I know its old news (but i've been on hols and just read back copy of MCN)

Cant believe that Steve Hislops pole was quicker than Rossi's this year!!! I know he knows the track as well as anyone - but flippin eck!!! You'd still figure a MotoGP bike would beat a modded Duke!!!!

Think they should start mixing WSB and MotoGP for the odd race. Imagine the publicity if an SP-2 beats the RCV!!!

LOL

Jza

Jza -- it's a good idea, and may well happen in the future. In the 50s, 60s and 70s the 500GP grids were mostly privateer over-the-counter racers (largely derived from road bikes or homolgated racers) mixing with the full-on works teams, and I reckon that would be a good idea now. It's pretty obvious that both MotoGP and WSB can't survive at the current level side by side.

OK, the privateers only used to beat the works teams when they crashed or the bike broke down, but that's what used to draw the big crowds ... people could still identify with some of the bikes being raced.

Thinking about it, R1s, SP2s and Duke 998s are just the modern equivalent of Manx Nortons or G50 Matchless ... just-about road legal racers.