Hey guys, I was just wondering who you consider you favourite &/or the greatest motorcycle racer of all time?

For me personally I think it is a very hard question as there are so many different fascets to this question. Do we just talk GP? or include SBK? How are our perceptions governed by our age & teh era we have grown up in? What of Obscure types of racinng such as Road racing? Well lets include any Racing that is on a tar circuit (not to say there are not greats on the dirt but we will save that for later).

For me I think the Ultimate racer was JOEY DUNLOP! I am a big fan of Road Racing Isle of Mann Style. I think it is the ultimate because they are pushing to the limits & know that if they stuff up there is a strong posibility of severe injury of death (highest death rate of any 2 wheeled motorsport).
Joey was just such a precise racer & a humble man. He never chased the dollars & preferred to work on & set up his own bikes (how many current racers would know how to do this, they just tell someone else whats wrong & let them sort it). Joey had balls & knowed how to use them. Just watch the famous footage os him with a camera strapped to his 1984 VFR Honda & you will agree. He was a legend & my personal favourite. :thumbup:

Next probably EDDIE LAWSON. So smooth & consistant. Just got on with the business. 4 x world GP champion (intersting though his neighbour did not know what he was World Champ of as it is apparently not a big sport in the US of A :confused: I have many a fond memory of watching him circulate on the Cagiva @ Eastern Creek many years ago & being totally amazzed at how smooth & consistant he was

I think that Troy Bayliss is largely unrecogised for his talents but i could have some bias as I live near his hometown

There are many others that I rate as the true greats but I will get into them later, come on who are your favourites :thumbup:

Valentino Rossi, would have to be fairly high on my list - no matter what he rides - he gets results, & is great to watch.

Wayne Gardner, in his prime, was also good, & gotta agree with ya about Bayliss being underated/under-developed to max potential.

Hmmm - who was the Texan that rode for Ducati - he was awsome!! (Mind is blank at the mo........!!)

Would that be Ben Bostrom? Underrated as well I reckon, he was awesome to watch on a good day. He is now back in SBK with Honda, I hope he does well.

Wayne gardner was also high on my list, he rode on pure determination, not a smooth rider just used brute force & will power FANTASTIC to watch

& as for valentino, not much you need to say really - the master of the mind game & has them beat before the race starts. He also knows how the machinery works :thumbup:

No mate - was'nt Bostrom - big tall lanky Texan guy - name will probably come to me at 2am tomorrow (don't ya hate that!!)

How about Kenny Roberts making the list...........

Hey, cuz!

I was just looking at a site called MotoSport-MotoGP http://www.motosport.co.yu/motogp_photo ... ery_page=8 and on page 4 of their 'Photos and Wallpapers' there is a picture of Rossi on the grid, squatting on the ground in front of his bike, 'performing his usual ritual' - I didn't know he did that, did you? Do you know what it's all about?

:laugh:

OK, guys and gals, here it is: According to the caption, it's Rossi 'Performing his usual ritual' at the start of a GP. What do you think he's doing?

No - you guys have got it wrong :thumbdown: - you're going to haveta back the truck up a bit on this one - this is no 'ritual' being done by Rossi - he's on a Yamaha now - & he's just checking before the race, that nothing has fallen off it while it was being wheeled to the grid.................. :neener: :neener:

:laugh:


A very good effort, Duck! I wonder if anyone can do better ...


How about: 'Now where the hell did that bluddy key go?' (Yours is better, Duck - I'm not very good at this kind of thing)

Ummmm - being a Yamaha - maybe he's just 'winding up the rubber band'......................