*Liam's Wild Ride*

[MotoLiam]

Then you step back, and see how the rear brake line is routed so it's right on the swingarm (which is dented, by the way). That's all for now, I got a bookstore to get to! As for the bicycle, it's stuck in Customs in Madrid! Hopefully I'll come up with something that'll get it through, until then, I'm still walking! More pics to come as time permits.

 

[com3]

holy crap, liam! 10 seconds per lap?!?! either you're an AMAZING coach-mechanic, else he wasn't a very good rider to begin with, eh?

man, i love when you post pics of bikes and stuff. it's really awesome!

as for chris's name... you got it right. looks like edward's is qualifying with the same exact time, eh? rossi just sand baggin?

 

[MotoLiam]

Competitve times for GP bikes at Losail are sub 2 minute laps, and the top Losail Cup riders routinely run 2.17's on their R6's on Michelin Pilot Power Races. My boy was bouncing around in the 2.35-40ish range the first time out but was able to cut it down to qaulifying lap of 2.24 and managed to stay on his bike to end up fourth after five riders wadded. Here's some more of the red bike, which I caught on Friday.

I love the profile of this big bike more and more.

 

[MotoLiam]

I used to think it was too organic, but every year this design appeals to me more and I can't wait to see one on the road someday.

 

[MotoLiam]

Is it possible that I'm developing a soft spot for these blunt nosed beasts? Will we see this design on the 800cc bike next year? Will this bike ever make it to WSBK?

 

[MotoLiam]

This is Shinichi Ito's bike, Ducati and Bridgestone test rider. He usually laps within two seconds off the hot pace, and this is critical when evaluating race tires. If you don't ride fast enough, on the level, the tires don't heat up to actual race temperatures and the resulting data is useless. I'm sure with the right bike and support, Ito-san could be a midpack/backpack rider, but he's stuck in the desert running around in circles
Lucky B*stard!

 

[ecruz]

...... and confirm that Ecruz got the trivia question correct, it is the spot Rossi was forced to start from (the back of the grid) after Sete's crew called foul during the Qatar GP of '04.

Wohoo! I got it right!

 

[MotoLiam]

More goodies arrived in boxes This is the Dunlop shod Yamaha M1 of James Ellison.

 

[MotoLiam]

This bike looks so good in black, and so good in person, I found it hard to believe it was a mere Satellite bike, and the third tier machine at that. Soooo beautiful.

 

[MotoLiam]

No red ropes here!

Barf. . . . It's Everywhere You Want To Be!

 

[MotoLiam]

Can you imagine your office desk looking like this? Who wouldn't want to go to work?!?

 

[MotoLiam]

Rolling it out of the box and into the garage. The time for unloading and setting up most of these garages was pretty fast, but because many of the teams arrived at least a day or two before their riders (and the serious work) there was a very relaxed atmosphere in the paddock, and people were walking casually around. I watched as the teams assembled the "walls" that surround the garages, seeing how they clicked and slid together and noticing the shiny paint on the new sponsor schemes.

 

[MotoLiam]

Very Nice

This was Herve Poncharral's team, Tech 3 Yamaha, a french group, and they weren't very friendly. Carlos Checa is riding for them next year and I wonder if his Catalan background (which includes some french influence and french language) will help him better communicate with the team. One thing is for sure, he wouldn't be in the paddock this year if not for Dunlop. Word is that they wanted an experienced rider to evaluate and help develope their tires and they paid for it when no one else would. Make no mistake, Tech 3 Yamaha is backed by Dunlop in a big way.

 

[MotoLiam]

Speaking of Carlos Checa, he was looking relieved to be here, strolling around in his t-shirt and jeans. This is a great shot that shows just how desolate this place is. Literally, it's in the desert with nothing around the track for miles. I should also mention that while I was there, a couple WSBK teams were preparing to test, and I ran into a bunch of people at the cafeteria. John Hopkins is happy to know that Californians are watching his season with a lot of excitement, and we had a chance to talk to a bit while waiting in line for the Pasta tray to be refilled. Also present was Noriyuki Haga, but he was busy eating and so was I, so no contact there.

 

[MotoLiam]

Quick note about the 06 GSVR. As someone pointed out in another thread, the exhaust plumbing is routed similarly to the Honda's this year, and rumour has it the bike features pneumatic valves. The sound this bike makes on decel is like nothing I have ever heard before. Anyone want to host a 6 second sound bite, up close Also, note the missing "tank" cover. There were a couple guys constantly sanding and trimming these carbon fiber pieces in the lane behind the garages. Apparently the whoever laid the fiber got the shape wrong. . . . . shoulda got Tygaboy on it.

 

[MotoLiam]

I also took a moment to watch this guy for a couple minutes. I don't know if you can see all his tattoos, including the ever-present-in-biker-communities spider web tattoo on the elbow

 

[MotoLiam]

The Camel garage was sparse, though well equipped. Colin's side was identical. I had the chance to say Hi once again to Davide Brivio, Yamaha Race Director and he shared his optimism about the coming season and wasn't fazed at all by all the F1 hype.

 

[MotoLiam]

hmmmm, what have we here? The champ's steed?

 

[MotoLiam]

The bike that would be King. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of this machine this year. I noticed that the front number plate is smaller than last years, but that's the only obvious changes I've been able to detect.

 

[MotoLiam]

Might as well see it from the other side. I wonder if Rossi really cares what the graphics look like, since his competitors will likely only see the tail