OT: MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo's nasty fall...

[Fenring]

I'm siding with Mark on this one. There is a clear public demand for this kind of behaviour, so they do it. Especially if they're still young and impressionable, like I assume Lorenzo is. A modern arena of a sorts. Not all ancient gladiators were slaves, some did it for fame and money and the thrill of it. People are no more sophisticated today. Only difference is that modern technology provides a greater safety margin.

And on the subject of safety margins, aren't all those fancy racing boots designed to prevent this kind of damage? Or would it have been even worse if he had "ordinary" boots?

[roger albert]

I hear you Mark. What I'm saying, is that though those other pressures are there, it really, to an extreme degree, all comes from inside the racer. It's just a different mindset. You get caught up in it. It may be an in-some-ways unhealthy habit (addiction, really) but it is OVERWHELMINGLY INternal. I'm not saying those other pressures don't exist, but they're tiny compared to what comes from within. And for the top guys, who are already doing well enough that they know they have a job next year (J.L. certainly counts) the pressure from the outside is nothing compared to their personal drive.

[roger albert]

As for boots, it would have been worse w/o the good ones.

Any boot guaranteeing protection, would also guarantee you couldn't shift.

[roger albert]

As for boots, it would have been worse w/o the good ones.

Any boot guaranteeing protection, would also guarantee you couldn't shift.

[shreddr]

think these things protect well?

[Fenring]

What are those? Ski boots?

[HugoVW]

BTW Jorge Lorenzo father wrote a book about how to educate your son to be a motorcycle racer: http://www.dealtime.com/xPF-Book_Iniciacion_Al_Motociclismo_Deportivo_Chicho_L orenzo
seems it worked

[bradzdotcom]

those are scott boots and they're horrible.
they've been around for about a year and so far i haven't met a pro who likes 'em.

they tried it eons ago. it failed back then too.
stick to goggles guys. it's what ya know.

i believe the carwheeling jorge was wearing a version of puma hypersport 1000 boots.

[shreddr]

yeah those boots used to really suck, this dude couldn't score a win to save his life in them

[bradzdotcom]

buckwheat wore them, but he absolutely hated them.
didn't last long, i think it was one season.

he could score a win if he were blind and half dead.
still probably could.
saw him a few weeks ago. selling airplanes agrees with his wallet.

[JonyRR]

I had what I considered a GOOD pair of plastic MX boots; heckels. I liked them.
But then, I wore hanson ski boots for years after the company folded. I just couldn't get over those purposely-mismatched boot colors.;..

[bradzdotcom]

ah heckels. a bultaco import.

they were better than the scotts, as long as you carried around a pocket full of those dang ankle hinge clips.
i never figured out how to keep those buggers together.
at one enduro reset, i waited past my grace period, cause the bultaco importer dude was a few minutes behind me and he had a bag of those things in his fanny back.

[kiwi az]

Didn't I see these in a Bionicle movie??

[John Lyon]

If that's what he was wearing, I wonder if it was that metal ankle pin that did the damage?

[JonyRR]

Where this is all going is a semirigid exoskeleton with active shock absorbtion. With nanotech, millions of tiny accelleramators and instantly-responding multi-density-state foam will utterly transform all kinds of activities that need suit-type protection. Imagine a LEATT brace that was flat until a millisecond before deployment, and that custom-conformed to the person's body.
Picture a storm trooper exoskeleton that was intelligent and responded to input trauma in a millisecond. The airbag concept expanded and shrunk to nano size.
I love the 21st century.....for some things.

For others, like having to take my R1200S in to the stealer to adjust the idle, I do NOT like

[kiwi az]

Originally Posted by John Lyon

If that's what he was wearing, I wonder if it was that metal ankle pin that did the damage?

He didn't do a sideways splat - it was a cartwheel followed by a standing landing. Blunt force impact trauma through the sole of the boot and hyper-extension.

[John Lyon]

Originally Posted by kiwi az

He didn't do a sideways splat - it was a cartwheel followed by a standing landing. Blunt force impact trauma through the sole of the boot and hyper-extension.

Could you please be a little more precise?

[kiwi az]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eResxp7jALs

[John Lyon]

Originally Posted by kiwi az

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eResxp7jALs

Even more impressive in slow motion. He really was rather relaxed in the air. Would probably have been worse if he did the arm and leg windmill thingy in the air.

[Doogie Howser]

Originally Posted by kiwi az

Didn't I see these in a Bionicle movie??

Those look like the Nikes that lace themselves from Back to the Future II.