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| Honda took a bit of a different approach to their tent. No MotoGP bikes on display. Not any stuff for sale either that I saw. But they did have a bunch of bikes to sit on along with a couple cars. |
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| The progression of Honda's dirt bikes was on display. Near the end was a bike from the era of Ricky Johnson. |
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| Away from the main tents, other venders were setup also. Gotta love Akrapovic exhausts! |
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| A full row of small vendor tents were onsite in case you needed to buy anything. Even Alpinestars had a tent setup. |
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| Little kids got into MotoGP for free. Striderbikes had this little obstacle course setup with ramps. I was really tempted to get on a bike and try it out. |
Now about that kid Marq Marquez. I really believe he's one of those guys who are a game changer in their sport. What he brings to MotoGP is the most extreme riding style of anyone out there which I believe gives him that slight advantage. In his first MotoGP race, he pushed by his veteran teammate Dani Pedrosa to finish third. In Marquez's second race here at the Circuit of the Americas, he wins the whole enchilada! He is now the youngest rider to ever win in the Premiere class at just over 20 years old.
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| (Great picture from CycleWorld.com) What do I think gives Marquez the edge? He has the ability to hang off the bike farther than anyone else. Alpinestars created custom magnesium elbow sliders for Marquez's suit! Here is a great picture I found from Cycle World showing what happens by hanging off the bike so far. Behind, you can see his teammate Pedrosa whose bike and angled over further. As Marquez's bike is more vertical allowed by him hanging off more, it translates into the bike putting more tire contact patch on the ground. The added grip allows him to get of the corners just that little bit harder. In some ways, he rides like Casey Stoner; Stoner didn't hang off quite as far mid-corner, but he had the ability to stand up the bike as quickly as possible in order to put the power down on corner exit. Stoner rode a MotoGP bike sort of like a dirt oval bike, sliding the rear at will. |
