Anyone watch road racing?

[DG Rider]

@TxDoc's F1 posts inspired me to do a two wheeled version.

Anyone watch 2 wheel road racing? World Superbike? Moto GP? Moto America?

After being a big road racing fan in my younger years, I've gotten back into watching it in the past few years. I've actually paid for the video pass on WSBK for the last 2 years.

WSBK looks to be interesting this year. Some massaging of the rules to help the weight disparity have stopped the "midget on a rocket" (Bautista) from passing everyone on the straights and motoring away. Only Toprak, a generational talent, could head him at times. This year, Toprak is on a faster bike as well, and a bike that seemed to be unable to win (in WSBK) has now won a few races and Toprak's next feat may be to walk on water.
Multi time champ Jonathan Rea switched to the Yamaha, but has oddly struggled with it. Several riders who can win on a given day. Good stuff.

Moto GP is something I never really kept up as much. It is fairly interesting now, with a few different guys that could win. It's the ultimate form of motorcycle racing, but right now it's which Ducati will win. I really expected Marquez to just disappear now that he is on a competitive bike, But that hasn't happened...Yet. I only get the highlights videos, so I simply don't have the depth of knowledge here.

One thing both WSBK and MotoGP have common is that Honda, once the great evil empire, can't hit it's ass with both hands in either. I don't think Honda has gotten a single digit placing in WSBK yet, and recently Taz Mackenzie, on a non-factory bike almost beat the factory CBR 1000RR-R SP. Honda's WSBK program is s*** right now, and has been for a while.
No Japanese brand is doing much in MotoGP. Ducati, KTM, Aprilia. No Yamaha, no Honda. Strange times we live in.
In other classes in different regions, it's a different story for Honda.

Here in the States Moto America is looking stronger than it has in a while. Yamaha, BMW, and Ducati are all contenders.
Again, Honda has no presence in supeebike.
The baggers class is something that sounds ridiculous on paper, but it has been one of the most interesting things to watch. If you ever wanted to see 600+ lbs Harley-Davidson road glides and Indians go at it on a road course, it's your class. So much so that MotoGP futured it is a subclass at circuit of the Americas a few weeks ago.

One thing that kind of got me back into watching road racing a few years ago was British superbike. This is old school super bike racing, with no electronic aids allowed. It's much like watching a '90 superbike race but with modern bikes and horsepower. It was also very competitive. Unfortunately, motor trend dropped carrying it ( mother trend has become pretty much worthless lately ), and no one else seems to carry it. So it's pretty much impossible to watch it on demand here in the States. It really sucks, because it's one of the most entertaining superbike classes to me. And you get tons of other classes as well.

 

[Admin]

 

[lee]

I used to check in on MotoGP.
Now i hide from it.

Years ago I lived in Japan for a bit and worked in the same building as one of the teams.
(guess which one)
Come in to work on Monday morning and they where unloading stuff from shipping containers and wheeling in to there garage.
Pretty cool to see.

 

[DG Rider]

I used to check in on MotoGP.
Now i hide from it.

Years ago I lived in Japan for a bit and worked in the same building as one of the teams.
(guess which one)
Come in to work on Monday morning and they where unloading stuff from shipping containers and wheeling in to there garage.
Pretty cool to see.

You? Scared of MotoGP?

I guess it's the NASCAR effect, but I've just always been a bigger fan of Superbike. I'll never own an RC213, but I can own (and have already owned) an RR.

I'd like to own a good proper sporbike again, but it's probably too dangerous. Not the bike...I mean my wife when she finds out...
That and AZ isn't the greatest in terms of good, curvey roads.

 

[TxDoc]

DG Rider
Loved your entire post.
I really miss Valentino Rossi
He always looked like he was about 12 years old , like how was he able to compete against adults

Maybe before your time. Freddie Spencer. First man to win the 250 and 500cc world championship in the same year And, won the
250 and 500 wins on the same day, closing the season with seven wins in each class.

He had a Honda dealership in Shreveport. I got him to sign a poster. VERY nice man and very modest.

He now lives in London and is a television commentator sometimes.

I really love the technology in cameras that allow people to actually see how close the bikes are at such high speeds and checkers l corners, and how low, even patches rubbed off shoulders. Like water skiing and touching your shoulder when cutting hard.

And, the new techniques that have become common like putting a whole leg out, when approaching a corner and braking. I wonder who figured that out and how. Was it an accident or just experimenting?

Look forward to reading y'alls discussion and bringing me up to things I'm not aware of in technology, rules, teams, championships.


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[DG Rider]

DG Rider
Loved your entire post.
I really miss Valentino Rossi
He always looked like he was about 12 years old , like how was he able to compete against adults

Maybe before your time. Freddie Spencer. First man to win the 250 and 500cc world championship in the same year And, won the
250 and 500 wins on the same day, closing the season with seven wins in each class.

He had a Honda dealership in Shreveport. I got him to sign a poster. VERY nice man and very modest.

He now lives in London and is a television commentator sometimes.

I really love the technology in cameras that allow people to actually see how close the bikes are at such high speeds and checkers l corners, and how low, even patches rubbed off shoulders. Like water skiing and touching your shoulder when cutting hard.

And, the new techniques that have become common like putting a whole leg out, when approaching a corner and braking. I wonder who figured that out and how. Was it an accident or just experimenting?

Look forward to reading y'alls discussion and bringing me up to things I'm not aware of in technology, rules, teams, championships.


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"Fast" Freddie was an enigma for sure. I've always wondered why he burnt out. He put out a biography a few years ago, and maybe the answer is in there. He had a mini resurgence in the States towards the end of his career, but at that point, I think he realized time had moved on and his moment was past.
I actually thought he was some sort of official with Moto GP?

The leg out thing...is called the "doctor dangle", made famous by your aforementioned Rossi. The next generation grew up idolizing him and mimicking his riding style, and so you have it. He said he felt as though it made the bike more stable under braking. I have my doubts...but I'll give Vale and his knowledge the nod here.🤣
Loris Baz got his femur broken when he was doing the dangle and Alex Lowes went up the inside of him and caught his foot by accident. I'm surprised there hasn't been more of that type in incident.

Rossi's name always comes up when talk about the G.O.A.T is had, and rightfully so. Regardless of how you feel, he can say he won titles on BOTH the 500cc two stroke, and the modern 4 strokes. No one else will ever be able to say that.

 

[TxDoc]

I recently met a lady who lives in Kaliforrny, and when spending time in Italy, she met Rossi.

She didn't know who he was. Just said he was so nice and a gentleman. So, she learned fast and followed his career and his team, now. She even flew to races to have the whole fan experience from the pits.

You are Extremely knowledgeable DGRIDERMOTORCYLERACINGPEDIA

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[DG Rider]

.

You are Extremely knowledgeable DGRIDERMOTORCYLERACINGPEDIA

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Nah...I'm just old.

 

[TxDoc]

Not that everyone will agree, just the title.

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[TxDoc]

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[TxDoc]

🔴 Steel Commander Superbike and Mission King of the Baggers Qualifying 2 at Road America 2024

The Steel Commander Superbike riders had a final qualifying session to set the grid for their two feature races at Road America, with speeds approaching 200 ...

www.youtube.com

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[DG Rider]

WSBK Misano

Toprak did the hat trick last weekend in Misano on the BMW. TORCHED THE DUCATIS in their backyard. He was on another level, and now leads the championship. In modern times, many have ask if the rider can still make a huge difference as was sometimes the case in the past. In WSBk, the answer is yes, and Toprak is the difference for BMW.The other beemers are nowhere near him.

The Bonovo BMW team has announced they won't return next year. Judging by their results, that might be doing American Garrett Gerloff and his team mate Scott Redding a favor. Gerloff had some decent (for BMW) results last year, but they haven't been all that close to even Toprak's teammate Vandermark on the second factory bike, and Bonovo supposedly have the same equipment. Toprak is a generational talent, but VDM isn't that much better than Gerloff or Redding, so I question if they really are getting the same equipment, and how much that played into the decision to quit?

Jonny Rea continues to struggle with the Yamaha, which is a surprise. It's a better bike than the zx10 he was on, yet he can't even match lead kawi rider Lowes during the races. The kawi does look better this year, to be fair (and Lowes is having a good season). I wonder if Rea kind wishes he'd stayed at Kawi? They will get there...it's just a surprise that it's taking this long.

Speaking of Kawasaki, a few weeks back Kawasaki announced that they were pulling out of world Superbike for 2025. Sorta.
Kawasaki owns Bimota. If you want to educate yourself as to who Bimota is, it's best to just Google it...Too much to go into here. For 2025, the Kawasaki team becomes Bimota, with zx10 power. Apparently the chassis is already running around and has been tested by the factory riders. This will be interesting, and makes a lot of sense for Kawi.
The ZX10 is the oldest bike out there. The engine holds its own, but the chassis needs a redesign to bring it up to modern standards (for racing, anyway). It's does ok in cooler temps, but in hot weather, the kawi struggles with grip in the latter stages of the race. The current generation of pansy-ass "men" have largely rendered sporbikes as a no-go, and sales suck, aided by the ever increasing performance that requires really good riders to access it. I that respect, it's awfully difficult to justify doing a complete update for a mass produced bike that sells for 20k and says Kawasaki on it. However...

Boutique brands like Ducati...and, dare I say, BIMOTA, can sell a $30k-40k homologation bike in enough numbers due to the exclusive nature of the brand. Kawi...even by another name, gets a new, updated chasis, and a tried and true engine with some extra "special" parts that can't be justified for the plain ole ZX10, and get to fight Ducati on more equal terms.

And Ducati? The extra weight the regs have added seem to have stopped the onslaught of Bautista passing everyone on the straights and motoring off to 10 second victories with only Toprak able to stem the tide. Bautista has won races, but he struggled in Misano, while rookie team mate Bulega looks like the heir apparent to the #1 seat when Bautista hangs it up. Bulega was stong all weekend, and was 2nd only to Toprak.
Bautista is not done by any means, and he will be a contender, but he'll have to earn it this year. And the Ducati is still the best bike out there, day in and day out.

And the lowly Honda. How did we get here? The bike does the business in other series and classes, but Honda can't be pleased with what they are doing in WSBK. Celebrating because your rider got inside the top 10 isn't what Honda has spent lots of money on. I can't even remember their names Lecuona and someone else. They crash often and are never really on the pace. A podcast I heard the other day openly wondered if hiring two WSBK rookies the develop your bike was a mistake by Honda, rather than keeping at least one veteran rider. Whatever the cause was, they have a long, long way to go to get back towards the sharp end.

Also worth noting is that former British Superbike champ Taz McKenzie is running right there with the factory bikes in most races on a satellite CBR that isn't s*** compared to the factory bikes. They REALLY should be slipping him a HRC RRR and letting him help as much as possible...because they need it big time. Never have I seen Honda struggle in MotoGP and WSBK like this.
On a positive note, "they" tested this week at a track called Cremona, and both factory Honda riders felt like they made a step. We'll see...

 

[TxDoc]

WSBK Misano

Toprak did the hat trick last weekend in Misano on the BMW. TORCHED THE DUCATIS in their backyard. He was on another level, and now leads the championship. In modern times, many have ask if the rider can still make a huge difference as was sometimes the case in the past. In WSBk, the answer is yes, and Toprak is the difference for BMW.The other beemers are nowhere near him.

The Bonovo BMW team has announced they won't return next year. Judging by their results, that might be doing American Garrett Gerloff and his team mate Scott Redding a favor. Gerloff had some decent (for BMW) results last year, but they haven't been all that close to even Toprak's teammate Vandermark on the second factory bike, and Bonovo supposedly have the same equipment. Toprak is a generational talent, but VDM isn't that much better than Gerloff or Redding, so I question if they really are getting the same equipment, and how much that played into the decision to quit?

Jonny Rea continues to struggle with the Yamaha, which is a surprise. It's a better bike than the zx10 he was on, yet he can't even match lead kawi rider Lowes during the races. The kawi does look better this year, to be fair (and Lowes is having a good season). I wonder if Rea kind wishes he'd stayed at Kawi? They will get there...it's just a surprise that it's taking this long.

Speaking of Kawasaki, a few weeks back Kawasaki announced that they were pulling out of world Superbike for 2025. Sorta.
Kawasaki owns Bimota. If you want to educate yourself as to who Bimota is, it's best to just Google it...Too much to go into here. For 2025, the Kawasaki team becomes Bimota, with zx10 power. Apparently the chassis is already running around and has been tested by the factory riders. This will be interesting, and makes a lot of sense for Kawi.
The ZX10 is the oldest bike out there. The engine holds its own, but the chassis needs a redesign to bring it up to modern standards (for racing, anyway). It's does ok in cooler temps, but in hot weather, the kawi struggles with grip in the latter stages of the race. The current generation of pansy-ass "men" have largely rendered sporbikes as a no-go, and sales suck, aided by the ever increasing performance that requires really good riders to access it. I that respect, it's awfully difficult to justify doing a complete update for a mass produced bike that sells for 20k and says Kawasaki on it. However...

Boutique brands like Ducati...and, dare I say, BIMOTA, can sell a $30k-40k homologation bike in enough numbers due to the exclusive nature of the brand. Kawi...even by another name, gets a new, updated chasis, and a tried and true engine with some extra "special" parts that can't be justified for the plain ole ZX10, and get to fight Ducati on more equal terms.

And Ducati? The extra weight the regs have added seem to have stopped the onslaught of Bautista passing everyone on the straights and motoring off to 10 second victories with only Toprak able to stem the tide. Bautista has won races, but he struggled in Misano, while rookie team mate Bulega looks like the heir apparent to the #1 seat when Bautista hangs it up. Bulega was stong all weekend, and was 2nd only to Toprak.
Bautista is not done by any means, and he will be a contender, but he'll have to earn it this year. And the Ducati is still the best bike out there, day in and day out.

And the lowly Honda. How did we get here? The bike does the business in other series and classes, but Honda can't be pleased with what they are doing in WSBK. Celebrating because your rider got inside the top 10 isn't what Honda has spent lots of money on. I can't even remember their names Lecuona and someone else. They crash often and are never really on the pace. A podcast I heard the other day openly wondered if hiring two WSBK rookies the develop your bike was a mistake by Honda, rather than keeping at least one veteran rider. Whatever the cause was, they have a long, long way to go to get back towards the sharp end.

Also worth noting is that former British Superbike champ Taz McKenzie is running right there with the factory bikes in most races on a satellite CBR that isn't s*** compared to the factory bikes. They REALLY should be slipping him a HRC RRR and letting him help as much as possible...because they need it big time. Never have I seen Honda struggle in MotoGP and WSBK like this.
On a positive note, "they" tested this week at a track called Cremona, and both factory Honda riders felt like they made a step. We'll see...

DG Rider Great analysis, info.
Thank you

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[TxDoc]

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