Hopkins goes to Cow-A-Socky......

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

....and is a second slower......
------------------------

Unofficial Lap Times
1. Randy de Puniet (Honda) 2’03.033
2. Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) 2’03.357
3. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 2’03.406
4. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) 2’03.607
5. Loris Capirossi (Suzuki) 2’03.748
6. Anthony West (Kawasaki) 2’04.068
7. Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2’04.164
8. John Hopkins (Kawasaki) 2’04.316
9. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2’04.433 10. James Toseland (Yamaha) 2’05.438
------------------------
Shoulda stuck with Suzuki!:)
(Yeah, I know, I'm gonna cach sh!t from Konichd on this, but hey, that's why I started the thread!):)

[*KEN*]

Really? I heard this:

Pos.RiderTeamFastest LapNo. of Laps
1John HopkinsKawasaki Racing02'02.20063
2Chris VermeulenRizla Suzuki02'02.34470
3Randy de PunietHonda LCR02'02.55071
4Andrea DoviziosoJiR Team Scot02'02.59155
5Loris CapirossiRizla Suzuki02'02.69865
6Nicky HaydenRepsol Honda02'02.80065
7Colin EdwardsYamaha Tech302'02.83152
8Anthony WestKawasaki Racing02'03.09371
9Jorge LorenzoFiat Yamaha02'04.02147
10James ToselandYamaha Tech302'04.27860

Also that the Kawi isn't going to be a new bike this year - they still going to use and develop this year's bike!

[konichd]

Correct Ken! http://www.motogp.com/en/motogp/motogp_news.htm?menu=news&news_id=21596&championship_id=3&section=1

Ended the Sepang test 3rd fastest.

Suck it Frank :)

[rybo]

That and the only two guys faster than him were on bikes they'd actually ridden before.

Hopper has always had the potential. Kawasaki has decided to continue to develop the 07 bike instead of bringing out an "all new" version for 08. If they can continue the trend of rapid implementation like they did at the test they are going to be tough to beat.

I really hope hopper has a great season in 08, he is due and probably wants it more than anyone.
s

[motobum]

That and the only two guys faster than him were on bikes they'd actually ridden before.

Hopper has always had the potential. Kawasaki has decided to continue to develop the 07 bike instead of bringing out an "all new" version for 08. If they can continue the trend of rapid implementation like they did at the test they are going to be tough to beat.

I really hope hopper has a great season in 08, he is due and probably wants it more than anyone.
s

hopkins is a badass! he is by far my favorite american rider!

[flyingmonkey]

Hopkins has a lot of potential if he gets a good package for 2008, Kawi seems to be improving and Hopkins could bring better results for that factory besides that I am sure he receive a good financial insentive to move to Kawasaki which I think is good for him.

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

Yeah, I've always liked Hopper too, but I still think the Suzuki was and will be the better bike this year too. We'll see though. I can't wait for Spies to finally get a good MotoGP ride. Perhaps Nicky's Honda?:) I've always been way more impressed with him than the rest of the Americans there, actually. Maybe '09?

[konichd]

^^Your impressed with Spies? You must be easily impressed Frank...

The guy is a jackass, has the worst work-ethic in the AMA padock, and doesn't know what a "team" is. There was a article in Cycle World comparing Spies and Maladin and how Maladin hates his fuckin' guts. And rightly so, Spies is a fucktard like most standard Suzuki riders :)

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

^^Your impressed with Spies? You must be easily impressed Frank...

The guy is a jackass, has the worst work-ethic in the AMA padock, and doesn't know what a "team" is. There was a article in Cycle World comparing Spies and Maladin and how Maladin hates his fuckin' guts. And rightly so, Spies is a fucktard like most standard Suzuki riders :)
He's the first guy to EVER beat Mladin twice (and everyone else), straight up. More than Hopper or Hayden can say. So, yeah, I'm impressed. And, I thought Mladin was the a-hole?:)

[rybo]

It didn't hurt that he got on the team that had the development process all worked out before he got there. Mladin has been working the yosh Suzuki team process for years. It's always nice to walk into a situation that is already working well. Hayden was the AMA champion (beating Mladin) one year...Hopper never really raced in the AMA, but he would have been a force in that series.

Spies on a Suzuki in GP.....I'm guessing that is going to be a hard transition and he'll struggle in the series.

[konichd]

^^^GP is not for Spies, just to physically big for a 800cc Grand Prix bike. Same with Townslend (SP?) They'll be in WSBK in a few years.

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

It didn't hurt that he got on the team that had the development process all worked out before he got there. Mladin has been working the yosh Suzuki team process for years. It's always nice to walk into a situation that is already working well. Hayden was the AMA champion (beating Mladin) one year...Hopper never really raced in the AMA, but he would have been a force in that series.

Spies on a Suzuki in GP.....I'm guessing that is going to be a hard transition and he'll struggle in the series.
Right, but then why didn't DuHamel win after Hayden? And, since that was a REALLY bad year for Yosh with the new bike, I'd say Hayden was actually lucky to win that. Spies is the only one to beat Mladin on equal machinery.....twice even. No one else has ever done that. He may be plus sized compared to the little jockey types, but I think he'd do just fine in MotoGP. I'm pretty sure, from all I've read, he'll be there. Also, Hopper is about his size, if I remember.:)

Hey, they said Pedrosa was too small, and look what he's done already. ;)

[*KEN*]

If you're looking for equal machinery, then Spies has been the only competitor to have that advantage.

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

If you're looking for equal machinery, then Spies has been the only competitor to have that advantage.
.....besides Yates and Hayden...... ;)

I still think Spies would win against any of the current AMA types. Look at how hard it was for Zemke to finally be able to beat his teammate DuHamel, yet Spies was able to beat all 3 of them.

Just shows the superiority of the Suzukis, eh? :)

[Sortarican]

What do the GP bikes weigh?....Maybe 350 wet?
Hard to ignore the horsepower to weight advantage a 140lb rider has over a 200lb one.

[rybo]

Min weight for a GP bike in 07 was 326.6 lbs (wet, 4 cyls)

[konichd]

Hopkins rules!

Spies sucks, always has always will. Just like AMA Frank, NO ONE GIVES A FUCK! :)

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

Hopkins rules!

Spies sucks, always has always will. Just like AMA Frank, NO ONE GIVES A FUCK! :)
Actually, I guess I'll never understand that coming from fellow riders in the USA.

First, ALL the great american riders that went from the US to conquer the world came from the AMA. Rayborn, Roberts, Mamola, Lawson, Spencer, Rainey, Schwantz, Kocinski, Hayden, Russell, Edwards, etc.

Second, these are series we could actually compete in, on bikes we can actually buy, on tracks we actually have access to, unlike MotoGP or even WSB.

You're just saying that because Kawi hasn't won a SBK title since......Chandler?:)