“I’m about to give you all of my money
And all I’m askin’ in return, honey
Is to give me my profits
when you get home (just a, just a, just a, just a)
yeah baby (just a, just a, just a, just a)
when you get home (just a little bit)
Yeah (just a little bit)”
– R.E.S.P.E.C.T., Aretha Franklin

Yamaha has been singing those words for about a year now and oh what a profit they have brought home. In a strategically delivered death blow, Yamaha found out about the tension between the three time MotoGP champ and monolithic Honda and swooped in for the kill. With a purchase price rumored to top $10,000,000, Yamaha took the risk of bringing the greatest motorcycle rider in history to the blue machines for 2004. Much has been said about the risk Rossi took but what about Yamaha? They where shelling out all that dosh to prove their bike wasn’t the pile it was reported to have been by ex-riders like Biaggi and Barros. Fortunately, they were also willing to spend the money to bring the most experienced crew in GP history in to support their star and waive the usual factory development process because they trusted the team’s direction.

If Rossi couldn’t put in another stellar year on the bike, surely Yamaha’s world wide rep was in for a major beating. In fact, even with Rossi’s unbelievable fourth MotoGP title, the result is mainly recognition of Rossi’s brilliance because the Yamaha was clearly not the equal to the Honda at fast tracks like Mugello and Catalunya but Rossi beat them anyway. Talk about R.E.S.P.E.C.T.!

I hate dominance. I hated it when Rainey ruled and I hated it when Doohan crushed everyone under foot. I’ve even been unhappy to see Rossi commanding the series, even when I was awed by his amazing riding exhibitions. But ultimately, both Yamaha and Rossi deserve all the respect they are getting and more. Both took a huge risk this season and both worked incredibly hard to put together a season which baffled even the most optimistic fans.

Kudos to Valentino Rossi, the 2004 MotoGP champion!

[image from Yamaha Racing web site]

I’ve exchanged email with a few different people where the question has distilled down to “what happened?”. After Nicky’s stellar freshman season in MotoGP being on the factory Honda squad, teammate to World Champ Rossi and nabbing Rookie of the Year in 2003, big things were surely expected in 2004. With Rossi expected to struggle in his first season on the Yamaha, the kid from Kentucky was tagged as one of the potential champs for 2004. …but it didn’t happen. Worse yet, this was the second of two years on his contract, in an industry where second chances (for American riders) aren’t extended very often.

Nicky showed some great riding at times this year but it seemed like Rossi, Biaggi and Gibernau were usually a little faster when it counted. Certainly his crash caused injuries which spoiled the second half of his season but I think there are two other issues.

First, Nicky still hasn’t learned to raise his qualifying performance to the same level as the other front runners. Nicky clearly has the speed but can’t ramp up to it fast enough to meet the pace in the last minutes of qualifying. Where the other guys cut 1 or 2 seconds off their lap time in just a few laps on their gumballs, Nicky usually doesn’t. When you’re on the second or third row, in a field this talented, you’ve already put yourself out of contention for the win.

Second, I don’t think Nicky has enough experience dicing at the speeds the MotoGP bikes can achieve. Late braking someone into a corner at 100mph on a $100,000 production- based superbike isn’t the same as sliding sideways at 200mph on a three million dollar factory Grand Prix bike. Riders like Rossi and Biaggi can make bold passes in the first or second lap at top speed. Hayden doesn’t seem able to stoke the fire that quickly and, when starting a few rows down, that means its sometimes the mid-point of the race before he can give chase.

In 2005, I hope that Nicky can continue to improve. He’s gotta learn the qualifying routine and then, step up his game in the early laps.

All this criticism and arm-chair coaching aside, I’m in awe of what Nicky has already accomplished and I’m thrilled at the prospects of what he will do as he grows. I’m also thrilled that Honda has realized his potential and signed him for another two years.

[image from nickyhayden.com]