Predictions 2007

[NinjaMaster]

Okey dokey. It's that time of year again to put reputations on the line and make our predictions to the years motorcycle racing series. Basically, we pick the top 3 in whatever category or series you wish. Also, you can add a dark horse or wildcard, someone you think will come out of the blue or perhaps overperform on inferior machinery. Here goes.

MotoGP
1. Rossi -all things being equal, I just can't go past him
2. Pedrosa - a bike built for him and another years experience, he will be a force
3. Capirossi - in the form of his top-level career
Dark horse: Stoner - will win a race, likely at Qatar, Sepang, Turkey or Phillip Island.
I'm also predicting Vermeulen to give Suzuki it's first dry win in years at Laguna Seca! :s hock:

250
1. Lorenzo - same as last year but without the early season brain-fade hiccups
2. Dovi - also same as last year, Honda just not up to it
3. H. Aoyama - the KTM will improve and so will Hiroshi
Dark Horse: Marco Simoncelli - occasionally fast last year, will be more consistently fast this year.

125
1. Motorcycle racing will be the real winner :)
2. Pick a number
3. Flip a coin
Dark horse - anyone who turns 18 this year :D

World Superbike
1. Bayliss - still the class of the field but the machinery gap has closed with Ducati having to retain the 999
2. Corser - a return to form with a new team, he will be hungry for success
3. Toseland - closer to Bayliss this year but pipped to 2nd by Corser
Dark Horse: Biaggi of course! - if competitive early, will push for top 3, maybe even the title.

World Supersport
1. Charpentier - on a Ten Kate Honda, where else would he finish?
2. Sofuoglu - last years impressive finish will continue this season but not enough to win it...yet
3. Parkes - came of age last year and if Yamaha can improve further, will push Ten Kate hard
Dark Horse: Foret - the new Kwak is apparently a good thing so hopefully it's race package is quick because Foret is.

British Superbike
1. Kiyonari - will grow in confidence after last season and this will be his final stepping stone to the world scene
2. Lavilla - will keep Kiyo honest but just not quite the edge to beat him
3. Haslam - will fight with Lavilla for second
Dark horse: Rea - in the factory team, it's time for him to step up

AMA Superbike
1. Mladin - the grumpy old man is pissed off and wants his title back!
2. Spies - a little bad luck to cost him in a tight fight with Mat
3. R. Hayden - Nicky's little brother to return Kawasaki to competitiveness
Dark horse: E.Bostrom - difficult to pick a dark horse in what I regard as a pretty thin series. Can Yamaha be competitive rejoining the series?

Australian Superbike
1. J.Stauffer - still looks too fast for everyone else but this year will be closer than last year
2. Giles - the grand statesman of the series just won't slow down and will make Jamie work hard for the title
3. Johnson - super consistent, will help a rejuvinated Kawasaki to success
Dark horse: Maxwell - re-drafted into the Kawasaki factory, this time in the premier class, he is a hard charger and will give the establishment a real hurry-up.

Well, reckon that will do me! Good luck :up:

[tha_jackal]

Alllllrighty then, ill give it a shot. Same series as yours Ninja, minus a few..

MotoGP
1. Capirossi -125 and 250 champ, he deserves some luck and will do well..
2. Rossi - will again suffer some mechanical issues and be pipped to the title by Loris instead of Nicky.
3. Hayden - Will have a strong, consistant year, but his rivals will win more races.
Dark horse: Hopkins - will win a race, will qualify extremely well as usual and will be a top 5 in the championship (so long as he's fit)
I'm also predicting Vermeulen to give Suzuki it's first dry win in years at Laguna Seca!-- I'll second that motion!!

250
1. Lorenzo - wont quite be as dominant as 06, but will still do enough to win the title back to back and set his path to GP.
2. Barbera - eager to take it to Lorenzo, will battle hard, improve his consistancy and win plenty.
3. Locatelli - with another chance at factory machinery, Roberto will take it after a great year in 06.
Dark Horse: Take your pick, any of the newcomers; Bautista, Luthi, Kallio. Add to that my man Ant West (so long as the team and bike are as they have been made out to be, i.e 'near factory') and you have yourself one hell of a championship! (these 7 will make up the top 7 in some order)

125 ( im gonna take a guess, unlike u Ninja, pussy ;) )
1. Pasini
2. Talmacsi
3. Gadea
Dark horse - how about anyone who turns 16 :p Bunch of school boys!
Oh, and Bradley Smith will be very close to top 3!

World Superbike (this is a reaaaal hard one!!)
1. Bayliss - still the class of the field but the machinery gap has closed with Ducati having to retain the 999 (no more to add!!!)
2. Biaggi - will impress in his debut year and push TB allll the way.
3. Lanzi - pull his socks up after a dissapointing 06 (why not throw up a surprise)
Dark Horse: Brookes, Xaus and Kagas

Australian Superbike
1. J.Stauffer - still looks too fast for everyone else but this year will be closer than last year
2. Coxhell - out for revenge after a few disastrous years away from home, will push Stauffer alll the way.
3. Bugden - help Suzuki dominate with Giles fourth.
Dark horse: Gobert, Ferguson, Staring..

Cool idea Ninja, good luck to all..

[neninja]

MotoGP
1. Rossi - a new more focussed Valentino for 07, look out everyone
2. Pedrosa - will push Rossi every step of the way
3. Edwards - a rejuvenated Colin is enjoying his riding and loving the new bike
Dark horse: Hopper - on the right bike Hopkins is a race winner - let's hope the Suzuki continues it's testing form

250
1. Lorenzo - should be comfortable victor
2. Dovi
3. Bautista - 250 new boy will be quick from the start
Dark Horse: Mika Kallio is capable of a couple of race wins

125
1. Mattio Passini - as the best of the lads who didn't move to 250 I expect him to do well
2. Who knows
3. Anyone of 5 or 6 riders
Dark horse - Hopefully Bradley Smith will come of age with a podium or 2

World Superbike
1. Bayliss - more driven, focussed and hungry than anyone else out there
2. Toseland - was the highest points scorer of the 2nd half of 2006 so expect him to pick up where he left off
3. Biaggi -Like him or loath him he can still hussle a bike round very fast
Dark Horse: Haga - the new R1 should be more tuneable with 4 valve head but not quite a match for the top 3

World Supersport
1. Charpentier - Best bike, best rider
2. Sofuoglu - will be close to his team mate
3. Curtain - will be wanting to make up for the disaster last year
Dark Horse: Craig Jones - is capable of running up front. He's with a good team and will be wanting to prove he can still ride after spending time on Foggy's rotten bike.

British Superbike
1. Kiyonari - Honda have the taste of victory now.
2. Halsam - should have the beating of Lavilla now who will be smarting about not getting Lanzi's ride in WSB
3. Walker - Crescent won't make the same mistakes as 2006. Expect them to come out fighting
Dark horse: Byrne - Paul Bird will want to be back winning and they worked together pretty well in the past

AMA Superbike
1. Mladin - his swan song perhaps???
2. Spies - should be a comfortable 2nd
3. Zemke - now the fastest Honda in AMA
Dark horse: Di Salvo

[patnicholls]

Everyone kind of knows my predictions what with the League pricing and stuff, but anyway...

MotoGP
1. Rossi - with less mechanicals, will be back to title-winning ways
2. Hayden - why not? You don't fluke a title, he WAS much-improved last season and goes into this one with full confidence
3. Pedrosa - should be close to the top step also
Dark horse - Colin Edwards - stranger things have happened...

250cc (despite the boring predictions, this one will be good and close)
1. Lorenzo - still the quickest guy in the class
2. Dovi - likewise
3. Hiroshi Aoyama - should improve with a second year on the KTM and more pressure from a new team-mate
Dark horse - Shuhei Aoyama

125cc
1. Pasini - fastest rider in the field on raw talent
2. Faubel - if he can crash less, he'll be a contender
3. Talmacsi - could be higher but Spanish team-mates will be favoured over him
Dark horse - well, depends to what extent you're talking... Tomi Koyama, Bradley Smith, Pol Espargaro are three medium-dark horses.

WSB
1. Bayliss - if the Duc hasn't been swamped
2. Biaggi - if it gels
3. Toseland - if he's as good as he was last year
Dark horse - Ruben Xaus. If he's fit - he wasn't last season - he'll be very fast.

WSS
1. Charpentier - hard to bet against.
2. Sofuoglu - will push his team-mate hard
3. Curtain - still riding hard for 200 years old :D
Dark horse - plenty... (for the title) Harms or maybe even Tiberio. Javier Fores could get on the podium. Nannelli will be good now he's back with the correct team. My boy Roccolli to get another win or two.

BSB
1. Stalker
2. Gregorio
3. Kiyo
(well, maybe heart ruling head on the Stalker prediction :p )
Dark horse - Cal Crutchlow

AMA
1. Spies
2. Mladin
3. Tommy Hayden
Dark horse - Jason DiSalvo

[Lanky_Wes]

moto gp
1. Rossi - is the favourite, but will have a lot of competition
2. Melandri - improved a lot last year, continued improvement could push him close
3. Pedrosa - also a big chance at the title, but might just get pipped
dark horse: john hopkins - provided he isnt too banged up and the suzuki continues to be competitive

250cc
1. Lorenzo - too good last year, will be too good this year
2. takahashi - did well last year, banking on him continuing to improve
3. dovi - will have another solid year
dark horse: Locatelli - had a good year last year, he could do anything this year, win it or finish no where

125cc
1. wouldnt have a clue but im hoping olive cause he is in my fantasy team!
2. someone on a 125cc
3. another 125cc rider
dark horse: there is probably about 10 dark horses

world superbike
1. toseland - will be close between him and bayliss, i think he will sneak home tho
2. bayliss - will have a tougher time this year than last, he will be the man everyone wants to beat
3. biaggi - will improve as the season goes on and he continues to get to know his team
dark horse: corser - if he gets that hunger to win and fights out races to the end

world supersport
1. Charpentier - ten kate honda won last five years, this year will be no different
2. sofuoglu - if one ten kate honda doesnt do it, the other one will
3. curtain - mr consistent will be up there again, just lacking the speed of the two hondas
dark horse: foret - been world champ before, if the kwak is quick (and he doesnt keep looking backwards) he could surprise a few people.