Moto GP vs. WSBK - which is most entertaining ?

[fatbloke]

Have just watched the 500 GP race, and the 1st leg of the WSBK - superb stuff!

Which do you rate as the most entertaining ? Which has the best riders ?

McCoy's sideways style is spectacular, Haga's lunatic style is crazy, but brilliant fun! Who do you think would come out on top if you took all of the riders and put them into a single race ?

[elephino]

I'm glad you get to watch it so soon. Coverage doesn't start till either 11:30pm or midnight (still not sure), and go till about 4am. Oddly I'm not staying up for it and I think I'll complain to 10 for doing this...what about all those people without 4 hour tapes! They usually show the 500s on the Sunday and the SBK on Monday, though they could have shown the 500s in the afternoon as it is in Malaysia.

Anyway, now that I have finished ranting, to answer your question...I would say WSBK is more entertaining, but 500s have the better riders. In a way it is like comparing F1 and CART. Apart from that I enjoy both just as much as each other, and one of these days I'll get around to going to one of em. Probably SBK as they have smaller crowds.

[fatbloke]

Good comparison there - and F1 is half way into a revivial too...

I too intend to get to a bike race this year - maybe one from each series (although, due to Foggy, WSBK is much more popular over here, and got IIRC 150,000 spectators at Brands last year!)

Enjoy the coverage - you've got some excellent racing to look forward to

[marcus]

elephino go and hook up to pay Tv...you get all the races LIVE..which was pretty good to watch 3 gps and 2 superbike races in one sitting and in between i got to see some supersports 600 for the first time and WOW those things rock.

anyway for the question...Im not really sure which I like better they both have good qualities and are both exciting to watch..but I would also include 125's and 250's in there as well ...actually all bike racing is great stuff so I dont have a favorite they all rate very highly to me..but I feel the GP's are presented better for TV with no delays between races like the superbikes..but I carnt choose between them ..do I have to????

[Rossifumi]

What a day seen some great racing!

I think the Gp are to much bound to to many rules.
I was lucky to get to both of them last year in Assen and i think WSBK is diffenetly more fun to watch.But i won't skip the GP's doh going to Assen for 15 years now it's damn great!
I'm thinking of going to Brand Hatch as well this year for SBK although that english guys are totally nuts!

[Crash Test]

Did they show the 600s on the Fox?? Well bugger...i went and watched the simpsons...oh well

The biggest bike championship ive watched before is Australian Super Bike championship, and quite frankly they are a better spectatcle on Tv. I guess the thing that gets you is how quick they are in a straight line. I prefer watching the 500s et al on the box. People like Rossi and Melandri (what has happened to him?) and now McCoy seem to get me going. (Bring back Mick!!! )

[Dino IV]

F1 halfway a revival???
Desperately in need of one, I'd say.

The comparison for Moto GP vs SBK with F1 vs CART is one I'd agree upon I guess.
I'd love to see CART again but it ain't broadcasted anymore by Eurosport.

They now feature Euro STC instead with 'big-time' racing stars Kox, Larini, Morbidelli, Naspetti and a dozen unknown Italians.
What a trade

Moto GP today was allright; too bad about Capirossi (I still despise him, for the TGF-way in which he took the title from Tetsuya-san but I'll try to give him another chance ) even more unlucky for Criville and I guess Madvalentino is gonna get used to the power some day.

What happened with Roberts at the start, he got away fine in first gear, but it seems to me the next gearchange was a bad one 'coz he feel back dramatically. Drove a great race though and fully deserved that win.
But not the lot of excitement as at the first race (that's an advantage first races tend to have )

But then Superbike came along on Eurosport.
Sensational would be an understatement I guess.
The way in which 'Put your Elbow down' Haga-san was all over Colin 'The Texan Tornado' Edwards all the way was magnificent stuff.
'King' Carl Fogarty couldn't do a lot more than observing Haga's sliding rear-end and trail the two to the finish.
Really great stuff.

Second heat was less sensational, but Haga drove on the edge all 25 laps, not looking at his pit-board to see the gap growing and growing. Halfway the last lap he looked swiftly backwards to see how close Colin would be and he really couldn't believe his eyes when he didn't see anyone!
That last half lap he looked over his shoulder about another five times as he still couldn't believe that Colin was almost 7 seconds back. Even when he pulled of his victory wheelie across S/F he looked back to check again.

Great fun! It reminded me of the fun I had watching a dicing around CART-race at any-but-oval-track after another F1-procession.

It just reminds you of the fact that, no matter how good a driver is rated overall because he doesn't drive in F1 or GP500 or no matter what the media broadcasts and writes about most, those No.1 Formula's don't present to the fans the big race-spectacle they pretend to deliver.
When racing-fans are really delighted by genuine racing at a 'lower' level i.e. F3, F3000, CART, SBK, SS600 etc there must be something fundamentaly wrong with the priority for racing spectacle in especially F1.

Regards,

Dino IV

[elephino]

I wouldn't say there is anything wrong with either F1 or 500s just because there is better racing in a lower class. If that was so then dirt bikes, or BMX would be the number one class, in which case all the money would be spent on that. Then the racing wouldn't be as good, etc....you get the idea.

Actually one of the best bike races I've ever seen was actually at Oran Park in 1985 (my first bike race, admittedly of only 2). Between Malcom Campbell and someone else whose name escapes me. Anyway, it was some of the closest racing I've seen where for lap after lap they were all over each other and running away from the rest of the field and they finally touched coming onto the main straight on the last lap. Magnificent stuff. By comparison I was disappointed with the 500cc GP I went to at Eastern Creek, I still enjoyed the day but the racing wasn't as good.

[marcus]

Now if only Haga can learn to carry his national flag correctly things would be peachy for him

[elephino]

It was a Yamaha flag, either that or Japan now has a black background on their flag.