Rizla Suzuki to run third bike at Motegi.

I wish more teams would run a third bike with a guest rider...

Does anyone know if the 'cost per bike' is the same? Or is it more expensive or cheaper overall to run a third bike? With Kawasaki probably doing it next year and suzuki being more regular, perhaps more teams should do it. A bigger grid would be much more exciting. Come back Team Roberts!

Repsol Honda did it a lot back in the day with the 500s didn't they? Okada, Doohan, Criville, and sometimes a young Gibernau? Or am I mistaken?

It would be nice to see the Ilmor effort back on the grid too

Surely Ilmor will never be back??

MotoGP has gone the same way as F1, its just miles too expensive for a private outfit to compete (see Roberts)

Sadly Hologide I think your right.

Guest bikes certainly do add local interest and that helps build the fan base and hence the sport. I believe costs are *high* when compared to my grocery budget, but low compared to increased exposure such an event has in some markets.

Can you imagine Yao Ming riding in China? or Basil Shaaban riding in Dubia? well, if they knew how...

Should have been spies, instead next year the numpty will be riding around on stock fazers in america's excuse for a new superbike series... and all over a few quid when he is already loaded, with the comptitive level in the states dropping dramatically next year we might never hear from him again.

i read somewhere that the team that worked on the Ilmor motogp project has been broken up, so its dead in the water

Ilmors demise
uuuuuu.visordown.com/articles/view/the_ilmor_motogp_project_s_terminal_decline_a_study/670.html

What they should do is run a third bike for the whole season and stick a promising bloke on it, like for instance Spies, or Simoncelli. In an interview Dennig says they need to be more agressive in acquiring riders, like Yamaha, Honda and Ducati do.
I don't understand Suzuki. When Yamaha hired Rossi they knew it would cost them some millions more. But he delivers.
Step up your game Suzuki!

I would have liked to seen Haga on a Yamaha a few times.

Haga rode a YZR500 for WCM Red Bull a few years ago and did nothing ( except crash a lot)

or put Tom Sykes on the 3rd bike at Donington.......at least he knows the track

Here is one to draw some comments. Why not Corser on a third Kawasaki to see if he can weave his development magic?

Corser can develope bikes, he can't work miracles.

LOL !!! Too true,corser cannot turn race fuel into wine,neither can he walk on water and he certainly would have no luck turning that awful bike into a winning machine.Kawasaki got close with Nakano but learned their lessons too slowly and all the hard way.The key is electronics and that is MAGNETTI-MARELLI - the truth and the light.Their chassis is coming along but again,they are the only manufacturer fighting chatter.Remember 2004 when chatter was the word of the day for the satellite RC211Vs !!?

Anyway,the point of this article is a 3rd bike.Running a 3rd bike at a race as a wildcard is no large added expense.The rider is a contracted test rider,additional crew are already working in

contd. - Like capacities.running a 3rd bike all season long is esssentially the addition of a whole team.Ducati are planning to do so with gibernau but they do not have finance issues.Suzuki and Kawasaki would do well to jhave additional teams and see what different riders and structures can bring to the table as far as developing their bikes.Suzuki are so closing to being at a good level and it would be nice to be watching different battles rather than just Ducati/Stoner vs Yamaha/Rossi.

Haga rode a YZR500 for WCM Red Bull a few years ago and did nothing ( except crash a lot)
Posted by mike hunt - Unregistered (14 hours ago)

That was then, this is now.