Just how good is Stoner?

[Triumph]

How good is he? Quite obviously world class, with the ultimate award to prove that.

How long to become a motorcycling 'great'? He already is. He has won the world championship. To stand out from the 'greats' (other world champions) I suppose he would have to win a greater than average number of championships, whatever that may be.

I think if he won three world championships you would have trouble arguing against him being one of the alltime greats.

[ShiftingGears]

I think he has a lot to learn, he has to finish more races and learn to control races.

Yep. I wonder how much of his problems have been due to the wrist injury, and how much of his problems have been caused by him trying to go 110% to avoid going wheel to wheel with Rossi, after Laguna. In any case, he can learn.

[markabilly]

From autosport:

"Knowing the kind of bike the Ducati is, and knowing where Nicky [Hayden] came from on dirt bikes and Superbikes, I just think it's going to be very difficult for him to adapt," Gardner told Eurosport.
"I think he will struggle on that bike. Casey [Stoner] is used to the traction control system on the bike and knows how to ride with it.
"It's gonna be hard to find the limits on the Ducati because of all the traction control," he added. "Look at Casey and he just pins it. If I'd done that on a 500, I'd have been upside down in the grandstand. You need youth to do that. Casey has that."

[Ranger]

From autosport:

"Knowing the kind of bike the Ducati is, and knowing where Nicky [Hayden] came from on dirt bikes and Superbikes, I just think it's going to be very difficult for him to adapt," Gardner told Eurosport.
"I think he will struggle on that bike. Casey [Stoner] is used to the traction control system on the bike and knows how to ride with it.
"It's gonna be hard to find the limits on the Ducati because of all the traction control," he added. "Look at Casey and he just pins it. If I'd done that on a 500, I'd have been upside down in the grandstand. You need youth to do that. Casey has that."

I would be inclined to disagree with Wayne. Casey also comes from fundamentally the same school as Hayden - dirtbikes. He didn't 'know' how to ride with the TC on the Ducati when he first got on it and was substantially quicker than his team-mate, who'd been riding with the team for 5 years.

[Ranger]

Only good with TC...ha!

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=1As2ddi1Kqw



(but keep your volume down)

[Mamnes]

He's awesome. It's good to see someone give Rossi a run for his money. It's beginning to look like a one man show, no offence but, snore, although I think Rossi is ace, everyone does, no getting around that (And from a girly point of view he's quite cute haha).

[The Phantom]

Hey welcome Mamnes.

Good stuff from Stoner in the kart race

I hope 2009 sees a season of fairing and handlebar bashing between Rossi, Stoner, Pedrosa, Hayden, Lorenzo et al.

Hopefully Stoner's offseasn surgery healing has gone well and he's fit for race 1.

[Mamnes]

It would be great to see Hayden getting back on it this year, it would be good to have more races like Laguna Seca last year, great to watch.
But I'll be rooting for Stoner
And I have just noticed that previous post looks like Rossi is the cute one but I meant Stoner haha.