KTM goes down

[soho]

To control those strokers must have taken far more talent than todays super safe GP bikes need.

It's all relative. Today's MotoGP bikes have about 100bhp more and weigh about the same. Only the most talented 30 racers in the world are allowed on the grid. It's still enormously fast and dangerous. They are not 'safe'.

And remember, when the Schwantzes, Doohans and Mamolas were racing, old-timers then used to watch and say "these kids don't know how lucky they are on these modern Japanese bikes, not like my dangerous old Triton Featherbed" etc etc....

Yeah , I know it's all relative Dave. but I reckon it would be harder to adapt to 500s from Moto GP bikes than the other way round. I used to watch them back in the 80's, a heart a pumpin'. I love it all still but it's a far more clinical talent these days. My good mate Martin was Barry Sheenes main mechanic but also worked with Schwanzt mid 80's. He regales almost weekly about the 'mental' days ! with those guys.
Big Martin is still at it, even now, running top fuel dragster bikes with Gulf racing !

PS: Sorry,I haven't watched the title vid of this thread, I can't purposely watch crashes, I get flash backs

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[daveuprite]

That may well be true. All top level racers ride on the edge of the bike's ability. That's their job. So the danger is there regardless of which generation you look at. But riding a 500 2T racer at full chat was definitely brave stuff. They were the first race bikes I ever actually went to see at a circuit, back in about 1981.

I never raced 2 strokes, only 600 and 1000cc 4Ts, so I don't know what it's like to ring the neck of a real race-prepped smoker. But I know the kick you get from a tuned Aprilia RS250 and I've tried a banshee engined RGV250 - there's nothing quite like riding the band. A YZR500 must have been incredible.

[soho]

Biaggi would know about both !

[daveuprite]

Biaggi would know about both !

, Yep. Well they all crossed over back in 2002, didn't they. Rossi, Biaggi, Baros, Capirossi, Checa, Gibernau. You could say that that generation were some of the most talented for riding the most powerful ever 500cc strokers one year, and then the new fire-breathing 990cc monsters the year after. And the 2003 Ducati was a right beast compared to the RC211 and the M1.

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

The bikes are faster, but more mechanically durable today...the two-strokes of the 1960s were actual killers. By the 70s they would no longer seize-up for no reason. Today's riders benefit from safer clothing and circuits, and a lot of both is actually down to Sheene and Roberts.

[Nigel]

Every genaration does the best with what they have, just that 500's were bloody widow makers Gardener said you only had to open the throttle a smidgen more and you were toast!
As for Kenny dirt tracking a TZ750, nutter!

[soho]

Anyway ,the thread is titled KTM goes down.

Here's one that hopefully won't.
I caught this young Aussie lad in the paddock a couple of years ago testing his new 'safe' ride , he stopped to let me get a photo and I never noticed the bike til he took off !

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