Doesn't look like Ben is going to catch a break...
Spies will not get a Suzuki MotoGP ride
- Thread starter Charlesbusa
- Start date
bigoltool
Registered
You have got to be kidding me! Paul Denning just made what has to be the stupidest statement in history! NOW he says they need to recruit top level Talent! Take a look at all of the comments in the discussion portion of this page. Denning had Ben Spies and they signed Capirossi (disagree) and Vermeulen (agree) both of whom Spies spanked at Indy! Has Spies got some undesirable trait that the MotoGP elite don't like? I don't know but this is ridiculous! Somebody give this dude a ride ferchrissake!
"It is an important option but you are dealing with a human being and not some mechanical piece you can say definitely does or doesn’t work. But Yamaha have got two winners on their bikes, Honda has Dani for the long term and Ducati has Casey.
Other teams and manufacturers need their own special rider to take it to those guys so we have to focus on who could give us the best result, whoever it might be.â€
"It is an important option but you are dealing with a human being and not some mechanical piece you can say definitely does or doesn’t work. But Yamaha have got two winners on their bikes, Honda has Dani for the long term and Ducati has Casey.
Other teams and manufacturers need their own special rider to take it to those guys so we have to focus on who could give us the best result, whoever it might be.â€
Suzuki made a bad move ...
GSXR13008K
Registered
WSBK? Would that not be a less than lateral move for an AMA Superbike Champion?
What? We get like three of their races a year televised here and they come on at 2am...
Also, are you guys saying that MotoGP would be a pay CUT for him?
If its a pay cut.... why would he want to do it in the first place? I know I would not pull up stakes and move to Europe to make less money than I do living here!
What? We get like three of their races a year televised here and they come on at 2am...
Also, are you guys saying that MotoGP would be a pay CUT for him?
If its a pay cut.... why would he want to do it in the first place? I know I would not pull up stakes and move to Europe to make less money than I do living here!
AMA is the smallest pond and Ben is the guy making the big bucks. WSB is
the next step because it is "World Superbike", MotoGP is the SHIAYT. Ben
would be the "unproven rookie" and make less $$$ than he does now, BUT
the upside is so much more than what he's making now.
He wouldn't have to move, since they do a 18 race schedule all over the world.
He would have to live out of a suitcase for a good part of the year though. He
travels a lot now...just would have to do it on a world wide circuit vs. a USA
circuit.
bigoltool
Registered
Spies’ biggest problem is that his success (both here and in his MotoGP wildcard races) has pushed him to the pinnacle of the sport (here in the US anyway) both in terms of Competition and Salary! Yes he actually makes more here than several of the MotoGP regulars and most if not all of the WSBK grid! Rumored to be somewhere well north of $2M a year at the moment. It may sound like a lot but Rossi makes 20+ a year so that gives you an idea of the range. I don’t think the pay cut is the stumbling block as Spies has already acknowledged that he would race for peanuts if he had first rate machinery! And that may be the key. There are only a select few guys at the pinnacle of MotoGP who get "the Good stuff" all the time. That means that the guys on satellite teams (Privateers) are forced to make do with the customer bikes and race kit parts VS the Factory bikes with the Factory cranking out custom frames etc. every race for them. This season has shown that gap is closing up rapidly though. Dovioso and Elias are proof of that. They have both been showing remarkable speed on their satellite bikes in some cases outrunning the factory guys. In Dovi's case it has parlayed into a Repsol Honda ride and undoubtedly a higher salary and bigger endorsement deals. So it is really a pay your dues situation. You just have to find someone willing to let you in on the ground floor as it were.
Understood Gents.
I'll admit, I am a student of all this but love to read the threads here and catch the races on the DVR at every turn. Were it not for you guys, I'd be lost!
I was thinking these guys riding the bikes in MotoGP were CERTAINLY riding the best equipment that can be devised anywhere and that they in turn, were making the best bux too!
Astounded that AMA was bringing Ben more than WSBK or even GP could garner - in its mid tier anyway. Rossi is understandably not gonna hurt for much!
That's some interesting fodder given what may, or may not, be about to unfold with this DMG deal.
Maybe Suzi / Yosh is gonna toss some good coin to him to play here.... along with his somewhat successful team mate?
Kinda like an anchor store at a new shopping mall...
I'll admit, I am a student of all this but love to read the threads here and catch the races on the DVR at every turn. Were it not for you guys, I'd be lost!
I was thinking these guys riding the bikes in MotoGP were CERTAINLY riding the best equipment that can be devised anywhere and that they in turn, were making the best bux too!
Astounded that AMA was bringing Ben more than WSBK or even GP could garner - in its mid tier anyway. Rossi is understandably not gonna hurt for much!
That's some interesting fodder given what may, or may not, be about to unfold with this DMG deal.
Maybe Suzi / Yosh is gonna toss some good coin to him to play here.... along with his somewhat successful team mate?
Kinda like an anchor store at a new shopping mall...
Last edited:
bigoltool
Registered
This got me thinking so I went and did a little snooping.
Here's an article about Casey Stoner being only the 14th highest paid sportsman in Australia at `$4.2M
Here's an article interviewing Neil Hodgson
"Q Without getting too specific, is helmet money in MotoGP equitable to salary money in World Superbike?
A It would be, certainly, for the top riders. Probably what Valentino Rossi will earn for wearing a helmet, that will be double what World [Superbike] Champion James Toseland will earn for his contract. And that's fact, because I know roughly what James earns and I known roughly what Valentino would get for wearing a helmet. It's crazy, really."
When John Hopkins signed for Kawi last year he was reported to have signed for $4.2M
Here's an article about Casey Stoner being only the 14th highest paid sportsman in Australia at `$4.2M
Here's an article interviewing Neil Hodgson
"Q Without getting too specific, is helmet money in MotoGP equitable to salary money in World Superbike?
A It would be, certainly, for the top riders. Probably what Valentino Rossi will earn for wearing a helmet, that will be double what World [Superbike] Champion James Toseland will earn for his contract. And that's fact, because I know roughly what James earns and I known roughly what Valentino would get for wearing a helmet. It's crazy, really."
When John Hopkins signed for Kawi last year he was reported to have signed for $4.2M
uke:
Wow!!
At least its good equipment for Ben...
IT'S OFFICIAL. BEN LEAVES ZUK FOR YAMAHA ITALIA WSBK!!
Soup :: American Ben Spies To Yamaha World Superbike :: 10-01-2008
Although it saddens me to see him leave Suzuki, he'll have super competitve machinery right from the get go. Yamaha also signed BSB champ Tom Sykes as well (also formerly with Rizla Suzuki Superbike). That team will be contenders. Did you see how much competition Sykes gave Bayliss at Donington Race 1? Wow!! Also, word on the grapevine is the Spies deal will give him an "in" with Tech 3 in 2010, as Edwards' replacement? This should be interesting!
Soup :: American Ben Spies To Yamaha World Superbike :: 10-01-2008
Although it saddens me to see him leave Suzuki, he'll have super competitve machinery right from the get go. Yamaha also signed BSB champ Tom Sykes as well (also formerly with Rizla Suzuki Superbike). That team will be contenders. Did you see how much competition Sykes gave Bayliss at Donington Race 1? Wow!! Also, word on the grapevine is the Spies deal will give him an "in" with Tech 3 in 2010, as Edwards' replacement? This should be interesting!
I dont think he will be the Lone American there for long though. Similar threads
