I'm not sure how many times I've been asked by friends if I think I could ride a MotoGP bike.
I think the question is inspired by an episode of Top Gear where Richard Hammond tries to drive a Formula 1 car and has a nightmare just getting it off the line, never mind around the track. My answer is always "yes". Hey, I didn't get this far in life not having a ridiculous amount of misplaced confidence, and it's worked so far, kind of.
But there is certainly something deep within me that wonders how I'd actually get on. Not just dealing with keeping the tires up to working temperatures along with the carbon ceramic brakes, but also getting to grips with a lockout transmission and a clutch that's essentially designed to do one race start.
But now I don't have to ponder on this anymore because I think Fabio Wibmer's given me a pretty good idea of how I'd fare in his latest video collaboration with Red Bull.
For those who don't know, Wibmer is a mountain biker from Austria and well-known for his street skills videos and downhill mountain biking ability. So yeah, he's a world-class athlete on a bicycle, and he's no stranger to motorcycles, having raced motocross for 10 years growing up.
But even with Wibmer's background on motorcycles and outstanding ability in high-octane situations on two wheels, he wasn't getting anywhere near a MotoGP bike without some rigorous training, especially considering he'd never been on an asphalt race track. And it all started on a mini-GP bike.
From the wheelies and stoppies, Wibmer pulls from the get-go, it's clear he's comfortable on a motorcycle. But this part of the training is crucial to ensure Wibmer understands body positioning training and how to move around atop a bike on a race track.
Once Wibmer was comfortable moving around the seat and making the kind shapes necessary to get a full-sized race bike around a track, it was time to take a giant step up and throw a leg over KTM's RC 8C, which is designed specifically for track use and tops out at around 152 mph. And that was a wrap for day one of two.
Having spent an entire day trying to rip a 2024 BMW S1000RR around a race track myself (story coming soon), only to rest up and do the same again the next day, I can understand how drained Wimber was both mentally and physically. I think going above the RC 8C on day one would be asking for trouble.
When day two started, it was out of the frying pan and into the fryer. Track time ain't cheap.
Helping him along his journey is a fleet of KTM riders and engineers, but it's not until Wibmer gets on the Moto2 bike that we're introduced to MotoGP legend Dani Pedrosa, who gives him a few tips about riding the Moto2 bike and how to move smoothly around the bike. And that's more important than ever, as Wibmer's now riding a bike that'll do more than 180 mph.
Eventually, it's time for Wibmer to spin a few laps on KTMS 2023 RC16, which has more than 280 horsepower and tops out at around 224 mph. This is the pinnacle of two-wheeled racing machinery. Thankfully, he had Pedrosa aboard a KTM Super Duke 1390 R to give him a tow.
By all accounts, Wibmer smashed the task of riding a MotoGP bike. He looked calm and collected while dragging his knee around the Red Bull Ring, and recorded a lap time of 01:53 minutes, which is about 25 seconds off the lap record.
But if we're paying respect to Wibmer for achieving a 1:53, we have to give a huge hat tip to Pedrosa, who towed him around on a street bike and made it look like he was out for a Sunday stroll.
What do you think—did Wibmer do a good job? And more importantly, given the opportunity, how do you think you'd fare taking a MotoGP bike around the Red Bull Ring?
