Fanciful Friday: touching the MotoGP bike of your hero
Let us introduce to you our new series of articles named ‘Fanciful Friday’. We always write about our real life experiences and oopsies. Or give you advice, tips and tricks about and for real life situations. But at REDRIDINGBOOTS, we are dreamers too. So we’ve invented ‘Fanciful Friday’.
The day on which we publish an article about subjects, scenarios and bikes we dream of. Sometimes those dreams become reality, others will remain a dream forever. First up; touching the MotoGP bike of your hero.
FANCIFUL FRIDAY #1
TOUCHING THE MOTOGP BIKE OF YOUR HERO
Touching the MotoGP bike of your hero can be thrilling. It might not sound that exciting, but seeing that machine up close is just a wonderful feeling. Suddenly, all those results your hero have reached live up again. That one time he or she won when it seemed almost impossible to do so. When your hero won for the very first time, or for the very last.
RELIVE THE MOMENT
MOTOGP MADNESS
That one crash that left you in anxiety whether you hero would be okay and could continue racing. Or maybe had to give up racing all together. That day you were there for the first time. Live, at a MotoGP race. The thrill of hearing the noise of the bikes, the people and everything in between.
Maybe it’s not about that emotion and the memories for you. Maybe you are mesmerized by all the technology in those bikes. MotoGP bikes are next level. They almost seem to be aeroplanes with wheels. To see the MotoGP bike of your hero up close can take your breath away.
TOUCHING THE MOTOGP BIKE OF YOUR HERO
MEET MINE
Personally, I have a number of MotoGP riders that I have named ‘heroes’ for myself. The famous #46 doesn’t need an introduction. But I’ve also been a big fan of Aleix Espargaro from the start (aprilia soft spot from day one). To see him race like he does right now in this 2022 season is just breathtaking. Jack Miller is another one of my favourites. He’s just such a champ. A brilliant rider and a lovely character off the bike as well.
But my first MotoGP hero was Scott Redding. I know he is no MotoGP rider anymore, but switchted to BSB and is currently riding in the WorldSBK class. But when I started watching MotoGP and following it closely, he still rode the GO&FUN Gresini Honda RCV1000R. That was back in 2014.
As his career developed, my respect for him grew with it. He hasn’t had the easiest career in MotoGP, with some quite challenging bikes to ride. But I have always admired his honesty. If the bike was sh*t, he just said so. I know that didn’t always go down well with his team. And I know those riders are professional athletes and it is expected that they behave accordingly. But those professional riders are also human. And can you blame the guy for expressing his emotions and frustrations? I miss the good old time then things like that could still be said.
SO HOW DID I END UP
TOUCHING THE MOTOGP BIKE OF MY HERO?
When I started to work for the company MotoShare, I met Mihsja. He is one of the investors behind the business and also the previous owner of CMSNL. He started CMSNL in 1996 and made it very successful. He is a huge fan of motorsports and collects classic motorcycles. He sponsored the Gresini team for a long time. That’s how he got his hands on the MotoGP bike of Scott Redding.
My love for racing was well known within the company and one day Mihsja invited me to come over to see his collection of bikes. I walked into the building and there it was. Standing right in front of me. Scott Redding’s MotoGP bike. The Gresini Honda. In its bright green and white colours. My jaw dropped. I swear I drooled. I was in awe.
HOLY GRAIL
COMPLETELY BONKERS
For someone who is such a fan of motorsports, this is just a holy grail. My dream of ‘touching the MotoGP bike of your hero’ came true. Even better. I was allowed to sit on it. Yes, really sit on it. It might sound weird, insignificant or just totally bonkers. But it meant SO much to me.
TOUCHING THE MOTOGP BIKE OF YOUR HERO
AND TAKE A PIECE HOME
To meet this bike up close, see every detail and sit behind the handlebars, where my major hero did as well.. that just gave me goosebumps. And still does, whenever I think about that moment. You just start to wonder “How did he ride this monster, for heavens sake?”, “How could he see all the info on that teeny tiny dash?!”, and “How did he fit his tall body on that?”. I always had loads of respect for the man, but it has grown ever since.
As lucky as I was, I even got to take a piece of the MotoGP bike of my hero back home. A spare part if you will, but still a part! It was the front cowling from the bike that Scott crashed during a race. We came up with the idea to put some lighting behind the air intakes and turn it into a lamp for the new bike shed we will build this winter. Happy fangirl!
CONCLUSION
So that was it! Our first Fanciful Friday article; touching the MotoGP bike of your hero. They say never meet your heroes. But does your hero happen to be a freakishly awesome MotoGP bike? Or any awesome bike for that matter? Then please do meet your hero. I can most definitely recommend doing so.
