First MotoGP in Austin, A Wall of Death and Really Fast Motorcycles

*Drool* KTM USA Tent at Circuit of the Americas, Austin. What I wouldn't give to take this baby for a 1,000 mile test ride. 

The reason we flew out to Austin was to watch MotoGP, it's the tip top of international motorcycle racing. But along with MotoGP, other classes were out racing that weekend namely MotoAmerica. Which is "a professional motorcycle racing series sanctioned by the AMA and FIM North America." 

Valentino "the Doctor" Rossi, 38 years old, 7? time MotoGP World Champion. To most, a pavement god.

Whereas "MotoGP is the pinnacle class of world championship road racing". The machines achieve a maximum output of over 240 hp and reach speeds of over 340km/hr.  Watching live motorcycle racing is just awesome. If you're interested in the technical aspects of MotoGP, click here.

Racers from all over the world compete to win the title of MotoGP Champion. They race motorcycles that *no one* can buy, motorcycles that frankly, no one can really ride except champions. They cost millions of dollars, and are supported often (but not always) by the factory brands such as Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, Ducati.

I urge you to go watch the Faster Series (Faster, Fastest, Hitting the Apex) on Netflix/iTunes/Amazon/wherever. It's an incredible look into the sights and sounds of MotoGP. 

The Doctor, as he's known, showing the pavement who's boss with mere inches making contact with the pavement while moving at steady speeds between 100-200mph?!?!  Photo: ValentinoRossi.com

Something that has always fascinated me are the physics of motorcycling. Physics to me, are like magic but REAL magic, supported by Science and Facts! You can't really see it, but it's happening and can be measured to match up what your eyes are seeing before you. 

It's something I highly recommend experiencing at least once in your lifetime. 6-8 years ago, we went to MotoGP at Laguna Seca in Monterey with friends to watch and it was exhilarating. 

The Track

When I think of The Circuit of the Americas, the first thing that pops into my head are the signature stars and stripes across the entire track. Red, White and Blue colors are everywhere which isn't too unusual but I would say of all the MotoGP tracks, this one is *especially* patriotic to its home country. 

View from The Tower, looking down on Turn 3 with all the glorious stars. 

And Turn 3 was a great spot,  with a nice tv screen to see all the action along with feisty commentary from Eurosport.

Check out a short video I took from the MotoGP Race on Sunday afternoon:

I wish I had incredible camera skills, but if you want to see some beautiful motogp photography, check out Photo.GP.

After the final race on Sunday, they opened the track for 30 minutes and let us walk around for a bit.

Walking Along the Apex

At The Start Line

Looking Up the Main Straight

Official Rubber

Could be from Rossi's tire, who knows? 

The Tower

Ever since I saw this Tower in photos, I always wanted to get to the top to see what the view was like. The elevator was out, so that meant we had to climb to the top. It took awhile, but totally worth it. The view was stunning, and you could see the entire track in any direction. 

Selfie At The Top

But it's not just about big motorcycles racing, it's about the little ones too like this minimoto track some kiddies were practicing on:

Kids Minimoto Track

And then there were the Budweiser Clydesdales touring the country, with Austin as one of their stops. Look at these cuties, they were gorgeous and Huge! I love how the one in the back is totally cheesing in the background. They seemed excited when everyone was there to take pictures with them. 

Of course there's also a few stands to buy some gear. I couldn't resist buying this "coolshirt" from Taichi. It's basically a zip up baselayer for hot weather. I got a really bad sunburn on Friday and I needed something soft up against my shoulders so this was perfect. It feels silky to the touch, really soft, I'm looking forward to wearing it in really hot weather to see how it compares to my other hot weather baselayers. I bought a Medium and it fits me perfect, not too tight / not too loose. You can check it out here. 

Wandering around the track, there were also some cool areas to check out including shopping, bikes and bikes. 

KTM SuperDuke GT

Can we go out sometime? 

Have I Mentioned How Much I Like You?

Isn't He Beautiful?

Yamaha FZ10

I'll admit, it's one of my top 3 bikes for future upgrades

A Brief Lapse in Judgment to the Dark Side

Pretty Yamalube Westby Racing YZF-R1

With Latus Racing's Kawasaki ZX-10

Racer Bobby Fong landed on the podium three times that weekend with this bike.

The Food

I think I gained 10lbs. SO much deliciousness in Austin. The food was fantastic, and the barbecue was amazing. 

Torchy's Tacos

First stop after landing in Austin, for some tacos and 'ritas

Crazy tacos from Torchys

Snooze, an A.M. Eatery

This was "Chicken Pot Pie" breakfast style

Counter Cafe

Another tasty breakfast right near our Airbnb

Coopers Old Time BBQ Pit

Second night in Austin. I swear I tried to take the entire hunk of Ribeye home (2 days later). It was SO good. 

Gourdough's Donuts

Homemade, fresh ginormous donuts piled with various toppings. YUM.

Blacks BBQ

Last BBQ in Austin. Another delicious meal. 

I swear practically on every corner was a food truck. Even in the parking lot at this adorable pet store. 

Yep, those are fake dogs on the roof! 

And food trucks parked in the pet store parking lot. 

Handbuilt Show

We spent Friday night at the Handbuilt Show, a popular event in Austin that happens the same weekend. It's remarkable what people can make with their own two hands. 

I Fell In Love With a Suzuki

This was a beautiful Suzuki, but I have no idea what it really was....

Nice Motodemic Headlight Conversion

Love the Glowing Tank

There was also a Wall of Death Show, which I missed, but my husband got some slow motion action live from the Wall:

Slow motion video of a brief moment at the Wall of Death, at the Handbuilt Show Austin, 2017

We had a great time in Austin, I really hope to go back next year.... Thank you Austin!

RS Taichi Drymaster Prime All Season Jacket

If you aren't familiar with RS Taichi, they're a little known brand from Japan that makes high quality, premium motorcycle gear.

Unfortunately they don't offer very strong options for women, specifically leather or a lot of highly technical riding gear but they do offer a few textile jackets and pants for us. I have a pair of these Crossover Mesh Pants which I only wear on really hot, humid days to and from work.

I recently discovered the All Season Jacket above, and was thrilled to see it's offered in a women's specific size. It has an integrated waterproof membrane, has large, direct ventilation, sealed zippers and a removable insulated liner. It's called "All Season" due to the venting scheme. Full armor also comes with the jacket including shoulders, elbow, back and chest.

Look out for a full review in an upcoming issue of Sportbikes Inc Magazine!

Everyday motorcycle pants.

It can be really difficult to find every day riding pants with abrasion resistance, armor and a great fit. There are only a couple out there. But I finally found some! 

Crossover Mesh Riding Pants, $179.95

If you aren't familiar with RS Taichi, they're a premium motorcycle apparel brand in Japan. The quality is excellent, and their gear ranks right up there Dainese, REV'IT and Alpinestars. 

As far as offerings for women, they offer textile jackets, pants, gloves and even a 1 piece leather race suit. I just wish they'd offer 2 piece street leathers. We carry a few of their products at Scuderia West, sadly not these pants yet. But hopefully that'll change :)

I bought these to wear around town; mainly for going out and about. I don't mind wearing my other pants over jeans to get to work, but I wanted something super light and snug in terms of fit. Something that fits like jeans. And these definitely do. I wore them to work today and they felt really good. And they have hip and knee armor!  The only downside so far is that they have a low/mid rise. Not good if you have a soft middle like I do. If I gain any more weight I won't be wearing these for very long so at least they'll keep me from eating too many donuts. 

It was really humid today (totally weird for SF) and the mesh felt nice. I'm looking forward to wearing them around town. The only downside so far is that they don't have a side zipper, so they take a little extra effort to get them over my boot (definitely have to take boots off to put them on/off). However, it's a bonus when you're looking for a really lean, fitted pant that isn't bulky, has armor where you need it and some breathability. I'm wearing a size W-XS. Overall, Taichi is great for a petite, smaller fit. You'll have to use Taichi Moto's size charts to determine what the right women's size is and you may want to contact them to be sure. 

Overall, I LOVE them and plan to swap out the knee armor with d3O or TPro. 

(ignore how terrible I look, but look at those pants!)