(Part 2) Top products from r/motogp

> I was surprised just how good he was in the junior ranks, I think he said in one year he won 109 from 110 races or something along those lines. Even with that level of domination he still struggled to make sponsors and get a ride. Shows how hard it is to get that shot

That was dirt track racing. They are very short races on dirt bikes. It's possible to enter in multiple categories and race many races over one weekend (which from what I remember in the book he had close to 40 races in one weekend). It's not a 'big time' sport in Australia and even the very best don't get too much in the way of sponsorship, but that has been changing over the last few years.



> He was saying in 06 he was being used as a tyre test dummy with inconsistent tyre compounds that made the bike unridable and fall. That was very interesting.

Apparently that has been very common. Read a similar thing in a book about Barry Sheene (HIGHLY recommend reading it, Sheene), From what I can remember, when he was in a satellite team, when ever he was doing well, the factory team would swoop in, swap his tyres and other bits and pieces from the bike.



> That the 07 Ducati didn't have any power advantage like people implied, Stoner was just able to get the bike up on the meat of the tyre earlier to get better drive.

I think the Ducati did have a power advantage, just boosted by how he was riding it.


> A very interesting point I picked from it, one I've long held myself is Stoner pointed out had Rossi had the class of rider we have today competing against him for most of his career he thought he wouldn't be seen anywhere near the same regard he is now.

I've always wondered this. It's really hard to compare past riders on different bikes. But the bottom line is, you don't win 9 world championships by being pretty good.

+1 Kevin Cameron's Sportsbike Performance Handbook is a really good read. A. Graham Bell has written two books on engine tuning (Two-Stroke /Four-Stroke Performance Tuning) which are good companions.

I am pretty sure MotoGP will race at Qatar in 2018. Unless there are some major geopolitical changes, Dorna will race there until the Qataris stop paying. The Saudis, Qataris, Emiratis, Bahrainis have had squabbles for a long time. The Saudis saying the Qataris sponsor terrorism is the pot calling the kettle black and they know it.

I recommend this article for some context on the Gulf "crisis": http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/how-can-the-qatar-crisis-be-resolved

Steve Coll is a great journalist, recommend his book Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001

Book suggestion - Jorge Lorenzo: My Story So Far

I came across this fantastic bike book.
http://www.amazon.com/Modelling-Simulation-Two-Wheeled-Vehicles-Automotive/dp/111995018X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415993027&sr=8-1&keywords=Modelling%2C+Simulation+and+Control+of+Two-Wheeled+Vehicles

https://www.amazon.com/Steal-This-Book-Abbie-Hoffman/dp/156858217X

MotoGP: The Illustrated History https://www.amazon.com/dp/1780979983/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_MHn1CbPEC8KD6

This

"Ring of Fire" by Rick Broadbent

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ring-Fire-Rick-Broadbent/dp/0593062639