Three days late and a dollar short
In the early summer of 2024 I find myself almost completely incapable of penning my usual drivel about my favorite motorsport on Earth. I have bought a house and need to sell a house and am trying to cope with 50 years of accumulated memories and cargo. Not having moved for 40 of those years has been a blessing, but the chickens are coming home to roost these days. The players at this stage of the drama include two banks, the movers, an estate auction company, a ten-yard dumpster and a sizeable cleaning crew. On deck: a real estate agent and the drama surrounding the disposal of the childhood home of my three girls. My late wife is in heaven second-guessing my every move and cluck-clucking at my decisions regarding what gets moved, sold or thrown away. This process has become a vivid reminder that one should borrow books from the library rather than purchasing them; they have become their own problem. How does one throw away a book, for God’s sake?
Attendant issues, more of an annoyance than anything, include replacing appliances, arranging new internet service (OMG Comcast!), utility service at both homes, change of address notifications X 100, dealing with the BMV.
Piled on top of this are some troubling health issues, the aftermath of a stroke a month ago and some fairly clear signs that the cancer which was removed from my body in 2022, along with my pancreas, has found its way back. I will get confirmation of this in a week, almost assuredly without any kind of useful prognosis. The decision whether to replace the floors in the new house has more to do with the likely amortization schedule than the aesthetics.
In France last weekend it was, once again, the Jorge Martin show. New all-time track record, pole, Sprint win, Sunday win. Marc Marquez acquitted himself quite well in both races, starting from P13 and finishing in P2. Pecco had a disappointing weekend, retiring with a mechanical on Saturday and getting stood up by Marquez very late on Sunday, giving up P2 in the process. If I were Gigi Dall’Igna I would put Martin and Bagnaia on the factory team next year and Marquez and Bastianini on the Pramac team with factory bikes and damn the extra expense of four GP25s. If one of them has to step down it is likely to be EBas, which would not really be fair but c’est la guerre.
I really don’t have much to say about any of the other riders, teams or manufacturers. The exception is Pedro, who is rapidly coming into his own. But whether we like it or not, it must be said that the KTM is still not on the same level as the Ducs except at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg which is where, I would be happy to wager, young Acosta will get his first win. And I think the writing is on the wall for Aleix and, perhaps, Zarco as well.
My fantasy team is doing quite well. I’m planning to use my next boost in Germany. And for those of you–I’m talking to you, Kevin–anxious for some tranches, I’m still working things out.
Tags: Bruce Allen, Ducati, Enea Bastianini, jorge martin, KTM, le mans, Marc Marquez, motogp, pecco bagnaia
Late-Braking MotoGP 
May 15, 2024 at 9:46 am |
Excellent races up and down the categories this weekend. As one of his fans, I’m hoping that MMarquez now has a full handle on Ducati riding techniques.
I’m happy that it sounds like Aleix may leave on his own volition instead of unceremoniously like his brother.
I disagree on Zarco’s sell-by date. I believe he’s signed up for two years(?) and I can’t see anyone being eager to displace anyone from a Honda satellite bike.
My thought on the books- spread them far and wide at local Little Free Libraries- maps available at https://littlefreelibrary.org/map/ . My time is coming- about 30 years of flotsam and jetsam in my basement and garage 😮
-DMensch
LikeLike
May 15, 2024 at 10:55 am |
Books are a true problem. When my Dad died there were boxes full of them, like 40 of them. Nobody wants ’em, not the library, not the charity book store, nobody. It killed me to just recycle them. Hope the cancer decided to self immolate, and you get some good news. Moving is a bitch, I did it after 30 years, suuuucked. Oh, this is a motorcycle thread. Martin rocked it. Binder has disappeared. There.
LikeLike
May 15, 2024 at 2:14 pm |
Jeez, buddy, you have a lot going on. I’d imagine you’re downsizing, which I think you’re going to love, although I can only imagine the drama of leaving the family home after so long. Books and CD’s … I remember cutting my CD collection down to my laptop and then throwing it into landfill. Heartbreaking. At least books can be recycled.
Despite the fact that I’ve had nothing to say for a bunch of last year and this year, I have been keeping up with the racing and the silly season, although I rarely seem to have time to sit and watch the entire race. I am beyond pleased that my boy Jorge is handing it to the field this year. I am rooting for him NOT to be put on the factory team and under scrutiny next year, he rides way better that way.
My other boys Taka and Frankie are still making up grid numbers on the weekends, sigh. And will anybody miss Aleix Espargaro? Is everyone else tired of his tantrums, or just me?
Anyway, looking forward to the next couple of races. Any bets on when MM93 will win one? I think it has to happen.
LikeLike
May 15, 2024 at 8:35 pm |
Jeeze, I’ve been in my place only about 15 years, and I can’t stand the way stuff piles up. Cue George Carlin:
“Have you ever noticed that everybody else’s ‘stuff’ is shit, but your shit is stuff?!”
Races were okay. Moto3 was great as usual. MotoGP took a while to be interesting. Yes MM rode from 13th to 2nd, but how many people fell off their bikes ahead of him? He’s on the bike that won the championship last year, right? He should be doing better. Tranche three for him!
Speaking of tranches, I think maybe Fabio get Tranche 1 for effort. He really tried to make something happen in front of the home crowd. Something did happen. He over rode the M1 and crashed.
Regarding Zarco, he’s been the highest placing Honda in every race. They’d be fools to let him go.
Hey Brucey, in another post you said that someone more cynical than yourself would have to suggest they’re changing the rules in order to suit Honda (again!). Now that you mention it, quite a coincidence: It so happens that Honda is nowhere near matching the technologies of the European bikes, and Dorna are saying, “Let’s eschew technology.” Hmmmm.
Old MOron
LikeLiked by 1 person
May 20, 2024 at 11:49 am |
Bruce your life sounds like it has more twists than a moto3 race, wow! I’m enjoying seeing Marquez back in the mix; he always bring entertainment. Clearly the most talented rider on a ’23 ducati. I agree with your prediction for next year; 4 factory bikes across Ducati & Pramac. As much as I lament the diversity of motorcycles, more riders on the same bike does indeed make for better racing..
LikeLike
June 9, 2024 at 5:01 pm |
Hey Bruce, MotoGP’s new rules go into effect in 2027, about two and a half years from now. What do you think the chances are of Honda and Yamaha improving before then?
Seems to me that anyone riding a Japanese bike is doomed until 2027. I hope I’m wrong, but why would YamaHondaha invest big bucks in their current bikes? My guess is that the bulk of their budget is dedicated to winning in 2027.
On the other hand, if they remain back markers for the next couple of years, they will be unable to recruit the best riders. I guess they do have incentive to improve their performance before 2027.
Well, I don’t know anything. I’m just an-
Old MOron
LikeLike