I found a clip on the 85 race where Roberts duked it out with Mamola and eventually won the race at Laguna. The clip was titled something like "what racing would be like without electronics".
First of all it was an exciting piece of racing, but what made it so different was the lack of safety standards and the amount of wheeliing those 500 racers did. Seems like on just about every corner on the drive out they would pull an extended wheelie. At first I thought they were showing off, but realized they simply couldn't keep the front end down on those bikes. I'm sure they tried because the racers that did the longest wheelie stood a chance of being passed by another racer who managed to keep the front end down.
There were no gravel traps that I could see, just big hay bales backed by tires. In some places they were positioned almost right up to the edge of the track. Today's racers would have a cow if they had to race on a track like that, truth be told they wouldn't. But back in the day that was the standard here. Crazy stuff.
Pick any one minute section from that 6 minute clip and you've got more excitement than an entire modern 800cc race.
The glory days are dead. Pure and simple. The day thy buried the 2 strokes was the beginning of the end.
I've still got some 2 stroke bikes and would love to own a 2 stroke V4 because of what an animal it must be.
Some of that excitement could be restored back to GP racing if they took the electronics off, even with 4 strokes, but I don't see that happening. Too much of a safety issue.
I found a clip on the 85 race where Roberts duked it out with Mamola and eventually won the race at Laguna. The clip was titled something like "what racing would be like without electronics".
First of all it was an exciting piece of racing, but what made it so different was the lack of safety standards and the amount of wheeliing those 500 racers did. Seems like on just about every corner on the drive out they would pull an extended wheelie. At first I thought they were showing off, but realized they simply couldn't keep the front end down on those bikes. I'm sure they tried because the racers that did the longest wheelie stood a chance of being passed by another racer who managed to keep the front end down.
There were no gravel traps that I could see, just big hay bales backed by tires. In some places they were positioned almost right up to the edge of the track. Today's racers would have a cow if they had to race on a track like that, truth be told they wouldn't. But back in the day that was the standard here. Crazy stuff.
Yeah, crazy shit John. Good smoker thread. 'Hay bales save lives'...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt_P
Mamola is the most talented mofo to never have won the 500 title.
If memory serves me correctly, Randy never won a 500cc title. He managed to finish 2nd place in the championship quite often, but he never won the title.
Maybe you're just 'randy'? And attracted to the name? Makes sense...
If memory serves me correctly, Randy never won a 500cc title. He managed to finish 2nd place in the championship quite often, but he never won the title.
Maybe you're just 'randy'? And attracted to the name? Makes sense...
Randy Mamola is one good hearted, talented fella.
Read it again Einstein... it says never to have won the title
nice post... love that vid. the days before the "Dunlop" island. I like the old layout... fast, but i think it was too short for the GP to come over.. so it was lengthened and a few more turns were added... good stuff...
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I think we ought always to entertain our opinions with some measure of doubt. I shouldn't wish people dogmatically to believe any philosophy, not even mine.
I found a clip on the 85 race where Roberts duked it out with Mamola and eventually won the race at Laguna. The clip was titled something like "what racing would be like without electronics".
First of all it was an exciting piece of racing, but what made it so different was the lack of safety standards and the amount of wheeliing those 500 racers did. Seems like on just about every corner on the drive out they would pull an extended wheelie. At first I thought they were showing off, but realized they simply couldn't keep the front end down on those bikes. I'm sure they tried because the racers that did the longest wheelie stood a chance of being passed by another racer who managed to keep the front end down.
There were no gravel traps that I could see, just big hay bales backed by tires. In some places they were positioned almost right up to the edge of the track. Today's racers would have a cow if they had to race on a track like that, truth be told they wouldn't. But back in the day that was the standard here. Crazy stuff.
Am not sure if this was posted somwhere else, but is sort of relevant. I love Colin!
Makes sense... 
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