Marco Bezzecchi on the 2025 prototype Aprilia RS-GP, cleverly disguised by having a really cool sticker set slapped all over the bike
Enea Bastianini was not a million miles off on the Tech3 KTM, but he didn't look at home on the bike
To start off a riding style comparison, here is Michele Pirro doing a shakedown of Pecco Bagnaia's bike. Sitting relatively upright on the bike, not really pushing through the corner
Johann Zarco attacking the corner. Off the bike a lot more, head down but not below the screen, elbow tucked in, relaxed
Fermin Aldeguer, the rookie. Body still over the bike, shoulder up, body tense. Still learning
What a rookie looks like after a year on the bike. Pedro Acosta fully committed, body off the bike, shoulder down, head down and forward, elbow tucked and pushing. This is the new fast
Jorge Martin agrees. He looks loose and controlled, body off the bike, though not quite as far as on the Ducati. Head down, shoulder dropped, elbow tight.
Jack Miller's body language backs up his lap times: He's trying, but he isn't confident enough to get off the bike. His torso is still too far over the bike. Stiff and uncomfortable
Maverick Viñales, again not yet fully committed. More upright, his body more over the bike, head and shoulder up, arm above the tank, not laying on it
LCR Honda rookie Somkiat Chantra looks very similar, though he's a bit more committed here.
This is a man who knows his machine intimately. Pecco Bagnaia in full flow on the beautiful white Ducati GP25 prototype. Left arm nearly fully extended, right shoulder dropped, right elbow tucked, knee out, eyes on the apex and beyond
Two different styles on the Yamaha. Alex Rins always has a touch of the Colin Edwards/Norick Abe about him, head up and butt on the bike
Miguel Oliveira is much more modern: butt off the side of the bike, shoulder down, outside arm extended, head down
... and then there's Jorge Martin
Fabio Quartararo pushing hard on the Yamaha, head down and forward, out of the fairing, shoulder dropped, outside foot ready to push on the peg
Ai Ogura looks to have the body position down pat. The Aprilia gives a rider confidence in corners, clearly. And look how far he is looking through the corner
By contrast, Maverick Viñales looks old school, more upright and less attacking. He isn't fully confident yet
Joan Mir showing what it looks like when a rider is pushing hard. Maybe too hard. The 2020 world champion looks incredibly angry on the Repsol Honda. Which would explain a lot.
Oh, and here's Marc Marquez. A known quantity
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super illuminating
How pictures can tell a thousand stories. Nice work!
David, have you ever ridden on the track?
If not, that makes this analysis that much more impressive. This is indeed exactly what it's like- the more comfortable you feel, the more you can hang off and the more relaxed you feel. Production based bikes don't require anywhere near as much hang off but it's still encouraged to "push the bike away from you" at max lean and coming out of corners. I will def be watching this through the season.
One thing I wish is that Dorna would publish the Moto3 and Moto2 qualifying lap videos... much more relevant technique for us folks on smaller bikes
In reply to David, have you ever ridden on the track? by CTK
I haven't raced or done…
I haven't raced or done track days, but I have ridden a lot and done a lot of training. I feel like I have a fairly good understanding of the techniques of riding a motorcycle, and of course I have had the incredible privilege to spend 16 years talking to riders, ex-riders, and crew chiefs about riding. So you pick up a few things along the way.
Comfort is the first thing you pick up on. As in, how happy someone is to be riding, how confident they are with a bike. You see someone looking stiff, you can see someone riding gingerly, or hesitantly, or throwing the bike into a corner with the absolute confidence they will emerge unscathed on the other side. You learn to read the body language.
And you learn a lot from that, even in my road riding, which is all done at something resembling legal pace. Brisk, not fast.
Glad people like these. I enjoy doing these observations. I sort of forget I know things that other people don't, because I've spent years in the paddock studying it. I take it for granted everyone knows this, but new fans and people who haven't had the luxury of time to study this often overlook it. A thing to concentrate on in the future.
Fascinating!
Fascinating!
JM lol
Jorge Martin photo from behind looks like he had fallen from the bike. These body leaning angles are insane! You need to look at photo to understand how far they go!
Fantastic article!
Fascinating and amazing!
David, for me these pictures combined with your comments are so illuminating and educating. The Jorge Martin picture defies logic! Your comment on Mir and Quartararo fascinate me because they are both world champions, pushing hard on lesser bikes. I wish Mir would push a little less hard.
When a video course?
This article is awesome. How about a video course with all this info, plus how they draw turns, how they brake... In this way we could be able to enjoy even more motorbike races! Please think about it!