Ben Spies will be racingon a factory Yamaha R1 in World Superbike for 2009. The young American has shown that he has more than it takes to race against the best in the AMA, and accordingly is testing his mettle against the best in the world, in World Superbike. Unlike other rides though, Ben does this move with a purpose set beyond the confines of showroom bike racing. He’s picked his move so he can move into the “right” MotoGP team in the future, opting for the bike and team that would best shoot him up the ladder into a competitive GP contract. Continue reading for more about the Ben’s future plans.
“I hope that Yamaha think of me if either James Toseland or Colin Edwards were to leave the Team Tech 3” revealed Spies. One can hardly argue that riding a factory R1 in WSB is a futile effort, but when progressing beyond the ranks of World Superbike and into MotoGP, team management, bike manufacturer, and rider hierarchy all play an important role in how well situated a rider will be within the series.
Commenting about the difference a bike makes in MotoGP, Spies stated “It is true, my dream is still MotoGP. I would like to join a team equipped to win, but I want to contend too. The M1, unlike the Desmosedici, has proven to be an easier bike to, and that can adapt to different riding styles. Just remember the excellent results obtained by Rossi, Lorenzo, Toseland and Edwards. Why should I have a problem myself?”
He’s got a point too, the Yamaha has proven itself to be a bike that riders with different styles can consistently go fast on, where as with the Desmosedici we have really only seen Stoner able to race the bike to podium finishes. We’d hate to see the great American curse of leaving WSB as a champion, only to be a MotoGP backmarker. Thank you very much Aprilia, and your failed experiment the Cube.
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