Well, almost anything.
It’s unlikely that the 2022 MotoGP title will go to Andrea Dovizioso, who at 36 takes over from Rossi as MotoGP’s oldest inhabitant. The oldest premier-class champion was decorated WW2 bomber pilot Les Graham, 1949’s inaugural champion at 37; the oldest race winner 44-year-old Fergus Anderson.
Nor should you bet on a repeat of Marquez’s 2013 class-rookie feat by one of the new boys –Darryn Binder, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi. Really, there has only been one true rookie champion: Kenny Roberts came in stone cold in 1978 from the USA to defeat Barry Sheene by ten points, on tracks he’d never seen before. Marquez had already run five GP seasons, and won championships in 125 and Moto2.
Surprises can still happen, especially after significant changes this year.
The most important is new engines in new bikes. For two years development has been frozen. This meant no chance to fix problems, which afflicted all except Aprilia, whose “concession-team” status left them free.
Yamaha and Suzuki riders were left begging for more power, but Honda was hit hardest.
Denne historien er fra February 2022-utgaven av Bike SA.
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Denne historien er fra February 2022-utgaven av Bike SA.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
A Ladies Perspective What a Surprise Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX
I’m sure as everyone knows by now there is little that compares to my BMW K1200S and out of the 13 different bikes I’ve been lucky enough to ride over the 18 months I’ve been riding, I finally came across one that I’m almost certain I’d swap my bike for…
Goodwood's 79th Members Meeting - Hunting, Shooting and - Racing
For that’s what marked the 79th Goodwood Members Meeting aka 79MM, held this year on April 9-10, which this time included two thrilling motorcycle races, each with a blanket finish which in Race 1 saw less than a second covering the first four bikes home.
MIDWEIGHT PUNCH - TRIUMPH TIGER SPORT 660
The Triumph brand seems to be going from strength to strength worldwide. New models are seeing the light of day in various sectors, and here in South Africa there is a carefully planned dealer expansion program in action.
Isle of Man TT-winning ABUS NORTON NRS588 GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Exclusive track test of the last British bike to win the Isle of Man Senior TT in 1992, after what's widely considered to be the most exciting race ever held in the Island
NORTON ROTARY RACERS HISTORY - Rotary Race Record
For eight successive seasons the world’s first - and so far only - Rotary-engined racebikes swept to serial success on British racetracks. Here’s a timeline on their ebb and flow.
MOTO MORINI'S Alberto Monni - INTERVIEW
Exclusive interview with Moto Morini's CEO Alberto Monni, responsible for directing its ride along the comeback trail since its 2018 takeover by Zhongneng Vehicle Group/ZVG
KAWASAKI NINJA 1000SX - Surprise Package
I’ve recently written in my Editor’s note bemoaning the lack of available Sports-Touring motorcycles nowadays.
DRYSDALE HISTORY PART 4/5: 25 YEARS ON FROM CREATION OF FIRST 750-V8
2002 1000-V8 Bruiser mega-Monster was a Naked roadster with added muscle - the answer to the question of how to out-max a Yamaha V-Max!
GODIER & GENOUD KAWASAKI 1000 - Enquring Excellence
Exclusive track test at France's Carole circuit of what's arguably the first motorcycle of the modern era - the title-winning Kawasaki Endurance racer built in 1975 by Frenchmen Georges Godier and Alain Genoud
Unnecessarily Fast, or Unnecessarily Dangerous?
“The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” This truism comes from boxing, but applies to all walks of life. Innovative MotoGP superstar Marc Marquez, however, adds a new twist.
