“Some of them go for the sailing, called by the lure of the sea,
Trying to find what is ailing, living in the land of the free.”
“Banana Republics” Jimmy Buffett.
Nobody is ailing more at the moment than Valentino Rossi and the Ducati team. They’ve gone from consistent winners (rider and bike) to sad runners-up in just a few short months. Who would have thought that the motorcycle marriage made in heaven could turn out to be hell?
As usual, David Emmet of motomatters.com is right on the money when it comes to what’s going on and I provide below a link to a VERY long and detailed article that takes all the bits and pieces that we have ehard about the situation and outs them all together AND adds some very valid and worrying conclusions.
The trouble with the Ducati Desmosedici
I absolutely recommend this article, it is the best analysis of the situation that I have read so far.
Now, this week’s issue of gpweek online magazine (if you don’t get it you should subscribe) there is an article that reports rumblings from the Italian press that are so bizarre that they seem almost unbelievable, but which are gathering strength as we speak. Valentino Rossi wants to be released from his Ducati contract at the end of the year and his people have had talks with Honda about VR replacing Tony Elias at LCR on a privately-funded “works” bike basis. Yes, you probably read that here first.
Finally, my search for a set of Marzocchi AG Strada shock absorbers for the Shadowfax is over. My tame Kawasaki spy in Canberra has sourced me an almost new set, the right length WITH the original owner’s manual for a ridiculously decent price. Tonight I am a very happy chappy.
