Ago, Rossi & Hailwood - Ducati.ms

davy.j · Oct 5th, 2011, 5:50 pm

Just read two articles which seem to compliment each other.
One was written yesterday, the other in 1998.

Soup :: Ago-Row-Si :: 10-05-2011

Soup :: Who Was The Man Many Call The Greatest Roadracer Ever?
In particular read the chapter "More colour"

So who is the real goat?

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mduc · Oct 5th, 2011, 6:04 pm

WOW Ago tell it like its. ""But I don't think Valentino has stopped being a good rider. The rider can only contribute his opinions. Put simply, he needs a perfect bike, but Stoner doesn't." WOW

rcrob · Oct 5th, 2011, 9:03 pm

Hold on MDUC finish the quote:

"...It reminds me a little bit of myself and Mike Hailwood. He was less sensitive to the feeling that the bike wasn't right. When I tried his bike, it felt like a piece of iron to me, but he was able to go fast with it."

It reminds me a bit of myself (Rossi is Ago) and Mike Hailwood (Stoner is Hailwood)... While people hold Hailwood in very high regard, Ago is pretty universally regarded as the GOAT so I can't say that that the comparison is exactly negative.

mduc · Oct 5th, 2011, 10:53 pm

Rob, I read the article and understood what Ago was saying. I was shocked to hear Ago of all people say that Rossi needs a perfect bike and Stoner does not to go fast or win races etc. I never thought I would hear Ago say that.

Mad Dog · Oct 6th, 2011, 1:22 am

Ago should know. he has ridden or driven just about everything. A dual class champ several times when men were really men! 350 and 500 champs is a grueling accomplishment and he did that repeatedly (among other things).

LAN · Oct 6th, 2011, 1:43 am

Perhaps Rossi, (as he said, he's not stupid) wants a 'perfect bike rather than ride it like hell without knowing what it's going to do (like Stoner did on the Ducati) or knowing exactly what will happen - Crash, Break bones, etc. etc. etc.
At his age, record, level of the bikes and rivalry, He will most likely choose to have a 'perfect bike.

davy.j · Oct 6th, 2011, 2:26 am

Ago won many of his championships against men on much lesser machinery, single cylinder Manx Nortons versus 3 & 4 cylinder MV Agustas so let's not get to carried away with his record, wonderful as it is.
Shit, I saw John Cooper blow him onto the weeds at Cadwell Park on a 351cc Yamaha against the 3 cylinder 500cc MV.

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Mad Dog · Oct 6th, 2011, 3:06 am

sorry, but from his first championship on he was racing against a lot of the stuff you mentioned in the 500 class, but also against Yamahas and Kawasakis and Bultacos in the 350 class. Later on that is what he competed against in the 500 class as well. And again, he still ran in two classes a race, one of which had some hot yamadog two strokes.

Mad Dog · Oct 6th, 2011, 3:08 am

Oh yeah, a 350 yamadog probably put out more power than a 500 MV and was lighter to boot. Not too surprising to see him beat at least once.....

davy.j · Oct 6th, 2011, 9:42 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Dog

Oh yeah, a 350 yamadog probably put out more power than a 500 MV and was lighter to boot. Not too surprising to see him beat at least once.....

You have to keep it all in context.
BTW, I'm a life long Ago/Hailwood fan
For example check this interesting page out:motogp.com · DUTCH TT · 500cc Race Classification 1968

Apart from Ago & Hailwood in their own private battle you will find most other riders were on Matchless & Norton single cylinder machines.
The 351 Yamahas were privateer machines stroked to make them 351 to squeeze into the 500cc class.