Favourite race series?
MotoGP! I’ve been following it since 1996 or so…right around when Rossi started; the tail end of the 500cc two-stroke era. Second place is the Isle of Man TT. Good god those racers have nerves of steel.
I highly recommend the trilogy of MotoGP movies: Faster, Fastest, and Hitting the Apex. TT3D: Closer to the Edge is amazing and captured a crazy year.
The first series I followed was AMA Superbike & Sportbike in the early 90s when HRC and Miguel Duhamel dominated.
Favourite racer (current):
Valentino Rossi
Ian Hutchinson
You can spend the day with one racer who will teach you some advanced techniques. You choose:
Bradley Smith. He’s not a world champion, but he’s a great development rider who can explain things simply, in layman’s terms. He’s a smart rider. Being a good teacher/coach is more important than how many podiums you have.
Favourite bike you’ve owned:
Yamaha FZ8. WHY DIDN’T THE THIEF TAKE THE FZ09?!
I’m not over it.
You can buy any in-stock, new bike. You choose:
Husqvarna 701SM or Svartpilen 701. I’ve never ridden a Husqvarna and I’ve been drawn to supermotos for awhile, though I can’t explain why. Because they’re designed to do bad things?
I think the Svartpilen is unique and looks cool. Not sure it’s a practical bike but that’s not the important thing!
One piece of gear you always wear?
ATGATT! Armored textiles, spine protector, motorcycle boots, armoured gloves, and a full-face helmet (Snell and/or ECE) that’s less than 5 years old.
Dream track to ride:
Phillip Island or Assen. I’ve done one dream track (Laguna Seca) twice.
Worst bike injury:
Broken left tibia/fibula (repaired with an IM tibial rod) and ulnar nerve entrapment. The important thing is
1. It could have been much worse (see question about what gear I wear)
2. It was mostly my own damn fault
3. I didn’t like that bike (BMW F800GS Adventure) much, anyways
Top candidate for your dream garage:
Honda RC30