Why is Hopkins Jumping ship?

Confuses me to this day. why the switch? He started at Suzuki and threw a fit for years about the bike, now it's working and he bails? what?

 

he started at yamaha.
But i'm guessing that it is the dollar that is making his decision to go to kawasaki. The kawi has been looking better (as def. so has the suz.) I'd guess suzuki didn't want to pay him what he wanted.

 

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

Revenge for Slowzuki making him ride that turd
all these years.

 

Too often we pigeonhole riders to a certain brand. Unfortunately, many riders move in an effort to either better themselves, better their income, better their chances, make a change of an environment or even a combo of all those things.

What if Hopper changed to Ducati? Would that have been a better choice? Is it not possible that Hopper made the Suzuki as competitive as it currently is and he has decided that he can do the same with Kawasaki and all along, he can make more money?

When RC went from Kawasaki to Honda, everyone bitched. When he left Honda, everyone bitched. His swap over to Honda was a money deal, for sure, but he also felt he could ride another machine and Honda has the money to make a bike competitive (If they want to actually spend money). He then moves from Honda to Suzuki for almost the same reasons as Rossi left Honda. However, how many wondered all along as to how good Doohan was and what would he have done had he moved to another bike other than with HRC? He was pigeonholed and stayed maybe too long...

We pigeonhole these guys and forget it is a job for them. How many of you out there are working the same job you started with? How many times have you changed jobs but stayed in the same field? Why did you change? Sometimes, we change jobs for different reasons and sometimes, it isn't because of money...

I personally think the Kawasaki move is a sideways move for Hopper. I don't think Suzuki was or is that much better a bike than the Kaw. I suspect he is getting the money he feels he deserves and let's face it, who else is going to pick the guy up at this time? HRC? Yamaha? Ducati? All full... If he's getting more money and not going backwards, good on him. If he gets more money and the bike is a ton worse in 2008 than it is now, bad move. However, maybe he wanted to make a change in order to change scenery. Is that so bad?

 

Lizard 1, I was at the dealer show when RC joined Honda. He said he switched because he felt he couldn't accomplish what he wanted to accomplish unless he switched to Honda.

 

Basically, what I said... The money helped, as well... It always does. His switch from Honda to Suzuki was based on money and other things, but Honda didn't want to pay him.

He definately accomplished some major things when he was with Honda. Records that may never be broken... I'd say he made the right move and I definately believe he made the right move to Suzuki.

He doesn't have any regrets. He was worried at first, but he had confidence in DeCoster. His confidence led him towards the right thing.

 

I know. I was just being sarcastic this morning.

I really don't think it would have mattered what bike he chose to race.

 

There are two words that are the main reason for Hopper's switch, Stewart Shenton

 

Gotcha. Sorry for not catching that. I get a little edgey when people talk about RC and Stewart. I kinda have a close tie to them and you wouldn't believe what people think they know...

 

Care to elaborate on that or saving it for the show?

 

anyone have a picture of Hopper's Fiance? Last time the camera cut to her, I thought it was a dam umbrella girl!!! Way to go Hopper scoring the help!!!

 

I'd suspect that John is leaving because of three things...
1) $
2) Management
3) He believes the Kawasaki is faster.

Who is Stewart Shenton?

 

Ah ha, Stewart is an engineer for Suzuki. He goes way back to Schwantz days. However, what is so special about him? Did Stew go to Kawasaki or retire?

 

Who is that? My two words would have been "Paul Denning"

 

Mine would have been "pay check"

 

Stuart Shenton is Hopper's Race Engineer. They apparently aren't getting along.

 

Yep, he needs to pay for that dental bill and those wax jobs he gets. Check out those teeth and eyebrows post race Sunday???? What a strange looking dude he has become.

 

I saw a quick mention of Hopper's relationship with Denning has fallen on hard times recently. I agree, the move is probably money related as well.


On another note. Why is it MX or SX fans can't type out Ricky Charmichal? Or James Stewart? I always see RC, or JS. Should we start refering to MM, VR, MD, NH, RLH, and NH to be like the cool kids?