Motorcycle Movies: Faster, Fastest, and now, Hitting the Apex. http://lanesplitter.jalopnik.com/hitting-the-apex-is-the-new-motorcycle-racing-documenta-1726794514...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Faster, Fastest, and now, Hitting the Apex.

http://lanesplitter.jalopnik.com/hitting-the-apex-is-the-new-motorcycle-racing-documenta-1726794514

mikeysaling Loc: essex uk

Are you in this movie Jerry ? sure looks like you in your leathers !!!!

Past Pro Loc: Spring Hill, Florida

Pretty amazing movie!!!

Wrangler Loc: North Texas

When I was young, I had an AMA Pro card. For two years, I traveled all over the USA racing motocross. My family thought I was nuts, but those guys who race on hard surfaces are really crazy. There is s big difference in falling on a dirt track at 60 MPH and falling on blacktop at at 180 MPH.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Wrangler wrote:

When I was young, I had an AMA Pro card. For two years, I traveled all over the USA racing motocross. My family thought I was nuts, but those guys who race on hard surfaces are really crazy. There is s big difference in falling on a dirt track at 60 MPH and falling on blacktop at at 180 MPH.

And you wore a t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops, right? :D

Wrangler Loc: North Texas

When I was racing, we used leathers, gloves, chest protectors, and Full Bore boots. I had a friend named Jack Pfaff, who was national hare scramble champion. I visited him one time while he was recuperating from a broken jaw after hitting a tree. He told me that if he were wearing a full face helmet, he wouldn't have broken his jaw. I went straight out and got a Bell full face helmet. All the guys on the national circuit made fun of me. Within a year almost all of them had full face helmets.
In those days, you couldn't race in the hospital and no race means no money!

Big Bill Loc: Phoenix, AZ

Wrangler wrote:

In those days, you couldn't race in the hospital and no race means no money!

You can race in the hospital now?

Wrangler Loc: North Texas

No but some riders get a salary.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

jerryc41 wrote:

Faster, Fastest, and now, Hitting the Apex.

http://lanesplitter.jalopnik.com/hitting-the-apex-is-the-new-motorcycle-racing-documenta-1726794514

I have always been a fan of all kinds of motor racing, but with Moto GP being broadcast regularly, it has become one of my favorites. Unlike car racing where the drivers can't really be seen, you can see what motorcycle drivers are doing. And the development of the tires has come so far that the amount of lean they can get in the turns is almost unbelievable. I learned recently that the suits they wear now have an airbag type device around their torsos. It's only a small amount of inflation, I think like half an inch, but it helps a lot to lessen injuries.

Black Bart Loc: Indiana

Wrangler wrote:

When I was racing, we used leathers, gloves, chest... (show quote)

Your mention of Full Bore boots makes me remember the time I crashed my CZ and broke my leg in 6 places between the knee and ankle.

The surgeon said if I had not been wearing those boots I would have lost my leg.
As it was 18 months in a cast and I was back racing again.

That was in 1971 the bikes back then did not have the sophisticated suspension that that they have now.

Effate Loc: El Dorado Hills, Ca.

Wrangler wrote:

When I was young, I had an AMA Pro card. For two years, I traveled all over the USA racing motocross. My family thought I was nuts, but those guys who race on hard surfaces are really crazy. There is s big difference in falling on a dirt track at 60 MPH and falling on blacktop at at 180 MPH.

Actually, don't underestimate motocross' danger as in MXGP all of the top contenders have been out with serious injuries this season (Nagl, Cairoli,DeSalle and Villopoto) leaving the Championship open for a rookie (Febvre) whereas in Moto Gp Rossi, Lorenzo, Marques and Pedrosa all take those high speed crashes, slide or flip eventually slowing in the catch areas and are usually racing next week as evidenced by the fact they still occupy the top of the standings.

Wrangler Loc: North Texas

Black Bart wrote:

Your mention of Full Bore boots makes me remember the time I crashed my CZ and broke my leg in 6 places between the knee and ankle.

The surgeon said if I had not been wearing those boots I would have lost my leg.
As it was 18 months in a cast and I was back racing again.

That was in 1971 the bikes back then did not have the sophisticated suspension that that they have now.

You probably remember Roger DeCoster, Adolph Weil, the Jones brothers, Joel Robert, Brad Lacky, Torsten Holman leathers and Koni shocks. I even remember when Jerry Studolka showed up in the Inter Am series wearing a hockey mask.

venturer9 Loc: Newton, Il.

Wrangler wrote:

When I was racing, we used leathers, gloves, chest... (show quote)

Full Face Helmets are the way to go... I have only had 3 get downs in over 770.000 miles but had my Full Face (3 different ones)_ on each wreck and my face/head was totally protected... In the last wreck, I was severely hurt, but even though the complete front of my helmet was torn off, my face/head was not damaged at all.....

They are hot and moderately heavy... BUT they are worth the price and aggravation..

Mike

Effate Loc: El Dorado Hills, Ca.

Wrangler wrote:

You probably remember Roger DeCoster, Adolph Weil, the Jones brothers, Joel Robert, Brad Lacky, Torsten Holman leathers and Koni shocks. I even remember when Jerry Studolka showed up in the Inter Am series wearing a hockey mask.

Football face guards and Jofa face masks ruled!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Big Bill wrote:

You can race in the hospital now?

They do it every day. :D