What is King Kenny doing??? Has he lost his touch?

[feejer222]

I have just watched the final qualifying for the Philip Island Moto GP. I don't think I will be spoiling anyones viewing when I tell you that Kurtis is last of all and 2 seconds behind the next guy!

I have never rated Kurtis, and put the lack of results down to his level of ability as much as anything else. I have always wondered why KR jnr left so abruptly. The reason became quite obvious today. Because its a full hour of practice the cameras get time to dwell on the lesser mortals and followd Kurtis for a couple of laps. I can only describe the bike as being more like a bucking rodeo bull than a race bike. He was wrestling with it constantly and was out of the seat several times and did a great job just staying on it. Whenever he went down the pit straight he would shake his head and eventually came in, only to go out and get bounced about some more.

My point being what the hell is someone of Kenny Roberts snr standing, doing with such a heap of junk? Surely he has the connections to get himself a decent machine.....or has the sense to know when he is wasting his time, and his sons neck. It seems KR jnr had the sense.

 

[FZ/FJR Mike]

Saw the Laguna Seca round in both 06 & 07 and KR's bikes were much more competitive when they were 990's. They like the Honda sure have struggled with 800's. Although Honda seems to be doing much better lately. Got an autographed Tee from KRJR this year & he said he just wasn't going to ride when he's at leat 2 sec/lap off pace. KR Sr may not be able to get Honda motors for 08 anyway & was told he'd only get enough for a one bike team. He wants to race two bikes but doesn't have the resources. 800's have better corner speed but I loved the violent, raw HP sounds from the 990's.

 

[Hit the Road Jack]

I personally think KR Sr has burned too many bridges to get much help. The fact that he has resorted to Honda motors after decades of anti-Honda sentiment says alot. And do you think Honda will give him their best? I admire the goal of creating an independent team/bike, but the reality of the matter is clearly evident to those of us outside the circus! I agree that Jr. probably is the smart one of the group!

 

[burnergold2B]

My point being what the hell is someone of Kenny Roberts snr standing, doing with such a heap of junk? Surely he has the connections to get himself a decent machine.....or has the sense to know when he is wasting his time, and his sons neck. It seems KR jnr had the sense.

KR racing has been going through some unfortunate, inadvertant, growing pains. Here's the short list of what's going on.

a. Sponsors; Their sponsors deserve the exposure promised. Therefore, they race whether competitive or not. Remember earlier in the season when they were grousing about dropping out for lack of sponsors? Some sponsors came through and they have to deliver exposure.

b. Honda; KR's relationship with Honda is not a sign of desperation or weakness. They have always respected each other as competitors and Honda top brass have actually pointed Kenny Sr to be the reason they HAD to step up their HRC programs everywhere in the 70s. Respect. The 800 motors were far and few between that were near the podium this year. KR's chassis is different than anything HRC is using with the 800 so development in that area was labor intensive, time consuming, and $$$ heavy.

c. Other Fish to fry; Look to see KR Racing in WSBK!!

d. Riders; KR Jr. rides to %98 of the machines' capabilities for his own safety. Kurtis will and does race at %110 at times, over the limits of the bike, hoping that "next level" of suspension/engine/chassis combo is reached with a particular speed. Development is tough at that level particularly when it is so $$$ intensive. KR had wanted to run 2 machines, the reason Kurtis went over, so they would be working and developing the chassis from a possible 2 different angles. 2 riders would have also been a huge advantage in feedback for picking from the tire choices under the new tire rules: Not enough 800 motors to do so prudently.

My .02...