BSB » GSE to make shock Yamaha switch in 2009

Get Si Andrews on the GSE Yam!!!!

That's make things interesting, especially if Shakey continues with GSE.

Hope we'll still see the Duacti's in BSB though, it's been good having those sexy beasts in the series.

Don't think we'll see the dukes in force next year. John Hackett got the ball rolling for GSE (Sean Emmett, Smoke and Mirror, Tyre from God Anyone??) and now after 10 years Ducati's greed has now finally beaten their best customer by far. I don't see a queue forming for GSE's cancelled bike/engine order, at £200k a pop.

Does anyone think that the torque on the big bang yam might not be too dissimilar to the duke v-twin. Tech-heads please don't berate me for asking, I'm just interested in how Shakey and Leon might handle the change.

Thought Nitro Nori might be commenting on this as him namesake's gone in the opposite direction - where are you Nitro?

There is an article on GSE and interview with Colin Wright in today's MCN. Wright says "This is a good time to switch to a four cylinder bike. I always said the fours would catch up with the twins under the new rules and I've been proved right."

There is also an interview with Andrew Smith (Yamaha Motor UK boss) he says "We still wish to support the core road race events ... we'll be looking to cover that either by Rob McElneas team and / or another team, depending on the total sponsorship we have in place."

I'm here 1098RH !!

I think my namesake will go well on the Ducati to be honest. He's not completely unfamiliar having ridden the Renegade 999 in 2004, and did pretty well on it too.

I feel for Shane Byrne though, as I believe he felt he was in with a strong shout for the Bayliss seat at Xerox, or if that went bang, he'd go to WSB with GSE on the 1098. Now he's left with the prospect of no Xerox ride, nor graduating with GSE to WSB. The Yam package with GSE in BSB will probably be very strong, and I wonder now whether Shakey is looking at a 'pipe and slippers' future with GSE in the UK rather than risking it all in WSB, only to find that if that goes belly up, he has nowehere to go.

It also pleases me to see that Nori has got the Xerox ride as it puts an end to that jumped-up little t055er Biaggi getting his hands on a factory Ducati. Can you imagine how big his head would be if he won the WSBK title on a Ducati ? Would be delighted to see Nori win it finally, but if he doesn't, at least 'bell-end Biaggi' won't romp away with it on a factory Ducati either.

Nitro - The pipe and slippers comment is a good one - BSB might become a bit like AMA has been i.e. the higher paid rides are in the domestic championship so riders stay in their comfort zone rather than risk going to WSB. There will be a lot of money sloshing about in BSB next year - 2009 is the 50th anniversary of Honda racing in GP and at the TT (they won the team prize in the 125cc category at the TT) so Honda will be going all out to win - they have therefore made big money offers to Haslam and Crutchlow to stay. Rizla Suzuki and GSE Yamaha will also have big pockets.

Interesting that there has been no mention of Airwaves - if they were going to be involved with GSE next year I would have expected some PR blurb from them. So does that mean Airwaves are switching to WSB with another team to pursue their European marketing strategy or is the most likely explanation for this switch that Airwaves are pulling out so GSE couldn't afford to go to WSB and Yamaha will be the title sponsor of GSE Yamaha?

Nori - also pleased that Biaggi didn't get the Xerox, but only because I don't think he is suited to the twin - I want to see him on a competitive four again.

It wouldn't completely surprise me now if Shane Byrne does actually stay in the UK with GSE. He'll have won them back the BSB crown (assuming no disasters next week at Silverstone) having seen it go to HMPlant Honda for the previous two seasons, which will increase his 'worth' and bargaining power hugely, which is probably why he hasn't signed for GSE for 2009 along with Camier just yet. Another factor to consider regarding Byrne is the comfortable setup he now has, at this point in his racing career. He has property in Zurich, Spain and the UK. His immediate family are in Kent, his girlfriends family are in Czechoslovakia (I would guess), plus he's about to become a father. Unless the WSBK

GSE are paying for the Yamaha bikes from Yamaha Italy, Rob Mac will still be the offical team supported by Yamaha UK. I do wish these reporters would get there stories right.