BrotoGP

The long winter is finally subsiding. MotoGP was back at Sepang these past few days, so we finally have motorcycles on a track to talk about. Maverick finished on top AGAIN and everyone is finally coming around to the idea that the championship is him vs Marquez. HRC acts like they are struggling even though their issues seem to be again masked by Marc's talent. Jorge's love for the Duc isn't strong yet, but he's Jorge. Ev gets some mad conspiracies in here, making you really wonder what's going on with winglets. Yes, we are still talking about winglets, so Kev goes wild on that. We talk about how the rookies are doing and finish with what's wrong with Dani. Trump references and new hastags for days in this one.

BrotoGP is back! Testing in 2017 hasn't started just yet. So this time, we reached out to all of our listeners asking for questions that you want us to talk about. We got plenty of responses ranging from Michelin to Moto2 to Rossi vs Mav. Of course there were plenty of non-moto questions too and we had to throw those in there... looking at you Paul Saylor. We didn't get to all of the questions, but we'll try to keep up on them as we all survive the offseason.

Dennis took the reins on this episode with a set of questions for the BrotoGP regulars, a sort of throwback episode to the original BrotoGP format. We know all you want to hear is Kev but everyone gets their shit-talking in on this one. We cover 125/250 vs Moto3/Moto2, #wingletsandchill, and Gigi and the new Ducati. Then things get real crazy with some mad pipedreams for GP, Kawi and BMW in GP (???), and Kev throws in a rant about WSBK to save Rob. We had a lot of fun with this one. Enjoy.

Winter is here, but BrotoGP presented by RiderzLaw isn't going anywhere. Two MotoGP tests went down since we last recorded, the public Valencia test and a private Jerez test. With more than a few riders switching teams and a bunch moving up from Moto2, there was plenty to talk about. We start this one off with Maverick and Kev's favorite livery of the test. Then we hit up Jorge and the possibility that he's going to surprise us next year... or maybe we shouldn't be surprised. Rob get's to bag on KTM some more, Kev continues to hold onto winglets for as long as possible, and Dennis surprises everyone by showing up! We discuss GP vs WSBK at the Jerez test. Then we close out the episode with listener questions and some shenanigans about Dorna.

Valencia has come and gone, which means the 2016 MotoGP season is over. We didn't have a title to talk about, but racers still gonna race! Thankfully Iannone showed us why he's the Maniac and spiced up the GP race. We highlight Jorge's performance and all the shade he's been getting for a bad second half the season. Kev goes wild on Valencia itself and Rob pretty much says "told you so" with KTM. We talk about Moto2 and Moto3, though perhaps not how you'd expect. We didn't get to the Valencia Test (even though its over by now), but BrotoGP is sticking around this winter. Kev and Rob preview what's to come. Then things get really silly and Kev shows some appreciate for our fans.

GP returnee Karel Abraham has been listening to BrotoGP and decided to hop on with us for an interview. It was a big surprise to hear Karel's name pop up for the final silly season seat over at Aspar Ducati. So he hammers out the details on the move back to the GP paddock and spills why he's leaving WSBK... even though he had offers to stay. Karel is also one of the few riders with experience on the newest entry into GP - KTM. We get Karel's predictions for that bike, some more info on Michelins, and even learn why the Ducati is one of the best rides to be on for a private team. Karel then get's comfortable and we hit on some of the other riders - Maverick, Vale, Jorge, and even Casey Stoner. We round this one out with Karel's plans for the winter and his hopes for testing and Qatar.

In case anyone forgot, this is 2016 - a year in GP to expect the unexpected. Just when you think that 9 winners isn't going to happen, Dovi pulls it out. Malaysia was insane with hot wet weather and new asphalt that never dried. All 3 races fit the bill perfectly. Kev's bromance takes another turn as he tells us how he's been feeling about Dovi this year. Then we touch on #MakeDucatiGreatAgain and the next step in their resurgence. Rossi and Marquez come up with a slight amount of disappointment and plenty of "wtf?". We hit up Zarco in Moto2 as he finally put in a race worthy of being a 2-time champion. Then things go a little nutty as we drop the ball on calling the Moto3 race. Hopefully all you listeners make it to the end on this one. Kev was hinting at a rant all episode and I (Rob) finally give in.

This one starts off a little different as Kev gets heated telling you about what went down with BrotoGP last week - you'll see. The whole racing weekend was a big cluster, with the weather playing havoc in all 3 classes. So we went through the order this time. Moto3's nasty crash, the Italian disappointment, and Binder's pwn-age start us off. Then we get to Moto2, the championship that no one actually wants to win. Thankfully Luthi and Franco are spicing it up. We jump into GP and start off with mistakes - a common theme this year, just a different timing this round. Cal capitalized and rode an amazing race, but still managed to be as salty as he could. Rossi had enough to make up for Q1 as did Maverick, so we speculate a bit on Yamaha 2017. Someone insults Tito Rabat, we show Mike Jones some love, and we round this one out with some thoughts on Sepang.

The title hunt is over (ya spoilers) - just a little bit sooner than we had all hoped. Marquez once again showed everyone why he's so far ahead, pressuring his rivals into mistakes that have become all to frequent. Whenever someone crashes, there are fingers to point. Was Yamaha's development lacking? Does the Michelin front tire provide too little feedback? Is Rossi over the hill or was he just too sick? We went organic on this episode and covered it all. Somewhere in there Kev rants about some recent BrotoGP controversy with Dorna. We hit up development and performance expectations for all the other factories too. Then we touch on the only other open championship - who would have guess that Rins and Lowes would try to hand Zarco the title. Phillip Island is next and with Pedrosa out, Iannone back (hopefully), and Nicky in, something is bound to happen.

Aragon was a race of two halves, one with a few surprises and a ton of excitement and the other with only one "good" pass attempt. Its hard to compare all that to the 8 winners in the previous 8 races. We at least recap the first half with Marquez almost blowing it and Maverick kinda almost pulling it off. The championship did go the wrong way by 9pts - is it finally over? After all that, we dig into the main cause for all the variability this year - Michelin. Too many front tires once again favored some riders and destroyed others. Then we show some much deserved love for Aprilia, get in a few Silly Season bits, and even talk about Dirty Petrucci and how Pramac's plan has backfired. We end this episode with congrats for the new Moto3 champ.