GixerGaz
08-01-2007, 13:08
http://www.gixerjunkies.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6683&d=1168258122http://www.gixerjunkies.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6684&d=1168258122
Former double World Superbike champion, Troy Corser, believes that technology has now replaced rider talent in world championship motorcycle racing.
The Australian, who has moved from Suzuki to Yamaha for the 2007 Superbike season, cites increasingly sophisticated electronic control and telemetry data recording systems as having reversed the man/machine balance in MotoGP and WSBK.
"Before we had all the telemetry and electronics, it was the rider that made the difference, but not now," AAP reports Corser as saying. "We're at a level where the telemetry guys know everything and can adjust everything. Anyone who can ride a bike can get on it, and between the telemetry and suspension guy they can set the bike up to suit him.
"There are riders in MotoGP now that never would have been able to ride the old GP bikes and still be walking. They would have had broken legs and stuff, but they can ride them now because they can be tamed with the electronics."
Corser added that the impact of such developments has been to reduce the gap between the front and back of the field - masking the significant talent advantage of former MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi and former F1 world champion Michael Schumacher in the process.
"[Rossi is] the level of rider that makes a big difference, but now that big difference doesn't translate to the track," declared Troy. "Look at F1. There's kids that have been in F1 for one year and they're beating (Michael) Schumacher in tests and stuff.
"You can see how it's changing the sport, because the times have got a lot closer now. Before there used to be one second covering the top few, but now if you're one second off you're 16th," he concluded.
Former double World Superbike champion, Troy Corser, believes that technology has now replaced rider talent in world championship motorcycle racing.
The Australian, who has moved from Suzuki to Yamaha for the 2007 Superbike season, cites increasingly sophisticated electronic control and telemetry data recording systems as having reversed the man/machine balance in MotoGP and WSBK.
"Before we had all the telemetry and electronics, it was the rider that made the difference, but not now," AAP reports Corser as saying. "We're at a level where the telemetry guys know everything and can adjust everything. Anyone who can ride a bike can get on it, and between the telemetry and suspension guy they can set the bike up to suit him.
"There are riders in MotoGP now that never would have been able to ride the old GP bikes and still be walking. They would have had broken legs and stuff, but they can ride them now because they can be tamed with the electronics."
Corser added that the impact of such developments has been to reduce the gap between the front and back of the field - masking the significant talent advantage of former MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi and former F1 world champion Michael Schumacher in the process.
"[Rossi is] the level of rider that makes a big difference, but now that big difference doesn't translate to the track," declared Troy. "Look at F1. There's kids that have been in F1 for one year and they're beating (Michael) Schumacher in tests and stuff.
"You can see how it's changing the sport, because the times have got a lot closer now. Before there used to be one second covering the top few, but now if you're one second off you're 16th," he concluded.