How many times have you seen POV footage from an action camera mounted on a helmet? Tens of times? Hundreds? Thousands? Maybe you've even watched your own footage back. There's something humanizing about watching this kind of footage. Almost like, "This guy puts his pants on the same as me every morning."
But if you're a motorcycle racing fan, it's hard to think of Jonathan Rea as human. He's the winningest WSBK rider of all time, with six consecutive world titles under his belt. So, to watch him perform his craft, not from an expensive camera made for TV broadcasts but a chin-mounted action cam, is mesmerizing.
You'll hear no words during the video, and rightly so. It's comprised of lines linking apex to apex laid over the howel of Yamaha's crossplane engine. But we get samples from some V4 motors because Rea isn't alone on the track.
The track session is part of an event that Monster Energy threw for its motorcycle athletes. And looking at the lineup, I think this has to be the fastest track day ever. It reads like the who's who of motorcycling with no fewer than 10 Premier Class MotoGP titles in the group and more than 60 IOM TT wins—what I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall in that paddock.
While riding, Rea gets passed by who assume are Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio riding a pair of Ducati Panigale V4s, along with Andrea Locatelli on what appears to be a track-ready R1. And none of them are waiting around.
This is the perfect video for anyone who wants to learn the fastest lines around Silverstone or just absorb technique from arguably one of the greatest WSBK riders to have thrown a leg over a bike.
If you haven't already, check out Jonathan Rea's YouTube channel. It's full of riding tips and gives you an unparalleled look at what the life of a WSBK rider looks like. If you watch any other rider's YouTube channels that deserve a shout-out, let us know in the comments.