Moto GP - recommend watching

[m1tch]

Hi everyone,

I was surfing iplayer yesterday and was going to watch an F1 race again but then found that there was the previous Moto GP race on there to watch so I thought: lets try it, im not into bikes (correction ive been banned from riding one lol) but I will give it a watch.

After about a minute of the race starting I was hooked, its so much more exciting to watch then F1 due to all the bikes having slightly different handling and power due to the different engines and setups which makes it really cool to watch. Heres what I found really cool about it:

1 rider
1 bike
1 tank of fuel
1 set of tyres
Different power and handling on each bike
Amazing overtakes
No flappy easy overtaking wing
No magic power boost button
230bhp from a 800cc engine
High rpms NOIIISE

I am going to be watching Moto GP a bit more now as its more exciting to watch and its about the rider, bike and a track, not how quickly the pite team can change tyres or how much you have spent on tweeking the front wing by 0.01 degrees to give you 0.001 seconds better lap time. The riders have to be smooth but fast else the single set of tyres degrade and you have had it lol

Its also cool that each bike has different power and handling, a bit like classic BTCC when you had massive american V8s versus classic minis, V8s were better straight line, but Minis caught them in the corners etc.

Ive never watched Moto GP before, but if you havn\'t check it out on iPlayer! The races aren\'t as long as F1 races due to smaller fuel tanks etc which makes it even closer racing!

[jetpilot]

Your preaching to the choir here buddy

Race today from Misano on Eurosport of BBC1 (live), although i prefer Eurosports coverage and commentators.

If you enjoy it at the moment Mitch, next year should be awesome, the 800\'s of the last few years have limited the grid numbers (production costs of an 800 engine) and out front, the racing usually isnt that close. Next year sees the 1000cc engine back which by all accounts should mean more bikes on the grid and closer racing all round.

[Grant Monkhouse]

Congratulations mitch, it\'s only been around for a few years and has always been better than F1.

[m1tch]

Yes yes lol fine havn\'t really bothered with F1 that much as it was rather boring as all the cars are closely matched. Just watched todays race which was really cool 3 bikes, 1 corner lol

Yeah im looking forward to next year if they are going with 1000cc engines

[jetpilot]

There was quite a following on here, Mr Da Greek, but think he lost interest due to the over use of electronics (traction control), Dan Norton but havent seen him since Rossi stopped winning.

I would very much recommend watching some of the Moto2, same engines but different chassis manufacturers and a big grid, the last time i watched that about 10 or more were all in with a shout of a win from the grid. Motogp seems to be restricted to about 3 winners with the odd surprise here and there, still love watching it as its the pinnacle of bike racing and some of the things they get the bikes to do is just breathtaking!

[m1tch]

Yeah I was amazed at what the traction control and electronics were doing, when they commented about how bike X was slower than the other bike was down to the ECU limiting the power by the fueling so that the bike would finish the race I was like....what? Bring back carbs lol

I guess its a bit like most top level motorsports, top level is quite close, its always interesting to see the slightly \'slower\' classes like formula 3 cars etc, more evenly matched, but at least with bikes there are overtakes unlike F1 lol

[jetpilot]

A lot down to the fuel limits that the ecu cuts in making sure it will go race distance.

Traction control is a whole different bag, i have no particular like or dislike really, those guys are at the top of the game and its merely an aid rather than relied upon, they still highside, spin up out of corners so cant see it being too much of a interruption.

[Grant Monkhouse]

With 230HP on 2 wheels I would recommend traction control.

The 125cc 2strokes is the most exciting for overtaking, full of young lads wanting to show who\'s best. You can be 6th going into a corner and come out in first!

It\'s a real shame they\'re changing to 250 4 strokes next year though

[m1tch]

At least the bikes won\'t sound like a tin can of angry wasps anymore lol