Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1536228
the front brake and foot rear- brake lever, so the thumb brake only has enough power to help tighten the line at the exit, so I don't use it. By lap two, I'm starting to feel confident enough to give it a proper go, and all those feelings I've just mentioned get turned up to 11. The faster I go, the bet - ter it feels—just like a real race bike should. But Toprak's bike is never scary, never intimidating. It's—dare I say it—easy to ride, and that thought of being able to ride this bike to the shops is still in my mind. A shop bike with 250 horsepower? Sign me up! But that ease is overshadowed by what a beast Toprak's bike really is when you're trying to go faster and faster. With such enormous midrange torque, the M 1000 RR leaps off the three hairpins like it has a rocket up its butt. That also makes for an eas - ier bike to ride because it does much of the work for you. You don't have to wring the neck of the Toprak bike to get it moving. This is based off a production bike, after all, and you can feel the base M 1000 RR's DNA in how it goes about its business. Two minutes later, it's all over. I got an out-lap, a flying lap, and an in-lap. Not a great deal of riding, I'll admit, but more than enough to let me know the performance realm this machine operates on. After I gather my thoughts, I can honestly say, this is the best sporting motorcycle I have ever ridden in my 42 years and 18 years as a motorcycle journalist. But then, it damn well should be. This is the World Champion's ride, and someone of Toprak Razgatlio - glu's talent deserves the very best BMW Motorrad can offer. I'm just pleased to have a look through the shop window. What a bike. CN P110 FEATURE I RIDING RAZGATLIOGLU'S BMW M 1000 RR Ducati this year is too strong in corner exits. The BMW is not like this. At the beginning of the race, I'm riding a little bit better. But after some laps, the rear tire starts to drop a little, and I have to fight again on corner exit. It's not so big a drop, but this is enough to destroy everything. We could see this weekend at Cremona how you would catch up a lot of ground under braking but then lose it on acceleration. If I feel good accelera- tion in the race, I think we are fighting for the win easy. Because when I fol- low the Ducati, after the esses, he goes [Toprak signals Bulega riding away from him]. This is a huge gap. In the lap, I try to close the gap, but sometimes this one is not easy. Also, I am pushing so hard. Sometimes I do a small mistake. Again, gap getting bigger. Anyway, I know this year is like this. I hope changing maybe some races after, because maybe FIM or Dorna say, "use the old chassis." But everything is easy to change. I need only this, because now the bike is not turning. Also, the engine brake is working a little bit strange. But we are doing a very good job. I think the bike is not perfect, but we are doing a very good job. Because we keep fight- ing. In the weekend, when we are starting Friday, the bike is completely different bike, but then we start to improve, and the final race at Cremona we did a very good pace also. Okay, we are not the winner, but we did a very good pace. Only me and Nicolo. This is good. You're very mentally strong to be on that limit all the time. Always. I love this. I'm pushing so hard. Also, the last laps I am pushing so hard. In the race, I finish 1.8 seconds [behind]. Not so big gap, because also I'm pushing to the last lap. I'm just waiting. Maybe he [Bulega] do some mis- take. Maybe it's possible to win. This is why I am pushing like this. What about away from the track? How long have you been doing stunt riding for? Normally, I am starting like a stunt rider in my motorcycle life. I was 8 or 7 when I started. I think before I learn to ride the bike, I am learn- ing wheelie. My father is a stunt rider in Turkey. I'm always watching him. I'm learning immediately the wheelie. Also, I learn when I was 10 or 11 years old, I learn to use the foot rear brake. That makes it easy to wheelie every bike because I have rear- brake control. After that, I'm focused on learning the stoppie. Because my father is very famous in Turkey, espe- cially because he can do very good stoppies. I'm learning immediately this, but now I make better than my father! Maybe my bike control comes from stunt riding. I'm easy to make a stoppie and a wheelie. Also, I'm doing the turning wheelie. I'm happy with this level, but some stunt riders are very good. Stoppie and wheelie is enough for my life [laughs].