Rumours Mills 2008/09

[Mach24]

still in talks is the last I've heard of it..

I hope not: suzuki's look far better without the Rizla sponsoring..

However without the Rizla cash perhaps there will be no Suzuki in MotoGP to look at......

[ChrisS]

However without the Rizla cash perhaps there will be no Suzuki in MotoGP to look at......

Rizla cash was never a big deal for Suzuki. Its believed that Rizla paid very little for the sponsorship, an amount that was more suited for Superbikes than MotoGP.

[The Phantom]

It's entirely possible that one of the conditions of the BSB Rizla sponsorship was a MotoGP option, whereby they got a bargain deal - I've read that many other teams were extremely unhappy about the Rizla deal as it devalued MotoGP sponsorship for every other team.

[ChrisS]

True but Rossi now having a personal sponsorship deal with them and the fact they also sponsor the Rinaldi Yamaha MX1 team also lends some weight to it. All will be revealed in good time I guess. Be nice to see Tech3 get a sponsor.

looking at the test pics I noticed Toseland now has Red Bull personal sponsorship so cant be riding a monster sponsored bike

[Roby44]

Troy Bayliss to trade bikes for new career in Supercars

By Mark Hinchliffe
February 19, 2009 Another motorcycle racer is planning a switch to four wheels.
Retired three-time World Superbike champion and MotoGP race winner Troy Bayliss will test with a V8 Supercar team in May and has been invited to race in the Audi Star Series in Europe.
"Cars are something that I love and I've been watching the V8s for many years," Bayliss said in Brisbane.
He will not disclose the team he will test with until March 11, but he is now living on the Gold Coast so it is expected to be a southeast Queensland team, possibly Triple 8, which shares management links with Bayliss.
He follows world and American supercross champion Chad Reed of Newcastle, who has also tested with Triple 8 and Toyota's rally team and plans to go four-wheel racing in his retirement.
Bayliss said his commitments with Ducati as the current world champion meant he would have several overseas duties this year, but said it should leave him free for wildcard entries in V8 endurance events such as Bathurst or the Fujitsu development series.
"Bathurst would be good. I've done my time there on a bike. It would be my favourite place," he said.
Bayliss is hoping for a permanent driving post in 2010.
"I finished World Superbikes on top and in my heart I know I still have a lot of racing left in me," he said.
"I've done tests in a race car before and I know the V8s are quite hard to drive, but I know how to race. I just have to get used to four wheels.
"I'm under no illusions how difficult it will be. I've been thinking about this for a while so (racing) is not an easy thing to pack up and just stop."
Bayliss said he wasn't too old for a change of racing format.
"You don't have to be young. I feel at the top of my game at 39," he said.
"I tried to put a few kilos on at Christmas but I didn't sit well with it so I'm back in training again."
Bayliss ruled out a return to motorcycle racing and said that a challenge by MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi for a one-off race at Qatar had now lapsed
"I won the last race in Valencia in MotoGP in 2006 and Valentino finds that a little hard to take," Bayliss said.
"My team has now been assigned to (Noriyuki) Haga and they can't just pull that team away from him now just before the season starts."
But Bayliss hasn't hung up his leathers entirely.
"It's that time of year when things start to click into gear so I'm starting to feel a little edgy," he said.
"I might do a test at Mugello on the superbike and GP bike just to keep my eye in, but I won't be an official test rider for Ducati."

[maxu05]

I heard that Sue Bird is really a guy, and shaves 3 times a day hock:

[maxu05]

There has got to be a bite soon, come on Matt, where are ya mate

[mx311]

I heard that Sue Bird is really a guy, and shaves 3 times a day hock:

Oh dude, not cool, not cool at all. I mean c'mon, she's soooooo cute.



Anyway, I don't want to wonder off topic so I'll leave it there.

[ChrisS]

It's now made official that Melandri will ride for "Dornasaki" in a single rider team

[jonny hurlock]

Oh dude, not cool, not cool at all. I mean c'mon, she's soooooo cute.



Anyway, I don't want to wonder off topic so I'll leave it there.

who is she I want some more info?

It's now made official that Melandri will ride for "Dornasaki" in a single rider team

shame about hopper though, where will hopper go?