Bike race series.

When I was a kid I was into the TT, world championships, F1 titles and the Transatlantic Trophy, Barry Sheene, Kenny Roberts etc.
Then it was full-on Grand Prix with Freddie Spencer, Wayne Rainey, Kevin Schwantz, and all.
Then I was into World Superbikes and Fred Merkel and all those American greats as well as Carl Foggerty etc.
Then the era of slightly mediocre.
Then back into Moto GP with Doohan, Rossi, and that dick-head Australian, Stoner.
Then I wanted to go back to British Superbikes and they delivered with Shane Byrne, Haslam etc.
Love the current Moto GP battles. Love the current TT battles. Love the current British Superbike battles.

But what has happened to World Superbikes?

Just watched the penultimate round of the series and seen Jonathan Rea win for the second year running. What an uninspiring, soul-less series this has become. Rea is a dull, uncharismatic guy, spouting a load of pre-learned shit about his sponsors and his achievements (like listening to brain-dead X factor contestant). He might be a fast rider on the fastest bike but, God, he's a boring shite to listen to.

I think it's a sad inditement of modern motorsport that the inevitability of matching the type of, admittedly talented, but unimaginative and predictable people, with the best technology, backed by the most mercenary companies wanting to maximise their profits, ends up with a starting grid of overpaid, vanilla, uninspiring people like the current world champion.

When I was a kid we'd paint our bikes in the colours of our heroes and idolise their very being. No chance for Rea. He's almost invisible.

World Superbikes...get your act together!

Dominated by Brits though.......

Have you actually stopped and looked at how Chaz Davies rides - 7 of the last 8 races won by a drifting ducati.......Bic - c'mon its not as bad as you make out...... I do however accept that Rea is a bit straight....

Aye, all credit to both Shakey and Chaz, and their Panigales.

Is uncharismatic a word ? The Kawasakis have finally received some competition from Ducati in the hands of Chaz Davies. The filming company could give me the whole race with their lenses pointed only at Chaz and I would tune in every time. There are a few television shows that I watch enjoying the personalities of the people involved but they are educational or informative and not entertainment in nature. Racing for me is entertainment and the entertainment is solely about watching the bikes and racers perform spectacle on two wheels. What they do or say off the track is the least of my concern. Rea and Sykes have reportedly been tough on each other in the paddock but when Rea slowed to let his team mate pass and take second place in the championship over Davies, without team orders, unselfish comes to mind but then another word could be used, altruistic. Valencia and then I'll go into withdrawal symptoms till March. Thank Tivo for the DVR

Somewhat true on what Bic says. I have enjoyed watching the WSBK this yr & previous yrs. JR is a excellent rider. Perhaps the best? It sure made a big difference when he started riding the ZX10.
Boring he may be after the race. He can be a very aggressive rider. He took a lot of chances in a few races I watched. Missed downshifts had him off the track numerous times.(personally I was hoping he would fall) To bad Chaz had a few mishaps this yr. He's a exciting rider to watch.

What do you suggest the WSBK do Bic?

I have to admit to similar feelings of disinterest in the WSB Championship, despite it being dominated by a bunch of top British riders (Rea, Sykes, Davies, Camier, Lowes). I think that the only race I watched all year was an early-season round in Thailand and I was so uninspired that I stopped watching before the end of the recording and deleted the series link from the Tivo box. I can't put my finger on it, but I feel that the series has no relevance to me at all (I don't think it's connected to me having sold a pair of ZX-10s and replaced them with 990SDs - I lost interest in it years ago) Unfortunately it would appear that the paying public feel the same way, with diminishing crowds virtually everywhere.

For me, MotoGP (all classes) is where it's at now and has been that way for a number of years. I still enjoy watching BSB, but I feel that it would benefit from some real competition against Paul Bird's wallet - the most enjoyable seasons recently were 2013 (Alex Lowes winning) and 2015 (Josh Brookes), proving that Birdy's cavernously deep pockets aren't sufficient to win it every year. I don't mean to diss the efforts of Shane Byrne and the team members, as they've obviously worked very hard this year with a totally new bike, but how many other teams could afford to have a Ducati Corse Factory Technician in the garage every week? One of the most enjoyable sights in BSB is Bird's face after they've been beaten, looking like a bulldog licking piss off a nettle

As Scotty says. That's how I feel too, WSB just seems not relevant to me and I'm not that interested anymore. I was, as usual, drunk when I wrote the first post so wasn't really having a personal go at Rea and the other Brit riders, just trying to express my frustration at the lack of excitement I felt after sitting for an hour watching the race that evening. I was just bored watching and then Rea's uninspiring post-race interview just pushed me over the edge.

I still remember the enthusiasm and love I had for WSB back in the Fogarty days and going to Brands Hatch when he did the double that year. The battles between Whitham, Frankie Chili, Ben Bostrom, Aaron Slight, Gobert, Corser, Baylis etc. during those days was great fun and they were all really different characters. It was the golden decade of Superbike racing and it was true that you could more or less go out and buy the same bikes in the showroom. I think that now the bikes are more like GP prototypes and therefor the link between road machines is less tangible. And the riders have all become stereotypical of the type of focussed, determined, single-minded professionals that you need to be to compete at that level.

I don't know what special factors it takes to make someone likeable. It's not necessarily being able to speak fluently or well, look at Joes Dunlop or Nori Haga, neither could talk much but were great personalities. I really, really want to like Leon Haslam because of his talent and because I was a fan of his dad, but he too is a bit boring and bland. When you're trying to run a race series that has mass appeal so that it's more than just the petrol head fans that watch you have to think about personalities and characters and something else other than just the race and riding skills. It's meant to be a total experience and that's the only way I can get my previous girlfriends and now Amy to watch, they don't care about riding, they want to support a real person that they can identify with! No wonder the attendance at race meetings is in decline.

Yes we need personalities so the girls will be interested in race craft.

I do think WSB has become a tad boring, but Chaz Davies was at one on the Ducati and at least Laverty will be back next year on a factory Aprillia. I remember when Laverty was in it 2 or 3 years ago and managed to over take Melandri on the outside on the very last corner of the last race of that year. I still rate that manoeuvre as one of the finest I've ever seen. And of course Melandri will be Chaz's team mate next year, so it can only get better.... I hope.

Sure would like to hear things like that: https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2016/1 ... eaponized/

Anyhow, not easy to find results...: http://95.110.194.229/live/archiviopdf/ ... ifiche.pdf

KTM should do a little more drumming? Not that I am concerned but if it goes well why not tell everybody...

Watched Rae go round Phillip Island , he may look clinical (boring) but no one has the goods to beat him.
Can`t blame Rae the other have to step up.

same again in Thailand.... Rea just ran away in race one..... reversal of the grid should make race 2 interesting though

^^^Gin, that was a spoiler. Some ppl watch both races on Sunday.

Oops sorry! Wasn't thinking.....

No Probs. That's what I would have guessed. Hopefully not the same tomorrow.

One thing that is missing In my opinion is that lack of wild cards at the WSB rounds. Hislop, Whitam et al really spiced up the races in the 90's. Those wild cards genuinely had a chance of a podium or even a win. That's all gone. And as for the ridiculous idea of a race on Saturday then the second on the Sunday is just plain stupid.
Rant over.