Rumour Mill 2007

The rumour was that the Ten Kate 'A' team would be an HRC team. That was the carrot that was being dangled to encourage James Toseland to stay in WSB.

This is the last year for the full HRC team in BSB and they were planning to switch the resource to World's next year. On that basis you'd think that Kiyo is a shoe in if it does end up being an HRC team under the Ten Kate banner. Kiyo needs to move forward to WSB now before he goes stale.

Personally I think Hodgson would make an excellent team mate for Kiyo - he's experienced and has won the championship before.

That would then leave the 'B' team to probably run Rolfo and Sofuoglu. Their bikes would basically be the spec that Toseland and Rolfo are riding this year and prepared by Ten Kate so a great package.

Roby Rolfo is getting quicker as he gets used to the bike, but he's generally not running in the front pack yet, even as teammate to JT. Last year with Caracchi on the Ducati he started well and faded badly, suggesting that rider or team possibly didn't push on throughout the season in terms of developing. I like Roby (remember his great performances in 250s against the Aprilias) but at present he's not one to lead a team on his own in WSB, particularly when its the top team in the series.


Yes I remember those great rides of Roby in the 250cc class!! Wasn't he a joy to watch!! :) But as you say he is getting quicker, he'll get there I have no doubt ;) ;) ;)

It sounds like Loris might be on the way to Suzuki alongside Chris Vermeulen instead of to Kawasaki.

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sp.../?&R=EPI-93528

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sp.../?&R=EPI-93521
Could be positive for Ant West if he keeps on improving.

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Originally Posted by Roby44

Yes I remember those great rides of Roby in the 250cc class!! Wasn't he a joy to watch!! :) But as you say he is getting quicker, he'll get there I have no doubt ;) ;) ;)

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I am confident Roberto will not be a championship threat once again in 08'!

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Originally Posted by Mach24

I am confident Roberto will not be a championship threat once again in 08'!

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You never know..Stranger things have happened in life!! ;)

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Originally Posted by patnicholls

Again, some pondering.

Gerrit/Ronald ten Kate have said they want someone who can develop the bike as opposed to merely the fastest young charger. So that throws a few things up to think about.

Roby Rolfo is getting quicker as he gets used to the bike, but he's generally not running in the front pack yet, even as teammate to JT. Last year with Caracchi on the Ducati he started well and faded badly, suggesting that rider or team possibly didn't push on throughout the season in terms of developing. I like Roby (remember his great performances in 250s against the Aprilias) but at present he's not one to lead a team on his own in WSB, particularly when its the top team in the series.

I'm all for young hopes moving up, but Sykes and Camier aren't ready yet(Tom got his first two podiums in BSB this weekend - he has been super-consistent all season though in 5th/6th etc; Camier had a metioric start but has slipped back although is regarded highly by HRC after his two Suzuka showings). Jonny Rea...maybe. He still has only won a couple of BSB races, let's be honest. Another year's BSB then we'll see for each of them.

Kiyo is ready - he's won 20+ BSB races and the title, it's time to move back up. Fabrizio could also potentially move across, although he's Honda Europe-backed anyway so could just as easily keep his DFX seat.

Sofuoglu should be a shoe-in for promotion, no debate on that one.

Pitt...I like. But he has a knack for making wrong moves in the rider market or just being unlucky (like being ditched by Yamaha for this year).

Hodgson - is the rider everyone loves to hate on this forum, yes. And as for saying his time was 2003 and not now - I bet a lot of people said TC's time was 1996 and not now at the end of 2004 :p Neil was JT's senior team-mate in 2002 of course, and his recent ride in AMA at Laguna on a not-very-factory Honda proved he's still quick. And I'm a Walker fan!

If I was picking the Ten Kate lineup, I'd go with

• Hodgson (experience)[/*:m:3tztpe06]
• Rolfo (money/developing)[/*:m:3tztpe06]
• Sofuoglu (future superstar)[/*:m:3tztpe06]
• Kiyo (future/present star)[/*:m:3tztpe06]

with Pitt in the WSS team alongside Charpentier or AN Other. Keep Fabrizio at DFX, Italian in Italian team works well, language barriers & team chemistry being important.

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I like your posts Pat. They are generally unbiased and well reasoned. Just a couple of comments:
I rate Hodgsons time as 2003 because that's when all the good guys left (Corser had the Petronas, as good as not being there) and that was his chance. And he took it so good on him. I still rated Corser as the one to beat in 04 because he had previously shown that he could beat the best head-to-head, something that Hodgson has never done.
I think neninja's Hodgson proposal might work. Hodgson could work at Honda if he is picked up to develop the 'Blade alongside Kiyo who could be a contender. I don't rate Neil as a contender though. And whilst his Laguna result was an impressive effort, the AMA is pretty short on depth. If he did it in BSB I would be much more impressed.


In other news, it appears as though Lightspeed Kawasaki rider Davide Guigliano may be out of a ride after busting his ankle (I think) in a national championship race before the last WSS round at Brands. That isn't the problem though. The problem is that he never told his team of his injury and when he wasn't passed fit to ride, it was too late for the team to get a replacement rider and thus had to sit out Brands. Oops.


BMW may enter motorcycle racing next year but in WSB and not MotoGP as has been previously rumoured. They are apparently building a 4 cylinder, 16-valve 1000 called the K1000RS. It is said to begin testing at Vallelunga in October at the conclusion of the WSB season. MV Agusta are also said to be be building a new sports bike, a 675cc triple supersport machine. Neither sound as exciting as Maxu's upcoming race bike but the more the better I reckon.

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Originally Posted by ChrisS

A move to SBK for Kiyo isnt a simple matter of moving from one series to the other.

Kiyo is an HRC rider, HM Plant is an HRC team, Ten Kate has support for Honda Europe but nothing to do with HRC (perhaps they do use an HRC kit but its greatly modified in-house)

I dont think Kiyo would jump from an HRC Team to a 2nd Ten Kate team unless HRC is backing the team in some way

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I believe Ten kate get minimal (if any) support whatsoever from HRC. There is no HRC backed team in WSBK, and certainly not in the way that HM Plant receive massive backing from HRC and Honda UK, so I think you're right on that one ChrisS

Yeah, not even their website has an HRC logo on it, a surefire sign of a lack of Honda Racing involvement. I think the only HRC bits they have, they buy and then probably modify them better anyway! :)

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Originally Posted by burger

I believe Ten kate get minimal (if any) support whatsoever from HRC. There is no HRC backed team in WSBK, and certainly not in the way that HM Plant receive massive backing from HRC and Honda UK, so I think you're right on that one ChrisS

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The HM Plant team is the only full HRC Superbike team outside of Japan with Japanese HRC staff and the bikes are built in Japan and shipped complete to the team. They also have factory Showa suspension.

That HRC support ends this year so they will probably transfer those resources to WSB and most likely to Hannspree / Ten Kate. That would explain Ten Kate's plans to run 4 bikes next year.

It would also provide the platform for Kiyo to move to WSB which would seem to be Honda's intention.

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Originally Posted by fireblade1000

Anyone herd any more on the rumours that airwaves ducati or hm plant honda will be heading from bsb to wsbk?

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Well, obviously nothing's been announced yet and possibly won't be til later this season/after the season.

As with the past year-and-a-bit, there are various noises about both teams and from the Airwaves Ducati riders in particular. A lot of things come into it including riders, sponsors (as seen with the Reve Ekerold WSS team, sometimes sponsors would rather be in a domestic market than on the world stage), the new Ducati 1098 or whatever is going to be raced, etc.

Both teams have been in WSB recently though - HRC with Colin Edwards up to 2002 winning two titles and GSE up to the end of 2003. They've both got the resources to do it.

It is noticeable that the depth of BSB is currently a little more than WSB (WSB is pretty good down to about 15th...then there's not much at all), as some of the privateer Brit guys who've wildcarded at Donington/Brands have been a little further up the order in WSB than they are in BSB (Aaron Zanotti and Marty Nutt, I'm referring to). So FGSport will probably be looking to get some stronger teams involved to bulk things up nicely. HM Plant and GSE will be near the front.

As I say though, wait and see.