+1...Ben will win 1 maybe 2 races his first year, with 6-8 podiums. He will finish 3rd or 4th in the points. It will be a Rossi/Stoner fight all next year....should be very interesting.
i don't think he will win but, i do think that he will be in the top 5 all season. i think he needs a full backed factory bike to beat rossi, stoner,pedrosa, and lorenzo. just my .02
I would like to see him win a race.It'll take him alittle time to adjust to the 800.I see him running in the top 6 though.Rossi, Lorenzo, Pedrosa, and Stoner are flying. Stoner has come back on fire.Valencia should be a great race to watch.Good luck to Spies.
So, you think Ben will beat Colin who is consistently the best non-factory rider? I think the most interesting side-story next year will be the two Texans on the same team and how they finish vs each other. My guess is Ben may have more podiums than Colin but Colin ends up with more points....
If they were running the 990s i'd wager he'd win a race in his first season. With the 800s I'd hate to even speculate.
I think that he will be pushing it just to finish in the top three on a satellite team. He ended up 5th running in the rain at Indy last year which was darn good considering it was his first GP race, but the competition is pretty darned tough between Stoner, Lorenzo, Rossi, and Pedrosa. I think he will consistently finish ahead of Edwards though. I’m still holding out hope for Hayden but it would be nice to see an American come along and smoke the pack.
At this point I believe Ben is going to have a tough year. There is a lot of riders with great talent in MotoGP who aren't in the Top 4. My guess...today...as in right now...Ben may get a podium or two next year. Valencia may change my mind...and may induce me to say he may get a handful of podiums next year....but beating Stoner, Lorenzo, and Rossi in a straight up fight for a win...I don't think it will happen. Maybe a rain race/strategy win. I do know I am excited for The Ben to go to MotoGP...and can't wait for Valencia right now!!
my prediction: Ben will be behind the slower factory riders in pace next season (learning the Grand Prix trade) and in front of the other satellite teams including Colin. Ben's legit! What type of bike Yamaha gives him will be an important factor... But can his superbike background translate into Grand Prix 800 madness? Toseland would be a good person to answer this question. I think Toseland's abilities didnt come close to surfacing at the Grand Prix level. Was it simply the machine or a combination of team structure/machine/headgames?
My question is, is the Tech3 Yamaha capable of being at the front, race in and race out? It seems to be an ample bike/team combo, but it doesnt seem to be duking it out at the front with Stoner, the Fiat Yamaha's, etc on a regular basis.
Given what Yamaha is rumored to be paying him, and their desire to move him up to MotoGP, why would they give him anything less than their best?
If James Toseland couldn't make it...there is no way Ben can. That's what JT's Brit Fanboi's are saying...and if he does it is because Yamaha gave him special equipment. I hope Ben has a good Valencia so it shuts them up for awhile.
