Made this just for you! The 1199 Panigale first crash photos turned into an animation. South African racer Chris Leeson took first Panigale pole, and now first crash as well.
There’s some kerfluffle about the way it held up (or didn’t) in the wreck. A couple things could be said about this…
This motorcycle is made for performance. It’s made to be ridden, hooliganized, loved… it is not meant to be crashed. Sure, a GSXR might take that quadruple end-over-end flip a little bit better, but will you win the race with it?
Consider when we moved from all metal cars- big honkin’ bricks that would destroy anything that got in their paths, to crumply sedans that kept us alive. What would you prefer, a vehicle that toss you around inside while running over everything? Or one that accordions into nothingness that you walk away from?
What do you guys think? Do you think motorcycles are moving this direction…? Considering the continual efforts to make sport bikes lighter, I believe “frameless” bikes (or something structurally as risky to lose pounds) are the wave of the future.
Mary McGee is a pioneer in American motorcycle racing, thanks to her untamable determination and a spirit as warm as her smile. Her excitement for motorcycling, especially racing, is contagious even in her eighties. She was the first woman to receive an FIM racing license in the United States, first woman to complete the Baja 1000, and the first woman to race the Baja 500 solo. These aren’t her only firsts, either. She was also the first woman in motocross and road racing in the States. McGee was rightly inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in 2018.
Tags: 1199, animation, blog, chris leeson, crash, ducati, gif, motorcycle, motorcycle crash, motorcycles, opinion, panigale, race, rant, the moto lady, the motolady, wreck
Posted on April 27, 2012 in Blog, Motorcycles by Alicia Mariah Elfving