14-05-13, 12:43 PM
(04-05-13, 09:32 PM)XTremo link Wrote: The current generation couldn't even begin to imagine riding a bike that they had to battle with just to keep it upright.
So strip away all the high tech from these guys today and you'll see a different picture.
This is what us ex-racers, including those of the Hailwoos era would call 'Rubbish'.
You have no idea how hard it is to wrestle a bike with massive horsepower on modern slick tyres. I rode a slick shod RC30 endurance racer at a practise day at Brands in the eighties, it's probably 50bhp down on it's modern equivalent and the slicks similarly down on grip, but still an animal. I was auditioning for a place on an endurance team (wasn't chosen tho) and after 10 laps I was exhausted. It was a constant battle to keep it stable on the exit of corners, the grip from the tyres make it very hard work and the braking forces make your arms ache like hell after just half a dozen laps, the concentration required makes you sweat buckets. I've no doubt in my mind that modern GP riders are super-fit beings, possessing of a huge amount of skill. Their bikes are undoubtably extremely hard to ride fast on their own, let alone whilst battling with their fellows. The modern 'aids' are I think required, less highsides can only be good, they cause horrific injuries usually.
Anyways it's barmy to imply that nobody born after the Hailwood era is automatically not as good as him and his fellows.
Si