Interview with John Hopkins: 2WheelTimes.com Exclusive
By Michael Hannas and Doug Byers
Photos courtesy of Stiggy Honda Racing
Going into the 2008 season, John "Hopper" Hopkins was full of optimism. With his marriage in the off-season to the girl of his dreams Ashleigh and a switch from the perennial mid-pack running Suzuki to a promising-looking Kawasaki, it definitely seemed going in that 2008 was going to be a year of big things from the Californian. As we all know now, the only big things that happened were some massive crashes when Hopper tried to push the uncompetitive Kawasaki into a respectable position, and the shocking withdrawal from MotoGP by Kawasaki at the end of the season that left Hopper scrambling for a ride when all the rides were already taken.
Going into 2009, many people were probably not expecting very much from Hopkins, left without a ride and still recovering from an injury-riddled 2008. However, with his recent move to the upstart Stiggy Honda squad in a WSB series where the machine itself doesn’t seem to be quite as important as it is in MotoGP, it is now looking like 2009 may be the year where we see Hopkins finally show his full potential and become a consistent winner at the World Championship level. Granted, the stage may now be WSB for Hopper instead of the glitz and glamour of the MotoGP circus, but after hanging out with Hopkins for a day and getting his thoughts on the situation, it seems like the idea of racing WSB actually suits Hopper just fine.
2WheelTimes.com spent a day of trail riding in the hills near Beaumont, California with Hopkins last week as he prepared for the second WSB race of his career, which is at Assen this weekend. After thrashing the dirt bikes for a couple hours, as well as his incredibly impressive 800cc V-Twin side-by-side “utility vehicle,” which sounds like and can hit whoops like a Baja trophy truck, we sat down with Hopper to see what he thinks about his switch to WSB so far, and his hopes for the rest of the season.
Photo by Michael Hannas
2WT: How was riding today at Beaumont?
JH: It was good dude, unfortunately we weren’t able to take the ol’ UTV out to Elsinore, the Rhino track was closed down, and a lot of the tracks weren’t running, so we just thought we’d come ride some trails and take the ol’ UTV and the bikes out and just come rip around.
2WT: Good times?
JH: Yeah man, it was a great time! You know dude, hanging out with my ol’ friend Pinus (Hopper’s nickname for Hannas), and DB, it was good man. We had a really good time, out here riding, enjoying the Southern California weather, just…like we do man, just riding all the time.
Photo by Michael Hannas
2WT: So you are getting ready to head off to Assen in a few days. You like that track right?
JH: Yeah, Assen is a track…I’ve got a pole position there in 2006; in 2007 I think it was a wet race, but I think we still took fourth place and had a good race there. I’ve always had good times at Assen; unfortunately last year was probably one of the worst races I’ve ever had there, in the qualifying session I blew out my knee and ankle there. But, no, I’m looking past that now, and now that I’ve got some time on the Pirellis and time on the bike I’m just really looking forward to just going out and giving it all I got and, you know, getting further up the standings for sure.
2WT: Do you wish you were getting on a plane and heading to race on the old Assen instead of the new version?
JH: Umm…(laughs) I do actually. Assen was Assen. It’s funny because I’ve been speaking to a lot of riders about it, and you know, they were all asking me, a lot of the riders that hadn’t even ridden the old track were saying you know, “Oh, I wish I could ride the old track,” and I was like ‘Yeah man, I know, tell me about it!’ You know, the riders that have been in GPs and people have ridden the old track, I think my teammate Leon has even ridden the old track, and the old track, it was something special. So now, Assen really isn’t Assen anymore, it’s not as prestigious as it once was. But…it’s good. It’s still a good track and I have fond memories there from the past.
2WT: Are you hoping to get the bike a little better set up with another weekend on it there, get it working a little better for you and hopefully be running up front?
JH: Yeah, yeah, definitely! I mean, the times are so close in World Superbike that just tenths of a second make a huge difference. The basic fact is I was just getting a feel for the tires, the race tires, and also the qualifying tires, that was a big, big issue. I mean, putting your life in the hands of a tire you’ve never even ridden on, and only getting that one or two laps to be able to do it is, uh, you know…it’s pretty nerve racking. But, we made the best of it in Valencia and we know what to expect going into Assen so we’re expecting a lot more as far as results go.
Photo courtesy of www.johnhopkins21.com
2WT: What can you say the main differences are between riding a MotoGP bike and a World Superbike?
JH: Basically just the electronics. I mean, the MotoGP bikes, weight to power ratio is a completely different scenario, but right now the biggest difference is just coming out of the corners you know. With the World Superbike it’s cool, because you’re coming into the corners and there’s a hell of a lot more engine braking getting into the corners, so you’re backing it into the corners, you’re get it in and the bike’s moving around, you pick it up and the bike’s sliding around coming out of the corners…it’s just a lot more fun in my eyes right now, in comparison to what I’ve done in the past. Like I said, I’ve just been enjoying it, but the biggest other difference is the weight to power ratio between a production based WSB and a factory MotoGP bike.
2WT: What about the tires?
JH: As far as the tires go, they move around, but I was actually quite surprised. I mean, a lot of the World Superbike guys were saying, “Oh, yeah, you know, from riding Bridgestones to the Pirellis it’s gonna be a big, big difference, and it’s gonna be this and that,” but no, I actually quite enjoyed riding on the Pirellis. It’s quite weird, when you go out on a fresh set of tires, that’s when you have to put your lap time in, and that’s what the racing is all about. You go out and you have to put your lap times in within the first three laps, within the first three to five laps you have to put the lap times in, that’s when the race is won or lost. You have to put in the lap times immediately because the tires take a big, big drop after three to five laps, and then they stay pretty consistent from there. But it’s those three to five laps in the beginning when you really have to push hard and put the lap times in and make the distance.
2WT: It seems like that makes figuring out the new Superpole deal pretty important would you say?
JH: Yeah, I mean, it’s definitely an odd system, it’s definitely quite different compared to what I’m used to, but you know, it’s quite exciting. It draws a lot of attention from the fans and they quite enjoy it, but yeah, I mean, it is what it is so we’ve got to make the best of the situation. Hopefully at Assen I’ll have a little bit more confidence to put a qualifier on for the first time into the second session, and then save one for the last one if we make it into there.
2WT: For your first time, was the new WSB qualifying format more fun as a rider than MotoGP qualifying?
JH: I dunno, I mean, it’s different. It’s just a whole different situation. I mean, it’s difficult, and you can really get thrown out. If you go out and you’re expecting to put in your lap time, and you put in a decent lap time, the times are so close already. If you go out and you think you put in a good lap time, like Biaggi and Tom Sykes did it at the last race, you go out on the race tires and think you’ve put in a decent lap and someone like, people who are normally a half-second behind you on race tires go out and put a qualifier tire in and it shoves you out. You’re done. You’re back on like the fourth or fifth row.
2WT: What do you think about the competition level in WSB compared to MotoGP?
JH: As far the competition level…you are only as fast as you’re motorcycle will let you go. There’s riders out in World Superbike right now that are pushing those bikes to the absolute limit, I mean, there’s riders just making those things work. So the competition level is just as high. And one thing that is more exciting for me, going into WSB, is that the riders are so much closer. If you go into MotoGP now and you’re not on the right machinery then you’re lost, you’re going to be at the back of the field. The bikes are so, so much different as far as competitiveness. As far as WSB goes, the bikes are all so much closer, so it allows for closer racing. It’s a really, really competitive field, and it’s definitely hard work, but I think we can still make it to the top on the Stiggy Honda.
2WT: It seems like the WSB boys are also a little more down to rub elbows and bang some fairings…
JH: Yeah, yeah! I love it man, you can’t tempt me with a good time! I enjoy rubbing elbows and stuff like that. It was a good experience at Valencia going from sixteenth to sixth on the first lap! No, I enjoy it, rubbing elbows and all that, you know. Rubbin’s racing!
2WT: Speaking of elbows, are you gonna be able to get your elbow down on the Stiggy Honda?
JH: Uh, I dunno…I mean, the bike is a little bit heavier, and the edge grip isn’t completely there, but I think there’s a few tracks where with the banking and stuff like that, we’ll be rubbing elbows on a few of the curbs!
2WT: What would you say the difference is between the Stiggy Honda and the last production-based bike you raced, which was what, like a 2001 GSXR1000?
JH: You know, it’s a huge difference. Riding something like that for the first time, not being able to ride for over four months, and only getting 45 minutes of dry track time at the test the weekend before the first race, the whole situation was quite different to me, and quite challenging at first. There’s not really a lot of comparison, because I went from two-stroke race machines and then did two years on four-stroke machines and then went back to a two-stroke machine, and then went back to a four-stroke 990. I would say the closet comparison would be when I first got on the 990, that’s when they were quite undeveloped at the time. The World Superbike now is a lot closer to what the Honda V-5 was in its premature age.
2WT: Do you think the WSB bikes will become more like MotoGP bikes then, as far as traction control goes and the way you ride them?
JH: Unfortunately, yeah, it is gonna happen. It’s a difficult situation right now on policing the matter with electronics and stuff like that, but right now it’s still not even close I would say. It’s going in that direction, and unfortunately there’s not a whole lot the riders can do about it, but hopefully we can police the situation and still have the thing sliding coming out. I just think it makes for a better show.
2WT: What do you think about the Stiggy Honda team so far?
JH: Oh, the Stiggy team’s great man! You know, it’s all British-based, that’s how it was when I was back at Suzuki, it was all British-based, British humor and all that, it’s just great man. They took me under their wing immediately, and you know, we’re cracking jokes on the first day and just having a good time, and that’s what it’s all about. When you go to the races, you gotta go there, and you’re traveling so much, you’re with the mechanics more than your family, so you’ve got to make them your family. It’s good, it was a great atmosphere immediately. A lot of the mechanics came straight over from Team KR, because…well, Stiggy and Kenny Junior…I remember I used to hang out with Stiggy when I was on the Red Bull Yamaha, and the beginning years of the four-strokes, because he was racing 250GP then, and him and Kenny were really good friends, and I used to hang out with them in Sitges. When Kenny’s team went bust a lot of the mechanics actually switched over to the Stiggy team. They’re a really good group of guys and I’m real happy to work with them.
2WT: How’s your health? Are all the injuries healed up?
JH: Yeah, it’s great. It’s good, once I had my knee surgery…last year was such a disaster. I rode, well, it was almost three-quarters to the full year I rode injured, from the beginning when I broke my hip, then broke my back, then blew out my knee, and then broke my ankle. I had all those injuries within the matter of one year and it definitely took its toll out on my body but I had the four months off and it was great. I had four months to just completely recover and my body feels great. I’m able to run once again, and it’s good. Cycling is going good, I feel 100% again, and really, really motivated. You know, the fear of going to Assen, it’s out of the way. I’m completely looking forward to it, can’t wait to get there, and just get that Stiggy Honda up into the top five.
2WT: Are you looking forward to your home race at Miller Motorsports Park? Although I guess you won’t have much of a home-field advantage since you’ve never ridden there…
JH: Yeah, that’s going to be an exciting time, because that’s my home race really. Donington is my home away from home race; I actually have a lot more family that go to Donington, which is funny, especially now with my wife’s whole side of the family going to Donington, I’ll definitely have a lot more family going there. But being born in the US, my home race is at Miller Motorsports Park, and I’m looking forward to it. I’ve watched it on TV, but no, I’ve never ridden there before, but one encouraging thing is Carlos Checa had a really good race there last year on the Honda, so we know that the Honda works well there, and we should be able to go alright.
2WT: There will be a lot of new tracks for you this year though. Will that be a problem?
JH: Most of the tracks I don’t know going into the weekend, so I’m gonna be learning something new. They’re all mostly in the same countries, but we have South Africa of course, which I’m looking forward to going there. We always went to Welkom, but now it is Kyalami, but no, it’s an exciting time. It’s a whole new adventure for me, I mean, it’s something that I really needed after the past couple years, and it’s just a refreshing taste, you know, and I’m really, really happy, even going into the tracks I don’t know. It’s not like I’m struggling right now to keep in the points chase, I mean, I started at the third round, so right now we’re not really in any kind of points battle. So right now I just want to go out and have a good time and just get the best, best results that we can and throw the thing up on the podium here a few times.
2WT: How long is the Stiggy deal for?
JH: The Stiggy deal is just for this year for right now, then we’ll re-evaluate what the situation is. When Kawasaki pulled out of MotoGP, and basically left me totally without a ride, there was no negotiating, there was nothing we could possibly do until we were completely situated and had signed a release from Kawasaki. Unfortunately that took part of the way through the season and obviously with MotoGP being so shorthanded on machinery and stuff we weren’t able to get a ride in MotoGP and that’s when Stiggy approached us. We took the offer and I’m just really, really excited about it. I’m just happy to be back on a motorcycle racing, you know, I thought I was gonna be sitting on my butt all year! It’s good, I’m just happy to be back out there and be racing. Editors Note: Thank you Hopper for taking time out of your busy racing and training schedule to allow us to spend some quality time with you! We want to wish you and Stiggy Honda all the best in WSBK, knowing you will be climbing to the top step of the podium very soon!!!
Thank you to all my fans, sponsors, and Stiggy Honda for this sweet ride! Keep up the great work 2WheelTimes.com!
Hopper
www.johnhopkins21.com
