I would say this was a repost from yesterday, but only a few people actually read my post as it was buried in another Hopkins thread.. Regardless, last I heard he hadn't actually signed (or that it wasn't official - not until Jan. '10).
^i agree completely. from what he was saying though, that he signed with kawi a while before the results with suzuki were starting to show. but i don't know if i believe all that. regardless, he should've stayed with suzuki with the bike that was built around him and for him.
My thoughts :up: I can't wait to hear all of the Hopper fluffers come up with excuses why he isn't competitive, why he isn't winning.... why's he perpetually hurt in 2010
I don't think they'll be coming. What seems clear is that the days of John Hopkins getting good rides are over. It's hard to say there is much promise in his 2010 or the rest of his career for that matter. This reminds me of Ben Bostroms last attempt to stay in World Superbike.
I can't help but think the guy is too young to be washed up. He's got to stay healthy and hopefully mix it up with some of the guys around the back of the pack. Too bad Toseland and Canepa won't be around to make him look good.
I'm trying to figure out when these outfits are gonna realize using a slice of a F1 engine in a proper motorbike = Bad Idea. See Foggy Petronas, See Ilmor, See Aprilia Cube... etc. But best of luck to them anyway.
I just think it is great to see anybody making committments in motorcycle racing right now. I am jonesing for a race so bad!
He should have accepted a satellite ride with a more competitive bike. Suzuki hasn't been regularly competitive in GP since, what, '82? Instead he listened to Schwantz with the 'have the factory develop the bike around you' reasoning and went to Kawasaki. The Suzuki GP ride leads to World Superbike or retirement.
They won a world championship in 2000. Hopper was 4th in points in 2007 and Kawasaki was the probably the best bike on the grid in 2007 as well. Honda, Yamaha, and Ducati just had better riders. It was a good bet that the Kawasaki would have been good in 2008 with Hopper.......it didn't pan out.....but it was a good bet.
They won a title, in my eyes, because it rained a lot that season and they had a great rain rider, and Honda hadn't sorted out a number one rider. Roberts did not have the best bike on the grid in 2000 by all accounts. And I said regularly competitive. They won in '93 too - and once again I blame the rider rather than the bike. In the 4 stroke era they only looked good in '07, but that was more a result (again, just my opinion) of Yamaha and Honda initially getting the 800s completely wrong. Remember Stoner pulling away down the straight at Doha? Honda and Yamaha had to be embarrassed. All just guesswork - they never let me ride those bikes, and it's probably for the best.
If my aunt had a dick then she would be my uncle. What happened is what happened. The dude with the trophy and the check won. No ifs, ands or buts about it.
Also the fact that michelin was starting to drop the ball that yr, which helped any team on bridgestones.