Ah, Aragon! They used to shoot westerns here, you know. The wide empty desert was the perfect backdrop for spaghetti western action. Cowboy versus cowboy, gunslingers living dying by the grace of their hair-trigger fingers and lightning-quick reflexes. And maybe the spirit of those films never really went away, because now we’ve got some old-fashioned drama like rival brothers and the return of a rider who was really fighting some technical difficulties. But was that really all there was to it? ...
Jun 08, 2025•42 min•Season 3Ep. 18
Answers, answers! Going cheap, barely used, fresh off the press! Good answers to tricky MotoGP questions! Come get them while they're hot! Earlier this week, we asked our Patrons to send us their questions. This time, we thought, maybe we'll succeed in answering all of them? I mean, how many questions could you all possibly have for us? Turns out that the answer is: A whole lot! Sixty seven, at the time of writing. Did Mat and Peter get through all of them? No, because then this podcast would ta...
Jun 01, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 17
At the time of writing, it is 02.00 AM in Kyoto and the only thing keeping me awake is leftover adrenaline from watching pure madness on the tarmac. Silverstone is an outlier, this we know. But this time? This time, nobody ended up where they thought they'd be when the lights first turn green. Red flags, infernal ride height devices and an incredibly competitive Honda are just some of the unexpected turns that showed themselves at the UK's twisty track. Today is opposite day, the world turned up...
May 25, 2025•42 min•Season 3Ep. 16
It has four cylinders. It won ten world championships, claimed first in over a hundred races and still holds the world record for longest uninterrupted streak with twenty-two wins in a row. It's the Honda NSR500, and it might be the meanest, fastest two-wheeling machine of the 20th century. But it really didn't start out like that. Turn back the clock to those first few years, and this modern legend looked more like a lame duck. The weight distribution was horrible, it took Freddy Spencer to the...
May 18, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 15
Sometimes, MotoGP is all about the numbers. Like the number 23 - the amount of races Ducati would have had to win in order to set a new world record. Or the number 1 - the amount they came up short. That bit was courtesy of Number 5, a.k.a. Johann Zarco, the man driving the home crowd wild through a spectacular performance. And going wild they should, as it's been 73 years since a Frenchman claimed victory at Le Mans! And then there's the weather, the tires and of course the crashes, including o...
May 11, 2025•50 min•Season 3Ep. 14
For the first time, we’re going back for seconds! That’s right, it’s time for a sequel as we go back to our history of Ducati’s Desmosedici and take care of our unfinished business. Haven’t heard the first part yet? Then quickly go here to change that! So, last time we saw how the incredibly talent of Casey Stoner brought victory to the Italian manufacturer. But nothing last forever, and now we’re going to see Ducati take a tumble from the top of the world to one of it’s all-time lows. Left with...
May 04, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Ah Jerez, we’ve missed you! The Spanish track never fails to be a season highlight, and this year was no exception. Also no surprise is that the winner is, of course, Marquez. Except it’s not the one you might have thought, because he might have to give his head a wobble. Yes, it’s that kind of race where an ugly surprise for the champion results in every other competitor displaying their raw talent in a bid for the title. You want to know how the championship is going? A rumble like this will b...
Apr 27, 2025•35 min•Season 3Ep. 12
If you want to know the secret to Ducati's success, it's these four words: desmodromic distribution, sixteen valves. Or, if we call it by its more common Italian shorthand: Desmosedici , the name of Ducati's killer MotoGP-bikes that have been absolutely dominating these last few years. But it wasn't always like that. There was a time when Ducati was not the reigning champion, but a worn-out shell of a manufacturer that was about to lose it all. It's a fascinating story, and absolutely crucial if...
Apr 20, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 3Ep. 11
We've got a scoop! Curious? We'll give you a hint: this episode contains exclusive news! But what is it all about? Well, that's the question! Maybe it's about Honda - have they found themselves a new rider for a new era? Or perhaps this is about a new contender coming through from World Superbike, as told to us from a live witness? Or perhaps none? Perhaps both? Only one way to find out, eh? And then there's the race in Losail, where floodlights glisten off the dragon's teeth that guard the curb...
Apr 13, 2025•44 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Dearly beloved, It is with heavy heart that we gather to say our final goodbyes to a legend: the Yamaha YZR-M1. Its life seemed short to us, but way too long to others. After a long struggle with a clinical lack of competitive edge and a distinct lack of aero, its family at Yamaha has decided to pull the plug and let its beloved inline-engined legend pass with dignity. The YZR-M1 is survived and will be missed by its V4 successors. You are hereby cordially invited to attend the wake of the Yamah...
Apr 06, 2025•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 9
Apologies! Something went horribly wrong last night with the recording, and it took as a long time to fix it. Mat's in Austin, Peter's in Portimão and we completely forgot to sacrifice a chicken to the wifi-gods...the end result was a slight catastrophe where we ended up recording at least one of your host over the phone. Just imagine Peter sitting in the corner of a dark hotel room with a telephone in one fist and an old fashioned recorder in the other, and now you're getting it. So, what did t...
Mar 31, 2025•46 min•Season 3Ep. 8
You know how we sometimes promise we won't talk so much about tires? Well, we lie! You might have heard about Pirelli moving in and replacing Michelin as the official tire of MotoGP in 2027. And maybe you wonder how much influence a single change like this could possibly have. After all, they're just pieces of rubber - shouldn't we have basically perfected the art of the tire by now? Well, imagine it like this. Here you have a MotoGP bike, pure metal and technology that just wants to go fast. It...
Mar 23, 2025•58 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Britpop has the Gallagher brothers. Tennis has the Williams sisters. Video games have the Super Mario Bros. And MotoGP? It's the second race of the season and nobody is getting close to the Marquez brothers, bringing Ducati to dominate the track. Which begs the question: is MotoGP boring now? It's a tricky problem, that's for sure. What fun is a game when the winner is already basically determined before the match even starts? Or are we selling the sport short when we act as if winning is the on...
Mar 17, 2025•42 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Oh, you knew it was coming! Just admit it. First it was December and we got you Kevin Schwantz . Did you really think we could do that, and then not invite Wayne Rainey? Come on, be real! Yes, we've got Wayne with us this week so you just know this is going to be fireworks. But it's not all about legendary rivalries and racing so hard you can feel your teeth chatter - it's also about being really clever and technical in ways that the rest of the world sometimes doesn't understand yet. Case in po...
Mar 09, 2025•55 min•Season 3Ep. 5
It feels good to be back! The first race of a brand new season is in the pocket and it promises to be a very interesting season, indeed. We've got the Márquez brothers, both on Ducati's and both in front. Maybe not a surprise if you're Marc, but definitely a promising feat if you're Alex. Have we been underestimating the younger Márquez? And then there's Ai Ogura, the rookie who takes our breath away, and Jack Miller taking his brain out and showing that the right rider really can make the machi...
Mar 02, 2025•46 min•Season 3Ep. 4
You've got questions. We've got answers. Let's make a podcast! Yes, this week we're once again opening up a big bag of mail to do some listener questions! Which listeners, you might ask? Our Patreons, of course, because they're awesome and you should really consider joining them. Then you, too, might ask questions like: Who takes the blame when a slow rider has a fast teammate? Will the future be electric, or is it running on biofuels? How much can a bikeframe bend if bikes was build to bend? Wi...
Feb 22, 2025•1 hr 26 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Ready for racing? So is everyone, but there’s one more test we need to talk about first – and it’s an event that shows some very interesting changes... Welcome to Buriram, Thailand. It’s the last chance to get everything in order before the big circus starts. If you’re a competitor, this is the moment you most want your tech to be not just cutting edge, but also on the exact right side of familiar so you can be in complete control of it. Unless you’re Ducati, and you just decide to go back to la...
Feb 16, 2025•59 min•Season 3Ep. 2
We're back, we're back, we're finally back at the track! It might be a few weeks until the next season officially kicks off, but Mat and Peter need their fix yesterday. The solution? Send them to Sepang, where every team is getting their last tests in before the championship starts. It's hot, it's humid and when the rider kicks their machine into high gear, the power and the vibration will shakes your sternum all the way from the pitlane to the cheap seats. Man, it's good to be back! So this wee...
Feb 09, 2025•44 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Beattie. Doohan. Rossi. What do these legends all have in common? Well, they all had their bikes worked on by Alex Briggs, for starters. This week, we're interviewing one of MotoGP's old veteran mechanics. He's the man who saw 26 seasons and multiple championship victories before retiring in 2020, and he's got some great stories for us... This week, join us as we discover what it was like to work with some of MotoGP's greatest riders and what drove them. Want to know why Doohan needed a differen...
Feb 02, 2025•1 hr 22 min
We've got another guest! This week, we're calling Frankie Carchedi. You might have heard of him - he's one of the legendary crew chiefs currently working in MotoGP, winning the 2020 championship with Joan Mir and working with Marc Márquez last year. And since one of our hosts has experience as a crew chief himself, we've got plenty of questions! So, how do you deal with a rider's ego without shattering it? What tells you if a disappointing result is an issue with the rider, the tech or both? And...
Jan 26, 2025•51 min
We've got a special guest this week, and if you've seen the title of this podcast you can probably guess who it is... ...that's right, it's the return of the legendary Livio Suppo! So, what's on the menu today? Well, we're gearing up for what promises to be a spectacular season and we don't know what the outcome will be. There's top riders being positioned into intense rivalries, there's old paddock mainstays like KTM in dire, dire straits and there's technology that can make all the difference....
Jan 15, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Remember December? If not, don't worry, it's all a little blurry for us as well. Well, just before the holidays we discussed the top twelve riders and what the upcoming season might have in store from them. Which is all well and good, but what about the bikes? WHAT ABOUT THE BIKES?! Well, don't worry because this week Mat and Peter are dusting off the old crystal ball to look at what MotoGP's next season might look like from a more...mechanical point of view. We're going to look at each manufact...
Jan 12, 2025•53 min
STOP! DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS AUDIO! THIS IS MEANT TO BE A VIDEO. GO WATCH IT ON OUR PATREON OR ON YOUTUBE ! Okay, still here? Hello, this is producer Sam. Normally, I'd be writing a description for our new episode here, but we're kicking off the new year with a very special scoop and we're going to need video to show it to you. I've put the audio here, but if you choose to listen to it rather than view it you will probably end up being incredibly confused. So go to our Patreon or YouTube , press ...
Jan 05, 2025•41 min
Hey everyone! This week, I'm afraid that Mat and Peter are lost in the late-December limbo. So instead, we're giving all of you a holiday present in the form of a (formerly) Patreon-exclusive post. This interview with Casey was first published in March, and was one of the first things we uploaded exclusively for our subscribers. Like this? Then why not start 2025 with a subscription to our Patreon , and get cool stuff like this on the regular? Trust us – you’ll love it! We'll be back with you in...
Dec 29, 2024•43 min
Ho ho ho! Are you feeling the holiday spirit yet? No? Well, have we got just the thing for you: a visit from Father Christmas himself! No, not Saint Nick – we’re talking about the one and only Kevin Schwantz, wearing a funny little red hat!* Yes, we gave Kevin a ring and he picked up the phone for us. A few minutes later we were talking about his racing career, and before you know it there’s some pretty cool stories being shared. Some of them are about fighting for your life on a machine that se...
Dec 22, 2024•48 min
This week, we're getting ready for the holiday season as we count down the Twelve Nights Riders of Christmas! Yes, Mat and Peter have been making a list (and checking it twice) from Bezzecchi to Martin, and they’re about to let you know who’s been naughty or nice… So, who rides with the strongest emotions? Who has the most fighting spirit, the most crashes, the most wins and the most potential? Who should be proud and full of good cheer, and who might have been slacking a bit and finds coal in t...
Dec 15, 2024•51 min
This week, we asked our Patreon-supporters to send in their questions and they did not disappoint. For example: How do factories look at independent teams? Was there ever a crash so bad, it made Peter and Mat reconsider racing? How do you talk to a rider who just messed up their race? Whtiny mistakes can have the biggest consequences for a rider's career? And what does Peter mean when he talks about 'Rider Intelligence'? The answers to all the above and way, way more are found inside this extra ...
Dec 08, 2024•1 hr 8 min
Oh boy, something went wrong this week! No, we’re not talking about the financial trouble KTM finds itself in – although I promise we’ll touch on that in a bit – but about our microphones. We’ve got it fixed for next week, but this episode the quality is in the lovely tone of ‘tin can’. Sorry about that. However, don’t go away just yet, because we’ve got a guest! This week, we’re talking about the future of MotoGP. That’s the financial future, to be precise. With Liberty Media buying the champio...
Dec 01, 2024•57 min•Season 2Ep. 39
This week, we’re staying at the Barcelona paddock to report on the big test. That’s right: it’s been at least hours since a new champion was crowned, so testing for the next season can begin! So, what will Mat and Peter find and does it get them excited? Well, there’s some stuff that looks absolutely amazing. And it’s right next to the stuff that will probably give us headaches. But what’s what, and why so? The only way to find out is to listen! Also, get ready for guest appearances by Jorge Mar...
Nov 24, 2024•48 min•Season 2Ep. 38
We've got a champion! Big congrats to Jorge Martin - and now it's time to party! Look, I could write a very long description here, but we all know the drill. It's the end of the season, Mat and Peter are in the paddock and there's beer being served. Care to join us in a 'live' celebration? Here's what you do. First, try to answer the following questions. Your job is to guess who: ...commits a crime against God and Drink ...loves to kill everyone ...doesn't mind 20 punters in your pit ...knows wh...
Nov 17, 2024•43 min•Season 2Ep. 37
