is there something more exciting to watch than MotoGP??

[drledford93]

Got hooked on Motogp in '06 with Nicky Hayden (from my home state, Kentucky and a friend of a friend) and quickly favored it over F1.

To me, the biggest factor in it being as fun as it is to watch is the uncertainty. Mistakes happen frequently, just like they used to in F1 (add in mechanical failures as well). You see virtually no accidents or failures in F1 anymore. Hopefully that comes back.

[JamesB]

Daniel nailed it. It´s uncertainty what makes a sport a thrilling thing. But then there´s also the plasticity (not sure if the word has same meaning as in Spanish) is qite better: bikes move, swing, the guy on them also changes position. Well, you know all that
Anyway, some report from yesterday at Cheste, MotoGP tests...
I was there for 5 hours, almost at the same spot. It´s incredible, how many people attended!! We had a long queue... and we already had the ticket!
What I saw, well, there´s gotta be a bit of Martin´s bike at every single run off area, within a 1meter radius. If it´s a rainy winter in Valencia, maybe hunderds of GP21 will blossom from earth
Well, he shunted at two more places!
Anyway the moment of watching Marquez on a Ducati was a special one, similar as when I saw Schumi´s comeback in 2010. Then the bikes, well, lots of black units. generally glossy, not bare CF. Proof that they were just this year´s bikes painted black, or maybe new done like that so they looked cool. The Ducati works boys used both a black (supposedly new) bike and this weekend-s red bikes. Martin was always with colored bike. Marquez had Zarco´s this year´s bike, painted black and with lots of red on it. Deep, fluo red. The new Hondas looked very similar to Aprilias and KTMs, with that horizontal "step" in the middle and a fatter belly. Tail is almost exact as Ducati. Yamaha seemed to have something new, that at last looks different to 2009 bike. Then Cratchlow rode a bike with a narrow (at the top) cuppola, similar to Ducati, but just him. Strange, I already saw this one at one of his wild cards. Don´t know why the other riders dont use it.
Lots of long lower exhausts. Yamaha had even a double one. Hnda is still the most noisy one.
Now with the colors!!
Don´t blame me if I seem obsessed with fluo just telling the truth!
OK, KTMs are incredibly pelasent to the eye, seen live. ORANGE is strikingly fluo, very outstanding. The red in RedBull letters looks fluo too, but it´s outshone by the neighbour orange. They are shinny and look like a high quality model. No hint of the F1-style satin they did use a few years ago.
The orangish small patches of the Ducati Lenovo are also very fluo. Different to KTW, and much closer to typical McLaren M@r!b*r* orange. The black ones had fluo Lenovo stickers, but with regfular bike red is normal and quite deep. Other bike that really gains seen live is the GAS GAS, bright but plain red, Ferrari old school style.
Then also MArtin´s Pramac (Morbido used a black Ducati), the red patches are fluo, not tremendously but unmistakeably. Similar to Repsol red... which I BTW did not see live this time. Apparently a Repsol bike had made some runs, but before I arrived to the circuit. The aprilias also looked fantastic, with its lots of white stickers on black (always a winner combination) plus its also!! fluo red patches.
Then the Mooney bikes, looks quite clear live, even if it looks a bit messy on the TV or pics. The deeper yellow is a normal sunflower yellow, while the lighter yellow is the classical VR46 Fluo yellow. The contrast looks fine.
Ah! The Monster Yamahas also look really nice.
Not much more to add, just that I no longer will be impressed when some Briton complains about how cold and windy Silverstone is Ha!!! windy day in Sinverstone? that´s a spring day at Cheste!!!
It was horrid, wind almost teared us off te grandstands
I´ll try to post some pics even if they are quite crappy!
BR
James

[JamesB]

BTW what a hell of a brick (in terms of reading) I just left to you guys
Here are the good pics, not mine:

https://es.motorsport.com/motogp/photos ... 828924&p=1
You can see how I was mistaken for instance about the Marquez Ducati, it was a very, very deep metallic blue. Maybe Marc brought a can from Repsol Honda
And yes some were bare CF not fully black. But there´s quite a few shinny black ones.
Very, very interesting developements. One thing that has me really wondering is why Yamaha does not test more the strange, more Ducati like fairing that debuted mid season.
Anyway, enjoy!

[Dede]

Think we can get that same Japanese fan to tell Red Bull to Go Away? F1 is the polar opposite of Moto GP right now. I watched the full race/aftermath of Valencia then watched all of 3 laps of Abu Dhabi before hitting the FF button and scanning through to the end until that blue thing crossed the line. GLAD that season is over with. Here's hoping to more competitiveness next year.

Agree, sadly it is boring, boring, boring F1... there was an 8 minute highlights of the race on YouTube, I watched the first 30 seconds then skipped to the last 15 seconds.

As for MotoGP, it was another fantastic season, I had hoped to make it to Valencia again for the title fight finale but unfortunately could not. I'd have liked Jorge to get the Championship but not to be this time and I think it will be difficult for him and everyone else on the grid next year with Marquez now on Ducati, a bike that works and does what it should very very well, it could (but hopefully not for boring sakes) be a Verstappen situation for Marquez in 2024 on the Duc, mabey not that extreme but possible, I don't read too much into lap times from last Tuesday, they were doing different things with 2023/2024 bikes, but what I do read into was the smile that Marc Marquez could not keep off his face whan he came in from his first run on the Ducati

[bossy122]

Even winter testing holds my attention longer than an F1 race. It was nice to see M. Marquez and Martin exchange helmets after the way they exited Valencia in the proper race.

[capri-schorsch]

First weekend without MotoGP race.
Today we went to an Christmas market near us. Back home wen watched the Dutch TT Race from 2018.
What an stunner that was with so much overtaking. Great!
So we decided that we will continue watching old races till the new season starts.

Whats yours must watch races from the last 2 decades?

[Dede]

First weekend without MotoGP race.
Today we went to an Christmas market near us. Back home wen watched the Dutch TT Race from 2018.
What an stunner that was with so much overtaking. Great!
So we decided that we will continue watching old races till the new season starts.

Whats yours must watch races from the last 2 decades?

Hi Christian,
From last two decades my favourites are Catalan GP Barcelona 09 and Laguna Seca 08, great hard fought battles and any MotoGP race from Philip Island that Casey Stoner entered, unbeatable - poetry in motion and a joy to watch...
Going back further, I have a soft spot for the first 2 Australian Motorcycle GP's also, 1989 & 90 and can't forget Hockenheim 91'.

[woodgp]

well this thread is cool , I worked the Qatar Motogp from 2009-2021 .. love the sport as I raced all my life ( flat track now ) I didn't know we had a few big Motogp guys here .
I have a bunch of event posters if anyone would like one ,let me take a couple pics later today ...just pay the shipping ....cheers

[JamesB]

Nice idea! I admit I gotta go to last forty years to recall my better memories. Not that last 20 have been worse, just that I can´t skip the older ones
But OK let´s stay in the proposed fork by now
I can remember to start with, the surprise just in-just win! victories from Ducati and Capirossi in 2003. Then those magnificent, challenging wins of Sete Gibernau with the Movistar RCV. Treating great Rossi as an equal.
That Laguna Seca overtake, Rossi Stoner!!!
Also the Lorenzo-Rossi fights.
Then I also recall the 2012 end of season, with an on-form Pedrosa and a Lorenzo saved by the bell.
The Dovi-Marquez fights were also awesome. Wow so many...

[capri-schorsch]

well this thread is cool , I worked the Qatar Motogp from 2009-2021 .. love the sport as I raced all my life ( flat track now ) I didn't know we had a few big Motogp guys here .
I have a bunch of event posters if anyone would like one ,let me take a couple pics later today ...just pay the shipping ....cheers

I am very interested in the posters. Even when my hunt for Christmas presents for my girls are over.
My 12 year old girls will get signed autograph card from Marc and Fabio.
My 17 year old girl will get signed cards from David Alonso and Tony Arbolino.
And hopefully both will get a personal dedication signed shirt from Marc and from Alex Marquez for my bigger girl. That will be awesome if this will happen.
Even my wife will get a coffee mug from Fabio and Beze.

Did I told you that my girls are mad in case of racing?

But I am still interested in some more.
Regards Christian