Ben Spies takes up knitting

CC Cowboy · October 27th, 2013, 01:43 PM

Retirement

Alex · October 27th, 2013, 02:12 PM

Seems like a better option than another crappy year (at best) on a satellite Ducati. Good luck to him.

nickjpass · October 27th, 2013, 04:26 PM

Retired due to repeated shoulder injuries. Wonder if he'll ever be back. I like watching him ride...

Dragone · October 27th, 2013, 04:39 PM

He is indeed a talented rider. Sometimes stepping back, smell the roses and heal up is the best course of action. (Sometimes a person can bite off more than what they can chew as well) I want to see him back in WSB!

Alex · October 28th, 2013, 11:06 AM

Mat Mladin's take on the situation made me chuckle.

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2013/Oct/1310281166.htm

CC Cowboy · October 28th, 2013, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

Mat Mladin's take on the situation made me chuckle.

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2013/Oct/1310281166.htm

Mladin was a great in AMA but being great in AMA doesn't compare to WSB or MotoGP (500cc class prior). At least nowadays. It was different back when Freddy, Eddie, Wayne, Kenny, and the boys were racing AMA.

Alex · October 28th, 2013, 11:22 AM

True - but don't forget that Mladin made it to 500GP very early in his career. He also had a front-row seat to all of Ben (and his mother's) progression through the AMA. Ben always came across as a huge talent and a good guy. But Mladin was always far more interesting.

alex.s · October 28th, 2013, 12:02 PM

we need an american that can take podiums. someone tell hayes its time to step up his game

Alex · October 28th, 2013, 12:20 PM

I think we'll get a clear picture of what AMA talent looks like next year when Herrin moves over to Moto2. This year's AMA SBK champ, who outpointed Hayes, is moving to what is expected to be a competitive Moto2 ride. If he's midpack, or worse, it would be a clear indication that AMA remains way off world-class at the moment.

Spies went from AMA SBK champ directly to WSBK champ, so the talent between at least he and Mladin was world class at that point.

CC Cowboy · October 28th, 2013, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

I think we'll get a clear picture of what AMA talent looks like next year when Herrin moves over to Moto2. This year's AMA SBK champ, who outpointed Hayes, is moving to what is expected to be a competitive Moto2 ride. If he's midpack, or worse, it would be a clear indication that AMA remains way off world-class at the moment.

Spies went from AMA SBK champ directly to WSBK champ, so the talent between at least he and Mladin was world class at that point.

The talent was there but why didn't he go, F#ingpussy!

Alex · October 28th, 2013, 02:05 PM

He did go, but he went to early. Right from winning the Australian SBK championship, he went to the Cagiva team in 500GP. Finished 13th for the season, and then came to the US for AMA. By the time he was making millions riding for Suzuki, there wasn't a ride available anywhere in the world that would pay him anywhere near what he was earning in the AMA.

CC Cowboy · October 28th, 2013, 03:26 PM

One year with poor results. He could been a contender (no wait that was Brando).

Alex · October 28th, 2013, 03:34 PM

I tend to agree with you. He had the work ethic, the talent, and likely the mindset to succeed at just about any level. It's just that the timing didn't work out. When he was cleaning up with AMA SBK titles, he was asked over and over again why didn't he want to take that success to WSBK or GP, and his answer was always the same. There was never any ride available where he would earn nearly as much as he was already guaranteed with Yosh here in the US of A. Make multiple millions here in the US where he was winning championships with the best team / best bike, or ride for far, far less in Europe on a bike that may or may not have winning potential.

Right now, AMA is paying crap. But Mladin and Spies were extremely well compensated back in the day. Even in GP today, I'd guess there are 5 riders, if that, who are currently earning what Mat was earning back then. Everyone else is making much less, or even paying for the privilege to ride.

CC Cowboy · October 28th, 2013, 03:51 PM

Money is everything! Especially when your life is on the line.

nickjpass · October 28th, 2013, 07:28 PM

How did you watch the Ama series @Alex I could find it on tv

Mocha Man · October 28th, 2013, 07:37 PM

Sad, but definitely about time.

Alex · October 28th, 2013, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickjpass

How did you watch the Ama series @Alex I could find it on tv

Their season is over. I believe CBS Sports picked up the TV contract for this year and next year. Here's a list of motorcycle racing on TV by channel:

http://www.cyclenews.com/TV-Listings

Gurk · October 28th, 2013, 08:44 PM

So hard to gauge what Herrin can pull off... WSS champion got pwned in moto2 in 11 or 12 I forgot which year it was. His problem was he was eating through tires real fast.

nickjpass · October 29th, 2013, 04:53 AM

Thanks @Alex

nickjpass · October 29th, 2013, 04:53 AM

Thanks @Alex

Aufitt · October 29th, 2013, 05:51 AM

Qatar GP, 11th: Struggles throughout the race with vicious chassis vibration. Post-race checks uncover a cracked sub-frame, the legacy of a crash during practice.

Spanish GP, 11th: Spies is unable to run at the front on the damp track due to a mysterious lack of front grip. Turns out to be a chassis set-up issue.

Portuguese GP, 8th: An eventful race, during which he runs wide and nearly highsides. Spies owns up: “I made a few big mistakes – my fault”.

French GP, 16th: A start-line incident damages his helmet, allowing rain water to flood inside. He couldn’t see, so he stops to change helmets. Finishes one place out of the points.

Catalan GP, 10th: Spies gets away with the leaders, grabs the lead, runs off the track and topples off his M1. Restarts and charges through the pack to tenth.

British GP, 5th: He leads the first few laps ahead of Stoner, then starts going backwards. His rear tyre had blistered. “From then it was just damage control.”

Dutch TT, 4th: Looking good for his first podium of the year when his rear tyre goes to pieces. He very nearly crashes but bravely continues to finish fourth.

German GP, 4th: Qualifies second and is full of confidence, but on race morning is told the soft tyre he wants to use won’t go the distance. Has to race with the less grippy hard tyre.

Italian GP, 11th: Gets food poisoning the night before the race but decides to race even though he’s really quite ill. “Afterwards I was puking and 110 per cent destroyed.”

US GP, DNF: Spies is heading for a confidence-boosting fourth-place finish when a shock mount breaks, chucking him down the road at the Corkscrew.

Indianapolis GP, DNF: After leading the first laps, Spies is looking safe in second place when his engine blows in spectacular style. Yamaha suspect a dropped valve.

Czech GP, DNF: His M1’s clutch slips from the start, dropping him to 14th. Once the clutch cools off he races through to eighth, then slides off.

San Marino GP, 5th: It’s a miracle! Spies completes his first incident-free race of 2012. “It wasn’t a great race. But no regrets, I just wanted to finish in one piece.”

Aragon GP, 5th: Running third in the early laps, Spies has two major front-end scares, so he backs it down a bit to stay on the right side of Lady Luck and ends up fifth.

Japanese GP, DNF: Brake failure at the start of lap two sends Spies through the gravel and into a trackside hoarding. His brake pads had worn 2mm in the first lap.

Malaysian GP, DNF: Spies was one of six fallers during the rain-lashed race, but the only rider to suffer serious injury – a broken shoulder that ended his season.

------
And that was 2012!
So unlucky yet so skilled.

USA needs to get young riders into Moto3 if they want future champions.
And the path to that is Spanish Moto3, or European cup series etc as teenagers.
Or get it happening on your own shores
(Australia used to, but now they leave early like Jack Miller & Arthur Sissis, the older ones go to other Supersport and Superbike Championships.)

October 27th, 2013, 01:43 PM	#1
CC Cowboy ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Whodat Location: Ware Is.,MA Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): I pass the wind! Posts: A lot. MOTM - Mar '13, Jun '14	Ben Spies takes up knitting Retirement __________________________________________________ If everything seems under control; you're just not going fast enough!
	2 out of 2 members found this post helpful.

October 27th, 2013, 02:12 PM	#2
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	Seems like a better option than another crappy year (at best) on a satellite Ducati. Good luck to him. __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)
	2 out of 2 members found this post helpful.

October 27th, 2013, 04:26 PM	#3
nickjpass #squid Name: nickypoo Location: Five Guys Join Date: Jul 2011 Motorcycle(s): Track dedicated 2008 ZX6R Posts: A lot. MOTM - Jul '16	Retired due to repeated shoulder injuries. Wonder if he'll ever be back. I like watching him ride... __________________________________________________

October 28th, 2013, 11:06 AM	#5
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	Mat Mladin's take on the situation made me chuckle. http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2013/Oct/1310281166.htm __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

October 28th, 2013, 11:22 AM	#7
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	True - but don't forget that Mladin made it to 500GP very early in his career. He also had a front-row seat to all of Ben (and his mother's) progression through the AMA. Ben always came across as a huge talent and a good guy. But Mladin was always far more interesting. __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

October 27th, 2013, 04:39 PM	#4
Dragone ninjette.org member Name: Ted Location: Nevada Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): '86 VFR 750, '90 ZX7, '92 KZ1000, '05 ninja 500, '05 6RR, '06 10R, '07 ninja 250 Posts: 122	He is indeed a talented rider. Sometimes stepping back, smell the roses and heal up is the best course of action. (Sometimes a person can bite off more than what they can chew as well) I want to see him back in WSB!

October 28th, 2013, 12:02 PM	#8
alex.s wat Name: wat Location: tustin/long beach Join Date: Sep 2009 Motorcycle(s): wat Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 5 MOTM - Oct '12, Feb '14	we need an american that can take podiums. someone tell hayes its time to step up his game __________________________________________________

October 28th, 2013, 12:20 PM	#9
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	I think we'll get a clear picture of what AMA talent looks like next year when Herrin moves over to Moto2. This year's AMA SBK champ, who outpointed Hayes, is moving to what is expected to be a competitive Moto2 ride. If he's midpack, or worse, it would be a clear indication that AMA remains way off world-class at the moment. Spies went from AMA SBK champ directly to WSBK champ, so the talent between at least he and Mladin was world class at that point. __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)
	1 out of 1 members found this post helpful.

October 28th, 2013, 02:05 PM	#11
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	He did go, but he went to early. Right from winning the Australian SBK championship, he went to the Cagiva team in 500GP. Finished 13th for the season, and then came to the US for AMA. By the time he was making millions riding for Suzuki, there wasn't a ride available anywhere in the world that would pay him anywhere near what he was earning in the AMA. __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

October 28th, 2013, 03:26 PM	#12
CC Cowboy ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Whodat Location: Ware Is.,MA Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): I pass the wind! Posts: A lot. MOTM - Mar '13, Jun '14	One year with poor results. He could been a contender (no wait that was Brando). __________________________________________________ If everything seems under control; you're just not going fast enough!

October 28th, 2013, 03:34 PM	#13
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	I tend to agree with you. He had the work ethic, the talent, and likely the mindset to succeed at just about any level. It's just that the timing didn't work out. When he was cleaning up with AMA SBK titles, he was asked over and over again why didn't he want to take that success to WSBK or GP, and his answer was always the same. There was never any ride available where he would earn nearly as much as he was already guaranteed with Yosh here in the US of A. Make multiple millions here in the US where he was winning championships with the best team / best bike, or ride for far, far less in Europe on a bike that may or may not have winning potential. Right now, AMA is paying crap. But Mladin and Spies were extremely well compensated back in the day. Even in GP today, I'd guess there are 5 riders, if that, who are currently earning what Mat was earning back then. Everyone else is making much less, or even paying for the privilege to ride. __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

October 28th, 2013, 03:51 PM	#14
CC Cowboy ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Whodat Location: Ware Is.,MA Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): I pass the wind! Posts: A lot. MOTM - Mar '13, Jun '14	Money is everything! Especially when your life is on the line. __________________________________________________ If everything seems under control; you're just not going fast enough!

October 28th, 2013, 07:28 PM	#15
nickjpass #squid Name: nickypoo Location: Five Guys Join Date: Jul 2011 Motorcycle(s): Track dedicated 2008 ZX6R Posts: A lot. MOTM - Jul '16	How did you watch the Ama series @Alex I could find it on tv __________________________________________________

October 28th, 2013, 07:37 PM	#16
Mocha Man Blue Shell magnet Name: Nolan Location: Northwest Washington Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 1997 Ninja 250 Posts: 816	Sad, but definitely about time.

October 28th, 2013, 08:44 PM	#18
Gurk Done here. Name: - Location: Track Join Date: Jul 2011 Motorcycle(s): - Posts: A lot.	So hard to gauge what Herrin can pull off... WSS champion got pwned in moto2 in 11 or 12 I forgot which year it was. His problem was he was eating through tires real fast.

October 29th, 2013, 04:53 AM	#19
nickjpass #squid Name: nickypoo Location: Five Guys Join Date: Jul 2011 Motorcycle(s): Track dedicated 2008 ZX6R Posts: A lot. MOTM - Jul '16	Thanks @Alex __________________________________________________

October 29th, 2013, 05:51 AM	#21
Aufitt The A Team Name: Aufitt Location: Western Australia Join Date: Aug 2012 Motorcycle(s): Z50, CB125, RZ500, MC22, R3. Posts: 394	Qatar GP, 11th: Struggles throughout the race with vicious chassis vibration. Post-race checks uncover a cracked sub-frame, the legacy of a crash during practice. Spanish GP, 11th: Spies is unable to run at the front on the damp track due to a mysterious lack of front grip. Turns out to be a chassis set-up issue. Portuguese GP, 8th: An eventful race, during which he runs wide and nearly highsides. Spies owns up: “I made a few big mistakes – my fault”. French GP, 16th: A start-line incident damages his helmet, allowing rain water to flood inside. He couldn’t see, so he stops to change helmets. Finishes one place out of the points. Catalan GP, 10th: Spies gets away with the leaders, grabs the lead, runs off the track and topples off his M1. Restarts and charges through the pack to tenth. British GP, 5th: He leads the first few laps ahead of Stoner, then starts going backwards. His rear tyre had blistered. “From then it was just damage control.” Dutch TT, 4th: Looking good for his first podium of the year when his rear tyre goes to pieces. He very nearly crashes but bravely continues to finish fourth. German GP, 4th: Qualifies second and is full of confidence, but on race morning is told the soft tyre he wants to use won’t go the distance. Has to race with the less grippy hard tyre. Italian GP, 11th: Gets food poisoning the night before the race but decides to race even though he’s really quite ill. “Afterwards I was puking and 110 per cent destroyed.” US GP, DNF: Spies is heading for a confidence-boosting fourth-place finish when a shock mount breaks, chucking him down the road at the Corkscrew. Indianapolis GP, DNF: After leading the first laps, Spies is looking safe in second place when his engine blows in spectacular style. Yamaha suspect a dropped valve. Czech GP, DNF: His M1’s clutch slips from the start, dropping him to 14th. Once the clutch cools off he races through to eighth, then slides off. San Marino GP, 5th: It’s a miracle! Spies completes his first incident-free race of 2012. “It wasn’t a great race. But no regrets, I just wanted to finish in one piece.” Aragon GP, 5th: Running third in the early laps, Spies has two major front-end scares, so he backs it down a bit to stay on the right side of Lady Luck and ends up fifth. Japanese GP, DNF: Brake failure at the start of lap two sends Spies through the gravel and into a trackside hoarding. His brake pads had worn 2mm in the first lap. Malaysian GP, DNF: Spies was one of six fallers during the rain-lashed race, but the only rider to suffer serious injury – a broken shoulder that ended his season. ------ And that was 2012! So unlucky yet so skilled. USA needs to get young riders into Moto3 if they want future champions. And the path to that is Spanish Moto3, or European cup series etc as teenagers. Or get it happening on your own shores (Australia used to, but now they leave early like Jack Miller & Arthur Sissis, the older ones go to other Supersport and Superbike Championships.)
	1 out of 1 members found this post helpful.

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