Impossible angles

[slocumjoseph]

I’ve always followed four wheeled racing from trials to rallying and club racing to F1. As a committed petrolhead ever since I can remember, it might see strange I’ve never actually owned a motorbike. I have my reasons which I'm not going into here but if it has an engine that goes bang my juices flow. We’ve recently been talking about going to a super bike meeting and when I see pictures like this I can’t believe we are still only discussing it. It’s a no brainer.

 

[Skyliner33]

I’ve always followed four wheeled racing from trials to rallying and club racing to F1. As a committed petrolhead ever since I can remember, it might see strange I’ve never actually owned a motorbike. I have my reasons which I'm not going into here but if it has an engine that goes bang my juices flow. We’ve recently been talking about going to a super bike meeting and when I see pictures like this I can’t believe we are still only discussing it. It’s a no brainer.

View attachment 173307

If you love 4 wheeled motorsport then i really do suggest you go to see sone 2 wheeled racing.
Not just WSB but i would suggest going to watch a BSB day. The racing is far more eventful. Mostly closer, and not just all about lean angles, but also about the bikes leaning on each other and swapping paint. And also the crashes.

This is a fairing i was uding one weekend and it was only back in the pits i realised it had been scraping the floor.

 

[slocumjoseph]

You’ll have to send me your fixture list. We are both agreed we want to go to a meeting but if someone we knew was racing it would be a clincher.

 

[slocumjoseph]

I agree about the spectacle. My son caught the cycle road racing bug about six years ago. As he advanced up the categories, as a photographer, I caught it myself. The fierce competition and dangerous racing is compulsive for rider and spectator…until your own son is involved in another big crash. However, just like your @Skyliner33 motorsport these guys are tough. I can guarantee that any one who has risen to the semi pro level has broken a collar bone at some time and has old road rash scars all over their body…but they keep coming back.

 

[Skyliner33]

You’ll have to send me your fixture list. We are both agreed we want to go to a meeting but if someone we knew was racing it would be a clincher.

I’m too old for racing now.
The older I get, the slower I got. Don’t bounce as well.
Yes, I agree about the cyclists. Not just road racers, some of 5he crashes on the wooden tracks looks sore.

some of the injuries the MotoGP/ WSB / BSB guys ride with are mad. I remember Leon Haslam having to be carried to his bike to race as he couldn’t walk with 2 broken ankles. Lorenzo racing 5 days after having collar bone pinned together.

 

[slocumjoseph]

I’m too old for racing now.
The older I get, the slower I got. Don’t bounce as well.
Yes, I agree about the cyclists. Not just road racers, some of 5he crashes on the wooden tracks looks sore.

some of the injuries the MotoGP/ WSB / BSB guys ride with are mad. I remember Leon Haslam having to be carried to his bike to race as he couldn’t walk with 2 broken ankles. Lorenzo racing 5 days after having collar bone pinned together.

I remember those incidents. Haslam being carried to his bike in particular. It just shows the amount of competitive commitment and love of racing the riders have. Do they have masters races in Moto GP? The winter is time for cyclo cross where they race around tracks that look like torture. All off road but not on MTBs. On bikes that look like road bikes. The organisers deliberately include difficult parts like adverse cambers or hurdles and steps where the rider has to carry the bike. Many opportunities for some spectacular photographs, specially on wet days. There are of course, age categories but I’m always astounded and shamed to see so many ultra fit over sixty year olds regularly competing. The party atmosphere created is a perfect antidote to the intensity of the road racing season.

 

[thuderace916]

Try the TT… you get even closer to the action… most exhilarating road racing you will ever see!

 

[Skyliner33]

I remember those incidents. Haslam being carried to his bike in particular. It just shows the amount of competitive commitment and love of racing the riders have. Do they have masters races in Moto GP? The winter is time for cyclo cross where they race around tracks that look like torture. All off road but not on MTBs. On bikes that look like road bikes. The organisers deliberately include difficult parts like adverse cambers or hurdles and steps where the rider has to carry the bike. Many opportunities for some spectacular photographs, specially on wet days. There are of course, age categories but I’m always astounded and shamed to see so many ultra fit over sixty year olds regularly competing. The party atmosphere created is a perfect antidote to the intensity of the road racing season.

I’m not sure what masters races are so I am guessing no. Sounds interesting. I went to watch a mountain bike race at a venue near me (mainly as Guy Martin was taking part) and did enjoy it.
3 classes
MotoGP
Moto2
Moto3

For me the main thing about bike racing, as well as being able to see how hard the riders are working, is the closeness and number of overtakes. I would guess on 1 lap in Moto3 you will see more overtakes than a whole season of F1.

1 thing on my bucket list is to go to watch a MotoGP weekend at Buriram in Thailand, however the friend I was planning this with now isn’t here.

 

[Dave Lawson]

I’ve always followed four wheeled racing from trials to rallying and club racing to F1. As a committed petrolhead ever since I can remember, it might see strange I’ve never actually owned a motorbike. I have my reasons which I'm not going into here but if it has an engine that goes bang my juices flow. We’ve recently been talking about going to a super bike meeting and when I see pictures like this I can’t believe we are still only discussing it. It’s a no brainer.

View attachment 173307

They’ve had em over at 68 degrees! Crazy lean angles!!!

 

[Shaun Witts]

Try the TT… you get even closer to the action… most exhilarating road racing you will ever see!

Got to admit, I was impressed with the TT. I’ve never been before this year (though always thought that I should). But as a long road race, it’s as different from short circuit racing for the spectator as for the racers. To really follow a race you need to listen to radio commentary, or be near one of the big screens, as it can be 20 minutes between riders passing you. But in some places, you can get literally feet away from racers passing you at over 100mph!
You need to go there for several days if not a week. The racing is only scheduled for alternate days, so you have every other day to sight see - and there are some good places to visit on the IOM.
Although the bike places on the ferry fill up rapidly a year in advance, I have heard (don’t know if this is true) that car/van places are still available in January…?

 

[slocumjoseph]

Got to admit, I was impressed with the TT. I’ve never been before this year (though always thought that I should). But as a long road race, it’s as different from short circuit racing for the spectator as for the racers. To really follow a race you need to listen to radio commentary, or be near one of the big screens, as it can be 20 minutes between riders passing you. But in some places, you can get literally feet away from racers passing you at over 100mph!
You need to go there for several days if not a week. The racing is only scheduled for alternate days, so you have every other day to sight see - and there are some good places to visit on the IOM.
Although the bike places on the ferry fill up rapidly a year in advance, I have heard (don’t know if this is true) that car/van places are still available in January…?

A couple of years before the pandemic I did a tour of Northern Ireland. An old mate of mine who lived in the middle of nowhere on the Dingle peninsular was a luthier, he built guitars and his wife was an artist. He had built a house and workshop with a studio above for his wife. He was also a motorcycle enthusiast so each year a group of them used to go up to the North West 200 road races. I was lucky enough to be there at just the right time. So met them and had a memorable weekend. My first ever taste of road racing and I’ll never forget the jaw dropping experience. Unfortunately that bloke Chris, a great bloke and extremely talented craftsman is no longer with us but a group of owners have set up this site dedicated to him. Chris Larkin Owners

 

[thuderace916]

Got to admit, I was impressed with the TT. I’ve never been before this year (though always thought that I should). But as a long road race, it’s as different from short circuit racing for the spectator as for the racers. To really follow a race you need to listen to radio commentary, or be near one of the big screens, as it can be 20 minutes between riders passing you. But in some places, you can get literally feet away from racers passing you at over 100mph!
You need to go there for several days if not a week. The racing is only scheduled for alternate days, so you have every other day to sight see - and there are some good places to visit on the IOM.
Although the bike places on the ferry fill up rapidly a year in advance, I have heard (don’t know if this is true) that car/van places are still available in January…?

I did the race week on a Triumph with the Mrs in 2019… she’s never been mad into biking. Said it was one of her most memorable holidays and gave her a whole new appreciation of the TT over circuit racing…seeing full commitment and throttle over the mountain is unreal… riding the circuit certainly makes you understand the minerals these guys have!