57 replies to this topic

[Forma1]

I am a huge fan of him, I grew up by cheering for him with all of my heart. I concede he is not at his best though, and overall I think Casey (a shame for his retire) and Jorge are a bit better right now, but yesterday Vale showed his genuine value again. He was just brilliant, heart-braking, I kept his biography book in my hand for most of the race.

ps: to the poll: of course it is not Mich, it is Mick. I can't rid of mistyping..

Edited by Forma1, 08 April 2013 - 17:22.

[Gyno]

Joey Dunlop was by far better than anyone of those.

[scheivlak]

Joey Dunlop was by far better than anyone of those.

Somehow I don't think you've seen much of Mike Hailwood.

Casey Stoner even mentioned in a poll with Mike or Ago is just a joke

[Risil]

No Kenny Roberts?

[Ellios]

Righto I'll play along..... the street racers are insane! I don't how you can even classify these guys!

As for MotoGP riders, my money is on Casey Stoner because he went up against and beat a prime-time V Rossi. Take nothing away from Rossi, he is Mr MotoGP! But Stoner not only tamed a pretty wild Desmosedici but extracted the absolute maximum out of it to beat Rossi, in my view to become the best you have to beat the best

in all honesty all the riders get my utmost respect, it takes something special to ride at those speeds and take those risks

[jrg19]

Who other than Lorenzo has beaten Rossi on the same machinery?

[windy1603]

Has to be John Surtees Motorcycle and F1 World Champion

[Risil]

Who other than Lorenzo has beaten Rossi on the same machinery?

Over the course of a whole championship? Capirossi, Sakata, Perugini, Martinez, Tokudome, arguably Harada.

Edited by Risil, 08 April 2013 - 19:05.

[Boxerevo]

Rossi simply had everything on his prime and was and probably still King on duels.

But only one rider got me his fan, #27.

J Lo is a beast too.

Edited by Boxerevo, 08 April 2013 - 19:09.

[jrg19]

Over the course of a whole championship? Capirossi, Sakata, Perugini, Martinez, Tokudome, arguably Harada.

Thanks, what about in the top class?

[yoyogetfunky]

I think Valentino is a bike legend, and has to be in anybodys top 3, for me number one is Mick Doohan. The no nonsense driving God from Australia.

[Risil]

Thanks, what about in the top class?

Er, just Lorenzo. But you already knew that.

[jrg19]

Er, just Lorenzo. But you already knew that.

I thought he was the only one but having only watched MotoGP since around 2006 I couldn't be sure.

[undersquare]

Yeah I'll go with Rossi being the best so far, though I don't really care for him (unlike my wife lol). Pity Stoner retired early.

Now watch Lorenzo and Marquez...

[Longtimefan]

Barry Sheene ;)

[Mekola]

The Doctor is the best of this time. But from all times... Well, in F1 terms we though the same about Schumi...

[Gold]

Didn't Tazio Nuvolari once race motor grand prix with both his broken legs in casts and had to be balanced either side by mechanics at the start and the end. I believe he finished that race 4th.

The only modern rider with that spirit was Mick Doohan.

Edited by Gold, 09 April 2013 - 00:05.

[rhukkas]

Not sure about 'best' as impossible to measure.... but I think he's the 'greatest' bike rider ever. The blend of personality and success is unrivalled. no other racer has won so much and made bike racing so accessible and popular.

[OO7]

Not sure about 'best' as impossible to measure.... but I think he's the 'greatest' bike rider ever. The blend of personality and success is unrivalled. no other racer has won so much and made bike racing so accessible and popular.

This.

[BlackCat]

It's tricky. And subjective.

Named my firstborn after Saarinen - just like the parents of a former F1 driver.
Can not ever forget Joey Dunlop, as I happened to attend his last race.
Seriously liked Kevin Schwantz' style.

So for me Rossi, just like Schumacher, is a small fish.

[lbennie]

I'm a huge vale fan, but he had a pretty ordinary weekend in losail.

Bad qualifying followed by rusty race craft at the start.

He came second because the hondas were struggling there.


FWIW i think stoner was the quickest of all time. But vale is unmatched when it comes to achievements/success. like Senna v Schumacher almost.

Edited by lbennie, 09 April 2013 - 00:37.

[DILLIGAF]

Mick Doohan

[Wander]

I think there are good arguments to call Rossi the greatest of all time.

But Saarinen is really a case of what could have been...

[drag]

For the last 15 + years since I m watching Rossi is the best and there is none close to his racing spirit, then Ill say Doohan and third Stoner.

[Wander]

Stoner doesn't deserve to be in the top friggin 5. Not with that attitude.

[lbennie]

Stoner doesn't deserve to be in the top friggin 5. Not with that attitude.

I don't think personality should come into an argument about riding ability.

[lustigson]

Interesting: a best of all time poll of only 8 names, including 2 current racers and 1 who only retired at the end of last season.

I'm no expert on bike racing, but where are Geoff Duke, Eddie Lawson, Kenny Roberts and Wayne Rainey? They're all 3 and 4-time world champions.

[santori]

Has there ever been such a fuss about someone who was beaten by his team-mate?

Anyway, I voted for Agostini (and I liked that you looked beyond the heaviest class with Nieto).

I'd put Lorenzo closer to the top than Stoner.

[Rob]

Has there ever been such a fuss about someone who was beaten by his team-mate?

Anyway, I voted for Agostini (and I liked that you looked beyond the heaviest class with Nieto).

This would be the same Agostini who was beaten by Hailwood while they were team mates at MV? Agostini only started winning titles when Hailwood moved to Honda.

[peroa]

Well, his past two years don't exactly confirm his supposed greatness.

[santori]

This would be the same Agostini who was beaten by Hailwood while they were team mates at MV? Agostini only started winning titles when Hailwood moved to Honda.

They were team-mates at MV Agusta for only one season, weren't they? And that was Agostini's first full year in the world championships (500s and 350s).

[Wander]

Schwantz was never beaten over a full season by an another Suzuki rider.

[William Hunt]

to me it's Agostini

[hotstickyslick]

No rider could be called the greatest of all time, let alone Rossi. Different tracks, different bikes, different eras all together. I doubt any current rider would be brave enough to race as they did in the 50s and 60s.

[Atreiu]

Doohan was going to beat both Schwantz and Rainey until a crash took him a step away from death and then losing his legs, or vice-versa. When he recovered, he dominated like hell until another crash retired him. I don't know if he is the GOAT, but I think he is often overlooked.

Stoner beat everyone fair and square on Ducatis and it took another champion's falure for everyone to get an idea of how huge feat that was. He was always as unpopular as possible because he beat the chosen one and then just didn't spare thoughts with the effort of playing the PR game to be liked. Big deal. Still, he retired on top and it's a pity people dislike him so much they can't admire him. Doesn't mean he is the GOAT, but still...

Rossi is the prime candidate for it, maybe he is indeed.

Edited by Atreiu, 09 April 2013 - 16:45.

[stillOrange]

Doohan is so far the greatest in my opinion.

[pizzalover]

Mick with only 7%???

Should be Sir Mick.

[corf]

Not sure anyone of the last two generations would have beaten stoner in an injury free season. Rossi dodged him as a team mate for a reason. Lorenzo maybe, shame we don't get to see the two fastest riders of recent times go head to head on the same bikes.

Edited by corf, 09 April 2013 - 17:44.

[NotSoSilentBob]

Doohan. Why is Stoner in this Poll, let alone getting 20+ percent of the vote??

[Atreiu]

You mean besides a title for a team all other riders combined couldn't achieve a fraction of his win/podium rate?

[BRG]

Surtees. Best on two wheels, then best on four wheels. Unique achievement.

But I reckon Vale is pretty special too.

[DutchCruijff]

Providing the opportunity to post this gem of a video/moment:-

[George Costanza]

Surprised no Joey Dunlop... His TT record is beyond remarkable.... Not to mention, he won over 230 road races in his career.

Edited by George Costanza, 10 April 2013 - 03:47.

[gx1]

Before 2007, Rossi is definitely the best guy out there, almost as if there are no rivals.
But being able to come back after 2006 and 2007 to win 2 more titles is a huge achievement.
Beating Lorenzo in 2009 is a huge achievement for Rossi,... normally the old champion will lose out to the up and coming young gun.

Currently, he is likely not the best rider anymore, but he is still top level.

I do not know what is the criteria of judging best of all time,... is it based on number of wins / championships? or perceived talent?
I am not voting as I do not know enough about all the other riders out there (those retired ones), except for maybe Doohan.

If we are to compare Doohan vs. Rossi, Rossi does have much tougher competition. Doohan is more like Stoner in his racing approach. But anyway, still I do not know how to compare.

Despite what most critics say about Rossi's 2 years in Ducati, I think he did a reasonable job, nothng great.
Here you have a Ducati that needs to be ridden a total opposite of Rossi's instinct. And Hayden's dirty dirt track style seems to suit it more. Yet, Rossi with a Ducati bike that needs to be ridden against his instinct, still beat Hayden more often than the other way round, that says alot about Rossi.

[Steve99]

Not a mention of Phil Read?

[Sabre1977]

I think not only the number of titles gives the credit of being a legend. I think is more relevant the rivals that are fighting against you.

Not so much ago, several riders were part of a golden era of motorbike racing.

- Eddie Lawson.
- Wayne Rainey.
- Kevin Schwantz.
- Kenny Roberts.
- Randy Mamola.
- Freddie Spencer.
- Wayne Gardner.
- Michael Doohan.
- John Kocinski.

Except Doohan, I´m surprised not to find any of them in the poll

[Dalton007]

Vale won on two different manufacturers.

From 2000 to 2010, of that generation, Rossi was formidable.

[David1976]

Valentino for me.

He may not be the fastest over one lap but he has/had the intelligence and ability to make the tyres work over a race distance, often enabling him to embarrass his rivals with only a few laps remaining.

It's just a shame he couldn't make the Duke work.

[speedy]

For me it is Jarno Saarinen - I followed his career intensively in the early 70's. Once he got factory bikes at his disposal he was unstoppable in both 350 and 500 cc classes. I had a chance to see him live during many years when he was racing against Agostini, Phil Read and co. Golden memories from 40 years behind. He won 250 cc wdc with a private entry bike, supported by Finnish Yamaha importing company Arwidson at the time - that already was a sensation to beat the factory bikes and drivers.

Nowadays the world of racing is so different compared with the time 40 years ago - bikes, equipment and safety aspect have taken huge steps along the years. There are also national series producing young drivers like from production belt - in Spain alone there are thousands of drivers to pick from.

Vale is great as well as others in the list - it's an opinion question and there is no wrong answer. Just for the sake of incredible sound I would pick Agostini from the time he was driving MV Agusta - i still get shivers remembering that magnificent sound you could hear from 10 km distance

[femi]

You forgot to consider Wayne Rainey