Visordown: In conversation with John Hopkins

Next year, this man will be on a Kawasaki. Bring it on...!
Tim Skilton at Visordown got to interview John Hopins, who’ll be riding for the Kawasaki MotoGP team in 2008, at the NEC bike show. Here are a few excerpts from what The Hopper had to say:
On the 2008 Kawasaki ZX-RR
The Kawasaki has big horsepower right across the rev range – it holds a lot of promise for the future. However Randy de Puniet's (Kawasaki rider in 2007) riding style is vastly different to mine, so we need to work on setting up the bike for my style over the winter.
On 990cc vs 800cc MotoGP bikes
You need to be much more precise on an 800. You have to brake late, carry more corner speed and get on the throttle to get the maximum out of the bike. On a 990 you can afford to make some mistakes because you can make up for that with raw horsepower, which definitely gets you out of trouble…
On electronic restrictors being used on 800cc MotoGP bikes
The restrictors, like traction control, were too intrusive because now we can't slide the bikes in the way we used to. Obviously this makes for a faster lap time, which is why you see the 800s breaking 990 lap records, but it's not as much fun to ride and it's not nearly as good to watch.
On 800cc MotoGP bikes vs two-stroke 500s
For sure, it takes a certain kind of rider to master a 500. They're a peaky, nasty beast and you can either control one, or you can't. It's that simple. The current MotoGP bikes are tractable from low down and deliver predictable power. So just about anyone can go fast on one. It just takes a special rider to go REALLY fast!
On his all-time favourite GP racer
Kevin Schwantz! He had such a cool riding style, he was a big inspiration to me when I first started out…
Visit the Visordown website for the full interview.
Also see:
Some VERY good reasons why Hopkins should be missing Rizla Suzuki...
2007 MotoGP: HUGE collection of exclusive hi-res wallpaper!
Hayden and Pedrosa start testing the 2008 RC212V...
Michael Schumacher could have been a MotoGP racer!
Rossi-rep NSR500: The most amazing race-rep we've ever come across!
The best paintjob among all 2007 MotoGP bikes...?
External links:
Quad fans should love this!!!
HOT! Something for chopper fans...!
James May: Carpets vs classic bikes
A Blackbird you wouldn't want to race...
The 2008 MotoGP in Qatar will be held at night on a floodlit Losail circuit. This, the first round of the 2008 MotoGP season, will be on the 9th of March. In this video, MotoGP riders put in a few laps on a floodlit Losail circuit at 7.30 in the evening...














