My heart has always been in sport bikes but I find myself with increasing interest in other forms of motorcycles, from motocross, supermoto, adventure, touring bikes, even the electric bike movement is starting to gain curiosity to me. One area however, that has never quite taken hold for me has been the cruiser world.
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Cue the Triumph 765 Daytona Moto2 Edition which was produced as a commemoration to Triumph’s return to the world championship. 765 models were produced with a claimed 128 hp and branded as the Ultimate Daytona. I did not order one, partly because my focus is on racing and as my wife likes to point out to me, we are short on garage space. However, a good friend of mine and fellow contributor Gerard was lucky enough to acquire one. Once I found this out I pitched the idea to him of a comparison between our Daytonas and he was immediately on board. It was time to see how the Original and the Ultimate compared.
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As exciting as a track day is, especially when one is riding a new track like Sonoma Raceway, I knew our West Coast racing adventure had just begun. To have a successful weekend we needed to do two essential ingredients- preparation and relaxation. Those two tend to go hand in hand in my experience as the more prepared you are, the more relaxed you’ll be when the racing starts.
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A few months ago, I was discussing the 2020 CCS (Championship Cup Series) season with friend and fellow racer Pat Coleman. Pat was telling me about his plans to race select MotoAmerica rounds in the Supersport class including his home round of Laguna Seca. Seeing as I had been there in 2019, I told him to count me in if he ended up going. Honesty, I did not need much convincing to justify a visit to the historic track and beautiful Monterey area. In this case it was made even sweeter by a few elements: I get to go help a friend, attend the final MotoAmerica round of the season, and see the debut of the Bagger class first-hand. It was going to be a heck of a trip!
Read MoreI had the privilege to attend the final MotoAmerica round at the famous Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca race track, a definite thrill for me. It was an amazing weekend on so many levels, from thrilling on-track races in all classes, surprising announcements from Cameron Beaubier and Toni Elias, the off-the-chain King of the Baggers competition, and my own opportunity to turn some laps on the fabled track (more on that in an upcoming story).
Read MoreI had the opportunity, along with our fellow photographer Dean Phelps, to attend, shoot, and interview riders during the first race of the 2020 MotoAmerica season, albeit without fans. We’ve planned on following Superbike racer Max Flinders and Supersport racer Benjamin Smith, from preseason through end-of-season, so we made a point of checking in with them both across the weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin (my home track).
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For those that don’t know me, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ryan Nolan, and despite my name sake I do not have a wicked fastball. I have been riding motorcycles for half my life and have become immersed in the sweet sport that is motorcycle road racing for the past 5 years. I am based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, just a short hop from Road America, a circumstance for which I feel very blessed. As you might imagine here in the Midwest, the “cabin fever” of not being able to ride during the winter months weighs heavy and the wish for throttle therapy becomes very real, very fast.
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Road Dirt correspondent and photographer Ryan Nolan and his videographer wife Natalie attended the Laguna Seca round of the World SBK and MotoAmerica races recently, and had the chance to catch up with Superbike racer Jake Gagne in a short followup interview. Against the backdrop of the fabled Corkscrew section of the track, Ryan and Jake discussed the race season thus far, the challenges and thrills of this world-famous track, and Jake’s hopes for the remaining race rounds.
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