Le Mans 24 Hour Moto

[Pilgrim]

I'm thinking of heading down to this years 24 Hour Motorcycle race at Le Mans.

What can you fine people tell me, if anything, about the 24 Hour Moto?

For instance, who supplies tickets, what sort of camping facilities are there, howw much will it cost and so on?

[Steve Pyro]

You can get tickets via the ACO booking office as per the motor race.

More info is here http://www.lemans.org/univers_sport/pages/billetterie_24hmoto2005_gb.html

[Canada Phil]

Hi Pilgrim,
               Never been myself but have been told:
 They race Bikes for 24 hours
Crowd is even more rowdy than our lot
They use the Buggatti Cuircit, so they come around more often This is so the crews can check on their rider and know he is not lots in some ditch beside the Mulsanne
Definitely lts of camping and drinking going on.
Canada Phil

[jpchenet]

Don't forget your ACO membership also gets you discounted tickets to this event too. Last year I saved about 40 Euros by being an ACO member and purchasing my full allocation for the main race and also going to The Classic!!

[Fax]

Being a biker fan it's always sounded like good fun, However!   I've got a friend who's been there and said look out for the weather,  it's usually pretty dodgy that time of year and that the Bug circut is kinda crappy from from a spectating standpoint.  He said that you may be better off saving the dosh and going to the Bol D'Or in Sept at Magny Cours instead.
Fax

[Bobblehat]

"Gordie" who is local to me, has raced the Moto 24 three times. Told me that he did the most embassaing thing you can do on an endro: he droped the bike! In the first hour! Still, he still came 2nd. I have to say that they are madder than a mad thing with a degree from Mad Uni.

[Rhino]

Don't they have a ban on bars selling alcohol within 5k of the circuit.
Seemed to remember it happening after one year about 3 bikers got pissed and wiped themselves out on the local roads.

[Rusty]

We are all bikers here.
Very grungy, no booze, Bugatti circuit and shite weather.
Hmmmmmnnnnnnnnnnno thanks. Done that. Stick to the cars.
Or go to the Bol d'or.
Rusty

[Andy Zarse]

Is there not a degree of confusion here? The Moto is the French Grand Prix bike race and is somerwhat confusingly held at LM. The 24 hour endurance bike race is an entirely seperate event. I was told years ago (in about 1980 I think!) that the Bol was the one to go to.

[Fax]

This friend of mine here in Cincy (a British ex-pat) who had been to both the LM 24 hour bike race and the Bol said that the one time he went to Le Mans it rained for about twenty of the 24 hours and it was freezing cold, not a good time at all.  He used to go the Bol when it was held at Paul Ricard, said that was a blast with all the delights of the Riviera to go with the racing action.  Not sure about Magny though, its always looked pretty bland and sterile on TV.
John

[jpchenet]

Is there not a degree of confusion here? The Moto is the French Grand Prix bike race and is somerwhat confusingly held at LM. The 24 hour endurance bike race is an entirely seperate event. I was told years ago (in about 1980 I think!) that the Bol was the one to go to.

The ACO web site lists them as two seperate events, the 24 Heures Moto is in April, and the Grand Prix De France Moto is in May.

Apparently the track in then being used for something other than bikes in June  

[Robbo SPS]

Sod the 24 heure Moto.

Go and see the Moto Gp at Le Mans. They are very special riders and bikes.

Hoping to get there again this year.

[Fax]

Agreed Robo,
The Moto GP guys are in a class of their own.  In many ways Moto GP right now reminds me of the days of the turbo era in F1.  Just outrageous machines being ridden by supremely talented men.
Its good to see Moto GP returning to the US but I'd hoped it would be at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, I would have made the trip down for that but Laguna's just to much of a hike.  Should be interesting to see how Neil Hodgson fares in the AMA Super's this year.
Fax

[Robbo SPS]

The AMA's will be good for him.

I dont watch it very often, but they have the 1000cc fours like BSB, which is more entertaining than WSB hich is a Ducati thing.

The word from pre-season testing is that the Ducati Desmodeci is nearly 1 second quicker than last years !!

Should be good.

Luguna Seca is a mecca for Bike Racing in my opinion

[Fax]

Neil seemed to settle in pretty quickly at the Daytona testing just completed.  The AMA series should be a good show this season with Kawasaki and Yamaha back in the fight. However the Ducati's and Gixers will still be the ones to beat.  Matt Mladin was flying on the new Gixer but ended the test with a huge crash, trashing the bike and breaking a bone in his foot, should be well healed up for the 200 though.  Yes Laguna is a lovely circut, just a hell of a long way from Ohio!
Fax