MotoAmerica | Silly Season | 2025

Remember (unless I'm mistaken) he was also fighting against that Duc with a Yamaha that wasn't as strong as the current Yamahas. He was down on power to the current Yamaha because they didn't have those "concessions" on engine build yet. And he was still up there.

 

Gobert makes Rocco look like Mother Theresa. We’ve gone soft.

 

You overlook the next year when he did it again and won twins at the same time. You overlook 4th and 4 podiums his 1st year in SS and then tried to say his 2nd with 4 wins and 8 podiums was due to a weak class. Next year he spots the field a round and barely lost the title yet still led the class in race wins. This year he has a new bike and still had the most wins in the class. Oh and won in baggers on a nonfactory team.

Who are the similarly aged kids he hasn't beat?

 

Rocco's bagger win at COTA made me a believer. Not the win but how he won. Dude has 100% commitment. If he doesn't have the goods then neither does the rest of the grid.

You know who Rocco reminds me of?

Herrin.

Probably not horrible company to be compared to...

 

My somewhat realistic '25 Superbike Dream lineup:

(assuming current teams and they all come back, plus a Honda team for shits and giggles)

Attack:

Gagne
Rocco

Tytlers:

CB6
SDK

M4 Suzuki:

Escalante
Ty Scott (he's verbally said he'll be back in SS next year though)

Warhorse:

JH2
Bradley Ray or Scott Redding or Alex Dumas

Lets say American Honda makes the step back in:

Gillim
Herfoss or Taz McKenzie

Top Pro:

Uribe
Jiggy Dog 95

 

Jiggy Dog doesn't have a contract for next year and doesn't need to get anywhere near a BMW. Put him on a Yamaha.

Petersen and Fong need to switch seats.

Better yet, put Escalante on a Yamaha. I think that guy's potential is yet to be tapped into.

 

Baz out? That's a spicy hot take. How come?

Also, and I obviously missed it, but why all the Scott Redding revival fanfare... he came, went, came back, went again, and never really got there. Not sure how he'd bring something extra to the table that others already in the series couldn't. Not hating on Redding, just trying to understand the rationale.

 

How about Gillim? He had the pass of the year to win the STK1000 championship. That was the biggest send of anyone I saw this year.

I hope Rocco gets a good ride, and I think he’ll impress, but the kid needs some team consistency first.

 

Could Rocco capitalize on a legitimate superbike ride at this point in his career? Maybe not, but I wouldn't bet against it. (Alright, maybe I would, if the field is as deep as it has been.)

I agree with the analysis on the bagger ride. For all we know, he could "show up" for a superbike ride as well.

The Josh Herring comparison is interesting...

 

Gillim deserves a real Superbike ride more than anyone. Going back to the “Man with a Van and a Plan” era, he’s always been a weapon on a 1000cc bike, and he was certaintly no slouch on a 600 despite having a size disadvantage.

And with baggers, Herfoss on a bike unlike anything he’s ever ridden and on all new tracks to him, kicked butt, and did so immediately.

There are a lot of great riders in the paddock who aren’t projects that are deserving of a Superbike seat. Matty and PJ, and even Xavi… it took him to two races to be up with CamP. This doesn’t discount the overseas riders who seem to throw their name in the hat come contract time.

 

I like Baz and more importantly I think Herrin and Warhorse like him as a solid #2 so my take wasn't a dig on Loris as much as a hope to see some fresh meat in the series and for the world to see how MA is when you toss in another former Factory Ducati SBK rider and former Motogp rider in Redding. Yes his best day are behind him but then again, look at Xavi, even Toni Elias when he came over was considered out to pasture.

 

You see this too, right?

 

DAMN!!

 

Yes, he deserves it but no one owes him or anyone anything, and despite deserving it for years now, he just hasn’t been offered one. That’s just how it works.

They’re two different things. Reading comprehension…

 

Really? What constitutes "deserving?" If that doesn't mean that you think someone should give him a ride, then what? Nobody's keeping him from funding his own ride, so that's clearly not what you meant. Or perhaps you meant something really tangible like, say, karma? A magical bike and a semi truck appearing in his driveway out of nowhere. Please elaborate. As you noticed, my reading is not so good.

 

Run away!!!!

 

Kinda fucking cruel to say to @HPPT, don’t you think?

 

Wha? You ever see Monty python holy grail? Remember the part with the Frenchman chirping Arthur and then launching a cow at the English? Papa is loading a cow right now.

 

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...

JESUS CH@ST!!