I’m not a huge sports guy – that is to say, I’m not a big fan of your average sports. Heck, I don’t really care on who wins the super bowl this weekend and I don’t plan on watching it. I wrote a blog how at times this has been very inconvenient, but on the bright side – I find them a whole lot more interesting and exhilarating. Everybody knows that motorcyles are cool looking, fast, and their riders tend to be unruly on the streets – but when you put a bunch of bikes on a track, it turns into a whole different ballgame (for lack of a better word) – I introduce to you – MotoGP.

MotoGP is a wide scale sport – while it’s following is smaller, a circuit takes place at several locations all over the world for most of the year. While I have never been to a race in person, it would be totally amazing to spectate. Why?

It’s a fast paced sport. Track athletes are fast, sure – I’m not sure I could run 15 – 20mph or whatever it may be.  However, there’s a stark contrast when you see that the average speed of a MotoGP racer is 120mph, reaching speeds of up to 160mph on a back straight (where all the spectators are sitting, naturally – so you get to see the maximum potential).

Not only do they ride fast, but they crash fast too. It sounds mean, but often times the rider is fine after a wipe out at high speeds. The track and the area around it is totally flat for usually a couple hundred feet, and there are no hard immovable objects to hit. This usually leads to the motorcyclist sliding for a good distance, and getting back in the race if their bike is ok, or after mounting their backup. Marc Marquez is a shining example of this, as he crashed, immediately got up, ran back to the pits, and retrieved his second bike – I’ll insert the link to the video. And let’s be honest – if everyone is ok, who doesn’t enjoy a good wipe out?

Anyone can race in MotoGP as well. Unlike many other sports that require the fittest, most renowned athletes, MotoGP just wants one thing – someone who knows how to ride a bike. As long as you have a machine, a team (a sponsorship, the hardest thing to get), and skills, you can find yourself on the track with some two wheel legends.

In this day and age, it proves to be a useful sport as well – one where it offers no advantage to being male or female. While there are currently no women in MotoGP, there’s no plain rule that says men only, or a women’s league must be created. Should any women chose to participate, it would be fair – vs a sport like football or hockey where men tend to be stronger athletes, and something cool to see.

Not to mention, most motorcycle riders have great attitudes and at the end of the day, are in it for the fun. Everybody knows motorcycles can lean crazy low, and here are two racers pushing the limit.

So watch some videos, maybe learn some names and check out more of what the world of moto has to offer – and maybe you could be the next Valentino Rossi one day.