! (look at the van)

 

[patrykb]

Sorry, couldn't resist photoshoping it.

 

[jrace]

Comunicato Stampa // Press Release // Comunicado de Prensa
sponsor 2008 MotoGP World Championship

Alice Team
Sepang, Malaysia, seventeenth MotoGP round
Preview, Tuesday October 14th 2008


PENULTIMATE ROUND OF THE MOTOGP SEASON.
ELIAS AND GUINTOLI IN NEED OF CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS


The 2008 MotoGP season is almost at the end, but Alice Team riders, Toni Elias and Sylvain Guintoli, are still in need of precious championship points to conclude in the best way possible the year. Elias, who is in twelfth position in the riders championship, wants to enter the top ten and will have to fight with Toseland, Capirossi and Nakano with the Japanese the furthest with 15 points of advantage. Sylvain, instead, will have to fight for the Team who is battling for sixth place in the Team classification with three other squads that are enclose in 16 points. In his only appearance on the Sepang circuit in the top class, last year, the French rider hasn’t be so lucky concluding in nineteenth position. His teammate has, instead, concluded in sixth position in the same race. In the two previous years Elias didn’t achieve great results, non-finishing the race in 2006 and reaching only eleventh position the year before. In the 250cc category E! lias has made it to step on every step of the Malaysian podium: third in 2004, first in 2003 and second in 2002.

Fabiano Sterlacchini, Alice Team Technical Director, sees his riders ready for this new challenge: “The Sepang circuit should be good for the technical characteristic of our bike as the Ducati has always stepped on the podium here since 2005. In addition Toni has reached some good results in Malaysia and for this motive we are trustful for this next MotoGP round. Sylvain will not be at his best after the fracture at his left shoulder blade, but he will give all he has to end in the best way the season. I expect a lot from him in these last two races.”

Toni Elias is a strong-minded guy and will do all possible to achieve his goal: “I want to enter the top ten in the riders world standing. It wouldn’t be a great goal if we would be at the beginning of the season, but for how things went this year I would be satisfied. Surely the three riders that are in the battle will do their best as well and it will not be so easy. I always liked this track and I hope to give to my Team a good result. They deserve it for all the hard work done during this long season.”

In the other side of the garage Sylvain Guintoli will not be at his best physical conditions but will try to push at the maximum: ”In Australia the doctors suggested me to don’t race due to the fracture at my shoulder blade after Saturday’s fall, but I have gritted my teeth trying to conquer the best position possible anyway. I will do the same here in Malaysia. There are only two races left, and I already know that winter break, whatever professional choice I will take for next season, it will be long and I will miss the competition. For this motive I will not think about the pain but only racing!”

-jim

 

[MotoLiam]

"What's he going to say when he's free to say what really happened?"

-Julian Ryder on Nicky Hayden after he leaves Honda at the end of '08.

here.

 

[Lonster]

Nicky will write a 'Tell All' book, but not until he has secured his second championship aboard a Ducati, and Pedrobot is finally unveiled as the Puig robot that he really is.

That is all.

Lonster

 

[whorida002000]

This is completely off the subject.

I was just up at La Honda this weekend for the Ducati Day and I saw this! I have seen this bike before but spent 40 minutes looking for this bike on the Forums and could not find it. Do not know who's it is but I bet they are on this forum. Just wanted to post it. It is a phone camera shop so it is low quality. The bike has a Motoliam sticker on the back which I thought was a nice touch!

 

[J-BONE]

^^From what I hear, that sticker is crooked due to the ninja style placement

*EDIT* BTW, that's my girl, and she's a blast!

 

[whorida002000]

Oh ok! She looks sweet! I knew that bike belonged to someone here. Like the the sticker got the ninja tag!

 

[number_6]

Toby and Jules reporting during the Eurosport race coverage that Sylvan Guintoli had a rear spindle failure, and then speculating about maybe it was being run for too many miles or maybe "there was a mechanic issue."

 

[jrace]

About time.

Comunicato Stampa // Press Release // Comunicado de Prensa

2008 MotoGP World Championship
Alice Team
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Sunday October 19th 2008


PRAMAC RACING ANNOUNCES ITS 2009 MOTOGP LINE UP


Pramac Racing is pleased to be able to announce its new riders for the 2009 MotoGP season – Mika Kallio (Finland) and Niccolò Canepa (Italy).

Mika Kallio, who is now third in the 250 World Championship and first of the KTM riders, has ridden in the in the quarter litre class for the last two seasons. In his debut year of 2007 he claimed two victories and seventh position in the championship, whilst in 2008 he has taken three victories and is currently third in the championship. Before stepping on a 250cc bike, the Finnish rider rode a KTM 125cc bike from 2003 to 2006 and claimed 27 podiums, including 7 victories, finishing second in the championship in 2005 and 2006.

Niccolò Canepa is a new entry into the MotoGP World Championship and is the first rider to step into this category thanks to the experience gained as test rider. Niccolò began his career at a very young age riding a Ducati in the FIM Superstock 600 Cup, finishing second in 2006 despite missing the last two races due to injury. In 2007 he won the FIM Superstock 1000 World Cup on the new Ducati 1098. He demonstrated his riding qualities and sensitivity to the Ducati Corse technicians in 2007 by also developing the 1098R Superbike version, having convinced also Ducati Corse to let him become the test rider for the Ducati Bridgestone test squad on the Desmosedici GP8. The experience gained in this position and his good performances have opened the 2009 MotoGP World Championship doors to him.

The two young Pramac Racing riders will have the Ducati Desmosedici GP9 Sat with carbon chassis at their disposal for 2009.

Paolo Campinoti – Pramac Racing Team Principal

“We are very happy to have two very promising riders in Kallio and Canepa. Mika is doing really well in 250 and we are confident that he will be able to continue his positive trend in the top class. Niccolò has shown his abilities on the Ducati Desmosedici during this seasons tests and this has convinced Ducati and us to let him step up into MotoGP. Together with Ducati we have agreed to create a sort of “Junior Team”. A part of me is sad that we are not able to continue with our current riders, Toni Elias and Sylvain Guintoli, because they have done a lot for the Alice Team during this season. I want to publically thank them for their work and for bringing us to date, two unforgettable podiums. I wish them a future rich in success and happiness.”

And the GP9 to play with, no less.

-jim

 

[jrace]

Hmmm.

-jim

 

[neal_ave]

Mika Kallio's been great to watch in the 250's. It'll be really fun to see what he can do on the big boys.

 

[MotoLiam]

The 2008 MotoGP World Championship season comes to a close this weekend at the Circuito de Ricardo Tormo, just outside the picturesque, seaside city of Valencia.

A tumultuous year to say the least, with official changes being announced for every category in Grand Prix racing, including the bombshell that Bridgestone will be the sole tire supplier for all 800cc machines in the top class. Effectively, this ends the blue sky engineering that has always dominated the prototype racing in GP, that propelled the Factories into creating whatever they could in order to win, with whomever they worked with. Now I fear that everyone will be targeting the same formula, "build a Bridgestone bike". And they will all be Bridgestone bikes . . . . what remains to be seen is whether or not the teams and riders will be offered more than just a few, simple choices like Soft and Hard - maybe a Medium? Perhaps, and this is only a wish, we will once again see healthy competition within the category, but for now this is looking to be the last race for Michelin . . . .

In the 250 series, many teams have opted to close citing sponsorship difficulties, and more pragmatically and to the point, they have opted to close because there is no sense in continued investment and development in the 250cc two-stroke when the series will be switching to a "hybrid" 600cc four-stroke incarnation in 2010 (Polaris World, Caffe Latte, Repsol KTM, Factory KTM, and more, are out). Who wants to spend millions of Euros to race for a neutered cup? At last count, many paddock insiders believe there will be 14 bikes on the grid next season, which is even less than in MotoGP. However, I am aware that several riders and sponsors are looking to put together some last minute deals, so it's very likely that this number will grow towards 20 bikes. I hope.

Which brings us to the lowly 125's. The eighth liter wonders. Want to reduce costs even more (the reasoning behind the tire move, the 250 four-stroke push)? Let's cut the feeder class a little - hopefully more riders will enter the series . . . . . if each rider is only allowed to field ONE bike. Half the mechanics and technicians in 125 are now searching for something to occupy their time with, and unfortunately there are only two new manufacturers headed into WSBK next season, Aprilia and BMW. Still, I know that some of the guys are headed over to the "OWS - Other World Series", and I wish them much success in their endeavors.

In every event, time keeps on ticking, the wheel keeps on turning, and in four days the 2008 season will be finished and 2009 begins on Monday. I'll be testing on Monday and Tuesday with current Red Bull KTM 250 Factory rider, Mika Kallio, the Finn, and also with longtime Ducati test rider, Nicola Canepa. It looks like we'll have an interesting test, and then we'll see . . . .

Lots of options on the table, but how and where I chose to extend myself remain to be finalized. I'm excited by all the opportunities that I've been given, those that I have made, but in particular, I'm excited by something very special in the works. I have clear targets in front of me, but I'm looking for fresh, new challenges and adventures . . . .

I'm hungry for living, and life is my priority. The quality of my life is the priority.

 

[jrace]

I'm curious about the GP9 from an engineering standpoint, but also to see how Mika gets on with it. Not expecting any quick expertise from him, that would be cruel. Just a general comfort.

Not a lot of room to peek between your lines there, Liam. But I'm tryin'. You know I'm a nosy bastard.

So are you.

-jim