Waiting for the start of 2015 season ...and was looking at this 30+ years ago racing 500ccs...these guys really had to work hard on track, all that brutal two stroke mayhem unleashed..basically all power or little power..not much inbetween...good to watch and you can see that not much has changed at all in riders basic techniques in those 30+ years.[apart from climbing off the bike more to weight transfer so as to gain more traction .....and this is only done because of the huge grip available now due to incredible tyre tech]..and of course all this available tyre grip would not be useable ie the amazing lean angles achieved without all the electronic aids that must go hand in hand now........500cc's were much more entertaining watching than nowadays "processions" that they all racing.{IMO} ..... Still the very best of bike riders and big balls doing what they do, but they do have it much easier than the guys in this video era.

Whole different era wasn't it. Rock hard skinny tires, as you say 7 rpm powerband, brakes - well, called brakes.

We have come a long way.

As an aside - King Kenny Roberts, when riding the TZ750 set up for dirt tracking, said it was the most evil bike he had ever ridden. and if he was not the greatest rider of that time - and arguably all time - he was tied for first place.

Hard to figure how they got their leathers on with ----- that big !

Whole different era wasn't it. Rock hard skinny tires, as you say 7 rpm powerband, brakes - well, called brakes.

We have come a long way.

As an aside - King Kenny Roberts, when riding the TZ750 set up for dirt tracking, said it was the most evil bike he had ever ridden. and if he was not the greatest rider of that time - and arguably all time - he was tied for first place.

Hard to figure how they got their leathers on with ----- that big !

Hard to figure how they got their leathers on with ----- that big !

And having to do a bump start with that affliction .....also noticeable is the larger number of riders compared to this generation of races.

Brakes were mediocre at best, but the riders rode to the limits [and beyond] with what they had at the time

Agree, the bikes and associated comp tech have come a long way, but the basic riding styles/techniques are not much different....

but the basic riding styles/techniques are not much different....

I would almost go so far as to say that the riders of that bygone era were more skilled.

Having to deal with those tires, those brakes, no traction control, no ECU-controlled engines, two strokes that came on the pipe with a bang (my personal favorite bike for just that reason)

Look at some of the old footage from Isle of Man - now that was rider control !