WSBK » Spies: I can smell the lead now

Does anyone know how much Spies is making these days? His salary in the US was so big that it caused a lot of teams to shy away from him last year. Mladin was making even more than Spies! He was even rumored to have taken a pay cut to go to Yamaha WSBK. Whatever the number was that Spies was asking for at that time, that number goes up big time with the year he has had!

whether it's colin or james, one of them has to go, please yamaha let us see this nutter ring the neck of an M1

If they still rode the 990's I would say Spies would be a serious threat in Moto GP. Not so much on the 800's.

I hate to say it, but I have yet to see a superbike rider impress me on an 800.

"Having said that Motogp is full of the graves of ex-WSB champs who couldn't cut it. Whats to say Spies will be any different ?"

In the last 20-30 there are WAY more success ex-WSBK guys in MotoGP than 250 GP guys in WSBK. You actually can make a case that Superbike riders have been more successful in GPs than 250 riders in that span of time. You got Spencer, Lawson, Rainey, Schwantz, Doohan, etc. And than the 250GP guys are Val, Criville, Gardner, Roberts Jr., Stoner.

It's only been recent that Superbike riders have struggled. But I believe it has more to do with the bikes now requiring a different style because of the electronics and the guys like Edwards and Bayliss coming con't

over a bit late. And let's not forget that WSBK, AMA and BSB became wildly popular and GPs didn't have the allure it did in the '80s and early '90s so it wasn't a big deal to go. Only during the Rossi and 4 stroke era has GPs gain back some of that luster.

But saying that Spies is young enough, has always ridden a superbike with electronics so he doesn't have that sideways style, and he's brilliant.

Guys like Spencer won dirt track races, AMA superbike, GP 250s, and 500s - all of which require a different style. Great riders can adapt - I believe Spies may have the certain "it".

FYI - Rossi is the only guy since Roberts Sr to have more than 1 title in MotoGP that doesn't have a superbike background.

as i said before haga is just riding 4 points and he will loose this championship if he continues. He must go back to the haga of old "eg last year valelunga vs bayliss"

haga is just riding 4 points ....

This is exactly what Haga should have been doing. The Goal is the Title and by charging after Spies in race #2, Haga made an error and crashed. 25 point delta erased in 1 race. He could have held back a little and secure what easily appeared to be 2nd place.

Haga should have held back for a couple Races and see if Spies would have crashed or suffered another mechanical failure.

If no bad luck for Spies then Haga would have to go for it and try to place in front of Spies in a future race risking a crash.

A Title is skill, luck & strategy. I beleive Haga messed-up the strategy by attempting to attack Spies too soon.