Moto GP racing is one of those sports like soccer, Formula One, and competitive schnitzel eating that doesn’t have the most massive following in the USA. Yes, there are LOTS of fans here who love what is basically formula one on two wheels but the riders aren’t household names like NASCAR stars or other athletes. Marc Marquez is a former world Moto GP champion and he is recognized (shockingly!) as one of the best motorcycle racers in the world. This is a video of him cornering at speed that was taken with an ultra-slow motion camera and it is astounding.
As much as a race car driver makes himself “one with the machine” to succeed, there is no mechanical relationship in racing closer than that of the grand prix motorcycle racer and his mount. The way that the riders have to use their bodies as well as their machines makes that so. It is nearly unfathomable that Marquez is able to stay on the motorcycle and the motorcycle is able to maintain mechanical grip to the ground through this corner. I realize that there is a lot of physics involved and all but even if you know the equations and can dryly explain the hows and whys of it all working, seeing it happen at this speed is mesmerizing.
Spanish oil company Repsol is the sponsor on Marquez’s motorcyle and they have been a stalwart sponsor of this form of racing for a very long time. In fact there are street bikes available to be ordered new with a Repsol team style paint job on them so you can go and try to ride like Marquez on the street and discover that you can’t when a nurse is pulling small stones out of your back, arms, and legs.
The physics here mat be easily explained but the beauty and coolness of this cannot so easily be dismissed. We watched this like 20x because it is that good.
Sitting up waving at the end, with the bike laid over in a corner farther than 99 percent of any other bike will ever go. And yes, I rode for years and drug parts.