Hailwood

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Joined
Sep 23, 2018
Messages
5
Location
Cadiz, Spain
Mike Hailwood is probably the greatest motorcycle racer ever. He won on every kind of bike, big, small, 2 stroke, 4 stroke, private, works. He won on every kind of circuit, short or road. He came back from retirement to win all his races on IOM with Ducati.

Marquez is the only modern rider who shows a glimmer of the same talent, but he only races on short circuits which allow lots of crashes with little penalty.

To be the best ever he needs to demonstrate his ability on a real circuit. Anybody think he might try it?;)
 
Highly unlikely.

Too much risk for the reward.

He certainly has the talent to do it but road racing requires a different mental approach what with the "furniture" as the Irish lads call it lining the circuit requiring you to be a bit more restrained with your approach. A full time circuit racer might not be so ballsy when confronted with Ballagarey which is a 170mph corner, blind on entry and lined by houses.

Depends how committed and confident you are, regardless of talent because if you get it wrong those types of circuit will bite you in the arse. Barry Sheene admitted he went to the TT with an attitude that he could take it in his stride, then he ended up crashing and refused to race there ever again and that was a lad as brave and talented as they come.
 
Mike Hailwood is probably the greatest motorcycle racer ever. He won on every kind of bike, big, small, 2 stroke, 4 stroke, private, works. He won on every kind of circuit, short or road. He came back from retirement to win all his races on IOM with Ducati.

Marquez is the only modern rider who shows a glimmer of the same talent, but he only races on short circuits which allow lots of crashes with little penalty.

To be the best ever he needs to demonstrate his ability on a real circuit. Anybody think he might try it?;)

The comparison does not stand up; not in any way.

1. The degree of danger in a given circuit is not a measure of the rider's ability.
2. Racing at IOM is not racing against other riders. It's racing against the clock. No dicing or battle/racecraft involved.
3. Bikes in Hailwood's time were much slower and didn't require the same breadth of technical knowledge.
4. Racing in Hailwood's time didn't require the same kind of physical prowess and stamina, achievable currently only by dint of year round physical training, which was not even a concept back in the day, when riders still smoked cigarettes between races and and beer was served right in the paddock.
5. Hailwood's competitors were by and large privateer hobby riders who built and maintained the bikes in their back yards - as compared to today's competition all of whom are on well funded teams with nearly equal equipment.
 
The comparison does not stand up; not in any way.

1. The degree of danger in a given circuit is not a measure of the rider's ability.
2. Racing at IOM is not racing against other riders. It's racing against the clock. No dicing or battle/racecraft involved.
3. Bikes in Hailwood's time were much slower and didn't require the same breadth of technical knowledge.
4. Racing in Hailwood's time didn't require the same kind of physical prowess and stamina, achievable currently only by dint of year round physical training, which was not even a concept back in the day, when riders still smoked cigarettes between races and and beer was served right in the paddock.
5. Hailwood's competitors were by and large privateer hobby riders who built and maintained the bikes in their back yards - as compared to today's competition all of whom are on well funded teams with nearly equal equipment.

This is why I always say you can only be the best of your time, not all time.
 
Not really because he wouldn't have attempted to race in Hailwoods era.

Mate, that's as specious as saying Hailwood isn't the greatest because he wouldn't want to give up pints at the pub and diet down to the required weight for today's competition, and wouldn't have attempted to make lean angles that allowed for scraping an elbow on the ground, out-braked someone like Stoner at the end of a 230 mph straightaway, or worked out hours a day to stay fit enough to travel all over the world (Hailwood only raced in Europe ASFAK) - land in Japan after a 24 hr flight and jump on a bike and race in 90 degree heat.

As has been said before; it's useless to compare.

BTW - Baz is just taking the piss. ......' Ozzies love Stoner, maybe why I have an affinity for them.;)
 
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I have raced in the UGP with Agostini, on a short gircuit with Barry Sheene, and these riders would have nothing to fear from these short circuit heroes. Every season we are closer to Playstation.

I have just requested to be removed rom this Mickey Mouse forum.

Saludos a todos.

Difazio
 
I have raced in the UGP with Agostini, on a short gircuit with Barry Sheene, and these riders would have nothing to fear from these short circuit heroes. Every season we are closer to Playstation.

I have just requested to be removed rom this Mickey Mouse forum.

Saludos a todos.

Difazio

Gawd bless .:clap:
 
I have raced in the UGP with Agostini, on a short gircuit with Barry Sheene, and these riders would have nothing to fear from these short circuit heroes. Every season we are closer to Playstation.

I have just requested to be removed rom this Mickey Mouse forum.

Saludos a todos.

Difazio

ferraritoys.jpg
 


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