So in fact we have come down to the definition of 'hard riding'
Is it:
Opportunistic?
Aggressive?
Dirty?
Stupid?
Arrogant?
To me an opportunistic rider might be considered hard as sometimes in the heat of battle the perceived opportunity for a pass might suddenly disappear the split second after it was perceived but by that time it was too late to pull out. A bit of handabgs - no hard feelings.
An aggressive rider can be OK as long as he does not become overly aggressive to the point of danger to both parties (often seen in modern racing where crashing appears to have little physical consequence)
Dirty riders will not pull out of a maneuver providing it's them that will not suffer (taking someone's front wheel away) again fairly prevalent in todays 'top class' racing
Stupid riders don't care about themselves or others and have no place in any form of racing.
Arrogant riders, again have no place in our sport. Those that in modern racing attempt to set a ridiculously fast qualifying lap in the final minute of the 10/15 minutes qualifying that is beyond the capabilities of them and their stead, inevitably crash, and because of the rules (yellow flag if anyone farts) deny others of a faster lap. 'Biting the screen' it is called - the Esparago brothers, Jack Millar, Jorge Martinez, Nakagami - do these people think? When they crash take their fastest lap away.
I am going to make one observation that will upset some (who cares) but the only rider I know who fits all of these scenarios is Marc Marquez a rider who for the good of himself and his fellow competitors should be banned from the sport.
There are some younger riders who have time to learn (perhaps) before they do themselves and others irreparable damage but this clown has had enough time and enough experience to know better.
A very skillful rider but more flaws than the 163 of the Burj Khalifa in the UEA
Quite where TZ350H gets the names of Bill Ivy, Tom Herron, Jon Ekerold, Alan North, Derek Chatterton and Jeremy McWilliams as hard riders I can't think.
​Don't forget in their day it wasn't the luxurious run offs of todays motorway tracks but those lined with (Cur Jackie Stewarts) Armco, 4 inch wooden posts, ex-railway sleepers and in some cases dry stone walls, cliff faces, houses and worse, so an imprudent move may cost the imprudent mover more, physically, than he/she might have bargained for, which can be a great moderator in the game of chance.
I don't want to go back to the 'good old' days of 'death by crashing' (personally a victim of the 'Bomb Hole' at Snetterton, 1978 still suffering today, Oh and and a stone wall in the OM 1977) but a little more consequence to consistently running wide (more than a slap on the wrist, have you seen the new Dianese leathers with the wrist airbag?) such as grass runoffs might help to deter the 'nutters'
As I said earlier it ain't knitting but it's not suicide/murder either.
If you want the definitive of 'hard riding' - how about 1937 TT, Freddie Frith 500 Manx Norton (top speed 120mph) 90 MPH average on roads little better than cart tracks.
NOW THAT'S HARD RIDING
Edited by tonyed, 20 January 2022 - 08:48.