Photo: motogp.com capture
Rain has already interfered with the proceedings of the race day at Assen, and a flag-to-flag race is a possibility all teams are taking very seriously.
In case the forecast for tomorrow is not showing a radical improvement, we're most likely going to see each rider's second bike shod with rain tires and patiently awaiting the right sign from Race Direction.
However, since swapping the bikes requires a stroll through the pit lane and this means a strict speed limit, every team is trying to minimize the time their rider(s) loses in the process.
MotoGP bikes have a special Pit Mode button that, once pressed, limits the speed to 60 km/h (37 mph), thus avoiding riders being penalized for speeding. So with pretty much all the bikes cruising in the pit lane at the same speed, the time spent swapping the bikes become essential.
Believe it or not, getting off the bike and in the saddle of the other machine can sometimes be difficult, and things can go wrong. Stiff limbs, a sore back, losing concentration for a split second, you name it, all these can cause a rider to lose important tenths, a position, or even a race.
Thanks to the partnership between Dorna and GoPro, we can no have access to a wide variety of filming angles aboard the MotoGP bikes, and here's a nifty clutch lever shot on Andrea Dovizioso's Ducati Desmodedici GP15.
For some reason, we believe that the "jumping swap" will become standard modus operandi in MotoGP, not unlike that (now habitual) foot on the ground when approaching a turn has become. Enjoy the short, yet amazing video!
However, since swapping the bikes requires a stroll through the pit lane and this means a strict speed limit, every team is trying to minimize the time their rider(s) loses in the process.
MotoGP bikes have a special Pit Mode button that, once pressed, limits the speed to 60 km/h (37 mph), thus avoiding riders being penalized for speeding. So with pretty much all the bikes cruising in the pit lane at the same speed, the time spent swapping the bikes become essential.
The actual swap is the only thing that can make a difference in the pit lane
Riders and team practice bike swaps extensively, especially when rain is a real threat during a GP. This move can be tricky at times, especially if the flag goes out later in the race. The riders will have accumulated a lot of fatigue, and their natural movement will be a bit rusty because of the riding position they have on the track.Believe it or not, getting off the bike and in the saddle of the other machine can sometimes be difficult, and things can go wrong. Stiff limbs, a sore back, losing concentration for a split second, you name it, all these can cause a rider to lose important tenths, a position, or even a race.
Thanks to the partnership between Dorna and GoPro, we can no have access to a wide variety of filming angles aboard the MotoGP bikes, and here's a nifty clutch lever shot on Andrea Dovizioso's Ducati Desmodedici GP15.
The scenes below show Dovi entering the pit lane and parking his bike next to the second machine and getting ready to throttle on back to the race.
Some riders would first lay feet on the ground and then get in the saddle of the rain bike, but this takes time. As we've seen in Marc Marquez's case, when performed properly, swapping bikes, can take less than a second, and DesmoDovi is showing that he can also replicate the stunt.For some reason, we believe that the "jumping swap" will become standard modus operandi in MotoGP, not unlike that (now habitual) foot on the ground when approaching a turn has become. Enjoy the short, yet amazing video!
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