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Favorite racer...


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This had been touched on a while back, but I'm interested in an updated version.  

Rossi is the obvious.  But if you are going to pick a guy, then state why, and get a specific or 2 in there.

For example, while I don't agree with some of the stuff Lorenzo has done, I sure do like  watching the guy ride, and I think he turns the bike amazingly so.  So many turns that go all the way to his knee, full lean, in one action--impressive.  Another thing, when he broke his collarbone flew home and had surgery, and came back a day or 2 later and raced...and finished 4th?  Very impressive.

So maybe we can expand this to not just favorite, but one you admire (and why).

No limit on this as to when, what era of rider that is, can be from any time.

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Casey Stoner for his calm, cool demeanor

Marc Marquez for his Banzai take no prisoners approach

Noriyuki Haga for his ability to stalk the rear wheel of his prey

Pierfranco Chili for his ability to stuff a bike in places that seem impossible

Troy Corser for his doggedness

Max Biaggi for bringing out some of the best battles in MotoGP with Valentino

Ben Spies for ripping the WSBK paddock a new one

Mat Mladin for breaking the spirit of his competitors and making the AMA officials eat face at the same time

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On 10/3/2017 at 11:55 PM, Cobie Fair said:

Another thing, when he broke his collarbone flew home and had surgery, and came back a day or 2 later and raced...and finished 4th?  Very impressive.

That was Assen 2013, 5th place. Top in FP1, breaks the left(?) collarbone in FP2, didn't do FP3, FP4 nor Q2 (gridded as 12th), did WUP and Race Saturday. Rossi sure stole the limelight that day with his first victory since the return to Yamaha, but Lorenzo's feat was at least as big as Rossis.

Doohan: that outright desire to win and incredible talent.

For me, Rossi & Marqeuz have that same boyish love for riding and winning.

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I didn't see any of either Hailwoood, or Ago...but wish I had.

I did see Kenny (Sr.).  He set the bar in many ways, but here is one (I maybe mentioned this before...it's a favorite):

At the races at Laguna Seca, back when the GP guys would come to a non-GP race in US, Kenny and the boys would put on a show, and keep the pace so the local guys could hang with them for a while.  At the time "local" was guys like Mike Baldwin (4 time US champion in the GP equivalent class), Rainey, etc.

I was watching in what would have been T-10 (but this was before the infield, so it was T-8).  Kenny wheelied past Mike Baldwin, as Mike was on brakes for T-9!  WTF!  Awesome to see that command of the machine, a whole level  above one of the top guys in the US at the time.

Kenny even hired Mike to ride for him later on his team in Europe.

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Wheelied in Rainey Curve!?!!! OMG! Would love to see footage of that!

If there's any part of that track to be known it's T8 & 8a, known worldwide as The Corkscrew.

King Kenny must've been just playing with them boys.

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Not exactly, it was out of what is now turn 10, before turn 11.  Back then, it was turns 8 and 9.

The track didn't have the current turn 2-4, it was a pretty fast turn 2 and rejoined at what is now turn 5.  

Not sure the exact year the track was changed, we could find out though...

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Nice, I was at that one, pretty sure. 

I don't think this is the same race, pretty sure it was a few years later (but still the same track/race put on my the Yamaha dealers I think).

Good job on finding this!

CF

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  • 3 weeks later...

I started watching after buying my first bike in 2009. It was a Ducati so when I learned that Ducati had decided to make a solid attempt in MotoGP and that Stoner had already won the title, it was obvious I should root for him.

So I was pretty disappointed that Rossi won it. Then I believe it was the next year where Stoner had a good chance to win but crashed in the warm up lap at one of the last races. Then the next year maybe he went 12 rounds without a single win and people started talking about him moving to Honda. Then finally they announced he was moving so I quit rooting for him. As soon as I did, he started winning. 3 of the last 4 or something like that.

Rossi went to Ducati so I started to root for Rossi. We all know how that went. But that's when I quit giving a **** about Ducati. I realized I don't like twins for myself and I no longer respect their racing efforts. I stuck with Rossi and have rooted for him ever since.

I will root for Rossi as long as he's racing.

The newcomer I admire the most is Marquez. JL's smooth riding is respectable but his win from the front approach is boring. Plus, he's just such an a-hole. IMO he's the least likable racer I've ever seen. I love the ragged edge way MM rides. The way he leans into the corner before his rear tire touches the ground. And he's fantastic at dueling it out on track in traffic. Just like my current fav, VR. MM is in the queue.

I'm excited to see if Binder can make it up to MotoGP and have any success there. I'm also excited to see more of Zarco and Folger. I'm never sad when Cal does well. It's kind of a fantastic time to be a fan. Now if my gd local cable provider would add BeintV HD before Dorna moves on to some other network I'd be golden. I hate casting the races from my phone but at least I still have access.

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20 hours ago, Jaybird180 said:

How do you get racing on your phone?

I have no alternative so I pay ~$150/yr to motogp.com for the season pass. I can watch it on a computer or phone using the MotoGP app. Both my desktop and phone can stream to my Apple TV but for some reason the throughput is actually better coming from my phone.

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On 4/2/2017 at 6:09 AM, Jaybird180 said:

I would do similar if I could also get MotoAmerica and WSBK. Can you watch anytime?

That pricing is pretty good. You put me 1-step closer to cutting my cable.

WSBK has it's own plan.

You don't have to watch it live if that's what you mean. Actually this doesn't come up often but sometimes on the overseas races I want to watch it live but I'm late. Once a race starts, you can join it live but you can't start from the beginning until 30 min to an hour after it's finished. Once it's posted, you can watch it whenever you want. I've never tried to wait more than next day but I've been told by friends that the press conferences, practices, and possibly qualifying get taken down eventually. This is from a guy who lets the entire season finish before starting. :blink:

Anyway, it is nice to watch qualifying which FS1 and Speed never covered. Not sure about Bein bc I don't get it. I usually watch at least some of the practice sessions too. If they'd make an app for Tivo or even AppleTV to free up my phone I wouldn't mind having to shell out the money. But I really like, nay love, TV so I'm not even considering cutting the cable. For me it's just an added expense and a less convenient way to get my MotoGP content.

 

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