Surely you don't need a noisey bike to be fast. You can hone you skills riding a CB500. A fast rider is still a fast rider it doesn't matter what machinery they use In regards to Spain, for them motorcycle racing is the national sport, as bradders says, like our nation treats football. There are still lots of exceptional fast British riders, but the vast majority went the Superbike route. Yes as a Nation, we could be doing more to support the next and indeed current generation, but that won't happen until we get a biker as Prime Minister and I can't see that happening for some time
I think Britain's racing saviour needs to pull his finger out, cos I can see the titled being stolen from him at the last minute - I'm talking of course about Scott Redding. While we need investment in youth, and a way to attract sponsors, what we need most of all is a name to cheer on, someone to catch the public psyche. We, of course, know all about Redding, but the great unwashed don't. But they soon will if he snatches that title. We can blame the sponsors, or the lack of investment, and believe me I will, but what we need most is a winner. Chicken and egg situation.
Nicky Hayden on a Honda too... Aspar MotoGP team switches to Honda, signs Nicky Hayden - MotoGP news - AUTOSPORT.com
What comes first is the culture. People have to like motorbikes. In Spain, they adore them. That is to say, arrive in a small village on a big bike and you suddenly become some sort of hero that people buy drinks for. In the UK, the general population does not like motorbikes. They are still considered oikish and the poor man's transport by many - looked down upon. You'll find that horses are a lot more popular in the UK than motorbikes. It's probably back to the British class thing. Bikes just are outside the mainstream of British society. Choosing to ride one makes you a bit of an oddball, someone with a death wish, strangely weird and irresponsible.
Yet back in the 1920's there were more motorbikes in the UK than cars. Even in the 1950's there were loads of bikes about. There has been a change since.
Bikes will always be the poor cousin to the car, that much is pretty obvious. But there is a general feeling of hatred towards bikes in the UK that is totally unfounded. I went to meet my parents for lunch in a nice pub 25 years ago, and I was refused service, my old man was beside himself with anger but I was used to it, it'd happened several times before. I don't know any other place in the world that would refuse a lone biker service, but it happens quite often here.
I advise everyone to spend as much time as possible on the bike-friendly Continent where people seem to like bikes and there is the space to use them.
I can't argue with that one bit. Germany is by far my favourite bike friendly place so far, so much so I feel sad to come home each time. i need to learn German and move there
Just need to find someone to employ me, in a corporate contract sales role, which I can use English alone in and pay me decent money...and I'm there
Me too, although I figured if I learnt German first I'd have a better chance of getting a job. saying that, I'm in England, know English and I'm still struggling to nail a job offer down at the moment.
