Electronics technology has overtaken the 'gladiatorial' element of riders doing battle in MotoGP, 500cc world champion Wayne Gardner believes.
https://archive.is/lFOii
>Gardner won his 1987 title with Honda during the two-stroke era of motorcycle grand prix racing, which featured bikes he describes as "vicious things, difficult to ride and aggressive".
>With four-stroke engines having been the norm since 2002 and constant development from manufacturers, the Australian feels modern riders are not able to bring as much to the table.
>"I raced two-strokes and four-strokes, I did the Suzuka Eight Hour race and a few things like that," Gardner told Autosport.
>"And when you raced the four-strokes compared to the two-strokes, it was 70 per cent easier.
>"So straight away, that's an easy way to go racing, and safer.
>"Then you add in the electronics, which brings the safety aspect up a lot higher, but also takes away a lot of the thrill.
>"I think it's lost a little bit of its touch with the public, and the thrill and the excitement, and seeing the gladiators out there, fighting."
>MotoGP's new-for-2016 ECU has been dubbed a "step backwards" by some riders, but Gardner - who has been reunited with 500cc bikes in the World GP Bike Legends series - feels more could still be done.
>"In my opinion, take all of the electronics off them," Gardner said.
>"They've got electronics, anti-wheelie and clutch and launch control, all of the other gizmos.
>"We have no control over it, because it's what the manufacturers want, but it'd be nice if they threw the electronics off all of the four-strokes.
>"I understand why all of that happens, because manufacturers want to work on technology and to extract that from the racing and put it in their road cars or road bikes.
>"But I think sometimes it probably goes too far, because they are at the pointy edge of technology that is actually killing the earthiness, the essence of it.
Real Life Tron When?