They handed that duc soup of a bike to who over there? They have Rossi in cars with a sweet deal. That means:

Rossi's second love = Rally is that contract being written up or what?
24 hour races
F1
Pikes peak
Indy
0000
What a package adding to that logo.

Scratch that whole mess with the duc. They knew they were getting out. This has been boiling on the pot for a few years now or since the head cheeze droppedead. Yeah, that guy who owned it last. Going way back, he and Rossi were buddies, no? Without that passion of a CEO, then thru those doors are nothing more than bean counters.

I think Ducati was hoping he could work some magic, and made him an offer he couldn't refuse. That and working with a company from his homeland was probably too hard to resist.

do you remember the VW beatle most sold car ever at one time, they had to change or die as a company now they make all sorts of shit cars.

Duc will be in for some change, inline 4 maybe, what ever sells

Rossi needs a jap bike, maybe his own team , maybe drive rally cars for a while then come back and ride a jap bike.

Audi still better than India though. It's sad, everything artsy and original get eaten by the big whales. Better get the Panigale... The last true Italian Ducati!!!!

agree a Currie muncher nickname would of killed the brand off

What about an apple strudel bike instead, I no Nafink, remember Sargent Schultz in Hogan Heroes

All the great shows are gone just like Duc

I want to see what Audi does to help Ducati engineering keep the look and sound but up the performance and handling a notch for 2013.

Crap don't make me sell my Concours 14 for a 2013 Ducati, Audi!

agree privateer, just because it came from Europe and cost twice as much and has a bullshit legendary past don't me shit to me

the old 14 will be safe for awhile

... just because it came from Europe and cost twice as much and has a bullshit legendary past don't mean shit to me

Who said that? I said that. No, you said that. Wait, I said that, after you said it, then I said that you said it, man. If you only knew how cob'd this ape is put together. Cheap connectors you can go to tandy and match the same parts. Not how I'd build a bike, but lay are like women in so many ways. You want to sample so many out there.

I sampled lady japan. I do like sue she [tastes like dishekey].

"In 1985, Ducati was purchased by Claudio Castiglioni’s Cagiva group and shortly thereafter began making world class performance bikes, including the 851, 888, 916. With that final model, the brand’s existence in the motorcycling pantheon was forever secured. That, plus racing success, opened the door for acquisition by Texas Pacific Group. Ducati was then sold to InvestIndustrial SpA in 2005 and Performance Motorcycles SpA in 2008. Bizarrely, the Hospitals of Ontario Pension Plan is one of the company’s largest current shareholders."

Also, Audi is owned by VW, so it's more VW money and influence. I think it was more a chance to acquire another brand, and some business changes, than actual engineering changes. I think it will be the same ducati designs with VW business and financial control.

Old saying

"Yanks make everything over sized and under engineered
Europeans make everything over engineered and under sized
Australians we don't make anything anymore
Japanese just about right"

Still covers it I think

Good race in jerez , thought Nicky was going to pull of a miracle, and what about Cal Crutchlow great effort.

The usual suspects up the front, getting worried about Ben he's my number 2 man will need to dig deep.

Is it just me or is Stoner smoother than the rest? I'd say that Yam needs a new seat change. If 'Elbows' ain't making it happen with that kind of equipment under him, he may be trucking it back to WSB. He's long in the tooth and this is a young man's sport don't forget. Rossi should have parked his ass in that ferrari when he had that chance awhile back.

Good race in jerez , thought Nicky was going to pull of a miracle, and what about Cal Crutchlow great effort.
The usual suspects up the front, getting worried about Ben he's my number 2 man will need to dig deep.

Ben is my number 2 also, among the new guys but it's not looking for him. If Cal keeps up they're going to give a promotion maybe next year!

Would be sad to see Ben go out that way, its only 2 races but also the middle of the year is almost here, and that's when contracts start to be looked at.

He needs a couple of podiums so when the talks start he's got something to bargain with.

Stoner got to the front and backed off to save tyres and arm pump, Lorenzo pushed as hard so did a few others, Cal was maxed out to the limit and Dovi as well.
Think Cal will start to crash soon , Stoner was 2 seconds a lap slower than dry pace, along with the other front runners
when they get up to speed Cal will get left behind,

Ben can run with the front runners pace

If they were to drop Ben , who gets his ride, who's better than Ben don't see anyone yet.

Arm pump my ass. Hold my baby with my arms, I'm going to run with the slower guys for awhile. I've got kids you know!

* Last updated by: bgordon on 5/3/2012 @ 7:48 AM *

well hub I suppose you could be right but even if you are correct and he dose back off a bit he still has enough to beat everyone out there
At Jerez had an ordinary time with qualifying and with arm pump and set up on his worst track, qualified 5th was 8th or 9th at the first corner then run everyone down in just over 2 laps put a gap to Lorenzo then backed off until the second last lap then put a second on Lorenzo before the finish

That instead of winning by 20 or 30 seconds maybe he will change the way he rides perhaps

This little sweet heart would slow me down, ain't she cute

Alessandra Maria Stoner

* Last updated by: ethin14 on 5/3/2012 @ 8:03 PM *

Good to see Ben solving his problems, and getting some pace back, would be great to see him on the podium.

Looks like it will rain again

If they were to drop Ben , who gets his ride, who's better than Ben don't see anyone yet.

Ben's got a confidence issue me think! Plus a lot of Riders do well in WSBK but are average in motoGP, I'm not giving up on Ben but Cal's got my attention. The lad just made cough a benjamin for a motoGP season pass! Life is tough lol

Arm pump my ass. Hold my baby with my arms, I'm going to run with the slower guys for awhile. I've got kids you know!

Alessandra Maria Stoner

Oh and Lorenzo second row for the first time of his motoGP career, I know the guy's got skills but you have to admit... Uncle Rossi left him an awesome bike! No?

Uncle Rossi left him an awesome bike! No?

Would agree, Rossi, Burgers where at home at Yammy, and got the bike to the top, I think he wants it back.

Lorenzo has a problem that he has no one helping him take points of the Honda's , not sure if the Rossi Burgers team could get back to that place to help but its all putting pressure on Ben

Yammy has a problem, Lorenzo is on his own and needs a team mate to help with points, Ben's doing it tough, Cal and Dovi are doing a fantastic job and they also have signed Scott Reading for TEC 3 next year and maybe Rossi as a wild card comming back

Not enough bikes , someone will be dropped , tough decisions ahead or more money, more sponsers, more bikes.

Just watched the post interviews:
Stoner says he's still struggling with chatter
Jorge said he had a clutch problem during the first laps and Stoner got away
Andrea... I don't remember what he said lol
Cal is happy with his results since he says: he doesn't have a factory bike
Rossi still needs to find a way to put the power to the ground but he's happy he can push it a little more
Ben says he made at least 5 big mistakes and admitted having a confidence issue (I called it!)

Rendez-vous en France!!!!!

* Last updated by: dragking on 5/14/2012 @ 12:19 AM *

The Doctor! Last lap last corner... need I say more!!!

My favorite move is when he has to put his right knee back on the tank to pass Lorenzo. Late braking at his finest and the fact that they are number 1 and 2, both on Yamaha machines makes his greatness indisputable!

A funny thing: A journalist in "after the flag" asked Lorenzo if he would want to work with Rossi again at Yamaha and the lad said yes, adding that Rossi taught him good stuff. Those journalists are mischievous.

Speaking of great racing WSBK races were pretty good!

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/road-racing/2012/05/17/shocker-casey-stoner-to-retire/

Well, had to be that baby. Racing changes every freak'inn year it changes. I don't like the bike? The pool of politics is so inevitable, I'm going for the 'flame ran out of the diaper change changed him.' He pee furs the smell of baby poop rather than race gas splash. Enjoy the rest of the year. New crop is coming up to take his spot. He was one a fast track to breaking records. Oh well? Bet he 6-points into a V-8.

Valentino's contract with Duc is up after this season. I wouldnt mind seeing him get the empty Repsol scoot.