Superbike 101 with Mat Mladin
Last week I had an opportunity to test the 2008 Suzuki GSX-R600 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, and none other than AMA Superbike superhero Mat Mladin was there preparing for this weekend's AMA Suzuki Superbike Challenge.
For those of you not familiar with AMA Superbike Racing, it's the most prominent American race series based on production sport bikes; the Suzuki GSX-R1000s and Honda CBR1000RRs you see whipping around the track are slightly modified versions of the same, off-the-shelf motorcycles you'll find at your local retail showroom.
Chatting with Mat Mladin about motorcycle racing is a bit like talking to Picasso about painting; Mat holds a record six AMA Superbike titles, and a series record of 51 wins. The man is crazy fast, and not only is he one of the top riders in this highly competitive field, he's also been instrumental in the development of world class sportbikes like the Gixxer 1000.
Check out my quick interview with Mat Mladin, and stay tuned for a full review of the race-bred, 2008 Suzuki GSXR-600.
Photo © Robert Cianflone / Staff / Getty Images Sport
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Comments
If there’s a Class Act in MC racing anywhere in the world today it’s Mat Maldin…the only other guy that could be said about in the same breath is Nicky. What is it about Australia??!! Some of the best road racers in the world hail from there….Bayliss – arguably the best SBK rider ever, Mladin…probably responsible for the GSXR1000 being what it is …on the street and in WSBK as well as AMA. Corser…he and Bayliss have had some brilliant battles over the years, and of course Stoner. I think it’s time for an extended vacation Down Under…maybe it’s in the water, or the air.
Unfortunately, American Suzuki, Yosh and Mladin / Spies have reduced AMA SBK to the most boring series in the world…watching those 2 go at it is fun, but that’s where it ends (although something has gone off the rails for Spies).
What is wrong with the other 3??!!
Anyone ever wonder why Mladin has stayed in the States? He’s ridden with the WSBK crowd at spring practice at Philip ISL and he’s every bit as fast as any of them. What a shame he has elected to stay here where there is clearly no competition and no one willing to step up and build a team / bike capable of challenging them.
WSBK this weekend @ Assen! 2nd practice had 1 second from Bayliss to 11th place.
I take back what I said about Spies season having gone off the rails….
Anyone see Fontana?? Spies won both…the 2nd race he won by 0.01 seconds!! 4 laps before that he was down 4 seconds to Mladin.. What a helluva race!!
As usual 3rd place 20+ seconds behind…
Yeah, it’s been the AMA Superbike Suzuki Cup the last few years.
There seem to be many theories why he chooses to stay in AMA when he is obviously one of the greatest superbike riders of all time. I think I read rumors Mladin is paid more than any rider in WSB… more than last year’s champ, Toseland and more than Bayliss.
Mladin actually went to GP early in his career, in retrospect, I think even Mladin has said it was perhaps not the right time… a bit premature. Maybe that experience on the Cagiva GP team in the early `90s soured him.
Since Spies seems earmarked for GP, perhaps we should just enjoy the spectacle these two fiercely driven competitors are providing this season.
I wonder how Mladin fares next year under the new DMG AMA regs. and class structure without Spies to really push him for wins.
I was at the Superbike Races in Laguna this past weekend and enjoyed them very much. I have been a fan of Mat Mladin for over 10 years until this weekend. On Thursday we were in the pits and I asked if Mat was around for an autograph. Some guy on his team says, “You know, Mat is married.” I said it wasn’t like that, that I just wanted an autograph. I may have been a little over zealous, but just because someone is excited, doesn’t mean sex. So to Mat Mladin and your team, you suck! You’ve lost a fan forever. I can’t believe that by asking for a signature that your team took from that I wanted to sleep with you. I’m truly sorry that I can’t appreciate motorcycle racing and the riders like men do. I’m quite sure if there was an excited male fan asking for an autograph, they wouldn’t be accused of wanting to have sex with Mat Mladin.