Rossi's 2009 M1 ... changes from last year

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Rossi's 2009 M1 ... changes from last year

#1 Post by D-Rider » Wed Dec 17, 2008 12:11 am

I thought the reported changes to the 2009 M1 are particularly interesting.
  • Steering head - moved forward 9mm
    Fuel tank - moved forward 10mm
    Footpegs - moved forward 10mm
    Wheelbase - reduced from 654mm (March 08) to 608mm .... meaning the rear wheel has also been moved forward
Now .... am I the only one that is starting to think that the plan for this season has been to pick up the whole bike and move it subtly forward down the grid
:smt115
.... which might be a plan of sheer genius to gain an advantage .... but who's going to break it to them that the front wheel still has to start behind the grid line.

So, now with it in mind that the front of the bike can't actually move forward along the grid, what exactly have they moved?? or even, what is the fixed reference against which all these movements are measured??
:smt017

They do say:
  • Engine Position will be retained
    but what does that mean?
    Retained relative to the bits that have moved ??
    ... Well again the whole thing would just be creeping down the grid ....
    Maybe the position is just retained relative to this illusive reverence against which virtually the whole bike has moved forward?
    ... Well maybe that's it ... so if it is, why didn't they just say "we've shortened the wheelbase a bit and moved the engine backwards compared to all the other bits that matter"
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#2 Post by Samray » Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:23 am

:smt003
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Re: Rossi's 2009 M1 ... changes from last year

#3 Post by mangocrazy » Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:54 am

D-Rider wrote:I thought the reported changes to the 2009 M1 are particularly interesting.
  • Steering head - moved forward 9mm
    Fuel tank - moved forward 10mm
    Footpegs - moved forward 10mm
    Wheelbase - reduced from 654mm (March 08) to 608mm .... meaning the rear wheel has also been moved forward
Are you sure about this? According to my calculations 608mm is a fraction under 24 inches. A wheelbase of two feet? Are they entering the bloody thing in minimotos or what?
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#4 Post by D-Rider » Wed Dec 17, 2008 10:11 am

LOL - you are absolutely right - I was a bit too focussed on the general forward shift and changes in dimensions and lost sight of the absurdity of that particular dimension itself.
That bike would even be too small Pedrosa!
I guess that when I reveal my source to be MCN, then it's little surprise .... and I loose any excuse for not considering the validity of what they wrote!

My guess is there is a missing "1" on the front of those figures.
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#5 Post by HowardQ » Wed Dec 17, 2008 1:32 pm

Sorry you got it wrong, it's Danny's new bike that has the 2 foot wheelbase.
Seriously! He will also need to pedal hard.
If Honda do pull out of MoptGP as seems worryingly close, a carbon fibre pushbike bought at his own expense, may be his best chance of catching the Doctor.
Hope they do not pull out, (they are refusing to confirm anything at the moment), but things are starting to look bleak, as the current climate is seriously hitting motorsport budgets.
First Honda pull out of F1.
Then Suzuki pull the brand new team out of WRC having spent millions developing the car.
Then yesterday Subaru also pulled out of WRC.
How can you have world rallying without Scoobies?

Honda currently provides almost half the WRC field, that will be costing them a packet. If they do not pull out themselves they may not be able to fund the "satelite" teams.
Hope I'm wrong on this, but starting to fear the worst. :smt009
On a good note WSB looks better than ever.
Last edited by HowardQ on Wed Dec 17, 2008 5:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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#6 Post by HowardQ » Wed Dec 17, 2008 2:03 pm

Latest update. :smt009
Neil Hodgson out of a job as Honda pull out of AMA Superbikes over the other side of the pond.
It's getting worse!
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#7 Post by D-Rider » Wed Dec 17, 2008 2:51 pm

TBH with the situation in the automotive industry at the moment, it's really no surprise that spending on these things is being slashed.

..... tis a bit grim at the moment ..... :smt009
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#8 Post by Syltiz » Wed Dec 17, 2008 3:48 pm

I found myself listening to some blah blah the other day as you do about the fall of Capitalism and how the times are changing and the bubble will never be again, which im ashamed to say im pretty apathetic about - just as long as the MotoGP empire remains... :smt010
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#9 Post by Kwackerz » Wed Dec 17, 2008 6:20 pm

Sorry to hear of the Hodge being punted out but I guess thats the way it goes. He could always come back and go racing with the MRO. :smt012

A lot of people getting twitchy at the moment with regards the 'credit crunch' and motorsport. Thing for me is, if they'd not invested so much bollocks in technological advances (that havent made it to roadvehicles and were simply for 'getting first place') then they would still have had the advertising from it, but at a fraction of the cost... so they wouldve been able to continue...
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#10 Post by Kwackerz » Wed Dec 17, 2008 6:21 pm

HowardQ wrote: How can you have world rallying without Scoobies?

Bring forth the Skodas en masse. They were winning rallies way before Subaru!
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#11 Post by HowardQ » Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:30 pm

Can't remember the exact figure but doesn't it take 8 or 10 times as much to run a MotoGP team compared with WSB?
Sad to say this but -
Which is more exciting at the moment (ask Rossi) ?
What difference is there in top speed ?

Like F1 there is too much techie in MotoGP and not enough riding skill being used, but still love to watch them both, WSB and MGP that is (NOT F1).
Hope all the current teams come through OK.
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#12 Post by joecrx » Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:40 pm

does this mean the bike is shorter, therfor the guy behind him has 10mm more to catch up :smt017
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