Is it Too Late to Become a Motorbike Racer?

[@tmac77]

I’ve recently launched a video course for anyone that’s interested in taking their riding to the next level, you can find it here stan.store/taylormac77

[@literal_lee]

I started trackriding at 54, racing at 57. I don't really stand a chance for getting on the podium, but having a blast nevertheless. I am also an instructor at the track, teaching the entry level riders. So never too late to start racing.😎🥳

[@ibidu1]

Im 48 when I was 25 I raced for 3 years in US and took about 18 years break, now im back into racing. I now have several podiums and wins. Its all about removing fear out of riding, sure you crash more pushing yourself, but thats how you go faster.

[@literal_lee]

@@ibidu1 So far, I crashed on track twice. First time was sheer stupidity and the second time was a mistake that I had to make, in order never to make it again.... Oh well... 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@CarloPiana]

Started at 43, really got into it at major tracks, at 55 my times are good enough for small amateur races (not the slowest ones) and endurance competitions. Pity there are so few of them.

[@Audfile]

I'm right behind you. Believe I will start track days next summer. I have a good friend low ball price of 2K for a low mile Ninja 300, just waiting on me. I just can't put a third bike in the driveway without getting hen pecked to death right now. The track is calling. Just for fun. Real racers are rare air.

[@CarloPiana]

@@Audfile this is talking! Invest some more bucks for servicing it, brakes, clutch, tyre. And full leathers+gloves+helmet+boots+back protection. A 300 is an interesting choice, you can do smaller tracks, same fun, half costs.

[@alecpedalerbriggs9876]

One for the greatest days ever, cheer Taylor. Also can confirm I passed my ACU.

[@SheldonHughes-gz7pz]

Well done on passing your test. How do I go about doing one of these track days and would I need my own motorcycle? I got a full motorcycle license passed beginning of this year.

[@mgoode180566]

@@alecpedalerbriggs9876 will we be seeing you at mallory on your cb5?

[@Hellothere-xc5ph]

@@SheldonHughes-gz7pz I’m on this track day for this month! Simply Google BMW Motorrad training and you’ll see it! Need a full A licence ✌️

[@stickytoth5103]

Do you need a full motorcycle license too do a acu license

[@mgoode180566]

@@stickytoth5103 no licence required, it is the racing licence in the uk

[@tinkertime7165]

I did my ACU test day with Alex a week after this video was shot. (About 3 wk’s ago), he is such a lovely bloke. I did my first races that same weekend at Castle Combe (27/7/24) and loved it. I’m 55 and started track days about 3 years ago. Never too old!

[@alecpedalerbriggs9876]

Was great to meet you on the ACU man. How did the race go?!

[@marcussmith799]

if you want to win races its far too late lol.

[@dicktheaspergeron4988]

Good for you mate- that’s awesome to decide to do this at 55. I’m 53 and did my first track day (BMW Motorrad Performance Academy) with one of Taylor’s instructors (Daz) and it was exciting and achievable. Good luck I truly wish you well!

[@Chalky263]

Absolutely cracking video and what a result for Alec, fair play 20s at mallory is a bloody lot to lose! Definitely helps doing all in bitesize chunks. Look forward to the next video 😊

[@TheIslandExpat]

Nice work, Alec. Taylor looks like one helluvan Instructor, and a master rider for sure.

[@mgoode180566]

In my first season racing a CB500 at EMRA at the ripe old age of 58, having a blast.....

[@David-bf6pl]

How'd you get started? What's EMRA?

[@mgoode180566]

East Midlands racing association, the club at mallory park. Get yourself a bike, leathers boots etc, get on a trackday, soak up all information you can, use the free instructors, practice your skills, get an acu and go racing

[@David-bf6pl]

@mgoode180566 I'm on the West Coast, Pacific Northwest. I'm 58. I just did Champ U Street. They gave me 2 laps around the track at The Ridge Motorsports Park at the end of the day. I'm hooked. I am looking for my first track suit and first track day. I didn't know you could race competitively at 58!

[@mgoode180566]

@@David-bf6pl put your mind to it, you will have fun

[@MrAlanevo]

Had my Cb for nearly ten years and still not taken the leap to racing. Really should. Comments like these make me happy.

[@Daddy53751]

Old bones break very easily! Best advice I can give is, if you’re gonna race, plan for it. By that I mean financially plan for being layed up for possibly months. Your mortgage lender, power company, ect. will not care if you can’t work because you have your leg in a cast. (My genius wife planned in advance, so I had no problems but broken bones.😁)

[@redchemicalsltd2324]

100% commitment required...it will be expensive even at club level & without crashes. Make sure you can financially survive if your unable to work through injuries. Finally buy the best safety gear you can afford & always the best tyres available/suitable for the conditions. The above will normally be replaced after a crash & you definitely do not want to be blaming it on the tyres... (a little basic advice from an ex national 600 rider from the 90's)... Age is irrelevant if only for enjoyment, just look at the lads classic racing.

[@Daddy53751]

@@redchemicalsltd2324 oh yeah, I forgot about the gear! I don’t remember who said it but it was “spend on your helmet what your head is worth.” For me, my head was worth $150!😂

[@stevec-b6214]

20 SECONDS!!!! Awesome skill by you both. Tuition and trust, building confidence. Brilliant.

[@philipdow8228]

What a combo , the colab we never knew we would ever get , two legends

[@jbsworkshop]

I started racing in my late 30’s & enjoyed it but ran out of money fast so just back to doing track days now

[@BIKELIFEAP]

Yeah a few handful of people get paid to race, the rest just bankrupt it’s a money pit 😂 track days are still fun 🤩

[@andrewmallard2301]

Great content, Taylor and congrats, Alec.

[@ernstqueller]

Started racing at 50 with BEMSEE, one of the best biking things I have ever done. (along with touring europe!)

[@deanodrives4966]

I met Alec at Brands last year on a track day on his CB500, what a lovely guy he is and I'm so stoked he's starting to race as we were talking about it. It's my first year racing and it has been amazing

[@alecpedalerbriggs9876]

So glad you started racing too man! See you at brands for another track day this year hopefully

[@YUGEBBQ]

Great content, I learned allot from this 15 min video, thanks.

[@francislintonellis8402]

nice Vid loads of info to process well done Taylor

[@MatNewtonTrio]

That improvement in one day is unreal.

[@Graeme-g1q]

Im 34 and will attempt track riding next season very excited

[@toluwole]

Awesome video. First track day this November. Better late than never.

[@tarak3439]

Man what I'd give to ride on track. Great video, awesome work Alec!

[@smithshotracing]

20 seconds is an insane improvement... you need to come across the pond and give me some pointers, im struggling over here..

[@NinjaKoalaAUTW]

nice video bro keep them coming😀 cyclists have the physical body to endure the fatigue on the track...nice he will improve fast

[@jimamizzi1]

I’m now 63, my current bike is a gixxer 600 L1. I’ve learnt so many bad habits it now hard to ride properly, watching these videos help a lot, one of my weak points is braking, normally braking to early, my home track is Phillip island, a very fast flowing circuit with probably 2 main braking areas.

[@HelloJamesBond]

Your home track is Philip Island! Ohh woooooow! THE best track in the world no doubt, Brands Hatch GP comes second!

[@danielruizvives1388]

Good to see u on the bike still brother!!! Cheers! 🫢

[@tmac77]

Good to hear from you dude! I hope you’re still riding too 💪🏼

[@danielruizvives1388]

@@tmac77 I wish sometimes I would still be riding heheh! Nah I stopped 2011 and never rode on a track again… But life is treating me great anyways discovered many things after racing so… Cheers buddy! Stay safe

You're never too old to start anything. I used to skydive with a guy who took up skydiving when he retired

[@johnharris3335]

This was awesome ti watch thanks

[@ninety9monkeys416]

I would love to do be able to do this! What a great video, this should be a series with different celebs / sports people…. Like hot ones for bikes

[@SheldonHughes-gz7pz]

What a great idea 👍

[@stefanhansen5882]

That was an insane improvement! Also because he is a talented bicycle rider, or can "anyone" expect to improve so much in just one day? And will this improvement transfer to other tracks?

[@CBR1000-RR]

Hi Taylor, I did Mallory first time in July never been there before! I ride a CBR1000RR 04 reg! Have no much of experience but did get my ACU last August! My point is, do I have a potential at my 39! With no coach I did my first fast lap at Mallory 1:12.91 and after having many red flags which means didn’t have much of opportunities to learn the track and my self in the track managed to do 1:05.32 so, how could I get some faster pace in the track! 12th of August I will be doing Bedford Autodrome so, if you get a chance and be around I would really appreciate that! Thanks!

[@charliepyle1626]

money money money, injuries and fitness. Still worth it if you can.

[@jay1live422]

Ive been wanting to race AMA or WSB for a long time. I love riding and I love getting low through the corners when I exit off the highways.

[@craigsanders6925]

Started racing at 43, club raced for 15 years, podiumed twice my last weekend of racing at the age of 58. :)

[@tmac77]

Awesome 🤩

[@Aprilia_tuono_v4_rider]

Great video. I've always wanted to do a track day. My concern for me is how competitive I am and getting myself into a lot of trouble chasing after someone faster overtaking me. How would you get around that?

[@overstack7128]

Good advices overall, but the most important one is definitely lines first, then braking, then body positioning at last. Lines will give you the greatest improvements in speed and safety by far, while body positionning can be mostly ignored by new riders as long as they maintain a neutral comfortable riding stance

[@angryspacerasta1398]

Brakes first, always. It's the absolute limiting factor to overall speed on a track.

[@1dozmos]

20s shaving in one day, good work lad fookin ell

[@alanrodriguez7341]

I hope your bro. Is healthy after 😢his injury. Say hello to Mark too! ❤

[@davethomas7881]

im planning on starting racing motocross once im retired from work which is only another five years away my reasoning is i dont want to injure myself whilst still working full time so it is all planned out for me my local club has an over 60,s class and as im only 4ft5 tall i plan on getting a big wheel 85cc yam. i know your blogs are more based on the rr fraternity but i just thought i would comment.

[@charliepyle1626]

The skills are transferable, you may find RR is easier than MX on old joints, muscles etc. Still need core strength and aerobic, again not as brutal as MX.

[@paulomadeira76]

60? Avoid MX… MX Will tive You many injuries… and at 60 You Will need a long time for recouver from them. RR is better.

[@ma3stro681]

The track isn’t the “floor” old mate, it’s the track … 😂

[@chrispritch]

So you’re telling me there’s a chance!!!?

[@wanr5701]

My childhood dream was a full time motorcycle racer racing around the world, yet because I grow up in a poor family with mostly on a single income with plenty of siblings I was forced to give up my ambition before I even touched a bike. Yes I even begged my father to go to work and find more money as the first step to my ambition, only to get shouted by him and was told to be contend by just being a fan and watch the races on TV. Personally I still resent him to this day for that very reason, and our relationship still remain strained. Now into my late 30s and holding full time job for so long that makes me quite well off to own a bike of my own, I can only watch young racers from TV screen with some bitter feelings. Yes trackdays could well do it, but it can never replace the feel of racing full time around the world. Get rich and pay the way in? Who on earth will hire a 45 year old with 6 years of racing experience to race as a debutante in WSBK? Certainly not even satellite teams.

[@dantealigieri2268]

I started riding at 45 years old. I have been riding for 6 months and have completed two races. I'm losing by 20s per lap to the riders riding alpe adria. I ride a ninja 400. Everyone tells me I'm too old and it's not worth it. The bad thing is that motorcycle racing schools are only for young people. I have no one to learn from. So I come up with my own training plans and ride every day. Maybe I'll break it and be good one day.

[@jbean530]

The classes I see have a lot of older people. But I’m an old lady and I do it. So if I can, then you can.

[@andypresland]

20 seconds! Mental

[@christianhoward3026]

Random, but I’m disappointed you wore a Ruroc helmet. I’ve heard they’re not safe or recommended for track/race use. Just a dumb instagram brand. And I’m sure they hooked you up with one, but if they’re not safe for track use, I think it’s a bad look to put that out there for people watching.

[@zenmoto369]

Exactly I am shocked he is not aware of this

[@popdatclutch3010]

Learning on a 1k is wild lol very nice

[@garyhutson6361]

Cam you use your own bmw on these track days.. how much does it cost to do one.. cheers. Hopefully Silverstone will open its doors to bike and see you soon 👍🏼🙏🏼

[@maximum007]

Excellent video, many thanks Taylor, one quick question about body position. When you're coming to the end of a straight and approaching the corner, at what point should you make the shift in body position, before applying the brakes, or during the braking phase ?

[@Ru57yRacing]

Set your lower body up before you start braking, then drop your upper body as you enter the turn, holding the inside bar like a screwdriver so that your elbow points toward the ground instead of toward your inside hip

[@UnrestrictedIsle]

Do you use Adobe Podcast AI on your audio? A local guy here started racing at 50, inspiring stuff!

[@kapitantripps]

Taylor looks like a good riding coach

[@DiagolonRider]

i don't think it's ever too late to start motorcycle racing however you might be a little too late to be fast...i mean really fast because at some point you lose that sorta 'death wish' mentality you had as a young buck lol. I'm 47, bought my first bike last year, a Honda CBR600RR and I've been loving it ever since. fully plan on track riding but i can definitely see something in myself that's changed with age... and that's the 'Death Wish' . had i started in my teens or early 20's i know i would've been faster than i could ever hope to be now. but I'm still going to enjoy the hell out of it while i can!!! ❤😂😊

[@targetoz5470]

"Don't turn in with the brake on" 4:26 isn't that trail braking?? Not sure if I follow as seems to contradict what you said only moments before?

[@dantealigieri2268]

I always turn with the brake on. Only the braking effect must correspond to the inclination of the motorcycle.

[@jas21scot]

Class 👍😜

[@domkelly1972]

the deciding factor is money. if you have money you can race as much as you want and start whenever you want. i am 52 and i want to race. you gonna give me a bike, pay my fees, insurance , acccomodation ? exactly. nothing to do with age. you only need one thing. money.

[@mart7798]

mad mark will have in moto 1 before you know it!😂

[@unkelib4391]

started as 65 years old on a old gsx 100 r in racer trim and haw newer regretted a hour on track even thus 45 days of due to a broken collarbone ware well wert it but one of the first ting ai learnt ware that it is to lead to bee Valentino Rossi but it haw given me so much fun raiding Norway Stelvio and a lot of other places on may road bike be gorse you wearily learn what you and the bike is capable of especial when something unexpected coms op haw not been cheap but worth every penny

[@gazmeister1984]

Wish I could afford racing, soo expensive.

[@boxster21]

🙌

[@marcussmith799]

If you are over the age of 4 and want to be a champion dont even bother starting, you are decades behind little children.

[@desie.69]

I’m 19 and I’ve been riding for 2 1/2 years, I’m probably gonna wait for all the guys to retire and I’ll be the next generation

[@Alfenijonas]

any lectures about gears?

[@tmac77]

Maybe in future episodes, what would you like to know?

[@Alfenijonas]

@@tmac77 everything :D Gear going into the corner, how to choose which one to use, do you use clutchless shifting during race (when for example going up in gears just very quickly turning accelerator to zero, put that gear up and accelerate again i believe u know what i am asking about), well ok basically I only thought about these two questions so maybe video would be 10 seconds :D

[@chonnerone2964]

Not just Toprak - Marquez and Martin do the same.

[@Junkfiles446]

im still thinking about this but im 27 and i think its too late

[@d4jsmit]

Maybe it’s just a USA thing, but I’ve never seen a track with a 30 cm high curb on the inside of a corner. Yikes!!😮

[@tmac77]

It’s a good deterrent to stop people going off track 😂😂

[@SheldonHughes-gz7pz]

Does anyone know how I go about doing one of these track days and would I need my own motorcycle? Would be much appreciated

[@d4jsmit]

Depends on where you are. Some track day orgs also coordinate with bike mfrs or rental outfits. Best bet, though is to go to California Superbike School. They go to ~12-15 tracks in the USA, and also have schools in Asia and UK. You can get the bike, leathers, etc. all from them for the day- plus top-notch instruction (which is really what makes it worthwhile)

[@SheldonHughes-gz7pz]

@d4jsmit thanks for the information mate, I’m from the uk. I’m going to see what they got to offer.

[@dazzerf8392]

Can you teach me please 😊

[@ramboracing702]

🤜🏻💥🤛🏻

[@Manoloelfoco]

Vincent van Gogh is a good rider.

[@veles7082]

The trainer wearing a ruroc helmet concerns me a bit

[@GrandpaOnATunedScooter]

Surprised to find out I've been doing it right on the road for 40 years 😂

[@tmac77]

Good work 😂

[@dmitrybatishchev2867]

This will get a lot of hate… but yes, it is. If we are truly speaking of guys who are starting to ride track after 40, yes, it is. 1) we race and compete beacuse we want to win. 90% of guys who start so late are grid fillers and lappers. Father time is a bitch, and young bucks are just that - younger. 2)crashing after 40 is Very different vs in 20s - that light ankle sprain might never heel. 3) the impact of that crash is massive after 40, massive - family, kids, job, bills, and it might take months! So while you are competing to not be in the bottom 3 the risks are not comperable to green beans that are lapping you. How do i know… lol

[@DC-vo1pj]

Some misinformation in this video, e.g. when you lean the bike you actually have a larger contact patch than when the bike is at zero lean - but cool nonetheless.

[@canopyjunkie]

There's age limits at a high level, so, while it's never too late to race, it can be too late to race at a high level. :/

[@TheFrankbee]

I wana be a racer since i was on high school. But no one support me. So i never become a racer n just watch it 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@sam3d]

It's always too late to get into a wreck less high chance for death sport, yes.

[@GurillaRon]

It’s never too late…….

[@zenmoto369]

All good but don't ride with this bicycle helmet, aren't you aware Ruroc spent all money on marketing and almost 0 on R&D, hence their helmets barely pass the safety regulations and at totally unsafe especially on a fast bike like this BMW.

[@darider6286]

Come to jamaica see real riderz

[@Adam-ez4bd]

Hey Taylor I've noticed you are riding with a Ruroc don't know if they are paying you or it's your choice, but consider switching to a proper brand, you as a professional rider should be aware you are risking your life riding with this piece of shit.

[@mikethemachine4435]

Dear mr.Mackenzie please do your research the Ruroc helmet are really poorly made and not suited for track use, any use really, maybe for a bicycle. Give youngsters good example and ride with proper gear!

[@Freegrem]

Got experience or just spouting what youve heard others say?

[@hershey6171]

It's too late for anything, give up.

[@morrisbagnall2690]

I did a California Superbike School trackday at New Jersey Motorsports Park when I lived out there. I was almost 50 years old. The BMW was fast but the biggest surprise for me were the brakes. Lap on lap I would try to brake later and later. All the time there was this terrified screaming in my head saying 'brake now' and I kept having to ignore it. Great fun and a real confidence builder when you realise it is you not the bike that is the limiting factor. Well done @alecpedalerbriggs9876

[@googlelimp9834]

i guess as a pro he didnt win didhe?? WTF???