MotoGP, 20 years since the end of the 500 era: how has riding style changed?

Valentino Rossi’s farewell has highlighted the passage of motorcycling time more than any other retirement that has come before. 21 years have passed since the nine-time champion made his debut in the top class, and it’s 20 years since the final appearance of the ‘500s’, for many the race bike par excellence. The move to MotoGP bikes in 2002 was an important milestone, which then brought the extreme development of electronics, a lot less present up until a few years ago but now essential in terms of managing the bike’s performance and reliability. And riding style has evolved at a similar rate, having changed several times over the years.

From Saarinen and Roberts’ knee all the way to Valentino Rossi

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Riding style is always a hot topic among technicians and fans alike, and is something of a trademark for the rider, who harnesses it in order to perform to the best of their ability. In the last twenty years, riding style has evolved (or adapted) to technical variables that are continuously improving and developing, like the electronics of course, but also the tyres, which now allow for the kind of lean angles and braking that would have been hard to imagine just a few years ago. The evolution of world championship riding can be traced back to a few specific moments. Kenny Roberts and Jarno Saarinen were the first to get their knee down, with the dual aim of moving overall bike-rider weight closer to the centre, and “feeling” the lean angle so as to achieve greater speed through the turn. A need that gradually became the norm.

Then, with Kevin Schwantz and particularly Mick Doohan, riding got ‘dirtier’, moving away from the standard riding position, or rather with the body in line with the bike. This concept was further developed by Valentino Rossi who, also due to his physical build, was for many the (unintentional) pioneer of riding with the body “outside” the bike. But the Doctor had another trick up his sleeve too, or rather his hard braking, which he accompanied for many years with the “saving leg”, or rather sticking a leg out to ensure greater stability when braking (according to some) or act as an aerodynamic brake (according to others). The Doctor’s technique (derived from his flat track experience at the Ranch), seen for the first time in 2005 when he passed Sete Gibernau at the last turn, set the example for many riders who would follow, not least Stoner, Marquez, Quartararo and Bagnaia.

Innovators Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner

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Another important turning point came in 2006 when Dani Pedrosa landed in the top class, and then, albeit in a different way, with Casey Stoner. The innovation that the Spaniard brought remains the basis for riding modern MotoGP bikes. The current KTM test rider's style involves hanging right off with the torso when exiting the turn before straightening the bike very early so as to accelerate earlier, effectively transferring the horsepower to the ground and reducing electronic intervention. This way of turning, which became essential as a result of tyre development, was followed up with Stoner’s ability to turn the bike with only his right wrist, or rather by sliding the rear wheel to get the bike to turn mid-corner. A riding style that made the Australian almost inimitable, similar to the legends of the 500 class who would exploit this sliding of the rear wheel to ‘hold’ the line through and out of the corners.

Marquez and Dovizioso, Bagnaia and Quartararo

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In 2013 MotoGP entered a new era, with the arrival of meteorite Marquez. The Spaniard brought further innovation, with increasingly extreme lean angles (reminiscent of Stoner) and one elbow on the ground, as if this were another ‘indicator’ of corner feeling, in the same way as the knee, but with the added benefit of being able to prevent the front from closing. In recent years, this has been the general direction, with all the young riders pushing this riding style to the limit, with one notable exception - Andrea Dovizioso. The Italian’s golden years aboard the Ducati (from 2017 to 2020) rather bucked the trend in terms of riding style.

The characteristics that the Borgo Panigale bike has always required, along with Dovizioso’s clean style, resulted in the perfect combination, quite the opposite of the riding style that pushes the body’s movements on the bike to an extreme. With the Italian, we saw more composed, but equally effective, riding, without any excessive body movement or bike “angularity”. A style that is imitated, in part, by Pecco Bagnaia. And so now it’s up to the latest generation of riders – from Quartararo’s clean style to Mir’s more aggressive approach, from the untidy riding of Rins and Miller to Vinales’ explosiveness, and of course Marquez’s technique. All in the knowledge that riding style will only ever continue to evolve.

Translated by Heather Watson

Valentino Rossi is back at Valencia for a Test with the Audi